INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS PEREMPUAN MELAYU MELAKA
LINGUISTI C
[TSL 3101] NATURE AND FUNCTION OF LANGUAGE
1.0 Introduction.
“Non-verbal communication tends to provide the context of verbal communication and has the power to disambiguate or invalidate the content of linguistic expression” (Chippendale)
Communication is an activity or process of expressing ideas and feelings or of giving people information. It is also can be define by methods of sending an information to others. Thus, communication will involve the sender and the receiver when we communicate. There are two form of communication which are Verbal and Non-Verbal communication. Verbal communication can be define as sharing an information using the speech meanwhile non-verbal communication is any communication that take place using linguistic signs, or “non-word signs (Harrison 1974). Most of the time, people often face communication breakdown. Little attention, however, non-verbal communication has received much attention in the areas of business presentation, sales and marketing, and the development of social skills. Thus, non-verbal communication provide the context of verbal communication to become more effective.
2.0 The Function of Nonverbal Communication.
In face to face communication, we often combine verbal and non-verbal message to convey our meaning. Knapp & Hall (1996) highlight the importance interaction and integration of verbal and non-verbal message. Non-verbal emphasize some part of the message such as raise the voice to underscore a particular word or phrase. Moreover, we might smile when telling a humor story show that non-verbal may compliment or add nuance of meaning in conversation. Often in communication, we intentionally contradict our verbal message with non-verbal movement such as crossing the fingers when we talked to other people. Every movement that we made, serve to control the flow of verbal message. We also tend to use pauses such as “ah” and “um” to indicate that we not finished talked. In communication also, we love to repeat the verbal message nonverbally. It can be crucial to see when we do motion with our head or hand to repeat our verbal “let’s go”. Through the non-verbal communication of others, we are forming the impressions. Simply, non-verbal communication often used to substitute the place of verbal message. For instance, we nod our head to indicate yes and shake our head to indicate no.
INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS PEREMPUAN MELAYU MELAKA
LINGUISTI C
[TSL 3101] Much of our relationship life is lived non-verbally. Therefore, non-verbal signals to communicate the nature of our relationship to another person. These signal known as “tie sign” because it indicate the ways in which the relationship is tied together. For instance, from relatively informal handshake through more intimate forms like holding hands and arm linking. In conversation, we give and receive cues that we are ready to speak, to listen, or to comment on what we said. The strong impact of non-verbal communication is influencing and deceiving because we will influence others through what we say. For instance, using the eye and the facial expression to communicate a linking for the other people. The last function of non-verbal communication is expressing emotions which we reveal the level of happiness or sadness largely through facial expression.
3.0 Aspect of Non-verbal Communication.
Different studies have identified a wide variety of types of nonverbal communication. Therefore, there are three types on non-verbal communication which are kinesics, proxemics and paralanguage. All of this aspect help to convey the message in the communication.
3.1 Kinesics
According to DeVito (2011), kinesics content body movement gesture, facial expressions and eye contact have different function in communication. Gesture is used to convey meaning in non-verbal communication. Emblems are body gesture that translate directly into word or phrases using our body gesture. For instance, finger circle for “OK” sign and thumbs-up for “good job”. But emblem have wide and different meaning according to the culture of the country. For instance, the “OK” sign in Brazil and Mediterranean countries carry an obscene meaning whilst thumbs-up sign in Ghana is an insult. Thus, we have to be careful when using those emblems especially when we visit other countries. Other than emblem, when we referring to something in specific spot such as right, we might gesture toward the right. Despite using hands, we also tend to use our head to point the spot.
On the other hand, facial expressions is the important source of non-verbal message because our face communicates many thing especially our emotions. Some non-verbal research claims that facial movements may communicate at least the following eight emotions which is happiness, surprise, fear, anger, sadness, disgust, contempt, and interest ( Ekman, Friesen, & Ellsworth, 1972). For instance, when a child opening a
INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS PEREMPUAN MELAYU MELAKA
LINGUISTI C
[TSL 3101] present, we can observe the joy and delight in his or her eyes and facial expression. In electronic communication nowadays on the internet, emoticon buttons help to encode the emotions graphically. For instance, the wink emoticon is “;-)” and “^0^” is refer for happy emoticon.
Whilst eye contact is an important means of giving social recognition because it is depending on the duration, direction, and quality of the eye behaviour. According to Knapp & Hall (2006); Malandro, Barker, & Barker, (1989); Richmond, McCroskey,& Hickson (2008) there are several important functions of eye contact. There are to monitor feedback from the receiver by trying to understand their reactions on what we say. Next, when we speak to more than one people, we have to maintain eye contact to secure the attention and interest. Eye contact also helps us to regulate, manage and control the conversation by nodding at a person to signal the person respond. In same line of thought, eye contact help to signal the nature of the relationship between two people that indicate affection for or dislike of another person. Moreover, eye contact is often used to signal status and aggression. Lastly, by making eye contact we overcome psychologically the physical distance between ourselves and other person. But, avoiding eye contact may come with emotions such as shame, anxiety and embarrassment.
3.2 Proxemics
Hall (1959,1966) distinguishes four distances that define types of relationship between people. There are four types which are intimate distance, personel distance, social distance and public distance. At an intimate distance, each person experiences the sound, smell, and feel of the other’s person breath which develop comforting and protecting feeling. However, personel distance define our personel space which keeps us protected and untouched by others. We only can touch others only if both of us extend our arms. On the other hand, social distance raging from four to twelve feet which people in executive and management often apply this distance from their employees. At public distance, we can take a defensive action if we feel threatened. For instance, people might keep public distance from a drunk person. This spatial communication play important role in verbal and non-verbal communication to give a space at the beginning conversation.
3.3 Paralanguage
Paralanguage is the vocal but non-verbal dimension of speech. It is includes tone of voice which is indicating attitude, authority and empathy. Whilst, pitch of voice indicating
INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS PEREMPUAN MELAYU MELAKA
LINGUISTI C
[TSL 3101] emotions, tensions and stress. On the other hand, volume indicating the importance of certain words and emotions. It also includes the vocalization of crying, whispering, moaning, belching, yawning and yelling (Trager, 1958,1961; Argyle, 1988). Even though the words are the same, people will receive a difference meaning according to the speed that we used. From a paralinguistic cues, many people make judgement about other people’s personalities. For instance, people might assume that people who speak loudly have overinflated egos. Moreover, silence gesture allows the speaker and the listener to think, formulate and organise the meaning of message. In the same of thought, silence also signal the importance message. An addition, silence used to hurt others especially after conflict which one or both individuals remain silent as a kind of punishment. People sometime tend to be silence because of personel anxiety and shyness. Therefore, by remaining silent, we preclude the chance of rejection.
4.0 Conclusion.
The ability to use non-verbal communication effectively can yield two major benefits. (Burgoon & Hoobler, 2002). First, the greater ability to send and receive non-verbal signals will increase the popularity and psychosocial well-being. Second, the greater non-verbal skill we have will determine the successful of influencing others. Non-verbal communication also important to patients who suffering from severe aphasia which lost ability to understand or produce speech because of brain damage. Thus, they have to rely on non-verbal means of communication to convey a message. It is crucially show that non-verbal is more effective to be used together with verbal communication so that the message that have been send can persuade and influence the receiver as well as delivery the right content of message that can prevent communication breakdown form happen.
