LANGUAGE: COMMUNICATING WITH WORDSInterpersonal Communication

Communication Studies Department

San Jose State University

Dr. Marquita L. Byrd

WHAT IS LANGUAGE?

A brush that we use to paint our picture of realty

Symbol system recognized by a speech community

Means of triggering meaning in another.

RULES OF LANGUAGE

1. Semantic Rules

2. Syntactic codes

3. Pragmatic

4. Grammatical

5. Phonological

TRIANGLE OF MEANING

Thing

Cat

Communicator

Thought

THREE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT LANGUAGE

Map is not the territory The word is not the same Meanings are in people not words

MEANINGS

Denotative: dictionary how the speech community uses a word

Connotative: personal meanings

Mother: denotative Mother :connotative

LANGUAGE BARRIERSAllness: Etc. There is always someone who knows something that you don’t

Static Evaluation: Dating: past, present future, when

Fact inference confusion: Speaking inference as if it is a fact.

Labeling: Jr. is retarded, Jr. seems delayed in his learning

Polarization: Opposites in thought and language-Hyphen

Generalizations: Superscript S1, S2, S3

TIME AND PLACE AND RELATIONSHIP

Change the way you talk Generational differences Language itself changes: selfie, photobomb texting, sexting, the net, surfing, chill Gay Dyke Change by Geography Soda, pop, soda water flavor strawberry may be called redRubbernecker, lookie lou

WORD EQUIVOCATION

Euphemisms

Linguistic ambiguity

Emotive language

DEROGATORY LANGUAGE

Fag Nigger sand dollar

Dyke Rag head

Geezer Breeder

Chink Pigs

Nigger White boy

Poor cracker Zebra

Greaser Whore

BYPASSING

Think they understand each other

Using same words but different meanings

GUIDELINES

1. Words clear2. Appropriate3. Concrete4. Reflect who I am talking to and the context5. To me rather than is6. Respect uniqueness7. Try to grow