Chapter 5 Verbal Message..;)

Written by: yiying

The first thing we hv learn in this class is Messages (An interaction among the communicators using verbal or non verbal languages).

Chapter 5 is about Verbal Messages (Using words to describe your messages or information to your receiver). Example of  verbal message: talking face-to-face, on a telephone, or as a speech.

There is 3 part in tis chapter:

I. Principles of verbal messages 

-Message Meanings Are in People

-Messages Are Denotative and Connotative

-Meanings Depend on Context/ Abstraction

-Messages Vary in Politeness

-Messages Vary in Assertiveness

-Messages Can Deceive

As we know, follow the rules of grammar is not enough to achieve effective communication. So we hv to understand 6 principles of verbal message above to use language to best achieve our purposes.

II. Disconfirmation and confirmation

Disconfirmation (is the process of ignoring the presence & the communication of others.)

Confirmation (is accepting, supporting, and acknowledging the important of the other person.)

Rejection ≠ Disconfirmation
Rejection (you indicate your unwillingness to accept something the other person says or does)

Confirmation is the more polite way in communicating compared to disconfirmation.However, this is not to point out that disconfirmation is totally wrong and confirmation must be practiced all the time. That's okay to ignoring someone who teases you. After we hv learned the concept of disconfirmation and confirmation, there are 4 areas that affected by disconfirmation and confirmation. (a. Racism b. Sexism c. Heterosexism d. Ageism) 

a.Racism – anything that make race looks inferior to another race.

b.Sexism – to practice or support favoritism that criticizes or having a bias towards a specific gender.

c.Heterosexism – attitudes, behaviors and language used to disparage gays and lesbians, language that presumes all people are heterosexual

d.Ageism – discrimination based on age; usually signifies discrimination against the old and against aging.

III. Using verbal messages effectively

Verbal messages can:

1.Symbolize reality (partially)

Messages are often used to represent the things, events, situations or even the people around us.

2.Express both facts and inference

Messages are always infused with our emotions, thoughts, and feelings – this can be misleading at times to the content of the message.

3.Be relatively static

Messages or words/terms used are formed as part of our judgment and perception, but how often do we ‘update’ our perception?

4.Obscure distinctions

Messages can be confusing and can over generalize contexts and surroundings, blurring distinctions between people, objects and events.

After we finished tis chapter, we hv learned the nature of language & the ways language work; the concept of disconfirmation and confirmation and how it relates to racism, sexism, heterosexism & ageism; the ways in which language can be used more effectively.