Principles and Applications of Body Language in Nonverbal Communication 专 业: 英 语班 级: 2009本科作者姓名: *学 号: 20*指导教师: *联系电话: *完成日期: 20*年 月 日AbstractBody language is an important part of nonverbal communication and it is connected with culture. In order to make successful exchange in cross-cultural communication, we should know the body language from different cultures. And we should realize that body language, like verbal communication and culture, also has many similarities all over the world. However, body language from different cultures has many differences because of different regions, races and cultural customs. And it is restricted by its culture and has different cultural connotations. That is to say, the same body language has different meanings in different cultures and has different social functions. This article devotes to a comparison and contrast of body language in different cultures in terms of eye language, gestures, postures, facial expressions and touch. It aims to illustrate the differences and similarities of body language and put forward the principles of reducing barriers in communication so as to achieve efficient communication and to avoid misunderstanding.OutlineI. IntroductionA. Verbal communication and nonverbal communication.B. The purpose of this paperII. Definition and Functions of Nonverbal CommunicationA. Definition of Nonverbal CommunicationB. Functions of Nonverbal Communication1. Repetition. 2. Emphasis. 3. Adjustment. III. Classification of Body LanguageIV. Cultural Differences of Body LanguageA. Eye LanguageB. GesturesC. PosturesD. TouchE. Facial ExpressionsV. The Similarities of Body Language and Their CausesA. The Similarities of Body LanguageB. The Causes Resulting in the Similarities of Body LanguageVI. The Principles of Reducing Barriers in CommunicationVII. ConclusionI. IntroductionPeople can communicate with each other through not only verbal communication but also nonverbal communication. Moreover, the latter plays an essential role in human communication. Nonverbal communication is connected with cultures and it is the result of cultures. But many people pay great attention to the acceptance and correctness of the verbal communication and overlook the influence and cultural difference of nonverbal communication. Then the misunderstanding and cultural crash often occur in the cross-cultural communication. So in the process of communication, it is not a complete communication while ignoring the cultural differences of nonverbal communication. A famous anthropologist E. T. Hall pointed out “Silent language expresses more information than verbal language.” According to some researchers abroad, in peoples daily life, nonverbal communication takes part over 65% in all of information exchange. And body language is an important part of nonverbal communication. Many experts have shown the importance of body language in the cross-cultural communication. It is clear without body language we cant finish our informational exchange. Body language, like verbal language can express emotions, exchange ideas and deliver information. So we must know the cultural differences of body language to achieve efficient communication.II. Definition and Functions of Nonverbal CommunicationA. Definition of Nonverbal CommunicationThe study of nonverbal communication covers three major parts: Proxernics, Kinesics or Body Language, and Paralanguage. Proxernics refers that people keep certain space with each other when they communicate and the meaning it suggests. For example, Arabians like to keep close while Englishmen like to keep a certain distance. It is funny to see they are in conversation. Arabians will come closer and closer but Englishmen will withdraw further and further. When they finish the conversation, they are far away from the place they stood. Kinesics is also called body language, which studies the meanings of the movement of all parts of body and it includes many nonverbal behavior such as eye language, gestures, postures, facial expressions, touch and so on. We will discuss it in details later. Paralanguage refers to all kinds of sound signals made by mouth, which can express certain emotions and ideas. Paralanguage is not the phrases and sentences with clear meanings. It is to transform information by sound, such as “Ouch”. Besides this, the pitch of tone and loudness or quietness of voice also belongs to paralanguage. And some researchers believe that clothing belongs to paralanguage, too.B. Functions of Nonverbal CommunicationNonverbal communication, like verbal communication is also a part of culture and the carrier of a certain culture. The function of nonverbal communication in the whole communication cant be overlooked. “In the daily communication, we can see people cant communicate efficiently by verbal language alone. And nonverbal communi