As is known to all, language is the most important communicational tool of human beings. To exchange information with spoken language is called verbal communication. But there is another way of exchanging information, which is being used all the time, but is often neglected, that is nonverbal communication. Body language is a main part of nonverbal communication, and many social occasions need body language. Meanwhile, body language also takes a complementary and irreplaceable role to help people transfer information to better understand communication, which will be an indispensable power to break up language obstacles in practice.
In the 21st century, as the economic and cultural exchanging of all different countries becomes increasingly frequent, there are usually more obstacles caused by the diversity of language and culture. And one of the most useful ways to deal with the obstacles is to master the meaning of body language. In other words, body language sometimes works as a bridge between people when they want to get their ideas across to each other. Thus, using body languages wrongly will make you fail in interpersonal communications, which might cause serious conflict. So let's come to the detailed discussion on body language in communication. This article devotes to a comparison and contrast of body language in different cultures in terms of gestures, physical contact, eye contact, facial expressions and postures. It aims to illustrate the differences and similarities of body language and put forward the principles of reducing barriers in communication so as to achieve efficient communication and avoid unnecessary misunderstanding.