1.

1-Non-verbal communication:

Humans as the social creatures will always be faced with interaction between them in

social life. This interaction can be called as communication. Watzlawick and Beavin in

(Liliweri: 1994, P.v) stated in their theory that human cannot avoid communication. If people

chatting it means communication, even if someone is silent, in some conditions it can be

called as communication. The later is composed of two dimensions; verbal and non-verbal.

The non-verbal one is our focus.

Nonverbal as one of the kinds of communication can be defined as the communication

without using words. Nonverbal communication includes most of the aspects of human

communication except the verbal aspect. Nonverbal relates to the unspoken word and a

means to send messages that are “not sanctioned for verbal delivery by our culture”

(Wiemann, 1975), Doi (2009, P.1) states that nonverbal communication is the process of

communication through sending and receiving wordless (mostly visual) cues between people.

It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as body language (kinesics), but nonverbal

communication includes much more and not limited only to: use of voice (paralanguage),

touch (haptic), distance (proxemics), and physical environments/appearance.

1.2- History of non verbal communication:

In 1507, Leonardo da Vinci revealed his new legendary painting Mona Lisa. Studied

by many and known by all, this painting was the first study to look at body language. It

intrigues so many people because the painting is so complex, just like body language. The

most interesting aspect of this painting is Mona’s smile. This smile portrays more than just

one emotion. In addition, Mona’s gaze follows the viewer no matter the angle she is viewed

from. There are many meanings and emotions hidden in this picture and that is why it

arguably is the best-known painting in the world (Riding, 2005, lines 4-6).
 The first scientific study of non-verbal communication was Charles Darwin's book

The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872): (as cited in Anderson, 2001). He

argued that all mammals show emotions reliably in their faces. In his book, The Expression

of the Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin (1872) looked at how our emotions

express our feelings and thoughts. Through his many studies, Darwin was able to prove that

our expressions of emotions portray more than words. Darwin studied the eyes, nose, arms,

voice, and many other body features in order to verify a correlation between body language

and others’ perceptions. Often, our facial features correlate with our tone of voice in order to

express a certain feeling, “The pitch of the voice bears some relation to certain states of

feeling is tolerably clear” (Darwin, 1872, p. 303). This being true, one can easily sense

another’s emotion, such as high spirits, by simply focusing on the unspoken word.

Then the term nonverbal communication was introduced in 1956 by psychiatrist

Jurgen Ruesch and author Weldon Kees in the book "Nonverbal Communication: Notes on

the Visual Perception of Human Relations." Nonverbal messages have been recognized for

centuries as a critical aspect of communication. For instance, in "The Advancement of

Learning" (1605), Francis Bacon observed that "the lineaments of the body do disclose the

disposition and inclination of the mind in general, but the motions of the countenance and

parts do further, disclose the present humour and state of the mind and will."Studies now

range across a number of fields, including, linguistics, semiotics and social psychology. Non-

verbal messages often work in concert with verbal messages. While the complementary

ability of non-verbal cues is significant, several studies advocate the role of non-verbal

communication in the process of communication. The perusal of the following studies reveals

this. Galloway (1972) reported in his article that by improving non-verbal skills, teachers

learn their own behavior and its meanings to students, and they learn to observe and detect

non-verbal information from students. He also stated that non-verbal training and skill
development are in the beginning stages and mentioned the difficulties facedby the

researchers to study and analyze the non-verbal data - (i) when to look (ii) what to look for

and (iii) how to observe. He has indicated the implications of non-verbal communication for

teacher education by stating that the teacher educator enhances the study of pedagogy when

studies of non-verbal cues are included in the information has significance for better

understanding the nature of teaching and learning. Mehrabian (1972) investigated the

decoding of consistent and inconsistent communication of attitudes in facial and vocal

channels. He found that within a two-channel communication process, 41.4% of the message

was decoded via facial expression and 19.3% was decoded via vocal channels, supporting the

theory that non-verbal—in this case, facial—messages have a stronger effect Than vocal

messages. Moreover, the non-verbal aspect of this research continues to support findings that

93% of one’s face-to-face communication is non-verbal. This established a foundation

supporting the dominance of the non-verbal message.Hinton (1985) reported in his article

that when two people say something or, just as importantly, say nothing, communication is

taking place. No matter how one may try, one cannot communicate. Activity or inactivity,

words or silence, all have message value: they influence others and these others, in turn,

cannot respond to these communications and are thus themselves communicating. Moreover,,

an understanding of non-verbal cues affords the instructor the ability to stay away from non-

verbal cues that can hinder learning.

1.3-The importance of Non-verbal communication:

People use body language to help drive interaction and keep others engaged. But

what happens when our body language is not the same “language” as someone from another

country? This poses a problem not only in society but in classrooms as well. Teachers are

being asked more and more to create an atmosphere of inclusivity in order to accommodate
for diverse populations including gender, ethnicity, religion, and ability. Debra Pitton et. al.

(1993) stated teachers have a responsibility to provide the best possible educational

experience day to day and this experience must include body language for many reasons:

By incorporating the study of nonverbal messages into pre-service studies,

teachers will more readily be able to help students become cognizant of

culture, ethnicity, and gender as important variables in everyday life. This will

also help students, as they will benefit from an increased appreciation of

diversity when they assume their future roles as parents, teachers, community

leaders, co-workers, employers, and citizens. An inclusive education should

facilitate the changes in climate necessary to ensure ongoing change, and

knowledge of culturally specific nonverbal communication patterns can

enhance this process (p. 2).

Teachers’ goals are to help their students be active participants in their community and in

society. In order to do so, students must be able to understand verbal and nonverbal

communication signals as they relate from one person and one context to the next.

1.4- The characteristics of non-verbal communication :

Nonverbal communication (NVC) is colorful and full of intrigue. A shrug of the

shoulders and a roll of the eyes allows us to say, "I don't like you," without uttering a single

word. Better yet, a warm smile and an outstretched hand says, "I'm so glad to see you."

NVC has some characteristics that should be recognized to help people do the

appropriate non-verbal signs in communication. Based on Liliweri (1994, P.98-100), there

are 4 main characteristics of non-verbal communication. They are

1. Every people cannot avoid communication especially non-verbal communication

2. Non-verbal communication express feelings and emotions.

3. Non-verbal communication conveys more explanation of verbal communication

verbal communication in human relations

1.5- The Influence of non-verbal Signs in Communication:

Most of non-verbal communication cannot stand alone. It also occurs in verbal

communication. Both verbal and non-verbal communication influences each other in the

process of communication. Based on Verdeber in Liliweri (1994, P.106-107), there are 3

steps to show that nonverbal communication influences verbal communication in delivering

message. They are:

1. Non-verbal communication as complement:

In delivering message, gestures or signs are very useful to empower what the speaker want to

say. Speaker can show how the thing looks like by gesturing his/her hand. Non-verbal signs

can be also used to give direction while verbal communication explains about the cognitive

information. This non-verbal signs strengthen the message that speaker want to deliver to the

receiver.

2. Non-verbal communication as independent sign:

In some condition of communication, non-verbal communication has its own power to be

independent in delivering message. For example, after football match, the result of the match

can be seen from the players’ expression or gesture. The players do not need to say if they

were winning or not. They just need to express it through non-verbal signs.

3. Non-verbal communication as the opposite message:

In this case, non-verbal message is not only the complement of verbal communication. Non-

verbal (NV) takes the control of the message by changing its meaning. For example, when

someone is angry, even he/she says “I’m not angry” verbally, but if his/her non-verbal

message sends different message, such as slamming the door. It is enough to show that the

person is angry.
1.6-Types of nonverbal communication:

There are many different forms of nonverbal communication. The main categories of

nonverbal cues include:

1.6.1- Kinesics (or body movements): Body language is the way someone situates their body

naturally depending on the situation, the environment and how they are feeling.These

include deliberate hand gestures and head movements like a thumbs-up or

affirmative head shake. This is one of the most easily controllable of the nonverbal

forms of communication.

1.6.2- Proxemics (or closeness/personal space): This is the measure of physical distance

between people when they communicate. The standard amount of personal space

expected by someone varies depending on setting and is somewhat culture-specific.

1.6.3- Posture: The way that you sit or stand and how open your body is to others around

you communicates a lot about your attitude and emotional state.

1.6.4- Eye contact: This is one of the primary ways that human beings show interest or

disinterest. Wavering eyes tend to communicate unease or even dishonesty.

1.6.5- Haptics: Is delivering the message through touch. Many interactions begin with an

exchange of physical touch like a hug or a handshake. This form of communication

should be used sparingly and only when you know how the receiving party feels about

touch

1.6.6- Paralanguage: This category covers vocal qualities like loudness or tone of voice.

Paralinguistic signals are any aspect of the sound of a voice outside a direct verbal

translation of words being spoken.

1.6.7- Facial expressions: The human face is extremely expressive, able to convey countless

emotions of someone’s attitude without saying a word. And unlike some forms of
 nonverbal communication, facial expressions are universal. The facial expressions for

happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust are the same across culture.. An

emotional expression like a frown or smile can be hard to consciously control.

1.6.8- Physiology: This category includes changes in body physiology like an increase in

sweat or blinking rapidly. These are nearly impossible to deliberately control.

1.6-The Non verbal communicative competence:

To be understood and to understand are simple and basic human needs; however, they

are made complex when cultural differences are part of the equation. In our increasingly

interdependent and global world; people cannot afford to be ineffectual intercultural

communicators. Birdwhistell (1955), one of the pioneers in research on non-verbal

communication, estimates that in a conversation up to 65% of what is transmitted on the

social, interpersonal level is conveyed non-verbally. This implies that a considerable part of

any message that we are sending and receiving is encoded and decoded non –verbally.

Consequently, although only recently, non-verbal phenomena have become a focus of

interest in various disciplines such as anthropology, psychology, sociology, and

linguistics( cf.Kendon2004).

2- CULTURE

2-1- Definition of culture:

In most arenas of social science where the complicated relation of various and variying

human influences exist, different and conclusive definitions of culture is difficult to establish.

Keeping this in mind, it is still very likey that the richness and dymanism of the phenomena

of culture may be seen and therefore shaped and improved through the lens of its users. The

notion of culture is quickly gaining momentum both in scholarly explanations and in

argues (in this volum) that it is perhaps the most important thing to know about people if one

wants to make predictions about their behavior. Thus we see a cascade of new books about

multicultural education, cross-cultural psychology, intercultural communication, cross and

intercultural management, language and culture, political culture, and othre feilds. Even the

expanding genre of travelogues is evidence of the increased focus on culture. Culture is

important notion in this analysis of any social science or humanities, and its importance

continues to spread to other areas, such as architecture, art leisure studies, geography, and

many, many more.

For years, a few stock definitions constitued the base upon which writers built their

understandings of culture (geertz, 1973 ; Keesing, 1974 ; Kroeber and Kluckhohn(1952)

stands out as fundamental in at least three

Culture has been defined by different scholars representing various disciplines. Due to its

complex nature, the word culture is very difficult to define. One has to agree with Hinkel

(1999:1) that “ It may not be an exaggeration to say that there are nearly as many definitions

of culture as there are fields of inquiry into human societies , groups ,systems ,behaviours and

activities.”.In that context, Hall (1981: cited in Thanasoulas 2001) considers culture as a

muddied concept, elusive of any definitive definition. Brian Steed refers to the same idea

when he says ," In fact , there is not much point in trying to say what culture is , what can be

done, however, is to say what culture does." (quoted in Hall 2002: 19 ). Culture for him is "

An active process of meaning that contests over definition including its own definition."

(ibid.). In her study of culture and individual, Rosaldo (1984) points out that" Culture is far

more than a mere catalogue of rituals and beliefs " ( quoted in Hinkel 1999 ). In recent years,

the development in applied linguistics activity helps us define culture on a more specific level

concerning FL education. According to Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and

particular nation or group: the sum of a nation or group’s most highly thought of works of

literature, art, music etc. A difference is sometimes made between High’ culture of literature

and the arts, and small c’ culture of attitudes, values, beliefs, and everyday lifestyles. Culture

and language combine to form what is sometimes called Discourses,i.e. ways of talking,

thinking , and behaving that reflect one’ s social identity ”.p.138 Adaskou, Britten and Fashi

(1990) have outlined four meanings of culture as far as FL education is concerned, these can

be summarised in the following:

1- The Aesthetic Sense: refers to culture with a capital C including cinema, literature, music,

and media.

2- Sociological Sense: refers to the organization and nature of family, interpersonal relations,

customs, material conditions, ways of thinking and behaving.

3-The Semantic Sense: encompasses the whole conceptualisation system, which conditions

our perceptions and thought processes .

4-The Pragmatic or Sociolinguistic Sense: refers to the background knowledge, social and

paralinguistic skills and language code which are necessary for successful communication.

These four senses of culture reflect its many dimensions and offer the substance for culture

teaching in FL classrooms. ( Lessard-Clouston 1997) We are sometimes told that what is

required is a synoptical definition of culture, that is, a definition of culture which will specify

the necessery characteristics of anything that we call culture. In another sense such

definitions are attempts to specify or delimit the subject matter of anthropology. Many

"culture is … " or "culture consists of …" definitions have been propesd and a number of

them are to be found in the Kroeber and Kluckhohn (1952) catalogue of definitions as they
stated………However this program seems rather futile, its advocates often suggest that it is

important for theory formation in anthropology (Bagby 1953.535,537). But we can scarcely

list all the things that theories have been formulated and therefore board and general

definition may serve

2.2- The interrelationship between language and culture:

Language and culture are strongly interconnected. The relationship between the two

notion is a complex yet a homologous relationship, they appeared and developed together

long before people were able to write or be aware of themselves. If culture is the outcome of

human interactions, the act of communication is its cultural manifestations within a specific

social community. Using this context, Alfred L. Krober, a cultural anthropologist from the

United States said that culture started when speech was available, and from that beginning,

the enrichment of either one led the other to develop further. Rossi Landi further added that

young children learn their language and culture from the society they were born in. In the

process of learning, they develop their cognitive abilities as well. These are some of the rising

questions At the attempt in trying to clarify the relationship language and culture have by

Anderson (2020):

How Culture is Related to Language?

“Changes in Language Often Reflect the Changing Values of a Culture” (Ravi

Zacharias) Language and culture are interlinked and you cannot learn one of these without

having a clear understanding of the other. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, 

language is linked to all the human-life aspects in society and understanding of the

surrounding culture plays an important role in learning a language. Moreover, language

allows the organization and evolution of cultural values. Language is needed for effective
expression and transmission of culture. A renowned linguist Ken Hale shares his views on the

culture-language relationship. He says that when a language is lost, a part of the culture gets

lost as well as culture is significantly encoded in language.Culture impacts our core

traditions, values and the way we interact with others in society. On the other hand, language

makes those interactions easy. Simply put, language facilitates social interactions while

culture helps us to learn how to behave and interact with others.

Language or culture-which came first?

Language is an integral part required for the establishment of culture. Communication

is the basic human need, right? From the start, human beings are communicating and

interacting with each other in different ways. Thus, for obvious reasons, the language came

first. Language is the source as well as the essence of a culture. It won’t be wrong to say that

language complexity increased over time and so did the cultural diversity. The languages

evolve, primarily because of their association with culture.

Evolution of Language and Culture:

Do you know what is common between language and culture? Both are continuously

changing!

For instance, the English language that we use today is way different from the old English.

Similarly, you can identify several differences between the old western culture and the new

one. Without culture, no language can exist. Both language and culture experience drastic

changes over time. Therefore, you cannot expect a 10-year-old child and a 70-year-old man

to share an identical culture and exact the same language even if they leave in the same

locality.

How do language and culture influence our personal identity?

Culture tells you how to interact with others and helps to shape values and ethics. Besides, it

keeps you close to like-minded people and thus,  the sense of belonging strengthens your

bond with society.  On the other hand, language is like a tool using which you express your

culture. In fact, cultural ideas and beliefs are transmitted ahead via language.

Furthermore, both the culture and language allow us to peek into the past and shape

our ideas. How we think, speak and interact with others around us is determined by our

cultural values. Likewise, language also impacts human thoughts.As mentioned earlier, the

language and culture continue to evolve and so does our personality. As we meet people

belonging to different cultures, we get to learn more and explore more and interaction with

them can impact your personality as well. (2020).The phrase “language is culture and culture

is language” is very meaningful. There are not only various interconnections between the two

but a lot of history. Language and culture developed together, influencing the lives of people

just as much as one another.“ In order to understand one, you must understand the other,”

explains Abbott (n.d). When we look back at the history of language and culture, there are

certain parallels here and there. The evolution of language directly influenced the development

of culture and vice versa. The more advanced our language was, the more cultured we were.

(Savage, n.d)

As a conclusion, according to Kramsch, language expresses, embodies and

symbolizes cultural reality (2009).

2.3- The importance of culture in communication:

Culture is communication and communication is culture, these two concepts are

interrelated and they have a great influence on each other .in fact cultures are created through
communication; that is communication is the means of human interaction through which

cultural characteristics whether customs, laws, values or other patterns are created and

shared. . Without proper communication our ideas and views (culture) cannot be informed to

others. Therefore culture is created, shaped, transmitted and learned through communication

and vice versa.

Many scholars argue about the subtle definition of culture, many explicitly define

culture as something shared among people who communicate with each other through some

common language, and which is further communicated to immigrants, children, and other

new members of a society (e.g., Triandis, 1994). The culture in which individuals are

socialized influences the way they communicate, and the way individuals communicate can

change the culture. Culture provides its members with implicit knowledge about how to

behave in different situations and how to interpret others’ behavior in such situations.The

culture has a significant influence on the communication process. The cultural differences

can create conflicts and misunderstanding between parties involved in the communication

process (Monippally, 2001, p.45). Culture’ has often been defined in simplistic terms as life-

style of people of a community. But culture means much more; it encompasses various

attitudinal and behavioral dimensions such as values, beliefs, expectations, norms, etc. All

these make culture a complex thing to understand and has drawn the attention of researchers

to study the various dimensions of culture and its impact on communication among the

people living within that culture.

Cultural diversity makes communication a complicated process as the mindset of people of

different cultures are different, the language, signs and symbols are also different. The later

can affect the level of trust and openness in communication that one can achieve with people

of other cultures. Therefore the cultural difference should be properly understood in order to

ensure an effective communication.

contact and other kind of non-verbal communication. A serious question may cause laughter

or amusement, a harmless statement may cause displeasure or anger on the other hand; so

without culture background it’s hard to receive and decode the message appropriately.

Culture also gives rise to prejudices, ethnocentrism, manners and opinions. It forms the way

people think and behave. When people belonging to different cultures communicate, these

factors can become barriers. Your culture shapes your way of communication. The opposite

is also true. Culture is, to a large extent, determined by the way we communicate. In Algeria

for example people communicate freely and that is a part of their culture. In China , an

Algerian who is used to being very direct with his communication might be found odd,

Chinese see his direct way of speaking rude. Being direct is part of the Algerian culture and

it is reflected in the way they communicate. Communication shapes culture and culture

shapes communication.

2.3- Culture and non-verbal behaviour:

Culture influences nonverbal behaviors in profound ways and it does not always

determine the message of nonverbal communication. The context and the individual's

personality also influence its meaning. However, nonverbal language is linked to person's

cultural background. Individuals are generally comfortable with others who have body

language similar to their own and mainly when one person's nonverbal language matches that

of another. One research study demonstrated that when Chinese graduate students imitated

some Arab patterns of nonverbal behavior (making increased eye contact, smiling, and

directly facing their Arab partners), the Arabs felt that these students were more trustworthy

than most of the other Chinese students.Furthermore, ‘’culture is another important factor

which has been proven to affect behaviour generally and on non-verbal behaviour
specifically’’ (Burgoon, Guerrero, & Floyd, 2016;Matsumoto, 2006). according to

Matsumoto culture has a significant impact on nonverbal behaviors through cultural norms

which are "social rules for what certain types of people should and should not do" (Hall,

2005), and also it creates certain non-verbal social behaviors. However, different cultures

might have different norms for nonverbal behaviors.

3- Cultural Differences in Non-verbal Communication

3.1- Differences in non-verbal communication across cultures:

Although nonverbal communication is a universal phenomenon, meanings of

nonverbal cues are not, in fact, universal. People from various cultural backgrounds have

special ways of approching and using nonverbal communication, and every culture interprets

non verbal communication differently, they vary tremendously across cultures and are often

vague. The differences in non verbal communication are very extensive and can often lead to

miscommunication between people of different cultures, who usually do not mean to offend.

Additionally, when working in a multicultural context, the potential for misunderstanding and

disagreement in these kinds of contacts is great. Because of this fact, it is crucial for them to

have at least a rudimentary understanding of the ways nonverbal cues are communicated

across and within foreign cultures and, in order to reduce this risk, it is increasingly important

to study intercultural communication and also, it is imperative to understand the basics of

nonverbal communication since they might mean different meanings in diffrent cultures.
3.2- Non-verbal barriers and miscommunications to effective intercultural

communication :

The characterized culturally diverse interpretation of a particular nonverbal

communication is a factor that makes consideration of cultural differences when sending or

receiving nonverbal messages a necessity, because of a situation whereby a message that has

a particular meaning in one society can have a completely different meaning in another

society (Matsumoto, 2006), the trap of nonverbal communication is characteristic in its

reliance on cultural interpretation, subsequently makes it unfit for worldwide communication

purpose. Some people are fluent in language, but do not get along very well with others from

different cultures, part of the reason is that verbal language by itself only communicates a

certain amount of content. Moreover, some nonverbal cues are probably biologically innate

whilst others are known just in specific cultures and which are very important because of the

misuderstandings they can cause. For instance, facial expressions are considered as universal

NVB, feelings "all humans, regardless of race or culture, possessed the ability to express

emotion in exactly the same ways through their faces, and to a lesser extent in the

voice"(Darwin, as cited in Hall,2013, p. 697), people from all over the world use the same

manner to convey. Universal emotions, such as happiness, fear, sadness, are expressed in a

similar nonverbal way throughout the world. There are, however, nonverbal differences

across cultures that may be a source of confusion for foreigners. As the way people express

sadness. In many cultures, such as the Algerian individuals express melancholy

straightforwardly and openly. They mourn out loud, whereas Chinese individuals are more

subdued. Furthermore, in nonverbal communication sometimes, what is considered usual or

polite behavior in one culture may be seen as unusual or impolite in another. We can

overcome these barriers by adapting how we use our nonverbal communication depending on
 what situation we are in and also, it is needful of all outsiders to be mindful of intercultural

difference and possible communication incoherence when they find themselves in cultures

that are totally different from their indigenous ones. So, no matter where a person is, he/she

must remember that his body is always communicating, even when he/she is not even

speaking.

3.3- High and low context cultures:

Cultures with western European roots

Broad

difference in nonverbal communication style across cultures can be seen through high context

and low context communication, in order to describe the communication patterns within the

culture and to approach intercultural communication. High context communication is less

what is said and more what is interpreted by nonverbal cues, it’s societies are those in which

the content of communication is determined by implicit and indirect factors such as body
language, social relations, and situation, Whereas a low context culture “focus(es) on the

words in messages” (Novinger, 2004) and it involves mainly cultures with western European

roots. In low context what is said is precisely what is meant, it is more direct and it relies on

individualism and independence as well as explicit and straight forward communication, (i.e.

speech, text). For instance, both Chinese culture and Arabian culture including Algeria tend

to operate in a high level of context and their members are happier to build slowly short

relationships based on trust and for them nonverbal elements are significant and verbal

messages are indirect. On the other hand, American culture favors the individual, falls lower

on the context spectrum and for Americans nonverbal elements are not significant. Members

of these three cultures value strong and stable relationships even though they often

experience each other as very different.

3.4- Culture shock:

Individuals go through a day to day life easily, since they are familiar with their home

town, home culture and values and fluent in their culture's social cues such as when to hold

the door or to offer a cup of tea to a friend. Therefore, people often talk and ask questions

about how to communicate effectively and how to handle situations when they encounter

others who speak different languages, have different cultural customs and even different

nonverbal communication styles.

Moving abroad can be a thrilling experience and it is completely normal for expats

and immigrants to experience culture shock when they immerse themselves in a new culture,

but for some, it can be a difficult time while some are able to adapt easily and successfully.

Kalvero Oberg was the first to introduce the term Culture Shock in 1960, later on many

scientists found other definitions but most of them closely adhere to the one Oberg gave. All

definitions share the same interests, that they see culture shock as a state of anxiety,
unpleasant reaction and a shock caused by being confronted with a different culture as well

as, feelings of being lost and confused. It can be caused by a lot of things, such as difficult

language barriers, unfamiliar greetings and hand gestures, strange food, or making a cultural

false step. Furthermore, Oberg was thought of four consecutive stages and distinct phases that

determine the culture shock process or cultural adaptation cyrcle: honeymoon, negotiation,

adjustment and adaptation :

1- The honeymoon phase: this first stage can often last for several weeks or even months.

The first few weeks are full of emotions: happiness, positive expectations and idealization of

the new culture.

2- The negotiation or crisis phase: during the first few months, some people begin to feel

that things aren't going well, small daily issues turn into huge problems and cultural

diffrences become irritating.

3- The adjustment or recovery phase: you acquire problem-solving skills and begin

accepting your experiences with a more positive attitude.

4- The adaptation phase: this phase is reached once a person experiences sustainable

adaptation, efficiently solves problems, and generally deals well with the new culture. Some

people even develop a dual cultural identity and internalize the different aspects of the new

culture, its ways of thinking and its worldview

Moreover, expats must develop self-awareness and strategies for overcoming culture

shock, including: learning the language, being able to communicate with locals in order to

reduce stress levels and the effects of culture shock, using Mosalingua apps which are ideal

for familiarizing oneself with a foreing language,they have to be flexible enough and patient
to face cultural diffrences, the more they learn about the culture of their host country, the

easier it will be to accept new ideas and experiences

All in all, culture shock is part of a successful process of adaptation, through the

understanding of different countries' non-verbal behaviors visitors would adapt easily and

successfully the new culture.as well as reduce culture shock. Culture shock serves as an

indicator that there is something to explore about the foreign culture.; therefore, it should be

seen as a positive sign on the road to international adaptation and no longer as a negative

and frustrating process.

3.5- Chines culure

China

is the most

populous country in the world and has the second largest land area. Its cultural influence is

felt throughout the Asian region and has impacted the world on a large scale through the arts,

sciences, cuisine, production and trade. Chinese culture has undergone a rapid and intense

transformation over the past 50 years and continues to adapt to the modern world. Due to the

country's massive size and long, complex history, it is difficult to summarise the society

without running the risk of oversimplifying the culture.("Chines culture, "n.d.).

Religion

The country of China encompasses a diversity of religious beliefs and systems among

its people. A large majority of the nation identifies as having no religious denomination, or

possessing an atheistic belief. As a Communist society, China is not affiliated with any kind
of religion. However, a substantial percentage of the population practices traditional Asian

religions, namely Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Much of the Chinese population

adhere to a pluralistic system of religion. The three major religions in China (Confucianism,

Taoism, and Buddhism) “are not mutually exclusive, and many people practice elements of

all three in addition to worshiping various gods and goddesses, each of which is responsible

for a different profession or other aspect of life” (World Encyclopedia). The force of luck is

also a widely held belief in China, often spanning across a variety of different religions.

Funerals are considered by most of the Chinese to be a significant, important symbol of the

deceased’s passage into the next world, and thus are elaborate affairs. Many Chinese citizens

partake in ancestor worship, and may even devote shrines to deceased relatives. (“Religion

and Worldview,” n.d.)

Non verbal communication in China:

According to khlystov (2016)" China is one of the largest countries in the world, and

it’s where civilization and ancient culture was born. Since the Chinese are greatly influenced

by Confucius’s philosophical thinking, they’re more reserved and their gestures less

expressive However, non-verbal communication in Chinese speaks volumes". The author

explains that The Chinese greatly advocate for peace and collectiveness, and they rely on

tonal voice, facial expression, and posture to know how the person is feeling. Frowning when

someone is speaking can be viewed as a way of disagreement hence the Chinese try and

maintain quite an impassive expression during the speech.

Chinese non-verbal behaviors:

Personal Space: the Chinese tend to be comfortable standing just over an arm’s length from

one another. When meeting strangers, this distance will be farther.

it is unavoidable (i.e., in a crowd). However, close friends or the same gender may stand or

sit close to one another or walk arm in arm. They will avoid touching during conversation

unless it is to a family member, close friend or a partner.

Eye Contact: direct eye contact is generally favoured over indirect eye contact. It is

considered a sign of politeness. When conversing with an unfamiliar elder, one may lower

their head to lower their gaze. This is a sign of respect.

Silence: silence is an important and purposeful tool used in Chinese

communication. Pausing before giving a response indicates that someone has

applied appropriate thought and consideration to the question. This signifies

politeness and respect.

Pointing: it is common for people to point with their index finger. This is not considered rude.

Beckoning: beckoning is done by facing the palm of one’s hand to the

ground and waving one’s fingers towards oneself.

Feet: displaying the soles of one’s feet, using one’s feet to move

something or putting one’s feet on

furniture is considered rude.

Whistling: whistling is considered rude.

Waving: ‘No’ may be indicated by waving the hand in front of one’s face.

Body Language: shrugging shoulders and winking are

both gestures that are not always understood by Chinese

people. (“Chinese Culture - Communication,” n.d.).

Algerian culture is a

unique blend of tradition and outside influence. Over the centuries it has been formed by the

influence of three different civilizations. Arab, African, and Mediterranean. The geographical

position of Algeria has facilitated exposure to a variety of cultures and the mixing of several

cultures at once, through trade for instance:

1- Food: largely thanks to its rich history, and geographical location, Algerian cuisine reflects

a variety of cultural influences. Durum wheat was a staple of the Berbers. When it is steamed

it turns into couscous, which remains a staple of Algerian cooking to this day.

Couscous dishes (often served with lamb, chicken or cooked vegetables) are so common,

they’re often referred to as ta’am in Arabic, which simply translates as ‘food’. Other kinds of

grain – such as bulgur wheat and barley – can also be steamed (in a couscoussier) to create

different varieties of couscous. Locally-grown crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, onions,

chickpeas, olives and dates are common ingredients in Algerian dishes. In Saharan regions,

dates and figs and hard cheeses are eaten with flat unleavened breads baked over fires.

Many dishes, especially stews, soups and sausages, have a hot or spicy flavor. A popular

spicy soup is chorba (literally, “soup: in Arabic) The spicy flavors were brought over with the

Arabs, who introduced Algeria to spices such as saffron, nutmeg and cinnamon.
The Ottoman Turks brought sweet pastries to the region. Many local sweets incorporate the

staple wheat, such as tamina, into pastries or desserts. The wheat can for example be roasted

with butter and honey. In former Spanish-controlled cities, such as Oran, dishes like paella

are popular. The French introduced sidewalk cafés, and many eating places today serve

traditional North African foods and drinks like mint tea and Turkish-style strong black coffee.

(“Culture of algeria,” n.d.)

2- Religion: according to new research : "Islam is the state and dominant religion with 99%

of the population identifying as Muslim. Most Muslims follow the Maliki school of thought,

founded by Imam Malik (711-795)" (“Culture of algeria,” n.d.)

Algerian non-verbal communication :

Touching, meeting and greeting:

• Algerians greet each other with lengthy affairs.

• In addition to the handshake one is obliged to ask about family,

work, the house, the weather, etc. o This is all part of cementing a relationship and showing

concern for others.

• You may see people continue to hold hands after the initial handshake is a sign of warmth.

• kissing on cheeks gets algerian feeling awkward and it is only

reserverd for close friends, relatives and family.

• When meeting women initially nod and wait to see if a hand is

extended. For Algerian, handshake between women and men are rare.

• Avoid prolonged eye contact with women and do not ask personal questions.
• For women visiting Algeria note that religious men may not shake your hands - this is not a

sign of disrespect but quite the opposite.

•For Algerian, using left hand to accept gifts or shake hand is

extremely rude because left hand is considred unclean.

Body language:

• Individuals in Algeria use the "OK" sign to convey that something is

acceptable. For example, the "OK" hand gesture means "this is good",

"no problem" and "I agree".

• Shaking your head from side to side means "NO",

while nodding your head means "Yes".