摘要

随着对外开放和国际交流的增多，跨文化交际变得越来越重要。手势语是跨文化交际中的重要组成部分，在跨文化交际中的应用十分广泛。研究手势语在不同文化背景下的正确使用方法，有助于人们在跨文化交际中有效的避免文化摩擦，促进跨文化交际的顺利进行。
本文从文化的角度分析了手势语的运用，尤其在跨文化交际中。文章首先说明了手势语的研究背景以及研究现状。其次文章介绍了为什么手势语在跨文化交际中十分重要，指出手势语与其所属的文化有着密切的关系。此外，文章归纳总结出在跨文化交际中常用的一些手势语，并且列举出一些在跨文化交际中误用手势语造成严重后果的例子，从而说明了手势语这种分语言交际有时比语言交际更容易造成误解。分析了这些例子之后文章随后提出来一些在跨文化交际中正确使用手势语的方法，从而帮助人们在跨文化交际中避免手势语的误用造成文化误解或者文化摩擦。

关键词：手势语；跨文化交际；文化

Abstract

With the opening up of China and the increasing of international communication, cross cultural communication is becoming more and more important. As a significant part in cross cultural communication, hand gesture is widely used by people from different cultural backgrounds. Studying the correct way to use hand gestures in different cultures can help to avoid cultural collisions and accelerate cross cultural communication.
This thesis attempts an analysis of hand gestures from the perspective of cultural meanings, especially in cross culture communication. First the thesis introduces the current situation of hand gestures and the studying results. Though some scholars have studied hand gestures their research is not integrated and deep enough. The thesis provides a principled account of why hand gestures are important in cross cultural communication, and makes the point that hand gestures are closely related to the cultures they belong to. Besides, the thesis illustrates some common hand gestures used in cross cultural communication and cites some cases in which hand gestures are used incorrect that leads to serious problems. After analyzing these cases, the thesis puts forward the correct ways to use hand gestures, and help people to avoid cultural misunderstanding and collision in cross culture communication.

Key words: hand gestures, cross cultural communication, culture

1．Introduction
1.1 Background
After China’s reform and opening up, more and more foreigners come to China and we Chinese people also spread throughout the world. Many foreign leaders come to visit China and our leaders also go to visit other countries. Political communication is internationalized. And political communication represents a country’s image; every country attaches great importance to political communication. During this not only language is important but also the behaviors and gestures. Besides, China joined in WTO in 2001. And since then economic exchange between China and other foreign countries become more and more common. Many foreign businessmen come to China to invest and establish factories. We Chinese also go out and do business in foreign countries. Business negotiations with foreigners become a necessity. What is more, with the improvement of living standard, a lot of people choose to travel abroad. People-to-people communication is become popular.