language and communication: two sides of a coin
TRANSCRIPT
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Language and Communication
Two sides of a coinIs it really so?
Dilip Barad, Ph.D.Department of English, Bhavnagar University.
Gujarat. (India)[email protected]
12th February, 2011Saturday
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What is the meaning of ‘language’?• 1. communication with words: the human use of spoken or written
words as a communication system • 2. speech of group: the speech of a country, region, or group of people,
including its vocabulary, syntax, and grammar • 3. system of communication: a system of communication with its own set
of conventions or special words sign language • 4. nonverbal communication between animals: a nonverbal form of
communication used by birds and animals • 5. nonverbal communication between humans: the use of signs,
gestures, or inarticulate sounds to communicate something • 6. specialist vocabulary: the forms of expression used by those in a
particular group or sphere of activity • 7. style of verbal expression: the verbal style by which people express
themselves the language of diplomacy • 8. COMPUT Same as programming language• Microsoft® Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation.
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What is communication?
• … is a process of transferring information from one entity to another. (wikipedia)
• … is the activity of conveying information (?)• … is a process whereby meaning is defined
and shared between living organisms.• No Petrol / Diesel Day – 14th Feb.
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No Petrol / Diesel Day – 14th Feb
• Fight against Govt’s policy to liberalize price of Crude oil.
• Ecological reasons – Save Environment!• Ambush marketing of Valentine’s Day!• Cultural attack?
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Communication !?!
• “Please communicate this message to all employees";
• "He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist"
• "communicate a disease" wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
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Mr. A (tom, dick and harry) married Ms. B (jill, jane and julie).
• ‘Sania married Shaoib.• So and so Minister married some Beautician.• Preeti Zinta married Yuvraj• Amitabh married Rekha.
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• Cna yuo raed tihs? Suteids sohw taht olny aoubt 55 prcenet of plepoe can. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I am rdanieg. Tihs sohws us the phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pclae. The rset of the txet can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but isntaed raeds the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and we awlyas tghuhot slpelnig was ipmorantt!
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Shouldn’t this student get 10/10?
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What message is conveyed by this example
• If milkman wants to sell 10 liters of milk and cow gives only 6 liters, how much water will he have to mix with milk?
• 10 – 6 = 4 Liters.
• The message conveyed is - ‘there is nothing wrong in mixing milk with water to increase sales’.
• Raises questions – ethics in business – ‘Aren’t our best models of entrepreneurship dealing with mixing milk and water as ethical practices?’
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Is communication skill English language skill?
• No where the above definitions speak of English as language for communication.
• C.S. is more about negotiations• … about convincing people…• … about understanding difference between
argument and discussion (A discussion is an exchange of information, but an argument is a contest of wills.)
• … about making people believe in what we believe.• One should has CS in mother language first…
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Some say Picture is worth a thousand words:
Tigermomism
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Image of INDIA:
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Pictures also communicate in context
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What we want to teach is BC in Business letters / emails. Are we teaching email writing or …….. ???
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Let us check general knowledge:
• What is Jawaharlal Nehru’s son’s name?
• ‘ S a v e T h e G i r l C h i l d ’
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Stop Racism / casteism / creedism / colourism
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Myths of Communication• Myth:• CS is English language skills.• Language communicates…• Language & Communication - two sides of a coin?• Reality:• CS is not all about English language, it is about soft skills in mother
language.• Language does not communicate… it is ‘context’ that gives/defines
meaning…• The context is not two dimensional, it is multidimensional.• It is context that gives meaning – not the language. Communication
happens because of context – and • Aprior understanding of the words is necessary – words are predefined
(conditioned/programmed) and its predefinition gives meaning.
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• Watch this video:• Your observation is at test• At the same time the idea that ‘seeing is
believing’ – is challenged.
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• Language in any form – verbal, non-verbal, animated – does not communicate.
• Language is double-edged sword – it seems that it is power – it seems that it strengthens us – in fact, it exploits us.
• The people in the ‘centre’ (power) uses language to exploit the ‘other’.
• Important thing is to be in ‘power’ (centre) from where one can define language.
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Source:
• Western discourse on psycholinguistics – Lacan and Kristeva – ‘Otherness of Language’ and ‘Strangers to Ourselves’.
• Indian Aesthetics – Shabda Brahma - meaning of a word has four layers – par, pasyanti, madhyama, and vaikhri.
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To conclude, I make two statements…
• Language does not communicate…• Language is used to ‘condition’ mind
(identity), not to communicate…
• If you do not agree with me, the first statement is true…
• If you agree, second is true…
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Finally,
• To be effective communicator in 21st Century we should have two characteristics:
• One, while communicating keep all our senses open (even common sense), so that none can exploit and subjugate us.
• Second, learn the skills to use language to exploit others.
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Thank You!
• The topic does not end here, it begins from here…
• Your comments, observations, suggestions are invited on virtual world:
• Please share your views on ‘Discussion Board’ on Facebook.
• Search for ‘Dilip Barad Page’ on Facebook and click ‘Discussion’…
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Reference• http://www.people-communicating.com/what-is-communication.html• Monipally, Matthew. A Craft of Business letter. TataMcGrowHill.• Seturaman, V.S. Indian Aesthetics. Macmillan.• Besley, Catherine. Poststructuralism. A very short intro series. OUP• The Times of India. February, 2011.• www.indiatimes.com• Microsoft Encarta. 2007.• Barad, D.P. To Spell or Not to Spell. Voices. IATEFL. 2008.• www.youtube.com• Whodunnit? Video released by Transport of London.• www.wikipedia.com• www.dictionary.com