Module+1+June+2-June+6--Unit+1+The+Nature+of+Communication

include component="editors" days="45" imageSize="small" showUsername="true" Welcome to Module 1, Unit 1: The Nature of Communication Collaborative Study Guide. This page will serve as the study guide for Unit 1; this list of key terms is found below.

Example of a Collaborative Study Guide entry:

Ethnocentrism (Rowe and Levine, Chapter 1) Linguistic enthnocentrism means believing that one’s own cultural speech style is the best and that others are inferior. For example, as a young child, I was sent to speech therapy because I pronounced ‘wash’ as ‘warsh’; my mother grew up in Appalachia and I learned to pronounce ‘wash’ this way from her. Apparently, at that time, in western New York schools, this dialect was considered pathological, and this is an example of linguistic ethnocentrism. The following youtube excerpt from the video //American Tongues// shows a variety of speakers exhibiting linguistic ethnocentrism vis-a-vis several U.S. dialects: [] By: Kathleen McInerney 5/31

The entry above would earn the full four points for 1) annotating the concept with a definition, a text-to- ? (in this case a text-to-self) connection and for providing an annotated, relevant media link.

Collaborative Study Guide checklist for each concept chosen:


 * Definition || 1 pt ||
 * Cxample || 1 pt ||
 * Media link or file || 1 pt ||
 * APA citation (as if on a reference list) || 1 pt ||

Communication

‘Communication’ is described in our book as a behavior that affects the behavior of others by the transmission of information. Especially in this day and age, the information can be send out by different things. Often people communicate by some kind of speech; others who cannot see use sign language to correspond. There is also a body language as a way of commune. Back in the day people wrote letters as another way of getting in touch with the rest of the world. Today, letters are not as popular as emails. The video from Nova Science Now: “Bird Brain,” teachers about discoveries about communicating; People vs. Animals (Birds). [] However, the link below shows the history of communication and how it changed overtime. [] By: Magdalena Krol 6/2

As Magdalena stated above 'Communication is best described in our book as a behavior that affects the behavior of others by the transmission of information. I found it very interesting to reflect on my own thoughts of the whole idea of communication and how it has evolved throughout time, just in my life alone!! I think of radio (only an hour a day of Spanish radio), TV, first cable- "On-TV or Spectrum," telephone, cordless telephone, answering machines w/cassette, digital answering machines, writing letters to my friends, beepers/pagers, cell phone (really big block ones), computer with only green letters, internet, email, myspace, facebook, blogs, blackboard, and text messaging. I have attached the links below because it is a clear expression of how communication has evolved. [] (a brief history of communication) [] (history of communication) [] (communication in the information age) By: Michelle A Carrillo

Code Encode Decode Decode (Rowe and Levine chapter 1) Our book describes ‘decode’ as a way to react in a way that reflects the way the sender intended for it to be encoded (used or understood). In all cultures this would simply be a way to communicate around like minded people. In my culture, we often use a slang, vernacular, or improper English to communicate amongst each other. Others call it Ebonics. Today we would equate the slang for text lingo in the same manner. If you are not familiar with texting, you may not properly encoded that LOL = Laugh out Loud or that IDK = I Don’t Know. For example, we (not all Black People) may say the following words: Aiight = all right; Cheese = Money; Floss = to show off and/or tease with material possessions, especially cars or jewelry; Whip = Car [] [] By: Patrisa Keys 6/6/10

Grammar

Phonological system As stated in our book (Rowe and Levine, p.2) the phonological system of a language is the grammar (pattern) of sounds of that language. I think about the Estrellita (means star in Spanish) program that I use in my bilingual Kindergarten classroom. Using this program as a supplement to my reading/Lectura program, my students have fun learning the initial sounds, syllables and then formulating words to become fluent beginner readers in Spanish. I have attached an article from a teacher that vouches for the same program in California. As stated per the creator of Estrellita, students can learn to read in Spanish withing 6-8 weeks, as opposed to months. This program verifies the phonological system for me as a beginner reading teacher. [] also visit www.estrellita.com for more details on how the program works! Lexicon

The word lexicon has many meanings. Our book shows it as: a mental dictionary, the vocabulary that one has stored in the brain. Google definition shows multiple different explanations of this word. The most common ones are: a language user's knowledge of words; and almost as a dictionary: a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them. I was familiar with the word but only in a form of a book. When I was little my family had a ‘lexicon’ of (old) words which were not often use in Polish language anymore; nevertheless, once a while either someone spoke the ‘old’ vocabulary or there was a book which used that kind of dialect. The link below shows many other definition of the word ‘lexicon.’ [] By: Magdalena Krol 6/2

Morphology

Syntax (Rowe and Levine, Chapter 1) Syntax has a dual meaning, it is the rules we use to make words and morphemes into sentences, and also the study of how we use these rules to create sentences. In my kindergarten classroom children have not always internalized these rules. They create sentences using words they know or words they can sound out, sometimes even using pictures. So the sentence "I see a cat" make look like "i c a (picture of a cat)." As they move on in school the children learn more and more of the syntactic rules and their sentences will improve and become more complex. Syntax is also important for reading. When my students are decoding sentences, they must know how to use the structure of the sentence, or the syntax, to try and help them decipher words they do not already know, but this can also lead to some common mistakes in decoding. For example take the sentence "There is an apple." If a child does not know the word "there," but does know the word "the" she might read the sentence as "The is an apple." However, if she has internalize the syntactic rules, she will realize that "The is an apple." does not make syntactic sense and, hopefully, will self-correct the word "the" to the word "there." The link below will take you to an article from the University of Chicago Chronicle (Harms, 2002) in which they discuss how using complex syntax in spoken language helps children to acquire more complex syntax themselves. Harms, W. (2002). Researcher's discover environment influence's children's ability to form, comprehend, complex sentences. //The University of Chicago Chronicle, 22// (5). Retrieved from [] by: Kelley Morrissey 6/3

Semantics Linguistic competence Linguistic performance Productivity Delivery system of language

A delivery system of language is described in the book as a the way in which knowledge of language (linguistic competence) is used to send a message. The three basic ways of delivering a message linguistically are speech, writing, and sign language. I will be one to admit that if I was asked this question a few years ago I would have first given a blank stare, thought about it, and then say speech. It wasn't until I started doing some writing myself that it clicked that writing is another way of delivering language. Sign language is a way of delivering language that I would bet most people would not include in this category. It is not because people don't care about it but unless they use sign language it is somewhat 'foreign' to them. Sign language is a way of communication for those who are hard of hearing or deaf. When I was in 3rd grade and living in Indiana my brother and I went to the YMCA camp during the summer. While I was there I met a lot of people and made friends along the way. One friend in particular (her name escapes me right now) was deaf and it was tough not being able to communicate with her using sign language. Every day I would sit down with her and other girls and learn some basic sign language. I think sign language is an amazing and unique means of communication and you never know when it might come in handy! All three basic ways of delivering a message linguistically are important and are used and viewed in different ways within different people. Each person I believe has their own unique way of linguistically delivering a message. I have included a video below from the hit TV show Glee. I have not really seen the show but this video was interesting to me because it shows 2 of the 3 basic ways of delivering speech; speech (song) and sign language. It is about 2 groups of students; one group sings and the other group signs. Both voices are heard through the 2 unique and different ways of delivering a message. [] By: Kristen Kuzanek 6/4

Verbal Verbal means by using ‘words’ and verbal communication is the easiest way human beings interact with each other. Our book states that: verbal means language: speech, writing, or sign language. Every day each one of us uses ‘words’ to communicate with others. Thanks to verbal communication we have things such as dialect and speeches are developed. Each country and culture, have their own communication. It might be simply another language or also different signs (as in writing and sign language). The link below explains more about verbal communication and all the concepts which tie in to it. [|http://cobweb2.louisville.edu/faculty/regbruce/bruce//mgmtwebs/commun_f98/Verbal.htm] By: Magdalena Krol 6/2

Verbal means language: speech, writing, or sign language; as defined by the book. Verbally speaking to another person is the most common way or way that people choose to express themselves. However, many people choose to express themselves through writing. Somethings are easier written than said and in my opinion are more unique and powerful when written down whether it be poetry, a story, or simply a letter. Sign language is another way of communication where their 'voices' are still heard even though they are signing. Like I stated in my last post sign language is a very unique way of communication in my mind. These verbal means of communication allow us to have things such as; movies, plays, tv shows, etc (many things majority of us use on a daily basis). The link attached is a video using four different ways of communication to read a story. [] By: Kristen Kuzanek 6/5

Nonverbal Nonverbal (communication) simply means communicating with someone without words. Our book explains it as: means not language. Nonverbal communication is any communication that is not conveyed through speech, writing, or sign language. I see it more like body language because sometimes simple signs or movements of the body can tell us what the person wants. For example: I learned that when I see a child (especially four year old boys) that keeps his legs close to each other and maybe ‘holds’ his ‘private parts’ I automatically conclude that he needs to go to the bathroom and there is no need of him to tell me that. Sometimes we can read a person’s face in order to know what they want. It is easy for us to see and distinguish a sad and happy face. The link below shows the examples of nonverbal communication used in movies. Most of those we can see through our day as we meet people or try to communicate with others around us. [] By: Magdalena Krol 6/2

Nonverbal means not language. Nonverbal communication is any communication that is not conveyed through speech, writing, or sign language; as defined in the book. My definition of nonverbal (communication) is no words. Although nonverbal communication using no language there are plenty of other ways to know what someone is talking about or what they are trying to inform you of. Like Meggie said in her post when little kids hold their 'private parts' it typically means they have to use the bathroom but may not verbally say it if they are engaged in an activity or etc. People also communicate using body language; it is very easy to read body language when someone is trying to tell you something whether it be good or bad...there is a clear distinction. Facial expressions are also good indicators of how people are feelings or thinking without using verbal means of communication. I'm sure we have all experienced at least one of these nonverbal means of communication or even use them ourselves. Below is a picture I'm sure we are all familiar with...the chart of different expressions. By: Kristen Kuzanek 6/5

Synchrony Synchrony (Rowe and Levine chapter 1) ‘Synchrony’ is described in our book as a non-verbal way to communicate. It is the connection and relationship between things that occur simultaneously, similar to a dance. I instantly thought of a praise dance when I read the meaning. In many Black churches, youth and adults alike, perform a praise dance to Gospel music to tell the story of that song or of the message of the Bible. There is no verbal communication. It’s a soulful expression of praise to God. It would be similar to a ballet recital. [] [] By: Patrisa Keys 6/6/10

Culture shock Our book describes ‘Culture Shock’ as the disorientation and anxiety that occurs when social expectations are not met. The book also gives us example where a handshake is a way of respect of a person in countries like United States. However, in Asian courtiers such act might be interpreted as aggression. Add on to the concept as we greet a family member in most cultures a hand shake and maybe hug is appropriate. Nevertheless, in other countries family members greet each other by kissing each other’s cheeks. The following link shows an article on ‘TeensHealth’ website which shows even more details about Culture Shock.The article explains the concept from different directions. Article shows the signs, reasons, outcomes, and help: [] By: Magdalena Krol 6/2

Culture shock is defined in the book by the disorientation and anxiety that occurs when social expectations are not met. Like Meggie said the handshake is something that we here in the United States use for a greeting and/or do out or respect. However, if an individual were to go to another country (e.g. Asian countries) it can be seen as aggression and disrespect. Another culture shock is when teachers scold students by saying "look at me when I'm talking to you!" In some cultures it is disrespectful to look at an adult when they are scolding you. There are so many culture shocks within a classroom and the world in general that an individual can experience on a daily basis. For example, I am faced with culture shock almost every time I go into a classroom where a language other than English is spoken. It is very difficult sometimes because you feel 'out of place' or even not wanted depending where you are and what is going on. Some people may think they have never experienced culture shock but I would be willing to bet that everyone has at least one time or will at least one time in their life. Attached is a lesson plan on Culture Shock that I found and thought was interesting. [] By: Kristen Kuzanek 6/5

As the ladies stated above, our book defines Culture Shock as the disorientation and anxiety that occurs when social expectations are not met. I personally experienced culture shock in a number of ways: growing up within different communities as a first generation Mexican girl, visiting Mexico as an American girl, visiting Europe (awesome), and above all exposure to the military culture overseas (different from stateside experience). I really want to share a piece of a culture I lived for a period in my life, the life of a military wife. Mollie Gross is a motivational speaker and comedian whom hopes to inspire military wives and women of all ages to have a positive outlook on their lives. She states in her mission that she wants women to get inspired to be proud of their service along side their spouse's, to change perspective to the positive, make wise choices, learn to laugh through anything, and find opportunities to thrive (www.molliegross.com)

Here is a sample of her motivational speaking demo:  []

I want to also share her comedy, enjoy: [] By: Michelle A Carrillo

Ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism is defined as the act of judging other cultures by the standards of your culture; it is also the belief that you culture is superior to other cultures. Ethnocentrism is a major issue in my mind. Just like no one person is the same as another and that makes each individual unique, so is that of cultures. Each culture is different from the next and that is why it is unique. If each culture was the same where would we learn about diversity? The world would be plain if we were all from the same culture; there would be no variety in our lives. With each culture being different brings about the argument of right and wrong. In some cultures men and women are seen as equals and in some cultures it is the opposite...that is just how it is. Who are we to judge other cultures that we do not know anything about just because it is different from ours? That is not to say you can't have your own personal opinions about other cultures but to judge them and say that is wrong....that's disrespectful. I have been in many arguments about religion and why Roman Catholics believe in saints, the after life, etc. It hurts when someone attacks you, your culture, and your beliefs. Some may view their culture as superior to others but in my mind they are all equal because I do not believe there is a checklist determining good and bad....correct me if I'm wrong! Attached is a 12 page article on how to overcome Ethnocentrism. Human Communication. A Publication of the Pacific and Asian Communication Association. Vol. 11, No.1, pp. 27 – 38. [] By: Kristen Kuzanek 6/5

Pheromone Redundancy Sound spectrograph

Calls According to our book, calls are usually relatively short vocal signals that might communicate a variety of messages. A variety of other species might respond to the calls of a given species. Please visit the article I __linked below under__ //__songs__,// which goes hand in hand with calls. The article relates to spring love and how birds and the bees are relevant when relating to spring love. By: Michelle A Carrillo

Songs Songs are longer and more complex sequences of sound that, in birds, are usually associated with attracting a mate. Songs are species specific, per Rowe and Levine, Chapter 1. I appreciate that our book entails the nature of language regardless of the species. Without a doubt animals, such as birds do communicate. A male bird attracts s mate basically by using a song. [] By: Michelle A Carrillo

Openness (Rowe and Levine, Chapter 1) Openness means the ability to change or adapt language by adding new words, phrases, or other meaningful units. As humans, we do this all the time. When I was younger I "invented" the word "lippy" to mean a chap stick one day when I couldn't think of the correct word. I have been using "lippy" ever since. Another example is slang, and more recently text-speak. The more people use new words or phrases, or emoticons, the more ingrained into the language they become. They now have meaning to people who know them. Most people now commonly accept :) to mean a smile and :( to mean a frown for example. If you visit the Urban Dictionary (2010) site at [] (users beware not all content suitable for young audiences) you will find many examples of words and phrases that have taken on new meanings. (2010) //Urban Dictionary//. Retrieved from [] by Kelley Morrissey 6/3

Openness (Rowe and Levine chapter 1) ‘Openness’ as described in our book is the ability to add new words, phrases and other meaningful units to language. I remember my nephew having a difficult time saying my aunt’s name as a child. He would call her Winda because he could not say the ‘L” sound to pronounce her name correctly. He later had his tongue clipped to which enabled him to pronounce many other words correctly as well as the name Linda. The Webster’s dictionary is updated to add new words. Most of them are tied to technology. As we grow to be more technologically savvy, so does our vocabulary. For example, //password // is also a verb that is identified by this meaning: to establish or use a password esp. to secure Internet activity //Ex//: Password your files when you are using a shared PC. Webster’s has added acronyms related to test lingo. Check out Wester's online dictionary [] for thousands of new words entries. By: Patrisa Keys 6/6/10

Discrete signals Discrete Signal (Rowe and Levine chapter 1) A Discrete Signal, as described in our book, is one that does not blend with other signals. Mating is usually a discrete signal that males send out to females and vice versa in an effort to reproduce. Unless, the mating signal is comprised of a sound, it usually is not seen. The only part of a mating signal that is captured includes the physical act after mating. In this mating video, you will bind a male superb bird of paradise’s mating dance / ritual to get the females attention. [] By: Patrisa Keys 6/6/10

Arbitrary Stimulus-bound Stimulus-bound (Rowe and Levine chapter 1) The book describes ‘stimulus-bound’ as a behavior that occurs because of a specific environmental trigger. Animals are primarily stimulus-bound. My dog will automatically sit when we go near the treat jar. Any other time we must beg her to sit or give her the sit command repeatedly before she will oblige. She has learned that she must sit prior to receiving the treat. I’m not sure, if we’re training her or if she’s training us. [|http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0WTeff7iQxMXygAn7SjzbkF/SIG=12as5u48s/EXP=1275976571/**http%3a//www.flickr.com/photos/backinthepack/4368905724/] By: Patrisa Keys 6/6/10

Displacement

Prevarication (Rowe and Levine, Chapter 1) Prevarication is the ability to discuss things for which there is no proof. Humans can talk about things that are imaginary or fantasy based such as witches, wizards, goblins and other magical creatures like those found in the popular Harry Potter book series [] (Rowling,1997). Humans can also tell lies, things they know are not true. This is found almost exclusively in human communication, although some animals may "play dead" to evade predators. However, when animals fake death it is due to genetic programming, they have not learned to "lie." Rowling, J. K. (1997). Harry potter and the scorer's stone. New york, NY: Scholastic Press. by Kelley Morrissey 6/3

Hominen Clever Hans effect

Broca’s area area of the brain (Rowe and Levine, Chapter 1) Broca's area is an area in the brain located in the frontal region of the left hemisphere. This area is responsible for pronunciation and the production of speech through the fine motor control of the larynx, lips, tongue, and areas of the digestive and respiratory systems. Damage to this area of the brain results in Broca's aphasia. I first learned about this area in a Psychology class, I have also studied it in a previous linguistics class for which you will find a reference to the book at the end of this entry. Gleason, J. B. (2001). //The development of language// (5th ed.) S. D. Dragin, (Ed.)//.// Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2008). [Illustration of Broca and Wernicke's areas of the brain]. Aphasia NIH Pub. No. 97-4257 Retrieved from [] by Kelley Morrissey 6/3

Wernicke’s area of the brain (Rowe and Levine, Chapter 1) Wernicke's area is an area in the brain located in the left posterior hemisphere of the temporal lobe. This area is responsible for comprehension and selection of lexical items to form sentences. Damage to this area of the brain results in Wernicke's aphasia. I first learned about this area in a Psychology class, I have also studied it in a previous linguistics class for which you will find a reference to the book at the end of this entry. Gleason, J. B. (2001). //The development of language// (5th ed.) S. D. Dragin, (Ed.)//.// Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2008). [Illustration of Broca and Wernicke's areas of the brain]. Aphasia NIH Pub. No. 97-4257 Retrieved from [] by Kelley Morrissey 6/3

Broca’s aphasia

Wernicke’s aphasia

Arbitrary (Rowe and Levine, Chapter 1) in relationship to the language means that features of language, such as words, have no direct relationship to their meaning. Therefore, there is no relationship between the sounds associated with the word and the physical object or action that signifies. For example, there is no natural reason why a table should be associated with tebl in English or mesa in Spanish. The book also states, the word fire, in spoken, written, or signed form has no direct relationship to the concept fire and that is why different languages have different words for this concept. Here is an image that gives an example of the meaning arbitrary. This image was retrieved from http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hPaSqNya9QI/SvMexsU_y3I/AAAAAAAABIs/jCL_skwOnKg/s400/sign2.png.

By: Colleen Chaps 6/5

Displacement (Rowe and Levine, Chapter 1) is the ability to communicate about things at times other than the present and to communicate about things not directly in front of the sender and/or receiver. Human language is capable of displacement, which means man is able to transmit thoughts about things that cannot be directly perceived. For example, humans can communicate any past event or about any potential future happening. I use displacement when I discuss how hard a final exam was with my friends and talk about the grade we expect to receive on it, or even when we discuss plans for the upcoming weekend. The following image was found at this website: http://ldc.upenn.edu/myl/llog/FamCirc1.jpg By: Colleen Chaps 6/5

Prevarication (Rowe and Levine, Chapter 1) in the linguistic sense, refers to the ability to communicate about things that are not verifiable, things for which there is no empirical proof. It is the ability for humans to say fictional or false things and discuss subjects such as dragons, mermaids, or even tell lies. For example, I had a cousin who would tell me every Christmas that she saw Santa Clause on the roof, she is using prevarication in 2 ways, by talking about a fictional character as well as lying that she saw him on the roof top. The following image shows an example of prevarication, and refers to the saying, "Liar, Liar pants on fire", literally your pants are not on fire when you lie, but prevarication allows us to say this and tell lies. The image was found on this website: http://www.friendfolks.net/storeimages/LiarLiar004W.jpg

By: Colleen Chaps 6/5

Culture Shock (Rowe and Levine, Chapter 1) is the disorientation and anxiety that occurs when social expectations are not met. It can lead to depression, homesickness, and negative attitudes about a foreign culture. I have never really experienced culture shock severely, but some people I worked with I could tell were. I worked at a retirement home with many Polish speaking people. They would constantly be speaking Polish in front of us and one of my coworkers who only spoke English was really fed up and eventually yelled at all of them and told them that they were not allowed to speak Polish and really received a negative perspective on their culture. I don’t think she realized that they were not meaning to be ignorant it was just easier for them to communicate that way. Ester Wanning writes a book called, __Culture Shock! USA: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette.__ This book could be helpful to immigrants who are coming to America for the first time to understand body language, regional differences, and education. By: Colleen Chaps 6/5

Calls (Rowe and Levine, Chapter 1) in linguistics are usually relatively short vocal signals that might communicate a variety of messages. A variety of other species might respond to the calls of a given species. They are short and consist up to a few notes. Calls of various species of birds are often similar, where songs are not. Some birds send off alarm calls which alert the other birds of potential danger and all possible prey wood benefit from the call, however, songs are species specific and at times can be individual specific. Many species have calls to make their same species aware of their surroundings, for example, wolves often howl at night to get warn other wolves of prey. On this website you will find examples of frog calls. http://www.naturesound.com/frogs/frogs.html By: Colleen Chaps 6/5