LINGUISTIC AND NON LINGUISTIC COMMUNICATION

LINGUISTIC COMMUNICATION DEFINITION

A systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols; "he taught foreign languages"; "the language introduced is standard throughout the text"; "the speed with which a program can be executed depends on the language in which it is written"

For communicating linguistically, the whole language is available, some times one can communicate in even more than one language linguistic communication is accompanied by certain elements of non-linguistic communication. While talking a speaker often uses facial expressions and hand movements to convey his message with greater force or more elaborately. This also gives the listener an idea about the speakers mooed and attitude.

NON-LINGUISTIC COMMUNICATION DEFINITION

Linguistic" means pertaining to language. "Nonlinguistic" means not using language. Nonlinguistic communication is the imparting of information without using language. Or in other words, sending and receiving messages without using a communication system that has the characteristic features of a language as identified by linguists. Gestures, written symbols, or voice sounds don't constitute "language" unless they take place within a language framework. For example, the voicing of sounds that are not part of any system is not called language, it is called babbling. Eventually babies start associating ideas and thoughts with sounds or signs (Owens, 1988).

The choices are limited for a non-linguistic communication.  Some of these types are:

ü    Facial expression

ü    Signs and gestures

ü    Movements of hands etc.

Deaf and Dumb people have their own non-linguistic code (gestures and hands signs) to express themselves or to communicate with one another.

Interestingly even the linguistic communication is also accompanied by certain elements of non-linguistic communication.

 

A speaker often uses facial expressions and hand movements to convey the message with greater force.  This also gives the listener an idea about the speaker’s mood and attitude.

USES OF NON LINGUISTIC COMMUNICATION

The major categories of nonverbal communications include the following

ü    Personal space

ü    Eye contact

ü    Position

ü    Posture

ü    Paralanguage

ü    Expression

ü    Gesture

ü    Touch

ü    Locomotion

ü    Pacing

ü    Adornment 

ü    Context

ü    Physiologic responses

 Personal Space:         This category refers to the distance which people feel comfortable approaching others or having others approach them. People from certain countries, such as parts of Latin America or the Middle East often feel comfortable standing closer to each other, while persons of Northern European descent tend to prefer a relatively greater distance. Different distances are also intuitively assigned for situations involving intimate relations, ordinary personal relationships (e.g., friends), social relations (e.g., co-workers or salespeople), or in public places (e.g., in parks, restaurants, or on the street. (Keltner, 1970).

 Eye Contact:              This rich dimension speaks volumes. The Spanish woman in the Nineteenth Century combined eye language with the aid of a fan to say what was not permissible to express explicitly. Eye contact modifies the meaning of other nonverbal behaviors. For example, people on elevators or crowds can adjust their sense of personal space if they agree to limit eye contact. However, some cultures raise children to minimize eye contact, especially with authority figures, lest one be perceived as arrogant or "uppity." When cultures interact, this inhibition of gaze may be misinterpreted as "passive aggressive" or worse.

Position:         The position one takes vis-a-vis the other(s), along with the previous two categories of distance between people and angle of eye contact all are subsumed under a more general category of "proxemics" in the writings on nonverbal communications (Scheflen, 1963).

USES OF LINGUISTIC COMMUNICATION

§     To express feeling

§     To express ideas or thoughts

§     To socialize

§     To instruct

§     To give or receive directions

§     Perform different linguistic functions

To express feeling:   Language is often used to express our feelings of happiness / depression, personal reaction towards something/incident, likes and dislikes etc.

 To express ideas and thoughts:      Language is most of the time used to express ideas, beliefs, opinions and thoughts.

 To socialize:  To greet, to introduce, to welcome, to bid farewell etc.

To instruct/Guide:   To tell some one what to do and how to do it, parents and teachers often use language for this purpose.

To direct:       One common function of language is to give directions e.g. people ask for direction and give directions as well.

To perform functions:          All functions in life can be performed with the help of language e.g. to invite, to order, to inform, to impress,, to apologize, to thank etc