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verbal communication, 177 high-context cultures, 181 low-context cultures, 181
 denotative meaning, 183
connotative meaning, 184 linguistic determinism, 186 linguistic relativity, 186 cooperative verbal communication, 191 |
Cooperative Principle, 192
“you” language, 194
“I” language, 194
“we” language, 195 communication accommodation theory, 196 communication apprehension, 198
defensive communication, 198
You can watch brief, illustrative videos of these terms and test your understanding of the concepts by clicking on the VideoCentral features in the chapter. |
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Characteristics of Verbal Communication
- We use verbal communication when interacting with coworkers, friends, family members, and romantic partners. In doing so, we employ words as symbols to represent people, objects, and ideas.
- Verbal communication is governed by both constitutive rules and regulative rules. These rules define meanings and clarify appropriate spelling, grammar, and even conversational structure.
- Partners in close relationships often develop personal idioms for each other that convey intimacy and uniqueness. Large groups develop common dialects that include distinct pronunciations and word choices. People often judge those with dissimilar dialects more negatively than they judge those with similar dialects.
- Culture has an enormous impact on language perception and usage. People within low-context cultures tend not to presume commonly shared knowledge with others, and consequently use direct, informative language. Because individuals in high-context cultures assume a high degree of shared knowledge in others, they tend torely more on implied meanings and indirect expression.
- Language constantly changes and evolves. New words are created or are incorporated from other languages while grammar and usage rules also evolve over time.
Functions of Verbal Communication
- When we speak, we convey both denotative meaning and connotative meaning to others. People in intimate relationships often communicate to each other connotative meanings that others are incapable of interpreting.
- Proponents of linguistic determinism suggest that our capacity for thought is defined by the limits of our language. Because language is defined by culture, people from different cultures perceive and experience different realities, due to linguistic relativity.
- Although language shapes our thoughts, we control language through the power of naming. Members of groups who face prejudice often seek out names for themselves that are more positive to offset the social stigma they face in daily life.
- Words don’t merely express meanings, they also perform actions. Whenever we interact with others, we use language to perform speech acts, and our conversations are in large part structured in accordance with the types of speech acts we perform.
- We use language to manage our relationships by sharing our thoughts, feelings, ideas, and experiences, whether positive or negative, with others.
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Cooperative Verbal Communication
- Using cooperative verbal communication requires that you abide by the Cooperative Principle. This suggests using language that is informative, honest, relevant, and clear, to help avoid misunderstandings.
- You also should avoid expressing negative evaluations and opinions through “you” language; instead, replace it with “I” language. “We” language is a good means of fostering the sense of inclusiveness characteristic of cooperative communication.
- Although men and women perceive cooperative communication in largely similar ways, substantial cultural differences exist. A good approach for communicating cooperatively across cultures is to follow the guidelines of communication accommodation theory, adapting your language use in appropriate ways to match those of your conversational partners.
Barriers to Cooperative Verbal Communication
- Some people experience communication apprehension that inhibits them from communicating competently. One way to overcome such apprehension is to develop communication plans.
- People who use defensive communication dismiss the validity of what another person says. Expressed through a variety of message types, it is often a reaction to behavior that makes us angry.
- A close cousin of defensive communication is verbal aggression, a form of communication that is best prevented in oneself through anger management. When others display verbal aggression, it’s best to remain polite and respectful or to remove yourself from the encounter.
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Deception can occur through a variety of means, but the most common form is concealment.
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- How do dialects shape your perception, and how might you best communicate verbally with people who use different dialects? Review the answers on pages 179–180, then complete the Self-Quiz on page 180 to test your knowledge of American dialects.
- What topics should you discuss when communicating with a fellow college student for the first time? Review Figure 6.2 on page 189 to refresh your memory.
- How can you learn to create understandable messages? Check out the advice on pages 191–194.
- What can you do to prevent misunderstandings during online encounters? Discover the answer on page 194.
- How can you take better ownership over your negative opinions and evaluations of others? Find out on page 194.
- Want to learn how to use cooperative language during online encounters? Try the Skills Practice on page 195.
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- What is the key to cooperative verbal communication across cultures, and the one thing you never want to do in a cross-cultural encounter? Find out on pages 196–197; then do the Skills Practice on page 197.
- Do you suffer from communication apprehension? If so, revisit the discussion of communication plans on page 198, then complete the Skills Practice on page 198.
- Interested in overcoming your own defensiveness or in dealing more competently with people who communicate defensively? Review the recommendations on pages 198–200.
- What’s the best way to communicate with verbally aggressive people? Learn the answer on pages 200–201.
- Are you inclined to conceal information or give misleading information? Discover your level of deception acceptance by taking the Self-Quiz on page 204.
- Interested in finding out how to be appropriately honest in difficult situations? Complete the Making Relationship Choices exercise on pages 202–203.
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