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1/6Unit6CultureandNonverbalCommunicationSomeIdeasRelatedtoNonverbalCommunication1.NonverballanguageWhatisnotsaidisoftenasimportantaswhatissaid.Nonverbalcommunicationiscommunicationthroughmeansotherthanlanguage—forexample,facialexpression,personalspace,eyecontact,useoftime,andconversationalsilence.(Hall,E.T.TheSilentLanguage,NewYork:Doubleday,1959)2.DifferentexpressionsofnonverballanguageKinesics:ourbodylanguageThetermreferstogestures,facialexpressions,eyecontact,bodypositions,bodymovements,andformsofgreetingandtheirrelationtocommunication—yawning,stretching,andrelaxing,staring,walkingslumpedover,raisingaclenchedfist,showingavictorysign.Thehumancommunicationprocessismorecomplexthanitinitiallyseems.Much,ifnotmost,ofourmessagesinfacetofacecontactaretransmittedthroughparalanguage.Theseauxiliarycommunicationtechniquesarehighlyculturebound.Communicationwithpeoplefromothersocietiesorethnicgroupsisfraughtwiththedangerofmisunderstandingiftheircultureandparalanguageisunknowntoyouorignored.2/63.SignificanceofnonverballanguageItaccountsformuchofthemeaningwederivefromconversations.Cognitivecontent.Affectivecontent.Itspontaneouslyreflectedthesubconscious.Normallywecontroloverourwords.Butthenonverbalbehaviormayleakourtruefeelings.Wecannotcommunicatewithoutit.Evenifwechoosesilence,thenonverbaldimensionofourcommunicationisalwayspresent.Evenifweremovebodilyfromthesceneofinteraction,ourabsencemayspeakloudly.4.RelationshipbetweenverbalandnonverballanguageAccent:tolayemphasisbytoneofvoice,intonationsReinforce/Complement:tostrengthenandsupplyContradict:betraytheverbalexpressionsRegulate:lookingbehavior,vocalinflections,gestures,generalcuesofreadinessorrelaxationallhelptosignalaperson’sconversationalintentionsSubstitute:headnodsorshakes,handgestures,facialdisplayandbodymovement3/6ReadingIAnOverviewofNonverbalCommunicationComprehensionquestions1.Canyouspeakeachofthefollowingsentencesindifferentwaystomeandifferently?1)Sheismybestfriend.2)You‟vedonereallygoodjob.3)Comehere,please.4)That‟sallright.Speakingthesamesentencewiththestressondifferentwordsmaymeandifferentthings.Forinstance,ifthestressfallson―sheinthefirstsentence,itmeansitisSHE,notyouorsomebodyelse,thatismybestfriend.Butifthestressfallson―my‖,itimpliesthatsheisMY,notyourorsomebody‘s,bestfriend.2.SpeakersofBritishEnglishuseloudnessonlywhentheyareangry,speakersofIndianEnglishuseittogetthefloor,achancetospeak.SowhenanIndianspeakeristryingtogetthefloor,whatwouldtheBritishspeakerthinkoftheIndianandwhatwouldtheBritishbehaveinresponse?TheBritishspeakermaythinkthattheIndiangetsangrywithhimorbehavesrudelytowardshim,sohemaycomplainabouttheIndian‘srudenessorevenreturnhisrudenessasaresponse.3.WhatdifferencesinbodylanguageusehaveyounoticedbetweenyourChineseteachersandforeignteachers?TherearereallysomedifferencesbetweenChineseteachersandforeignteachersintheiruseofbodylanguage.Forinstance,Chineseteachersingeneraldonotusegesturesasmuchasforeignteachersdo,andtheirfacialexpressionsoftenseemtobelessvariedthanthoseofmanyforeignteachers.4.Doyouknowanygesturesweoftenusethatmightbemisunderstoodbypeoplefromothercultures?Forexample,thewayweChinesemotiontootherstocomeovermightbemisunderstoodbypeoplefromsomeWesterncountriestomeanbye-bye.5.HowdoweChinesepeopleuseeyecontactincommunication?DuringaconversationbetweentwoChinese,itseemsthatthespeakerandthehearerwouldusuallylookateachother(notnecessarilyintheeye)fromtimetotime.Howmucheye-contactthereismaydependontherelationshipbetweenthespeakerandhearerandthesituationtheyfindthemselvesin.6.HowwillyoueyethemwhenyouarecommunicatingwithpeoplefromtheUnitedStatesorpeoplefromJapan?WhiletalkingwithAmericans,weshouldlookdirectlyintotheeyesofthepersonwithwhomwearetalking.However;whiletalkingwithJapanese,wearenotexpectedtolookatthemintheeyebutatapositionaroundtheAdam‘sapple.7.Doyouoftensmileatothers?Whyorwhynot?Itdepends.Forinstance,itseemsthatweChinese,aswellaspeopleofotherEasternAsiancountries,donotusuallysmileatstrangersasmuchasAmericans.4/68.Whatfunction(s)maylaughterserveinourculture?Doesitsometimescauseinterculturalmisunderstanding?Laughterinourculturemayservevariousfunctions.Sometimes,itisusedtoexpressamusementorridicule,andsometimesitissimplyusedtomakeonefeellessembarrassed.9.Doyouoftentouchotherswhiletalkingwiththem?Whomdoyoutouchmorethanothers?WeChinesegenerallydonotoftentouchotherswhiletalkingwiththemunlesstheyareourintimatefriendsoryoungerchildren.10.Insmallgroupsorinpairs,demonstrateallthepossiblewaysyoucanthinkoftogreetanotherperson.Istouchingalwayspartofagreeting?No.Touchingisnotalwayspartofagreetinginourcultureasinsomeothercultures.11.Willyouapologizeifyouaccidentallytouchotherpeopleinpublicplaces?Whyorwhynot?Manypeoplewillapologizeiftheyaccidentallytouchotherpeopleinpublicplacessinceinourculturepeoplewhoarestrangerstoeachothershouldnottouch.However,whetherpeoplewillapologizeornotdependsonthesituations.Ifapersonaccidentallytouchesastrangerinaverycrowdedplace,heorshemaynotapologizeforit.ReadingIIGenderandNonverbalCommunicationComprehensionquestions1.Wh