Brief Analysis of the Differences in Chinese and Western Kinesics.docVIP

Brief Analysis of the Differences in Chinese and Western Kinesics 　　Abstract： Kinesics plays an important role in communicating. Some are universal in the world； some are peculiar to the specific cultures. Understanding the differences of kinesics in different cultures can better eliminate misunderstanding. 　　Key words： kinesics； understanding； different cultures 　　Kinesics includes facial expressions， gestures， postures and eye contact，etc. Kinesics is an important form of non-verbal communication. Using Kinesics wrongly can lead to failure in interpersonal communication， or even conflicts in international communication. 　　I. Communicative Problems Caused by the Differences in Chinese and Western Kinesics 　　1. Misunderstanding 　　Some kinesics in different cultures may have different meanings or even totally contrary meanings. For example， in terms of interpersonal space， in China， being close in distance means being intimate in relation； in the west， appropriate distance means respect. 　　Especially when comparing Chinese and Western gestures， it is easy to find that there are many same gesticulations that have different meanings in Western and Chinese cultures. If an American keeps his fingers crossed before his chest， Chinese usually take it as the number ten rather than the symbol of praying. If a Chinese rotates his ring to show off his wealth before his American communicator， he may be understood as being nervous while talking. If an American uses his hand to draw circle around his temple， Chinese understand it as the meaning of thinking hard instead of the meaning of looking down. If a graceful woman in China leaves her little finger aside when handing a cup to her American guest， the guest thinks that the woman is afraid of making her hand dirty. If an American is invited to a Chinese family， after the meal， the American may have the habit of crossing and moving the hand near the neck to express the meaning “I am full”. However， this gesture in Chi