Intercultural Communication and Body Language

1. Lecture 3 Intercultural Communication and Body Language

2. Lecture Plan • What is communication and intercultural communication? • Nonverbal communication • Gestures used in different cultures and their meaning.

3. Communication Communicationis the activity or process of giving information to other people or living things. Коммуникация– акт общения, связь между двумя или более индивидами, основанная на взаимопонимании; сообщение информации одним лицом другому или ряду лиц.

4. Intercultural Communication • focuses on differencesin language and behavior patterns • the theory of intercultural communication encourages the understanding of the differences between two speakers from unique national cultures

5. Iben Jensen’s model for intercultural communication(1998) Cultural self-perception Cultural self-perception Cultural presuppositions Cultural presuppositions Fix-points Positions of experiences Positions of experiences

6. Speak slowly Repeat as necessary Be sincere and empathetic Keep it simple and short Show and demonstrate by using examples /illustrations Intercultural Verbal Communication Advice

7. Check the other person's understanding by asking, “What do you understand?” not “Do you understand?” Be patient, use encouragement and praise sincerely Watch for body language cues to understand real meaning in communication Intercultural Verbal Communication Advice

8. Communication Non-verbal (gestures, glances, changes in the tone of voice, etc.) Verbal (words) (= paralanguage)

10. Nonverbal communication is studied by: • Proxemics • Haptics • Oculesics • Kinesics

11. Proxemics – the study of space in interpersonal relationships comfortable interaction distance(comfort zone)

12. Average comfortable distances among North Americans

13. Proxemics – organization of space Western offices Japanese offices

14. Haptics – the study of touch Low-contact cultures High-contact cultures North Americans, the British, China, Japan Italians, the French, Russians, Arabs and Latin Americans

15. Oculesics – the study of the use of the eyes in interpersonal communication In China and Japan people avoid looking at each other in public places or in a crowd.

16. Oculesics – the study of the use of the eyes in interpersonal communication

17. Oculesics – the study of the use of the eyes in interpersonal communication Asians, Puerto Ricans, West Indians, African Americans and Native Americans consider adirect eye contact to be rude, or disrespectful, or intimidating, while Europeans find it a sign of openness and honesty.

18. Kinesics – the study of bodily movements and facial expressions instinctive Gestures coded acquired

19. Instinctive gestures we do them unconsciously “I’m happy!” “I’m sad…”

20. Universal hand gestures

21. Coded / technical gestures – hand signals used by TV directors, gestures of referees or brokers in the stock market Acquired gestures – socially generated

22. Facial expressions and head gestures • The “ultimate gesture” • Yes / No gestures

23. Hand and arm gestures • "O.K." gesture • Victory/Peace sign

24. Hand and arm gestures • thumbs-up sign • hailing a taxi

25. Hand and arm gestures • finger beckoning • upraised hand

26. Hand and arm gestures • Hands at the hip with arms akimbo

27. Hand and arm gestures • waving one's hand • touching a child on the top of the head • point at an object • at the restaurant • placing your hand behind your head

28. Hand and arm gestures • linking your pinky with someone else's pinky • right/left hand • “counting to ten” on the hands

29. Hand and arm gestures • “Good luck” gesture • “Crazy” sign

30. Trunk and leg indications • pointing the sole of your shoe toward someone • bowing

31. Dealing with the Differences • acculturate, that is, borrow attributes of the other culture that will allow you to function effectively in it • practice the skill of switching cultural channels

32. International Gestures Quiz Look at the pictures showing gestures and guess their meaning (some gestures have more than one meaning)