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CIS Chapters 4 and 5 Notes
Chapter 4:
Utterance- a complete unit of talk bound by the speaker’s silence
Turn-taking- exchanging utterances
Language- a system of symbols used by people to communicate
Lexicon- comprises verbal language; collection of words and expressions
Phonology- comprises verbal language; the sounds used to pronounce words
Syntax and Grammar- rules for combining words to form sentences and larger
units of expression.
All people who understand a particular language are part of a language
community
5 largest language communities (in order): *Chinese, Spanish, English, Arabic, and
Hindi
*Languages are a collection of dialects
Idiolect- our own personal symbol system that includes our active vocabularies
and our unique pronunciation, grammar, and syntax
*Not necessarily any literal connection between a word and a thing it represents,
members of a community decide what the word means making it possible for
words to be different in different communities
*Language is abstract
*Language changes over time
Semantic Meaning- derived from the words themselves and how they are
arranged into sentences
*Words have 2 types of meanings:
-Denotation= direct, explicit meaning found in the dictionary of a language
community
-Connotation= feelings or evaluations associated with a word
Guidelines for Improving Semantics:
*choose words and arrange them in ways that improves clarity and demonstrates
respect
*Use specific language
*Use concrete language (appeal to the senses)
*Use familiar language
*Use descriptive details and examples
*Demonstrate linguistic sensitivity
Pragmatic Meaning and How to Improve It: Focuses on what people mean
*Speech act- utterance of a verbal message by a speaker and what it implies
about how the listener should respond
*Tell the truth
*Provide the right amount of information
*Relate what you say to the topic being discussed
*Acknowledge when your message violates a guideline
*Assume the best first
Sociolinguistic meaning and How to Improve It: varies according to the norms of a
particular culture or co-culture
Idioms- expressions whose meanings are different from the literal meanings
associated with the words used in them
Direct Verbal Style- language that openly states the speaker’s intention in a
straightforward and unambiguous way
Indirect Verbal Style- language that masks the speaker’s true intentions in a
roundabout and ambiguous way
*Develop intercultural competence
*Practice mindfulness
*Respect and adapt to the sociolinguistic practices of others
Chapter 5:
Nonverbal communication- all the messages we send in way that transcend
spoken or written words; cues we send with our body, voice, space, time, and
appearance to support, modify, contradict, or even replace a verbal message
Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication:
*Nonverbal communication is inevitable
*Nonverbal communication is the primary conveyer of emotions
*Nonverbal communication is multi-channeled
Nonverbal communication is ambiguous
Types of Nonverbal Communication:
Use of body (Kinesics) - *Gestures
-emblems (gestures that substitute entirely for a word or words; ex. Motioning to
be quiet by putting your finger to your lips vertically)
-illustrators (type of gesture that serves to clarify the verbal message)
-Adaptors- unconscious responses to physical or psychological needs (ex. Scratch
an itch, adjust glasses, etc.)
*Eye Contact (oculesics; how and how much we look at others when
communicating)
*Facial Expressions (6 basic emotions: happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, anger,
and disgust)
*Posture (Body orientation- how we position our body in relation to other people)
*Touch (haptics)
-Spontaneous touch= automatic and subconscious
-Ritualized touch= scripted; ex. handshakes and high fives.
-Task-related touch= used to perform a certain unemotional function
Use of Voice: Paralanguage (vocalics) –
*6 vocal characteristics of paralanguage: pitch, volume, rate, quality, intonation,
and vocalized pauses
*Pitch- highness or lowness of vocal tone
*Volume- loudness or softness of vocal tone
*Rate- the speed at which a person speaks
*Quality (Timbre)- the sound of a person’s voice that distinguishes it from others
*Intonation- the variety, melody, or inflection in one’s voice
*Vocalized Pauses- extraneous sound or words that interrupt fluent speech (ex.
“Um,” “er,” “well,” “okay,” “you know,” and “like.”)
Use of Space (Proxemics): the formal term for how space and distance
communicate
*Personal Space
*Territorial Space
*Acoustic Space (the area over which your voice can be heard)
*Artifacts- the objects we use to adorn our territory
Use of Time (Chronemics): *Monochronic *Polychronic
*Physical Appearance is used to communicate who we are and what we stand for
Guidelines for Improving Nonverbal Communication:
*Consciously monitor your nonverbal messages
*Align your nonverbal messages with your purpose
*Adapt your nonverbal messages to the situation
*Reduce or eliminate distracting nonverbal messages
Interpreting Nonverbal Messages:
*Remember that the same nonverbal message may mean different things to
different people
*Consider each nonverbal message in context
*Pay attention to the multiple nonverbal messages being sent and the
relationship to the verbal message
*Use perception checking
Things I found interesting (POI):
Chapter 4*the diverse voices section was written by a professor here at UK!
*Idiolect is the way I speak personally
*5 largest language communities
Chapter 5*Territorial space- I find myself doing this quite a bit.
*Chronemics co-orientation (running on different times depending on what the
situation calls for, ie. In the Diverse Voices section)
*Everything that was once old in body art is now new again