跨文化交际中的非言语交际

Non-verbal Communication in Intercultural Communication

During the process of intercultural communication, people pay more attention to verbal communication and ignore non-verbal communication. However, non-verbal communication plays an important role in intercultural communication. If we ignore the non-verbal communication, communicating with each other will be impeded by the differences of understanding of the non-verbal communication. So, if we communicated with foreigners smoothly and successfully, we must pay more attention to the differences of non-verbal. Therefore, this paper will focus on the non-verbal communication to avoid misunderstanding.

1.The study on non-verbal communication

1.1 The definition of non-verbal communication

We do not only communicate our thoughts and feelings through the use of words, we also convey our ideas and experiences through non-verbal channels. Non-verbal communication is commonly used to describe all human events which transcend spoken or written words. That is to say, it refers to all those communication except verbal behavior.

1.2The study on non-verbal communication abroad

The scientific study of non-verbal communication primarily started after World War II. One of the most influential pre-twentieth century

works was Darwin’s Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals in 1872. This work spawned the modern study of facial expression. In 1950s, there was a significant increase in the number of non-verbal research efforts. In 1956, Ruesch and Kees produced a book entitled Non-verbal Communication: Notes on the Visual Perception of Human Relations. This was the first book to use the term nonverbal communication in its title. The 1960s produced a nuclear explosion of nonverbal studies. There were extensive studies on specific areas of eye behavior, personal space and pauses. The 1970s proved to be a mature period on non-verbal studies. The 1980s were a time of further development of non-verbal communication studies. Some non-verbal researches focused on identifying the ways a variety of non-verbal signals work together to accomplish common communicative goals.

1.3The study on non-verbal communication at home

The research on non-verbal behavior in our country began from 1980s. Scholars such as Hu Wenzhong, Bi Jiewan, Den Yanchang and Liu Runqing have done some research work. There is an increasing amount of research findings in this area. However, it is far from enough. Most of people still pay less attention to non-verbal communication.

In summary, seeing the non-verbal communication from domestic and foreign perspectives, many scholars begin to pay more attention to the non-verbal communication.