Introduction
Language, both verbal and non-verbal, is used to express personal thoughts and feelings. It is an essential part of any human culture (Evans, 2014). It was claimed that up to 65% (and in some cases up to 90%) of the information is sent through non-verbal signals (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 58). However, it is not always easy to understand these messages, in particular, due to cultural differences (Siegman & Feldstein, 2014). According to Moran, Abramson, and Moran (2014) three main reasons might lead to misunderstandings:
- the same cues might have different meanings in different cultures;
- during the communication, a lot of signals are usually sent, and some of them could be missed;
- except for cultural differences, non-verbal communication depends on gender, age, education, personal qualities, and other factors.
It means that citizens of different countries might face some difficulties during communication with people from other parts of the world (Knapp, Hall, & Horgan, 2013). Thus, even though some similarities between cultures exist, to be understood, French people should use different non-verbal signals, communicating with people from Brazil and China.
Differences in Interaction between France-China and France-Brazil
China is considered to be a culture with a different assembly of non-verbal signals than in Western cultures, in particular, in France. In China, eyes are important for emotions expressing and recognizing. It was postulated that Western people focus more on the mouth region during the conversation, noticing a smile of a frown, while Asians pay more attention to the eyes region (“Nonverbal,” 2017). French people do not smile without a reason to smile, and for them, mimics of the mouth are highly significant. Thus, French people should pay more attention to eyes expression of a Chinese interlocutor, while in communication with Brazilian people difference would not be noticed. It also should be remembered that long eye contact should be avoided in China because it might be considered as a sign of aggression (“Nonverbal,” 2017), while in Brazil it is completely appropriate (Kelm & Victor, 2016).
Another difference is the personal space between interlocutors. China is considered to be a low-contact culture, and the distance between people during the conversation usually is significant. Moreover, body contacts even between close friends and couples are not accepted in public (“Nonverbal,” 2017). In contradiction to it, Brazilian people are frequently staying one or two feet apart from each other during the conversation (Kelm & Victor, 2016). It might be confusing for French people, who usually respect personal space, and completely unacceptable for Chinese. Therefore, French people should remember about the appropriate personal space between interlocutors during the conversation.
Similarities in Interaction between France-China and France-Brazil
It is not easy to find similarities in accepted non-verbal signals between such different cultures as French, Chinese, and Brazilian. As an example of a similar approach, handshakes could be cited. It is widely used by men in all three cultures. Men shake their hands for greeting and after they agreed. It is appropriate both during a business meeting and between friends. However, it should be mentioned that typically handshakes in France and other countries are different: in France, men shake hands with a single movement, while other cultures accept several shakes (Kelm & Victor, 2016; “Nonverbal,” 2017).
Conclusion
It could be concluded that cultural differences in non-verbal approaches could result in misunderstandings during the conversation between French-Chinese and French-Brazilian people. Therefore, it is important to learn more about another culture’s particularities before starting communication. Especially it is important for business meetings when such misunderstandings could have significant consequences for companies. However, it should be mentioned that the process of globalization changed the cultural norms and reduced differences between cultures, making communication easier.
References
Evans, D. (Ed.). (2014). Language and identity: Discourse in the world. New Delhi, India: Bloomsbury.
Kelm, O. R., & Victor, D. A. (2016). The seven keys to communicating in Brazil: An intercultural approach. Georgetown, Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press.
Knapp, M. L., Hall, J. A., & Horgan, T. G. (2013). Nonverbal communication in human interaction (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing cultural differences (9th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Nonverbal. (2017). Web.
Siegman, A. W., & Feldstein, S. (2014). Nonverbal behavior and communication (2nd ed.). London, UK: Psychology Press.