Nonverbal Miscommunication Abroad

By Mark D. Weaver

Just about any gesture you can imagine means something different in another culture and simply “being yourself” can cause serious misunderstanding. While living in Ethiopia I beckoned friends and workers by holding my hand up and flexing my index finger—the perfect way to beckon a dog.

A Korean friend once told me, "Americans’ eyes are like lasers piercing through me." To show respect, attentiveness, and interest, North Americans look directly into the other person’s eye. But in many cultures it is respectful to avert your eyes when someone is speaking to you. Connection and interest are communicated in other ways.

A wealth of information is available on nonverbal intercultural communication. The most popular book on the subject is Roger E. Axtell’s Gestures: The Do’s and Taboos of Body Language Around the World.

See zzyx.ucsc.edu/~archer/intro.html for information, quizzes, and video.

The following are useful books on intercultural communication:

• The Silent Language by Edward T. Hall, Anchor; Reissue Ed. (July 3, 1973).
• The Hidden Dimension by Edward T. Hall Anchor; Reissue edition (September 1, 1990).
• Dictionary of Worldwide Gestures by Betty J. Bauml. Franz H. Bauml. Rowman & Littlefield (Non NBN); 2nd Ed. (July 23, 1997).
• The Dance of Life: The Other Dimension of Time by Edward T. Hall Anchor; Reissue Ed. (February 9, 1984).

MARK D. WEAVER lives in Minneapolis, MN.