1. (Human) Communication
LI Nathalie F. Martin

2. Table of Content Communication: Jakobson’s model
Nonverbal communication
Languages
Objectives:
Understand the intricacies of nonverbal communication.
Learn a bit of terminology needed to speak of the world’s languages
References:
A Concise Introduction to Linguistics (Rowe & Levine, 2012)
(Chapter 1: The Nature of Communication)
Qu’est-ce que la langue? (Leclerc, 1989)

3. Communication
Definition
Jakobson’s Communication process

4. Communication
Communication is a behaviour, or the transmission of information, that affects the behaviour of others.
When a living organism (or machine) communicates it sends messages about itself or its environment.
The message is placed into a code.
Humans have a highly elaborate code called language.

5. Communication What is communication?
1 a the process or act of communicating; b the exchanging or imparting of ideas and information, etc.
2 a piece of information, a letter or a message.
3 social contact.
4 (communications) the various electronic processes by which information is conveyed from one person or place to another, especially by means of wires, cables or radio waves.
5 (communications) the science and activity of transmitting information, etc.

6. Communication Who? To whom? What? How? Sender (ex: speaker) Receiver
Thoughts, opinions or information
How?
Verbal (language) or nonverbal communication

7. Communication Process (Jakobson)
Topic of reference
Context
Information
Sender
Message
Receiver
Channel
EXAMPLES:
Commercial
Website
Kanzi - computer
Air
Code
Languages: English, French, etc.

8. Communication
The communication process of coding and decoding will depend on a number of factors:
Culture
Presuppositions
Prior information
Subjective interpretation
Experience

9. Nonverbal Communication
Some Types of nonverbal communication:
Kinesics
Proxemics

10. Nonverbal Communication
Spoken word: 7%
Body posture, gestures, facial expressions: 38%
Voice tone and inflection: 55%

11. Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is the act of imparting or interchanging thoughts, posture, opinions or information without the use of words, using
gestures,
sign language,
facial expressions and
body language.

12. Nonverbal & Cultural Misunderstanding
Pointing: finger, eyes, chin or head ... even lips (Shoshone Indians)!
Miscommunication:
Yes-no: shaking head ... Greece & Turkey (opposite of what we do)

13. Types of Nonverbal Communication
Kinesics : involves muscles or body movement:
Hand gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, head nods, etc.
Interpretive dance
Flirting
Touching

14. Types of Nonverbal Communication
Proxemics : how people perceive and use space.
Standing patterns (intimate, personal, public)
Sitting (side by side, face to face)
Privacy
Classroom

15. Lets communicate! Proxemics: Kinesics: Standing:
2 feet away, 1 foot away, 4 feet away …
Sitting: side by side, face to face, angled
Which would be better for counselling? Friends? Lovers?
Crossing legs
Kinesics:
Eye contact: Avoid eye contact, sustain eye contact
Touch shoulder, head, hand

16. Languages Language, languages & Speech Distinction between: Languages
Dialects

17. Language
Language
1 any formalized system of communication, especially one that uses sounds or written symbols which the majority of a particular community will readily understand.
2 the speech and writing of a particular nation or social group.
3 the faculty of speech.

18. Language, Language and Speech
FRENCH
ENGLISH
“Language”
Language/ability
The innate ability to learn and produce language/code.
Natural, universal and innate ability (amongst humans).
“Langue”
Language/code
A code or system, used by consensus.
Ex: different languages (French, English, Spanish, Greek, etc.).
Collective (used within a language group, speakers of the language)
“Parole”
Speech
The individual act of speaking
(Concrete use of the language/code).
Ex: “Please stop the bus!”
Individual.

19. According to you, why could these stats Be debatable?
The world’s Languages
According to you,
why could these stats
Be debatable?
Geographic distribution of the world’s languages
Living
Languages Percentage
Americas 1, %
Africa 2, %
Europe %
Asia 2, %
The Pacific 1, %
TOTAL 6,809
(Source: Ethnologue (1996),

20. Languages Across the World
Top 10 languages by first language population:
1) Chinese (Mandarin) ( L2 speakers)
2) Spanish ( L2 speakers)
3) English ( L2 speakers)
4) Hindi
5) Portuguese
6) Bengali
7) Russian ( L2 speakers)
8) Japanese
9) German
(...)
17) French ( L2 speakers)
Contemporary Linguistic Analysis: chapter 8 (O’Grady, 2009; p. 289)

21. Galaxy of Languages (Calvet, 1999)
Hyper-central Language
Super-central Language
Central Language
Peripheral Language

22. Gravitational Model (Calvet, 1999)
Hyper-central Language
Super-central Language
Central Language
Peripheral Language

23. Dialects
Dialect:
A regional or social variety of a language characterized by it’s own phonological, syntactic, or lexical properties.
We will use the term « Variety » in this class instead of speaking of dialects.

24. Pidgin
Pidgin:
A variety that emerges when speakers of a different language are brought together in a stable situation requiring intergroup communication; it has no native speakers and generally is considered to have a reduced grammatical system.

25. Creole
Creole:
A variety that arises as the native language of the children of members of a pidgin speech community.

26. Blood Diamond (Leonardo Dicaprio)
Creole or Pidgin?
Blood Diamond (Leonardo Dicaprio)