Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication is hugely important in any interaction with others; its importance is multiplied across cultures. This is because we tend to look for nonverbal cues when verbal messages are unclear or ambiguous, as they are more likely to be across cultures (especially when different languages are being used). Since nonverbal behavior arises from our cultural common sense – our ideas about what is appropriate, normal, and effective as communication in relationships – we use different systems of understanding gestures, posture, silence, spacial relations, emotional expression, touch, physical appearance, and other nonverbal cues. Cultures also attribute different degrees of importance to verbal and nonverbal behavior.

Low-context cultures like the United States and Canada tend to give relatively less emphasis to nonverbal communication. This does not mean that nonverbal communication does not happen, or that it is unimportant, but that people in these settings tend to place less importance on it than on the literal meanings of words themselves. In high-context settings such as Japan or Colombia, understanding the nonverbal components of communication is relatively more important to receiving the intended meaning of the communication as a whole.

Some elements of nonverbal communication are consistent across cultures. For example, research has shown that the emotions of enjoyment, anger, fear, sadness, disgust, and surprise are expressed in similar ways by people around the world. Differences surface with respect to which emotions are acceptable to display in various cultural settings, and by whom. For instance, it may be more socially acceptable in some settings in the United States for women to show fear, but not anger, and for men to display anger, but not fear. At the same time, interpretation of facial expressions across cultures is difficult. In China and Japan, for example, a facial expression that would be recognized around the world as conveying happiness may actually express anger or mask sadness, both of which are unacceptable to show overtly.

These differences of interpretation may lead to conflict, or escalate existing conflict. Suppose a Japanese person is explaining her absence from negotiations due to a death in her family. She may do so with a smile, based on her cultural belief that it is not appropriate to inflict the pain of grief on others. For a Westerner who understands smiles to mean friendliness and happiness, this smile may seem incongruous and even cold, under the circumstances. Even though some facial expressions may be similar across cultures, their interpretations remain culture-specific. It is important to understand something about cultural starting-points and values in order to interpret emotions expressed in cross-cultural interactions.

Another variable across cultures has to do with proxemics, or ways of relating to space. Crossing cultures, we encounter very different ideas about polite space for conversations and negotiations. North Americans tend to prefer a large amount of space, perhaps because they are surrounded by it in their homes and countryside. Europeans tend to stand more closely with each other when talking, and are accustomed to smaller personal spaces. In a comparison of North American and French children on a beach, a researcher noticed that the French children tended to stay in a relatively small space near their parents, while U.S. children ranged up and down a large area of the beach.

The difficulty with space preferences is not that they exist, but the judgments that get attached to them. If someone is accustomed to standing or sitting very close when they are talking with another, they may see the other's attempt to create more space as evidence of coldness, condescension, or a lack of interest. Those who are accustomed to more personal space may view attempts to get closer as pushy, disrespectful, or aggressive. Neither is correct – they are simply different.

Also related to space is the degree of comfort we feel moving furniture or other objects. It is said that a German executive working in the United States became so upset with visitors to his office moving the guest chair to suit themselves that he had it bolted to the floor. Contrast this with U.S. and Canadian mediators and conflict-resolution trainers, whose first step in preparing for a meeting is not infrequently a complete rearrangement of the furniture.

Finally, line-waiting behavior and behavior in group settings like grocery stores or government offices is culturally-influenced. Novinger reports that the English and U.S. Americans are serious about standing in lines, in accordance with their beliefs in democracy and the principle of "first come, first served." The French, on the other hand, have a practice of resquillage, or line jumping, that irritates many British and U.S. Americans. In another example, immigrants from Armenia report that it is difficult to adjust to a system of waiting in line, when their home context permitted one member of a family to save spots for several others.

These examples of differences related to nonverbal communication are only the tip of the iceberg. Careful observation, ongoing study from a variety of sources, and cultivating relationships across cultures will all help develop the cultural fluency to work effectively with nonverbal communication differences.

Summary

Each of the variables discussed in this module – time and space, personal responsibility and fate, face and face-saving, and nonverbal communication – are much more complex than it is possible to convey. Each of them influences the course of communications, and can be responsible for conflict or the escalation of conflict when it leads to miscommunication or misinterpretation. A culturally-fluent approach to conflict means working over time to understand these and other ways communication varies across cultures, and applying these understandings in order to enhance relationships across differences.

Instruction: Is “cross-cultural communication” just another one of those buzzwords to you that’s being used everywhere but nobody really knows what it means? Despite its possible hype, cross-cultural communication is nevertheless a widely recognized and valid concept which every student should be familiar with. Being familiar with cross-cultural communication doesn’t just imply having a vague or rudimentary idea of what the expression “cross-cultural communication” means and how it works. In order to become proficient in ESP, an interculturally effective person, you need to understand the concept of cross-cultural communication with all its components and be able to translate it into action.

After almost every text, the first question you should ask is an overview questionabout the main idea, main topic, or main purpose of the text. Main idea questionsask you to identify the most important thought in the text, the main idea or topic of apassage.

Sample Questions

· What is the main idea of the passage? Choose the right answer.

(A) Differences of interpretation of communication varables may lead to conflict, or escalate existing conflict.

(B) Nonverbal communication is very important in any interaction with others, because verbal messages are often unclear or ambiguous,.

(C) Understanding of Time and Space; Fate and Personal Responsibility; Face and Face-Saving; arises from our ideas about what is appropriate, normal, and effective as communication in relationships.

(D) Cultures attribute different degrees of importance to verbal and nonverbal behavior.

· Will differences related to nonverbal communication become less important in the 21st century?

· Which line or lines best summarize the author's main idea?

Sample Questions

· What is the main topic of the passage?

(A) The outline and demonstration of cross-cultural communication.

(B) Four non-verbal variables of cross-cultural communication.

· What does the passage mainly discuss? What is the passage primarily concerned with?

(A) Nonverbal cues in crosscultural communication..

(B) The impact of different systems of understanding.

Main purpose questionsask why the author wrote a passage. The answer choices for these questions usually begin with infinitives.

Sample Questions

• What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?

• What is the author's main purpose in the passage?

• What is the main point of this passage?

• Why did the author write the passage?

Sample Answer Choices

To define_____

To relate_____

To discuss_____

To propose_____

To illustrate_____

To support the idea that_____

To distinguish between _____and______

To compare ____and_____

Main detail questionsask about the most significant information of the passage. To answer such a question you should point out a line or two in the text.

Sample Questions

· What factors are emphasized in the passage?

· In what lines is the most significant information given?

Caution:Don't answer the overview questions about a passage until you have skim-read all paragraphs. The process of answering the detail questions may give you a clearer understanding of the main idea, topic, or purpose of the passage.

The answers for main idea, main topic, and main purpose questions summarize the main points of the passage; they must be more general than any of the supporting ideas or details, but not so general that they include ideas outside the scope of the passages.