Language: Barrier and Bridge (Chapter five) Language is Power! The power of language extends well beyond spoken or written words. Unless we are able to really understand our basic wants and needs, and learn more about each other through the communication process, it is not possible to develop and sustain the key relationships in our lives.

Language is Symbolic In the natural world, there is a direct relationship between signs and the things they represent (snow/cold; smoke/fire, fever/illness, etc.) This is NOT TRUE with human language; the signs and the connections can be vague and often completely misunderstood Language is SYMBOLIC! Language “represents” our thoughts and feelings

Understandings and Misunderstandings Understanding Words: semantic rules (assigned meaning) Problems arise when we assign different meanings to the same word (big house, small dog, cute girl, etc.) Language has both denotative and connotative qualities Equivocation (statements with more than one accepted definition, e.g., “I love you,” “He put the hammer down” “What a pig”) Equivocation can be useful (e.g., honesty, tact, etc)

Understandings and Misunderstandings, Cont. Relative Language: Meaning is developed through comparison Relative terms need to be explained (large house, big family, long term relationship) Static Evaluation: Can lead to mistaken assumptions Assumes, falsely, that we are consistent and unchanging Abstraction: Vague in nature (“You don’t tell me you love me enough.” Can be a type of “useful” shorthand (Thanks for always being there.”

Understandings and Misunderstandings, Cont. Syntactic Rules: Govern the use and meaning of a statement Contribute to meaning, or detract Rules can be quite complex (see “girl” thing, p167) Dialects (e.g., “Picher”) Pragmatic Rules: Same and different rules provide for misunderstanding (“Everything always goes well when you’re not here.”) Is the above a “slam” or a compliment?

Impact of Language What’s in a name? They shape and reinforce personal identity Affiliation: Power: Disruptive Language Emotive Language: Language Responsibility: “I” and “You” Language”

Other Language Considerations Gender (Men are from Mars, women are from Venus) Culture and Language: “pet,” (France) “Fresca,” (Spanish), “I’m sorry” (Japan) Some ideas don’t translate between cultures Low-context: Language is used to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas as clearly as possible (“straight talk,” direct language) High-context: Language is used to promote and maintain social harmony (indirect language that is context driven) Language and world View Worldview is shaped by the language used Linguistic relativism (“snow”)

Summary Language both reflects and shapes the perceptions of its users (“She’s smart”) Careless language can lead to a variety of interpersonal problems Low- context cultures want to avoid ambiguity (U.S. and Canada, etc.) High-context cultures want to avoid specificity (Japan, Arab countries, etc.) Language exerts a strong influence on worldview (Linguistic relativism)