Note
0.0
(0)
Rate it
Take a practice test
Chat with Kai
Explore Top Notes
Physical Science - Chapter 9
Note
Studied by 12 people
5.0
(1)
Japanese Culture Midterm
Note
Studied by 395 people
4.5
(2)
GIS Quiz 3 (copy)
Note
Studied by 2 people
5.0
(1)
Anirudh Mohanty - Honors Meiosis Notes
Note
Studied by 17 people
5.0
(1)
Ms yuens revision lesson
Note
Studied by 6 people
5.0
(1)
Chapter 6: Settling of the Western Hemisphere (1491-1607)
Note
Studied by 65 people
5.0
(1)
Home
Chapter 3 – Verbal Communication
Chapter 3 – Verbal Communication
Language & Meaning
Language is a symbolic code; symbols have
arbitrary
links to referents.
Triangle of Meaning:
Thought ↔️ Symbol ↔️ Referent
(symbol–referent link is indirect ⇒ potential misunderstanding).
Denotation = dictionary / group-agreed meaning; Connotation = emotion/experience-based meaning; many words are
polysemic
.
Grammar = rule set that makes language learnable & usable; collective agreement, yet allows creativity.
Displacement: humans communicate about things removed in space/time.
Language acquisition (typical):
2\text{–}4\text{ mo} distinguish tones
6\text{ mo} begin babbling / word–behavior links
8\text{–}10\text{ mo} point & follow conversation
\approx1\text{ yr} first words, interaction rituals
By early teens: everyday linguistic competence
Functions of Language
4 basic verbal expressions:
Observation, Thought, Feeling, Need
.
Language is
Expressive
: meets instrumental & relational needs.
Language is
Powerful
:
expresses identity (self/other labels)
affects credibility (clarity, support, appropriateness)
controls (directives, promises, climates)
performative (e.g., “I do”, legal sentences)
Language is
Fun
: word play, humor, palindromes, contranyms.
Language is
Dynamic
:
Neologisms
(borrowing, compounding, affixing, blending, shifts)
Slang
(group-/time-specific, creative, often short-lived)
Language is
Relational
:
Brings together via “we-language”, frequency & supportive messages
Separates via unsupportive tactics (global labels, sarcasm, past-dragging, negative comparisons, judgmental “you”, threats)
Using Words Well
Clarity
:
Ladder of Abstraction: Concrete → Abstract; stay low when precision matters.
Create
Whole messages
(include all 4 expression types) vs. partial or contaminated.
Figurative / Evocative Language
:
Simile (like/as), Metaphor (implicit comparison), Personification.
Vivid words evoke sensory & emotional imagery; euphemisms soften taboos.
Ethics
:
Civility vs. incivility (insults, gossip, deception, etc.).
Avoid polarizing language (all/nothing thinking).
Swearing: social vs. annoyance; context-dependent.
Accountability: distinguish
facts, inferences, judgments
; avoid inference-observation confusion.
Language, Society & Culture
Conversational norms
: turn-taking signals, adjacency pairs (Q–A, greet–return, etc.), scripted openings/closings & topic shifts.
Cultural context
influences vocabulary, politeness, and reality perception (Sapir–Whorf).
Accents vs. Dialects
: pronunciation vs. vocabulary/grammar sets; affect impressions.
Communication Accommodation Theory
:
Convergence
= adjust to be similar (ease, approval).
Divergence
= emphasize difference (identity, distance).
Code-switching
= shift language/dialect/accent across contexts (e.g., call-center “accent-neutralization”).
Cultural Bias in Language
:
Race: avoid euphemistic or comparative terms ("nonwhite", “urban”).
Gender: avoid generic
he
, gendered job titles; use neutral or alternating pronouns.
Age: avoid infantilizing or stereotypical terms (“elderly”, “boys/girls” for adults).
Sexual orientation: prefer
gay/lesbian/bisexual
, “partner”; avoid implying abnormality.
Ability: emphasize person-first ("person with paraplegia"), not victimizing.
Hate Speech
: extreme negative language toward a group; totalizes out-group, can incite violence; legal protection vs. social/ethical harm debated.
Note
0.0
(0)
Rate it
Take a practice test
Chat with Kai
Explore Top Notes
Physical Science - Chapter 9
Note
Studied by 12 people
5.0
(1)
Japanese Culture Midterm
Note
Studied by 395 people
4.5
(2)
GIS Quiz 3 (copy)
Note
Studied by 2 people
5.0
(1)
Anirudh Mohanty - Honors Meiosis Notes
Note
Studied by 17 people
5.0
(1)
Ms yuens revision lesson
Note
Studied by 6 people
5.0
(1)
Chapter 6: Settling of the Western Hemisphere (1491-1607)
Note
Studied by 65 people
5.0
(1)