Language: Communicating with Words

1. Language: Communicating with Words Interpersonal Communication Communication Studies Department San Jose State University Dr. Marquita L. Byrd

2. What is language? • A brush that we use to paint our picture of realty • Symbol system recognized by a speech community • Means of triggering meaning in another.

3. Rules of language Semantic Rules Syntactic codes Pragmatic Grammatical Phonological

4. Triangle of Meaning

5. Three Assumptions about Language • Map is not the territory • The word is not the same • Meanings are in people not words

6. Meanings • Denotative: dictionary how the speech community uses a word • Connotative: personal meanings • Mother: denotative • Mother :connotative

7. Language Barriers Allness: Etc. There is always someone who knows something that you don’t Static Evaluation: Dating: past, present future, when Fact inference confusion: Speaking inference as if it is a fact. Labeling: Jr. is retarded, Jr. seems delayed in his learning Polarization: Opposites in thought and language-Hyphen Generalizations: Superscript S1, S2, S3

8. Time and place and Relationship • Change the way you talk • Generational differences • Language itself changes: selfie, photobomb texting, sexting, the net, surfing, chill • Gay • Dyke • Change by Geography • Soda, pop, soda water flavor strawberry may be called red Rubbernecker, lookielou

9. Word Equivocation Euphemisms Linguistic ambiguity Emotive language

10. Derogatory Language Fag Nigger sand dollar Dyke Rag head Geezer Breeder Chink Pigs Nigger White boy Poor cracker Zebra Greaser Whore

11. Bypassing Think they understand each other Using same words but different meanings

12. Guidelines Words clear Appropriate Concrete Reflect who I am talking to and the context To me rather than is Respect uniqueness Try to grow