Managing mianzi in Mandarin Chinese talk-in-interaction : a nonverbal perspective

This article investigates nonverbal mianzi-saving (face-saving) strategies employed by Mandarin Chinese speakers in talk-in-interaction. Using qualitative methods to analyze audio and video data collected from real conversational activities, this study investigates the nonverbal strategies Mandarin Chinese speakers use to achieve dual purposes of mianzi-saving face-saving)--other-mianzi-saving acts (OMSAs) and self-mianzi-saving acts (SMSAs). They take some nonverbal actions to realize OMSAs and or SMSAs. In particular, it is proposed that other-mianzi design be used to describe the aspects of the nonverbal cues employed by one party at talk that are constructed to meet the mianzi needs of the other party involved.