1. Culture-specific Body Language That May Cause Misunderstanding or Displeasure
Alvien Xia & Amy Yang

2. Outline Part one: Introduction
Part two: Examples of some common body languages that may be culturally misunderstood
Part three: Theoretical explanations for the misunderstanding
Part four: Some suggestions to avoid misunderstanding and Pedagogical Implications

3. Part One: Introduction
In daily communication,
30% of the information transmitted through verbal communication,
70% of the information transmitted through non-verbal communication.

4. Part One: Introduction
Body-language
One of the most important means of non-verbal communication
Caused by ethnocentrism

5. Part Two:
Culturally Different Body Language

6. Thumb-up China: “very good, well-done”
America: “call for a taxi or ask for free ride”
Japan: “the number 5”
Germany: “the number 1”

7. America: “Okay”
Japan: “money”
Brazil & Germany: “vulgar or obscene”

8. Nodding Head or Shaking Head ?
Travelling in Turkey, if you want to show your agreement with local people, which one will you choose?
What about in China?

9. A Finger against One’s Temple
America, Germany & Brazil: “I’m crazy now.”
China: “I’m thinking.”

10. V-sign

11. What do you feel about this?

12. What about this?

13. What about this?

14. Meanings of V-sign Usually victory
Also for telling someone like waiters,
the number of two people or things.

15. Misinterpretations of V-sign
When palm faces toward the speaker, it is an obscene insult version.
It is understood as ‘up yours’ or ‘fxxk you’ by the European, American, British, Australian and New Zealander.
But palm-face-in V-sign is not a rude sign to bartenders (男侍應）. They interpret the sign as the number of mugs of beer.

16. Vertical Horns
America: A football team logo

17. Vertical Horns Italy: Cuckold
One’s wife deceives her husband by having sex with other.
In 1985, five Americans were arrested in Rome for using this gesture outside the Vatican

18. Brainstorming
Why these different body languages will cause misunderstanding?
Histories, living habits, geographical environment, national characteristics, thought pattern, etc.
All in all, culture divergence.

19. Part Three:
Theoretical Basis

20. Ethnocentrism （民族中心主義 ）
The Germans live in Germany,
The Romans live in Rome,
The Turks live in Turkey,
But the English live at home.
1909 nursery rhyme, J. H. Goring

21. Ethnocentrism What is ethnocentrsim?
the tendency to believe that one's own race or ethnic group is centrally important
judging other groups from our own cultural point of view.
a form of superiority in which you believe your way of doing things is the right and preferable way.
making false assumptions about others' ways based on our own limited experience.

22. Ethnocentrism Why ethnocentrsim?
Our limited experiences we have already had are the basis for interpreting new experiences.

23. Ethnocentrism
It is natural to be ethnocentric, but is it OK?
No.

24. Ethnocentrism
Perhaps no one can ever have complete understanding of another people, without fully experiencing everything they experience. However, this does not mean we cannot develop a functional understanding, to interact successfully with others.

25. Part Four：Suggestions for Misunderstanding Avoidance and Pedagogical Implications
Be conscious of reactions of all interlocutors
Compensate through verbal language
Never overemphasize communicative competence in second language teaching

26. Part Four：Suggestions for Misunderstanding Avoidance and Pedagogical Implications
Other things to remember:
Not all groups in a culture have the same characteristics;
Also be aware of individual personality.

27. Review of the Outline Part one: Introduction
Part two: Examples of some common body languages that may be culturally misunderstood
Part three: Theoretical explanations for the misunderstanding
Part four: Some suggestions to avoid misunderstanding and Pedagogical Implications

28. Thank you for your attention