【正文】 greeting. Today, hand shaking has bee much a custom to show hospitality and senses of friendliness in many foreign countries. But the way of hand shaking has some differences. In America, normal friends and acquaintances would like to avoid body touch. Furthermore, body touch is not even allowed while people are in the elevator. Touching others slightly or unconsciously, people will say ―Sorry‖, ―Very Sorry‖, ―Excuse me‖ or may be in a hurry to express apology. Otherwise they will be treated unfairly. It is obvious that Chinese people deeply hold a feeling against being touched by others‘ hand. They think pulling others by hand while passing through is an unacceptable behavior that infringes upon others. Americans have the same feeling if they were touched by other‘s body. Eye contact When in a conversation, Americans prefer to have eye contact with talkers than Chinese. On the basis of American tradition, it is more polite when municators have eye contact with each other. There are a lot of rules of eye language, whether to look at the municators or not。 when it is the time to look at them, how long we can look at, they all imply Thesis, 20xx, Tianjin University of Technology amp。 Education 15 different meanings in munication. Americans pay great attentions to the time and the way the eye contact was given and in which situation. In normal conversation, people would spend about one minute looking at each other before they look away. It is indicated that two Americans are intimate if they gazed at each other. In northern America, children get used to look at their municators directly. If they don‘t, they are lacking thought of confidence. They believe the saying ―Never trust a person who can‘t look at you in the eyes.‖ For showing politeness or respect, Chinese people will often frequently avoid direct eye contact with people they have not met. Facial expression In daily munication and daily behaviors, some differences caused by Chinese‘s humility and Americans‘ selfesteem are worth mentioning. When receiving honest praise from other people, Chinese people usually will give an expression with their body meaning ―I don‘t believe‖, ―no‖, ―I don‘t deserve such praise‖, and even may give an anxious look. Americans think that such a response may be dishonest and or hypocritical as such. On the contrary, they may smile to the person who praise them, accept the pliment and usually say ―thank you‖. In the Chinese point of view, such response is kind of pride and conceited. When expressing some positive emotions, such as pliment and sympathy, Chinese people sometimes have less sense of propriety in their Thesis, 20xx, Tianjin University of Technology amp。 Education 16 expressions than the Americans do. They think the more exaggerated the better. American people regard this as dishonest. V. Conclusion To conclude, body language is really a plicated field of research. This paper discussed the differences of body language in crosscultural munication by paring the body languages of the United States and China and providing just justification for both. Body language has three major functions: assisting, substituting and expressing or hiding emotional feelings. The meaning of the body language is indicated by a whole range of actions, including distance between conversationalists, facial expression, eye contact, physical contact, gesture and so on. Body language is culturally bound. American culture values casualness and individualism while Chinese culture highlights formality and collectivism. This culture difference has brought about different embodiments in Chinese and American body languages. Since body language is culturally bound, insufficient knowledge of body behavior of another culture may handicap the crossculture munication while a good mastery of body language can deepen the mutual understanding. For this reason, we should put even more emphasis on body language when we learn one language. In that way, you will feel better and easier to talk with local people. What‘s more, Thesis, 20xx, Tianjin University of Technology amp。 Education 17 you can avoid some unnecessary misunderstanding and dilemma. You can have a pleasant conversation wherever you go. Due to the limit of author‘s knowledge and reference materials, there must have some limitations and shortings in this dissertation. It is hoped that a further study on the topic could be made so as to make the thesis more professional. Thesis, 20xx, Tianjin University of Technology amp。 Education 18 Notes: 1Hu Wenzhong, Aspects of Intercultural Communication (Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Researching Press, 1999)132 2Bi jiwan, Intercultural nonverbal munication(Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Researching Press, 20xx)143 Thesis, 20xx, Tianjin University of Technology amp。 Education 19 Bibliography Barbara, M. Language and Culture in Learning [M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Researching Press, 1994. . The Kinesics in Context [M]. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1970. . The Hidden Culture [M]. New York: Anchor Books dobble day press, 1996. . Kinesics and Crosscultural Understanding[M]. London: London Cambridge University Press, 1986. Hu Wenzhong. Aspects of Intercultural Communication [M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Researching Press, 1999. Leathers, Dale. Successful Nonverbal Communication [M]. Boston: Alyynamp。Bacon, 1986 Qiu Lifang. Body Language. 20xx1030. Randall Harrison. An Introduction to Nonverba