LANGUAGE AND VERBAL COMMUNICATION

• Dual Functions of Language in Verbal Communication

 Language symbols exchanged by a community serve two significant functions:
o To share thoughts and convey perceptions of reality
 Note the distinctions between perception and reality
o To shape thoughts and create perceptions of reality
 Note the correlation between vocabulary level and cognitive
complexity
 Because language is developed from and reflects common community perceptions of
reality, it can serve as a vehicle to share and convey aspects of those perceptions:
o Doctors
o Americans, Alaskans, and Arabs
 Because reality is subject to various interpretations and meanings, language can serve as
a vehicle to shape and create new perceptions of reality:
o Space exploration (Star Trek, TNG)
o Chrysler’s solution

• Semantics – Denotative and Connotative Word Meanings

 Words representing denotative meanings:
o Symbolize commonly shared perceptions of reality held by those in a language
community
o Found in dictionaries that capture common word usage
o Characterized by consistency (same meaning every time) and universality (same
meaning with every person)
o Words laden with denotative meaning can be used to convey ideas, effectively
facilitating shared understandings
 Words representing connotative meanings:
o Symbolize unique meanings that are laden with personal values and individual
experiences
o Found in the minds of individuals
o Characterized by personal meanings that may be shared by an in-group, but not by
the language community at large
o Words laden with connotative meaning can be used to shape ideas, effectively
creating new perceptions

• Syntax – Sense-Making through Systematic Arrangement of Words

 “No smoking rules will be enforced.”
o What is a smoker allowed to do?
 “The man eating turkey was fat.”
o How big was the turkey?
• Guidelines for Effective Verbal Communication
 To effectively share and convey perceptions, use verbal language to clarify cognition:
o Speak and write correctly by employing the communication conventions of the
language community – proper pronunciation, punctuation, grammar, and spelling
 “Beware of the dark side, Luke” – IMing and texting
o Speak and write sensibly by eliminating confusing syntax and employing explanatory
words laden with denotative meaning
o Speak and write precisely by defining abstract terms and illustrating with concrete
examples
o Avoid unfamiliar and inappropriate language, such as sophisticated vocabulary,
technical jargon, discriminatory terms, or vulgarity
 To effectively shape and create perceptions, use language to incite imagination:
o Employ evocative words laden with connotative meaning to foster new perceptions of
reality
o Provide figurative language tropes such as stories, metaphors, and analogies that
invite mental participation and trigger novel perspectives
o Offer vivid verbal accounts that evoke imagined sensations, emotions, and
experiences
o Reveal uncommon insights into commonplace circumstances that can elicit the
response, “I’ve never thought of it that way before.”