北京大学出版社《跨文化交际》unit 5-6 nonverbalcommunication.pptVIP

One day when Rebecca was ordering her files in the room outside Mr. Steve’s office, she heard him opening his door and calling her. She looked up and saw Mr. Steve extending his left hand, palm up, beckoning her with the forefinger. She put her work down at once and went into his office. Mr. Steve then asked to hear her opinion about a new project. * Later that day, Rebecca felt a little depressed. She recalled every details of the day and tried to recall everything that may have upset her. And when she recalled that scene again, she couldn’t help viewing Mr. Steve in a rather less favorable light than before. * Eye Contact The Arabs VS Americans VS the Japanese * Case Analysis Linda was a young Puerto Rican girl studying in a New York City high school. She was once suspected of smoking with a group of troublemakers and was punished by the principal. She was thought so because when she was interviewed by the principal, she avoided meeting his eye and only stared down at the floor, hence being regarded as sly and dishonest. * Her mother insisted that she was a good girl while the principal firmly believed that she was not. Later a Spanish literature teacher explained some basic facts of Puerto Rican culture to the principal and he realized that he might have misunderstood the girl. Q: What is valued in American culture? What is valued in Puerto Rico? * According to Puerto Rican culture, a good girl does not meet the eyes of an adult. Such behavior is a sign of respect and obedience. In America, you are expected to meet other people’s gazes when you communicate. If you fail to do this, you can be interpreted as being deceptive, weak or dishonest. * Some findings The longer length of the gaze, the more likely it is that the listener is more interested in the person who is speaking, than the actual topic of conversation. Looking away repeatedly express boredom or dislike. Women tend to engage in more eye contact than men. Too steady eye contact make