TOPIC 1: LANGUAGE AS COMMUNICATION: ORAL AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE. FACTORS THAT DEFINE A COMMUNICATIVE SITUATION: ADDRESSER, ADDRESEE, FUNCTIONALITY AND CONTEXT. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. INTRODUCTION LANGUAGE AS COMMUNICATION: ORAL AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE. 1.1. Definition of communication. 1.2. Definition of language. 1.2.1. Oral language. 1.2.2. Written language. 1.2.3. Similarities and differences between oral and written language. 1.3. Non-verbal communication. FACTORS THAT DEFINE A COMMUNICATIVE SITUATION 2.1. Elements of communication. 2.2. Functions of communication. 2.3. Context. TEACHING COMMUNICATION: PRINCIPLES IN LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODS. DIDACTIC APPLICATION: COMMUNICATION IN THE ENGLISH LESSON. CONCLUSION. 0. INTRODUCTION “The way in which we communicate with others and with ourselves determines the quality of our lives”. Anthony Robins. A normal day starts, you wake up, and even before you have completely opened your eyes, you check your mobile phone. You check your Whatsapp messages, your email account and Google to see the latest news or what the weather is going to be like. Then you get up and while you are preparing your breakfast, you listen to a funny programme on the radio that makes you start the day with a smile. This could be the beginning of many people’s day, couldn’t it? But the question is: what do all these situations have in common? the thing that Whatsapp messages, emails, news and radio have in common is communication. Communication is the most important thing in our world, and without it our lives wouldn’t make any sense. Communication takes place through spoken and written language, but also through visual means (gestures, flags, drawings), tactile means (Braille system, handshaking), sound (the bell that indicates the end of the class), and olfactory means (a smell which evokes a certain memory) and of course we cannot forget by way of contact. Moreover, the article 7 of Royal Decree 126/2014, of February 28th, which establishes the basic curriculum for Primary Education, states that one of the main objectives our students must achieve throughout the Primary Education is the acquisition and development of their communicative competence. This competence will make them able to achieve an integral development. So, following the Order of January 15th , 2021 which develops the curriculum corresponding to Primary Education stage in Andalucía, regulates some aspects of attention to diversity, establishes the ordering of evaluation of the evaluation of the process of students learning and the transition process between different educational stages. In this topic, we are going to see how communication can be developed through different mediums. Besides, we will see the elements that compose it, the functions that language can perform and some principles related to teaching communication. 1. LANGUAGE AS COMMUNICATION: ORAL AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE. In this section, we are going on deeply with the definition of verbal communication the differences and similarities of oral and written language and non-verbal communication. 1.1. Definition of communication. Communication is an act by which an individual establishes contact with another and transmits information to that individual through a common system of symbols. This process takes place most commonly in human and animal societies, although it is not exclusively restricted to these spheres. Following Canale (1980), … “communication is understood as the exchange of information between at least two individuals through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols, oral and written/visual modes and pronunciation and comprehension processes”. Some examples of communicative acts are a dog barking, a baby crying because she/he is hungry, a TV presenter reading the news, people having a conversation, the functioning of an electronic calculator through internal communication or even the reaction of a thermostat to changes in temperature. So, from this definition we can extract three fundamental aspects: - Communication is an exchange of information: the individuals exchange meanings with a determined purpose. Communication needs a shared code to happen: the individuals need to know the same code. The individuals should be able to product information and to comprehend it: the individuals should domain comprehension and production processes. These processes of comprehension and production can be subdivided in different stages: - - Stages in the comprehension process: o Perception: the intention is to get meanings from sounds or words. o Analysis: the meanings are built up in our brain. o Use: information is drawn up. Stages in the production process: o Construction: the communicative intention selects meanings to transmit. o Transformation: grammar and linguistic rules are applied to transform the intentions into a new message. o Performance: the message is physically expressed. 1.2. Definition of language. Language is considered to be a system of communicating with other people using sounds, symbols and words in order to express an idea, though or meaning. This language can be used through oral and written communication as well as using the body language. Hall defines language as “the institution whereby humans communicate with each other by means of habitually used oral symbols”. 1.2.1. Oral language. The oral language requires a biological basis, that is, certain areas of our brain have to work correctly, as well as the phonological and auditory system also should do it. Starting from this basis, the learning of the oral language is a process which starts from the moment in which we are born. It includes supra-segmental skills as intonation, rhythm and stress, which gain special importance in the English language. The process of learning the oral language can be sub-divided into three phases: - - Pre-linguistic phase: up to the 9th/12th month of life. For example: crying, whispering, imitation of certain sounds, etc. Linguistic development phase: until 4 years old. In this phase, children produce words separately to make sentences. They often sound as if they were reading telegrams (“telegraphic speech”): “no sit here”, “book on table”, … Perfecting phase: from the age of 4 onwards. 1.2.2. Written language. It consists of the representation in a textual medium through the use of a code. This code is particular depending on the language itself. For example, the English language code has not the same symbols than the Chinese language code. Learning the written language is a complex process that implies the learning of symbols and the mastery of four skills: reading, writing, spelling and composition. - - - - Reading: it consists of the interpretation of the written symbols which represent the code of the language. It should be practised in order to develop the ability of comprehending what is read. Writings: it is a difficult skill. It consists of the creation of a text using the code of symbols of the language. The aim when writing is to acquire certain speed and clearness in order to transmit the information correctly. Spelling: each word is represented by certain letters. This is so important because the misunderstanding of a letter can change the whole meaning of a word. It is an important aspect to pay attention when writing. Composition: it consists of the creation of a sentence or a text with certain characteristics. When composing, we can follow a determined structure depending on the type of text we are creating. 1.2.3. Similarities and differences between oral and written language. The main characteristics that differentiate oral and written language are pointed out by Cassany (2005) and Madrid and McLaren (2004): - - Oral language: o Spontaneity and immediacy: it is momentary; its duration depends on the moment in which it is emitted. It should be processed in that instant. It could not be eliminated. Speaker and listener are in the same context. o Simple and informal language: use of imprecise and repetitive vocabulary, use of idioms and interjections, simple grammar characterized by omissions, changes of order or coordinated and juxtaposed sentences, use of easy and simple connectors, repetitions, parallelism, self- corrections and repairs are very common. o Suprasegmental elements: rhythm, stress and intonation are special aspects to acquire when oral language is acquired. Written language: o Permanence: the reader can access to a written text indefinitely. o Distance: writer and reader are in different contexts o Processing time: the reader/writer can spend freely time he/she needs to understand/write the text. The writer can write a draft and modify it until as many times he/she wants to achieve a richer and more complex text without mistakes. o o o Planned, complex ad formal language: use of rich vocabulary, the information is well structured, use of complex subordinated sentences and varied connectors, repetitions are avoided and parallelisms are more elaborated. Orthography: is very important when we take into account the correctness of words. Formality: written language is usually more formal than oral language. So, now that we have seen the differences of oral and written language, we should avoid the practical separation of these two groups of skills. Thus, as it was stated by Cassany (2005): “we cannot forget that the ability to communicate is the sum total of the four linguistic skills, not just the perfection of each individual one”. Finally, and taking this theory into the practice of the English teaching, we should take into account what Thornbury (2002), who stated that when dealing with younger students, we must first provide them with inputs, respecting silent periods, and then make them to produce some outputs. That is, we should first work on the listening skill, and then proceed to practice the speaking one. 1.3. Non-verbal communication. Communication does not always happen through language. Although language is extremely important for the exchange and negotiation of information, the use of non-verbal communication strategies is a key factor for the development of communicative competence. Non-verbal communication can be defined as the fact of transmitting information without using words. Body movements, posture and gesture, facial expressions, eye contact and touching, can reveal important information such as students’ personality, if they are keeping attention, and regarding teachers, we can use them to control pupil’s behaviour or show confidence through a wink or smile. Sometimes, non-verbal communication strategies can change the whole meaning of what we are saying, so we should foster its practice in our daily teaching. Moreover, it is very useful to provide the information with a visual support which facilitates communication. In fact, Asher, J. (1972) developed a language teaching method called “Total Physical Response”, in which students respond physically to the teacher orders. In this method, the teacher can get an immediate feedback about what children are understanding or not. This method can be very interesting to be very interesting to be carried out with younger students, due to the fact that it respects silent periods and help students to become self-confidents and comfortable. 2. FACTORS THAT DEFINE A COMMUNICATIVE SITUATION 2.1. Elements of communication. Communication is a process in which there are multiple elements. Each one of them develops an important and very different role. According to Roman Jakobson (1995) the elements of communication are: The addresser, the addressee, the message, the context, the code, the channel or contact. To explain this, a concrete situation comes to mind: the case of the Noble Prize given to Malala, a young female activist from Pakistan who won this prize in 2014 when she was 17 years old. In that ceremony, Malala asked for free education all around the world. If we think about Malala giving her speech, we can name all the different elements that take part in the communicative act. In this speech, the addresser or the person who sends the message is obviously Malala. We are the addressee the receiver of the message who hears (in this case) or read the message. Among others, the message was “why are the countries in which giving guns is so easy and giving books so hard?” (the message is the information to be sent). The context or circumstances in which the communication happens, would be the Norwegian parliament, where she received the prize. The channel or contact, either the physical way (the waves that travelled through the microphone, by means of which she gave her speech) or psychological connection between the addresser and the addressee. And finally, the code, the English language. These communication elements are always present in any situation and the lack of one of them supposes that the exchange of information will not be successful. Additionally, we can state that there are other aspects that are not considered main elements of communication but play an important role in the development of the process: - Noise: interferences which can make the exchange of information harder or easier. Feedback: the information that the sender receives from the receiver. It can be by means of oral/written language or non-verbal communication strategies (gestures, signals, etc.) In all simple communication acts, there are four phases: - Codification: the addresser turns the message into codes. Emission: the message is transmitted using oral or written codes. Reception: the message is received, through the auditory system or eyes. Decoding: interpretation of the message. 2.2. Functions of communication. Roman Jakobson (1995) proposed a theory of language use through functions. He stated that there are six main functions that language can develop: - - - Emotive function: this function takes place when we express our feelings and emotions. When performing this function, the intonation plays a very important role, for example: “Wow!” Conative function: this function plays an imperative or dominant role. It is carried out when the speaker wants to control the behaviour of the receiver. For example: “Eat!” Poetic function: in this function the most important thing is the beauty of the language. The focus is on “how” things are said and not on “what” is said. For example: “Hey diddle diddle the cat and the fiddle”. Representational function: it aims at the transmission of contents or facts. It is usually represented through statements. For example: “It is snowing in London”. Metalinguistic function: the use of this function is limited to speak about the language itself. For example: “In English adjectives precede nouns”. Phatic function: the main goal of this function is to check if the communication process is being effective. For example: “Can you hear me?”. 2.3. Context. When communicating, one of the most important aspects is the context in which communication is being performed. Thus, the functions developed and the form of messages will vary greatly. However, if we speak about context, we should make a distinction between the linguistic context and the non-linguistic context: - Linguistic context: words that surround the message and determine its meaning. Non-linguistic context: it could be subdivided in the following ones: o o o Physical context: the space where communication is being carried out. Historical context: place and personal circumstances that surround communicative processes. Sociocultural context: customs, social norms and beliefs that help to understand the communicative situations. When the sender and the receiver does not share context features, communication can be prevented from being totally effective. For example, imagine a conversation between a 15 years old American kid with a 60years old African one. It is very probably that their sociocultural differences make communication harder. Creating a context in the classroom is very important for the following reasons: - It organizes information and facilitates its comprehension. It provides the children’s new language with functionality and meaning. We must start with a familiar context and use enough contextual support (realia, flashcards, body language) in order to facilitate the acquisition of language. It will increase interest and motivation and reduce anxiety. 3. TEACHING COMMUNICATION: PRINCIPLES IN LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODS. English language teaching has suffered a great evolution since its beginning. There are multiple methodologies and techniques, and the ones used nowadays differ a lot from the traditional ones. Starting from this basis we have to bear in mind that some years ago, language teaching was focused on the teaching of the different functions of language. Thus, the functions were important because they gave meaning to linguistic elements. In this context, the aim of language teaching started to focus on communication through the use of different language functions. The syllabi in which the centre of the process was around function was called functional syllabi. Years later, the concept of communicative competence appeared in the debate on how the English language should be taught. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (2001) stated that a successful syllabus to teach English should be around this concept. The concept of Communicative Competence was first mentioned by Dell Hymes (1972) who defines it as “the knowledge of not only if something is grammatically possible in a language, but whether it is appropriate in a particular speech community”. Moreover, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL, 2001) states that the Communicative Competence is the main point to acquire a foreign language successfully. It is subdivided into different competences: - LINGUISTIC COMPETENCES: it includes multiple aspects as lexis, phonology, or syntax. As well as other skills and or dimensions of language as system, independently of the sociolinguistic value of its variations and the pragmatic functions of its realisations. A successful use of this competences depends on the use of non-verbal elements. - - SOCIOLINGUISTIC COMPETENCES: it refers to the sociocultural aspects of language use. Through its sensitivity to social conventions. It includes non-verbal elements of communication. PRAGMATIC COMPETENCES: it concerns the functional use of linguistic resources, drawing on scenarios or scripts of interactional exchanges. It also concerns the mastery of discourse, cohesion and coherence, the identification of text types and forms, irony and parody. For this component even more than the linguistic component, it is hardly necessary to focus on interactions, non-verbal communication and cultural environments in which such abilities are constructed. Each one of these sub-competences requires certain knowledge, skills and know-how features. To finish this section and this topic, we are going to show some principles to follow when teaching and learning a language, they were stated by Brown (1994): - Correspondence between meaning and signifier: both language and communication need a material part and a psychic content, interrelated and depending each one on each other. - Dominant usualness: a language is composed by thousands of words, however, there are certain words that are most common used. - Compilation of the diverse manifestations of language: the teaching of vocabulary, reading skill and writing should be developed at specific moments. - Practical exercises: practice makes perfection. Teaching a language should involve lots of practice and repetition to be successful. 4. DIDACTIC APPLICATION: COMMUNICATION IN THE ENGLISH LESSON. The Order of January 15th , 2021 which develops the curriculum for Primary Education in Andalusia (CEJA, 2021) states a series of area objectives, evaluation criteria and blocks of contents which are aimed at acquiring the four skills and communicative competence. Then, some possible activities and measures to work on them through communication: - - ACTIVITIES: o TPR and mimic games, storytelling, listen to the radio. o Role-plays, simulations and theatres. o Extensive reading for pleasure or intensive for investigating. o Write notes, mails or cards. MEASURES: o Design a classroom space to speak English language. o Use authentic materials such as songs, realia or storybooks. o Place posters with the most common English language use in the classroom. E.g.: “Can I go to the toilet, please?”, “Can you lend me a rubber, please?”. 5. CONCLUSION. Ending this topic, we should bear in mind that communication, from a general view, is an extremely important tool for learning. Children should be able to communicate in order to be able to progress, investigate, discover and negotiate information. Who does not want to meet new people, or to have a good job in the future? Who does not want to travel and be able to communicate with other people, or to help a tourist who needs to find a street in our village? Who does not want to watch original version films or series and be able to understand them, or to understand a video of his/her favourite singer, dancer, football player or actor? Coca-cola was right, in the same way that this brand thinks about its beverage, we think about English: it is for everybody. In addition, according to the Organic Law 3/2020, of December 29th, which modifies the Organic Law 2/2006, of May 3rd, of Education (LOMLOE) in its article 17, objectives of Primary Education, we highlight: f) Acquire in at least one foreign language the basic communicative competence that allows them to express and understand simple messages and function in everyday situations. Teachers, must be able to teach them how to communicate correctly and effectively, giving them a variety of resources, both verbal and non-verbal. However, sometimes we need to bear in mind that human beings use communication when the need something or they feel that communication is making a change. That is, we should teach communication with a functional, purposeful and meaningful goal. Thus, students will feel motivated and engaged enough to use all their resources in order to communicate what they want to. In this context, we should provide them with situations in which they communicate with a purpose, simulating real life situations and everyday life communication strategies.
