Interrelationships Between Language Forms, Essay Example

Summary

Pragmatics is concerned with the interrelationships between language forms or the messages within the message. It’s no secret that communication is a complex system that deals with more than just the spoken words exchanged between individuals that are communicating. Within this article, Helen Spencer-Oatey and Vladimir Zegarac are exploring three questions: How do people communicate more than what the words say, why do people interpret things differently, and how does a person perceptions influence the interpretation process.  First, the authors convey that a great part of communication is a person’s ability to interpret what others may be saying. This is done by using general knowledge and perception. Most of what a person knows or has learned is gained through a process of building upon a foundation. Communication is much like that process.  Next, the authors support the belief that social impacts play a large role in the way one communicates as well as how that communication is interpreted. In some cultures certain words are used to show displeasure with something, while in other cultures lack of speaking may convey the same meaning, yet other cultures may use facial expressions or gestures to convey feelings that are not spoken. One of the most important points that the author’s point out is the fact that the power of communication lies between the speaker and the hearer because most often those two people are the most important in the conversation; however there are several reasons that can cause the conversation to be misunderstood. For example, the listener can take the words out of context. They point out that contextual assumptions are forever changing, and any person who is not current with these updates can be misled. Another important point that the authors make is the importance of all of this when teaching English to a person as a second language. If the ESL is not aware of direct, indirect, facial, and body language that can accompany spoken language, it is very likely that they may be confused or misinterpret conversation with native English speakers.

Culture

This is something that has been taking place in the schools a long time. During the 50s and 60s many African American students were placed in special education because of this language barrier. Sure, English was their first language, but the way they spoke it and the way their white counterparts spoke it was totally different. Even in today’s culture, some African Americans have difficulty expressing themselves to people outside their own culture. As a result, they often have difficulty in school, especially when it comes to writing formally.

Marriage

Nearly 50 percent of all marriages in the United States today end in divorce. I am sure that lack of or the ability to communicate plays a huge role in this. In today’s tech savvy world, less and less verbal communication and use of body language and facial expression are being utilized by people. As a direct result, when people are asked to communicate verbally, it is very difficult. Couples today text message more than they talk to one another. So, when they are living in a house together and need to resolve a problem, they are unable to adequately communicate what they are feeling.

The Importance of Teaching

Every teacher has his/her own unique way of teaching a concept, but in order to remedy this language barrier the teaching of the English language must be done on one accord. Likewise, students need to be taught to read body language and facial features. This best way to do this is through real life situations and not by using rote memory and sentence completion. When real life situations are used, students are able to have hands on experience which is more beneficial.