Abstract:
 The process of communication is composed of verbal and nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication means all the communicative behaviors beyond language. Being used in a wide range, body language is the keynote of the nonverbal communication and it is shaped by culture. However, body language not necessarily shares the same meaning in different cultures because different people have different interpretations for nonverbal communication. Therefore, in order to communicate effectively with people in other cultural background, one should also know the real meanings of gestures, body movements, and mannerisms etc. that accompany a particular language. By introducing and analyzing the applications and functions of body language in inter-cultural communication, this thesis conveys the idea that body language is playing an increasingly important role in today’s inter-cultural communication.

Key words: body language; nonverbal communication; inter-cultural communication; different cultures;

摘  要：
交际一般分为语言交际和非语言交际，非语言交际指语言交际以外的所有交际行为。“身势语”是非语言交际的主体，受不同文化的制约。它同语言一样，都是文化的一部分。在不同文化中，身势语的意义并不完全相同。各民族有不同的非语言交际方式。因此，要进行有效的跨文化交际，就得了解说话人的手势，动作，举止等在不同文化下所表示的意思。本文通过介绍和分析身势语在跨文化交际中的应用和作用，说明身势语在当今社会跨文化交际中发挥着越来越重要的作用。

关键词：身势语；非语言交际；跨文化交际；不同文化

1. Introduction
Is it proper to snap fingers to call a waiter in all countries? Would you be happy when you are talking with someone with his feet on the table? Does nodding the head mean “yes” and shaking the head mean “no” in all cultures? People use many different ways to communicate with people from different cultures. It is certain that language is one of the most important ways. However, language is not the only way for people to communicate. With the globalization of world economy and China’s opening-up policy, more and more people from different countries come to China for a variety of purposes. Therefore, the communication with different people in different cultural background has become essential and inevitable.
An investigation shows that about 35 percent of information is transferred by language; the other 65 percent are by nonverbal patterns. Another study indicates that only 7 percent of emotions in people’s communication are passed by language and the other 93 percent are by nonverbal patterns. Therefore, we must admit that nonverbal messages are very important in people’s communication. As a part of language, body language is equally important in cross-cultural communication.