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Формы  невербального общения в различных культурах

Nonverbal communication forms across cultures

Авторы работы: Гордеев Артур, Домолазов Тимофей

МБОУ «СОШ №23» Ново-Савиновского района г.Казани, 7Б класс

Научный руководитель: Тарасова Е.В.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction. The actuality, the aim and the tasks of the research project
2. Theory

1. The concept “nonverbal communication”. Functions of nonverbal communication
2. Types of nonverbal communication
3. Nonverbal communication across cultures

3. Practice.

1.              The  test and  experiment results
2.              Nonverbal communication at school

4. Conclusion. The importance of nonverbal communication
5. List of reference
6. Appendices

1. INTRODUCTION

Nowadays educated people should be creative, communicative and sociable to survive in the modern world.  The process of communication between individuals is the exchange of information by means of a generalized system of symbols. Effective communication makes the interaction between people easier. Every day we socialize using words. Nevertheless, verbal messages make up only 7 %. The rest of information, that is of 93 %, is expressed through nonverbal messages. The English proverb holds true: “Actions speak louder than words”.

One should be familiar with the main means of nonverbal communication to make speech more expressive. If you want to be a better communicator, it is necessary to become more sensitive not only to the nonverbal cues of others, but also to your own ones.

     THE ACTUALITY OF THE RESEARCH THEME

The theme of our research project is actual nowadays because it helps to extend the knowledge of nonverbal communication forms between people of different cultures. Besides, it results in learning the main ways of effective communication in the modern world. The research made considers the proper nonverbal communication as the basis of successful personal and professional relationships formation in the modern world.

     THE AIM AND THE TASKS OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT

The aim of our project is to learn,  to compare the meanings of nonverbal communication cues and to realize their importance and their proper usage in the process of socializing within the same cultural group as well as between representatives of different cultures.

The tasks are as follows:

• to point out the essence of nonverbal communication process;
• to analyze and explain the meaning of the main forms of nonverbal communication;
• to compare different elements of nonverbal communication in various cultures;
• to underline the practical significance of nonverbal communication cues.

2. THEORY

1. THE CONCEPT “NONVERBAL COMMNICATION”

Nonverbal communication is the process of communication by means of sending and receiving visual cues between people. It comprises body language, facial expressions, eye contact, touch, distance and physical appearance.

Children learn nonverbal communication from social-emotional communication. Later they begin to look at nonverbal elements more subconsciously. Nonverbal communication is an unconscious process. We are unable to control all the signals we are sending off. Otherwise they become unnatural and may result in discomfort, confusion and disrespect. When your nonverbal signals match up with the words you are saying, they increase trust, clarity and rapport. When they do not, they generate tension and  mistrust.

We give and receive wordless signals while interacting with other people. Our nonverbal behavior including the gestures we make, the way we sit or stand, talk or listen send meaningful messages. Even when we are silent we are still communicating nonverbally.

Nonverbal communication cues have five functions:

1. repetition: they can repeat the message made verbally;
2. contradiction: they can sometimes contradict the message the individual is conveying;
3. substitution: they can substitute for a verbal message (for example, a person’s eyes often give more information than words do);
4. complementing: they can add to a verbal message (for instance, a teacher who pats a student on the back along with giving words of praise);
5. accenting: pounding the table, for example, can underline a message.

2. TYPES OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

There is a number of different types of nonverbal communication. It is well known that the ability to understand and distinguish them helps to establish better relationships with other people.

Facial expressions

The human face is able to express a great variety of emotions without any words. Unlike some forms of nonverbal communication such facial expressions as for happiness, sadness, anger, fear are universal across cultures.

Body movements and posture

Our perception of people is influenced by the way they sit, walk, stand. At the same time the way we move and carry ourselves communicates much information about us to the world. People change their posture depending on the situation they are in.

     Gestures

A gesture is a movement of the part of your body, especially your hands or head, to show what you mean or how you feel. We often express ourselves with gestures without thinking. However, gestures can be differently interpreted across cultures. Gestures can be divided into three groups:

1. adapters – these are hand movements that are not considered to be gestures. They consist of manipulations of the person or some object (e.g. clothing, pencils, spectacles). As a rule, adapters accompany speech and show the speaker’s being nervous, uncomfortable or bored.
2. symbolic gestures – they are hand movements with specific meaning. The most familiar ones include ‘raised fist’, ‘bye-bye’, and ‘thumbs up’. In contrast to adapters, symbolic gestures are used intentionally and have a clear communicative function. They are mostly used in the absence of speech but can accompany verbal messages. Similar symbolic gestures can have different meaning in various cultures. That’s why one should be careful about them.
3. conversational gestures – they do not refer to actions or words, but do accompany speech. Moreover, these hand movements are connected with speech and are only made by the person who is speaking.

Eye contact

Eye contact is the most important type of nonverbal communication due to its dominance for most people. The way you look at someone shows interest and affection, or hostility and indifference to the topic of conversation. According to Dr. Paul  Eckman, an American psychologist who studied emotions and their relation to facial expressions, eye contact is also called mutual gaze. Its most meaningful aspect is its duration. “The longer there is established eye contact between two people, the greater the intimacy levels.”

Direct eye contact generally means interest, attentiveness and attraction to the person. Nevertheless, consistent eye contact can also mean the lack of trust to the speaker.

Widening eyes indicate appeal, interest, invitation or a positive response.

Eye shrug/roll usually expresses frustration or annoyance.

Pupils dilated are the sign of interest and appeal.

However, eye contact is understood differently throughout the world, so it can be a secondary gesture due to various cultural norms.

Clothing

Clothing is one of the most common forms of nonverbal communication. The types of clothing characterizes an individual’s personality, background, financial status. Business people and politicians usually wear expensive suits in order to appear serious. People in the entertainment industry wear glamorous outfits. Besides, clothing can communicate information about nationality of a person or a group. For example, Scottish men often wear kilts to specify their culture.

     Space/distance/proximity

     A need  for physical space differs depending on the culture, situation or the closeness of the relationship. Proximity range conveys signals of intimacy and affection, aggression or dominance.

Intimate distance varies from touching to  46 cm and is suitable for close family members, friends and pet animals.

Personal distance begins about an arm’s length away. This space is used in informal conversations with friends and in group discussions.

Social distance ranges from 1.2 m to 2.4 m from the person and is more appropriate for strangers, newly formed groups and new acquaintances.

Public distance is more than 2.4 m away and is used for speeches and lectures for larger audiences.

     Voice

When we speak, the way how we do it really matters. Our partners listen to our words perceiving our voices. They pay attention to our timing, pace, tone and sounds such as “ahh”, “uh-huh”. Someone’s tone of voice can indicate sarcasm, anger, confidence or affection.

Tips for understanding nonverbal communication cues

• Pay attention to inconsistencies. Nonverbal communication should reinforce what is being said. If a person’s words say one thing and nonverbal communication says another, the latter is usually the correct decision.
• Look at nonverbal cues as a group. Take into consideration all signals you are receiving – from eye contact to tone of voice.
• Trust your instincts. Listen to your gut feelings that will help you to make the right decision along with your life experience, training and beliefs.

3. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION ACROSS CULTURES

There are certain differences in the forms of nonverbal communication across cultures. We learn much of our own culture’s body language before we learn to speak, usually without being aware of it. Varieties in nonverbal communication from culture to culture should be regarded in the process of foreign language teaching.

Sometimes cultural differences in body language can cause discomfort or misunderstanding too. That’s why let’s consider some nonverbal communication cues from unfamiliar cultures.

The USA

• The Americans are considered more open and outgoing in their nonverbal communication.
• Students raise a finger if they want to answer.
• A direct eye contact in the social and business meetings is very important. Avoiding eye contact is interpreted very negatively.
• To greet each other women briefly hug other women while men kiss a woman’s cheek.

England

• The British are said to be more reserved and formal in their body language.
• Proximity issues arise when waiting in line. The Englishmen tend to be offended by others cutting in line
• The gesture with a palm facing inward is a rude one.
• Keeping your hands in your pockets when talking to someone seems a relaxed and casual gesture.

Canada

• Men greet with a handshake while women with a slight nod.
• Eating while walking in the street is considered to be a bad manner.
• Men rise if a woman enters the room.

    Asia

• A smile can show embarrassment, frivolity or apology.

• It is not acceptable to show emotions openly. In fact, Chinese people prefer silence to verbal communication.
• Pointing with a finger is an obscene gesture.
• The polite form of greeting is to bow. The lower you bow, the deeper respect you have for a person.

 Africa

• People look down when they are listening, and look up when they are talking.
• People express grief openly.
• Laughter is a sign of wonder or embarrassment.

     There is no “international language” of gestures. Instead, cultures have developed systems of unique gestures. It is quite difficult to guess their meaning intuitively. So, it is advisable to learn as much as possible about nonverbal communication across cultures. Here is a list of the three most common  gestures that have different cultural interpretations.

     The ring

     It is obvious that the ring itself represents the letter “O” in the “OK” signal. The meaning of the “OK” signal is common to English-speaking countries and is spreading due to American TV and movies. However, the gesture is differently interpreted all over the world. In France and Belgium it means “zero, nothing, worthless” while in Japan it is understood as “money”.

   A thumb up

   A closed fist with a thumb held upward `Aq        1C Iran, Iraq and Thailand. Besides, in Italy people start to count things with a thumb while in the USA they finish counting with it.

   A “V” sign

  In America holding your index and middle fingers out in the shape of a “V” is a sign of peace and friendliness or victory. It was introduced by Winston Churchill during the Second World War, but his two-fingered version was done with the palm facing out. In such countries as Australia, New Zealand this gesture is an insult if your palm is inward.

3. PRACTICE.

1. THE TEST AND THE EXPERIMENT RESULTS

To find out if nonverbal communication really matters in everyday life we asked a group of students to do a quiz on gestures (see Appendix 1). According to the results, 72 % of the respondents know the meaning of the most common and widely spread gestures. It proves that body language can be interpreted unconsciously and due to our life experience.

The most difficult questions of the quiz referred to the cultural differences of nonverbal communication means. That’s why we made the conclusion that it is quite important to regard body language across cultures to be understood properly. The significance of learning the main aspects of different cultural gestures is increasing because nowadays people regularly travel internationally. So, we should be attentive to gestures, polite and well-mannered.

Moreover, we made an experiment to see how well we can communicate messages nonverbally. The participants of the experiment were offered to express some famous proverbs using only gestures and mimics (see Appendix 2). Here are the proverbs:

• Measure twice and cut once.
• Love is blind.
• Ill news travels fast.
• You must break eggs to make an omelet.
• So many men, so many minds.

     The students responsible for expressing the sayings nonverbally managed with the task as well as those who were to guess the proverbs. Finally, we concluded that our communication depends both on the words and gestures. The latter aspect helps us to broadcast our feelings and intentions at any moment without words.

2. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION AT SCHOOL

Nonverbal communication plays an important role in all spheres of  life including our school life. Body language matters in “teachers-children” interaction and in socializing among students.

It is much easier to understand explanation of some new material if the teacher of Physics, Maths, History, Literature or English uses different gestures. For example, a teacher moves her hands forward to  show students the development of something or to enumerate things. When students study figures in Geometry, a teacher can use the hands to show their shapes. Such subject as Physics cannot be taught without hands because some rules (like the rule of the right hand, the rule of the left hand) are illustrated by showing the proper disposition of hands. As for the English classes, nonverbal communication is especially important for vocabulary introduction. Besides, gestures can be used for practising new words  in the well-known game “Crocodile”. Moreover, the main means of nonverbal communication is the essential part of communicative competence development of students. Learning a foreign language implies learning a foreign culture, traditions and peculiarities of people’s norms of behavior including physical conduct.

Being aware of the gesture meaning enables to react immediately to information. It is advisable for students to learn different ways of expressing  thoughts and feelings by means of facial expressions and movements. Thus, a skilled reader of nonverbal cues is certain to be a success, for example, in making school presentations. They say that 90 % of the best speakers  combine verbal and nonverbal messages. It is scientifically  proved that 80 % of such speech are easily memorized by listeners. So, students should present information illustrating it properly with body movements. Here is some advice how to make your presentation successful:

• Make a constant eye-contact with the audience (don’t look at the floor or the ceiling).
• Your gestures shouldn’t be chaotic.
• Don’t stand with your back to the audience.
• Don’t put your hands into pockets.
• Speak standing etc.

4. CONCLUSION

     Our everyday communication is the process of exchanging verbal and nonverbal messages.  We send and receive a great deal of information through words and  movements. Different ways of nonverbal behavior including body language, facial expressions, personal space, postures and gestures are important because they make people’s interaction easier. Being aware of  nonverbal cues meanings we can become better communicators in various situations and professional fields.

     It is worth learning and considering cultural and regional attitudes to the means of nonverbal interaction to improve communicative skills and abilities. The peculiarities of gestures and body language across cultures may cause misunderstanding and confusion. So, one should be very attentive and avoid getting into trouble in foreign countries.

     The significance of nonverbal communication is evident. It goes without saying that it is impossible to socialize without gestures and body language at different levels. Each situation (from job interview or leading a meeting to informal conversation ) requires a certain type of physical behavior. Your ability to interpret the latter in the right way reveals more than the person’s spoken words. That’s why the key to your personal and professional success is the proper nonverbal communication of a  person under the conditions of the same culture or culture dialogue.

APPENDIX 1

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

1. It is a sign of deception if a person includes lots of “umms” and “uhs” along with long pauses in conversations.

• True
• False

2. A person standing tall with head held high is a sign of:

• confidence
• aggression

3. If a person starts looking away during a conversation, it means:

• he is bored with the discussion and you should change the topic;
• he wants to hear more details.

4. A person with suppressed anger or frustration will be seen:

• staring at the floor continuously;
• grinding his teeth.

5. You can make out whether a person is interested in you if:

• they tilt their head or lean towards you;
• they keep staring at you.

6. Eyebrows down and toward the centre of the face are the sign of:

• annoyance;
• surprise.

7. In Japan the gesture “OK” means:

• zero;
• money;
• good.

8. It’s impolite to make a direct eye-contact in:

• Europe;
• America;
• Asia.

9. People kiss greeting each other in:

• Asian countries;
• the USA;
• Spain.

10. People use their entire hand to point something in:

• Japan;
• Germany;
• the USA.