Transcript ComS 103--Business and Professional Speaking

Language and
Nonverbal
Communication
“I’m sorry, but your position
has been redeployed…”
Initial Thoughts on
Language
There is no transparent language, it is
all a process of translation
 Our understanding of language is
hampered by the container fallacy--we
treat words as if they contain meaning,
in fact, people contain meanings
 Meanings can be denotative or
connotative

Jargon
Defined as the language of a
specialized community--computer techs,
pilots, skateboarders, etc.
 Advantages
--promotes efficiency
--promotes group cohesion
 Disadvantages
--the problem of mystification

Euphemism
defined as the intentional or unintentional
use of words to mask the potential
emotional impact of language
 examples
--death
--losing your job
 potential impact--far less shared meaning

Verbal vs. Nonverbal

Compared to Verbal Communication,
Nonverbal is:
Less discrete
More vulnerable to misunderstanding
More likely to be context dependent
More likely to contain the truth
Classes of Nonverbal
Communication
Kinesics--movement, generally
 Oculesics--eye movement
 Objectics (Artifacts)--clothing, jewelry
 Vocalics--vocal qualities
 Chronemics--time
 Proxemics--space
 Haptics--touch

Types of Gestures
 Emblems--stand
alone,
replacement
 Illustrators--additional message
 Regulators--affect verbal behavior
 Adaptors--stress indicators
Objectics
 Dress
for Success and other lies
 Casual days and what they mean
 Policies on jewelry and piercings
 Cubicle decoration and nesting
Office Proxemics
 Personal
space and distance
 Office size
 Office orientation
Chronemics and
Vocalics
 Time
as an arbitrary human creation
 Monochronic and polychronic
cultures
 Vocal qualities and the latent
message
 Speed, pitch, breathiness, nasality,
etc.
Mid Term #1
All lecture material is fair game!
 Chapters in Dodd: 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13
 Any concept or theory discussed in Dodd
in a significant manner (separate section
or bolded item) is fair game, even if not
discussed in class.
 Remember to bring a #2 pencil and 882
form

Sample Mid Term Q #1

Which of the following theorists is most
closely associated with bureaucratic
management theory?
a) Henri Fayol
b) Douglas McGregor
c) Katz and Kahn
d) Max Weber
Sample Question #2
Polysemy is most clearly connected with
which element of the contemporary
communication model described in class?
a) noise
b) channel
c) decoding
d) none of the above

Sample Question #3
The most appropriate leadership style for
a group task that is relatively simple, the
group members relatively unskilled and
time for action limited would be:
a) laissez-faire
b) democratic
c) autocratic
d) contingent
Sample Question #4
Dodd uses a different name for the
leadership style that Burnett called laissezfaire. Dodd called it:
a) reluctant leadership
b) leader-less leadership
c) contingent leadership
d) negligent leadership