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Unit4BodylanguageYesterday,anotherstudentandI,representingouruniversity'sstudentassociation,wenttotheCapitalInternationalAirporttomeetthisyear'sinternationalstudents.TheywerecomingtostudyatBeijingUniversity.Wewouldtakethemfirsttotheirdormitoriesandthentothestudentcanteen.Afterhalfanhourofwaitingfortheirflighttoarrive,Isawseveralyoungpeopleenterthewaitingarealookingaroundcuriously.Istoodforaminutewatchingthemandthenwenttogreetthem.ThefirstpersontoarrivewasTonyGarciafromColombia,closelyfollowedbyJuliaSmithfromBritain.AfterImetthemandthenintroducedthemtoeachother,Iwasverysurprised.TonyapproachedJulia,touchedhershoulderandkissedheronthecheek!Shesteppedbackappearingsurprisedandputupherhands,asifindefence.Iguessedthattherewasprobablyamajormisunderstanding.ThenAkiraNagatafromJapancameinsmiling,togetherwithGeorgeCookfromCanada.Astheywereintroduced,GeorgereachedhishandouttotheJapanesestudent.Justatthatmoment,however,AkirabowedsohisnosetouchedGeorge'smovinghand.Theybothapologized-anotherculturalmistake!AhmedAziz,anotherinternationalstudent,wasfromJordan.Whenwemetyesterday,hemovedveryclosetomeasIintroducedmyself.Imovedbackabit,buthecameclosertoaskaquestionandthenshookmyhand.WhenDarleneCoulonfromFrancecamedashingthroughthedoor,sherecognizedTonyGarcia'ssmilingface.Theyshookhandsandthenkissedeachothertwiceoneachcheek,sincethatistheFrenchcustomwhenadultsmeetpeopletheyknow.AhmedAziz.,onthecontrary,simplynoddedatthegirls.MenfromMiddleEasternandotherMuslimcountrieswilloftenstandquiteclosetoothermentotalkbutwillusuallynottouchwomen.AsIgettoknowmoreinternationalfriends,Ilearnmoreaboutthisculturalbodylanguage.Notallculturesgreeteachotherthesameway,noraretheycomfortableinthesamewaywithtouchingordistancebetweenpeople.Inthesamewaythatpeoplecommunicatewithspokenlanguage,theyalsoexpresstheirfeelingsusingunspokenlanguagethroughphysicaldistance,actionsorposture.Englishpeople,forexample,donotusuallystandveryclosetoothersortouchstrangersassoonastheymeet.However,peoplefromplaceslikeSpain,ItalyorSouthAmericancountriesapproachotherscloselyandaremorelikelytotouchthem.Mostpeoplearoundtheworldnowgreeteachotherbyshakinghands,butsomeculturesuseothergreetingsaswell,suchastheJapanese,whoprefertobow.Theseactionsarenotgoodorbad,butaresimplywaysinwhichcultureshavedeveloped.Ihaveseen,however,thatculturalcustomsforbodylanguageareverygeneral-notallmembersofaculturebehaveinthesameway.Ingeneral,though,studyinginternationalcustomscancertainlyhelpavoiddifficultiesintoday'sworldofculturalcrossroads!Bodylanguageisoneofthemostpowerfulmeansofcommunication,oftenevenmorepowerfulthanspokenlanguage.Peoplearoundtheworldshowallkindsoffeelings,wishesandattitudesthattheymightneverspeakaloud.Itispossibletoreadothersaroundus,eveniftheydonotintendforustocatchtheirunspokencommunication.Ofcourse,bodylanguagecanbemisread,butmanygesturesandactionsareuniversal.Themostuniversalfacialexpressionis,ofcourse,thesmile–itsfunctionistoshowhappinessandputpeopleatease.Itdoesnotalwaysmeanthatwearetrulyhappy,however.Smilesaroundtheworldcanbefalse,hidingotherfeelingslikeanger,fearorworry.Thereareunhappysmiles,suchaswhensomeonelosesfaceandsmilestohideit.However,thegeneralpurposeofsmilingistoshowgoodfeelings.Fromthetimewearebabies,weshowunhappinessorangerbyfrowning.Inmostplacesaroundtheworld,frowningandturningone'sbacktosomeoneshowsanger.Makingafistandshakingitalmostalwaysmeansthatsomeoneisangryandthreateninganotherperson.Therearemanywaysaroundtheworldtoshowagreement,butnoddingtheheadupanddownisusedforagreement,almostworldwide.Mostpeoplealsounderstandthatshakingtheheadfromsidetosidemeansdisagreementorrefusal.HowaboutshowingthatIambored?Lookingawayfrompeopleoryawningwill,inmostcases,makemeappeartobeuninterested.However,ifIturntowardandlookatsomeoneorsomething,peoplefromalmosteveryculturewillthinkthatIaminterested.IfIrollmyeyesandturnmyheadaway,ImostlikelydonotbelievewhatIamhearingordonotlikeit.Beingrespectfultopeopleissubjective,basedoneachculture,butingeneralitisprobablynotagoodideatogiveahugtoabossorteacher.Inalmosteveryculture,itisnotusuallygoodtostandtooclosetosomeoneofahigherrank.StandingatalittledistancewithopenhandswillshowthatIamwillingtolisten.Withsomanyculturaldifferencesbetweenpeople,itisgreattohavesomesimilaritiesinbodylanguage.Wecanoftenbewrongabouteachother,soitisanamazingthingthatweunderstandeachotheraswellaswedo!肢体语言昨天,另一个学生和我,代表我们学校学生会,去首都国际机场迎接今年的国际学生。他们都要在北京大学学习。我们将带他们先到他们的宿舍里,然后到学生餐厅。半小时后,等待着他们的航班的到达,我看见几个年轻人进入等候区好奇地环顾四周。我看着他们站了一分钟,然后就去迎接他们。第一个到的人是托尼·加西亚从哥伦比亚,其次是朱丽亚史密斯来自英国。当我遇上他们,然后介绍他们认识到对方,我很惊讶。托尼接近茱莉亚,碰着她的肩膀并亲吻她的脸颊!她退后出现对此感到惊讶,并举起她的手,仿佛在后防线上。”我猜想那里大概是一个主要的误解。然后从日本晶Nagata笑着走进来,连同乔治库克从加拿大来。当他们进行了介绍,乔治把手伸到日本的学生。就在那时,然而,仙道,所以他的鼻子碰躬乔治的移动的手。他们互相道歉——另一种文化的错误!艾哈迈德·阿齐兹,另一个国际学生,来自约旦。昨天,我们见面时,他走得很近,对我来说,都像我作了自我介绍。我搬回了一点,但他走得更近了,问一个问题,然后跟我握了握手。从法国来的时候达琳Coulon浮华的穿过门的时候,她认识的托尼·加西亚的笑脸。他们握了握手,然后互相亲吻脸颊两次,因为这是每个法国习俗的成年人,在遇到很多人,他们知道。艾哈迈德Aziz.,相反,简单的点了点头,女孩子。男人从中东和其他穆斯林国家往往会站得很近,他对周围的人通常会说话但不能碰的女人。当我了解更多的国际朋友,我了解更多的关于这一文化“身体语言”。并非所有文化都互相问候,同样的方式,他们也不是舒适的在同样的方式用触摸或距离人民之间的友谊。同样的道理,非语言交际与语言表