Facial Expression Plays in Intercultural Communication Essay Example

as a whole indicates much ab- out human moods as well. However，The meaning of facial ex- pressions varies greatly across cultures.

1. Smile

Smile usually conveys friendliness, approval, satisfaction, pleas- ure and joy .The smile may have multiple meanings, depending on the culture. In some cultures, smiles can indicate fear or a method of di- sarming a possible aggressor. In others, the smile can indicate friend- liness, nervousness or embarrassment.

2. Eye contact

One of the earliest learned behaviors in any culture is the proper use of eye contact. People from English speaking countries have more eye contact when they are in conversation. Appropriate use of eye con- tact, however, varies widely from culture to culture. Speakers from Euro-American community do not usually maintain direct and con- stant eye contact when speaking. The educated Englishmen believe di- rect eye contact with communicators is gentlemanly. But Swedenians use eye language more often than Englishmen. And Chinese consider gazing people is an unfriendly behavior and it is a challenge.

3. Causes of differences and similarities

Just as verbal language varies from culture to culture, so does body language. Some expressions such as fear, anger, sadness, disgust, and interest are fairly universal. However, cultures tend to develop the- ir own communication styles. Apart from cultural elements, there are still some other factors that cause the differences. Such as gender, so- cial hierarchy, belief, and geographical difference, etc.

4. The advantage of knowing the knowledge

Facial expressions are important because of its role in the total communication system, the tremendous quantity of informational cues it gives in any particular situation, and

its use in fundamental areas of our daily life. Understanding the different use of facial expression in different cultures is extremely important in our multicultural world to- day. By knowing the knowledge of the varied meaning of facial ex- pressions in different cultures, we can communicate with foreigners effectively and avoid misunderstanding in the intercultural communi- cation process.

Ⅳ. Conclusion

Driven by the rapid globalization, intercultural communication becomes increasingly important. We must get very familiar with the information and grasp the skills needed in the intercultural communi- cation. This thesis is written to provide essential information and prac- tical examples about important aspects of facial expressions, from which we acquire different cultural knowledge. Having known the im- portant role facial expression plays in communication, the cultural dif- ferences and similarities, and the advantage of knowing the informa- tion, we will be more observant in the future communication and com- municate more effectively.