影响跨文化交际的因素

Major Factors Affecting the Success in Achieving
understanging in Intercultureal communication Intercultureal communication means the communication between native and non-native language. It also means the communication between those people who have different language or cultural background. However, the difference of cultural background is a broad concept. It is not only between different cultural circle, but also between the subcultures of the same cultural background.
As we all know, at the background of globalization, people who with different cultures keep closer contact.Intercultureal communication plays an important role in the communication of the people who have different language or cultural background.Especially between China and West.
Since last century, because of reforming and opening policy, we can contact with the people and the things of western society more freguently.In such case, the communication of economy and society in Multinational domain, cross national and cross-cultural will be increasing, which provides ample opportunity for us to in contact with westerner.So many people emigrate to other countries, many young people go abroad to get further education or get a better job. Many people even get married with forigners and live together. Besides, many foreigners are curious about our country and come to our country to live and work.As the frequency between the Chinese and Western intercultural activity day by day,cases of the cultural conflict had been happened repeatedly. Because of differences on the people’s lifetyle, thinking modes, concept of value,ethics morality and national customs among various
countries.And it often make many jokes,appears circumstances which made people embarrassed.This seriously affected both two sides to associate succeed and the friendship between nations.Therefore,we are necessary to discover its deep-level reason and take some certain measures to develop the intercultural communication ability.Avoids the cultural conflict,let the social communication becoming more free and relaxed between nation and nation,and then ,becoming an enjoyment everyone wants instead of frighteen or fear.
There are many factors affecting the success in achieving understanging in intercultureal communication. Here I just list some common factors.
Ⅰ.eye contact.
Eye contact is an important body language. Different cultural background has different meaning. Let us look a case:
Professor Johnson was invited to give a guest lecture at a Chinese university in the early 1990s. He could tell the students were very attentive. They applauded warmly when the lecture came to an end. However, Professor Johnson was disappointed, because most students avoided eye contact with him as he tried to communicate with them.(来源：〖跨文化交际精品课程〗作者：国际商务系发表日期： 2010-11-23 19:44:01 )
Analysis：When conversation with people who know each other, the customs of personal individualism countries demand that there should be eye contact. Which applies to both the speaker and the listener.It shows respect for each other. If you lack of eye contact with each other when you are talking with English-speaking countries’
people, They could imply a number of things, among which are fear, contempt, uneasiness, guilt, and indifference. As the saying goes: Never trust a man who can not look you in the eye(England, Provrb). However, in China, people are expected to avoid prolonged eye contact. In particular, when a child converses with his or her parents or grandparents, he or she is not allowed to stare at them too much. If an American is always gazing at a Chinese in the conversation, the Chinese may consider the American is aggressive，threatening and disrespectful whereas the Chinese is considered suspicious and dishonest if the Chinese always avoids eye contact. Besides, the American may think the Chinese has no interest to talk with him.
Ⅱ.greeting
The way of greeting in China is different from West.Here is a case about misunderstanding of greeting:
One day, a American student who is studying in the China meets a Chinese classmate. The Chinese student come to him and ask:”Have you eaten yet? ”The overseas student looks surprised and says:”Why do you always ask me ‘Have you eaten yet?’ I have money! ” (来源：〖跨文化交际精品课程〗作者：国际商务系发表日期： 2010-11-23 19:44:01 )
Analysis：When it comes to greeting, In Chinese culture, people usually begin a conversation by asking “Have you eaten?” or “Where are you going?”. And these greetings are very common and accepted in China. But such a greeting behavior doesn’t go for every culture. American people tend to talk about weather，life，work and so on. If Americans are greeted with such questions, It must lead to
misunderstanding. If asked the question to Americans,they will misunderstand that it could indicate an invitation to a meal or the asker think he has no money to eat. As far as the latter question is concerned, Americans will consider that it interfere their privacy. The natural reaction of Americans to this greeting would most likely be “It’s none of your business”. This greeting, for most English-speaking people, is considered as a taboo.
Ⅲ.polite formula.
Many years ago, a Chinese man showed a photo of his wife to some American visitors. Out of courtesy, they all said,” She is very beautiful.” Also out of courtesy, the man replied with what he would have done in Chinese under the circumst ance,” Where! Where!” Quite taken aback, nobody said anything for a moment, until the most ingenious one among the visitors, taking another look at the photo, said, “Oh, everywhere!”( 来源：〖跨文化交际精品课程〗作者：国际商务系发表日期： 2010-11-23 19:44:01 )
Analysis：Chinese give importance to modest, when they are communicated with people, they pay more attention to "Belcher own statue, " and see this as a virtue, which is a rich Chinese cultural heritage, courtesy phenomenon. When people compliment them, they will often censure, by table modest courteous. But such a polite formula doesn’t go for every culture. American people will say “Thank you ”happily when they are praised by others. As a result of China and the West cultural difference, we thought that the westerner is too self-confident, is immodest. However, westerners are amazed to heard Chinese deny their achievement, even condem their
own as worthless when they are praised by others, they thought that Chinese is dishonest.
The cultural conflict between Chinese and West can be caused by a variety of reasons,by its nature, is the different cultures and different historical background of Chinese’and West’, which will cause the differences on the people’s lifetyle , thinking modes, concept of value,ethics morality and national customs. Although there are many conflicts between Chinese and Western, it is temporary. Along with the development of globalization, these conflicts will be be solved by culture amalgamation.。