(Human) Communication & Language

LI 2023 NATHALIE F. MARTIN

(HUMAN) COMMUNICATION &

LANGUAGE

Table of Content

In this section you will learn about:Communication:

Jakobson’s model Nonverbal communication Language

Objectives:Understand the intricacies of nonverbal

communication.Learn a bit of terminology needed to speak of the

world’s languages.

DEFINITIONJAKOBSON’S COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Communication

Communication

Communication is a behaviour, or the _______________________, that affects the behaviour of others.

When a living organism (or machine) communicates it sends messages about itself or its environment.

The message is placed into a code. Humans have a highly elaborate code called

language.

Communication

What is communication? 1 a the process or act of communicating; b the

exchanging or imparting of ideas and information, etc.

2 a piece of information, a letter or a message. 3 social contact. 4 (communications) the various electronic

processes by which information is conveyed from one person or place to another, especially by means of wires, cables or radio waves.

5 (communications) the science and activity of transmitting information, etc.

http://www.chambersharrap.co.uk/chambers/features/chref/chref.py/main?title=21st&query=

Communication

Who? Sender

To whom? Receiver

What? Thoughts, posture, opinions or information

How? Verbal (language) or nonverbal communication

Communication Process (Jakobson)

Communication

The communication process of __________and _________will depend on a number of factors:

SOME TYPES OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION:•KINESICS•PROXEMICS

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication is the act of imparting or interchanging thoughts, posture, opinions or _____________without the use of words, using

Nonverbal Communication

Spoken word: ______Body posture, gestures, facial expressions:

______Voice tone and inflection: ______

Nonverbal & Cultural Misunderstanding

VIDEO: Body Language: An International View (2006)

Pointing: fingers, eyes, chin or head ... even lips (Shoshone Indians)!

Miscommunication:

Types of Nonverbal Communication

Kinesics: involves ________or ____movement:

Proxemics: how people perceive and use _______.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN:

Language, languages & SpeechLANGUAGESDIALECTS

Languages

Language

language 1 any formalized system of communication,

especially one that uses sounds or written symbols which the majority of a particular community will readily understand.

2 the speech and writing of a particular nation or social group.

3 the faculty of speech.

Language, Language and Speech

FRENCH ENGLISH

“Language” Language/abilityThe innate ability to learn and produce language/code.Natural, universal and innate ability (amongst humans).

“Langue” Language/code

A code or system, used by consensus.Ex: different languages (French, English, Spanish, Greek, etc.).Collective (used within a language group, speakers of the

language)

“Parole” SpeechThe individual act of speaking

(Concrete use of the language/code). Ex: “Please stop the bus!”

Individual.

The world’s Languages

Geographic distribution of the world’s languages

LivingLanguages Percentage

Americas 1,013 15%Africa 2,058 30%Europe 230 3%Asia 2,197 32%The Pacific 1,311 19%TOTAL 6,809

(Source: Ethnologue (1996), www.ethnologue.org)

Languages Across the World

Top 10 languages by first language population:

1) Chinese (Mandarin) 873 014 000 (+178 000 000 L2 speakers)

2) Spanish 322 029 000 (+60 000 000 L2 speakers)

3) English 309 352 000 (+200 000 000 L2 speakers)

4) Hindi 180 764 0005) Portuguese 177 457 0006) Bengali 171 070 0007) Russian 145 031 000 (+110 000 000 L2 speakers)

8) Japanese 122 434 0009) German 95 393 000

(...)17) French 64 858 000 (+50 000 000 L2 speakers)

Contemporary Linguistic Analysis: chapter 8 (O’Grady, 2009; p. 289)

Galaxy of Languages (Calvet, 1999)

Gravitational Model (Calvet, 1999)

GRAVITATIONAL MODEL:

Dialect: A _________or ______variety of a language

characterized by it’s own phonological, syntactic, or lexical properties.

We will use the term « _______ » in this class instead of speaking of dialects.

Dialects

Pidgin

Pidgin: A __________that emerges when speakers of a ______language are brought together in a stable situation requiring __________________

____________________; it has ___________________and generally is considered to have a _______________ ______________________.

Creole

Creole:

A variety that arises as the __________ ____of the children of members of a ________ speech community.