A vietnamese english cross cultural study on gestures for greeting

HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGLISH

CODE: 10

GRADUATION THESIS
B.A DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDY

A VIETNAMESE-ENGLISH CROSS CULTURAL
STUDY ON GESTURES FOR GREETING

Supervisor

: Assoc.Prof.Dr.Phan Van Que

Student

: Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan

Date of birth

: 19/03/1993

Course

: K18A4 (2011-2015)

HANOI-2015


Graduation paper

DECLARATION
Title: A Vietnamese-English cross cultural study on gestures for greeting
I certify that no part of the above report has been copied or reproduced by me
from any other’s work without acknowledgement and that the report is
originally written by me under strict guidance of my supervisor.
Hanoi, May, 2015
Student

Supervisor

signature

Signature

Full name

Full name

Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan_K18A4_(2011-2015)


Graduation paper

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I have to thank my research supervisors, Mr.Phan Van
Que,Assoc.Prof.Dr. Without his assistance and dedicated involvement in
every step throughout the process, this paper would have never been
accomplished.
Special thanks are given to the management board of English Department

who created good environment for students to study during four years at
Hanoi Open University.
During the period of these months,many friends are helpful to color my
life.I have to acknowledge all my classmates in class K18SP and friends in
faculty of English for their assistances in many aspects that I cannot list them
all because of limited space.We often discuss how to improve the qualities of
my papers on the internet at night.However,the effect is not significant.
Last but not the least important,I owe more than thanks to my family
members which includes my parents and my elder brother,my younger
sister,my sister-in-law and my niece,for their financial support and
encouragement throughout my life.Without their support,it is impossible to
finish my college and graduate seamlessly.
Hanoi,May 2015
Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan

Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan_K18A4_(2011-2015)


Graduation paper

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART A: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 1
1. Rationale of the study ................................................................................. 1
2. Aims of the study ....................................................................................... 2
2. Research questions ..................................................................................... 2
4. Scope of the study ...................................................................................... 2
6. Design of the study: .................................................................................... 4
PART B:DEVELOPMENT ......................................................................... 6
Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................... 6
1.1. Communication and cross-cultural communication ............................. 6

1.1.1. Communication and nonverbal communication ............................ 6
1.1.2. Nonverbal communicative competence......................................... 7
1.1.3. Cross-cultural communication ...................................................... 7
1.2. Gestures ............................................................................................... 9
1.2.1. Gestures defined ........................................................................... 9
1.2.2. Gestures classified ........................................................................ 9
1.2.3. Gestures across cultures .............................................................. 11
Chapter 2: GREETING GESTURES ....................................................... 14
2.1. Greeting............................................................................................. 14
2.2. Greeting gestures across cultures ....................................................... 14
2.2.1. Dead gestures.............................................................................. 14
2.2.2. Contemporary greeting gestures................................................. 16
Chapter 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS ..................................... 26
3.1. Greeting gestures as perceived by the Vietnamese informants ........... 26
3.1.1. Data analysis of greeting gestures ............................................... 26
3.1.2. Considerations of factors affecting greeting gestures (table 5) .... 30
3.1.3. Data analysis of handshaking gesture......................................... 31
Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan_K18A4_(2011-2015)


Graduation paper

3.2.1. Data analysis of greeting gestures (see table 6) ........................... 34
3.2.2.Considerations of factors affecting greeting gestures (table 8) ..... 39
3.2.3.Data analysis of handshaking gesture.......................................... 39
3.3.Major cross-cultural similarities and differences................................. 40
PART C. CONCLUSION .......................................................................... 42
REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 43

Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan_K18A4_(2011-2015)

Graduation paper

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Informants’ background
Table 2: The use of greeting gestures
Table 3:The most greeting gestures used by the Vietnamese
Table 3: Frequencyof greeting gestures in use (Vietnamese subjects)
Table 4: The most greeting gestures used by English native speakers
Table 5: Factors affecting gestures of greeting (Vietnamese subjects)
Table 6: The most greeting gestures used by the Vietnamese and English
native speakers
Table 7: Greeting gestures in term of frequency (English native subjects)
Table 8: Factors affecting greeting gestures (Vietnamese and Anglicist
subjects)
Table 9: The most greeting gestures used by the Vietnamese and English
native speakers
Table 10: Factors affecting greeting gestures (Vietnamese and Anglicist
subjects)

Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan_K18A4_(2011-2015)


PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale of the study
Nowadays, English is becoming more and more popular in the world.
People use English as a means to connect between this country among
others not only in communication but also in bussiness, policy and social
activities...Because of that, Vietnam is one of the countries which is

influenced strongly by English as well. In Vietnam, English plays an
important role in all fields, one of them is education. People at different ages
learn English with the aim to communicate with everyone in the world
especially have a good job. What is mentioning is that almost English
learners focus on learning grammar, lexicology, sentence structures, word
buiding and the ways to use words...Athough the factors are really
important, most of English learners and people who use English are
disregarded. They are cultural aspects of language in communication.
In fact, speaking is not only way to interact with other people. In
communication, gesture, posture and eye contact also express what people
want to say. Athough we often use them, we still do not recognize its role
during conversation. Thank to them, the listener is easier to understand the
speaker.Gestures used for greeting,in particular,play an important part in
communication in that they help to establish and maintain relationship in an
initial meeting.
To learn any language, we have to research its culture, so the
communication activities of each nation reflect surface of the nation. That is
barrier for learners to succeed in learing English. Practically, be good at
grammar, lexicology...is not enough, we still misunderstand what the
speaker want to express and sometimes lead to situations we can not solve
by myself. To improve learners’ communicative competence, to help them
communicate effectively in initial meetings and avoid culture shock in
cross- cultural communication “A Vietnamese-English Cross-Cultural
Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan_K18A4_(2011-2015)

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Study on Gestures for Greeting” is chosen as the topic for my study.
2. Aims of the study

To help English learners improve their speaking skill as well as
establish conversations in meeting.I did research and want to show them the
important aspects in communication especially effects of gestures in
meeting. In addition,I will produce some illustrations which helps English
learners react better in any situation. With the aims to help learners be able
to establish conversations naturally and use it native styles.This may help
people avoid the misunderstanding and culture shock in English and
Vietnamese

cross-cultural

communication

and

then

enhance

the

effectiveness in communicative activities.Thanks to that,many advantages
could be brought into our social life.
2. Research questions
•

what is the greeting gestures commonly used by English

native speakers?
•

what is the greeting gestures commonly used by

Vietnamese?
•

what is potential areas of culture shock in nonverbal

greetings?
4. Scope of the study
Gesture is a large aspect of nonverbal communication. According to its
functions it is divided into such categories as Greeting/ Parting, Approval/
Disapproval, Offensive and Profane. In this study, attention will be focused
on some gestures for greeting, which are commonly used in initial meetings.
They are handshaking, nodding, waving, hugging, high-5, patting on one's
shoulder/ back, bowing,and raising eyebrows. Of the eight gestures, priority
is given to handshaking as it is most frequently resorted to in all cases while
we carry out the survey and analyze the data. Smile is also a very popular
gesture of greeting, however, due to the limitation of a minor thesis, it is not
Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan_K18A4_(2011-2015)

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mentioned in the paper.Besides,major similarities and differences between
the English and Vietnamese native speakers when performing gestures will
also be highlighted and analyzed in great detail to avoid misinterpretations,
misunderstandings and culture shock in Cross – Cultural Communication and
help to perform an effective communication as well.
5. Methods of the study

To achieve the aims as stated,a linguistic contrative analysis is carried out
through the study. Conclusions are based on the analysis of statistics and
references.
The major approaches are:
- References
- Survey questionnaires
- Discussion with foreigners,oversea students,visitors,employees from
foreign companies,…
- Personal observation
Particularly,I made survey questionnaires based on conversation with 40
Vietnamese ( 30 males,10 females ) and 40 English native speakers ( 30:10
the number of people are same to Vietnamese) The survey’s questionares in
both English and Vietnamese and consist of seven questions but six of which
the informants were requested to tick (X) if they think it’s appropriate to use
greeting gestures. eight common gestures are given: handshaking, waving,
high-five, hugging, patting on shoulder / back, nodding,bowing and raising
eyebrows.
In addition, the informants were asked to tick the parameters chosen
among age, gender, occupation, marital status, social status, length of time
they have known each other, and environment, which they generally take into
consideration when greeting someone and ranking them in a level scale of
importance.
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The informants were also required to show their own greeting gestures
when meeting people of old age, same age and young age; same sex and
different sex; higher, equal and lower status; in different contexts.

Of 40 questionares delivered to the Vietnamese who live in the North of
Vietnam,40 questionnaires to the English native speakers who are
visitors,oversea students, teachers,… from England,Canada,America and
Australia but they are now living,travelling and working in Hanoi,Viet
nam.These people were randomly chosen when I guided them travelling or
met them at HOU or at “foreign street” in the Old quarter of Hanoi.
It is sure that the background of informants were asked for analysis of the
data like:nationality,age,sex,occupation,marital tatus,personality,…
I have table 1:informants’ background
Informats’ paramaters

Vietnamese
(N=40)
Male
Female
(N=30)
(N=10)
Informants below 20
2
0
Informants from 20 to 40
21
8
Informants above 40
7
2
Informants who are married
10
3
Informants who are single

20
7
Informants who live in city
27
9
Informants who live in the 3
1
country

Anglicist
(N=40)
Male
(N=30)
1
15
14
21
9
23
7

Female
(N=10)
0
5
5
7
3
8
2

Finally,The result of process is statistics listed on Appendices.
6. Design of the study:
Our paper is devided into three parts. Part A is Introduction which
provides an overview introduction about the rationable, aims, scope, methods
and design of the study. The second one is part B, Development, which

Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan_K18A4_(2011-2015)

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consists of three chapters. Chapter one is Literature review which mentions
to

definition,

types

of

gestures,communication

and

nonverbal

communication. In chapter II, we present “Greeting gestures”. Section one is
about greetings. Section two mentions to greeting gestures across cultures.
Chapter III, This chapter is the main key of my paper and is devided into

three sections.Section 1 is about “Greeting gestures as perceived by the
vietnamese informants”.Section two presents “greeting gestures as perceived
by English informant”.Finally,section three mentions to “major cross-cultural
similarities and differences”.Together with part C, Conclusion-sumary of my
paper, are references (including books and sources from Internet).

Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan_K18A4_(2011-2015)

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PART B:DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
As named,this chapter will review the theories of communication and
nonverbal communication in some researchers’ points of

view.Various

definitions about gestures as well as categories are illustrately introduced in
this chapter.
1.1. Communication and cross-cultural communication
1.1.1. Communication and nonverbal communication
“we are great communication”
Liz & John Soars:1997
Everyday, in many ways, we communicate with other people. Sometimes
it is verbally, othertimes it is through the written word and we even do it nonverbally through what we call body language. For that matter, we can use
images to communicate and even a scent can carry a message. If we expect
to get our point, our message, our meaning across, it is important that we
have good communication skill. Chip Rose, attorney and mediator said that
“We all use language to communicate, to express ourselves, to get our ideas

across, and to connect with the person to whom we are speaking. When a
relationship is working, the act of communicating seems to flow relatively
effortlessly. When a relationship is deteriorating, the act of communicating
can be as frustrating as climbing a hill of sand."
Overall, The process of sending and receiving messages through verbal
or

nonverbal

means-speech (oral

communication)

,

writing (written

communication) , signs, signals, or behavior.Human communication is the
process of creating and sharing meaning and is defined as the exchange of
ideas ,information ,feeling, ect. between two or more persons (Richards et
al.1992:64) and "All communication involves faith," says literary theorist
Terry Eagleton. "Indeed, some linguisticians hold that the potential obstacles

Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan_K18A4_(2011-2015)

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to acts of verbal understanding are so many and diverse that it is a minor
miracle that they take place at all" (Reason, Faith, and Revolution, 2009).

Communication involves three components: verbal messages (the words
we choose), paraverbal messages (how we say the words) and non-verbal
messages (our body language). However, as some recent research,
Mehrabian and Wiener suggested that only 7% of message is sent through
words, with remaining 93% sent nonverbal expressions (Mehrabian and
Weiner,8). That is reason why the power of non-verbal communication can
not be underestimated.
1.1.2. Nonverbal communicative competence
Communicative competence is a term in linguistics which refers to a
language user's grammatical knowledge of syntax, morphology, phonology
and the like, as well as social knowledge about how and when to use
utterances appropriately.In other words,communicative competence needs
linguistic knowledge,interaction skills and cultural knowledge as well.It’s
clear that when someone wishes to communicate with others,they must
recognize the social settings,their relationship to the others and the types of
language that can be used for a particular occasion.
Nonverbal communicative competence is known as the ability to use
nonverbal cues effectively.As mentioned above, only 7% of message is sent
through words, with remaining 93% sent nonverbal expressions (Mehrabian
and Weiner,8).,therefore,a good communicator is supposed to know what
nonverbal cues are appropriate to use,in which content and how.Besides,she
or he must pay much attention to cultural and cross-cultural factors so that
misinterpretations,misunderstanding and communication breakdown.That is
reason why the power of non-verbal communicative competence can not be
underestimated.
1.1.3. Cross-cultural communication
Cross-cultural communication is a field of study that contains two
definitions: “culture” and “cross-cultural communication”.

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As Richards definited that culture is the charcteristics of a particular
group of people,defined by everything from language,religion,cuisine,social
habits,music and arts ect (Richards et al.1997:94).Thus,culture is communityspecific.It has own sets of values that help distinguish one community from
another. When people from different cultural backgrounds meet each other
and they need to exchange ideas,information ect.,between them ,which is
called cross-cultural communication. It is based on knowledge of many
factors, such as the other culture's values, perceptions, manners, social
structure, and decision-making practices, and an understanding of how
members of the group communicate-verbally, non-verbally, in person, in
writing, and in various business and social contexts, to name but a few.In
fact,people can recognize how to communicate with other people from other
culture,however,they still make mistakes in some situations.It is realized that
there are often more problems in cross-cultural communication than in
communication between people of the same cultural background. Therefore,if
the

cultural

conventions

of

the

participants

are

widely

different,misinterpretations and misunderstandings can easily arise,even
resulting in a total breakdown of communication. For example:

Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan_K18A4_(2011-2015)

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If you are an English-speaking Caucasian and under the sea scuba diving
around the world, it means ‘OK’, ‘good’, or ‘spot on’. In fact, it was believed
that this ‘OK’ sign has been popularized by divers. French understands it as
‘zero’ or ‘worthless’. Meanwhile, Japanese would read it as ‘money’.
1.2. Gestures
Gestures have been studied throughout the centuries from different view
points. During the Roman Empire, Quintilian studied in his Institution
Oratoria how gesture may be used in rhetorical discourse. Another broad
study of gesture was published by John Bulwer in 1644. Bulwer analyzed
dozens of gestures and provided a guide on how to use gestures to increase
eloquence and clarity for public speaking. Andrea De Jorio published an
extensive account of gestural expression in 1832.S
1.2.1. Gestures defined
From past to now,there have been a number of definitions about gestures
given by researchers and scholars.
Ekman,.P (1982) states that gestures are motions of hands or body to
emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling.He also said that gestures
are the use of movements (especially of the hands)to communicate familiar or

prearranged signals.Sharing the same idea,Hybells and Weaver II (1988:345)
claim that gestures are made up of hands and arm movements.However,some
researchers argue that gestures are made up of not only hands,arms but also
head and legs (Carr,1988:78) or gestures are movements of the body and face
which communicate meaning. (Richards,1992:157)
1.2.2. Gestures classified
Gestures have been classified differently by researchers in the way of
gesture origin, functions, or parts of the body. Axtell (1998: 4) divides human
actions and gestures into three broad categories: instinctive, coded and
acquired.
Instinctive gestures are those we do almost unconsciously. For example,
Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan_K18A4_(2011-2015)

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we may slap our own forehead with the heel of the hand (Figure 1) when we
forget something or remember something. The performance of this gesture
may illustrate that we have said or done something silly and inappropriate.
Another common instinctive gesture is when one crosses one's arm in front of
the chest, which is a signal of defensiveness or, on the other hand, perhaps the
person is merely chilly (see Figure 2).

Figure 1: A slap on head

Figure 2: An arm crossing

Coded, or technical, gestures are created by pre-established agreement.
The best-known coded language today is the Sign Language for the DeafMute (see Figure 3)

Figure 3.

American Sign Language

Acquired gestures, according to Axtell, are socially generated and many
of them have no known origins (e.g., the "O.K." sign) or no reason (e.g., the
hand waving, as in hello and good bye).

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Figure 4: the O.K. sign

Figure 5: the Waving

Acquired gestures seem to be loosely and informally collected among
seperate societies with no particular logic except that they are widely used and
understood among a certain group of people (Axtell, 1998:5). Taking this
sense into consideration, acquired gestures convey many meanings and differ
across cultures, which are accepted in one society but considered very rude or
even insulting in other. The nature of these is the main subject of discussion
in the following section.
1.2.3. Gestures across cultures
Gestures have been used to replace words in many countries, and they
are often specific to a given culture. Gesture may mean something
complimentary in one culture, but is highly offensive in another. Generally,
there are no universal hand gestures. However, with the influence of
television and movies, some gestures have become more widely known and

accepted in many countries. In spite of that, if we want to succeed in
international greetings and establishing relationships, we should be aware of
these differences, understand, respect and accept them. To many, these
misunderstanding can still be a bigger deal than just momentarily
annoyances.For instance, As usual, thumb-up has two meanings: positive
meaning (means okay or welldone) and negative meaning. In the Unites
States the thumbs up is used as a sign for approval and success, whereas the
thumbs down conveys the opposite. In Europe the thumbs up is also a signal
for "goodbye,” or a greeting in passing, especially among young people.

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However, the thumbs up sign in Middle Eastern countries, Iran, Iraq and
Thailand, is an extremely obscene gesture, equivalent to flipping the finger in
Europe. In India, the thumbs up, combined with a wagging of the fist means,
"I doubt that will work."
In addition, a thumbs up is an important sign in scuba diving, where it
means, "stop the dive and ascend."

The thumbs-up as a general meaning of “good” or “positive”

Another letter formed by fingers is the "V.” Legend has it that the V sign
originates from the 100 Year War, when the French vowed to cut off English
long bowmen's middle fingers, but as the English won the war, they raised
their fingers in the V sign to show that the shooting fingers were still intact.

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Making the V sign with the palm turned inward is, particularly in the UK,
an offensive sign, very similar to flipping the finger.
It was Winston Churchill, after World War II, who first used the V sign
for victory and success, but with the palm turned outward. Since then it has
been used in that context. In the US, it is generally a sign of success, often
made with both arms raised.
Moreover, the V sign is also used to poke fun at someone, when secretly
made behind a person's head, making him or her look like a bunny.

Similarly,the “Horns”,or “hook ‘em horns” gestures,has different
meanings (both positive and negative) in different areas in the world.In
America, this might represent bull horns. Teenagers and surfers also use this
gesture to say “cool, dude”. A very different meaning arise, however, when
using this gesture in Brazil, Columbia, Portugal or Spain where this exact
same gesture means your wife had been unfaithful.
Thus,R.L.Birdwhistell claims that “there are no universal gestures.As far
as we know,there is no single facial expressions,stance or body position
which

conveysbthe

same

meaning

in

all

societies.”

(cited

from

knapp&hall,1997:43).

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Chapter 2: GREETING GESTURES
2.1. Greeting
In fact, no one can give an accurate definition of greeting. Here are some
common definitions of greeting in terms of anthropology, sociology,
linguistics, wikipedia and Vietnamese definition.
According to a definition on Wikipedia, greeting is an act of
communication in which human beings (as well as other members of the
animal kingdom) intentionally make their presence known to each other, to
show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship or social status
between individuals or groups of people coming in contact with each other.
Greetings can be expressed both audibly and physically, and often involve a
combination of the two. The major function of greeting is communication.
How about Vietnamese definitions “ Chào có nghĩa là nói ra hoặc ra
hiệu bằng các cử chỉ, tỏ lòng kính trọng, thái độ thân thiết”( according to

Professor Quang- 2002) and Vietnamese proverb “Lời chào cao hơn mâm cỗ”
2.2. Greeting gestures across cultures
2.2.1. Dead gestures
Dead gestures are gestures which have existed in ancient times and which
are not used or understandable today. Like verbal language, the gesture has
birth and death.This is mainly because there have been changes in social and
industrial development and partly due to the extinction of ethnic minorities
and some tribes.
For example, China is a country with many nationalities. Among them,
the 'Hanna' nationality, with over 90% population, is the biggest one. In the
past centuries, 'Hanna' was conquered by other nationalities. In that peroid,
the living custom of Chinese people was influenced by the ruling class. For
example, in Qing Danasty, Chinese people had special, in modern eyes,
strange ways of expressing meaning which were influenced of the "Mang"

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nationality (the ruling class at that time). When men of similar social status
sent greetings to each other, they used the following gesture,

but when noble women met or sent greetings to each other, they use gestures

like this one; .
The following picture shows how to meet the emperor

This gesture, called 'koutou', is complicated and has strict regulations. It
consists of three steps:

i) right sleeve brushing the left arm from top to the fingers,
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ii) left sleeve brushing the right arm from top to the fingers,
iii) bend down, one knee on the floor, right hand on the back and left hand
hitting the floor.
The gestures mentioned above were very popular during the "Qing
Dynasty" among the officials and nobles, but not very popular among the
common people. In present, all of them have died, because the kingdom was
overthrowed and the ruling class was changed. These gestures disappeared
quickly. We can only see them in movies, but the descendants of "Mang" in
Beijing are proud and glad to talk about their great history .
The Vietnamese greeting gestures “hand clasping” and “arm folding”
with body bending commonly used by people of low class when meeting
some richer and in a higher position are hardly found nowadays.Similarly,
“tip hat” with body bending and “hand kissing” are no longer popular in
Western countries.
2.2.2. Contemporary greeting gestures
Gesture helps to complement and reinforce meanings of verbal messages.
However, when communicating with people from cultures that are different
from your own, it is important to understand possible contradictions in the
meanings of gestures such as hand signals and head movements. An
understanding of how gestural meanings vary between different cultures
enables smooth and pleasant communications, and helps to avoid
embarrassment

and

misinterpretations.There

are

hundreds

estimated

contemporary gestures of greeting from East to West.However,here we
consider the nine more familiar and common ones:
2.2.2.1. The bow
Bowing is about as ancient as human civilization, and in every different
culture the movement is capable of great nuance in terms of angle and
duration. The bow as we know it today began as a show of servility by a
slave to his master, kneeling with the neck exposed as if allowing
decapitation at the master's will. Religious ceremonies across the world also
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incorporate deep bowing as a show of deference, particularly to divine
symbols and holy men. On the street, the deference became common respect
as a greetings and shows of gratitude. Today, the old show of suicidal
submission has taken a less severe tone in the form of an everyday polite
nod, but the many levels of action and meaning continue to this day.
Bowing is the act of lowering
the torso and head as a social gesture
in direction to another person or

symbol. It is most prominent in
Asian cultures but it is also typical of
nobility and aristocracy in many
countries

and

distinctively

in Europe. It is especially prominent in China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan,
and Vietnam where it may be executed standing or kneeling. Some bows are
performed equally by two or more people while others are unequal - the
person bowed to either does not bow in return or performs a less low bow in
response. A nod of the head may be regarded as the minimal form of bow;
forms of kneeling, genuflection, or prostration which involves the hands or
whole body touching the ground, are the next levels of gesture.
Around the world,especially in Western cultures,the bow gesture can be
observed in the theatre,performed by both actor and actress,composer and
musican at the beginning as a greeting and at the end of the show as a thanks
to an appreciative audience.
Contrary to

Western

cultures,in

Oriental

cultures,especially in

Japan,South Korea,Thailand,India,Laos,… bowing is considered the formally
standard and traditional greeting.
Japanese bow is an example.
Bowing in Japan is a way of saying
"hello" , "goodbye" , "thank you"

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and even "I'm sorry" . The dept of the bow and duration of the head is kept
lowered is depending on the age of the person ,status of the person involved
and relationship to on another.
The people of Thailand also bow as a greeting
but with a slight difference. They place their hands
together as if in prayer at the same time as they bow.
The higher the hand position is on your body, the
more respect is offered to the other person.
In Vietnam, bowing (vái chào) as a greeting gesture is found most often
in the country and among the old generation.However,it is also observed
commonlyin the theatre and in the business to show one’s respect and
humility to his/her encounter.
2.2.2.2. The High-5
The high five's origin is an
extraordinarily

contentious

issue,

given its association with camaraderie
and celebration. The low five had long
been used between black Americans
and became popular during the Jazz
Age as a response to "slap me some skin." However, the cultural phenomenon
known as the "high five" was not actually in print until 1980. The most
popular story of the high five's genesis is attributed to flash-in-the-pan rookie
sensation Glenn Burke, who was photographed instigating the action to
another player in 1977. Nevertheless, the 1978 Louisville Cardinalsbasketball
team also claimed credit, saying that they were frequent low fivers but in a
moment of spontaneous inspiration a trendsetting player held his hand up for
a high five instead. By 1980, everybody from Magic Johnson to people
who hadn't played sports since high school were claiming credit for the
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ubiquitous palm slap. In reality, they're really just fighting for the title of
"high five," since the gesture is likely to have naturally evolved from the low
fives of the Jazz Age.Nowadays,since this gesture is still used to celebrate a
sporting victory,it is seen most often in stadiums,on baseketball courts,and on
playing fields.
In fact,as time passed,the high-five was considered as a gesture of
greeting in the last decade of the twentieth century.the high-five gesture is
generally in the US, and it is quickly welcomed in other countrues by the
young.It’s easy to see high-five in streets,at schools,universities where friends
meet one another.
2.2.2.3.Hugging

Kathlann Keating (1994) claimed that “A hug is a near international form
of physical intimacy in which two people put their arms around the neck,
back, or waist of one another and hold each other closely. If more than two
persons are involved, this is informally referred to as a group hug.”
“The hug gesture is a personal of greeting used when parting or reuniting
to show warmth and affection.The hug is described as the arms are wrapped
around the torso of a companion,usually,the action is reciprocated.”
(Amstrong,20003:16).
Depending on culture, context and relationship,a hug can indicate
familiarity, love, affection, friendship, brotherhood or sympathy. A hug can
indicate support, comfort, and consolation, particularly where words are
insufficient. A hug usually demonstrates affection and emotional warmth,
sometimes arising from joy or happiness when reunited with someone or
seeing someone absent after long time.According to the functions,hugs can be
categorized as followings:Love hugging,Friendship hugging,Politeness
hugging,Greeting hugging and Farewell hugging.
Hugging standards vary from culture to culture.
2.2.2.4. Handshaking

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