Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Chapter 5: Language: Barrier and Bridge PowerPoint Presentation to accompany Looking Out, Looking In, Tenth Edition Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning™ is a trademark used herein under license. For permission to use material from this text, contact us by: Phone: Fax: Web: Presentation prepared by Dr. Michael Pearson, Gretchen Gill, and Tim Scanlon of West Chester University

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. CHAPTER 5 Language: Barrier and Bridge

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Language: Barrier and Bridge Language is Symbolic The Impact of Language The Language of Responsibility Gender and Languages Language and Culture Understandings and Misunderstandings

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Language is Symbolic Words are arbitrary symbols that don’t have any meaning in themselves. Words can be interpreted in many different ways; this is the basis for many misunderstandings.

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Understandings and Misunderstandings Understanding Words: Semantic Rules Semantic rules - govern the meaning of the symbols; they reflect the ways in which users of a language make sense of a particular linguistic symbol Semantic misunderstandings arise when people use words as if they had different meanings.

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Understandings and Misunderstandings Understanding Words: Semantic Rules Equivocal language – statements that have more than one commonly accepted definition Relative words - gain their meaning by comparison Static Evaluation - the tendency to view people or relationships as unchanging Abstract language – language that is vague in nature

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Understandings and Misunderstandings Understanding Words: Semantic Rules Abstraction Stereotyping – high level abstractions that lead to blanket statements; “Men are no good” “Skateboarders are delinquents” Abstraction ladder - shows how to describe the same phenomenon at various levels of abstraction Behavioral language – low-level abstractions; refers to specific things that you or the other person says or does

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Understandings and Misunderstandings Understanding Words: Semantic Rules Behavioral Description Who is involved? In what circumstances does the behavior occur? What behaviors are involved?

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Understandings and Misunderstandings Understanding Structure: Syntactic Rules Syntactic Rules - govern the grammar of language Understanding Context: Pragmatic Rules Pragmatic rules - govern the interpretation of the symbols in a given context

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. The Impact Of Language Naming and Identity Affiliation, Attraction, and Interest Different names are more than just identification; they shape the way others think of us, the way we view ourselves, and the way we act. Convergence - process of adapting one’s speech style to match that of others Divergence - process of emphasizing differences from others

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. The Impact Of Language Power Powerless Speech Mannerisms - statements that can make a person appear less authoritative or socially attractive

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Disruptive Language Fact-Opinion Confusion In everyday conversation, we often present our opinions as if they were facts, and in doing so we invite arguments Fact-Inference Confusion Confusion of factual and inferential statements – conclusions drawn from an interpretation of evidence; use perception checking instead The Impact Of Language

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Emotive Language - seems to describe something, but really announces the speaker’s attitude To avoid arguments involving emotive words, describe things or concepts using neutral terms Disruptive Language The Impact Of Language

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. The Language of Responsibility “IT” statements - replace the personal pronoun “I” with the less immediate word “it.” “I” language - clearly identifies the speaker as the source of the message “BUT” language - strategy for wrapping the speaker’s real but unpleasant message between more palatable ideas

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Questions Some questions can be sincere requests for information; other times they are used to avoid declarations “I” and “You” Language “You” language - expresses a judgment of another person The Language of Responsibility “I” language – a way of accepting responsibility for a message

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Advantages of “I” Language Defense Reduction Honesty Completeness Problems with “I” Language “I get too angry to use ‘I’ language.” “Even with ‘I’ language, the other person gets defensive.” “ ‘I’ language sounds artificial.” The Language of Responsibility

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. “We” Language “We” statements - imply that the issue is the concern and responsibility of both the speaker and receiver of a message The Language of Responsibility

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Gender And Language Content On average, men and women discuss a surprisingly different range of topics. Men and women often use language in different ways for different purposes. Reasons for Communicating

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Gender And Language Conversational Style Women and men behave differently in conversations. Sex Role - the social orientation that governs behavior, rather than the biological gender Nongender Variables

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Language And Culture Verbal Communication Styles Low-context cultures – generally value using language primarily to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly and logically High-context cultures - value using language as a way to maintain social harmony

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Language And Culture Language and Worldview Linguistic Determinism - the worldview of a culture is unavoidably shaped and reflected by the language its members speak Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis - theory in which language is determined by a culture’s perceived reality Linguistic Relativism - language exerts a strong influence on perceptions