The advantages and disadvantages of body language in Intercultural communication

Abstract

This study is an attempt to explore the advantages and disadvantages of non-verbal communication, specifically body language, in intercultural settings, and the extent to which non-verbal factors contribute to the success of communication , by interviewing 31 English language instructors at the English language Institute at King Abdulaziz University. The instructors came from different cultural backgrounds and their length of stay in Saudi Arabia varies from 1 year to more than 7 years. The findings show that although the main function of body language in an intercultural setting is to clarify meaning when language is a barrier, the difference in cultural backgrounds sometimes leads to miscommunication or misinterpretation of nonverbal messages. However, almost all the participants considered body language a positive tool in facilitating communication and compensating for the lack of vocabulary in intercultural communication. More research on the similarities and differences between cultures with regard to nonverbal communication is recommended, in order to avoid or minimize misunderstandings that may result from cultural and linguistic differences.