Introductory text* Body Language

Notes to the text:

body language – мова тіла species – біологічний вид, порода polite greeting – ввічливе вітання personal space – особистий простір reserved – стриманий, відлюдний, замкнений male and female – чоловіки та жінки firm handshake – міцне рукостискання to bow(ed) – кланятися to kiss(ed) on the cheek – цілувати у щоку

uneveneyecontact – уривчастий зоровий контакт intense / prolonged – наполегливий / тривалий to maintain(ed) – підтримувати invasionofprivacy – завоювання особистого простору sign of embarrassment – ознака збентеження to point(ed) – показувати пальцем chin / palm – підборіддя / долоня to touch(ed) bodies – торкатися тіл

You might think body language is universal. After all, we’re the same species, right? But basics like what is considered a polite greeting and definitions of “personal space” vary widely from culture to culture. Americans, for instance, are considered rather reserved in the way they greet friends, and they define personal space more broadly than most other cultures. Knowing how another culture’s basic body language differs from yours may be of great importance to you.

1) Mind how you meet and greet. Americans and Canadians, male and female, tend to greet each other with a nice firm handshake. In Asian countries, the polite form of greeting is to bow, and the lower you bow, the deeper respect you have for the person you are bowing to. In Spain, Portugal, Italy and Eastern Europe, men kiss each other on the cheek.

2) Be careful about eye contact. In America, uneven eye contact is preferable in a conversation – unless it’s someone you care deeply for. In Middle Eastern countries, intense prolonged eye contact is the norm, and the person you’re speaking with will move very close to you to maintain it. The Japanese, on the other hand, consider it an invasion of privacy, and rarely look another person in the eye.

3) Americans, in general, smile when they meet or greet someone. Koreans, however, think it’s rude for adults to smile in public – to them, smiling in public is a sign of embarrassment.

4) Don’t point. Most Americans think nothing of pointing at an object or another person. Native Americans consider it extremely rude to point with a finger, and instead they point with their chin. It’s also rude to point with a finger in China; the polite way is to use the whole hand, palm facing up.

^*Тут і далі для укладання та ілюстрування тестів і вибірки крилатих висловів використано інформацію з електронних джерел. – Прим. авт.

5) Give the right amount of space. In Asian cultures, particularly China, the concept of personal space is nearly nonexistent. Strangers regularly touch bodies when standing in line for, say, movie tickets. People in Scandinavian countries, on the other hand, need more personal space than we do.

1. Comprehension questions.

1. Is body language universal?

2. What is specific about meeting and greeting in different countries?

3. Where is uneven eye contact preferable?

4. Where is smile considered a sign of embarrassment?

5. How do Native Americans point to objects?

6. Describe the amount of space.