©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2/e PPTPPT

©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 6 Designing Messages with Words McGraw-Hill/Irwin

3 Can We Talk? Verbal communication ◦use of any linguistic symbols—spoken, sign, or written language—to accomplish message goals What Is a Verbal Style? Verbal style ◦our particular choice of words, phrase or sentence arrangements, and the formality of expression we use

4 Can We Talk? Because it uses words, sign language is verbal communication. © Jon Lee/Masterfile

5 Can We Talk? Types of Verbal Styles  Expressive and supportive  Dynamic  Combative  Minimalist  Subtextual

6 Can We Talk? Types of Verbal Styles (continued)  Descriptive  Authoritative  Low key  Demonstrative

7 Talk about Meaning Denotation ◦literal or common description of a word that can be found in a dictionary Connotation ◦personal or emotional feelings that we associate with words

8 Speaking of Rules Speech rules ◦Verbal rules we use during interaction 1. Grammatical rules ◦sentence construction, the arrangement of words, syntax, and language fluidity 2. Talking and interaction rules ◦topic relevance, turn taking, length of talk time, silence, and clarity

9 Speaking of Rules 3. Social rules ◦greetings, appropriate word usage, style of expression, and ambiguity 4. Semantical rules ◦denotative and connotative meanings of the words we use

10 What Are You Talking About? Jargon ◦specialized language used by members of a specific profession or field that denotes technical knowledge Slang ◦informal set of terms used within a social group or culture

11 What Are You Talking About? Language Limitations  Intensifiers  Qualifiers  Tag questions  Adjective cramming  Euphemisms

12 What Are You Talking About? Abstraction ◦using complicated rather than concrete language Bypassing ◦when different meanings are associated with the same word symbol or different symbols are used to identify the same idea or object

13 What Are You Talking About? Fact inference ◦jumping to conclusions Misused words ◦ words are misapplied Overgeneralization ◦use of sweeping statements that do not provide enough information

14 What Are You Talking About? Extremism ◦to see the world simplistically, in black and white, rather than in shades of gray Inflexibility ◦rigidity in our awareness of the world around us

15 Must We Talk? Stage fright is one of the most common forms of communication apprehension. FIGURE 6.1Communication Apprehension

16 Must We Talk? Communication apprehension (CA) ◦experience of feeling anxious or uneasy about communicating with other people Why Are We Scared?  Introversion  Alienation  Low self-esteem  Cultural divergence  Poor communication skills  Communication incompetence

17 Using Persuasion and Building Arguments Persuasion ◦process of attempting to influence people’s behavior, attitudes, or beliefs Argument ◦statement or series of statements aimed at influencing behavior, attitudes, and beliefs through reasoning

18 Using Persuasion and Building Arguments Grounds ◦reasons or evidence used to support an argument Warrants ◦reasoning; making a relationship of the evidence to the claim Claim ◦statement of fact or opinion

19 Using Persuasion and Building Arguments Reasons and Reasoning Reasons ◦statements of evidence, support, or proof used in an argument Reasoning ◦ability to see connections between ideas and evidence and to use reasons as building blocks to support your conclusion

20 Using Persuasion and Building Arguments Reasons and Reasoning (continued) Deductive reasoning ◦moves from general principles to specific instances Inductive reasoning ◦moves from specific instances to general conclusions

21 Using Persuasion and Building Arguments Appealing to Your Audience Ethos ◦Credibility determined by an audience but established by a speaker Pathos ◦use of emotion to persuade an audience Logos ◦proof in the form of evidence or reasons

22 Using Persuasion and Building Arguments One-Sided and Two-Sided Arguments One-sided argument ◦presentation of only one point of view or one side of an issue Two-sided argument ◦presents both sides of an issue—not only the speaker’s position but also opposing views

23 Questions