The silent language of connection

Nonverbal rituals in intercultural friendships at a Chinese university

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/82x7j075

Keywords:

Intercultural friendship, nonverbal communication, ritual adaptation, international students, higher education

Abstract

This study examines how international and Chinese students at a Chinese university form intercultural friendships through nonverbal rituals, including silence, gift-giving, and shared meals. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, the study draws on 50 interviews, six focus groups, and 120 hours of observation. The findings reveal that silence serves to manage emotions and maintain face, gift-giving acts as a nonverbal apology and connector, and shared meals create hybrid cultural spaces for mutual understanding. These nonverbal practices enable students to develop trust and resolve conflicts without relying on language. The study contributes to the development of intercultural competence by extending symbolic interactionism to encompass nonverbal communication and reinterpreting face negotiation theory through the lens of embodied interaction. The research introduces the concept of “third culture building,” suggesting that student-driven rituals are essential for fostering inclusive environments in higher education. The findings highlight the importance of informal interactions in cultivating intercultural relationships.

Author Biographies

  • Wang Jinquan, Yangzhou University, China

    Prof. Dr. Wang Jinquan is a scholar at the College of International Studies, Yangzhou University, China. His primary research interests include Second Language Acquisition (SLA), Cultural Studies, and Translation Studies. 

  • Weinian Fu, Yangzhou University, China

    Weinian Fu is a graduate student at the College of International Studies at Yangzhou University, China. Research domains: Systemic Functional Grammar, Cognitive Linguistics and English Education at secondary school.

    Email: 2817969994@qq.com

  • Zhuoqi Ye, Yangzhou University, China

    Zhuoqi Ye was a bachelor student in the Yangzhou University Business School and taught HSK as a Chinese teacher in the Yangzhou University Overseas College, now working as an English teacher in the Primary School Affiliated to Changzhou University, interested in cross-cultural communication, educational psychology, and AI application in language learning.

    Email: zhuow416@gmail.com

References

Anderson, K. A. (2023). Nonverbal communication as a mediator of intercultural communication in English as a second language classrooms. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2023.2262422 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2023.2262422

Arasaratnam, L. A., & Doerfel, M. L. (2005). Intercultural communication competence: Identifying key components from multicultural perspectives. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29(2), 137–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2004.04.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2004.04.001

Blumer, H. (1969). Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method. University of California Press.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Chistyakov, D. I., & Chistyakova, O. V. (2020). Ritual as a means of intercultural communication. In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Education, Language, Art, and Inter-Cultural Communication (ICELAIC 2020). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.201215.350 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.201215.350

Dai, K., Hu, Y., Li, X., & Oladipo, O. (2023). Conducting doctoral research in China: An exploration of international students’ motivation to study at Chinese universities. Higher Education Research and Development, 42(5), 1133–1149. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2023.2197195 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2023.2197195

Deardorff, D. K. (2006). Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10(3), 241–266. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315306287002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315306287002

Deardorff, D. K., & Arasaratnam-Smith, L. A. (2022). Developing intercultural competence in higher education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003229551 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003229551

Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. Anchor Books.

Hashmi, M., & Waheed, M. (2020). Discerning goodness via nonverbal cues: Perspectives from high-context cultures. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 20(3), 74–88. https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v20i3.313 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v20i3.313

Hofstede, G. (1984). Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values. Sage.

Ivanova, P., Sun, Y., Li, W., & Bista, K. (2025). International students’ loneliness and social engagement. Journal of International Students, 15(4), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.32674/y6hw0n78 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32674/y6hw0n78

Lin, H., & Lou, L. (2024). A study on cross-cultural business communication based on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 12(09), 352–368. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2024.129021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2024.129021

Liu, C., & Renn, K. A. (2024). Culturally responsive advising for international students. In D. K. Deardorff & L. A. Arasaratnam-Smith (Eds.), Developing intercultural competence in higher education (pp. 101–114). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-46395-2_7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-46395-2_7

Lu, B., Shao, X., Ge, L., & Wu, J. (2024). Challenges and opportunities in implementing intercultural education in higher education: The perceptions and practice of foreign language teachers in a Chinese university. Language and Intercultural Communication, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2024.2425972 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2024.2425972

McSweeney, B. (2002). Hofstede’s model of national cultural differences and their consequences: A triumph of faith - a failure of analysis. Human Relations, 55(1), 89–118. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726702551004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726702551004

Nakane, I. (2007). Silence in intercultural communication: Perceptions and performance. John Benjamins Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.166 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.166

Oetzel, J., Ting-Toomey, S., Masumoto, T., Yokochi, Y., Pan, X., Takai, J., & Wilcox, R. (2001). Face and facework in conflict: A cross-cultural comparison of China, Germany, Japan, and the United States. Communication Monographs, 68(3), 235–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637750128061 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03637750128061

Peng, F., Kang, L., Shi, J., & Liu, M. (2023). Cultural distance, classroom silence and culturally responsive and inclusive education: Evidence from migrant college students in Shanghai. Behavioral Sciences, 13(3), 193. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13030193 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13030193

Saunders, B., Sim, J., Kingstone, T., Baker, S., Waterfield, J., Bartlam, B., Burroughs, H., & Jinks, C. (2017). Saturation in qualitative research: Exploring its conceptualization and operationalization. Quality & Quantity, 52(4), 1893–1907. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-017-0574-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-017-0574-8

Tang, L., & Zhang, C. (2023). Intercultural friendships with international students in China: Examining the role of intergroup contact, intercultural communication competence, host country nationals’ attitudes, and perceived intergroup threats. Behavioral Sciences, 13(10), 855. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13100855 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13100855

Taras, V., Steel, P., & Stackhouse, M. (2023). A comparative evaluation of seven instruments for measuring values comprising Hofstede’s model of culture. Journal of World Business, 58(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2022.101386 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2022.101386

Target 4.7 | Sustainable development and global citizenship. (2016, August 10). UNESCO. Retrieved from https://gem-report-2016.unesco.org/en/chapter/target-4-7-sustainable-development-and-global-citizenship/

Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). Intercultural conflict styles: A face-negotiation theory. In Y. Y. Kim & W. B. Gudykunst (Eds.), Theories in intercultural communication (pp. 213–235). Sage.

Zhu, Y., & Bresnahan, M. J. (2024). Chinese international students’ facework and collective face concerns in response to group criticism. Communication Quarterly, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2024.2420989 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2024.2420989

Downloads

Published

2025-09-14

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 10 (2025): Journal of International Students

Section

Research Articles (English, regular edition)

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of International Students

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) [year] [author]
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

How to Cite

Anjum, S. W., Jinquan, W., Fu, W., & Ye, Z. (2025). The silent language of connection: Nonverbal rituals in intercultural friendships at a Chinese university. Journal of International Students, 15(10), 27-40. https://doi.org/10.32674/82x7j075