摘要
Chinese core values are very different from those of people in English speaking countries, and this makes communication styles very different. When Chinese communicate with people from other cultures, cultural awareness sometimes helps make the communication easier and more effective. When people are in a bi-cultural or even multi-cultural situation, they need to be aware of the cultural differences. On the other hand, for various reasons, cultural barriers may arise. This can occur when the people concerned speak entirely different languages or hold entirely different values and communication styles. This essay examines how native Chinese speakers communicate with or without words and how the effectiveness of what people say can be helped or hindered by the various messages their language and bodies send. Only when communicators are aware of their own communicative styles and those of others can they avoid communication conflicts. Observing and respecting other people's communication styles during the adjustment of one's own communication behaviors should be an on-going task in the intercultural communication.