a comparative study of chinese and english body l.doc

A Comparative Study of  Chinese and English Body Languages

Contents

1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………….…......1
2. Pragmatic features of body language…………………………….…........................2
2.1 Emblems …………………………………………….….... ……………………2
2.2 Illustrators………………………………………………………………………2
2.3 Regulators ………………...................................................................................2
2.4 Affect displays………………………………………………………………….3
2.5 Adaptors………………………………………………………………………...3
3. Pragmatic functions of body language……………………………………………...3
3.1 Complement……………………….....................................................................3
3.2 Substitution……………………………………………………………………..3
3.3 Emotional expression…………………...............................................................3
  3.4 Accentuation…………………….........................................................................4
  3.5 Symbolization…………………………………………………………………...4
4. A comparative study of body language between Chinese and English-speaking countries……………………………………………………………………………….4
  4.1 Contrastive study of gestures…………………………………………………...4
      4.1.1 The same gesture with different meanings in different cultures...............5
      4.1.2 Different gestures with same meaning    
4.1.3 Gesture and meaning in one culture without equivalent in other cultures………………………………………………………………….5
  4.2 Contrastive study of posture……………………….............................................6
  4.3 Contrastive study of facial expression…………………………………………..7
4.4 Contrastive study of eye contact…………………………………….………….8
5. Conclusion ………………………………………………………………….……....9
Bibliography ………………………………………………………………….……...10

                                     
                                     
A Comparative Study of
Chinese and English Body Languages

Abstract: In human communication, people use body language to communicate. Body language plays an important role in complementing, accenting, symbolizing or substituting utterance meaning. Body language, like verbal language, is also a part of culture. But in different cultures body language means different things. Different people have different ways of making nonverbal communication. Understanding the different cultural implications of English and Chinese body language can promote people’s cross-cultural communication competence, reinforce the heart-to-heart understanding and in the end will benefit the communication between English and Chinese people. This paper mainly expounds the features and functions, presents the meanings of body language, researches body language’s cultural differences between English and Chinese, especially those in gesture, posture, facial expression, eye contact and physical distance, and discusses the importance of knowing cultural meanings. The research of English and Chinese body language in nonverbal communication is helpful for people to diminish or avoid misunderstandings caused by the cultural differences of body language.
Key Words: body language, English-speaking countries, China, contrast
 
[ 摘 要 ] 人们在进行交流的过程中，经常运用身势语。身势语对话语意义起着补充，强调，表情，象征或替代作用。身势语同语言一样，都是文化的一部分。在不同文化中，身势语的意义并不完全相同。各个民族有不同的非语言交际方式。了解英汉身势语的不同文化内涵，有助于英汉国家的人民之间更好地交流，提高跨文化交际能力，增进感情与心态的理解，做到“入乡随俗”，传情达意。本文重点论述了身势语的语用特征，功能，并从文化角度对身势语在不同的文化背景中的含义作了介绍，探讨了中国和英语国家在手势，姿态，面部表情，眼神与体距等方面的文化差异，论述了了解文化含义在非语言交际中的重要性。对跨文化交际中的英汉体态语进行探讨，有助于人们减少或避免在跨文化交际中因体态语的文化差异而引起的误解。
[ 关键词 ] 身势语；英语国家；中国；对比