Kinesics 1
Teaching North American Kinesics to Chinese Students
Yei Wu
For: Barbara Jones
Level 50.4
University of Saskatchewan
August 2, 2007
Word count: 1006
Outline
I. Introduction
Thesis Statement: As part of their English training, the Chinese students staying in North America should be taught North American kinesics in order to facilitate their daily interactions.
II. Relationship between kinesics training and language training
A. Role of language
1. Communicate ideas
2. Share experiences
B. Purpose of language training
C. Purpose of kinesics training
III. Reasons for North American kinesics to be the standard kinesics
A. Different cultures, different kinesics
B. North American kinesics
1. Canada
2. United States
IV. Kinesics training in English training
A. Introducing suggested activities
B. Facilitating daily interaction
1. Classroom
2. Public occasions
V. Conclusion
Teaching North American Kinesics to Chinese Students
With the development of economy and society, China takes part in more and more international interactions. So English is commonly used in China nowadays, and more and more students go aboard to further their studies. Most of the students have finished six years of English training in high school, which tends to focus on grammar, reading and writing. When they finish their training, they are confident that they know English well. I’m one of the Chinese students who came to North America and thought there should be no problem in daily interactions. Things didn’t go that way. I met many difficulties in expressing myself clearly and making my gestures understood by local people, which led to many inconveniences in daily interactions. The predicament didn’t improve until I read some books about North American kinesics. This kind of situation happens commonly to the Chinese students staying in North America. So, as part of their English training, the Chinese students staying in North America should be taught North American kinesics in order to facilitate their daily interactions.
As part of language training, kinesics training is important. The term “kinesics” is defined in different ways in different books. In this essay, I use the definition by Ray L. Birdwhistell: “‘Kinesics’ [is] the discipline concerned with the study of all bodily motions that are communicative. An understanding of kinesics across cultures necessitates a close look at posture, movement, facial expression, eye management, gestures, and proxemics (distancing)” (Moran, 1998, p.3). Language is a tool to convey information. The purpose of language training is to help students receive information and express themselves easily. Robert S. Fleckman (2000) states that kinesics plays an important role in language. First, the importance lies in that it expresses the true feeling, though sometimes the feeling is not so obvious. For example, my sister has never said she likes me, but I can feel her affection whenever she smiles at me. Second, the importance lies in that it touches the “underlying affective layer” (p. 171) and reveals your attitude and emotions, though they are potential or you even may want to conceal them. Usually people can express their attitude and emotions in two ways. One is to use verbal communication. The other is to use kinesics. By words, people can conceal their true attitude and emotions successfully because it is easy to tell a lie. But kinesics is a kind of subconscious action. Before you intend to conceal your attitude and emotions, your kinesics has expressed them distinctly. So, you can tell if a person is lying by looking at his eyes. You can also find out that you are not so welcome by the way a person shakes your hand, though he says, “Nice to see you.” There is a great deal of difference between verbal communication and kinesics. Compared with verbal communication, kinesics is “more valid, more truthful, and more revealing” (p. 171). It is not by accident, it seems, when we are just infants, we learn to smile before we learn to talk. Since kinesics is an important part of language, kinesics training undoubtedly plays an important role in language training.
Kinesics should be taught in certain ways in class. Moran (1978) suggests some activities to help students get familiar with aspects of kinesics, which is also very useful in North American kinesics training for the Chinese student. First, make students aware of the scope of the subject. As the first step, the term “kinesics” must be introduced to students. And then give them a list of topics under this heading. This step is very important because it gives students a general message of kinesics training. Second, make students aware of the importance of kinesics. Once students realize the importance of kinesics, they will study it carefully. Third, make students aware of the cultural differences in kinesics. List some terms, such as yes, no, love, hate, begin, stop, come, go, etc., on the blackboard, and ask students from different cultures demonstrate them with their own kinesics. And then compare the different kinesics and discuss the possibilities for cross-cultural misunderstanding. Fourth, make students understand North American kinesics. List North American kinesics on the blackboard, and demonstrate them to the students. Students can be divided into small groups to practice them. Many methods can be used in North American kinesics training. The more interesting the ways are, the better the effect is.
Once the Chinese students staying in North America learn North American kinesics well, they will find it facilitates their daily interaction effectively. For example, in class, depending on the “feed-back function of eye moment” (M. O. Wennman & J. M. Wennman, 1995, ¶ 7), teachers can determine if what they said was heard and understood, if students are paying attention, or if they would like to talk. On the other hand, when a teacher asks a question, the student who knows the answer can look at the teacher (eye management) to show it. Another example, which is stated by Astell (2005) and which I have also experienced is the use of toothpicks. Toothpicks are commonly available and used during and after a meal in China. One just has to be certain to cover one’s mouth with the other hand while poking and picking. In North America, however, it is considered impolite to use toothpicks in front of other people. Such kind of things happens here and there every day to the Chinese students staying in North America. Of course, only the ones with good manners, which means knowing North American kinesics well, can be welcomed anywhere.
Now, there are still many Chinese students staying in North America who face the problem of culture shock in kinesics. Kinesics training has become a burning issue in language training. The whole education system, including the officials, teachers and students, should pay more attention to it. I believe, with the popularization of North American kinesics training in North American language training, more and more Chinese students staying in North American will benefit from it to facilitate daily interactions.
References
Astell, R. E. (2004). Gestures: The do’s and taboos of body language around the world (Rev. ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Fleckman, R. S. (Ed.). (2000). Nonverbal behavioral theories and research. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Moran, G. G. (1998). Kinesics and cross-cultural communication. In Language in Education: Theory & Practice: Vol. 7. Arlington, VA: Center for Applied Linguistics.
Wennman, M. O., & Wennman, J. M. (1995). Communicating nonverbally in the elementary classroom. Retrieved June 30, 2007 from