Verbal and Nonverbal Communication and Strategies

Vocabulary flashcards covering verbal and nonverbal communication types, politeness markers, and various communication strategies.

Verbal Communication

The process of expressing ideas and emotions through spoken language.

Nonverbal Communication

Refers to the exchange of information without the use of spoken or written words.

Facial Expressions

The first and most instinctive form of nonverbal communication, including smiles, frowns, raised eyebrows, or quizzical looks.

Kinesics

Gestures and body movement covering deliberate and subconscious body motions such as hand gestures, head nods, or shakes.

Vocalics: Paralanguage

Refers to how something is said rather than what is said, including tone of voice, volume, pitch, pauses, speed, and emphasis.

Posture and Body Language

General body position communicating attitudes and emotion; standing upright signals engagement while slouching or crossing arms may suggest disinterest or defensiveness.

Oculesics: Eye Contact

Nonverbal signals of respect, interest, or dominance; in Filipino culture, brief and indirect eye contact toward authority figures is preferred as a sign of humility.

Proxemics: Use of Personal Space

How people use and interpret physical space, involving cultural comfort zones defined as personal, social, and public distances.

Haptics: Touch

Using touch, such as a handshake or a light pat on the shoulder, to convey emotion, connection, or respect.

Appearance and Artifacts

How a person's dress and use of objects, like uniforms or organized materials, communicate identity, status, and intentions.

Chronemics: Use of Time

How time management communicates meaning, where punctuality shows respect and frequent lateness signals disregard for others’ time.

Politeness

The regulation of exchanges between participants and the adaptation of their linguistic register defined by linguistics.

Politeness Markers

Linguistic devices that help speakers navigate power dynamics and social hierarchies.

Honorifics

Titles that convey esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank, such as Mr., Mrs., Dr., and Professor.

Hedging

A word or phrase used in a sentence to express ambiguity, probability, caution, or indecisiveness instead of full certainty or confidence.

Indirectness

A communication style that conveys meaning or intent in a subtle or implied manner rather than stating it directly.

Message Abandonment

Leaving a message unfinished because of language difficulties.

Topic Avoidance

A strategy where speakers do not talk about concepts which they find difficult to express.

Circumlocution

A strategy to describe or paraphrase a target object or action, such as calling a corkscrew 'the thing that you use to open the bottle'.

Approximation

Using an alternative term to express the meaning of a target lexical item as closely as possible, such as using 'ship' for 'sail boat'.

Use of all-purpose words

Expanding empty lexical items like 'thing', 'stuff', 'make', or 'do' when specific words are lacking.

Word Coinage

Creating a word based on knowledge of morphological rules, such as 'vegetarianist' for 'vegetarian'.

Non linguistic mean

Using non-linguistic resources like mime, gesture, facial expression, and sound imitation to help express meaning.

Literal translation

Translating a lexical item, idiom, or structure literally from a native language to a foreign language, such as translating 'Suntok sa buwan' as 'a punch to the moon'.

Foreignizing

Using a first language word by adjusting it phonologically to the second language, such as 'Shiros' used for 'Whites'.

Code switching

Using a first language word with second language pronunciation, such as 'Publik' for 'public'.

Appeal for help

Asking other students or teachers for help because a word is unknown or forgotten.

Use of fillers/hesitation devices

Using words like 'well', 'umm', or 'you know' to fill pauses and gain time to think.

Using wrong terms

Using an alternative term to express the meaning of the target, such as 'circle road' for 'round about' or 'mix' for 'stir'.

Repetition

Repeating words or phrases to gain time to think during communication.

Intercultural Sensitivity

An individual’s ability to develop emotion towards understanding and appreciating cultural differences that promotes appropriate behavior in intercultural communication.