Page 46 - Reading Between the Sign Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

The Study of Culture 31

ignored or suspicious of what they are trying to hide. On the other
hand, people from cultures who prefer more eye contact than we
are used to, such as Britons or Arabs, may make us feel nervous
as the object of their stare (Jensen 1982, 265).
Widening of the eyes is one behavior with a myriad of mean-
ings in various cultures. To Anglo-Americans, it signifies surprise
or wonder; to the Chinese, it means anger; to the French, it dem-
onstrates a challenge; to Latinos, it is a call for help; and to African
Americans, it can be a claim of innocence. A teacher in a
multicultural classroom, for example, may overlook “a Spanish
child’s signal of distress” or misinterpret “a Black child’s mute
plea of innocence as a display of insolence” (E. C. Condon 1982,
343).
Facial Expression. Contrary to the lyrics of a classic song, a
smile is not always just a smile.
The Japanese smile and laugh does not necessarily mean
happiness or friendship. As a carefully cultivated act of
social duty and etiquette, it is employed in a large num-
ber of circumstances and may, among other things,
suggest shyness, embarrassment, discomfort, wonder
or surprise. In some areas of Asia and Africa laughing
or smiling suggests weakness. Hence, teachers never
smile in the classroom lest it impair discipline. (Jensen
265)
As some American women have learned, a friendly smile at a
passing stranger may be erroneously interpreted as a sexual ad-
vance in many cultures. In fact, the United States is one of the few
places where strangers exchange smiles, which are often reserved
for intimates in other locales.
Gestures. If it is true that “actions speak louder than words,”
we had better be careful about the messages we are sending. One
famous misunderstood gesture almost brought about an interna-
tional crisis. When Prime Minister Khrushchev visited the United
States on a supposed goodwill tour during the precarious Cold
War period, he raised his arms above his head while clasping his
hands. To many Americans this gesture resembled a boxer’s arro-
gant sign of victory over an opponent. There was a widespread
reaction of outrage to this gesture and the conceited swagger and
presumption of the eventual triumph of Communism it seemed
to convey. To Russians, however, this gesture has a very different
connotation—it means friendship.

02 MINDESS PMKR 31 10/18/04, 11:22 AM