浅谈身势语-A Brief Discussion on Body Language(3)

3. Classification of Body Language

We have discussed the importance of nonverbal communication. And we also know body language reflects a certain cultural background. On the one hand, in a certain tradition, body language is determined by its customs and traditions. Violating them will cause communicative disconnection and misunderstanding. On the other hand, the meanings of body language in a certain culture are developing and changing. With the development of technology, traffic and contact all over the world, the meanings of body language are renewing every day. In this essay, we intend to make a comparison and contrast of the similarities and differences on body language in order to avoid misunderstanding and make efficient communication.
In general sense, the study of body language began in 1950s. And during 1970s, the study of body language entered a fully developing period. From the late of 1970s to the early period of 1980s, body language contained more contents, and had a great influence on the other fields. And Doctor R.L.Bird Whitell is the representive of study of body language. His research indicated: eyebrows could change for 23 positions and people could make 250,000 different facial expressions. “And psychologist David Aberconbie also pointed out: ‘we speak with verbal organs but we talk with our body.’”[5]p34 Body language contains eye language, gestures, postures, facial expressions, manners and behaviors and touch and so on. As the most important part of nonverbal communication, body language, like verbal language, has notable cultural features. Some parts of body language are innate, some are acquired and others are conscious. For example,

(1) A baby can cry when it is born. It can suck its fingers when it is hungry. When we are excited, our pupils will enlarge distinctively. Our eyebrows will move rapidly when we greet. And we will frown when we are unsatisfied. We are yawning when we feel sleepy.

And acquired body language is greatly affected by social environment and accepted through common practice. It often becomes a distinctive culture. Every country, every nation, and even every region has its own historical and cultural background. So the body language people use is quite different. For example,

(2) Americans like to shrug when they have no idea about something. But Chinese don’t do the same thing. Stretching out one’s tongue means contempt in America, but in China it means surprise and respect for guests in Tibet.

We can control some body language and we can do some postures consciously. For example,

(3) If a public speaker is fiddling with a pencil or with his glasses all the time while he is talking, he is telling quite clearly that he is nervous. But some experienced speechmaker will pretend well and show confidence.

4. Cultural Differences of Body Language

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