Body Language in the Communication Between Chinese and English Speakers

Table of Contents
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………3
Keywords………………………………………………………………………………3
I  Introduction…………………………………………………………………4
Ⅱ. Body language ………………………………………………………………4
A.What is body language ……………………………………………………4
B. The concrete types and application of the body language………5
1. Facial expression………………………………………………………5
2. Eye contact………………………………………………………………5
3. Posture……………………………………………………………………6
4.Gestures……………………………………………………………………6
5.Touch ………………………………………………………………………7
6.Head…………………………………………………………………………7
7.Distance of body language ……………………………………………8
C.The reasons of the different body language …………………………9
1.Moves comparison …………………………………………………………9
2.Facial expression comparison …………………………………………10
3.Body distance comparison ………………………………………………10
4.Visual contacts comparison ……………………………………………12
D.Analysis of the differences shown in Chinese and American body language  ……………………………………………………………………………13
1.Gender factors  …………………………………………………………13
2.Personality factors ……………………………………………………13
3.Physiological factors …………………………………………………13
4.Age factors ………………………………………………………………13
5.Cultural education  ……………………………………………………14
Ⅲ. Body language in communication  …………………………………………14
A.The functions of body language in communication  …………………14
1. Repeating  ………………………………………………………………14
2.Contradicting ……………………………………………………………15
3.Complementing   …………………………………………………………15
4.Substituting  ……………………………………………………………15
5.Regulating  ………………………………………………………………15
B. The obstacles of body language in communication ………………15
1.Erroneous understanding ……………………………………………16
2.  The dangers of stereotyping ……………………………………16
3.Misinterpretation of body language………………………………16
C. Communicative competence………………………………………………17
IV.Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………19
References…………………………………………………………………………19

Abstract
Body Language is an action which has communicative meaning used in the verbal or non-verbal communication. It can be used to express one’s intention and emotion. However, the connotation of body language will vary with different cultural backgrounds and different people have different ways of making nonverbal communication. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the importance of body language, the concrete types, such as facial expression, eye contact, posture, gestures and so on and the application of body language. It analyzes the differences as well as the similarities in the non-verbal cultural background, especially those in moves comparison, body distance comparison and other comparisons, introducing the functions and obstacles of the body language .It’s necessary to learn some expressions of body language . The research of body language in the communication between Chinese and English speakers is helpful for people to avoid the misunderstanding useful for people to cultivate the communicative competence.Only when we pay attention to it can we achieve the effective intercultural communication.
Keywords: body language , functions of body language , obstacles to body language, intercultural communicative competence