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1、A Contrastive Study of English and Chinese Body Languages Cultural ConnotationsAbstractPeople usually rely on languages to communicate, to express their thought or to transmit the information, but just using the languages or words are not vivid enough to communicate in our life. So, we always need t
2、he help of body language. Body language, including hand gestures, eye contact, facial expression, body distance, body touch and so on. Body language differs from culture to culture, therefore it is necessary to understand the different meanings of body language in different countries. This thesis, f
3、irst discusses the definition, importance and function of body language in the communication through the elaboration of some examples; moreover, this thesis majorly focuses on the differences of English and Chinese body languages cultural connotations, especially those in hand gesture, eye contact,
4、facial expression, body distance and body touch; at last, this thesis discusses the reasons for the differences of English and Chinese body languages cultural connotations. The research of English and Chinese body language in cross-cultural communication is helpful for people to diminish or avoid mi
5、sunderstandings caused by the cultural connotations of body language in different countries. Key words: communication; body language; cultural connotations; difference; reason摘 要人们在传递信息，表达思想，交流感情时，主要借助于语言交际，然而仅仅使用文字或言语，有时不够生动形象，因而这时就需要非语言交际。人们利用身体各部分来传递信息，交流思想。它包括手势，目光接触，面部表情，交谈者之间的距离等等。身势语是随文化的改变而改
6、变，因而不同国家的身势语所表达的意思不一定都相同，所以，在跨文化交际中，要清楚地认识非语言交际在不同国家中表示的意思。本文首先介绍身势语的含义，重要性以及身势语在交际中的功能，然后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，眼神，面部表情，体距与身体接触等方面的文化差异，最后指出中国和说英语的国家之间身势语文化差异的原因。对跨文化交际中的身势语进行探讨，有助于人们减少或避免在跨文化交际中因身势语的文化差异而引起的误解。关键词：交流；身势语；文化内涵；不同；原因 ContentsChapter 1 Introduction1Chapter 2 Body lan
7、guage.22.1 Definition of Body Language.22.2 Importance of Body Language.22.3 Functions of Body Language3Chapter 3 Differences of English and Chinese Body Languages Cultural Connotations.63.1 Hand Gesture63.2 Eye Contact.73.3 Facial Expressions83.4 Body Distance.93.5 Body Touch 10Chapter4 Reasons for
8、 the Differences of English and Chinese Body Languages Cultural Connotations.114.1 Religious Beliefs.114.2 Values and Ways of Thinking114.3 Morals and Social Regulations.124.4 Disciplines of Organization12Chapter 5 Conclusion13Notes.14Bibliography15Acknowledgements.16Chapter 1 Introduction1Chapter 1
9、 IntroductionHuman communication consists of verbal communication and nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication plays a very important role in the whole communication. Body language is a means of non-verbal communication. Some experts say more than 60 percent of communication comes from nonve
10、rbal behaviors, such as facial expression, hand gestures, eye contact and so on. One expert estimated that verbal communication occupied about 30 percent of the whole communication behaviors. “American linguist Samovar affirms that in a face-to-face communication, only about 35 percent of messages a
11、re sent by verbal behaviors and others are sent by nonverbal behaviors.” 1 Body language is just like mans shadow that is always together with us. Even it is cloudy or rainy, we cant observe the shadow visibly, but it always works in our actual communications. Body language is an important medium th
12、rough which people communicate with each other. It is a part of the culture and takes a complementary role to help people transfer information to improve communication. Owing to cultural differences, the same body language has different meanings and communicative functions, which causes a lot of tro
13、uble in intercultural communication. With the development of intercultural communication, the contacts between the Chinese and the Western people are on the increase, and the differences between body languages have been the major barriers to efficient communication.In order to meet the international
14、 communication tendency, one of the most useful way to deal with the barriers is to know the different meaning of body language in Chinese and Western cultures, and to avoid the misunderstanding of body language and improve communication between people from these two cultures. Therefore, it is neces
15、sary and important to have an understanding of the uses and functions of body language in communication. This paper discusses the difference of body language between China and English-speaking countries and the reasons for it. The aim of this thesis is to help foreign language learners and communica
16、tors “hear” the silent message and “read” the invisible action in intercultural communication.Chapter 2 Body Language2Chapter 2 Body language2.1 Definition of Body LanguageBody language is an important nonverbal form of communication. There are many definitions of body language in different dictionaries.Birdwhistell, an American psychologist, is the first person who created the definition of “body language” and he called it “optics” which means the system of motive power.
