11

Language and meaningLecture 4.1

University of Alberta

ALES 204

Nancy Bray

1

2

Housekeeping

Assignment marking process

3

ALES 204 Checklist

☑Assignment #1 - Done!

☑Readings: Chapters 1, 2, 6, 3, and part of 11 - Done!

☑For this week: Chapters 4 and 5

☑Start thinking about Assignment #2

☑Look at topic options on eClass

4

Define communication and understand a model of communicationDescribe the role that culture, hierarchy, perception, language, non-verbal behaviour, and generation play in communication

Informative Persuasive

Rhetorical Purpose

InterpersonalSmall GroupsPublicMass Communication

Context

Oral Written Visual Online

Channel

Analyze a communicative situationPlan an approach

Identify strengths and weakness of your approach

Course Map

5

YouAnother person

Culture

Perception

Hierarchy

Language

Non-verbal

Generation

6

Lecture Outline

1.What is language?

2.How does language influence communication?

3.Video and discussion

7

1. What is language?

88

What is language?

8

9

Triangle of meaning

Word

Thought

Thing

10

Example: Process of Writing

Word

Thought

Thing

“angry wet cat”

11

Example: Process of Reading

Word

Thought

Thing

“angry wet cat”

12

2. How does language affect communication?

1313

Word barriers

13

14

Bypassing

1515

Types of meaning

15

1616

Influences on meaning

16

1717

Time

18

PlaceAd from England

1919

Experience

19

2020

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

20

21

3. Video and discussion

22

http://www.ted.com/talks/mark_pagel_how_language_transformed_humanity.html

Mark PagelHow language transformed humanity

23

Debate

1.Support or disagree with Pagel’s idea that there should only be one language.

2424

Why this image?Can you figure out what this image has to do with communication?

24

2525

The Bible

“God went down and confounded their speech, so that they could not understand each another, and scattered them over the face of the earth...“ (Genesis 11:7–8)

25

2626

Greek mythology

“Formerly Zeus himself had ruled over men, but Hermes created a confusion of human speech, which spoiled Zeus' pleasure in this Rule"

(Kerenyi, 1980)

27

Two important themes

1.Communication = fundamental to human existence.

2.Paradox: we believe perfect communication is possible, but we cannot attain it.

28

Photo Credits

language by nofrills barrier by Sudhamshu bypass by Scott McLeod rose by THE Holy Hand Grenade! dictionary by TexasT's clock by ToniVC Electrolux ad customs officer by CBP Photography colours by Wifihighfive