4.5Interpersonal space
We distance ourselves rather precisely from each other while speaking, and these distances are determined culturally. In the United States, the conversational distance is about arm’s length. People in some cultures stand much closer; others further apart. As with most communication traditions, violation of such a cultural habit can cause discomfort, even distress. It can be amusing to watch two people who were raised in different cultures with different impressions of proper distance do their spacing moving in an attempt to arrive at mutually comfortable positions. North Americans and Spaniards provide a good example. [3](P191) A North American speaking to a Spaniard will want more space between them than will the Spaniard. So the Spaniard is likely to step a bit closer, causing the North American to move back a step. Finally, as often happens, the North American will be up against a wall, with no room to retreat further, feeling uncomfortable as the Spaniard “crowds” in. The Spaniard, meanwhile, will feel comfortable.
5. The influence of nonverbal communicative approach in communication
Ray Birdwhistell of the University of Pennsylvania, one of the pioneer prime movers in contemporary American studies of nonverbal communication, has estimated that perhaps 30 to 35 percent of human communication occurs through words, the rest through nonverbal modes. [3](P182) Obviously, the majority of communicative messages are conveyed by nonverbal modes that play an important role in communication.
Nonverbal communicative approach has some characteristics to give strong influence on communication. Firstly, nonverbal symbol has a quality of distinctiveness. We can often see some clearly marked symbols that can be understood at first sight at the airport or on the roadside of railway or highway to send various instructions to conduct transportation. When we meet joyous occasion or funeral arrangements, we dress in bright red to express congratulations while in black to express heartfelt condolences and consolation to the family of the deceased. [5](P16) This kind of nonverbal symbol of dress can express human’s mood more simply, directly and distinctively, which can be easily accepted. On the other hand, sometimes nonverbal communication is faintly visible and indistinctive. It is appropriate to use the indistinctive nonverbal communicative approach in some special occasion. Imagine that when your girl friend or boy friend want to expose your embarrassed experience to your friends, but you are unwilling to let it happen, so you try to stop it. If you shout, “Shut up!” it may result in a tense atmosphere and hurting the feeling of your honey; while with angry stare, such indistinctive signal, both of you can avoid involving in the embarrassment.[9](P15)
5.1The influence of nonverbal communicative approach in the mass media
It is well known to us that an attractive actor or actress can gain the acknowledgement of the audience like the famous comedy actor Chaplin due to performing more nonverbally than verbally. Chaplin’s excellent performance in silent film gave us deep impression because of his proper application of nonverbal communicative approach to express his ideas and send message to the audiences. Zhao Benshan , a famous skit actor with local color in our country, is good at using his body language to amuse the audiences. There’s Nor Play in Japan (a kind of Japanese traditional play---non ge ki in Japanese) that actors wear masks which are totally lack of expression on performance. In order to express more profound joyous or sorrowful feeling, they often perform with the back towards the audiences. Although there is no expression on their backs, they can stimulate the imagination of the audiences on the contrary, for the audiences can discode various signals sent from the flat back of actor. [10](P158) Writers also make good use of nonverbal communicative approach to serve their works, especially to novelists. Sherlock Holmes shaped by Arthur Conan Doyle is a successful hero which is contributed to the fact that Holms know how to make good use of majority of nonverbal communication and gain the message in a maximum from observation. [11](P36)