Post 205:: Non-Verbal Communication can give away your national identity (Intercultural Communication)

Post 205:Non-Verbal Communication and National Identity (Intercultural Communication)

Non-verbal communication is just as important as verbal communication. Different countries have different body language customs.  In the following example, Nakayama gives examples of about how body language differs from culture to culture.

Let’s consider another example. Two U.S. students attending school in 
France were hitchhiking to the university in Grenoble for the first day of 
classes. A French motorist picked them up and immediately started speaking 
English to them. They wondered how he knew they spoke English. Later, 
when they took a train to Germany, the conductor walked into their compart- 
ment and berated them in English for putting their feet on the opposite seat. 
Again, they wondered how he had known that they spoke English. As these 
examples suggest, nonverbal communication entails more than gestures — even 
our appearance can communicate loudly. The students’ appearance alone 
probably was a sufficient clue to their national identity. One of our students 
explains, 

When I studied abroad in Europe, London more specifically, our clothing as a 
nonverbal expression was a dead giveaway that we were from America. We 
dressed much more casual, wore more colors, and had words written on our 
T-shirts and sweatshirts. This alone said enough; we didn 't even have to speak 
to reveal that we were Americans. 

As these examples also show, nonverbal behavior operates at a subconscious 
level. We rarely think about how we stand, what gestures we use, and so on.(258)

I have similar examples to Nakayama's examples above. When my cousin was in Japan, the conductor told him in English to not take up so much room in his seat and to close his legs to make room for the next passenger. It seems that the train conductor could tell my cousin was American because many Americans subconsciously take up a lot of space when sitting down in a bus, on a seat, or in a train when compared to the average Japanese who sits tightly and conserves space between each person. How we sit, our facial gestures, how we speak, how we move, how we dress are all part of our national identity.

Americans are used to huge open spaces so Americans are used to taking up a lot of space. Americans are used to being in large rooms, so Americans talk louder to be heard. Meanwhile, in a country like Japan, there is very little space, so people conserve space to make room. And all the rooms are smaller, so no need to yell across a room to be heard. The train conductor saw my cousin sit with his legs wide open and his arms flung out in front of him taking up 2 people worth of seats which is considered rude in a crowded Japanese subway. 

When I was in France, I was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt as I walked down the Paris street. Suddenly, I saw another American coming towards me. I could tell she was American and not French by the casual way she was dressed, and she looked lost. Most Parisians are dressed very fashionably, and know exactly where they are going. This other American was a total stranger to me, yet when we crossed the street going in opposite directions, we exchanged a look of understanding that said, "We are homesick for America, and these Parisians are weird." 

An important part of intercultural communication is that if you are traveling abroad, it is a good idea to learn the body language of where you are going to avoid awkward gaffes that could be embarrassing to you and your company.