SERVING STUDENTS OF DIVERSE CULTURES:

IMPROVING NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Dr. Kris Rugsaken

Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
SOURCES
- Gestures: The Do’s and
Taboos of Body Language.
by Roger E. Axtell
- “Gestures: Body Language
and Nonverbal
Communication.” by Gary
Imai.
www.csupomona.edu/~tassi
/gestures.htm.
 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.
 The Importance of Body Language
(Cont’d)

* 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.
 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, I’m listening” in India and Thailand
 FACE
* Facial expressions reflect emotion, feelings
and attitudes, but…..
* The Asians are sometimes known as
- emotionless
- mixed-up emotion
 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
 EYES (Cont’d)
* Closed eyes
- bored or sleepy in America
- “I’m listening and concentrating.” in Japan,
Thailand, China
 EARS
* Ear grasp
- “I’m sorry.” in India
* Cupping the ear
- “I can’t hear you.” in all societies
* Pulling ear
- “You are in my heart” for Navajo Indians
 NOSE
* Holding the nose
- “Something smells bad.” universal
* Nose tap
- “It’s confidential.” England
- “Watch out. Be careful.” Italy
* Pointing to nose
- “It’s me.” Japan
* Blowing nose
- In Japan and many Asian countries, blowing the nose at
social gathering is very impolite.
 CHEEKS
* Cheek screw
- gesture of praise - Italy
- “That’s crazy.” Germany
* Cheek stroke
- “pretty, attractive, success” most Europe
 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, “That’s
good!” “That’s great!” “That’s beautiful!.”
 LIPS AND MOUTH (Cont’d)
* 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.
 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.
 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.”
 ARMS (Cont’d)
* 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.
 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.”
 HANDS (Cont’d)
* 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.
 HANDS (Cont’d)
* 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.
 HANDS (Cont’d)
* 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.
 HANDS (Cont’d)
* Hang loose.(thumb and little finger extended)
* could convey different meanings:
* in Hawaii, it’s a way of saying, “Stay
cool,” or “Relax.”
* in Japan, it means six.
* In Mexico (do vertically), it means,
“Would you like a drink?”
 HANDS (Cont’d)
* 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.
 HANDS (Cont’d)
* Clapping hands.
* Russians and Chinese may use applause to
greet someone.
* In many central and eastern Europe, audience
frequently clap in rhythm.
 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
 FINGERS (Cont’d)
* 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.
 FINGERS (Cont’d)
* 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.
 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.
 LEGS AND FEET (Cont’d)
* 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.
 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 other’s
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.
 ASIAN FACIFIC CULTURAL VALUES

* Respectful of one’s parents and elders

* Respectful of authority
* Interdependent
* Humble
* Group oriented
* Hard-working and frugal
 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 other’s
mold.”
* Source: Tyler, V. Lynn. Intercultural Interacting. (1987)
 THANKS! AND…..

∗ YOUR
∗ thoughts
∗ experiences
∗ questions