By: Miranda Emery

Language- Body of symbols and systems for their use in messages that are common to people on the same speech community

Speech community- Group that speaks the same language

Words- Symbols used to represent objects, ideas, and feelings

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis- Language affects how people think and what they pay attention to.

Tree house=

We use language to:◦ Designate, label, define, and limit◦ Evaluate◦ Discuss things outside our immediate experience

◦ Talk about language

Meaning of words is in people, not the word

Two levels of meaning◦ Denotation- Direct, explicit meaning (dictionary)

◦ Connotation- Feelings or evaluations we associate with a word

Meaning may vary based on syntactic context (position of word)

Language changes over time As people come together, so does language

Low-context culture- Messages are direct and language is specific

High-context culture- Verbal messages are more indirect

Feminine style of language- Empathy, support, concrete and personal, and show politeness and tentativeness

Masculine style of language- Status and problem solving, abstract and general, show assertiveness and control

Use Clear Language◦ Specific words- More concrete and precise, clear up confusion

◦ Concrete words-Appeal to the senses◦ Precise words- Large category to smaller group

◦ Dating information- Details that specify a time or period

◦ Indexing generalizations- Mental and verbal practice of acknowledging individual differences when generalizing

Make your language memorable◦ Vivid wording- Full of life, vigorous, bright, and intense

◦ Vividness can be reached through similes and metaphors

◦ Simile- Direct comparison of dissimilar things (like/as)

◦ Metaphor- Comparison that establishes a figurative identity between objects (is)

◦ Emphasis- The importance you give to certain words or ideas

Use language sensitivity- Show respect for listener◦ Adapt vocab to level of listener◦ Use jargon (technical terms) sparingly ◦ Use slang (informal vocab) appropriate to the listener and situation

◦ Use inclusive language Generic language- Words that apply to one sex, race, or group as thought they represent everyone

◦ Use nonoffensive language