Chapter 5, Verbal Communication

What does verbal communication refer to?

refers to the written or oral words we exchange, however it has more to do with how people speak

What is the most basic function of language?

instrumental

What is the definition if instrumental?

Use of language to obtain what you need or desire

What is the definition of the regulatory language function?

Use of language to control or regulate the behaviors of others

What is the definition of the informative language function?

USe of language to communicate information or report facts

What is the definition of the heuristic language function?

Use of language to acquire knowledge and understanding

What is the definition of the interactional language function?

Use of language to establish and define social relationships

What is the definition of the personal language function?

Use of language to express individuality and personality

What is the definition of the imaginative language function?

Use of language to express oneself artistically or creatively

What is the definition of grammar?

The structural rules that govern the generation of meaning in a language

What is phonology?

The study of the sounds that compose individual languages and how those sounds communicate meaning

What is syntax?

The rules that govern word order

What is semantics?

The study of meaning

What is denotative meaning?

The dictionary, or literal, meaning of a word

What is connotative meaning?

The affective or interpretive meanings attached to a word

What is pragmatics?

the field of study that emphasizes how language is used in specific situations to accomplish goals.

What is the speech act theory?

Branch of pragmatics that suggests when people communicate, they do not just say things, they also do things with their words

What is a dialect?

A variation of a language distinguished by its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation

What is lexical choice?

vocabulary

What is the cohort effect?

The influence of shared characteristics of a group that was born and reared in the same general period

What is African American Vernacular English?

A version of English that has its roots in West African, Caribbean, and US slave languages

What is code switching?

The practice of changing language or dialect to accommodate to the communication situation

What is jargon?

The specialized terms that develop in many professions

Who are nominalists?

Those who argue that any idea can be expressed in any language and that the structure and vocabulary of the language do not influence the speaker’s perception of the world

Who are relavists?

Those who argue that the languages serves not only as a way for us to voice our ideas but “is itself the shaper of ideas, the guide for the individual’s mental activity

What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

the idea that the language people speak determines the way they see te world (a relativist perspective)

What is the cocultural theory?

It explores the role of power in daily interactions

What is androcentrism?

The use of male experience as normative for humanity and female experience as emphasizing gender difference

What is hate speech?

Use of verbal communication to attack others based upon some social category

What is disconfirming communication?

Comments that reject or invalidate a positive or negative self-image of out conversational partners

What is confirming communication?

Comments that validate positive self-image of others