Essay Questions

Question

1. Discuss the power of naming by answering this question: How does naming impact the perception of what has been named?”
[Model Answer] The theory of linguistic determinism suggests that we must have a name for something in order to understand it. Naming does not just label. Naming also affects our perceptions of those things that we name. For example, names can attach prejudice or reinforce stereotypes about minority groups. The answer can be found on page 138.

Question

2. Identify and describe some of the stereotypes about how men and women communicate. How are these stereotypes learned and reinforced, and what truths challenge these stereotypes?
[Model Answer] Some common stereotypes are that men are perceived to be more honest and clear and women more indirect and wordy. Men are also perceived to interrupt more, but both sexes actually do this equally. Many gender stereotypes are reinforced by the media and popular culture. However, research has shown that the nature of an encounter—such as whether it is collaborative or combative—determines how clearly or ambiguously a person communicates, regardless of gender. The answer can be found on pages 145 - 146.

Question

3. Describe the Cooperative Principle and its four key components of creating understandable messages.
[Model Answer] According to the Cooperative Principle, an understandable message must be informative, honest, relevant, and clear. Being informative means providing the appropriate amount of information based on the circumstances of the encounter. Honesty means not sharing information that you’re uncertain about and not disclosing information that you know is false. Relevance means making your conversational contributions responsive to what others have said, such as answering questions and remaining on topic. Finally, being clear means presenting information in a straightforward fashion rather than framing it in obscure or ambiguous terms. The answer can be found on pages 142 - 144.

Question

4. You are speaking with someone from a culture other than your own. Describe the best way to communicate effectively with this person.
[Model Answer] To communicate effectively and reduce misunderstanding when communicating with people from a different culture, begin by paying attention to their speech rate, how long they take with turns, their use of direct or ambiguous language, and their overall desire to talk. You can then begin to accommodate these aspects of your own language so that your conversation styles are more similar. However, you should do this appropriately; never mimic the other person’s dialect or word choices. The answer can be found on pages 134 - 136.