Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication plays an important role in our daily lives. According to a research conducted in the US, in the sense of communicating attitudes, 93 percent of the message was expressed by the tone of the voice and by facial expressions. Nonverbal communication varies in different cultures. Nonverbal communication like gestures, eye contact, and body space is quite different in Chinese culture compare to those I have seen in the US.
The first difference I found between Chinese nonverbal communication and American nonverbal communication is gestures. A typical example would be the way of expressing numbers in these two cultures. In Chinese culture, we can show numbers from one to nine simply using one hand. The Chinese way of showing one, two, three, four, and five is the same as the American way; but we have very special way of showing six, seven, eight, and nine. For expressing six, Chinese people use the thumb and the little finger together to show the number. The shape of this gesture is like an ox horn. Americans usually use the first finger of one hand and five fingers of the other hand to show it. The Chinese way of expressing seven is relatively complex. Chinese people put the first and the middle finger on the inner side of the thumb while curving the ring finger and the little finger. It is interesting, isn’t it?
Talking about eye contact, the difference in the two cultures is evident. In China, people tend to avoid eye contact when they are talking with each other. Traditional culture has a huge influence on people’s behaviors. Men and women looking at each others’ eyes is a sign of expressing love in ancient China. Many Chinese people feel nervous when looking into each other for a while. Nonetheless, Americans feel very comfortable about eye contact. Since I came to America a year ago, all my teachers were encouraging me to have more eye contact when giving a presentation.