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肢體語言是一種非言辭的溝通方式，例如眨眼（以表示“只是在開玩笑”或者有性方面的暗示）或者兩手叉腰（在某些文化里，它純粹表示放輕松；而在某些文化里，它是一種威脅或挑釁的姿勢）。這種溝通方式有時甚至比實際言語的溝通來得重要。 Mr. Garcia, a businessman from Madrid, Spain, is speaking English to one of his customers, Mr. Patton, from Vancouver, Canada. As they speak, a bystander notices that as Mr. Garcia slowly steps closer to Mr. Patton, the latter slowly steps away. This slow dance continues throughout the conversation until Mr. Patton is literally against the wall. He now crosses his arms in front of him. Mr. Patton appears nervous and a little annoyed; Mr. Garcia, aware of this, thinks he is not explaining himself well enough in English, even though Mr. Patton fully understands him. Thinking the business deal has gone sour, Mr. Garcia excuses himself and leaves.
嘉西亞先生是來自西班牙馬德里的一位生意人，他正以英語和一位來自加拿大溫哥華的客戶派頓先生交談。當他們交談時，一位旁觀者注意到當嘉西亞先生慢慢向派頓先生靠近時，派頓先生就慢慢往后退。整個對話過程就像在跳慢舞似的一進一退，直到派頓先生幾乎要靠到墻壁了。這時候他把雙臂交叉在胸前。派頓先生顯得緊張并有些惱怒。嘉西亞先生注意到這個現象，以為他的英語表達能力不夠好，但其實派頓先生完全了解他所說的話。嘉西亞先生認為這筆交易已經告吹，于是便找個借口離開了。
What is going on here? If Mr. Garcia or any other non-native English speaking businessman, student, immigrant, or tourist had been aware of English body language, this unfortunate incident could have been avoided. Among English speakers, personal space is very important; indeed, personal space is important in all languages, but the distance considered critical to trigger discomfort differs. Spanish speakers tolerate a much closer speaking distance, a distance of some 30 centimeters, which is about half that which English speakers prefer. Thus, a Spanish speaker will instinctively move in closer to talk with an English speaker, who instinctively moves away, closer to his preferred speaking distance.
這到底是怎么一回事？假如嘉西亞先生或任何一位非英語系國家的生意人、學生、移民或觀光客曾經留意過英語肢體語言的話，上述的不幸事件就可以避免。個人空間對英語系人士而言非常重要；的確，個人空間對所有語言而言都很重要，但是被視為事關交談時舒適與否的距離在各種語言中均有差異。西班牙語系人士與人所保持的距離比較近，大約為30厘米，這樣的距離是英語系人士所能接受距離的二分之一。因此，西班牙語系的人在和英語系人士交談時，會很自然地靠近對方，而后者會很自然地因為想保持他喜歡的交談距離而后退。
Body language is one kind of nonverbal communication, such as winking (to indicate "I'm kidding" or a sexual advance), or arms held akimbo (in some cultures, merely resting; in others, a threatening or defiant stance). This communication can, on occasion, be even more important than the actual words spoken.
肢體語言是一種非言辭的溝通方式，例如眨眼（以表示“只是在開玩笑”或者有性方面的暗示）或者兩手叉腰（在某些文化里，它純粹表示放輕松；而在某些文化里，它是一種威脅或挑釁的姿勢）。這種溝通方式有時甚至比實際言語的溝通來得重要。
Take winking for example. In most cases, English speakers will wink (the closing of only one eye) at each other to show that they are not serious about what they are saying. They may also cross their middle finger over their index finger to indicate the same thing. These gestures are extremely important as they virtually negate what the speaker says.
就拿眨眼來說，在大部分的情況下，英語系人士彼此眨眼（只閉一只眼）表示對正在交談的內容不是很認真。他們也可能以中指交叉于食指之上的方式傳達同樣的意思。這些肢體動作極其重要，因為它們幾乎否定掉說話者所說的話。
Another example is eye contact. In many American Indian and East Asian cultures, respect is shown by not looking directly into the eyes of a person considered of a higher social class than oneself. For Western Europeans, the opposite is true. For them, anything less than full eye contact is considered disrespectful or even devious. Problems have arisen when Chinese or Korean school children enter American or European schools. Western teachers assume that these children are "up to something" or that they are showing disrespect, when, in actuality, they are behaving correctly for their own culture. One Chinese child was denied entry into a gifted students' school because he was considered "lacking leadership qualities" despite his overall excellence in his academic and interpersonal relations. When it was pointed out that Chinese children are taught not to be aggressive (show leadership qualities), the school reconsidered and admitted the lad.
另一個例子是眼睛的接觸。在許多美洲印地安文化與東亞文化里，不直視社會地位高于自己的人表示尊敬對方。對于西歐人士而言則恰好相反。對他們來說，如果不正視對方就會被視為不敬，甚至是不夠坦誠。中國學童或是韓國學童進入美國或歐洲學校就讀時，就曾經發生過問題。西方教師以為，這些孩童“在搞什么鬼”或者他們對老師不屑一顧，殊不知這些孩童是以自己的文化來表示對老師的尊敬。曾經有一位中國小孩被拒絕進入一所資優生學校就讀，理由是該學童“缺乏領導才能”，盡管他學業成績優異并且人際關系良好。后來經指出中國小孩被教導不可以太出鋒頭（展現領導才能），校方才重新考慮同意該童入學。
Sometimes gestures used in different languages have contrary meanings. This can produce a humorous effect. In Vietnam and China, the gesture for "come here" is quite similar to that of waving "good-bye" in English. Thus, when speakers of these two cultures are leaving each other, if the English speaker gestures "good-bye," the Far Eastern speaker may misinterpret the signal as meaning, "come back here."
有些動作出現在不同的語系里便有完全相反的意義。這時候會產生很有趣的效果。在越南和中國，“過來”的手勢與英語系人士表示“再見”的手勢很類似。因此，當這兩種文化的人彼此要道再見時，萬一英語系人士以手勢表示“再見”，那位遠東人士很可能誤解這個手勢為“過來”之意。
Learning body gestures is rather difficult from textbooks. The best way to learn gestures —— for any language or culture —— is to stay a while in a foreign country to learn not only what people say but how they say it. For most people, the learning of body language is an exciting and charming aspect of learning a foreign language.
從教科書上是很難學習到肢體語言的。最佳的學習方法是，不論學習任何一種語言或文化，最好是到當地呆一段時間，而且不只學習“說”該語言，更要知道他們是“如何表達”的。對大多數的人而言，學習肢體語言是外語學習中令人感到刺激且充滿吸引力的部分。
