unit5Gestures-in-Intercultural-Communication.ppt

Unit5GesturesinInterculturalCommunication Gesturesarenon vocalbodilymovementsintendedtoexpressmeanings Gesturescanbeemblemsorsymbols V forvictory illustrators policeofficer shandhelduptostoptraffic regulators glancingatyourwatchtosignalthatyouareinahurry oraffectdisplays one sfaceturnsredwithembarrassment Theymaybepresentedwiththehands armsorbody andalsoincludemovementsofthehead faceandeyes suchaswinking nodding orrollingone seyes Weusegesturesdaily almostinstinctively frombeckoningtoawaiter orpunctuatingabusinesspresentationwithvisualsignals toairportgroundattendantsguidinganairlinepilotintothejetway Inaverygeneralsense weallusegesturestoreinforceanideaortohelpdescribesomething Whenwesay That sanEnglishbook atthesametimewearepointingtothebook Ifsomeoneasksusthewaytothelibrary wepointtotheright addingalittlemoreclearandconcreteinformationaboutit PeopleinAngolahavetowinktheireyestowelcomedistinguishedguests whichisquitedifferentfromothercountries OtherexamplesincludetheOK sign Itmaybeunderstoodassymbolizingthenumberzero orbeingworthless Itmayalsobeseenassymbolofbeingobscene Afrequentlymentionedcaseis Nixon pastpresidentoftheUnitedStates oncepaidavisittoBrazil Whilehewasdisembarkingtheplane hemadeagestureof OK whichangeredandinsultedtheBrazilians TheAmericangestureof OK isconsideredobsceneinBrazil Intheend NixonformallyapologizedtotheBrazilians Interpretationsofgesturesareculturebound Asmanymovementsarecarriedoutatasubconsciousoratleastlow awarenesslevel theyalwayscarryasignificantriskofbeingmisinterpretedinaninterculturalcommunicationsituation Unfortunately thesheervarietyandcomplexityofgesturemakesitimpossibletofindaneasysolution Quaint Do sandDon ts canneversolvethecomplicatedproblemsalone Forinstance Russianpeoplearesaidtohaveextraordinarysplendidtraditionsandcustoms andboldandunconstrainedcharacters buttheirgestureischaracterizedonlybyusingonehand usuallytherighthand andtheotherkeepingfixed andmovingonlyslightlywhennecessary Now weshifttothediscussionaboutgesture Thesamegestureswithdifferentmeaningsencodedindifferentculturesarepresentedinthispartforthesakeofcomparison Thethumbs upsign InBritain thethumb upgesturemeans good great Itisalsousedforhitch hiking askingforafreeride ThisgesturesignalsapprovalinChina theU S andRussiaasinBritain ButinPersianculture itishighlyoffensive IntheU K AustraliaandNewZealand ithasthemeaningofsignrideroraninsultsigntopeople withasharpbentthumb InGreece thumbs upmeans getout InChinaitisawaytoshowpraise referringto good or first rate InNigeria peopleusethisgesturetogreetguests InJapan thismeans men or yourfather intheU S itmeans progressingsmoothly TheVsign theVsignisasignalforvictoryintheUnitedStatesandmanyothercountries Inthehippieeraofthe1960sinAmericaitwasa peacesign Italsosignalsthenumber two inChinaandmanyothercountries ButinEnglandandSouthArica ithasacrudeconnotationwhenusedwiththepalmin i e theVsigndonewithyourpalmfacingyourselfandthrustupward Thesinglefingerbeckon thebeckoninggesture fingersupturned palmfacingthebody isusedbypeopleintheUnitedStatesandBritainforsummoningsomeone e g awaiter to Comehere InYugoslaviaandMalaysiaitisonlyusedforbeckoninganimals ThegestureforbeckoninginChinaisquitedifferent Thehandisextendedtowardtheperson palmopenandfacingdown withallfingerscrookedinabeckoningmotion Theverticalgesture ItisapositiveconnotationassociatedwiththeUniversityofTexasLonghornfootballteam ThisgesturehasaninsultingconnotationinItaly butinBrazilandVenezuela itisasignforgoodluck ThissymbolhasvariousmeaningsintheU S subculture includingservingasasataniccultrecognitionsighsignifyingthedevil shorns Thesymbolshouldbeusedonlywhenyouaresuretheotherpersonunderstandsitsintendedmeanings Thegoodlucksign Youdothistowishsomeonegoodluck ThisgestureisbasicallypeculiartoAnglo Americancultures Germanswishothersgoodluckbymakingtwofistswiththumbsinsideandpoundingonanimaginarytable TowishsomeonegoodluckinPortugal onewouldplacethethumbbetweentheindexandthethirdfinger The Six sign InChina wesignalsixbyfoldingthreefingersofthehandagainstthepalm leavingthethumbandthelittlefingerstickingstraightupandout ButinAustralia thesamegesturemeans timetodrinkup Thecirclesignmadebythethumbandforefinger IntheU S BrazilandArab peopleconsiderthisasasymbolofpeace contempt andthedevil seyes respectively InChina itmeansagreement synonymouswith good InFrance manypeopletakeitasa zero or low qualitygoods even poor or worthless IntheNetherlands thisindicatesthatitisnow wellunderway or somethingdelicate InJapan andSouthKorea itturnsouttobethesignfor money Thesignwiththelittlefingerstretchingupward InChina itmeans small or theworst whenshowingcontempt InJapan itmeans women people girls or lover IntheUnitedStates itmeans weakmen or bet InThailandandSaudiArabia ifone slittlefingerisstretchedtoanother itmeans friend InIndia thisgesturemeans Iwanttogotothetoilet Shakinghead Inmostcountriesitisacceptedasdisagreement butinBulgariaandsomepartsofIndia theyregarditasagreement Thesignofputtingthepalmflatundertheneck InEnglish speakingcountries thisgesturemeans Iamfull whileinChinaitdenotes tobebeheaded Theeyelid pull Pullingdownthelowerlidofyoureyewithonefingerisusuallyusedtoindicatealertness InFrance England andGreece itmeansmuchthesameas Youcan tfoolme andinSpainandItalyitisalsorelatedtobeingalert Shouldershrug InItalyitsignalsthatyoudon tknoworcareaboutsomething InAmerica itsignalsareluctancetoagree InFrance itmeanssomethingisridiculous Armsfolded AsignofboredomordisapprovalintheUnitedStates InFinland itisasignofarrogance Handsinpocket s EverywhereinEuropeitisrudetotalkwithyourhandsinyourpocket Itissomethingonlyaguiltychildwoulddo InJapanandChina itisrudeinstandwithyourhandsthrustintoyourpockets Handsonhips InMexico itsignalshostility InMalaysia itshowsanger intheU S impatienceandinArgentina itindicatesachallenge Noseblowing TheChineseandJapanesefindblowingyournoseinpublicextremelyrude InFrance sneezinginpublicisok butblowingyournoseinpublicistheheightofbadupbringing Sotheworldoppositemeaningsindifferentcultures Aperfectlypropergestureinonecountrymaybeconsideredunspeakablyrudeinanother Notes beckonreinforc