CROSS-CULTURAL GLOSSARY

SIX ASPECTS OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Active Communication Training in Vocational Education

COMENIUS PROJECT

PARTNER COUNTRIES

PolandTurkeyFrance (Reunion)RomaniaBulgariaItalyCroatia

SIX ASPECTS OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION:

AppearancePostureHapticsGesturesEye contactProxemics

APPEARANCE

In Croatia, Romania, Italy and Poland teenagers don't wear a lot of colours, girls dye their hair

There are no uniforms in schools, students wear casual clothes to disco, and they wear branded clothes.

Every country has its own traditional clothes, so they are all different.

In Italy girls don't wear make up to school.

In Poland they don't wear much delicate jewellery.

SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES

GOING OUT CHURCH

FREE TIME WEDDINGS

SCHOOL SPORT

POLISH TEAM ROMANIAN TEAM

ITALIAN TEAM CROATIAN TEAM

POSTURE AND HAPTICS

Arms crossed - used to elivate anxiety and social stress. (Bulgaria, Turkey

and Reunion)

Slouching - relaxed posture, a sign of

boredom.

In general, there are no big differences when it

comes to posture.

Handshakes – used to introduce ourselves,

greet others

Kissing - most commonly used between couples, but

also to greet friends (Reunion)

Holding hands - used between couples, close

friends and family members

Hugs - represent a state of hapiness or sadness,

also used to greet people

High five - a haptic used to celebrate success

Just as posture, there are not many differences in

haptics. So we can agree that we are all very similiar

GESTURES SIMILARITIES

Wave (every country) (raise your hand and move it left and right)

OK sign (every country) (put your thumb and index finger together to make an OK sign)

Hello!Goodbye!

Good job!

Peace sign (every country) (raise your index and middle finger up)

Telephone gesture (every country) (hold hand to ear with thumb and little finger sticking out)

We're good!Call me!

Shoulder shrug (every country) (raise your shoulders up)

Thumbs up (every country) (raise your thumbs up)

I don't know.Everything's fine!

Facepalm (every country) (cover your face with your palm)

 

Rubbing the palms together (every country)

You're stupid…I expect

something good to happen!

Feeling hungry (Italy, Romania and Croatia) (placing your hand on your stomach and moving it in a circular motion)

High five (every country) (excellent work) (clapping your palm against a friend's palm)

I'm hungry. Excellent work!

Fist bump (every country) (greeting your friend by bumping your fist against his fist)

The finger – (every country) (put the thumb between your index and middle finger)

Yo man! You're getting nothing!

-

„L“ – loser (every country) (make „L“ with the thumb and index finger and put it on the forehead)

What a smell! (every country) (wave your hand in front of your nose)

Loser!

What's that smell?!

You are nuts (every country) (Point your index finger at the temple and move in a circular motion)

Go away (every country) (put you hand foward and wave with your palm)

 

You're nuts… Go away!

GESTURES DIFFERENCES

Parents scolding kids (Croatia and Italy) (raise your index finger and wave with it)

Let's get drunk (Poland) (put your palm near the neck and wave)

You'll be punished!

Let's get drunk!

Long time ago (Italy) (wave your hand to your back)

Angry (Italy) (put your fingers under your chin and move them rapidly to the front)

That was long time

ago…

I'm angry, go away!

EYE CONTACT

Winking is blinking with just one eye. It can indicate flirting.

W

Widening eyes is having the eyes opened wide, as in amazement, innocence or sleeplessness. We widen our eyes when we are shocked, afraid or surprised.

Eye rolling is moving your eyes in circles. It can indicate disgust and irritation. We mostly do this when we don't like the situation.

Staring is looking at a person longer than normal (3 sec.) and with intensity. It can indicate empathy and irony.

Direct eye contact is looking at a person directly in their eyes. It is a powerful act of communication and may show affection, dominance and interest.

Looking side ways is looking around when you are afraid, ashamed or when you have low selfesteem.

Blinking is a natural neat process whereby the eyelids wipe the eyes clean. It can be an indicator of lying.

PROXEMICS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxemics#mediaviewer/File:Personal_Space.svg

SIMILARITIES

Intimate space includes couples, close friends and family members. Personal space includes friends and strangers.

Social zone is increasing with important people. Social zones are the same in all countries. For family members and friends the intimate

zone is the same.

DIFFERENCES

In Italy people stand closer to each others than in other countries.

In Italy, public distance is almost nonexistent. Social zone in Poland includes strangers and unknown

persons. Public zone is represented only in Romania, Poland and

Croatia. Public zone in Poland includes lectures and conferences. In Reunion, people kiss each other every time they meet

with someone, but boys and girls use something like a hug. Turkish people keep a greater distance during a

conversation and only girls usually kiss each other. In Bulgaria, it's appropriate to keep an arm's lenght of

personal space when conversing with members of the opposite sex and business colleagues.

WE THANK ALL THE PARTNERS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION AND PARTICIPATION!Croatian ACTIVE team