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Unit4Unit4BodylanguageReadingCOMMUNICATION:NOPROBLEM??Yesterday,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!UsingLanguageReadingSHOWINGOURFEELINGSBodylanguageisoneofthemostpowerfulmeansofcommunication,oftenevenmorepowerfulthanspokenlanguage.Peoplearoundtheworldshowallkindsoffeelings,wishesandattitudesthattheymightneverspeakaloud.Itispossibletoreadothersaroundus,eveniftheydonotintendforustocatchtheirunspokencommunication.Ofcourse,bodylanguagecanbemisread,butmanygesturesandactionsareuniversal.Themostuniversalfacialexpressionis,ofcourse,thesmileitsfunctionistoshowhappinessandputpeopleatease.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!!