Peculiarities nonverbal communication V different countries

Using dozens of gestures every day, we hardly think about their meaning. It is known that the basic communication gestures all over the world do not differ from each other: when people are happy, they smile, when they are sad, they frown, when they do not know or do not understand what they are talking about we're talking about- they shrug their shoulders. However, often the same expressive movement in different nations may have absolutely different meaning, and frivolous handling of our usual gestures can lead to unexpected consequences.

When talking about himself, a European points to his chest, a Japanese points to his nose. In some African countries, laughter is an indicator of amazement and confusion. Residents of Malta, instead of saying “no,” lightly touch their chin with their fingertips, turning the hand forward. In France and Italy, this gesture means that something hurts. In Greece and Turkey, a waiter should never show two fingers (for example, meaning two cups of coffee) - this is considered a very offensive gesture.

Quite often, the same gesture has not only different, but also directly opposite meanings. Having formed a ring from a large and index finger, Americans and many other nations report that things are okay. But this same gesture is used in Japan when talking about money, in France it means zero, in Greece and on. Sardinia serves as a go-ahead sign.

The usual affirmative nod of the head in southern Yugoslavia and Bulgaria serves as a sign of denial. Germans often raise their eyebrows as a sign of admiration for someone's ideas; in England this is how they express skepticism.

Sometimes even a slight change in a gesture can completely change its meaning. In England, this happened with a gesture of two fingers, index and middle, spread apart and raised up. If the palm is turned towards the interlocutor, this is an insult. If the palm is turned towards you, then this is an expression of joy (the first letter English word"victory" - victory).

In communication, we do not attach much importance to the left or right hand. But in the Middle East, for example, you should not give money or a gift with your left hand. Among those who profess Islam, it is considered unclean, and you can offend your interlocutor.

In any culture, gestures of insincerity are associated with the left hand. It reveals the secret emotions of its owner. Therefore, if in a conversation the interlocutor gestures with his left hand, there is a high probability that he is not saying what he thinks, or simply has a negative attitude towards what is happening. You should change the topic of conversation or interrupt it altogether.

For an American, refusing to talk to a person who is in the same room with him means an extreme degree of negative attitude towards him. In England this is a generally accepted rule.

Thus, without knowing the differences in nonverbal communication between different peoples, you can find yourself in an awkward situation by offending or insulting your interlocutor. To avoid this, every manager, especially if he deals with foreign partners, must be aware of the differences in the interpretation of gestures, facial expressions and body movements by representatives of the business world in different countries.

Sign and body language is recognized as the most widely spoken language in the world. This recognition gives many of us the right to think that nonverbal means of communication - facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, intonation - are universal, regardless of where we are and with whom we communicate. But the culture of each country develops according to its own laws, and each country has its own characteristics of nonverbal communication.

Knowledge of these features will help everyone more effectively build communication with an interlocutor on “foreign territory” and, of course, feel much more confident during this communication.

FEATURES OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

The main features are observed among symbolic gestures. As a rule, these are gestures of greeting and farewell, agreement and denial, approval and censure, calls for silence, etc. Making eye contact, tactile forms of expressing relationships, and spatial arrangement during communication also have distinctive features. Let's look at this in more detail.

GESTURES OF GREETING AND FAREWELL

Let's start with the most common element of meeting and farewell - the handshake. A handshake carries a huge amount of information about a person’s attitude towards the interlocutor, his feelings and intentions. As a rule, this information is transmitted through the duration and intensity of the handshake, as well as through the position of the hands.

In the culture of different nations, the sign of greeting - a handshake - is varied and has different shades. It can be condescending, careless, cold, friendly, hot, etc. But despite this, a handshake when meeting is very important, because... demonstrates affection towards the person and lack of aggressive intentions.

It is known that men usually shake hands. It is customary to shake a woman’s hand only if she herself desires it and demonstrates this by giving her hand to the interlocutor first. But Italians are an exception to the generally accepted rules and are happy to use this greeting gesture. And in Denmark, handshakes are common even with children.

A friendly and strong handshake is one of the advantages of our communication culture and the culture of communication in different countries.

In Middle Eastern countries, greeting with a handshake is very common. When meeting, Arabs, in addition to this gesture, touch their forehead with their palm and bow slightly. An elderly man, showing his respect to his interlocutor, after shaking hands, first kisses his palm, and only then touches his forehead with it and bows. If men have not seen each other for a long time, then when they meet, they hug and kiss their shoulders. If you happen to see Arabs hugging each other and standing in this position long time, know that this is how they express their closeness and joy from meeting after a long separation.

In countries Latin America During a long handshake, touching the interlocutor’s elbow or shoulder is common. It is also customary for contactable and open Latin Americans to hug to express pleasure from the beginning of communication and respect for each other.

A feature of nonverbal communication in China is the use of a handshake in situations of interaction with strangers only at the official level. To express their respect for their partner, the Chinese can shake the other person’s hand with both hands and shake it for a long time. When communicating between close people who know each other well, a handshake is not common, but a pat on the shoulder or back is quite common.

In Japan, a handshake is not accepted and is used only in exceptional cases. And here you must remember that you cannot grab your interlocutor’s wrist or elbow with your free hand, or put your hand on his shoulder. This is explained by the fact that the Japanese do not like the way of touching each other in the process of communication. In addition, a handshake is inevitably accompanied by a direct and intent gaze, and the Japanese do not like this.

The Japanese, like the Koreans, use another sign of greeting and respect for the interlocutor - a polite bow. Moreover, in Japan they bow in a special way - when they see a friend, they “freeze” for a while, and then seem to break in the lower back.

Speaking about greeting and farewell gestures, it should be noted that they can look different. In Spain they hug tightly, in France kissing on the cheek is common. Everyone is familiar with the national Indian greeting and farewell - the palms of the hands pressed together in front of the chest.

In most countries, a common form of greeting and farewell is a slight nod of the head and a wave of the hand raised at or slightly above head level. This form of communication is used with ease and success by men and women of different ages.

GESTURES OF CONSENT AND NEGATION

During communication, people of different nationalities and cultures nod their heads. The nod can easily be considered the most common feature of nonverbal communication in different countries.

We are accustomed to the fact that a simple nod of the head means “Yes” or affirmation. But in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and India, the nod has the opposite meaning. Wanting to express agreement with what you say, a Turk, a Greek, a Bulgarian and an Indian will slightly shake their head from side to side, which in our non-verbal language is associated with a negative response.

The Japanese's quick head nods indicate that the person is listening to you very carefully. But this does not mean that he agrees with what you say.

Gestures that may puzzle a foreigner also exist among Arabs. They express their disagreement with something with a short but sharp movement of the head back. All this is accompanied by a sonorous clicking sound.

Perhaps many of you are familiar with how residents of the Middle East express their outrage. They impulsively and sharply raise their arms bent at the elbows on either side of their face. The annoyance of what is happening is expressed through rotational movements of the hands of both hands. Arabs demonstrate their refusal or release from an unpleasant task by a kind of cleansing of their palms against each other, with their arms bent at the elbows.

GESTURE "V"

Everyone is familiar with the V-shaped gesture. In our culture, this gesture has a double meaning - “Victory” or “Two”.

But in different countries this gesture is perceived differently. Moreover, even a slight change in this gesture can radically change its meaning. When using the "V" gesture, a lot depends on the rotation of the palm.

In England, New Zealand and Australia, the V-shaped sign is a symbol of victory only if the palm with the fingers apart is turned away from you. If you turn your palm towards yourself, then this gesture takes on an offensive meaning, like “Shut up!” or “Go away...”.

It is easy to imagine an unpleasant situation when a person, not knowing the intricacies of national symbols, shows two fingers to an Australian waiter, in the hope that two coffees will be brought, but in fact, cruelly insults an innocent person

GESTURE “EVERYTHING IS EXCELLENT!”

Let's talk about another feature of nonverbal communication in different countries - a gesture whose meaning is “Everything is great!”, “Great!”, “Well done!” etc. For us, this is a hand clenched into a fist and a thumb raised up.

But not in all countries this gesture symbolizes the highest appreciation. In Germany, Austria, Italy and France it is “One”, in Japan it is “Five”, and in Greece, Nigeria, Australia, England, America this is a sharp throwing gesture thumb“they send you to hell.”

In addition, in England, America, New Zealand and Australia, this gesture symbolizes the desire to catch a passing car and a request to stop when voting on the road.

Let's talk about another well-known gesture - the pads of the thumb and index finger are connected into a ring. This gesture was first used in the early 19th century in America. Its meaning in all English-speaking countries, as well as in some countries of Asia and Europe is “Oh, okay!” , “Everything is fine!”, “Everything is fine!”.

However, for the French this gesture means "Zero" or "Nothing". The Japanese use it when talking about money, and in Sardinia and Greece it serves as a go-ahead sign. In Portugal and Brazil, making a ring made from fingers is considered an offensive gesture, and Muslims perceive it as an accusation of homosexuality.

It is obvious that if you do not know the non-verbal language of the country, even a simple gesture and its ineffective use can lead to significant troubles.

GESTURE “HORNS”, “GOAT”

Gesture "Horns" when the little finger and index fingers pushed forward, and the large, middle and nameless ones are gathered into a fist, considered one of the most ancient. The origin of this gesture dates back to approximately the sixth to fourth millennium BC. Historians say that in those ancient times, the “Horns” gesture served as a signal to scare away evil spirits.

Nowadays, this gesture is often used in games with children. Remember: “There comes a horned goat, there comes a butted goat. I’ll gore, I’ll gore, I’ll gore!”?

If you raise your hand a little, the “Horns” gesture turns into the “Goat” gesture, well known to fans of rock music (the little finger and index fingers are raised up, the rest are gathered into a fist).

In countries such as Romania, Italy, Argentina, it is undesirable to use the “Goat” gesture outside of rock music concerts. Seeing him, the interlocutor may be seriously offended by the fact that he was called a “cuckold.” And in some parts of Africa, this gesture is regarded as an overt message.

But it is not all that bad. In Venezuela and Brazil, the "Goat" gesture is perceived as a wish for good luck.

GESTURES OF APPROVAL

Gestures are not only movements of the hands, they are movements of the head, legs and generally the entire body. It is generally accepted that gestures have social background, and therefore the peculiarities of nonverbal communication in different countries are especially pronounced. This directly applies to gestures of approval.

How do we express our approval in in public places– at concerts, meetings, rallies, etc.? Most often we just applaud. The ovation can be long and friendly, but it can also be short and calm. Ultimately, it all depends on the type of event and our satisfaction with the event.

How do Americans show their approval? Rarely do any of them applaud like we do. In most cases, they bang their fists and feet on a hard surface. Also in Germany. Bumping fists on the table is one of the forms of showing approval and gratitude to the speaker.

Arabs, satisfied with the speaker’s successful phrase, will certainly slap their outstretched fingers on the palm of their interlocutor. This is how they express satisfaction and approval of what is happening.

Approving their actions, the British and Spaniards slap themselves on the forehead with the palm of their hand. This is how they show that they are very pleased with themselves.

A Frenchman will express his admiration for something very simply and gracefully. He will connect the tips of three fingers, bring them to his lips, and then, raising his chin high, send a tender kiss into the air.

USING THE RIGHT AND LEFT HAND

In the culture of nonverbal communication in many countries, gestures of insincerity are usually associated with gestures with the left hand. It is believed that the right hand is “cultured” and does what it needs to do. And here left hand does what she wants and her gestures give away hidden feelings owner.

In our country it is not customary to attach special importance to the right or left hand. The exception is a handshake with the right hands. But for those who profess Islam, the left hand is considered unclean and serves only for hygienic purposes. By giving money or any object to a Muslim with your left hand, you may, unwittingly, insult the person.

DETECTING AND IDENTIFYING YOURSELF

It is known that gestures help to enhance interaction with others and convey the meaning of speech to the interlocutor much more quickly. Therefore, when communicating on “foreign territory”, it is useful to remember that among the peoples of different countries, the meaning of gestures very often does not coincide with what we are used to.

In Russia, as well as in many European countries In order to detect and identify oneself in a large group, it is customary to raise your hand up and make a slight nod of your head.

We have all studied or are studying in schools, technical schools, institutes and we know perfectly well how a pupil or student who is ready to answer manifests himself. And if in our case it is a raised hand with an open palm, then in most European schools it is a raised hand with the index finger pointing upward.

If a European talks about himself, he points to his chest. But the Chinese and Japanese will definitely point at their noses when talking about themselves.

SIGHT

One of the most informative means of nonverbal communication is the gaze and expression of the eyes. Unfortunately, our compatriots are in many ways inferior to the Americans in terms of the strength of their gaze.

The habit of looking “eye to eye”, which is characteristic of many representatives of Western countries, is not perceived positively by everyone. And the peculiarity of many Americans to look “point-blank” into the eyes of their interlocutor is even considered rude.

For most oriental cultures avoiding eye to eye contact is considered respectful. There is even a widespread belief among the Chinese that only enemies look straight into your eyes. Therefore, staring is regarded as an insult.

FAMILY

When describing the features of nonverbal communication in different countries, it is important to note that throughout the world, perhaps, only facial expressions are perceived equally by everyone. Happy people smile, losers frown, etc.

One of the most striking manifestations of facial expressions is a smile. Talking about national characteristics, let's compare the smiles of Russians and Americans.

In American communication, a smile is primarily a signal of politeness. It is obligatory not only when greeting, but throughout all communication.

Russian people call a constant polite smile “on duty” and consider it a sign of insincerity and secrecy.

It's not customary for us to smile strangers and automatically respond to a smile with a smile. In most cases, if you smile at us stranger, then we involuntarily ask the question: “Are we familiar?”

If an American accidentally meets someone's gaze, he will definitely smile at that person. What will we do? We'll just look away.

The smile of a Russian person is a signal of personal affection towards the interlocutor. That's why we don't smile at people we don't know.

ACOUSTIC NONVERBAL MEANS

Acoustic non-verbal means of communication include crying, laughing, snoring, sighing, gnashing of teeth, etc.

We are accustomed to the fact that laughter means joy, and crying means pain and sadness. But in some African countries, laughter is not a manifestation of fun at all, but an indicator of amazement and confusion.

For most Americans, it is quite natural to blow your nose loudly, chew ostentatiously, cough loudly, etc. in public places. We do not approve of the direct and open expression of natural manifestations.

KEEPING YOUR DISTANCE

Peculiarities of nonverbal communication in different countries are manifested not only in gestures, gaze and facial expressions, but also in the size of the personal space zone.

The hotter the country, the more temperamental its population, the smaller the distance between interlocutors is considered acceptable.

When communicating, representatives of different countries prefer the following distance:

• Italians, Spaniards, French, Arabs, Greeks, Japanese, and South Americans are close to each other.
• The average distance is preferred by the British, Austrians, Germans, Swedes, Russians, and residents of Switzerland.
• At a considerable distance from each other are New Zealanders, Australians, and the white population of North America.

PERCEPTION OF SPACE

As for the perception of space, here, too, peoples of different cultures have their own characteristics.

It is known that Americans are accustomed to working in large open spaces. Huge skyscrapers built of glass allow everyone, from the director to the courier, to be “in sight of everyone.” This gives Americans the feeling that they are “doing one common thing together.”

The Germans have a completely different picture of organizing their workspace. In every single room in mandatory There must be secure doors. For a German, an open door symbolizes extreme disorder.

Unfortunately, the format of the article does not allow us to describe in detail all the features of nonverbal communication in different countries. And this topic will be periodically covered in the “Nonverbal Means of Communication” section. But even what was discussed in this article gives reason to seriously think about facial expressions, gestures and other non-verbal means and their effective use.

HAPPY READING AND ENJOYING YOUR EXERCISES!

For example, Bulgarians and Russians nod their heads in exactly the opposite way when they want to say “yes” or “no”; there are many other lesser-known differences in reactions. In general, it is customary to distinguish between cultures in which spoken words are perceived almost literally; they contain virtually no hidden meaning. These are so-called low-context cultures. Such cultures include, for example, American and German.

In other cultures, in particular in Russian, French, Japanese, the importance of context is very great, to the point that the meaning of what is said can change to the opposite.

In the second type of culture, nonverbal factors of communication acquire particular importance. In any case, even in so-called low-context cultures (such as the American one), a lot of attention is paid to the nonverbal aspects of communication.

What American American gestures have penetrated our lives today? How necessary are these gestures for us?

IN different cultures the concept of norm is different. So, the distance at which people talk is not the same.

Do you think that when talking with a Russian client or an Estonian client, the distance should be greater? Justify.

During business conversations, for example, Russians approach closer friend to a friend than the Americans. In other words, social distance for Russians is less than for Americans, and coincides with their personal or intimate distance. Such a decrease in social distance and its transformation into “intimate” can be interpreted by Americans as a kind of violation of “sovereignty”, excessive familiarity, and Russian people can perceive an increase in distance as coldness in relationships, increased formality. After a few meetings, this misinterpretation of behavior usually disappears. However, at first it can create tension in the conversation. A. Pease gives a description of an interesting scene that he had to observe during one of the conferences. An American and a Japanese man were talking and slowly moving around the room. The American believed that the distance at business conversation should be approximately 90 cm; he kept taking a step back, and the Japanese, for whom the same distance is 25 cm, was constantly approaching him.

Representatives of different nations prefer the following distances when talking:

· Close - Arabs, Japanese, South Americans, French, Greeks, blacks and Spaniards living in North America, Italians, Spaniards;

· Average - English, Swedes, Swiss, Germans, Austrians;

· Large - white population of North America, Australians, New Zealanders.

The use of symbolic gestures causes the most misunderstandings. They are often resorted to when they do not speak the language their partner speaks, but still try to explain themselves, assuming that the meaning of gesture-symbols is the same everywhere. This deepest misconception leads to a lot of comical and sometimes awkward situations. So, in our country, a thumbs up symbolizes the highest rating, and in Greece it means “shut up.” In the USA, this gesture can in some cases imply “everything is fine”, in others it can mean a desire to catch a passing car, and if the finger is sharply thrown up, then this is an obscene expression. How the finger is thrown out (at least until recently) did not matter in Russian culture, but in American culture this detail radically changes what was said. One can imagine the bewilderment and even fear on the faces of the Americans when, after business meeting one of the Russian participants, without knowing in English, but wanting to express satisfaction with the results of the meeting, he sharply raised his thumb up. The conclusion is obvious: if the exact meanings of gestures are unknown, when communicating with foreigners it is better to exclude them altogether. These gestures are either simply not understood or have a different meaning.

If an official or policeman hits the crook of the other hand with the edge of the palm of one hand at the elbow, then he offers to show documents. An outstretched hand, palm down, fingers making a movement as if scraping through the air symbolizes a request to come closer, to come closer. If the Arab interlocutor wants to express a coincidence of opinions, agreement, then he rubs his index fingers against each other with his sides, and the remaining fingers will be bent.

If your Arab interlocutor liked your joke, he will impulsively grab your palm and loudly slap it with his outstretched fingers. The same gesture expresses agreement to conclude a deal. A sharp, short movement of the head back, a raised chin and eyebrows, accompanied by a clicking of the tongue, symbolizes denial.

In all countries of the Middle East, three fingers folded “into a pinch” and turned upward indicate a request to “take your time,” “wait a minute.” If fingers folded in this way protrude from the window of a car driving ahead, they warn: “be careful, there is danger ahead.”

Thus, the gesture with which a Russian sadly demonstrates a loss or failure, for a Croatian means a sign of success and pleasure. If in Holland you twirl your index finger at your temple, implying some kind of stupidity, then they will not understand you. There, this gesture means that someone said a very witty phrase. When talking about himself, a European points to his chest with his hand, while a Japanese points to his nose.

In some African countries, laughter is a sign of amazement and even confusion, and not at all a manifestation of fun.

Residents of Malta, instead of saying “no,” lightly touch their chin with their fingertips, turning the hand forward. In France and Italy, this gesture means that something hurts.

In Greece and Turkey, you should never show two fingers to a waiter (in your opinion, two fingers) - this is a cruel insult, like spitting in the face.

The oldest gesture is the “horns”: the little finger and index fingers are extended forward, and the ring and middle fingers are bent. The origin of this gesture dates back to approximately the sixth or fourth millennium BC. His image can be found in cave drawings and on frescoes in the tombs of the Etruscans, who inhabited the territory of modern Italy. It is said that in those days this gesture was used to scare away evil spirits.

Over time, the old meaning was replaced by a new one, mainly associated with betrayal in marriage. By showing your “horns” to your interlocutor, you are calling him a cuckold. Although this gesture is understandable to many peoples, on other continents it must be used very carefully, since it may be interpreted differently.

In the process of communication, representatives of different nations nod their heads. For some peoples, this is a sign of agreement, while for others (for example, among the Bulgarians), a nod serves as a sign of denial. Among the Japanese, a vertical, rapid movement of the head rather means “I am listening to you attentively,” but not necessarily agreement. In this regard, foreigners sometimes complain: “How is it possible, all the time my partner nodded affirmatively, but when it came to concluding the deal, it turned out that he did not agree with me.”

Germans often raise their eyebrows as a sign of admiration for someone's idea. But the same thing in England would be regarded as an expression of skepticism.

A Frenchman or an Italian, if he considers an idea stupid, emphatically knocks on the head. The German, slapping himself on the forehead with his palm, seems to be saying: “You’re crazy.” And a Briton or a Spaniard shows with the same gesture how pleased they are with themselves. If a Dutchman, tapping his forehead, extends his index finger upward, this means that he appreciates your intelligence. A finger to the side indicates that “not everything is right with your head.”

The French have the most expressive sign language. When a Frenchman is delighted with something, he connects the tips of three fingers, brings them to his lips and, raising his chin high, sends a gentle kiss into the air. If he rubs the base of his nose with his index finger, this means that he is warning: “Something is unclean here,” “Be careful,” “These people cannot be trusted.”

An Italian tapping his nose with his index finger means: “Beware, there is danger ahead, they are planning something.” But this same gesture in Holland means: “I’m drunk” or “You’re drunk”; in England it means conspiracy and secrecy.

Moving a finger from side to side in the USA and Italy can mean slight condemnation, a threat or a call to listen to what is said. In Holland, this gesture means refusal. If you need to make a gesture to accompany a reprimand, move your index finger from side to side near the head.

In communication, we do not attach much importance to the left or right hand. But be careful in the Middle East: don't give someone money or a gift with your left hand. Among those who profess Islam, it is considered unclean, and you can offend your interlocutor.

In general, in any culture, gestures of insincerity are associated with the left hand, while our right hand is “cultivated”, it does what it needs, and the left does what it wants, revealing the secret feelings of the owner. Therefore, if in a conversation with you the interlocutor gestures with his left hand, there is a high probability that he is not saying what he thinks, or simply has a negative attitude towards what is happening. It is necessary to change the topic of the conversation or interrupt it altogether.

Sometimes even a slight change in a gesture can completely change its meaning. This is what happened in England with a gesture of two fingers, index and middle, raised up. If the palm is turned towards the interlocutor, this is a terrible insult, and if the palm is turned towards oneself, then this is the first letter of the word “victory”. We have often seen famous politicians express their joy with this gesture, and we also remember the forest of “Vs” rising above the heads of their supporters who greeted them.

All nations have the custom of greeting each other, but the forms of greeting can vary greatly. For example, when English people meet for the first time, they shake hands. This also applies to saying goodbye forever. In other cases, they get along quite well without shaking hands. As forms of greeting, kissing and hugging are extremely rare in an English hostel.

Compared to the British, Americans are more sociable. This promotes ease of acquaintance and ease of greetings, when, in addition to a friendly handshake, it is quite appropriate to pat an acquaintance or not so acquaintance on the shoulder.

In the Czech Republic after traditional greeting: "Hello! How are you doing? How is your health?" in response they hear continuous complaints about the difficulties in business, about worries and difficulties. It seems that things are going badly for the interlocutors. However, it is not. It’s just that Czechs don’t say when they meet Life is going good, but they prefer to complain about her, although this is said in a cheerful tone. They seem to be proud of difficulties and worries, because, according to their concepts, only slackers live without difficulties, and serious people have only worries on their minds.

In Japan, handshakes are not accepted because the Japanese consider this gesture foreign. It is especially unacceptable for women. And if the Japanese notice women shaking hands, they have the most unfavorable opinion about such women. Scientists explain this rejection of a handshake in Japan for two reasons. Firstly, the Japanese avoid the intense direct gaze that is inevitable when shaking hands, and secondly, they do not like the way they touch each other.

In Korea, a handshake is used when meeting with acquaintances, as well as when making acquaintances and at official meetings. A sign of respect in this case is shaking the partner’s hand with both hands, which is accompanied by a slight and rather prolonged shaking of it. Shaking with one hand and supporting the shaking hand with the other under the elbow is also a sign of respect, but has a patronizing connotation. Extending one hand in greeting is also an expression of politeness, but it means that the person extending the hand considers the status of the person being greeted to be lower than his own.

If you have a disdainful attitude towards your interlocutor, it is not customary in Korea to extend your hand to greet. A pat on the shoulder there can express disdain in the form of patronage, although in general it indicates approval. When greeting, a Korean who shows respect, like a Japanese, bends over, bending at the waist, which makes it possible to direct his gaze “from bottom to top” regardless of height.

When meeting, Arabs, in addition to shaking hands, touch their forehead with their palm and make a small bow. When they meet after a long separation, they hug and kiss each other’s shoulders, and if they want to show their closeness, they do not take their hands away for a long time. When shaking hands, Arabs do not look each other in the eyes, because this is considered a sign of bad manners. Elderly people, wanting to express their respect to their interlocutor, after shaking hands, kiss their palm before touching it to their forehead.

If two Arab acquaintances meet, they greet each other with the words: “Peace be with you!” or “Peace be upon you, abundance and mercy of God!” It will be impolite if the greeter says: “Peace be with you,” since the obligatory response to the greeting will be “Peace be with you too!” If an Arab meets with a group of people, his greeting should be addressed to everyone at the same time, but he shakes hands only with two or three of the most respectable people. Everyone responds to the greeting. In the case when a greeting is transmitted through someone, the person receiving it must answer: “Peace to you, to him, and to you!”

Let us now consider some gestures that are accepted in European countries, but are somewhat different in meaning from those that exist in our country.

We are used to counting by bending our fingers, starting with the little finger. In Europe, when counting, the left fingers are thrown out from the center of the palm to the side. If both hands take part in the counting, then the index finger of the right hand moves away from the center of the palm to the side, first the little finger, then the other fingers in order. If counting is done with one hand, then the thumb is thrown to the side first, then the index finger, etc.

A raised right hand at shoulder or head level means an invitation to the waiter. Clicking the thumb and middle finger has the same meaning - a gesture that is considered offensive in our country. The same negative reaction in us is caused by another gesture of invitation from a waiter, accepted in the West - repeated bending of the index finger.

If in our educational institutions a pupil or student ready to answer stretches out his hand, then in European schools they raise the index finger of their right hand. If, at the end of a lecture at universities in Germany, you hear the pounding of fists on tables, then this is not obstruction to the teacher, but gratitude for a well-delivered lecture.

Characteristic gestures that can puzzle or deceive a foreigner exist among the Arabs. In particular, the first thing that attracts foreigners to Lebanon is the gesture of denial: a short sharp movement of the head back, raised chin and eyebrows, clicking the tongue. A person who does not speak Arabic will also have to deal with an expression of bewilderment: shaking his head from side to side, eyebrows raised high, mouth half open.

If an Arab is dissatisfied with the words of his interlocutor, he can show this in the following way: clothes at chest level are twitched with the thumbs and index fingers of both hands, the remaining fingers are slightly bent and moved to the side. And when an Arab is indignant, his arms are bent at the elbows with palms open and directed away from him, sharply rise up on both sides of his face, eyebrows are raised. Rotational movement of the hand or hands of both hands with half-opened palms expresses puzzlement or annoyance. Liberation or abandonment of an unpleasant task is indicated by “cleaning” the palms against each other, with the arms bent at the elbows.

If an Arab asks his interlocutor to show attention, to be silent or to wait, he expresses it this way: the palm is turned up, the fingers are folded together, their tips are directed towards the interlocutor, the hand moves from top to bottom. Another gesture is used that calls for attention: the arm bent at the elbow is raised from the side slightly above the head, the palm is turned to the temple and half-open. When the index fingers rub against each other edgewise, and the remaining fingers are curved, this means friendship, equality or similarity.

If in a conversation an Arab is satisfied with the speaker’s successful phrase, he claps his outstretched fingers on his outstretched palm. When expressing grief, the Arab throws his headdress to the ground, and his hand pointed at the face with fingers spread is a gesture of curse.

A foreigner heading to the Middle East should keep in mind that an invitation to approach is indicated as follows: an outstretched hand, palm down, fingers making a kind of scraping motion through the air. From a distance, this gesture can be perceived in the opposite sense - as a demand to leave. An order to present documents is indicated by a blow with the edge of the palm on the fold of the other at the elbow.

Peoples of different cultures have different ideas about the optimal distances between interlocutors. For example, Russians come closer to each other during business conversations than Americans. In other words, social distance for Russians is less than for Americans. And if you take Americans, then their distance will be greater than, for example, Latin Americans. Thus, US residents usually conduct a conversation while standing at a distance of no closer than 60 centimeters from each other. A Latino, in a conversation with a US resident, strives to get closer to his interlocutor, while a US resident, if asked about his impression of a Latino, may answer that he is overly persistent and pretends to establish close relationships. And the Latin American will say with bewilderment that his interlocutor is an arrogant and arrogant person. And both will thus be mistaken, since during the conversation the distance familiar to each of them was involuntarily violated.

After a few meetings, this misinterpretation of behavior usually disappears. Alan Pease, a famous Australian psychologist, describes an interesting scene that he had to observe during one of the scientific conferences. An American and a Japanese man were talking and slowly moving around the hall. The American, accustomed to the fact that the distance during a business conversation should be approximately 90 cm, constantly took a step back, and the Japanese, for whom the same distance is 25 cm, constantly approached him.

Representatives of various nations prefer the following distance when talking:

- close distance - Arabs, Japanese, Italians, Spaniards, Greeks, French, South Americans;

- average distance - British, Germans, Austrians, Swedes, residents of Switzerland;

- long distance - the white population of North America, Australians, New Zealanders.

There are differences among peoples of different cultures in the perception of space. Thus, Americans are accustomed to working either in large premises, or, if there are several premises, only with open doors, since they believe that “an American in the service must be at the disposal of others.” An open office means that its owner is in place and, most importantly, that he has nothing to hide. Many skyscrapers in New York are built entirely of glass and can be seen through. Here everything - from the director of the company to the messenger - is constantly in sight. This creates a very specific stereotype of behavior among employees, giving them the feeling that “everyone is doing one common thing together.”

For an American, refusing to talk to a person who is in the same room with him means an extreme degree of negative attitude towards him. In England this is a generally accepted rule.

An American, when he wants to be alone, goes into the room and closes the door behind him. Since childhood, the Englishman has become accustomed to not using space in order to isolate himself from others. The divergence of views on the use of space leads to the fact that the more an American withdraws into space in the presence of an Englishman, the more persistently he tries to find out if everything is in order.

In England, Americans are considered to speak unbearably loudly, noting their intonation aggression. The whole point is that Americans are forced to speak out this way by their complete affection for their interlocutor, as well as the fact that they have nothing to hide. The British, on the contrary, adjust the sound of their voice just enough so that only one interlocutor in the room can hear them. In America, such a manner of conducting a business conversation is considered “whispering” and does not cause anything but suspicion.

FEATURES OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

The main features are observed among symbolic gestures. As a rule, these are gestures of greeting and farewell, agreement and denial, approval and censure, calls for silence, etc. Making eye contact, tactile forms of expressing relationships, and spatial arrangement during communication also have distinctive features. Let's look at this in more detail.

GESTURES OF CONSENT AND NEGATION

During communication, people of different nationalities and cultures nod their heads. The nod can easily be considered the most common feature of nonverbal communication in different countries.

We are accustomed to the fact that a simple nod of the head means “Yes” or affirmation. But in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and India, the nod has the opposite meaning. Wanting to express agreement with what you say, a Turk, a Greek, a Bulgarian and an Indian will slightly shake their head from side to side, which in our non-verbal language is associated with a negative response.

The Japanese's quick head nods indicate that the person is listening to you very carefully. But this does not mean that he agrees with what you say.

Gestures that may puzzle a foreigner also exist among Arabs. They express their disagreement with something with a short but sharp movement of the head back. All this is accompanied by a sonorous clicking sound.

Perhaps many of you are familiar with how residents of the Middle East express their outrage. They impulsively and sharply raise their arms bent at the elbows on either side of their face. The annoyance of what is happening is expressed through rotational movements of the hands of both hands. Arabs demonstrate their refusal or release from an unpleasant task by a kind of cleansing of their palms against each other, with their arms bent at the elbows.

GESTURE "V"

Everyone is familiar with the V-shaped gesture. In our culture, this gesture has a double meaning - “Victory” or “Two”.

But in different countries this gesture is perceived differently. Moreover, even a slight change in this gesture can radically change its meaning. When using the "V" gesture, a lot depends on the rotation of the palm.

In England, New Zealand and Australia, the V-shaped sign is a symbol of victory only if the palm with the fingers apart is turned away from you. If you turn your palm towards yourself, then this gesture takes on an offensive meaning, like “Shut up!” or “Go away...”.

It is easy to imagine an unpleasant situation when a person, not knowing the intricacies of national symbols, shows two fingers to an Australian waiter, in the hope that two coffees will be brought, but in fact, cruelly insults an innocent person

GESTURE “EVERYTHING IS EXCELLENT!”

Let's talk about another feature of nonverbal communication in different countries - a gesture whose meaning is “Everything is great!”, “Great!”, “Well done!” etc. For us, this is a hand clenched into a fist and a thumb raised up.

But not in all countries this gesture symbolizes the highest appreciation. In Germany, Austria, Italy and France it is “One”, in Japan it is “Five”, and in Greece, Nigeria, Australia, England, America, this gesture with a sharp throw of the thumb is “sent to hell”.

In addition, in England, America, New Zealand and Australia, this gesture symbolizes the desire to catch a passing car and a request to stop when voting on the road.

Let's talk about another well-known gesture - the pads of the thumb and index finger are connected into a ring. This gesture was first used in the early 19th century in America. Its meaning in all English-speaking countries, as well as in some countries of Asia and Europe is “Oh, okay!” , “Everything is fine!”, “Everything is fine!”.

However, for the French this gesture means "Zero" or "Nothing". The Japanese use it when talking about money, and in Sardinia and Greece it serves as a go-ahead sign. In Portugal and Brazil, making a ring made from fingers is considered an offensive gesture, and Muslims perceive it as an accusation of homosexuality.

It is obvious that if you do not know the non-verbal language of the country, even a simple gesture and its ineffective use can lead to significant troubles.

GESTURE “HORNS”, “GOAT”

The “Horns” gesture, when the little and index fingers are extended forward and the thumb, middle and ring fingers are gathered into a fist, is considered one of the most ancient. The origin of this gesture dates back to approximately the sixth to fourth millennium BC. Historians say that in those ancient times, the “Horns” gesture served as a signal to scare away evil spirits.

Nowadays, this gesture is often used in games with children. Remember: “There comes a horned goat, there comes a butted goat. I’ll gore, I’ll gore, I’ll gore!”?

If you raise your hand a little, the “Horns” gesture turns into the “Goat” gesture, well known to fans of rock music (the little finger and index fingers are raised up, the rest are gathered into a fist).

In countries such as Romania, Italy, Argentina, it is undesirable to use the “Goat” gesture outside of rock music concerts. Seeing him, the interlocutor may be seriously offended by the fact that he was called a “cuckold.” And in some parts of Africa, this gesture is regarded as an overt message.

But it is not all that bad. In Venezuela and Brazil, the "Goat" gesture is perceived as a wish for good luck.

GESTURES OF APPROVAL

Gestures are not only movements of the hands, they are movements of the head, legs and generally the entire body. It is generally accepted that gestures have a social origin, and therefore the features of non-verbal communication in different countries are especially pronounced. This directly applies to gestures of approval.

How do we express our approval in public places - at concerts, meetings, rallies, etc.? Most often we just applaud. The ovation can be long and friendly, but it can also be short and calm. Ultimately, it all depends on the type of event and our satisfaction with the event.

How do Americans show their approval? Rarely do any of them applaud like we do. In most cases, they bang their fists and feet on a hard surface. Also in Germany. Bumping fists on the table is one of the forms of showing approval and gratitude to the speaker.

Arabs, satisfied with the speaker’s successful phrase, will certainly slap their outstretched fingers on the palm of their interlocutor. This is how they express satisfaction and approval of what is happening.

Approving their actions, the British and Spaniards slap themselves on the forehead with the palm of their hand. This is how they show that they are very pleased with themselves.

A Frenchman will express his admiration for something very simply and gracefully. He will connect the tips of three fingers, bring them to his lips, and then, raising his chin high, send a tender kiss into the air.

SIGHT

One of the most informative means of nonverbal communication is the gaze and expression of the eyes. Unfortunately, our compatriots are in many ways inferior to the Americans in terms of the strength of their gaze.

The habit of looking “eye to eye”, which is characteristic of many representatives of Western countries, is not perceived positively by everyone. And the peculiarity of many Americans to look “point-blank” into the eyes of their interlocutor is even considered rude.

For most Eastern cultures, avoiding eye to eye contact is considered respectful. There is even a widespread belief among the Chinese that only enemies look straight into your eyes. Therefore, staring is regarded as an insult.

FAMILY

When describing the features of nonverbal communication in different countries, it is important to note that throughout the world, perhaps, only facial expressions are perceived equally by everyone. Happy people smile, losers frown, etc.

One of the most striking manifestations of facial expressions is a smile. Speaking about national characteristics, let's compare the smiles of Russians and Americans.

In American communication, a smile is primarily a signal of politeness. It is obligatory not only when greeting, but throughout all communication.

Russian people call a constant polite smile “on duty” and consider it a sign of insincerity and secrecy.

It is not customary for us to smile at strangers and automatically respond to a smile with a smile. In most cases, if a stranger smiles at us, we involuntarily ask the question: “Are we familiar?”

If an American accidentally meets someone's gaze, he will definitely smile at that person. What will we do? We'll just look away.

The smile of a Russian person is a signal of personal affection towards the interlocutor. That's why we don't smile at people we don't know.

KEEPING YOUR DISTANCE

Peculiarities of nonverbal communication in different countries are manifested not only in gestures, gaze and facial expressions, but also in the size of the personal space zone.

The hotter the country, the more temperamental its population, the smaller the distance between interlocutors is considered acceptable.

When communicating, representatives of different countries prefer the following distance:

· Italians, Spaniards, French, Arabs, Greeks, Japanese, South Americans are close to each other.

· The average distance is preferred by the British, Austrians, Germans, Swedes, Russians, and residents of Switzerland.

· At a considerable distance from each other are New Zealanders, Australians, and the white population of North America.

PERCEPTION OF SPACE

As for the perception of space, here, too, peoples of different cultures have their own characteristics.

It is known that Americans are accustomed to working in large open spaces. Huge skyscrapers built of glass allow everyone, from the director to the courier, to be “in sight of everyone.” This gives Americans the feeling that they are “doing one common thing together.”

The Germans have a completely different picture of organizing their workspace. Each individual room must have secure doors. For a German, an open door symbolizes extreme disorder.

Unfortunately, the format of the article does not allow us to describe in detail all the features of nonverbal communication in different countries. And this topic will be periodically covered in the “Nonverbal Means of Communication” section. But even what was discussed in this article gives reason to seriously think about facial expressions, gestures and other non-verbal means and their effective use.

Features of nonverbal communication in different countries

Sign and body language is recognized as the most widely spoken language in the world. This recognition gives many of us the right to think that nonverbal means of communication - facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, intonation - are universal, regardless of where we are and with whom we communicate. But the culture of each country develops according to its own laws, and each country has its own characteristics of nonverbal communication.

Knowledge of these features will help everyone more effectively build communication with an interlocutor on “foreign territory” and, of course, feel much more confident during this communication.

Using dozens of gestures every day, we hardly think about their meaning. It is known that the basic communication gestures all over the world do not differ from each other: when people are happy, they smile, when they are sad, they frown, when they do not know or do not understand what they are talking about, they shrug their shoulders. However, often the same expressive movement among different peoples can have completely different meanings, and frivolous use of gestures that are common to us can lead to unexpected consequences.

The gesture with which a Russian demonstrates loss or failure, among Croats, means a sign of success and pleasure.

When talking about himself, a European points to his chest, a Japanese points to his nose.

In some African countries, laughter is an indicator of amazement and confusion.

Residents of Malta, instead of saying “no,” lightly touch their chin with their fingertips, turning the hand forward. In France and Italy, this gesture means that something hurts.

In Greece and Turkey, a waiter should never show two fingers (for example, meaning two cups of coffee) - this is considered a very offensive gesture.

Quite often, the same gesture has not only different, but also directly opposite meanings.

By forming a ring from the thumb and index finger, Americans and many other peoples report that things are “okay”. But the same gesture is used in Japan when talking about money, in France it means zero, in Greece and on the island of Sardinia it serves as a go-ahead sign, and in Malta it characterizes a person with perverted sexual instincts.

The usual affirmative nod of the head in southern Yugoslavia and Bulgaria serves as a sign of denial.

Germans often raise their eyebrows as a sign of admiration for someone's ideas; in England this is how they express skepticism.

Sometimes even a slight change in a gesture can completely change its meaning. In England, this happened with a gesture of two fingers, index and middle, spread apart and raised up. If at the same time the palm is turned towards the interlocutor, this is an insult. If the palm is turned towards you, then this is an expression of joy (the first letter of the English word “victory” is victory).

In communication, we do not attach much importance to the left or right hand. But in the Middle East, for example, you should not give money or a gift with your left hand. Among those who profess Islam, it is considered unclean, and you can offend your interlocutor.

In any culture, gestures of insincerity are associated with the left hand. It reveals the secret emotions of its owner. Therefore, if in a conversation the interlocutor gestures with his left hand, there is a high probability that he is not saying what he thinks, or simply has a negative attitude towards what is happening. You should change the topic of conversation or interrupt it altogether.

For an American, refusing to talk to a person who is in the same room with him means an extreme degree of negative attitude towards him. In England this is a generally accepted rule.

Peoples of different cultures also have differences in their perception of space. So, Americans work either in large premises, or - if there are several premises - in open doors. An open office means that its owner is in place and has nothing to hide. Many skyscrapers in New York are made entirely of glass and can be seen through. Here everyone, from the director to the bellhop, is constantly in sight. This creates a certain stereotype of behavior among employees, giving them the feeling that everyone is doing a common job together. German traditional forms of organizing workspace are fundamentally different. Each room must be equipped with secure doors. A door wide open symbolizes extreme disorder.

Thus, without knowing the differences in nonverbal communication between different peoples, you can find yourself in an awkward situation by offending or insulting your interlocutor. To avoid this, every manager, especially if he deals with foreign partners, must be aware of the differences in the interpretation of gestures, facial expressions and body movements by representatives of the business world in different countries.