Dr Susan McKay
School of English, Media Studies & Art History.

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Can you really not not communicate?

1. Structure: Language is a structured system of symbols with sets of linguistic rules, and a structure. 2. Productivity: capacity to transform a small number of sounds into words, then sentences and convey an infinite number of thoughts, feelings ideas etc. in a variety of different ways.
3. Displacement:
 words allow us to talk about objects that are not necessarily present, or about abstract ideas.
4. Self-reflexivity:
 use language to talk about language.

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Groups of 3
Dyad to sit back to back Introduce self
 Unusual
ANZAC Day
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Observer

Likely problems
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Couldn’t see other person, so couldn’t decide when to talk
Hard to get feedback Couldn’t hear well, too much noise
Didn’t know when serious or joking

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Appearance/Artefacts
Kinesics
Haptics
Proxemics
Chronemics
Paralanguage
And Silence

◦ A. Emblems. Precise meanings (e.g. hitch-hiking)
◦ B. Illustrators. Make explanation (e.g. pointing left or right)
◦ C. Regulators. Monitoring. (e.g. make eye contact to speak) ◦ D. Adaptors

◦ E. Affect displays. (e.g. facial expressions)

Study of the significance of Touch

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Important correlations between touch and space
(both use norms of acceptable/not acceptable)

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Varies across cultures

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Study of the significance of space

Spatial relationships and Inter-personal distance Edward T. Hall’s 4 zones for American culture:
 Intimate zone
 Personal zone
 Social zone
 Public zone
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E

Mehrabian. A. (1976). Public Places and Private Spaces

The study of the significance or time; how we use time, increments of time etc.
 How much time we spend with someone
 Punctuality
 Influenced by culture

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Vocal but NOT words
Pitch
Loudness
T-e-m-p-o
Inflection

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E.g. Make the bed !!!

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An ambiguous form of communication
Is classed as a non-verbal component of communication behaviour
May be communicatively relevant (or not ?) in any particular pragmatic framework
Can have an informative intention or a communicative intention or both

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Peter: How much do you earn at this new place? Mary: [Silence]
Peter: Well, you don’t have to tell me.

Mary’s silence has both informative and communicative intention

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Lee wants Alex to hang a