Verbal Communication Flashcards
How words work
(Idea of the referent triangle) See something which becomes the referent, then I have a thought; there’s something red on the wall. Then someone says hey that a fire alarm; this is how we acquire words.
Words work on two levels
Denotative and Connotative
Words work on two levels: Denotative level
Dictionary definitions
Words work on two levels: Connotative level
Are the feelings that we have about a certain word (ex. When someone says the word accident it makes you cringe thinking of your car accident last week)
Emotive words
Powerful words, work in political communication when words are used to fire someone up, (Ex. If you want to win an election in Alabama just talk about emotive words and topics like abortion)
Ladder of Abstraction: (Low level abstraction vs. High level of abstraction)
Idea by Howard P, that we have very concrete symbols ,like rubber boot, water bottle, Starbucks coffee cup; these are all low level abstraction or concrete words, As you go up that ladder you get further and further away from concrete and more and more into areas where the meaning is a little more obtuse like compassion or effort, democracy, love, peace all words that have multiple meanings are what’s called High level abstraction words and the higher we are on the ladder the easier it is to miss communicate because we use abstract words; so out goal is to take abstract terms and put into terms that are concrete ways so people understand it. (This is the goal of a researcher by taking something your trying to observe and you operationalize it or put it into terms that we can observe and make perditions based off our observations)
Language Environment (4 things)
- People, Purpose, Rules for the situation, Actual talk.
- (Ex. What was the context of that discussion, who was there why were they there, did they follow the rules and what did they say) This often is what takes place in a court of law; there looking at what happened and are trying to set up the communication events so that we can better understand what transpired, were they guilty, were they responsible or are they not, were they there, why were they there, establishing a motive which is what you looking at with verbal communication and you have to look at the context.
Appropriate language: Euphemisms
Are something that might not be palatable in the way that we understand something so we look a better word to describe something that’s not palatable; so bodily function, sex, types of food;
- Ex. we don’t call a hamburger a cow sandwich its instead a hamburger, or when your at someone’s house you don’t say hey I was at the gym drinking lots of water and my bladder is full; no you instead say excuse me may I please use your restroom.
Appropriate language: Double Speak
When an institution uses a Euphamism
- (Ex. Institution engages in a double speak euphemism by saying things like; we are making some very hard strategic financial decisions about the health of our company, or another words it’s a nicer way of saying or using a double speak/euphemism to say your getting fired.
Language Environment (4 things): People
Who’s There
Language Environment (4 things): Purpose
Why are they there, the purpose for the visit or meeting?
Language Environment (4 things): Rules for the situation
Grammatical rules and rules for procedure for different kinds of settings some are formal some are less formal, need to know rules for what’s taking place.
Language Environment (4 things): Actual talk
What is said, transcript as it transpired.
