Chapter 4

Question 1

Language

Answer 1

system of symbols (words) that are used to think about and communicate experiences and feelings

Question 2

denotative meeting

Answer 2

basic, consistently accepted defintion

Question 3

connotative meaning

Answer 3

emotional or attitudinal response to a word

Question 4

cognitive language

Answer 4

system of symbols you use to describe people, things and situations in your mind

Question 5

grammar

Answer 5

system of rules for creating words, phrases and sentences in a particular language

Question 6

phonological rules

Answer 6

how words should be pronounced

Question 7

syntactic rules

Answer 7

placement of words in a sentence

Question 8

communication acquisition

Answer 8

requires we learn individual words in a language but also how to use the language appropriately and effectively in various contexts

Question 9

informing

Answer 9

using language to give and receive information;

includes: questioning, describing, reinforcing, withholding

Question 10

imagining

Answer 10

ability to think, play, and be creative in common

Question 11

ritualizing

Answer 11

learning the rules for managing conversations and relationships

Question 12

abstraction ladder

Answer 12

a way to illustrate the specific vs. general levels of abstraction

Question 13

evasion

Answer 13

avoid providing specific details

Question 14

equivocation

Answer 14

use words that have unclear or misleading definitions

Question 15

euphemisms

Answer 15

offensive words or phrases that substitute for terms that might be upsetting (ex. “passed on” instead of “died”)

Question 16

slang

Answer 16

informal language, nonstandard, particular to a specific group

Question 17

jargon

Answer 17

technical language specific to members of a given profession or interest group or hobby

Question 18

semantics

Answer 18

relationship among symbols, objects, people and concepts - refers to meaning that words have for people

Question 19

pragmatics

Answer 19

ability to use culture’s symbols appropriately

Question 20

biased language

Answer 20

words with subtle meanings that influence our perceptions about the subject

Question 21

politically correct language

Answer 21

replacing language with more neutral terms

Question 22

profanity

Answer 22

words or expressions considered insulting, vulgar, rude or disrespectful

Question 23

civility

Answer 23

social norm for appropriate behavior

Question 24

speech repertoires

Answer 24

sets of language behaviors, use which one is most effective and appropriate to meet the demands of a situation

Question 25

high language

Answer 25

formal, polite

Question 26

low language

Answer 26

informal, easygoing, using slang, when you’re in a more comfortable environment

Question 27

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

Answer 27

words a culture uses or doesn’t use influence the thinking of people in that culture

Question 28

linguistic determinsim

Answer 28

language influences how we see the world around us

Question 29

linguistic relativity

Answer 29

speakers of different languages have different views of the world

Question 30

code/style switching

Answer 30

types of accommodation in which communicators change their regular language and slang, as well as their tone, pitch, rhythm, and inflection to fit into a particular group