Topic 2 (ii): Nature and Function of Language Non-verbal communication tends to provide the context of verbal communication and

has the power to disambiguate or invalidate the content of linguistic expressions, (Krippendorff, 1986) Discuss and provide relevant evidence to justify your arguments.

The concept of communication as Shannon & Weaver brought about is all the procedures by which one mind may affect another. Communication is universal and involves not only written and oral speech, but also music, the pictorial arts, the theatre, the ballet, and in fact all human behaviour (1949: 3). Literally, communication is also known as a common sharing of information. In general, interactional and transactional properties are two fundamental components of communication which play a vital role in our lives. Communication is generally characterized as verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication, for the most part is referred to the utterances of words, speech or the sounds which we produce to convey meaning, whereas nonverbal communication is produced by any criterion other than words, such as eye contact, body language or vocal cues (Knapp & Hall, 2002). Non-verbal communications is powerful, influential and at some points even overwhelm the message conveyed in verbal communication. Krippendorff in the above statement above critically suggests that nonverbal communication provides the context of verbal communication to take place. In fact, in line with this idea a few other researchers consolidate and established their own analysis based on the researches carried. DeVito J. A, (p. 134: 2002) for instance, in his book Human Communication also reinforced the statement. He plainly explains that non-verbal messages often comment on or communicate something about other verbal messages. These two consolidating statements are also known as metacommunicate which is commonly used to accent or emphasize some part of a verbal message. In addition to that, Segal (1997) in her book The Language of Emotional 1

Intelligence stated that non-verbal communication, or body language, is a vital form of communication. While having an interaction with others, we continuously present and obtain countless wordless signals, which are dynamic and spontaneous. All of our non-verbal behaviours such as the hand gestures, sitting position, body posture and eye contact are sending vivid unspoken messages to other person whether intentionally done or not. Now, what is the definition of linguistic expression, disambiguate and invalidate and how are these words correlated to non-verbal communication as in Krippendorffs statement? A linguistic expression is any physical form of sound, visual image or sequence which thereof is used to represent a linguistic unit. A linguistic expression may be spoken, written, or signed. It is distinct form the actual process of speaking, writing or signing that produces the expression. Disambiguate, as derived from the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, International Students Edition, 7 th edition (p. 413), means to show clearly the differences between two or more words, phrases or even homophones which are similar in meanings. Whereas invalidate, means to prove an idea, a story or an argument which is wrong, (p. 786). Based on the definition of the terms discussed earlier, I firmly believed that disambiguation or invalidation of linguistic expressions depended mostly on non-verbal communication as it is a rapidly flowing back-and-forth process. Kreuz (2004) in The resolution of ambiguity during conversation: More than mere mimicry? noted that there is a great deal of ambiguity that naturally occurs during conversation. Linguistic expressions and a successful non-verbal communication are interrelated in every aspect. This is proved by Fromkin and Rodman (1983), who stated that 90% of the meaning of a message is transmitted non-verbally and also by Birdwhistell (1970), who noted that 65% of a messages meaning is communicated through non-verbal clues. Hence, communication in the form of non-verbal depends on emotional self-awareness and an understanding of the cues between the speaker and listener, along with the ability to accurately pick up on the cues. In essence, the power of non-verbal communication as brought by Krippendorff (1986) is very significant in passing on information as well as expressing thoughts. It 2

has the potential to disambiguate the message and forced the listener to be decisive whether to accept or invalidate the information received. Apart than that, non-verbal cues are very believable, thus making communication crucial to pay close attention. We need to be aware of the actions, as well as the non-verbal cues of those around us. This is an example of scenario where non-verbal communication can disambiguate or invalidate the linguistic expressions. According to Garrod and Pickering, (2004) as cited in Communication: The Importance of Nonverbal Cues said that it occurs because individuals are presented with a multitude of information, with an influence from visual, auditory, and motor events. With abundant of information promptly shared, disambiguation and invalidation of the message in the deliverance could be unnoticed and resulting in the incompatible understanding. In addition, the content of linguistic expressions could be

misinterpreted when the gestures and body movement are discrete and distinctively comparable to the verbal communication. Guhe and Bard (2008) as cited Kreuzs (2004) book suggested that people tend to leave out a seemingly useless bit of information because its utility is not recognized. Therefore, in situation where non-verbal cues are presented unlikely to verbal information, the audience could misread the message and eventually formed an entirely different concept of their own. According to Argyle (1988), there are a few crucial purposes of nonverbal communication. Among the purposes is to express emotion, which is shown mainly through the facial expressions, body movement and voice tone. Non-verbal gestures are what the audience sees, even before a single word is heard. These symbolic messages can be a visual representation of feeling although our words conveyed the message in a different manner. Using nonverbal cues during the interaction could be helpful in expressing the meaning, dealing with difficult situations and navigating a better relationship. Non-verbal

behaviour always has communicative value and helps convincing the listeners about the messages carried. In addition, Argyle (1988) also noted that non-verbal communication improves interpersonal attitudes by means of the establishment and maintenance of personal relationship. It contains messages which primarily communicate emotions and the attitudes of the speaker. Since non-verbal cues are continuous, therefore it is more reliable than verbal cues. If correct use non-verbal signals are employed such as voice tone, eye gaze or even adding a sense of touch to others, it is more likely that the audience or listener to be more attentive to participate further in the communication. Similarly, non-verbal attributes is undeniably accommodating in terms of promoting a proficient and charismatic self-presentation. How we conduct ourselves in the interaction and appearance in public contribute in delivering the message convincingly and thus be persuasive at the same time. Nonverbal communication or body language is beyond doubt a vital form of communication, especially during face-to-face interaction. As a matter of fact, when we interact with others, we continuously send non-verbal cues to clarify our words. All of our non-verbal behaviours such as the gestures, the way we sit, how fast or how loud we talk, how close we stand to each other or even how much eye contact we make send strong messages. For example, eye contact can serve a variety of functions. One such function is to seek feedback. Non-verbal cues are very important in enhancing the effectiveness of communication. Non-verbal communication is noticeably different from verbal as it is a continuous process and transmitted most of the meaning in a message. It is proven as an effective means of communication to sincerely express our thoughts through the use of bodily movements or any other wordless criterions as discussed above. We illustrate unintentional, yet true feelings through non-verbal cues especially when we exhibit boredom, interest and emotion with our facial expressions and sometimes even reinforce them with physical movements such as nodding or hand gestures to support what we truly think about what the other person is saying. 4

Whats more, non-verbal communication is also greatly used to repeat the verbal messages so that the listener would fully appreciate the message that we provided during the conversation. For example, when giving a specific direction to others we, at the same time tend to point towards the way despite of the verbal information given. Such prompt actions also occur when we tried to tell others that we do not know anything about what is being discussed. Although, we verbally said I dont know, we also raise our shoulders and include certain facial expressions to emphasis more on it. From the information above, the importance of the non-verbal communication is undeniably obvious. Therefore, we should appreciate the vitality of using such skill appropriately and effectively. In fact, individuals who are empowered by this analytical tool are more likely to accomplish better results, avoiding unnecessary confusion which may result in delays and be even more productive in their respective fields. Although, some aspects of the non-verbal communication still lack in sufficient empirical research to be interpreted conclusively, its benefits clearly could be utilized as much as possible on various levels of fields. (1498 words)