THE PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE OF BINH DUONG PROVINCE
THU DAU MOT UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
🙢🕮🙠
ACCUMULATIVE REPORT
Title
The differences in body language between
American and Vietnamese business
communication culture.
Course:
Mini project: British and American Business Culture
Class:
K203VB.NNAN01
Student:
HỒ HỮU NAM
Code:
20C2202010293
Lecturer: M.A. NGUYỄN HOÀNG MINH ĐỨC
Binh Duong, November 2022
ASSESSMENT
Score
In figures
Examiner’s Signature 1
Examiner’s Signature 2
In words
Criteria for assessment
- Topic (10 pts):
………………………………………………………………………………........
- Organization (15 pts)
………………………………………………………………………………........
- Quality of Information and Interest Level (15 pts):
………………………………………………………………………………........
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Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, Spelling (15 pts):
………………………………………………………………………………........
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Resources (15 pts):
………………………………………………………………………………........
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Presentation skill (30 pts):
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Total :…………………………………………………………………………...........
Accumulative Report
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLES........................................................................................................................ ii
FIGURES...................................................................................................................... ii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1
CHAPTER II: CONTENTS ........................................................................................ 2
2.1. Background concepts ............................................................................................... 2
2.1.1. Definition of body language ................................................................................. 2
2.1.2. Common styles of body language ........................................................................ 3
2.1.2.1. Greeting gestures ............................................................................................... 3
2.1.2.2. Facial expressions .............................................................................................. 4
2.1.2.3. Eye contact ........................................................................................................ 5
2.2. Three main differences in business body language styles between American and
Vietnamese ..................................................................................................................... 5
2.2.1. Greeting gestures .................................................................................................. 6
2.2.2. Facial expressions (showing anger).................................................................... 10
2.2.3. Eye contact.......................................................................................................... 16
CHAPTER III: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ............................ 23
3.1. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 23
3.2. Recommendation ................................................................................................... 23
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 25
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TABLES
Table 2.2.1 Greeting gestures scenes in American films ............................................... 7
Table 2.2.2 Greeting gestures scenes in Vietnamese films ............................................ 8
Table 2.2.3 Greeting gestures scenes in American and Vietnamese films (percentage)9
Table 2.2.4 Showing anger scenes in American films ................................................. 11
Table 2.2.5 Showing anger scenes in Vietnamese films .............................................. 13
Table 2.2.6 Summary of data showing anger scenes in American and Vietnamese
films .............................................................................................................................. 14
Table 2.2.7 Eye contact scenes in American films ....................................................... 17
Table 2.2.8 Eye contact scenes in Vietnamese films.................................................... 19
Table 2.2.9 Summary of data on eye contact scenes in American and Vietnamese
films .............................................................................................................................. 21
FIGURES
Figure 1: Types of facial expressions (sadness, fear, disgust, anger, neutral, surprise
and happiness). ............................................................................................................... 4
Figure 2: Eye contact. ..................................................................................................... 5
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
In modern society, especially in business, non-verbal communication is very
important. It helps each person become more subtle, self-control emotions, self-aware
and control body language. At the same time, non-verbal communication helps us
understand the partner we are approaching to make the right decision. The importance
of nonverbal communication is also shown in situations when we first come into contact
with another person. In addition to noticing the other person’s gestures, posture, and
content, you must also learn to read and understand its meanings. From there, you will
gain experience, help you recognize the other person, recognize yourself and learn to
control yourself in communication better.
In nonverbal communication, body language plays a vital role in complementing
spoken language by emphasizing, confirming, negating, or weakening the meaning of
speech. The factor that makes the first impression in a meeting, the factor that helps
maintain the atmosphere of the entire conversation, and the factor that strongly affects
the emotions of the listener is body language. Sometimes, they even replace linguistic
signs in communication to express ideas and feelings that cannot be conveyed by
language. However, each type of body language carries different meanings in each
country and is also used differently. Therefore, they make us actively learn about them
to communicate most effectively. That’s why I am adopting the topic “The differences
in body language between American and Vietnamese business communication culture”
to research deeper.
We admit that we all use body language daily in every situation, whether we want
to or not. However, I only analyze the aspect of using body language in business
communication in this report. This study aims to evaluate and clarify the differences in
the use of body language in business between Americans and Vietnamese in greeting
gestures, facial expressions and eye contact.
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CHAPTER II
CONTENTS
2.1. Background concepts
Mole (2003) stated that language is not the only factor in communication. Some
factors, such as intonation, body language and so on, are essential for effective
communication. There are different names for body language, such as “gesture
language”, “posture language”, “human body language”, “action language”, etc.
However, the term “body language” was used the most popular. This term was used
throughout this report. This section introduces the definition of body language and some
common types of body language that often appear in business communication in
different cultures.
2.1.1. Definition of body language
Yin (2014) wrote that people also have different understandings of body
language. People communicate not only by speaking verbal language but also by
making eye contact, hand gestures, facial expressions, body movements, wearing
different clothes and makeup, and maintaining distance. They will complement the
spoken language by emphasizing, confirming, negating or weakening the meaning of
the speech. Sometimes, they even replace linguistic symbols in communication to
express ideas and feelings that cannot be conveyed linguistically. These postures and
movements, which can convey emotions and intentions, are called body language.
Another writer defined body language as a conventional term for communication by
using a set of non-linguistic symbols which use human movements, facial expressions,
boundary and costumes as the tool to communicate information and emotions (Beisler
et al., 1997). “Body language is an outward reflection of a person’s emotional condition.
Each gesture or movement can be a valuable key to an emotion a person may be feeling
at the time.” (p. 11). This description of body language can be found in “The Definitive
Book of Body Language: How to read others’ thoughts by their gestures.” by Pease and
Allan (2004).
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Therefore, from the above definitions, most writers agree and acknowledge that
body language is meaningful symbols expressed by human actions such as gestures,
facial expressions, postures and body movements, and so on, which express a part of
the message, attitude, and culture while communicating.
2.1.2. Common styles of body language
There are a lot of studies that have been conducted on the classification of body
language. We may confirm that there are many styles of body language. Patel (2014)
classified body language includes subtle, unconscious movements, including winking
and slight movements of the eyebrows and other facial expressions. Yin (2014)
conducted that body language can be made into different categories that depend on their
standards. They may have a justifiable way to classify body language from different
perspectives. They have classified it into three categories: active body language, passive
body language and meaningless body language according to its effects. Some people
also classify it into facial body language, hand body language and posture body
language according to different human body parts that give the movements.
Nguyen (2000) wrote about body language and listed many different types of
body language, including eye contact, facial expression, physical characteristics,
gestures, postures and body movements, touches. Because of the limited scope of this
report, I would like to focus only on the differences in greeting gestures, facial
expressions and eye contact between Vietnamese and Americans that are usually used
in business communication.
2.1.2.1. Greeting gestures
Kendon and Adam (2004) conducted that gestures are specific body movements
that carry meaning, a form of non-verbal or non-vocal communication that uses a part
of the body, such as hands, arms and fingers, to communicate. These gestures are used
instead of or in combination with verbal communication to describe or emphasize the
messages. There are many ways to classify gestures but the most common way to
classify gestures is based on body parts.
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Greeting gestures are considered an essential aspect of the cultural life of every
country. These activities are the first thing we do when we start a formal or informal
conversation. There are different ways of greeting around the world, and they also vary
according to age, gender, status, etc. Some common greeting gestures in Vietnam and
America include handshaking, cheek kissing, hugging, waving arms, nodding head,
patting, smiling, bowing, high five, and v-sign.
2.1.2.2. Facial expressions
Facial expression is the arrangement of facial muscles to communicate emotional
state or reaction to a message (Beisler et al., 1997). Facial expressions are vital to social
communication between humans, which are indispensable when expressing emotions.
The combination of eyes, eyebrows, lips, nose and cheek movements helps to shape
different moods of an individual, so facial expressions may be a person’s most accurate
indicator of one’s inner feelings, emotions, and attitudes.
Ekman and Friesen (1971) reported that six basic facial expressions are readily
recognized across very different cultures. They include anger, happiness, fear, surprise,
disgust and sadness.
Figure 1: Types of facial expressions (sadness, fear, disgust, anger,
neutral, surprise and happiness).
Ekman et al. (1987) discussed in a study that there are differences in the intensity
of facial expressions across cultures. Research indicates that Asians exhibit
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significantly lower facial intensity than non-Asians. To clarify this difference, this
report only focuses on the differences in showing angry expressions on the face between
Vietnamese and Americans in business communication.
2.1.2.3. Eye contact
Eye contact occurs when two people look into each other’s eyes at the same time
while communicating. Eye contact is considered a factor in personal relationships
because it regulates the distance between individuals. Direct eye contact shortens the
distance between individuals, while the lack of eye contact increases the distance.
Figure 2: Eye contact.
Eye contact and facial expressions offer important social and emotional
information. In some contexts, eye contact provides some of the most powerful
emotions in a conversation. We can rely on other people’s eye contact and facial
expressions for signs of a positive or negative mood.
In many Asian countries, it is considered disrespectful to look someone in the
eye, especially if the person is in a superior position, but in Western cultures, this can
be viewed very badly for not looking at someone’s eyes when communicating (Galanti,
2004). This report will demonstrate this difference through data from business movies.
2.2. Three main differences in business body language styles between American
and Vietnamese
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In this section, the differences in greeting gestures, facial expressions and eye
contact in business between Americans and Vietnamese will be analyzed. Ten
American films and ten Vietnamese films were observed to collect data for each
content. Collected data are summarized in a form and calculated as a percentage to
compare theories that previous studies have made.
2.2.1. Greeting gestures
Greeting is an essential act of communication which is the first ritual in
communication. It helps us get our attention to start the communication process. There
are two forms of greetings: verbal and non-verbal greetings. However, in some
situations, the non-verbal form of greeting is more commonly used due to distance or
language barriers. The nonverbal form of greeting conveys more of a message and is
easier to use than the verbal form. Each culture has different greeting characteristics.
Some common greeting gestures in Vietnam and America include handshaking, cheek
kissing, hugging, waving arms, nodding head, patting, smiling, bowing, high five, and
v-sign. Do (2016) argued that social status and age play an important role in using
greeting gestures in Vietnam. Therefore, greeting gestures when meeting people who
are older or people of higher social status are very different between Vietnamese and
Americans. Vietnamese people often bow slightly or shake hands with two hands when
greeting to show respect. Meanwhile, Americans rarely bow and shake hands with two
hands; they usually shake hands with one hand.
In addition, in Tang’s study (2017), she discussed that Asians, when meeting and
greeting, are often reserved and tend to respect the individual’s social status. They
always respect elders or people of higher social status. Expressive attitude and gestures,
gestures in their communication are also specific. Meanwhile, Europeans and
Americans often greet each other with enthusiasm and quickness. The general style is
shaking hands, hugging or nodding. They always show a confident, equal attitude, with
little regard for social status.
The table below is an example of greeting gestures for older or people of higher
social status in business communication of characters in American films.
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Table 2.2.1 Greeting gestures scenes in American films
No.
Film
Time Stamp
How do Americans greet older or
people of higher social status in
business communication?
Slight
bow
One-handed Two-handed
shake
shake
1
The Pursuit of
Happiness (2006)
14:11-23:20
X
2
The Wolf of
Wall Street
(2013)
6:24; 17:03 &
60:42
X
3
The Godfather
(1972)
35:50 & 15:50
X
4
The Social
Network (2010)
60:26
X
5
Too Big to Fail
(2011)
27:01 & 60:15
X
6
Wall Street
(1987)
16:02; 45:22;
60:06 & 60:22
X
7
It’s a wonderful
life (1946)
29:50 & 36:02
X
8
Office Space
(1999)
52:03
X
9
The Intern
(2015)
13:31; 28:20 &
41:21
X
10
Great Guy
(1936)
32:02; 36:51 &
38:06
X
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X
X
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The table below is an example of greeting gestures for older or people of higher
social status in business communication of characters in Vietnamese films.
Table 2.2.2 Greeting gestures scenes in Vietnamese films
No.
Film
Time Stamp
How do Americans greet older or
people of higher social status in
business communication?
Slight
bow
One-handed Two-handed
shake
shake
1
Hướng nghiệp
(Episode 9)
17:50 & 28:00
2
Hướng nghiệp
(Episode 4)
9:02
X
3
Kẻ bất nghĩa
(Episode 4)
14:30
X
4
Hành trình công
lý (Episode 1)
34:50-35:00
X
X
5
Hành trình công
lý (Episode 2)
9:00 & 10:20
X
X
6
Đôi mắt của trái
tim (Episode
18)
32:40-32:50
X
X
7
Đôi mắt của trái
tim (Episode
21)
00:15
X
8
Thân thế bí ẩn
(Episode 2)
38:20
X
Student’s name: Hồ Hữu Nam
X
X
X
X
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9
Đò vắng
(Episode 2)
01:36 & 01:39
10
Bí mật của
những cuộc đời
(Episode 8)
02:05
X
X
X
The table below is a summary of greeting gestures for older or higher social
status in business communication of characters in American and Vietnamese films
(percentage).
Table 2.2.3 Greeting gestures scenes in American and Vietnamese films
(percentage)
Film
How do they greet older or people of higher social status in
business communication?
Slight bow
One-handed shake
Two-handed shake
American
0%
100%
20%
Vietnamese
60%
50%
60%
The greeting gestures for the older or higher social status of the Americans and
Vietnamese in business communication are correctly depicted in Table 2.2.1, 2.2.2 and
summarised in Table 2.3.3. In greeting, Americans do not (0%) bow to greet each other
when they meet, while up to 60% of Vietnamese bow slightly when meeting older
people or people of higher status. Americans also rarely shake with two hands when
greeting (20%), but 60% of the scenes show Vietnamese shaking with two hands when
greeting in business. The above data also shows that Americans tend to shake hands in
business communication like Vietnamese, but with only one hand. 100% of characters
in American films shake one hand regardless of the age or status of the person they are
communicating with. In comparison, 50% of Vietnamese characters shake one hand.
In short, shaking hands is one of the popular greetings in business as well as in
daily life in many countries around the world. However, due to cultural differences,
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there is a significant difference in the way of greeting hands between Americans and
Vietnamese. In business, Vietnamese people usually only use one-hand shaking with
partners of the same age or familiar partners, but for people who are older or of higher
status, they often shake with two hands. Meanwhile, Americans have little difference.
In addition, for Vietnamese, whether in a business environment or daily life, when
greeting the elderly or having a higher status, a slight bow is also a way often used to
greet in Vietnam. For Americans, they rarely bow to each other. Similar results have
also been clarified by Vu (2010), Do (2016), Nguyen (2018), and Chu (2018) in their
studies. They showed that there is a difference between Vietnamese and American
greetings because of the influence of social hierarchy. Hunt (2005) also discussed that
Vietnamese shaking with one hand is usually done between men (less often used by
older people), and they often bow to others to show respect. In fact, in the US, you can
see people mostly shaking hands when greeting. There are many studies on handshake
culture in the US, most notably Brown & Johnson’s (2004) study that mentioned 12
types of American handshakes in “The power of Handshaking for Peak Performance
Worldwide”. They range from the finger squeeze to the water pump (an enthusiastic,
rapid movement), to the “dead fish” (limp, effeminate), to the two-handed shake (one
hand doing the shake, and the other covering the two clasped hands). In general, the
“all-American” shake is a warm, solid, firm, palm-to-palm shake that a confident person
gives with no hidden agenda. Each type of handshake has its meaning. Thus, we can
affirm that shaking hands to greet in the US is commonly used without distinction of
age and status, while in Vietnam, it is the opposite.
2.2.2. Facial expressions (showing anger)
The human face expresses many emotions without having to say them. It is one
of the most powerful and natural means by which humans convey their emotional
expression. Some nonverbal behaviours will be stable across many cultures. Facial
expression is a prime example. However, across various studies, many cultural
similarities, as well as differences, have been found that influence facial expression
(Matsumoto, 2006).
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Matsumoto et al. (1997) reported the facial expression differences in cultures:
“Several consistent significant differences were found. Japanese were worse at
identifying anger than Americans, Hungarians, Poles, and Vietnamese; worse at
identifying fear than Americans, Hungarians, and Poles; and worse at identifying
sadness than Americans and Poles. Americans were worse at identifying contempt than
Hungarians, Japanese, Poles, and Vietnamese. All other countries were better at
identifying disgust than Vietnamese.”. Cultural Atlas (2016), writing about
communication in Vietnamese culture, stated that “The Vietnamese commonly show
less emotion in their face as they communicate and often adopt a sombre expression
unless something clearly joyful is happening.”. Therefore, the above studies show that
it is difficult to recognize the emotions of Vietnamese people through facial
expressions.
Meanwhile, a study has found that Russians control facial emotions the most,
followed by Japanese and Koreans. In contrast, Americans had the least control over
their emotions through their faces. The results of this study coincide with the results of
Ekman et al. (1987) that there are differences in the intensity of facial expressions across
cultures. Research indicates that Asians exhibit significantly lower facial intensity than
non-Asians.
From the above research results, we hypothesize that Americans more often
show emotions on their faces than Vietnamese. We will collect data to clarify this
hypothesis. To explain this difference, this report only focuses on the differences in
showing angry expressions on the face between Vietnamese and Americans in business
communication.
The table below is data showing anger on their faces in business communication
of characters in American films.
Table 2.2.4 Showing anger scenes in American films
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Film
The Pursuit of
Happiness
(2006)
The Wolf of
Wall Street
(2013)
Time Stamp
Do Americans show What do they do
anger on their faces
when they are
in business
angry? (if they
communication?
don’t show anger
on their face)
Yes
No
18:07-18:37;
X
1:16:45-1:17:31
7:20; 14:43&
01:03:10
X
28:53;
The Godfather
(1972)
31:18-32:22
X
& 2:25:12-2:25:41
34:24; 49:58-50:26;
The Social
Network (2010)
01:31:17-01:31:40
&
X
X
- Squinting and
smiling slightly
- Staring sternly
01:42:40-01:43:03
14:40-14:49;
Too Big to Fail
(2011)
42:38-42:53&
X
56:28-56:44
07:05-07:15; 18:2418:50; 51:32-51:43;
Wall Street
(1987)
01:16:12-01:16:30
&
X
01:35:07-01:35:40
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Film
Time Stamp
It’s a wonderful
life (1946)
09:07&
The big short
(2015)
Margin Call
(2011)
Wall Street:
Money Never
Sleeps (2010)
Do Americans show What do they do
anger on their faces
when they are
in business
angry? (if they
communication?
don’t show anger
on their face)
Yes
No
X
X
30:23-33:50
Sneering and
speaking loudly
10:15-10:41;
X
01:05:05-01:05:20
01:43:02
X
09:14-09:36&
X
25:32
The table below is data showing anger on their faces in business communication
of characters in Vietnamese films.
Table 2.2.5 Showing anger scenes in Vietnamese films
Film
Time Stamp
Do Vietnamese show
anger on their faces in
business
communication?
Yes
Cô ba Sài gòn
(2011)
Đôi mắt của trái
tim (Episode 18)
57:47 – 57:51
& 58:05 –
58:08
18:08 & 20:29
– 20:31
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X
What do they do
when they are
angry? (if they
don’t show anger
on their face)
No
X
Staring sternly
X
Staring sternly
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Squinting and
smiling slightly
Gia đình là số 1
Season 2
(Episode 30)
13:56
X
Staring sternly
Hành trình công
lý (Episode 1)
18:09 - 18: 38
X
Restraining and
sighing
Hành trình công
lý (Episode 2)
9:58 - 10:10
X
Smiling slightly
Đôi mắt của trái
tim (Episode 21)
14:53 - 15:16
X
Laughing scornfully
Shark tank 5
(Season 5,
Episode 11)
5:16 - 5:26
Shark tank 5
(Season 3,
Episode 2)
9:07 - 9:50
Hướng nghiệp
(Episode 4)
10:31 – 10:40
X
Kẻ bất nghĩa
(Episode 12)
24:36 – 24:40
X
Laughing and
X
speaking loudly
X
Speaking loudly
The table below is a summary of data showing anger on their faces in business
communication of characters in American and Vietnamese films.
Table 2.2.6 Summary of data showing anger scenes in American and
Vietnamese films
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Film
Do they show anger on
their faces in business
communication?
Yes
What do they do when they are
angry? (if they don’t show anger
on their face)
No
- Squinting and smiling slightly
American
100%
20%
- Staring sternly
- Sneering and speaking loudly
- Staring sternly
- Squinting and smiling slightly
Vietnamese
30%
80%
- Restraining and sighing
- Laughing scornfully
- Speaking loudly
The showing anger on the faces of the Americans and Vietnamese in business
communication are correctly depicted in Table 2.2.4, 2.2.5 and summarized in Table
2.3.6. In communicating, Vietnamese do not often (30%) express their anger towards
things they do not want, while up to 100% of Americans have noticed that their faces
have changed significantly if they encounter something that makes them angry. In
addition, through observation, 20% of Americans do not show their anger in front of
others, they often take actions such as squinting, smiling slightly, staring sternly,
sneering and speaking loudly. Meanwhile, when observing 80% of Vietnamese who
have no change in their face, they tend to avoid their anger by actions like squinting,
smiling slightly, staring sternly, restraining and sighing, laughing scornfully, and
speaking loudly instead of showing their anger on their faces.
We can see that cultural differences will lead to differences in emotional
expression through facial expressions. Analysis data supports our hypothesis, which
means Americans more often show emotions on their faces than Vietnamese. The
results of this study are also consistent with the results of previous studies. A research
by Matsumoto and Kupperbusch (2001) on cross-cultural differences in the norms of
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emotional display in Americans (representing Western culture) and Japanese
(representing Eastern culture) indicated that when alone, participants from both cultures
had similar facial expressions when watching a movie scene. However, in the presence
of other participants, the Japanese concealed their emotions through smiles. On the
other hand, Americans continued to express their emotions in front of a different
participant. These differences are explained by differences in display rules in Japanese
culture and American culture. Japanese tend to mask negative emotions in social
settings to maintain group harmony while there is a favoured showing of emotions in
individualist cultures such as the US. These differences in display rules are formed
between cultures that we often call “collective” like Japan and “individual” like the US.
Collectivist cultures are often homogenous and attuned to others. Meanwhile,
individualistic cultures emphasize the importance of individual autonomy and power.
People in collectivist cultures often use smiles to mask negative emotions – but only in
the presence of others, not when they are alone. This explanation is also reinforced by
Lim’s research (2016) in a scientific paper called “Cultural differences in emotion:
differences in emotional arousal level between the East and the West”. Besides that,
Vietnam is a collectivistic society (Luong, 2021), similar to Japan, the expression of
emotions depends on the context and is affected by the collective culture. Vietnamese
people often show little emotion on their faces when they communicate with others
(Cultural Atlas, 2016).
In summary, from the above premises, it is clear that there is a difference between
Vietnam and the US regarding facial expressions. Vietnamese people tend to avoid their
emotions with many other actions. In contrast, Americans, with the influence of
individual culture, express their feelings through facial expressions clearly and
recognizable.
2.2.3. Eye contact
The eyes are considered as the most expressive element of human emotions. In
communicating, looking at others’ eyes is possible to understand the feelings of others
to have appropriate behavior. The eyes accompanying the words will make the words
more inspiring, more confident, and more convincing. In some conditions, people don’t
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need to say, but it is still possible for others to understand what they want to say through
their eyes. It is important for the speaker to make the right eye contact to convey what
he wants to say. Despite its importance, eye contact is not used equally across cultures.
Uono & Hietanen (2015) claimed that the eyes have a universal language, and eye
contact perception and its use differs in people with different cultural backgrounds.
According to Galanti (2014), it is considered disrespectful to look someone in
the eye, especially if the person is in a superior position in many Asian cultures, but this
can be viewed very badly for not looking at someone’s eyes when communicating in
Western cultures. When writing about communication differences between Vietnamese
and Americans in business, Kohl argued, “It is not a good idea to do body language in
Vietnam. And people tend not to look at people’s eyes when they are speaking.
Especially you tend not to look at older people’s eyes when you speak to them.”.
Besides that, he suggested, “American managers operating in Vietnam would do well
to subdue their cultural preference for gesturing and touching, while not jumping to the
conclusion that the Vietnamese are dishonest or disengaged for avoiding eye contact.”
(2007).
From the above research results, we can see that Americans or Westerners tend
to regularly use eye contact, whereas Vietnamese people tend to avoid looking directly
into others’ eyes in communicating. Data and analysis from business movies below will
test the above statement about this difference.
The table below is data on how to use eye contact in business communication of
characters in American films.
Table 2.2.7 Eye contact scenes in American films
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How do Americans use
eye contact in business
communication?
Film
Time Stamp
Look at
people’s
eyes
What do they do
if they don’t look
Not look at at people’s eyes
when speaking?
people’s
eyes
- Look the other
way
05:45-05:51;
The Pursuit
13:42-14:10;
of Happiness
(2006)
24:29-24:37;
X
X
43:10-43:17&
Wall Street
(2013)
The
Godfather
(1972)
The Social
Network
5:43 – 05:52; 09:10
– 12:59
slightly
- Look down and
doodle something
on the paper
43:20-45:36
The Wolf of
- Look down at the
table, shake head
X
& 19:48
31:00-32:25;
36:08-38:45
X
X
- Look down and
doodle other things
& 2:22:02-2:25:08
22:46-24:18;
01:04:47-01:05:00
&
X
(2010)
01:38:15-01:39:08
7:19-08:16;
Too Big to
Fail (2011)
17:04–20:05 &
X
31:05-32:03
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How do Americans use
eye contact in business
communication?
Film
Time Stamp
Look at
people’s
eyes
Wall Street
03:50-04:02; 06:2607:14; 16:54-18:14
(1987)
&
What do they do
if they don’t look
Not look at at people’s eyes
when speaking?
people’s
eyes
X
01:34:35-01:36:57
It’s a
30:10-30:20;
wonderful
life (1946)
30:40-33:33 &
01:32:19-01:34:50
The big short
02:21-03:00 &
(2015)
29:20-34:00
X
X
04:45-06:50;
Margin Call
(2011)
Wall Street:
Money Never
Sleeps (2010)
08:49-09:02;
X
14:03-14:40 &
01:35:14-01:38:23
10:50-12:35; 12:5513:08 21:15-24:55&
X
X
Look around.
01:05:08-01:07:19
The table below is data on how to use eye contact in business communication of
characters in Vietnamese films.
Table 2.2.8 Eye contact scenes in Vietnamese films
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How do Vietnamese
use eye contact in
business
communication?
Film
Time Stamp
Look at
people’s
eyes
Cô ba Sài Gòn
(2011)
Đôi mắt của trái
tim (Episode 18)
56:50 – 56:56
Not look
at
people’s
eyes
X
What do they do if
they don’t look at
people’s eyes when
speaking?
- Look around and
look at her designs
- Look down at the
table;
17:52 – 17:54;
18:40 – 18:43;
19:08 – 19:12
X
- Look around;
- Look the other way
Gia đình là số 1
Season 2
(Episode 30)
Hành trình công
lý (Episode 1)
Hành trình công
lý (Episode 2)
Đôi mắt của trái
tim (Episode 21)
10:38
X
- Look down at the
document;
15:56;
X
17:17 – 17:19
- Look down and
look the other way
10:00 – 10:02;
10:10 – 10:13
X
X
Student’s name: Hồ Hữu Nam
- Look down and
write something on
the document
- Look down at the
table;
07:08 - 07:12;
07:36 – 07:40
- Look down at the
floor
X
- Look down and
look around
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Shark tank 5
(Season 5,
Episode 11)
Shark tank 5
(Season 5,
Episode 3)
14:11 - 14:14
X
- Look down at the
table
8:53 - 8:56
- Look around;
&
X
- Look up
9:27 - 9:30
Hướng nghiệp
(Episode 7)
3:04 – 3:14
Kẻ bất nghĩa
(Episode 14)
1:06 – 3:06
- Look around;
X
X
- Look down
- Look around;
X
X
- Look down
The table below is a summary of data on how to use eye contact in business
communication of characters in American and Vietnamese films.
Table 2.2.9 Summary of data on eye contact scenes in American and
Vietnamese films
Film
How do Vietnamese use eye
contact in business
communication?
Look at
people’s eyes
Not look at
people’s eyes
What do they do if they don’t
look at people’s eyes when
speaking?
- Look the other way;
American
100%
30%
- Look up;
- Look down at the table,
shake head slightly;
Vietnamese
30%
100%
- Look down and doodle
something on the paper;
- Look around.
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The differences in making eye contact between Americans and Vietnamese in
business communication is correctly depicted in Table 2.2.7, 2.2.8 and summarized in
Table 2.2.9. In communicating, Vietnamese occasionally (30%) make eye contact with
the speaker, while up to 100% of Americans look at people’s eyes of who is talking
with them. In addition, through observation, 30% of Americans do not look at people’s
eyes and 100% of Vietnamese who have no eye contact with others when
communicating, they often look the other way, look up, look down at the table, shake
head slightly, look around or write something on the paper.
In general, most Americans make eye contact in every conversation, while
Vietnamese use less eye contact. In fact, American children are taught to make eye
contact with others to show respect. Vietnamese children, however, are taught that it is
a challenge if you make direct eye contact with parents, teachers, or authority figures,
and it should be avoided (Hunt, 2002). Cultural Atlas (2016) also recommended that
when communicating with Vietnamese, it is important to note that “It is respectful to
defer eye contact away from those who are of the opposite gender, a higher status or
older than you. However, direct eye contact is held and expected with one’s peers.”.
Similarly, the results of the study “Nonverbal strategies used in closing a conversation
at offices by English and Vietnamese staff and managers” by Hoang (2016) also showed
that Vietnamese are less looking at partners’ eyes. She also mentioned that “Direct eye
contact is highly valued in the US culture and in communication, direct eye contact is
to convey the attentiveness, respect, truthfulness, and self-confidence”. In addition,
these results are consistent with those reported in the study of attention to eye contact
in the West and East by Akechi et al. (2013).
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CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
3.1. Conclusion
Body language is one of the most common forms of nonverbal communication.
However, Vietnam and the US have many significant cultural differences, so the way
we use body language to communicate also has many significant differences. Through
three contents was reported, we find that at the beginning of the communication
process, Vietnamese people chose the appropriate greeting approach based on social
status, age and relationship. While we did not witness it with Americans - they often
choose a common greeting with a handshake. In addition, the difference in the social
pattern makes it harder to recognize Vietnamese emotions than Americans in the
communication process because Vietnamese have a collectivist culture, so they tend to
regulate their emotions to keep peace in the interaction process. In contrast, Americans
- respect individual rights (individual cultures), so they express their feelings very
clearly, and we easily recognize their emotions through facial expressions. Finally,
another very obvious difference is the eye contact between the two cultures. The
concept of eye contact between the two cultures is completely different. Vietnamese
tend to value hierarchy and age, so avoiding eye contact shows respect for each other,
the boss and the elders. In fact that children do not look directly at an adult’s eye talking
to them, and employees do not look at the eye’s boss while discussing work.
Meanwhile, in the US, eye contact is a sign of confidence and attention. They tend to
assume that if someone looks away during talking, this means that they are not
interested and looking for someone else to communicate with.
3.2. Recommendation
Learning about body language helps you communicate more efficiently, and this
is also a way for us to integrate into the multicultural environment in today’s modern
business world. After evaluating everything, we can see that there are many differences
in the use of body language to communicate in business between the US and Vietnam.
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However, having the difference is not that it is impossible to work together but the fact
that when you can understand the difference and use body language at the right time or
in combination with words in a sensible way can give you an advantage in most
communication and situations in daily life and work. Therefore, to create a good
relationship with a business partner, you should first determine what culture your
business partner comes from in order to choose and adjust your approach to the most
appropriate communication.
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