《新编跨文化交际英语教程》复习资料U6.docVIP

PAGE6 / NUMPAGES6 Unit 6 Culture and Nonverbal Communication Some Ideas Related to Nonverbal Communication 1. Nonverbal language What is not said is often as important as what is said. Nonverbal communication is communication through means other than language — for example, facial expression, personal space, eye contact, use of time, and conversational silence. (Hall, E.T. The Silent Language, New York: Doubleday, 1959) 2. Different expressions of nonverbal language Kinesics: our body language The term refers to gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, body positions, body movements, and forms of greeting and their relation to communication — yawning, stretching, and relaxing, staring, walking slumped over, raising a clenched fist, showing a victory sign. The human communication process is more complex than it initially seems.? Much, if not most, of our messages in face to face contact are transmitted through paralanguage.? These auxiliary communication techniques are highly culture bound.? Communication with people from other societies or ethnic groups is fraught with the danger of misunderstanding if their culture and paralanguage is unknown to you or ignored. 3. Significance of nonverbal language It accounts for much of the meaning we derive from conversations. Cognitive content. Affective content.It spontaneously reflected the subconscious. Normally we control over our words. But the nonverbal behavior may leak our true feelings. We cannot communicate without it. Even if we choose silence, the nonverbal dimension of our communication is always present. Even if we remove bodily from the scene of interaction, our absence may speak loudly. 4. Relationship between verbal and nonverbal language Accent: to lay emphasis by tone of voice, intonations Reinforce/Complement: to strengthen and supplyContradict: betray the verbal expressions Regulate: looking behavior, vocal inflections, gestures, general cues of readiness or relaxation all