Transcript Communication

 Communication is the sharing of
Here is an example of what
you might paraphrase from
the notes to the left:
meaning.
 Words are symbols
 They represent things but are
Words = symbols ≠ actual
things
not the actual things
 When you say, hear, or see the
word elephant, you are not seeing
or hearing the elephant but a
symbol that stands for elephant.
 The MEANINGS of words are NOT
Here is an example of what
you might paraphrase from
the notes to the left:
MEANINGS NOT always in
dictionary
each person = different
emotional responses to
words.
always found in a dictionary!
 Because people experience words
in their own way, each person may
have totally different emotional
responses to the words.
 The definition found in a dictionary
is called the denotative meaning.
denotative meaning =
dictionary definition .
connotative meaning =
definition within individual
(emotional/personal
response)
 The definition found within an
individual (emotional or personal
response to a word) is called the
connotative meaning.
 Denotative meaning is the literal
Here is an example of what
you might paraphrase from
the notes to the left:
Denotative = literal
Connotative = feelings
meaning.
 Connotative meaning is an
individual’s feeling of the meaning.
 Examples: The words home, house,
residence and dwelling all have the
same denotation, but the connotation
of each word is very different.
 Denotation: Where a person lives at
any given time.
 Connotation:
Home: cozy, loving, comfortable
House: the actual building or structure
Residence: cold, no feeling
Dwelling: primitive or basic
surroundings
 More examples of connotative &
denotative meanings:
 Examples: slim, scrawny, and svelte
 Denotation: thin
 Connotation: What do you “picture”
as differences between these three
words that have the same denotative
meaning?
 What is your connotation of the
following words that refer to a young
person?
 youngster, child, kid, little one, small
fry, brat, urchin, juvenile, minor
 ALL WORDS HAVE DENOTATIVE
Here is an example of what
you might paraphrase from
the notes to the left:
Words have denotative AND
connotative meanings
MEANINGS AND MAY HAVE
DIFFERENT CONNOTATIVE
MEANINGS FOR EACH PERSON.
 QUICK DRAW THE WORDS:
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VACATION
DESSERT
DOG
TREE
 Meaning is found in people!
 Why does language change?

The world is constantly changing.

New words are needed to describe new
things and ideas.

Words change as they are used in
different ways by different people and
societies or cultures.
1950:
Gay = happy
1985:
Gay = happy
Gay = homosexual
2009:
Gay = homosexual
Gay = weird
 What other words can you think of
that have changed?
 Specialized language types:

Technical
 Relates to a particular subject
and is marked by specialization
 Educational (ex: ESL)
 Technology (software,
Internet)
 Electrical
 Hobbies (cooking, athletics,
stamp collecting)
 Others?
 Specialized language types:

Regional
 Speech that is particular to a
geographical area
 bubbler, water fountain
 danish, roll
 creek, stream
 Others?
 Specialized language types:

Slang
 Informal, nonstandard
vocabulary, unique to a
particular group.
 the bomb
 Airhead
 Blown away
 Catch some Z’s
 Others?
 Specialized language types:
 Cultural
 Terms related to the particular
background of a group of people
 Taro
 Catchment barrel
 Quinceanera
 Others?
 Words can “include” or “exclude.”

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
“Hey, come on over with us!”
“No, we already have our group.”
Words can “build up” and “put
down.”

“That was great!”

“Dude, you really screwed up!”
Words “reveal” and “conceal.”

“That really makes me feel like…”

“Never mind; it’s not important.”
 REVIEW – What did you learn
today about communication?
 Symbols
 Meanings
 Change
 Specialized language
 Include/exclude
 build up/put down
 Reveal/conceal
 registers