Analysis On Nonverbal Communication Between Chinese And Western Cultures

As one of the most important channels of communication, nonverbal communication plays an essential role when communication takes place between Chinese culture and western cultures. The differences between Chinese culture and western cultures, especially the differences of nonverbal communication between Chinese culture and western cultures, result from the different worldviews, values, histories and economy. Culture tends to determine kinesics, proxemics, paralanguage, and chronemics. Some nonverbal aspects of communication are considered to be universal across cultures, while others are quite culturally specific in interpretation of meaning. If we fail to handle it, it will inevitably cause conflicts or misunderstanding when two or more cultures encounter one another. The paper takes a comparative look at Chinese and western nonverbal communication, and tries to find ways to decode and interpret the aspects of nonverbal communication under the Chinese and western cultural contexts. Ways and procedures to improve our nonverbal communication are also suggested.Part one, nonverbal communication and culture. Cultural dimensions have been mainly discussed in this part to discover the primary factors of culture caused thedifferences of nonverbal communication between Chinese and western cultures.Part two, nonverbal communication in Chinese and western cultures. This part takes a comparative look at Chinese and western kinesics, paralanguage, proxemics and chronemics and tries to find ways to decode and interpret them in Chinese and western cultures.Part three, Strategies to overcome the nonverbal barriers between Chinese and western cultures. Strategies to improve intercultural nonverbal communication are suggested in this part.