Download The Communication Process

10/15/2012
Outline
The Communication Process
Where Does Language Come From?
Verbal Language
Nonverbal Communication
Bilingualism
LANGUAGE AND
COMMUNICATION
Definition of communication:
The Communication Process
The ________of creating and exchanging
Sender
Encoding
___________ through ___________ interaction.
Channel
Process:
Communication constantly changes.
Meaning:
Thoughts, ideas, and understandings.
Noise
Message
Barrier
Symbolic:
behaviors.
We rely on words and nonverbal
Feedback
Decoding
Channel
Receiver
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Features of Communication
Communication is ______________ because
it involves an exchange.
Features of Communication
If
I go to the store to get a coke, I exchange
money to the cashier for the coke. I give
something and get something in return.
Communication is the same… you have to give
and receive for communication to happen.
Who Communicates?
The Co-Evolution of Language
and Culture
Human cultures and the ability for verbal
language evolved together
Facilitates shared intentionality
Humans have uniquely complex
communication
Human cultures exist because of language
Language
Each culture creates its own unique language
Animals communicate
Predator
calls
Pheremones
“Bee dance”
Communication is _____________ .
Uses verbal and nonverbal signals
Interactive
Uses symbols (ex. words)
Influenced by culture
It is impossible to duplicate because each
interaction is unique.
Reflects
differences and reinforces cultures
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Language
Form of communication based on system of
symbols
Infinite Generativity
Highly practiced and automatic process
Parts of language
Phonemes
Morphemes
Syntax and Grammar
Phonemes
Categories of sounds our vocal apparatus
produces
Probably around 100 total, each language only
uses a subset of them
40-45 in English, range from 15-60 worldwide
Morphemes
Syntax and Grammar
The smallest units of meaning in a language
The set of rules of a language by which we
construct sentences
Convey information about semantics –
meaning derived from words and sentences
Includes word order, morphological markers
and sentence structure
Real-world language _________ follows this
completely
Can be full words (“dog”) or modifiers (“re-”)
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Other Parts of Language
Lexicon = vocabulary
Semantics: what words mean
Phonology: how words should sound (pronunciation)
Biological Influences on Language
Language Universals (Chomsky)
Biological
Imitation
prewiring to learn language in humans
not adequate to learn language
Ex. new vs. sew
Pragmatics: system of rules governing how language
is used and understood in social contexts
“It is cold.”
Learning Language
Learning begins prenatally
Babbling during first year allows babies to
develop control over vocal tracts
Also developing phoneme recognition during
this time
Environmental Influences
Critical period
Special
time during which language must develop
Biology and environment interact for language.
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Language Differences Across Cultures
Culture and lexicons:
Language Differences Across Cultures
Culture
influences self-other referents (what we
call ourselves and others)
American English: simple use of self-other
referents
Japanese: more complex self-other referents
Culture and pragmatics:
Culture
influences _____________ (rules for how
language is used and understood in different
social contexts)
Can
you drop the pronouns (I, we, he, she, etc.)
High-context
Ex.
Language and Thought
Sapir–Whorf hypothesis (linguistic relativity):
Different
languages different thoughts
Words in our internal narrative matter
vs. low-context cultures
drop pronouns vs. pronouns are necessary
Language and Thought: The
Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis
Challenges to Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis:
Berlin
and Kay (1969): 11 basic color terms form
a universal hierarchy
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words vs multiple
Pinker
(1995): thought can be formed
___________ words and language
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Nonverbal Communication
Communication that isn’t language, but provides
information about what we mean
Bulk of messages conveyed nonverbally:
Nonverbal
channels more important in
understanding meaning and ___________ states
Facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures,
body postures, interpersonal distance, touching
behaviors, gaze and visual attention
Most
people consciously attend to verbal
language
Used to help interpret ___________ information
Culture and Gestures
Cultural Influences on Nonverbal
Communication
Speech illustrators
movements
directly tied to speech; illustrate or
highlight what is being said
Culture and Gaze
Gaze: powerful nonverbal behavior with
evolutionary roots in animal behavior
Gaze
associated with dominance, power,
aggression, affiliation, and nurturance
Emblems
culture-specific
gestures convey meaning without
words
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Culture and Gaze
Cultures create rules concerning gazing and
visual attention
Culture and Voice
Tone
of voice, intonation, pitch, speech rate, use
of silence, and volume
“Contact cultures” vs. “noncontact cultures”
Gaze often used as nonverbal sign of respect
at person: sign of respect in U.S.
Look away: sign of respect in other cultures
Culture, Interpersonal Space,
and Touch
Proxemics
Use
cultures vs. less expressive cultures
Culture, Interpersonal Space,
and Touch
Interpersonal distance helps to regulate
intimacy by controlling sensory exposures
Haptics: non-verbal behavior involving touch
of space in interpersonal interactions
Cultures differ in interpersonal spaces they allot
to intimate, personal, social, and public
situations
Cultures differ in the use of voice and verbal
style to illustrate and amplify speech
Expressive
Look
Paralinguistic cues:
“Contact”
culture vs. “noncontact” culture
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Cultural Influences on Encoding
and Decoding
Culture dictates the “filter” we use to encode
and decode messages
Communication between Cultures
What
information we send (Ex. include or leave
out pronouns)
How to interpret the information we receive
Assumptions
of similarities
differences
Nonverbal misinterpretations
Preconceptions and stereotypes
Uncertainty and ambiguity
Greater potential for conflict
Language
Decoding rules involve:
Ethnocentrism,
emotions, value judgments,
stereotypes/expectations, and social cognitions
Improving Intercultural
Communication
Mindfulness:
Allows for focus on content of signals and messages
Important to be mindful of appearances and potential
shame
Emotion regulation:
Controlling negative emotions will allow for more
constructive intercultural process
Majority of individuals who speak English also
speak at least one other language fluently
Culture is a knowledge system
Bilinguals
Face:
Psychological Differences as a
Function of Language
Allows for ethnorelativism
Uncertainty reduction:
Intercultural communication
Potential obstacles to effective intercultural
communication:
Activated
have two knowledge systems
by language
Different personalities depending on language
Code frame switching:
Switch
cultural knowledge systems when you
switch
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Perceptions of Bilinguals
Perception that bilinguals lack intelligence :
Takes
time to respond in second language
Foreign language processing difficulties:
Because
of uncertainty or ambiguity about
intended meaning of messages
Monolingualism and Ethnocentrism
Reject
need to learn, understand, and appreciate
other languages, customs, and cultures
Foreign language effect:
Temporary
decline in thinking ability of people
who use second language
Americans are notoriously ignorant of
languages other than English
Ignorance of other cultures
Ethnocentric view:
Americans are most monolingual of all peoples
of world
Thus,
language is intimately tied to culture
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