Chapter 4 Verbal Communication The Nature of Language Language and Verbal Communication Defined Language is a more or less formally established collection of symbols that has meaning for a specific group of people Verbal communication is the exchange of meanings by the use of the written or spoken symbols of a language system A word is a single verbal symbol which is a speech sound or series of speech sounds combined into a single unit conveying an assigned meaning Lexicon is a formal system of written characters representing the spoken words of a language system 6 912 living languages 497 of them are nearly extinct Languages sometimes can be only spoken or only written and other like sign language don t use words they use visual cues s symbols to convey meaning rather than spoken sounds or written symbols Language and the Human Ability to think Cognition is dependent on the ability to use language Time binding characteristic of humans the ability to accumulate and communicate knowledge of the past in order to live in the present and shape the future Language is rule governed Phonological rules how words sound when spoken Semantic rules the range of meanings that a particular language group assigns to a word Syntactic rules how words are combined in sentences Pragmatic rules unstated rules we understand them through context and are absorbed over time as we observe how the members of our culture use language sarcasm Language is symbolic Denotative meaning dictionary definitions Connotative meaning personal meanings based on the images and emotions aroused by a word are the meanings that people respond to Words have no meaning unless people assign them meaning Language is symbolic words don t mean they are merely symbols that represent ideas feelings objects or events in our experience Words are arbitrary no reason for any particular word to represent a particular idea or object Language and Culture one s frame of reference Personal meanings attached to words as well as to how language is used are a product of Directedness of verbal expression varies and extent to which formality is expected Language and Gender Women are more high context than men The Power of Language Language has power to influence our perceptions of others Theory of linguistic relativity Page 103 A culture s language affects how members of that culture think as well as their perceptions of self and others Suggest that attitudes about women and people of color are perpetuated by the acceptance and widespread use of racist and sexist language Racist language and Sexist language are the intentional use of terms to imply inferiority f persons who are not members if the dominant culture Marking referring to someone s race ethnicity or gender when those characteristics are irrelevant Ex I was treated by a woman physician at the hospital Language has power to reflect attitudes Relational messages convey information about how you view your relationship with the other person with respect to power and connection Affiliation belongingness with others Disaffiliation lack of connection with others Language has power to affect other s perceptions of us Vocabulary level Use of profanity overuse of superlative terms Verbal communication is a matter of choice Obstacles to Effective Verbal Encoding Insufficient vocabulary Average college student possesses a vocabulary of 16 785 words Jargon Euphemisms Specialized vocabulary that group uses as a form of shorthand requiring fewer words Could be interpreted as showing off Words or phrases used in place of other words or phrases that might be considered offensive unpleasant or taboo Can improve of obscure understanding Trigger words Verbal expressions that arouse emotions to such an extent that internal psychological noise is created Sex gay prostitute Abstracting and Allness object or event Polarizing terms General semantics the system of language study Abstracting when we are making a statement about a subject Allness implication that the verbal expression has captured the totality of a person Polarize asserting that the thing discussed must be either of one kind or of its opposite Imprecise language and relative terms Imprecise language words or phrases that lack sufficient clarity to guide interpretation Relative terms derive their meaning only by specifying their relationship to other factors this restaurant is inexpensive Overcoming the Obstacles to Effective Verbal Encoding Expanding a poor vocabulary Avoiding jargon Using euphemisms with care Being alert to Trigger words sexist and racist language Using dating and indexing Dating add a date to a statement Indexing acknowledge the differences that may exist between people within a group or between people at different points in time Holland is the best place in the world to vacation in My trip to Holland was the best vacation I have ever had Being cautious of extremes Defining and describing with care concerned with meaning Operational definitions add language to describe what you mean by the terms you use Behavioral descriptions add language to specify the exact actions to which you are referring concerned with usefulness in clarifying the actions you are seeing or wish to see Should be less word centered ad more person centered Words have no meaning people have meaning Chapter 5 Nonverbal Communication What is Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal messages sometimes communicate even better than verbal ones Key Communication Concepts Meanings are co constructed the messages exchanged in communication are not embedded in the language used but created by people interacting within a particular context from within each person s frame of reference Our understanding is not based on language it is based on our interpretation of all the nonverbal aspects of the event Words have no meaning people have meanings You cannot not communicate The very act of trying not to communicate is in fact communicating Anything you do or do not do has the potential to communicate if someone attached meaning to it Nonverbal Communication Defined Nonverbal communication includes any symbolic behavior other than written or spoken language that is either intentionally or unintentionally sent and is interpreted as meaningful by the receiver They are influenced by social cultural and psychological aspects of their frames of reference It isn t the message you intend to send that matters it s the message that is received receiver oriented view of communication