theuseofbodylanguageininternationalcommunication..docVIP

The Use of Body Language in International Communication Introduction As the trend of globalization is strengthened step by step, international communication is frequent and important day by day. It is the process of communication between people from different cultural backgrounds. It can be divided into two types: verbal communication and nonverbal communication. People can communicate with each other not only through verbal communication but also through nonverbal communication. Body language is just an important part of nonverbal communication. “ Research shows that when people meet someone for the first time, only 7% of their initial impact on others is determined by the content of what they say; 93% of their message is made up of body language (55%) and the tone of their voice（38%）” (Birdwhistell，: 79). Body language is also interlinked with spoken language and a whole pattern of behavior from a person. As well as, various body language signs can complement each other to make a particular meaning clear or strengthen the meaning of what we convey. Thus body language is very crucial. Because every culture has its special body language, learning the application of body language in different culture backgrounds becomes increasingly essential. This paper intends to present its meaning and classification, functions, above all, displays its application in different countries, so that we can improve our communication skills and abilities by understanding it well. When someone communicates with foreigners, he can know their real thoughts from their body language. All in all, language is the component parts of culture. Studying and understanding body language is helpful to study language of foreign countries and avoid mistakes in intercultural communication. 1 Literature Review When people speak of the communication, first they think of the verbal language. Actually, body language is used earlier than verbal language. So the research of body language is also important