Faces Of Different Socio-cultural Identities Impact Emotional Meaning Learning For L2 Words Scientific Reports

In India, however, if the same is done to greet an older man, perhaps someone in his 60s, you might as well dig your own grave, because by giving him a firm handshake, you’re calling yourself his equal. Furthermore, the ideal way to greet someone in India is by touching their feet, not by shaking their hand. However, besides a few exceptions, body language around the world is often universally understood, especially facial expressions and emotions. Different cultures have their own set of norms, values, and social expectations, which influence how people express themselves nonverbally. The “OK” sign, made by forming a circle with the thumb and index finger, also carries different meanings globally. In the United States and many other Western countries, it generally means that everything is fine.

Adopting A Neutral Stance

It was reported that L2 learners recalled more information in a story-retelling task when they were able to see the story teller’s face and gestures, and these L2 learners more gestures when producing contents in their L2 than in their L132. In addition, L2 speakers expressed more emotional facial expressions while telling a story in their L2 yet maintained more a neutral expression when doing it in their L133. However, the role of faces, especially, the role of socio-cultural identity of faces, in L2 learning is relatively neglected. Body language, the non-verbal form of communication, is deeply rooted in culture. From a handshake to a bow, from eye contact to personal space, each gesture can hold a vastly different meaning depending on where you are in the world. Understanding these cultural differences in body language is crucial in today’s globalized world for preventing misunderstandings, showing respect, and effectively connecting with people from diverse backgrounds.

However, the interpretations of these silent messages may vary significantly across different cultures, emphasizing the need for cultural sensitivity and understanding. Studying these subtle cues is crucial, especially in today’s globalized world, where interactions with diverse cultures are inevitable. Awareness of cultural differences in body language is essential for minimizing the risk of misinterpretation and fostering empathy in social interactions. By cultivating cultural fluency, individuals can enhance their communication skills and decrease the likelihood of conflict in diverse environments.

Many facial expressions appear to be universal and recognised all over the globe. Western culture typically perceives a strong handshake as authoritative and confident, whereas many parts of the Far East perceive a strong handshake as aggressive, and usually bow instead. In today’s diverse workforce, an inclusive culture isn’t just nice-to-have—it’s a necessity for success. Multilingual skills have grown from being a helpful asset to becoming a cornerstone of a thriving business.

Facial expressions are among the most recognizable forms of nonverbal communication, frequently offering valuable insights into an individual’s emotional state and intentions. While many facial expressions, such as smiles signifying happiness and frowns indicating sadness, are universally understood, cultural nuances can significantly influence their interpretation. Body language encompasses the nonverbal signals utilized in communication, including a wide range of behaviors such as facial expressions, gestures, posture, and eye contact. It plays a critical role in conveying implicit messages and emotions, often serving to complement or contradict verbal communication. In total, 30 pseudowords, 45 Chinese faces, 45 Caucasian faces, and 15 English sentences were used in the experiment. Ten pseudowords were assigned to each emotion category (disgust, sadness, and neutral) to pair with 10 faces in different groups of the corresponding emotion, which were presented to participants in the Learning Phase.

Even Chatsrhythm a gesture as seemingly universal as pointing at something with your aptly named “pointer finger” turns out to not be so universal after all. If you’d like to see various gestures and facial expressions along with their spoken context, you can check out an immersion program such as FluentU to see how they really pair together. There is very little physical contact beyond a handshake with people we don’t know well. Even accidentally brushing someone’s arm on the street warrants an apology. In certain African countries, a limp handshake is the standard (Guide to African handshakes). Men in Islamic countries never shake the hands of women outside the family.

What Are The Examples Of Cultural Differences With Regard To Body Language?

Watch how they do it, observe their movements, hand gestures, and their touch. However, many tutors, unfortunately, aren’t trained to teach you this, so if you want to do something about learning body language, we have some suggestions. Ensuring job safety is essential for every organization, but language barriers can create serious risks in today’s diverse workforce. Effective communication isn’t just a productivity tool—it’s a fundamental part of keeping employees safe on the job. If you find yourself in a situation where there is a potential misunderstanding due to non-verbal communication differences, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification. To broaden our understanding and improve communication, you can read books, attend workshops, and interact with people from different cultures.

As seen above, the head wobble, a side-to-side movement, is common in India and can mean different things depending on context. It might signal agreement, acknowledgment, or simply be a neutral response. Yet in cultures in Asia and Southeast Asia, avoiding eye contact can be a way to show respect to others. However, knowing differences exist can help to stop you from misinterpreting signals and help you understand why people may act in a certain way. Understanding body language can get particularly complicated when you mix culture and gender.

Western cultures, especially North America and the UK, tend to view silence as problematic. In our interactions at work, school, or with friends, silence is uncomfortable. Understanding and interpreting body language correctly is paramount in international relations, whether personal or professional, and can be a determinant of success or failure in cross-cultural communications. This is where language learning and services play a pivotal role in bridging the cultural gap and fostering understanding.

• It’s important to recognize that body language is deeply intertwined with cultural norms and values.
• Conversely, in some Asian cultures, prolonged eye contact can be considered disrespectful or confrontational.
• By acknowledging and addressing these biases, individuals can promote more inclusive communication practices, thereby enhancing cultural identity and awareness in their interactions.

Regarding the materials for emotional meaning learning, the primary objective in the present study was to explore how the socio-cultural identities of faces influence the learning of emotional meanings for L2 words. Therefore, instead of using both faces and sentences in the previous L1 study23, 45 Chinese faces and 45 Caucasian faces were selected (15 disgusted, 15 sad, and 15 neutral). Nevertheless, the number of stimuli assigned to each emotion condition was the same as our L1 studies23,61,62. The experimental face stimuli in each emotional category (disgust, sadness, and neutral) consisted of eight females and seven males. The Chinese faces were selected from Tsinghua Facial Expression Database (Tsinghua-FED)63 and the foreign faces were selected from the Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces (KDEF) stimuli set64. Non-facial areas (e.g., hair, neck, and ears) were removed by applying an ellipsoidal mask in order to maximize the emotional salience of facial expressions.