NATURE AND FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE

QUESTION 2BY SANTHA NAIR CHANDRAN

AND

SOLEHAH ATIQAH

“Nonverbal communication tends to provide the context of verbal communication and

has the power to disambiguate or invalidate the content of linguistics expressions “–

Krippendorff. Discuss and provide relevant evidence to justify your arguments.

Communication is a part of our daily live cycle. It is very vital as every day we

need to give and receive any kinds or types of information to move on with our routines.

Yet, communication it significant with language. The significance here is that language

is the medium of interaction to form a communication. Language varies according to

place and culture plus background. A good language provides an effective

communication to happen in the society. However, even though how good a language

is, if the sender sends information wrongly, it would not become an effective

communication.

Klaus Krippendorff came out with a famous mind-set which links

communication and language. “Nonverbal communication tends to provide the context

of verbal communication and has the power to disambiguate or invalidate the content of

linguistics expressions “. In this statement, there are many parts of can be broken up to

be discussed. Let us see, first , non-verbal communication here has two functions which

are it tends to provide the context of verbal communication and the second function is it

has the power to disambiguate or invalidate the content of linguistics expressions.

Secondly, in Krippendorff's quote here, there are certain words which we can further

break open and understand the quote better. Those words are: nonverbal

communication, verbal communication, disambiguate and invalidate.

What is nonverbal and verbal communication? Nonverbal and verbal

communication is the two main types of communication that we have. Nonverbal

communication is a type of communication where spoken and written way of

communication is not being used. Topping up with that, nonverbal communication

involves facial expressions, eye contact, and tone of voice, body posture and even

motions and positioning oneself in a group. G. W. Porter discuses in his article in

http://www.zeromillion.com/business/management/non-verbal-communication.html , he

discusses that nonverbal communication is divided into 4 main categories. First,

physical, second, aesthetic, thirdly, signs and last but not least symbols. As I mentioned

earlier nonverbal communication does not involve spoken and written way of

communication therefore, the face, and body movement, plus shapes and signs and

even colours are being used to resent a statement. Physical here means it involves

personal way of communication which includes facial expressions, tone of voice, sense

of touch, sense of smells and body motions. Aesthetic, on the other hand refers to

creative expressions to communicate for instance playing the guitar, painting and

dancing. Aesthetic basically is merely valuing art through how you express it to

communicate with one another. Signs and symbols can be confusing, but signs are

mechanical type of communication which is shows important signs to tell someone

something without writing or saying it out. This happens for the example of using horns,

the 21 gunshots for salutation and even signal of flags and even the colour of the flags.

Symbolic on the other hand refers more to symbols which has shapes in it and which

make us of religion, statues and any forms of shapes.

In addition verbal communication can be defined as the basis of communication

which one use face-to-face communication which is by using spoken and written

elements in communicating. Here it’s vital where a language takes place to

communicate. We can see the differences between verbal and nonverbal

communication, how both express themselves in different ways. This main reason

Kirppendorff"s theory can be argued as he said nonverbal communication tends to

provide the context of verbal communication. We would discuss this further in the latter

part of the essay.

Let us go back to the third word, disambiguate. According to Oxford Advanced Leaners Dictionary (International Students Edition, 7th edition (page 413), disambiguate is a verb which means to show clearly the differences between two or

more word, phrases or even a homophones which are similar in meanings. Nonverbal

functions the disambiguation process well in this concept like what has been said by

Krippendorff. Invalidate on the other hand means to prove an idea, a story, an

argument, which is wrong. On the page 786, of Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary International Students Edition, 7th edition, the second meaning for

invalidate is if one invalidate a document, contact or even and election, you make it no

longer legally or officially valued and acceptable.

Therefore this four words will lead me to the main points of this essay where we

would be talking about functions of verbal and nonverbal communication, the function of

disambiguate and invalidation and the relationship between nonverbal and verbal

communication with disambiguation and invalidation.

Communication without functions is meaningless, therefore the next element that

I am going to discuss about the function of the types of communication which are verbal

and nonverbal communication. As we know communicating functions as sending and

receiving information’s, therefore, verbal communication helps us to interpret the

functions. We do know that verbal communication involves writing and speaking, so it

takes place in various situations like in meetings, daily conversations with peers, writing

a letter to a loved one or even delivering a speech. For instances in meetings, a

decision is sometimes needed and the main purpose of a meeting is to discuss verbally

which is pen down the notes and talk together for answers and solutions.

How about we compare with the functions of nonverbal communication. Basically

we do understand communication is the transfer of information. Non-verbal

communication helps in with verbal communication. The main purpose of nonverbal

communication is to help out verbal communication. Here i would like to discuss about

the first function on nonverbal communication that Krippendorff has come out with. He is

wise enough has he explains here further with this line “tends to provide the context” the

main understanding that can be highlighted here is that, nonverbal communication

supports verbal communication.

By referring to Malandro, Barker & Barker (1989) in his article , he has stated

five main functions how nonverbal communications helps out verbal communication but

I would highlight two important points .firstly , complementing. Nonverbal

communication fancies completing the task of verbal communication. For instance let’s

say in a business meeting, it is prior to show graphs and numbers plus charts, therefore,

these elements are used to help interpret the things which a business man can’t explain

verbally like numerical things. Secondly repeating, where it helps it is use in order to

clarify the verbal message. In this point of view, it is very important for one to know that

not every verbal message is easily interpreted, therefore one need like facial

expressions, body movement or even symbols to explain it. Let us take this as an

example, if a person is angry , he or she cannot be going round and telling people that “

I’m angry so do stay away from me”. It is not the proper way to say it out but the correct

notion for this is that the facial expression. This particular person would be having a

moody face and not talking to anyone and shows expression like the way he walks fast

and carry his bag harshly, all this helps to clarify that one should not disturb him as he is

angry. Conclusively, the first part of Krippendorff’s theory is true.

Next, moving on to the next point, the functions of disambiguation and

invalidation. Disambiguation is important to define and help one with language mainly

linguistics expressions. It is because sometimes, if any information is needed to be

explained further, this process comes in clarifying its truthiness. A word like thesaurus

and synonym has the same meaning, but to clarify the truthiness disambiguation is vital

as it would explain further the function of both of these two words. Apart from that,

invalidation means the opposite. The root word validate means something or any

information is valid or to prove validity. Therefore as like given definition earlier,

invalidate means the process of making an information wrong, not legal and

unacceptable. Conclusively here we able to move on with our last point, the relationship

between verbal and nonverbal communication with disambiguation and invalidation.

The aspect of contradicting and accenting of nonverbal communication is used in

this two process. As w understood that disambiguation is to prove the rightness and

truth of an information compared on invalidation to prove the information is wrong,

therefore by contradicting which means the state of truth of falseness, non-verbal

communication helps linguistics expressions in that way. For instance, an information

needs reasoning, understanding and explanation like music and literature, nonverbal

communication conveys that information via paintings, sounds and even dance.

Therefore it contradicts to help out disambiguation and invalidation. Moving on by more

ideas by Edward G. Wertheim, Ph.D. from North-eastern University, College of Business Administration, and substitution to prove disambiguation and invalidation

via nonverbal communication can be used. In different circumstances, verbal

communication fails to interpret its message; therefore substation by non-verbal

communication can be sued as Krippendorff also did an analysis called content

analysis. Substation helps proves disambiguation, invalidation and even the real content

analytically in linguistics expression through nonverbal communication. In conclusion,

the five main elements of nonverbal communication can be used to disambiguate and

invalidate plus provide the context of verbal communication

Precisely , I can conclude here that nonverbal and verbal communication is as

important to perform an effective communication and Klaus Krippendoff's has proven it

with his theory which we can analytically analysis it by the term of disambiguate ,

invalidate plus proving his theory is certain in the linguistics field. Therefore, we should

appreciate language the most.