(2)Eye contact
Is eye contact appropriate between two participants in a conversation? When is it permissible not to maintain eye contact? What does eye contact or the absence of eye contact signal? Cultures differ widely in this particular visual modality of nonverbal communication. In American culture it is permissible, for example, for two participants of unequal status to maintain prolonged eye contact. In fact, an American might interpret lack of eye contact as discourtered lack of attention, while in Japanese culture eye contact might be considered rude. Intercultural interference in this nonverbal category can lead to misunderstanding.
Not only is eye contact itself an important category, but the gestures, as it were, of the eyes are in some instances keys to communication. Eyes can signal interest, boredom, empathy, attraction, hostility, understanding, misunderstanding, and other messages.
The non-verbal language of each culture has different ways of signaling such messages. An important aspect of unfettered and unambiguous conversation in a second language is the acquisition of conventions for conveying messages by means of eye signals.
(3)Proxemics
Physical proximity is also a meaningful communicative category. Cultures vary widely in acceptable distances for conversation. Edward Hall calculated acceptable distances for public, social-consultative, personal, and intimate discourse. He noted, for example, that Americans feel that a certain personal space “bubble” has been violated if a stranger stands closer than 20 to 24 inches away unless there is restricted space, such as in a subway or an elevator. However, a typical member of a Latin American culture would feel that such a physical distance would be too great.
The interesting thing is that neither party is specifically aware of what is wrong when the distance is not right. They merely have vague feelings of discomfort or anxiety. As the Latin American approaches the North American, having had the problem pointed out to him, permits the Latin American to get close enough, he will immediately notice that the latter seems much more at ease.
Sometimes objects—desks, counters, other furniture—serve to maintain certain physical distances. Such objects tend to establish both the overall register and relationship of participants. Thus, a counter between two people maintains a consultative mood. Similarly, the presence of a desk or a typewriter will set the tone of a conversation. Again, however, different cultures interpret different messages in such objects. In some cultures, objects might enhance a communicative act, but in other cases they impede the communicative process.
(4)Artifacts
The non-verbal messages of clothing and ornamentation are also important aspects of communication. Clothes often signal a person’s sense of self-esteem, socioeconomic class, and general character. Jewelry also conveys certain messages. In a multicultural conversation group such artifacts, along with other nonverbal signals, can be a significant factor in lifting barriers, identifying certain personality characteristics, and setting a general mood.
(5)Kinesthetic dimensions
Touching, sometimes referred to as kinesthetics, is another culturally loaded aspect of nonverbal behavior. How we touch others and where we touch them is sometimes the aspect of nonverbal behavior most easily misunderstood. While for other cultures extensive touching is commonplace. Knowing the limits and conventions is important for clear and unambiguous communication.
(6)Olfactory dimensions
Our noses also receive sensdimensionry nonverbal messages. The olfactory modality is of course an important one for the animal kingdom. But for the human race, too, different cultures have established different dimensions of olfactory communication. The twentieth century has created in most technological societies a penchant for perfumes, lotions, creams, and powders as acceptable and even necessary, natural human odors, especially perspiration, are thought to be undesirable. In some societies, of course, the smell of human perspiration is quite acceptable and even attractive. Second language and especially second culture learners need to be aware of the accepted mores of other cultures in the olfactory modality.
We cannot underestimate the importance of nonverbal behavior in second language learning and in conversational analysis. Communicative competence includes nonverbal competence—knowledge of all the varying nonverbal semantics of the second culture, and an ability both to send and receive nonverbal signals unambiguously.
1.5 Features of non-verbal behavior
Non-verbal behavior has its own characteristics. Non-verbal behavior is universal, conventional, vague and contextual .
1. 5. 1 Universality of non-verbal behavior
Although non-verbal behavior has many culture differences, it is universal. Some of the basic emotions of non-verbal behavior are common sense in human communication. Whether in the United States, China, or some other countries, people tend to have similar meanings for behaviors such as smiling, waving, frowning, laughing, and crying. Some scholars as Ekman, Friesen, and Ellsorth (1972) support the view that a general and common genetic inheritance produces universal facial expression for most of human basic emotions such as fear, happiness, anger, surprise, disgust and sadness. The reason is we are all from one species. These universal emotions are expressed in a similar non-verbal way throughout the world, which make communicational possible [7].
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