INTERPLAY Ch.5 Language - D RAY Communication

Interplay Ch. 5
Language
INTERPLAY Ch.5
Language
The Nature of Language
The Impact of Language
Uses and Abuses of Language
Gender and Language
Ch. 5 The Nature of Language
I. Nature of Language
A. It is Symbolic.
I. Nature of Language
B. Language is rule-governed.
1. Phonological rules: govern how sounds form
words
2. Syntactic rules: govern how symbols can be
arranged
3. Semantic rules: govern the structure & meaning
of words
4. Pragmatic rules: govern appropriateness of
using & interpreting messages in a given
context.
- relationship plays a role; perception-checking
is useful.
I. Nature of Language
C. Language is Subjective.
1. People can attach different meanings to the
same message.
2. Meanings are in people, not words.
a. We must negotiate or assign meaning.
b. Perception-checking is useful.
The Nature of Language, cont.
D. Language & Worldview
• Theory of Linguistic Relativism: a culture’s
worldview is shaped and reflected by the language
its members speak.
– It shapes, but doesn’t completely determine your
thinking and cultural identity.
– Sapir-Whorf hypothesis= example of language shaping
reality. (Hopi language has the world in process
constantly, like a motion picture, b/c most things
represented as verbs, but English (distinction between
nouns and verbs) is more like a series of snapshots. )
II. IMPACT of Language (on perceptions
& regard for each other)
A. Naming
1. Choosing a name can mean integrating with the
majority culture or identifying with an ethnic
culture= credibility. (Jr., George Washington Abdul,
etc.)
2. Names can identify status: socio-economic
groups favor names in certain time periods
3. Women’s identities & choosing marriage names:
- No significant diff. in self-esteem, dependency,
autonomy, or control in marriages if keeping name
4. Women who kept names had advanced degrees,
longer careers before marriage, & worked in arts
or writing.
Language Impact: Credibility and Status
– How you choose and pronounce words/names
impacts others’ accepting or rejecting our ideas.
• Accents can influence people believing you or
not.
• Vocabulary can also affect your credibility.
• You can be judged believable and important or
not.
II. Impact of Language
B. Affiliation
1. Convergence: The process of building and showing
solidarity w/others by adapting vocabulary, rate,
pauses, & politeness.
a. We can choose to adapt for approval or to accommodate
& help another fit in.
b. Individuals remind world of their relationship; close
relationships can create “own” terms; at work we usually
copy higher status; in courts done to impress (attorney);
& in a new culture, immigrants may adapt to “fit in” and/
or to succeed faster.
c. Also entire groups can adapt: gangs to military
d. In cyberspace =shared language & style + more “we”
pronouns; larger scale=shortcuts (lol); Internet savy.
e. If you feel equally positive, convergence will be mutual.
II. Impact of Language, cont.
B. Affiliation, cont.
2. Divergence: speaking to emphasize
differences to set you apart.
▪ Be careful about when to (or not to) converge.
▪ Can cross lines if needed (age, ethnicity)
▪ Set norms about who has right to use certain
words/phrases.
II. Impact of Language, cont.
C. Power
1. Some patterns add to or detract from your power to
influence.
▪ Powerful speech may make you appear competent &
employable.
▪ Powerless mannerisms: Hedges, Hesitations, Tag ?s,
Intensifiers, Polite Forms, & Disclaimers make you seem
less attractive & less authoritative.
2. Culture influences powerful/powerless speech.
▪ “Collectivistic cultures prefer indirect speech. Saving
face can be more important than sounding powerful
▪ Individualistic cultures prefer direct speech.
3. Politeness can mask true intensions and true control
▪Can be misinterpreted as weakness, so …
▪Competent communicators remain flexible &
▪Adapt to the conversational partner
II. Language Impact of Sexism & Racism
D. Sexism
1. Sexist language= words, phrases, &
expressions unnecessarily differentiating
between females & males OR
excluding, trivializing or diminishing either sex.
a. Usually implies men are superior to women.
b. Can stereotype and stigmatize
2. Eliminate 2 ways:
a. Use neutral terms (plural pronoun “they”,
“fire fighter”, “letter carrier”, or “sewer
lid” for manhole OR
b. Mark sex clearly to notify (if chairperson IS a
chairman or chairwoman.
II. Impact of Language, cont.
E. Racist language : classifies a racial group as
superior or inferior.
1. Not always deliberate & connotations words/
images associated with some words can imply
negativity.
2. Eliminating: Free words of offensive labels &
slurs. Modifiers can be subtle indicators if not
needed.
Note: “Female doctor,” “white merchant,” “Iranian
professor” (Many adjectives are not needed.)
III. Language Uses & Abuses
A. Precision or vagueness depends on the
goal, the context, and the culture.
(Ambiguous= more than one commonly accepted
definition)
1. Ambiguity can cause trivial or serious
misunderstandings
2. Responsibility for interpreting accurately is in
large part the receiver’s. (Perception checking,
paraphrasing & questioning)
3. Ambiguity can be useful in avoiding hurting
others & “saving face” for self and others.
(euphemisms) “custodial engineer”
III. Language Uses & Abuses, cont.
B. Abstraction- Generalizing about similarities
Ladder of Abstraction (p. 155)
1. May help avoid confrontation and/or
embarrassment by being deliberately
unclear. (vague)
2. HIGHLY abstract language can cause
problems: Stereotyping, confusion, sexual
assault – Antioch College
3. Reduce high-level abstractions-by using
behavioral descriptions.
-These are much clearer and more effective.
III. Language Uses & Abuses
B. Euphemisms- A nice or innocuous way to say or
soften an unkind or unpleasant message.
(ie. Custodial engineer-janitor)
▪ Not the same as lying
▪ Saves face for both parties
▪Tend to use them with persons of higher
status
III. Language Use & Abuses, cont.
C. Relative Language= Compares w/o explaining
relative terms, leading to problems.
▪ small, large, short, long, rich, cheap = vague
▪ Use clearly measurable terms or link it to
those.
▪ Potential for lots of misunderstanding
ie. “I just bought my daughter a small house for
Xmas.”
“Wow! That’s very generous of you!”
“ Why? It’s only a toy one.”
III. Language Uses & Abuses, cont.
D. Static Evaluation-no possible change
This language abuse assumes people or things can’t
change by using the verb to be. “She’s a liar.” 8(
▪ Fix by avoiding the verb “to be” (is, are, was,
were) & clarifying a time frame. “In 1st grade she
lied to me.”
▪ Be sure to imply people (or you) can change.
III. Language Uses & Abuses, cont.
E. Language of Responsibility
1. Avoid:
- “it” language- replace with “I” lang. Take
responsibility for your words!
- “BUT” language- tends to cancel the
preceding thought. “You’re a good student,
but you’re flunking.” Doesn’t it cancel the 1st
part? …or feel like that? (YES!)
▪ Can be face-saving strategy at times.
▪ When clarity is the most important thing,
use NO “but” statements.
III. Language Uses & Abuses, cont.
E. 2. Use YOU, I, and WE correctly.
▪ Positive YOU language is supportive (“Your yard
looks good!”), but much YOU language is judgmental
& creates defensiveness. (“You’re rude.”)
▪ Use 3-part “I” statements (not necessarily in order)
1) Describe other’s behavior
2) Describe your feelings
3) State consequences of the behavior for you
“When you washed the sweater my mom made for
me in hot water, it shrank, and I’m upset because I
can’t wear it when she comes this weekend.”
III. Language Uses & Abuses, cont.
E. 2. cont.
• “Use I” statements in moderation. Too many can sound
egotistical. (They do not always get nondefensive
responses.)
• Consider “WE” language. “We’re in this together.”
– Implies both of you are concerned & responsible.
– Be careful: Include others without speaking for them.
NOT” We will all avoid ordering onions.” or “No one will
order onions.”
• You can combine “I” and “WE” statements.
III. Lang. Uses & Abuses
F. Disruptive Language- understood but
disruptive, so eliminate it!
1. Fact-Opinion Confusion (truth vs. opinion)
“His grade was higher.” vs. “He’s smarter.”
2. Fact-Inference Confusion (truth vs. an
interpretation of evidence)”Why is he upset
with me?” “He isn’t. He said his dad just died.”
3. Emotive language (seems to describe, but
really announces an attitude)
“thrifty vs. cheap”
IV. Gender and Language
A. Extent of Differences in Men’s & Women’s Language Use
1. Basic Differences= Not from 2 planets, but 2 cultures raised to talk differently (Tannen, 2001)
a. women use talk to seek close relationships & nonconfrontational talk
b. men use talk for competition & conversational
dominance.
2. Important Differences: reasons, topics, style, settings
a. Reasons (Burleson et al, 1996)
1) Females=NEED empathy;
2) Men LIKE talking for fun. (Sherman & Haas,’84)
b. Topics: what they discuss
1) females= relationships; feelings, personal problems;
also other women & men
2) Men= sports, hobbies, activities
3) Both= work, movies, & television
IV. Gender & Language, cont.
2 c. Style differs per gender role.
1) Sentences= Female’s longer; Male’s= more fragments
(Mulac, 2006)
2) Language= Female more elaborate, tentative, &
emotional (more feelings & intensive adverbs:
(“really good…”); Male Language=more directive,
more “I” references & more judgments).
3) Power= Female lang. often less assertive, more
statements of uncertainty, hedges, & tag ?s,
making sound less powerful; Male lang.= more
assertive & may sound more powerful.
d. Setting matters: same sex=woman talk longer, more
confidently; mixed sex= men talk longer; in small
groups, Females talk more; in large ones Men talk more.
IV. Language Gender Differences
3. Minor differences: “Men are from North Dakota and
Women are from South Dakota”, rather than another
from different planets. (Dindia, 2006)
a. Women slightly more emotionally expressive and
men slightly more humorous
b. Differences relatively minor in light of similarities
c. We don’t speak 2 languages, so don’t polarize.
d. Use this information to choose appropriate
language for each interpersonal exchange.
IV. Gender & Language, cont.
B. Accounting for Gender Differences
Real:
1. Social philosophy plays a role. Parents allow
children to believe they must speak differently.
2. Occupation influences style.
3. Gender roles influence more than biological sex.
4. Power differences influence- “feminine speech” has more
to do w/ historically women had less power
Perceived:
5. Media influences us to perceive speech differences
are based on gender.
• Equal opportunities & more similar social experiences will result
in fewer differences.

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