NATURE OF LANGUAGE, THE

SYMBOL SYSTEM OF VERBAL

COMMUNICATION
LANGUAGE
“Language is the element of society,
allowing people to live work and play
together, to tell the truth but also to
tell a lie or lies. Language allows
people to say things to each other
and express their communication
needs.
-Ronald Warhaugh 3
Language is a system of
sounds and symbols
used to communicate
ideas and feelings.
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FEATURES
OF
LANGUAGE
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LANGUAGE IS A
SYSTEM.

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LANGUAGE IS
SYMBOLIC.

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 LANGUAGE IS
CONVENTIONAL.

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LANGUAGE IS
LEARNED.

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LANGUAGE CHANGES.

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 WHAT IS
LANGUAGE?
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LANGUAGE IS A COMPLEX SYSTEM OF
SYMBOLS SHARED AND USED FOR
COMMUNICATION BY MEMBERS OF THE
SAME COMMUNITY, THE SAME
GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OR THE SAME
CULTURAL TRADITION SUCH AS ENGLISH,
SPANISH, FINNISH, TAGALOG, ILOCANO AND
CEBUANO.
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DIALECT

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CHARACTERISTICS
OF LANGUAGE
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LANGUAGE HAS
SYMBOLS.

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LANGUAGE IS RULE
GOVERNED.

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• Phonological Rules govern the formation of
sounds into words.
• Syntactic Rules govern the arrangement of words
into sentences.
• Semantic Rules govern the way in which speakers
of a language interpret or attach meaning to a
particular symbol.
• Regulative Rules govern the appropriate
interpretation of a message in a given context.
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LANGUAGE IS A
CREATIVE ACT.

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 MEANING ARE IN
PEOPLE, NOT WORDS.

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 LANGUAGE IS
CULTURE-BOUND

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LANGUAGE DEVELOPS
ATTITUDES.

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•Personal names
•Style of speaking or writing
•Speaker’s fluency in the language and his
or her style of speech
•Names of people’s position, roles or
functions
•Sexist and/or racist words
•Labels
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LANGUAGE MIRRORS
ATTITUDES.

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 EFFECTIVE ORAL
LANGUAGE IS CLEAR
AND APPROPRIATE
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FACILITY IN THE USE OF
LANGUAGE CAN BE
DEVELOPED.
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•Increase your vocabulary
•Study the language style of
skilled writers and speaker
•Practice writing and
speaking,
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NATURE OF NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION, THE
COMMUNICATION TYPE
WITHOUT WORDS
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7
“When you meet a new person, while you
are communicating in the linguistic
channel, you are also communicating in a
variety of nonverbal channels as well.
When we meet a new person, we take
notice of that person’s appearance,
clothing, speech, mannerisms, as well as
such elements as the smell.”
Billie J. Wahlstorm
 NON VERBAL
COMMUNICATION

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Nonverbal communication consists of
all the elements in communication
other than words. These elements
include body language, appearance,
the sound of the voice and the
communication environment.
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 Nonvocal
TYPE Vocal Communication Communication

Verbal Communication Spoken Words Written Words

Body motions (facial

Sighs, screams, laughs, expressions, eye
Nonverbal fillers, vocal qualities contact, gesture,
Communication (tone, loudness, pitch, posture), touch, space,
speed) personal appearance,
time
CHARACTERISTICS OF
NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION

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 NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
GIVES HINTS OF HOW
PEOPLE FEEL.
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 NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE
FOR PEOPLE NOT TO
COMMUNICATE. 34
 NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
PRIMARILY INVOLVES
ATTITUDES NOT IDEAS.
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 NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
BEHAVIOR PROVIDES
CLUES, NOT FACTS.
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 NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
PROVIDES MUCH MORE
INFORMATION THAN
VERBAL
COMMUNICATION. 37
 FUNCTIONS OF
NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
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COMPLEMENTING

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CONTRADICTING

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ACCENTING

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SUBSTITUTING

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 TYPES OF
NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
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•KINESICS (BODY MOTIONS)
•PARALANGUAGE (USE OF
VOICE)
•HAPTICS (USE OF TOUCH)
•PROXEMICS (USE OF SPACE)
•CHRONEMICS (USE OF TIME)
•PERSONAL APPEARANCE
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 KINESICS
Is the study of body movement
which includes a large repertoire
of physical actions such as eye
contact, facial expressions,
gesture and posture.
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 20,000 FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
700,000 PHYSICAL SIGNS
1,000 POSTURES
7,777 GESTURES IN CLASSROOM
5,000 IN CLINICAL SITUATIONS

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 OCULESICS
Oculesics (eye contact or gaze) is the way
we meet someone else’s glance during
communication process. The presence of
eye contact is a proof that we are paying
attention and the way we look at a person
reveals our feelings such as affection,
anger or fear.
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 FACIAL EXPRESSION/DISPLAY
Refers to the way our facial muscles are set
to indicate emotions or feelings of
happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise,
excitement, indifference and disgust
among others. Whether or not they are
inborn, facial expressions can be managed
and controlled.
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 GESTURE
Is a purposive movement of our fingers,
hands, arms, head or shoulders to
describe, to suggest or to emphasize
something.

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 POSTURE
Means our manner of bearing the body,
while we are in standing or sitting position.
The general accepted posture is when we
are erect, but appear relaxed. Posture
indicates self confidence status,
friendliness and mood. Poor posture in an
interview may mean that a person is
disrespectful, unenthusiastic or lazy.50
 CULTURAL
DIFFERENCES

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 EYE CONTACT
In the United States and other Western
cultures, people expect those with
whom they are communicating to “look
them in the eye”. Women tend to hold
eye contact more than men. Looking
away signals a desire to avoid contact.
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African Americans use more
continuous eye contact than
European Americans when they
are speaking, but less when
they are listening.
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 In the Philippines, people are also
expected to direct their gaze into the
other’s eyes; otherwise, they are
thought to be dishonest and
untrustworthy. The Arabs, on the
other hand, look others in the eye,
too, but for other reason – to
manifest keen interest. 54
 In contrast, people of other countries
avoid eye contact as a sign of respect and
deference. In Japan, for instance, people
look at the area around the Adam’s apple,
not into the other’s eye. In Indonesia,
China and rural areas of Mexico, too much
eye contact means bad manners so people
there lower their eyes to show deference.
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 GESTURES
Japan and Philippine = money
Greece and Turkey = insult or sexual invitation
Germany, Brazil and Austria = obscene
gesture
France and Belgium = zero/worthless
Arab = curse
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PARALANGUAGE

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 Paralanguage refers to the nonverbal
sound accompanying our oral language
such as tone of voice, speed of speech,
pitch and volume. It is the nonverbal
sound of what we hear or how something
is said that is conveyed by certain qualities
of the voice and these vocal cues can do
much to change the meaning of a
sentence. 58
MARy is diligent.
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 MARy is diligent.
(Mary in particular, not any
other person.)
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Mary IS diligent.
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Mary IS diligent.
(This is a positive
assertion of Mary’s
being diligent.) 62
Mary is DILigent.
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 Mary is DILigent.
(normal utterance –
Mary is persevering and
unflagging.) 64
 TONE
Tone is the distinct sound of the voice.
No two persons have exactly the same
sound or quality of voice, so that we can
recognize the voice of a person close to us
even when we do not see him/her.

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FIVE COMMON VOICE
QUALITIES

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• Normal voice: speaking naturally with little or no
emotions.
• Breathy or whispery voice: used to create an
atmosphere of mystery.
• Full voice: used in public speaking; also used to create
solemnity or reverence.
• Chesty voice: described as hollow and deep voice as if
coming from a deep and empty cave.
• Thin voice: has high pitch as its chief characteristics.
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 SPEED
Speed is the rate of how we speak. We
speak faster when we are excited, happy,
afraid or nervous; we speak slower when
we are emphasizing something, or when
we are trying to solve a problem aloud.
Increased tempo or speed can also
emphasize intelligence and energy. 68
 PITCH
Pitch is the highness or lowness of
voice. We raise or lower the tone of our
voice as we make it louder or softer and as
we show a change of emotions. We have a
high – pitched voice when we are nervous,
but a low – pitched one when we are
stressing a point. 69
 VOLUME
Volume is the loudness or softness of
the voice. Although some of us normally
speak with a loud voice or soft voice, we
tend to make our voice louder or softer,
depending on the kind of communication
situation we are in.
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HAPTICS
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Haptics is the study of how
touch is used to convey
meaning through the
hands, arms and other
body parts 72
 FIVE DISTINCT
CATEGORIES OF
HAPTICS
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 FUNCTIONAL/
PROFESSIONAL TOUCH

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SOCIAL OR POLITE
TOUCH

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FRIENDSHIP OR
WARMTH TOUCH

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LOVE OR INTIMATE
TOUCH

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SEXUAL TOUCH

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PROXEMICS (USE
OF SPACE)

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Proxemics refers to the way people
use space to convey meaning
such as permanent structures,
movable objects within space and
informal space.
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PERMANENT
STRUCTURES

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MOVABLE OBJECTS

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INFORMAL SPACE

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 DISTANCE OR SPACE – TYPE
• Intimate Space (0-18 inches): appropriate for private
conversations of close friends
• Personal Space (18 – 4 feet): appropriate for keeping
someone “arm’s length” like in casual conversations.
• Social Space (4 – 12 feet): appropriate for impersonal
business like a job interview.
• Public Space (12 -15 feet): appropriate for public
communication like lectures and speeches.
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CHRONEMICS
(USE OF TIME)

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 Chronemics is the study of how
people use and structure time.
The use of time for communication
purposes is associated with
duration, activity and punctuality.
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 DURATION
Duration is the length of time that is
considered appropriate for an activity
or event. When the duration of the
activity/event differs significantly from our
expectations, we attach a certain meaning
to the difference.
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 ACTIVITY
Activity refers to the specific
action that people generally
regard as appropriate to be
taking place at a given time.
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 PUNCTUALITY
Punctuality is being exact to the
time agreed on. It is the time
dimension that most closely affects
our self – presentation.

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PERSONAL APPEARANCE
The way we dress, adorn and fix ourselves
communicate a message about us – our social
and cultural roles and our personal qualities. In
fact, it is suggested that clothing conveys at
least ten types of messages – economic level,
educational level, trustworthiness, social
background, education background, level
of success and moral character. 90