Body language and its characteristics

human society distinguishes between verbal and nonverbal communication. Body language, as a nonverbal means of expressing emotions and feelings, possesses semantic diversity, performs various pragmatic functions, and also carries a vast amount of national and cultural information. However, compared to verbal language, the study of body language has not attracted sufficient attention from scholars in Russia or abroad. In this article, we examine body language in Russian and Chinese cultures and, based on an analysis of the results of relevant studies in this field, define the concept of “body language”. A method for classifying gestures is proposed, and their semantic characteristics and pragmatic functions are systematically analyzed. Meanwhile, specific examples are used to compare hand and head gestures commonly found in Russian and Chinese cultures in order to reveal the national and cultural specificity of body language. It is discovered that body language is a kind of means of communication that should not be ignored in interpersonal interactions, especially in intercultural communication.

body language, semantic features, pragmatic functions, national and cultural specificity, hand gestures, head gestures