Title:	Vícejazyčnost a gestika ve cvičném obchodním jednání Čechů a Francouzů
Authors:	Suchá, Romana
Citation:	Akta Fakulty filozofické Západočeské univerzity v Plzni. 2016, č. 3, s. 7-33.
Issue Date:	2016
Publisher:	Západočeská univerzita v Plzni
Document type:	článek article
URI:	http://actaff.zcu.cz/export/sites/ffacta/files/archiv/2016/Acta-FF-c-3/po-kapitolach/1.-Vcejazynost-a-gestika-ve-cvinm-obchodnm-jednn-ech-a-Francouz-Romana-Such.pdf http://hdl.handle.net/11025/26203
ISSN:	1802-0364 (print) 2336-6346 (online)
Keywords:	cvičné obchodní vyjednávání;Češi;Francouzi;gestika;neverbální komunikace;vícejazyčnost
Keywords in different language:	business negotiation training;Czech;French;hand gestures;nonverbal communication;plurilingualism
Abstract in different language:	This article presents the results of research into the use of gestures by Czech and French speakers in business negotiation training. Its aim was to point out intercultural differences in the use of hand gestures. The research had several standpoints: linguistics, psychology, and social and cultural anthropology. It focused on nonverbal behavior, which is considered to be particularly important in the intercultural interactions between both Czech and French speakers. The research was carried out in the 2011–2012 academic year at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Czech Republic, at lessons of the academic course entitled French Business Negotiation. The aim of the research was to examine the frequency and length of hand gestures and their co-occurrence with speech when used by Czech and French speakers during their business negotiation trainings. Data was collected from six video-recorded business negotiations between two groups of Czech students and two pairs of French students. In total, the cohort consisted of nine students who participated in business negotiation trainings conducted in French and English. Based on repeated observations of the videotaped negotiations, the hand gestures were described and consequently coded and classified into five groups: opened, closed, manipulative, illustrative, and self-touch gestures. Coded gestures and the speech of every participant were registered using ELAN Annotator software. To compare the frequency and length of gestures used by the Czech and French speakers, the Bootstrap statistical method was used. According to the findings, the French speakers used illustrative gestures more frequently compared to the Czech speakers. During the negotiation in French and in English, the French speakers used more gestures of palms directed toward themselves, vertically oriented palms, and palms orientated toward the other speaker in the negotiation more often than the Czech speakers did. The Czech speakers, on the other hand, used more closed, self-touch, and manipulative gestures. They used hair-touch gestures and hands-in-contact gestures more frequently than the French speakers. The length of closed gestures was statistically higher among the Czech speakers in comparison to the French speakers while negotiating in both French and English. The analysis shows that there are cultural differences in the groups of gestures used by Czech and French respondents. In addition, there was always one dominating individual in every negotiation on either side of the negotiating table, who was more active verbally and in the usage of gestures than their other colleagues. These leaders used more gestures equal to those of their counterparts than the other participants in the same negotiation. The number of equal gestures even increased between the two dominating personalities at each side of the negotiation in further negotiations, which proves a stronger mirror gesture effect based on the increasing interpersonal contact experience between the negotiating business partners. By exploring gestural communication as a part of nonverbal behavior, the analysis confirmed that differences exist in nonverbal signals between Czech and French speakers. The findings may therefore be of interest to educators and instructors of English and French business language skills at universities as well as to foreign language teachers in classes for employees working in multinational companies.
Rights:	© Západočeská univerzita v Plzni
Appears in Collections:	Číslo 3 (2016)

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