Nonverbal Communication in Different cultures

Nonverbal communication is the way that people communicate with each other without a word. It's always influenced by local culture, so in different cultures the nonverbal communication has some differences. For example, the nonverbal communication in China and in the United States is quite different. The way that Chinese people show the numbers from one to ten only needs one hand, but for Americans, they need two hands when the number is greater than five. It's just a simple example to show the differences. Also, when people greet others, Americans seems more passionate than Chinese people. Americans will give their friends a big hug. However, Chinese people may just smile or nod when they meet friends. In formal occasion, Chinese people will hold hands to show respect. Only if the two friends haven't seen each other for a long time, they will hug each other. After greeting, it's also different when people talk with each other. It seems that Americans prefer more body space than Chinese people. It's quite strange when two girl walk down the street hand in hand in the United States, which is really common in China. Because of the differences, it's very important for Chinese students to learn the "silent language" in the United States when they study there.