Abstract:  Body language is a kind of nonverbal communication with rich meanings and great functions. Like verbal language, it is also a part of culture. But not all body languages mean the same thing in different cultures. Different people have different ways of making nonverbal communication. So in order to communicate effectively in a foreign language, one should know also the gestures, body movements and etc, that accompany a particular language. Thus in this paper the relationship between culture and body language is dealt with and the functions and application of body language are elaborated on, so that people can improve their communication skills and abilities by understanding it well.

Key words: body language; nonverbal communication; culture

摘要：体态语同语言一样，都是文化的一部分，在不同的文化中，体态语的意义并不完全相同。各名族有不同的非语言交际方式。因此，要用外语进行有效的交际，在说某种语言时就得了解说话人的手势，动作等所表示的意思。因此，本文详细阐述了文化与体态语之间的关系以及体态语的功能和应用，从而使人们能够通过很好的理解它来提高交际能力。

关键词：体态语；非语言交际；文化