A Comparative Study of Chinese and English Body Language开题报告

1. 研究目的与意义

With the step of the globalization, cross-cultural communication has been developed frequently. To some extent, nonverbal communication is more important than verbal communication in daily life. Furthermore, as a part of nonverbal communication, body language plays a very important role in cross-cultural communication. Body language from different culture, like verbal communication, also has many differences because of different regions, races and cultural customs. And it is restricted by its culture and has different cultural connotations. Comparing the differences between Chinese and English body languages and knowing the reasons of these differences is a good way to help English learners to understand foreign culture background and avoid cultural misunderstanding in communication.

2. 研究内容和预期目标

My paper will give a brief introduction of the body language and its functions, and try to offer some reasons of the differences between Chinese and English body languages. The first part will introduce the definition and functions of body language and its history at home and abroad. Then, the paper will focus on the comparison of Chinese and English body languages, including facial expressions, gestures, postures, eye contacts, space and touch. Finally, the reasons of the differences between Chinese and English body languages will be explored.

3. 国内外研究现状

In the early 1950s, American anthropologist Birdwhistell (R. Birdwhistell) had a systematic study on the body language the first time in Introduction to kinesics (1952), showing which body language is conventional. According to the Greek root kineo 'move', he created the word kinesics, used to express the systematic study on human beings how to communicate through body movements and gesture, which is used to specifically refer to body language, including eye contacts, gestures, postures, facial expressions, behaviors, touch and other aspects.Then, many scholars, like Julius Fast (1971) and Edward T. Hale (1977), have made researches in detail of body language from different points of view. In China, the study on body language has started in 1980s, and Geng Erling (1988), Deng Yanchang (1989) and Liu Runqing (1989) etc. were the main researchers. Today, the study on body language has developed into a branch of science.

4. 计划与进度安排

1. Introduction2. Literature Review2.1 The Definitions of Body Language2.2 The Functions of Body Language2.3 Body Language#8217;s History at Home and Abroad3. Differences of Body Language between Western and Chinese3.1 Facial Expressions3.2 Gestures3.3 Postures3.4 Eye Contacts3.5 Space3.6 Touch4. Reasons of Differences between Western and Chinese Body Language4.1 Caused by the Different Social Customs4.2 Caused by the Different Ideology5. Conclusion

5. 参考文献

[1] Andersen and Peter. Nonverbal Communication:Forms and Functions[M].London:Waveland Press,2007:45-48.[2] Birdwhistell,R.S. Kinesics and Context[M].Philadelphia:University of Pennsylvania Press,1970:34.[3] Gamble,T.K. Communication Work[M].RadomHouse,Inc,1987:121-125.[4] Knapp, M. Nonverbal communication in Human Interaction [M].Winston: Holt, Rinehart Winston,1978:12-20.[5] Samovar, L. et al. Understanding Intercultural Communication [M].California: Wadsworth,1981:38-42.[6] 毕继万. 跨文化非语言交际[M].北京:外语教学与研究出版社,1999:6.[7] 车英君. 文化相对论视角下的中美身势语的比较研究[D].硕士学位论文.辽宁:辽宁师范大学,2009:13-20.[8] 邓炎昌,刘润清. 语言与文化[M].北京:外语教学与研究出版社,1989:146-149.[9] 高雅丽. 非语言交际在跨文化商务交际中的功能及运用[D].硕士学位论文.上海:上海外国语大学,2008.[10] 何兆熊. 新编语用学概要[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社,2000:245.[11] 胡德清. 试论体态语的功能[J].外语与外语教学,2002,(12):32-36.[12] 胡文仲. 英美文化辞典[M].北京:外语教学与研究出版社,1995:229-230.[13] 蒋易. 中美非言语交际的比较与探索[D].硕士学位论文.山东:山东师范大学,2009.[14] 李世强. 中西商务沟通中的冲突分析--跨文化视角[D].硕士学位论文.哈尔滨:哈尔滨工业大学,2006.[15] 刘玉楼. 非言语行为的语用功能[D].山东大学,2005.[16] 孙传捷. 身势语的语用研究[J]. 辽宁工业大学学报: 社会科学版, 2006, (3):39-42.[17] 唐振华. 身势语的文化含义[J].深圳大学学报,1996,(2):82-89.[18] 吴为善,严慧仙. 跨文化交际概论[M].商务印书馆,2009:108-202.[19] 徐德凯.中西文化视域下的非言语交际[D].硕士学位论文.山东:山东大学,2008.[20] 杨平.非语言交际述评[J].外语教学与研究,1994,(03):1-6.