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.

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: 1-800-730-2214 Fax: 1-800-730-2215

Web: www.thomsonrights.com

Presentation prepared by Dr. Michael Pearson, Gretchen Gill, and Tim

Scanlon of West Chester University


CHAPTER 5

Language: Barrier Language: Barrier and Bridgeand Bridge


Language: Barrier and BridgeLanguage: Barrier and Bridge• Language is Symbolic

• The Impact of Language• The Language of Responsibility• Gender and Languages

• Language and Culture

• Understandings and Misunderstandings


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 .


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.



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



Understanding Words: Semantic RulesAbstraction• 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



Understanding Words: Semantic Rules

Behavioral Description• Who is involved?• In what circumstances does the behavior occur?• What behaviors are involved?



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


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



Power• Powerless Speech Mannerisms - statements that can make a person appear less authoritative or socially attractive


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



• 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 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


• 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


• “I” language – a way of accepting responsibility for a message


• 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.”



“We” Language • “We” statements - imply that the issue is the concern and responsibility of both the speaker and receiver of a message



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


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


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


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

Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Chapter 5: Language: Barrier and Bridge PowerPoint Presentation to accompany Looking Out, Looking In, Tenth Edition.

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