The Interrelationship Between Nonverbal And Verbal Communications: The Functions Of Nonverbal Behaviors In Verbal Communicative Events

There are various tools and modes in human communication. Language is one of the most important tools. However, it seldom operates independently. Instead, it is always accompanied by all kinds of nonverbal behaviors. Concerning nonverbal communication, most existing books focus exclusively on the nature of nonverbal communication. They describe and classify different kinds of nonverbal messages. They do not address the pressing need to demonstrate how nonverbal messages support verbal messages to help people communicate successfully. This thesis attempts to explore the interrelationship between verbal and nonverbal communications and orientate people towards the functions nonverbal communication performs in verbal communication through the analysis of examples excerpted from classic Chinese novel "A DREAM OF RED MANSION" with theories and methods taken from communication, body language, semantics, pragmatics and conversation analysis. Therefore, people may grasp one more tool to interact more smoothly and successfully in the real world.