摘 要

非语言交际是人际交往中必不可少的组成部分，在跨文化交际中的作用举足轻重。它有很深的文化内涵，表达的含义因文化而异。除了语言交流，话语音调、眼神的交流、姿势、触摸及面部表情等都在交际中起着非常重要的作用。了解东西方身势语的不同文化内涵，有助于东西方国家的人民之间更好地交流，提高跨文化交际能力，增进感情与心态的理解。非语言交际的重要性体现在它能够影响人们的交流，反映人们的思想，是语言交际的重要补充。它无所不在，源于文化又反映文化。学习一个国家的文化就不可忽视对它的非语言交际的研究。仅用本国的文化框架来解释他国的文化是行不通的。忽视这一点，就可能导致冲突和误解。
本文旨在分析中西方各国身势语的文化差异。文章首先简单介绍引出非语言交际，然后分成四个部分。第一部分介绍文化的定义。第二部分阐述非语言交际的定义，特点及影响。第三部分从不同方面探索中西方非语言交际的差异。文章的最后阐述中西方非语言交际的变化及如何提高人们的跨文化意识。

关键词：文化；非语言交际；身势语；跨文化交流
 
Abstract

Non-verbal communication, as an integral part of communication system, plays an important role in intercultural communication. It reflects culture and varies in different cultures. Apart from the language, the nonverbal language such as tone of voice, eye movement, posture, touch, facial expressions and so on are also of vital importance to people’s daily communication. Understanding the different cultural implication of Eastern and Western body languages can promote people’s cross-cultural communication competence, reinforce the heart-to-heart understanding. Nonverbal communication can exert influences on people’s communication, reflect the people’s thoughts and complement the verbal communication. Nonverbal communication is universal. It is part of culture and a mirror of culture. Learning to communicate with people from different cultures means learning that culture’s nonverbal signals as well. It becomes imperative that people should not simply try to interpret messages of others with his or her local frames of reference. If people fail to handle this, it will inevitably cause conflicts or misunderstanding when two or more cultures encounter each other.
This paper aims to analyze the cultural differences of body language between East and West countries. With the beginning of brief introduction of non-verbal communication, the paper is divided into four parts. Part one gives the definition of culture. Part two probes into the definition, characteristics, form and effect of non-verbal communication. Part three explores differences of non-verbal communication between East and West countries from different aspects. At last, the paper concludes with the issues about how non-verbal communication changes in recent years and how to raise people’s cultural awareness.

Keywords: culture; non-verbal communication; body language; culture communication