Unit 1

• Language


  A means of communication, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way
• Language is a system of words or signs that people use to express thoughts and feelings to each other
• Language


  • It is a medium for thought and social interaction
  • It is a system of communication
• Speech Community


  A group of people sharing a common language or dialect, who can understand each other
• Language Acquisition


  The process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive, comprehend, produce and use words and sentences to communicate
• People acquire the languages used by those in the community as they grow up, through the process of language learning
• Aspects of Language


  • System of rules/Grammar
  • Phonology (study of speech sounds)
  • Syntax (arrangement of words in sentences)
  • Pragmatics (practical use of language)
  • Morphology (study of word structure)
  • Semantics (study of meaning)
• Linguists are people who study language, and Linguistics is the study of language
• A channel is the medium through which messages are transmitted
• The receiver is the person who receives the message
• The sender is the person who initiates communication
• Encoding is the process whereby we convert our thoughts into symbols that can be communicated via a chosen channel
• Non-verbal communication includes body language, facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, etc.
• Verbal communication involves using spoken or written words to convey information
• Decoding is where we interpret the symbols sent from another person
• Encoding is when we convert our thoughts into symbols that can be communicated to others
• Feedback is the response from the receiver to the sender
• Decoding is the process whereby the receiver converts the received signals back into meaningful information
• Paralinguistic features include pitch, volume, rhythm, stress, intonation, pauses, hesitations, interruptions, laughter, sighing, crying, etc.
• Feedback is information about how well your message has been received by the recipient
• Decoding is when the receiver interprets the encoded message from the sender
• Verbal communication involves using words to communicate meaning
• Noise refers to anything that interferes with effective communication
• Feedback is information about how well your message has been understood
• Decoding is the process by which we interpret the signals received from another person or persons to reconstruct their intended meanings.
• Feedback is when the receiver sends back some form of response to show they have understood what was said
• Feedback is when the receiver sends back some form of response to confirm they have understood what was said
• Feedback is the response given by the receiver which helps the sender understand whether their message has been received as intended
• Barriers are obstacles that prevent us from understanding messages clearly
• Noise refers to anything which interferes with effective communication
• Noise refers to anything which interferes with effective communication between two people
• Non-verbal communication includes body language, facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, eye contact, touch, and personal appearance
• Semiotics is the study of signs and their meanings
• The verbal channel refers to the use of speech as a means of conveying meaning
• Noise refers to anything which disturbs or disrupts the flow of messages between people
• Non-verbal communication includes body language, facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, eye contact, touch, smell, taste, dress sense, personal appearance, posture, movement, space, silence, artefacts, objects, props, etc.
• The communication model consists of three stages - encoding, transmission, decoding
• Proxemics refers to how people use space around them to communicate meaning
• Kinesics refers to body movements such as facial expressions, gestures, posture, eye contact, touch, etc.
• Non-verbal cues are used by speakers to communicate meaning without speaking