Warming Up…
More about sensors and perception
05:47
Verbal Communication
1
Focus Questions
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What is the relationship between language
and thought?
How do labels affect meaning?
What are the implications of recognizing
that language is a process?
How do rules guide communication?
How does punctuation influence the
meaning of communication?
Verbal Communication
2
Language and Meaning
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Language (words) in the human world
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“The limits of my language are the limits of my world” by
Ludwig Wittgenstein 維根斯坦
Language creates reality (or vice versa)
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愛斯基摩人有30多種稱呼”雪”的命名
P.98 F.Y.I
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用英文點咖啡 ; 酒、茶、海鮮…
中英文裡親屬、親戚的稱謂:
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Domestic partners; Birth mother; Date rape; Blended family
姑媽、姨婆、堂哥、表弟…
動畫：歐洲人 vs. 義大利人 (義大利人 算不算歐洲人？)
Verbal Communication
3
Features of Language (Symbols)
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Arbitrary 任意性
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Ambiguous 模糊性
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Not intrinsically connected to what is represented; no
natural relationship
Commonly shared & used in a society; meaning changes
over time
No precise, clear-cut meanings; within a range of
meaning but with degrees of uncertainty
Specific to contexts, individual experience; relationships
Abstract 抽象性
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Not concrete or tangible
Various abstractness (degrees away from external,
objective phenomenon) e.g, “reading matter” 讀物
Verbal Communication
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火星文︰中翻中
原文
明天要開56班親會，想必會來一堆歐氏宗親會的人。
morning call的成績出來了，爐主、顧爐、扛爐的還是那幾個宮本美代子的同學，
要是我考這種成
績，我媽一定AKS，罵我乾脆史努比算了。
翻譯
明天要開無聊的班親會，想必會來一堆歐吉桑和歐巴桑。
模擬考的成績出來了，倒數一二三名還是那幾個根本沒事做（台語：根本沒
代誌）的同學，要是我考
這種成績，我媽一定會氣死（台語），罵我乾脆死在路邊算了。
Verbal Communication
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Symbols and Meaning
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Ladder of Abstraction (Korzybski & Hayakawa)
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Overgeneralization
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Steps away from observed phenomenon
See Figure 4.1 (page 103) (also next slide)
General language to describe groups of people
Perceptions (recall) consistent with labels used
Labels predispose selective perception (刻板印象)
外延意義Denotation vs. 內涵意義Connotation
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Denotation: direct, specific, explicit meaning
Connotation: implied, suggested, apart from explicit meaning
Verbal Communication
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“Cow”抽象化階梯
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Wealth: characteristics of
“Bessie” are left out.
Asset: all valuable things
Farm assets: in common with other
salable items on the farm
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3
2
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Livestock: referring to characteristics
in common with chicken, goats..
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Cow: common characteristics;
not peculiar to specific ones
“Bessie”: the name we give to the object (cow)
Cow: not the word, but the object experience
Cow: consists of atoms, electronics…etc;
scientific reference
Verbal Communication
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Denotation vs. Connotation
“紅豆”生南國…..此物最相思 (王維)
“紅豆”、大紅豆、芋頭… (阿雅)
一顆”紅豆” (鳳飛飛)
“紅豆”女之戀 (韓劇)
“紅豆” (王菲)
“紅豆”冰 (蚊蟲/皮膚炎)
• 一顆『紅蛋』 (江蕙)
• 後山不可再變『深山』 (柯賜海)
Verbal Communication
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Principles of Communication
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Interpretation creates meaning
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Active, creative process of making sense
Process of constructing meaning
Brute facts vs. Institutional facts
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Brute fact: objective, concrete phenomena (e.g., huddling in
football)
Institutional fact: interpreted meaning of brute fact (players
planning the next step)
Communication is guided by rules (p. 106: task-to-do)
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Rule learning through socialization
Regulative rules: specify when, how, where, with
whom… (e.g., interruption, showing affection,..)
Constitutive rules: define meaning (e.g., 加油!)
Verbal Communication
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Principles of Communication
(continued)
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Punctuation affects meaning
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Marks a flow of activity into meaning units
Punctuation is our perception of when
interaction begins and ends.
Determines initiation, interaction, invitation,
participation…
In personal relationships: demand-withdraw
pattern (Figure 4.2, p. 108)-----no agreement
on ending communication
Verbal Communication
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Six Symbolic Abilities
1.
Language defines phenomena
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Labeling (e.g., travel fund, emergency fund)
Totalizing: (e.g.,巴黎浪漫之都; 海軍陸戰隊員)
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2.
Language evaluates phenomena (not neutral)
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One label represents a person totally; ignoring other aspects
Spotlighting an aspect; stereotyping: describing with group
characteristics
Symbols are loaded with ‘value’
Loaded language (長者-老頭子)
Language organizes experiences
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Categories that we place people (資深-受尊重?或快
被資遣了?)
Verbal Communication
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Symbolic Abilities (2)
4. Language allows hypothetical thinking
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Visions of the future (我的志願…)
5. Language allows self-reflection
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Mead (1934)
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I : spontaneous, creative self
Me: socially conscious self
佛洛依德︰
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id 本我 – unconscious & instinctive
ego 自我 – between id and superego
superego 超我 – of moral and social rules; ideal; perfection
Verbal Communication
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Symbolic Abilities (3)
6.
Language defines relationships &
interaction (職業尊稱、輩份、階級)
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Three dimensions of relationship-level
meaning
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Responsiveness: question & statements
(responses, feedback)
Liking: When we say “I care about you.”
Power: Establishing control
Verbal Communication
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Guidelines for Verbal Comm.
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Engage in person-centered communication
Be conscious of levels of abstraction
Qualify language
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Avoid overgeneralization
Avoid static evaluation: She ‘is’ selfish
Indexing technique: evaluation only applies to
specific times, circumstances
Own your feelings and thoughts: Claim feelings
but not blame others for that
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You vs. I language (p. 120) (Note: Chinese cultural &
syntax differences)
Verbal Communication
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