Discourse Analysis Pragmatics and Nonverbal Communication Sociolinguistics Discourse Analysis Pragmatics and Nonverbal Communication

The Pragmatic Functions of Communication CONTEXT referential function ADDRESSER MESSAGE ADDRESSEE --------------------------------------- emotive function poetic function conative function CONTACT phatic function CODE metalingual function

Speech Events THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE UTTERANCE THEY HAVE TO BE RECOGNIZED ALSO BY THE LISTENER THE NATURE OF THE SPEECH EVENT DETERMINES THE INTERPRETATION OF AN UTTERANCE> cf. THE CONCEPT OF GENRE ANY COMMUNICATIVE USE OF LANGUAGE

Communicative Competence “We have then to account for the fact that a normal child acquires knowledge of sentences not only as grammatical but also as appropriate” (Hymes, 1972) Communicative competence is defined as linguistic competence plus other rule-governed aspects of language use

Communicative Competence GRAMMATICAL COMPETENCE. Ability to produce and understand correct syntactic, lexical, and phonological forms in a language. SOCIOLINGUISTIC COMPETENCE. Ability to use a language appropriately in sociocultural contexts. STRATEGIC COMPETENCE. Ability to effectively transmit information to a listener, including the ability to use communication strategies to solve problems which arise in this process.

Sociolinguistic competence Sociolinguistics The field of study focuses on variations in language that may be shown to be closely related to variations in society Factors: geographical provenance >DIALECTS (DIATOPIC VARIATION) status > SOCIO-CULTURAL VARIATIONS (DIASTRATIC VARIATION) age sex > REGISTERS (DIAPHASIC VARIATION) context medium > WRITING/ORAL (DIAMESIC VARIATION) ecc.

Sociolinguistic competence Mastery of sociolinguistic skills in a language entails mastery of: speech act conventions norms of stylistics appropriateness use of language; to establish and maintain social relations >>>>>TERMS OF ADDRESS, DIGLOSSIA AND CODE-SWITCHING IN BILINGUALISM

Sociolinguistic competence Sociolinguistic competence means to investigate areas, such as: sensitivity to the norms associated with turn-taking in conversational interaction, the ability to use appropriate registers of the language, the ability to use language variants to indicate social group membership (style), the ability to use language variants to mark relative status of members within a group.

Strategic competence Mastery of strategic skills in a language entails the ability to transmit information to a listener and correctly interpret information received It includes the mastery of communication strategies, used to deal with problems which may arise in the transmission of this information.

Strategic competence COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES: Repeating Circumlocution Approximation Literal translation Mime Message abandonment Topic avoidance

Strategic competence

WHAT IS VERBAL AND WHAT IS NONVERBAL? RIGHT HEMISPHERE >>>>> PROCESSES VISUAL /SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS>>>>>>>>NONVERBAL SIGNALS ( ex.:voice: stress, pitch, rhythm) LEFT HEMISPHERE >>>>> PROCESSES ORDERED AND LINGUISTIC INFORMATION MUCH OF WHAT IS CALLED NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR IS RIGHT BRAIN ACTIVITY

WHAT IS VERBAL AND WHAT IS NONVERBAL? COMMUNICATIVE BEHAVIOR Vs INFORMATIVE BEHAVIOR A SET OF BEHAVIORS CONSTITUTES A CODE IF THEY HAVE REFERENTS OUTSIDE OF THEMSELVES AND IF THESE REFERENTS ARE KNOWN AND USED BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE. AWARENESS AND INTENTION TAKE ON A CENTRAL ROLE

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION EKMAN AND FRIESEN’S TAXONOMY OF CODING Intrinsic Iconic Arbitrary Coding Coding Coding

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION INTRINSIC CODING It puts the least distance between the code used and the referent for the code. Denotative level

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION ICONIC CODING It preserves some aspects of the referent There is some resemblance between the code and the referent.

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION ARBITRARY CODING It puts the greatest distance between the code and the referent for the code. Resemblance to the referent is nonexistent (Connotative level).

NONVERBAL CATEGORIES ENVIRONMENT Environments can affect our moods, choice of words, and actions PHYSICAL APPEARANCE Physique or body shape, general attractiveness, height, weight, hair and skin colour or tone, smell, object associated with the physical appearance

NONVERBAL CATEGORIES PROXEMICS The study of the use and perception of social and personal space. - Interaction spaces (Hall, 1959) intimate distance 0-1/2 feet* personal distance 1/2-4 feet polite, social distance 4-12 feet public distance 12 feet and more *1 feet = 3,28 m

NONVERBAL CATEGORIES BODY MOTION or KINESIC BEHAVIOR GESTURE: speech-independent and speech-related POSTURE: related to the degree of attention or involvement TOUCHING BEHAVIOR: self-focused and other-focused

NONVERBAL CATEGORIES BODY MOTION or KINESIC BEHAVIOR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS: display various affective states (anger, sadness, surprise, happiness, fear, disgust-primary affects) EYE BEHAVIOR: where, when, how long one looks during interaction

NONVERBAL CATEGORIES PARALANGUAGE How something is said and not what is said EFFECTS OF VOCAL CUES He’s giving this money to Herbie

FUNCTIONS OF NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR REPEATING Nonverbal communication can simply repeat what was said verbally CONTRADICTING Nonverbal behavior can contradict verbal behavior SUBSTITUING Nonverbal behavior can substitute for verbal messages

FUNCTIONS OF NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR COMPLEMENTING Nonverbal behavior can modify, or elaborate on, verbal messages ACCENTING Nonverbal behavior may accent parts of the verbal messages much as underlining or italicising written words and emphasizes them REGULATING Nonverbal behavior are also used to regulate the verbal flow between the interactants.