SERVING STUDENTS OF DIVERSE CULTURES: IMPROVING NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

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SERVING STUDENTS OF DIVERSE CULTURES IMPROVING
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• Dr. Kris Rugsaken
• Ball State University
• Muncie, IN 47306

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SOURCES

• Gestures The Dos and Taboos of Body Language.
  by Roger E. Axtell
• Gestures Body Language and Nonverbal
  Communication. by Gary Imai. www.csupomona.edu/t
  assi/gestures.htm.

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NON-VERBALLY

• According the a social anthropologist, Edward T.
  Hall, in a normal conversation between two
  persons, less than 35 of the social meanings is
  actually transmitted by words.
• So, at least 65 of it is conveyed through
  nonverbal channel.

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The Importance of Body Language (Contd)

• Mario Pei, a communications expert, once
  estimated that humans can produce up to 700,000
  different physical signs.
• Birdwhistell estimated that the face alone is
  capable of producing 250,000 expressions.
• People in other parts of the world observe body
  language more than the North Americans do.

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HEAD

• Nodding the head
• yes in most societies
• no in some parts of Greece, Yugoslavia,
  Bulgaria, and Turkey
• Tossing the head backward
• yes in Thailand, the Philippines, India, Laos
• Rocking head slowly, back and forth
• yes, Im listening in India and Thailand

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FACE

• Facial expressions reflect emotion, feelings and
  attitudes, but..
• The Asians are sometimes known as
• emotionless
• mixed-up emotion

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EYES

• Eye contacts
• Encouraged in America, Canada, Europe
• Rude in most Asian countries and in Africa
• Raising eyebrows
• yes in Thailand and some Asian countries
• hello in the Philippines
• Winking eye
• Sharing secret in America and Europe
• flirtatious gesture in other countries

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EYES (Contd)

• Closed eyes
• bored or sleepy in America
• Im listening and concentrating. in Japan,
  Thailand, China

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EARS

• Ear grasp
• Im sorry. in India
• Cupping the ear
• I cant hear you. in all societies
• Pulling ear
• You are in my heart for Navajo Indians

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NOSE

• Holding the nose
• Something smells bad. universal
• Nose tap
• Its confidential. England
• Watch out. Be careful. Italy
• Pointing to nose
• Its me. Japan
• Blowing nose
• In Japan and many Asian countries, blowing the
  nose at social gathering is very impolite.

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CHEEKS

• Cheek screw
• gesture of praise - Italy
• Thats crazy. Germany
• Cheek stroke
• pretty, attractive, success most Europe

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LIPS AND MOUTH

• Whistle, yawn, smile, bite, point, sneeze, spit,
  kiss..
• Kiss. In parts of Asia, kissing is considered an
  intimate sexual act and not permissible in
  public, even as a social greeting.
• Kissing sound. To attract attention in the
  Philippines, to beckon a waiter in Mexico.
• Finger tip kiss. In France, it conveys several
  messages, Thats good! Thats great! Thats
  beautiful!.

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LIPS AND MOUTH (Contd)

• Spitting.
• Spitting in public is considered rude and crude
  in most Western cultures.
• In the PRC and some other Asian countries,
  spitting in public is very common.

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THE LIP POINTING

• Lip pointing (a substitute for pointing with the
  hand or finger) is common among Filipinos, Native
  Americans, Puerto Ricans, and many Latin
  Americans.
• Open mouth. Any display of the open mouth is
  considered very rude in most countries.

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ARMS

• Some cultures, like the Italians, use the arms
  freely. Others, like the Japanese, are more
  reserved it is considered impolite to
  gesticulate with broad movements of the arms.
• Folding arms are interpreted by some social
  observers as a form of excluding self, I am
  taking a defensive posture, or I disagree with
  what I am hearing.

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ARMS (Contd)

• Arms akimbo. In many cultures, this stance
  signals aggression, resistance, impatience, or
  even anger.
• Arms behind back, hands grasped is a sign of ease
  and control.
• Arms in front, hands grasped, common practice in
  most Asian countries, is a sign of mutual respect
  for others.

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HANDS

• Of all the body parts, the hands are probably
  used most for communicating non-verbally.
• Hand waves are used for greetings, beckoning, or
  farewells.
• The American good-bye wave can be interpreted
  in many parts of Europe and Latin America as the
  signal for no.
• The Italian good-bye wave can be interpreted by
  Americans as the gesture of come here.

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HANDS (Contd)

• Beckoning.
• The American way of getting attention (raising a
  hand with the index finger raised above head)
  could be considered rude in Japan, and also means
  two in Germany.
• The American come here gesture could be seen as
  an insult in most Asian countries.
• In China, to beckon a waiter to refill your tea,
  simply turn your empty cup upside down.

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HANDS (Contd)

• Handshaking is a form of greeting in most Western
  cultures.
• In the Middle East, a gentle grip is appropriate.
• In most Asian cultures, a gentle grip and an
  avoidance of direct eye contact is appropriate.
• Hand-holding among the same sex is a custom of
  special friendship and respect in several Middle
  Eastern and Asian countries.

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HANDS (Contd)

• Right hand. The right hand has special
  significance in many societies. In certain
  countries in the Middle East and in Asia, it is
  best to present business cards or gifts, or to
  pass dishes of food, to get an attention, using
  only the right hand.
• Left hand is considered unclean in much of the
  Middle East and in parts of Indonesia.

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HANDS (Contd)

• Hang loose.(thumb and little finger extended)
• could convey different meanings
• in Hawaii, its a way of saying, Stay cool, or
  Relax.
• in Japan, it means six.
• In Mexico (do vertically), it means, Would you
  like a drink?

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HANDS (Contd)

• Suicide gesture.
• In the U.S., a person points a forefinger to the
  temple, thumb pointing upward.
• In Japan, a stabbing motion to the stomach is
  used.
• In parts of Asia, putting one hand to throat in a
  choking motion is the signal for suicide.

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HANDS (Contd)

• Clapping hands.
• Russians and Chinese may use applause to greet
  someone.
• In many central and eastern Europe, audience
  frequently clap in rhythm.

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FINGERS

• The O.K. signal. (the thumb and forefinger form
  a circle) means
• fine, or O.K. in most cultures,
• zero or worthless in France
• an insult in Greece, Brazil, Italy, Turkey, Russia

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FINGERS (Contd)

• Thumbs-up. It means
• O.K. good job or fine in most cultures,
• Up yours! in Australia
• Five in Japan One in Germany
• Avoid a thumbs-up in these countries Australia,
  New Zealand, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Russia, and
  most African countries.

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FINGERS (Contd)

• Pointing.
• Pointing with the index finger is common in North
  America and Europe.
• But it is considered impolite in Japan and China
  where they favor using the whole open hand.
• Malaysians prefer pointing with the thumb.

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LEGS AND FEET

• In Thailand, do not point with your toes.
• In Thailand, Japan, China, Malaysia, France.., do
  not put your feet up on a desk or any other piece
  of furniture.
• Sitting cross-legged is common in North America
  and some European countries.
• Royal Cross is common in England.

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LEGS AND FEET (Contd)

• In Japan, Thailand, and China, a solid and
  balanced sitting posture is the prevailing
  custom. Sitting cross-legged shows the sign of
  disrespect.
• In the Middle East and parts of Asia, resting the
  ankle over the other knee risks pointing the sole
  of your shoe at another person, which is
  considered a rude gesture.

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WALKING

• Walking can reflect many characteristics of a
  culture. For example,
• In Thailand and some of the Middle Eastern
  countries, men who are friends may walk holding
  each others hand.
• In Japan and Korea, women commonly walk a pace or
  two behind male companion.
• Asians often regard Western women as bold and
  aggressive, for they walk with a longer gait and
  a more upright posture.

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ASIAN FACIFIC CULTURAL VALUES

• Respectful of ones parents and elders
• Respectful of authority
• Interdependent
• Humble
• Group oriented
• Hard-working and frugal

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HOW PEOPLE OF VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD VIEW
AMERICANS

• Careless with dress, rules, and manners
• Generous as neighbors
• Superficial shallow and short-lasting friendship
• Confident demand almost too much of self
• Ethnocentric less interested in others
• Independent Individually feeling not to fit
  others mold.
• Source Tyler, V. Lynn. Intercultural
  Interacting. (1987)

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THANKS! AND..

• YOUR
• thoughts
• experiences
• questions