Chapter 4

verbal communication

communication that uses written or spoken words

functional communication competencies

The ability to communicate one's feeling and basic need effictively

language

our spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning

Nature of Language

"Language is symbolic"
"Meanings are in people, not words"
"Language is rule governed"

Power of Language

a way of speaking that helps you boost your feeling of control simply by changing the words you use

vice versa

the other way around

phonological rules

a set of rules that indicate how phonemes can be combined to produce speech sounds

Syntactic rules of language

govern the structure of language- the way symbols can be arranged

Functions of Language

instrumental, regulatory, informative, heuristic, interactional, personal language, imaginative

functional communication

Verbal or nonverbal communication that is efficient, useful, understandable, and easy to use.

Questioning

having to do with doubt or uncertainty

describing

using words to depict or portray a person, a place, an object, or an experience

reinforcing

the property of a stimulus indicating that if made contingent the stimulus will increase future probability

Withholding

A portion of an employee's wages deducted for taxes

express creativity

imagining

imagining

the ability to think, play, and be creative in communication

Semantics

the set of rules by which we derive meaning from morphemes, words, and sentences in a given language; also, the study of meaning

ritualizing

learning the rules for managing conversations and relationships

pragmatics of language

rules for using language in different contexts

Language and Meaning

By attending to the language and meaning used by clients, therapists can gain an understanding of their lived reality and how they experience the meaning of situations, relationships, others, and self.

Denotative

The dictionary definition of a word

Connotative

The ideas or concepts a word suggests in addition to its literal definition

Abstraction

Reducing information and detail to focus on essential characteristics.

abstraction ladder

a range of more to less abstract terms describing an event or object

evasion

an act of escaping or avoiding

Equivocation

When a writer uses the same term in two different senses in an argument.

Euphemism

an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive

group identification

a feeling of belonging to a certain group of people

slang

informal language consisting of words and expressions that are not considered appropriate for formal occasions

Jargon

nonsensical talk; specialized language

Language Reflects context

variety of speech repertories

Language builds on context

Adjust language to situation

Language determinenes context

choose formal and informal language

situational context

the social or environmental setting of a person's behavior

situational context

the social or environmental setting of a person's behavior

relational context

communication occurs within the context of a relationship and is influenced by the relational history

cultural context

The values, attitudes, beliefs, orientations, and underlying assumptions prevalent among people in a society

Gender and Language

Differences in phonology, grammar, and vocabulary as well as in the body stances and movements that accompany speech
• Men and women have different pronunciations and choices of vocabulary (ex. adjectives like charming, cute, divine)
• Voice technology → how we react to different voices that appear to be male or female, but are actually machines
• Women tend to be better about not using "uneducated speech" ("I don't want none")