4: Verbal Elements of Communication

Question 1

speaking ideas in a nondescript way

Answer 1

abstraction

Question 2

describes how you can move from abstract ideas gradually down to more concrete and fine-tuned ones

Answer 2

abstraction ladder

Question 3

language that can have various meanings

Answer 3

ambiguous language

Question 4

an attitude that is prejudiced and not objective or balanced

Answer 4

bias

Question 5

language that shows preference in favor of or against a certain point-of-view, shows prejudice, or is demeaning to others

Answer 5

biased language

Question 6

an idea or expression that has been so overused that it has lost its original meaning

Answer 6

cliche

Question 7

use of informal words in communication - culturally specific

Answer 7

colloquialism

Question 8

subjective definition and understanding of a word

Answer 8

connotation

Question 9

adapt to another person/group’s communication style

Answer 9

converge

Question 10

dictionary definition of a word

Answer 10

denotation

Question 11

communicate in a very different fashion from another person/group

Answer 11

diverge

Question 12

a means of saying something more politely or less bluntly

Answer 12

euphemism

Question 13

official and academic language, meant to appear intelligent and capable - full sentences, grammatical correctness

Answer 13

formal language

Question 14

using language to learn, discover, and explore - asking questions

Answer 14

heuristic function

Question 15

expressions or figures of speech whose meaning cannot be understood by looking at the individual words and interpreting them literally

Answer 15

idiom

Question 16

common, everyday language, which might include slang words - casual, conversational

Answer 16

informal language

Question 17

using language to fulfill a need

Answer 17

instrumental function

Question 18

using language to help maintain or develop a relationship

Answer 18

interactional function

Question 19

specialized or technical language of a specific group or profession that may not be understood by outsiders

Answer 19

jargon

Question 20

system of human communication using a particular form of spoken or written words or other symbols

Answer 20

language

Question 21

the ability to alter one’s linguistic choices in a communicatively competent manner

Answer 21

language adaptation

Question 22

a person’s ability to be mindful and sensitive to all functions and forms of language

Answer 22

language awareness

Question 23

relationship messages that are sent among people who communicate - implications

Answer 23

metamessage

Question 24

using language to help you form your identity or sense of self

Answer 24

personal function

Question 25

language that suggests that a racial group is superior or better than another race

Answer 25

racist language

Question 26

using language to influence the behaviors of others through requests, rules, or persuasion

Answer 26

regulatory function

Question 27

language that depends on the person communicating, their background, perspective

Answer 27

relative language

Question 28

using language to relay information - “my dog is asleep”, “the light isn’t working”

Answer 28

representational function

Question 29

theory that suggests language impacts perceptions by showing a culture’s worldview (linguistic determinism)

Answer 29

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

Question 30

words, phrases, and expressions that unnecessarily differentiate between females and males or exclude, trivialize, or diminish either sex

Answer 30

sexist language

Question 31

words that are employed by certain groups, such as young adults and teens - between those who are similar and have similar experiences

Answer 31

slang

Question 32

language that implies things are not constant - someone is “good” or “bad”

Answer 32

static evaluation

Question 33

all the words understood by a person or group of people

Answer 33

vocabulary