Language

The Nature of Language

Language: A collection of symbols governed by rules and used to convey messages between individuals

The meaning people have associate with words have far more significance than do their dictionary definitions.

Meanings are social constructions in their well-known "triangle of meaning"

Syntax rules govern the structure of language

Semantic Rules deals with the meanings of specific words

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Pragmatic rules govern how people use language in everyday interaction

Troublesome Language

Equivocal Language: Words that have more than one specific definition.

Relative Words: Relative words gain their meaning by example, ex; what you call smaller school might meaning a larger school to someone else.

The Power of Language

Names are one way to shape and reinforce a child's personal identity. They shape the way others think of us, the way we view ourselves, and the way we act.

Credibility: From the use of impressive-sounding language one can be perceived as one who is more credible.

Status: Several factors combine to create positive or negative impressions such as; accent, choice of words, speech rate, and the apparent age of the speaker.

Sexism and Racism: incorrect use of the pronoun "he" to refer both men and women can have damaging results. Names have been used through out history that have been disproved of.

Affiliation

Power: In employment interviews, powerful speech results in more positive attributes of competence or employability than speech to be powerless

Linguistic intergroup bias

Attraction and interest: Social customs discourage us from expressing like or dislike in many situations.

Responsibility: Having the willingness to accept responsibility of a message

Slang/Jargon: Slang is a type of language that has been implemented similar to a co-culture. Jargon: Can be a valuable kind of shorthand for people who understand its use.

Overly Abstract Language: Objects, events, and ideas that are described with varying degrees of specificity.

Abstraction Ladder: a number of descriptions of the same thing. Low-person object, or event. High-generalizations that include the subjects as a member of a larger class

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Abstract Language: Speech that refers to events or objects only vaguely.

Behavioral Description: A descriptions identifying the specific, observable phenomenon being discussed.

Confusing Facts, Opinions, Inferences

Emotive Language: Words that sound as if they're describing something when they are really announcing the speaker's attitude towards something.

Euphemism: More direct but potentially less pleasant one.

Equivocation: a deliberately vague statement that can be interpreted in more than way.

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Gender and Language:

Content: The differences between men and women are more striking than the the similarities.

Both men and women (in dominant cultures) use language to build and maintain social relationships

Women ask questions in mixed-sex conversations than do men. In mixed-sex conversations, men interrupt women far more than the other way around.

Nongender Variables: Sex role is a powerful force that influences the way individual men and women speak.

Biological factors: Hormone production affects how different genders communicate.

Social factors: social norms shape the way men and women communicate.