Giao thoa văn hóa the benefits and difficulties in non verbal communication between vietnamese people and people from any of english speaking countries

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC HẢI PHÒNG

KHOA NGOẠI NGỮ

Subject: Cross-cultural communication Topic: The benefits and difficulties in non-verbal communication between Vietnamese people and people from any of English-speaking countries

Students: Đinh Đức Anh Code: 203122201064 Class: NNA1.K21

Haiphong-2023

INTRODUCTION 1

I Literature review 2

1.1 Cross-cultural communication 2

1.2 Verbal communication 2

1.3 Non-verbal communication 2

II Real situation of non-verbal communication between Vietnamese people and people from any of English-speaking countries 3

2.1 Benefits in non-verbal communication between Vietnamese people and people from any of English-speaking countries 3

2.1.1 Non-verbal communication can bridge the language and cultural gaps 3

2.1.2 Non-verbal communication makes integration more diversity 4

2.2 Difficulties in non-verbal communication between Vietnamese people and people from any of English-speaking countries 5

2.2.1 Cultural misunderstanding 5

2.2.2 Midunderstaind caused by different meanings of non-verbal expressions 7

III Application of cross-culture communication in real life situation 9

CONCLUSION 10

REFERENCE 11

Cross-cultural communication is the key to social integration since it enables people from different regions and culture to share ideas, express their feelings and effectively contribute to discussions and debates In most cases, language poses a barrier to communication between different cultures or communities Cross-cultural communication can be difficult with Vietnam and other English-speaking countries because what is acceptable in one culture may be unacceptable in another When people are immersed in an environment where facial expressions such as eye contact and body gestures are alien to their own experience, they may suffer from disorientation and frustration

In recent years, cross-cultural communication is increasingly popular in all fields such as tourism, economics, foreign cooperation, Beside verbal communication, non-verbal communication is also used widely as an alternative way for it because of its convenience and ease Using a combination of verbal and non-verbal expressions in communication shall increase interpretation efficiency Although

it is easy to use, non-verbal communication also causes quite a few  misunderstandings due to confusion in culture, meaning of signals For this reason, I decided to choose this topic to illustrate these benefits and difficulties in nonverbal communication between Vietnamese and other English-speaking countries

This essay has three parts, excepting introduction and conclusion, content part

includes:

1 Literature review

2 Real situation of non-verbal communication between Vietnamese people and people from any of English-speaking countries

3 Apllication of cross-cultural communication in real situiation

I Literature review

1.1 Cross-cultural communication

According to Merriam-webster dictionary, communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior

According to UNESCO, cuture is a set of symbolic systems which regulate the behavior and mutual communication of a particularly of people, estabishing them into particular and distinct community

Cross-cultural communication can be defined as a dialogue or any kind of interaction (both verbal and non-verbal) between people of different nationalities that is influenced by culture value, attitude and behavior; the influence of culture on people’s reactions and respondses each other

1.2 Verbal communication

Verbal communication is a type of communication where we use spoken and written words to get our message and information across to the other person Verbal symbols are limited and complicated, including concrete symbols that stannd for a

particular thing and abstract symbols (Bui Tuan Anh M.A)

1.3 Non-verbal communication

Non-Verbal Communication is the process of conveying meaning without the use of words either written or spoken In other words, any communication made between two or more persons through the use of facial expressions, hand movements, body language, postures, and gestures is called as non-verbal communication

(Bussinessjargon.com)

Non-verbal communication express meaning or feeling without words Universal emotions, such as happiness, fear, and sadness, are expressed in a similar non-verbal waythroughout the world There are, however, non-verbal differences

across cultures that may be a source of confusion for foreigners Non-verbal communication or gestures include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body One gesture may be common in a certain country and have a clear interpretation, but it may be meaningless in another culture or even have an opposite meaning If we don’t understand the non-verbal communication from different culture, it is possible that we can make a mistake to know the other person means

Both verbal and non-verbal communication are important They often work together to create complete messages

Verbal communication + Non-verbal communication = Complete interpretation

II Real situation of non-verbal communication between Vietnamese people

and people from any of English-speaking countries

2.1 Benefits in non-verbal communication between Vietnamese people and people from any of English-speaking countries

2.1.1 Non-verbal communication can bridge the language and cultural gaps

The nature of culture is preservation and absorption For people from different countries, communication is almost a big barrier because of the complexity of the language Non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, and body language can often transcend language barriers This means that even if there are language differences between Vietnamese and English speakers, non-verbal communication can still help convey messages and create understanding.For instance, heart form of two hands shows: “ I love you” or a nod show agreement

Eastern and Western cultures are two almost opposite cultures with very little in common Because of the difference in natural of language, cross-culture communication is never easy In intercultural

communication, when two people from two countries cannot use a common language, non-verbal expressions can be substituted for it For example, a receptionist of a hotel can express “ you are welcome”, or “ It’s alright” to customers by thumbing up or a smile

The combination of non-verbal and verbal communication will often result in more effective communication For example, a foreigner may speak and describe an action at the same time The listener may not understand what they are saying but s/he night understand what the action means

2.1.2 Non-verbal communication makes integration more diversity

- Learning and absorbing different cultures:

Global integration has created opportunities for different cultures around the world to exchange, learn and absorb each other's values Meaningless or rarely used communication gestures by Vietnamese people are now more widely used with each other and with foreigners Traditionally, Vietnamese greet each other by joining hands and bowing slightly However, in big cities, some men have adopted the Western practice of shaking hands In public, men often hold hands as an expression of

friendship (Rachel Tran, 2020)

Waving hands is not really common with old people in Viet Nam, but opposite

to young people , wave hands is very common and friendly way when saying goodbye

to their friends Thumb and forefinger form a circle with the other three fingers splayed upward also used by Vietnamese people to give signals or it means "good", "great"

Here are some examples of using non-verbal signals to substitute for verbal commnuication between Vietnamese and other English-speaking countries:

+ Nodding: Aproving or apologying something, it also mean as a encouragement

+ Thumbing up: Aproving something, it also mean as a encouragement

+ Headshaking: Disaproving something

+ Waving hand: Greeting

- Learning to respect other countrie’s cultures:

Each country has different sacred cultural values Therefore, mutual cultural respect is extremely important in intercultural communication Non-verbal communication with actions and gestures that have one meaning in one country may have a different meaning in another Using gestures or eye contact incorrectly will cause information to be miscommunicated and lead to more serious conflicts Therefore, learning about the cultural meanings of different countries is essential to show respect Non-verbal communication plays a crucial role in understanding and respecting different cultures By being aware of non-verbal cues, both Vietnamese and English speakers can navigate cultural differences more effectively and avoid misunderstandings For example, When American people visiting to Vietnam avoid gazing Vietnamese people because of being know that they doesn’t like to be looked,

or avoid touching, kissing, hugging naturally

2.2 Difficulties in non-verbal communication between Vietnamese

people and people from any of English-speaking countries

There are a lot of non-verbal expressions or body signals in world’s culture One signal is suitable in this culture but it is unacceptable in another If we use wrong

gestures or body expressions, it might cause troubles like misunderstanding, puzzling

or unintentionally insulting each other

2.2.1 Cultural misunderstanding

a Gesture and posture

Americans will often wave to another person and then turn to make hand scoop inward; or raise the index finger, palm toward one's face, and make a "curling " motion with that finger means to beckon or summon another person Handshake is common (even for strangers) in U.S Shake hands is a polite way to greeting In Vietnam, the act

of pointing fingers to other’s face is impolite And beckoning someone wh is older or has higher power is a disrespectfull behavior

Sitting with crossed legs is quite a common action in Europe and America, but for Vietnamese people, this is an action that shows disrespect to people, especially in solemn contexts Vietnamese people also avoid shaking their legs because they believe that all their wealth will be lost

b Personal space

Vietnamese people generally prefer closer proximity when communicating, while individuals from English-speaking countries may feel uncomfortable with too much physical closeness This can lead to discomfort or misunderstandings if not recognized and respected

c Facial expression

In Vietnam, the smile, which is sometimes enigmatic to the American observer,

is another non-verbal symbol conveying the feeling of respect For the Vietnamese, smile is a proper response in most situations in which verbal expression is not needed

or not appropriate It is used as a substitute for "I'm sorry", "Thank you" or "Hi!" A smile is also a proper response to scolding or harsh words that one does not harbor any ill feelings toward the interlocutor or that one acknowledges sincerely the mistake or

fault committed Moreover, Vietnamese people often exaggerate grief or sadness like casting down eyes and head, pinching lips, tearing,

British and American culture is more inclined to use verbal expression.They express their apology or thanks by words and attitude "I'm sorry" might bring ashamed felling, they will bow their heads and close their eyes "Thank you" might bring a pleasant emotion with a smiling face Most American men hide grief or sorrow The British do not always give away their emotions via facial expressions

d Eye contact & gaze

American children are taught to look others directly in the eyes meaning when greeting and conversing If not, it means shyness or weakness African-Americans use more eye contact when talking and less when listening with reverse true for Anglo Americans In English culture, it is common to gaze when talking

In Vietnam, direct eye contact and staring is uncommon in daily life To keep the impoliteness, people avoid to look into their eyes However, someone believe avoiding someone’s eyes is unfaithfullness and liar Vietnamese often lower their gaze and try not to focus on the opposite sex’s features They lower their eyes when speaking to a superior as a gesture of respect

e Touch

Giving hugs, kisses for members of family or relatives or friends is on an increasingly more intimate basis Most African Americans touch on greeting but are annoyed if touched on the head (good boy, good girl overtones).Personal space becomes much larger; people are not as comfortable when others stand close to them, especially if they are not very well acquainted

Touching one's head means impolite but with children that action express encouragement But a special reason is Asian’s thought Head houses the soul and a touch puts it in jeopardy Hugging and kissing when greeting are uncommon

Especially, in public it's unacceptable to display of affection like kiss or hug or any action that too affectionate If 2 people meet the first time they keep the distance not too far but not so closely

2.2.2 Midunderstaind caused by different meanings of non-verbal expressions

Onething is polite in one country but impolite in another Therefore, intercultural communication will never be simple, especially non-verbal communication The reason is largely due to the diversity of meanings of expressions and some signals in one country do not exist or are not common in other countries, creating confusing situations

In America, The act of crossing the index and middle fingers means good luck and encouragement But in Vietnam, this action is considered a vulgar gesture, which

is compared to the "rotten finger" (middle finger raised straight, all remaining fingers clenched) in Western countries

Another gesture that may cause some misunderstandings is winking For foreigners from Western, sometimes they give a wink just for fun But if a Vietnamese gives a wink (with the opposite sex), it is certain he or she will interpret it as a flirting

signal (according to itourvn.com)

When entering a restaurant, the British or American will beckon waiter/waitress However, in Vietnam, this action is used only for calling animals or a child If it is expressed to friends, colleagues, or seniors, they will immediately get angry and offended

For Australia, the act of bending your thumb 90 degrees from the other fingers

to form an L letter to other people is a negative attitude gesture It means that you are calling them losers, and it might bring a challenging attitude Some Vietnamese young people misunderstand it with the same act of good luck in Chinese culture It's not a good idea if we use this action against Americans or Australians