Communication

1. Communication Non-Verbal Human Communication

2. Symbolic Communication • Our first piece of written language is thousands of years old! • However it was not written words as we know them today, but was composed of symbols. • Symbols can represent a whole range of ideas, activities and feelings. • The evolution of modern written language progressed through three overlapping stages:

3. Pictography(Writing with pictures) • Writing with pictures was the first stage of true writing. • A series of drawings were placed side by side. • By identifying the meaning of the pictures, the reader could understand the message.

4. Ideography(writing with idea pictures) • Abstract ideas such as North, cool and to lead cannot easily be portrayed through pictures. • This led to the introduction of symbols into systems of writing. • These are ideograms; early Egyptian hieroglyphs and Sumerian cuneform are examples of typical “idea pictures.”

5. Phonography(writing with sounds) • Pictography and Iconography were eventually altered by the use of idea and picture symbols that were linked to sound. • When the same symbol came to represent the same sound in different languages, the system became phonetic. • Writing with sound symbols is easier than with idea symbols since the writer can reuse the symbols over and over to make different words.

6. Examples of Hieroglyphs

7. Examples of Hieroglyphs

8. Alphabet Evolution

9. Exercise #1 Using the chart to the left, explain in three sentences what the scene below is depicting.

10. Exercise #2 • Split yourselves into 3 groups. • Using chart paper and markers, draw symbols to represent the following meaning: • “The winter is long and my people are hungry; I am going to hunt some deer for them to eat.”

11. Modern Icons

12. Modern icons

13. Modern icons

14. Exercise #3 • On your own, draw 10 symbols that our society uses today, which would have been completely unrecognizable ten years ago.

15. Body language • Many people assume that although verbal language differ around the world, sign language and body language expressions are universal. • However, this is not the case, and many misunderstandings arise from the misinterpretation of body language.

16. We all communicate non-verbally; however, we are not necessarily aware of what we are saying. • Not everyone stands the same, or gestures the same, so there is no definitive rule that when a person stands a certain way, s/he means a particular thing. • Only when body language is seen as part of a total communication package can we state that it has a definite meaning. • Folded arms may be seen as signaling the end of a conversation, or they might mean that the person is cold. • However, when accompanied by a frown and the statement, “No, you may NOT have the car for the weekend,” we know which meaning is intended!

17. Exercise #4 • For this activity we will need some volunteers!

18. Exercise #5 • How do the characters express their feelings on the screen? • Are these accurate portrayals? • Why might they not be “true to life?”

19. Eye Contact • Of all the non-verbal communication, eye contact is certainly one of the most powerful. • A shared glance between two people can convey a message of intense hostility, cold indifference, or heart-throbbing passion. • Our eyes seem to say it all!

20. Again however, we must be careful! • Eye contact differs culturally. • In Canada, eye contact between a student and a teacher indicates honesty and confidence. • In Japan, it would be considered a sign of disrespect.

21. Tone • Tone also communicates non-verbal messages. • In this case, it is not so much what is said, but how it is said. • For example at the start of class, you might hear words like, “Take your seats,” “Open your books,” and “I’m waiting” • Any of these can be non-threatening and even friendly if accompanied by a smile. • A simple change in tone however, sends quite a different message.

22. Tone is especially important in telephone conversations, where eye contact and body language are lost. • The success of your conversation depends on what you say and how well you say it!

23. Exercise #6 • Work with a classmate and take turns reading the following sentences out loud in different ways indicated: • Sentence: I will buy a new iPhone tomorrow. • Ways: • In a matter-of-fact tone • Emphasizing I, not myparents • Emphasizing will, not might • Emphasizing buy, not rent • Emphasizing new, not second-hand • Emphasizing iPhone, not Samsung • Emphasizing tomorrow, not in six months

24. Exercise #7 • With a different partner, take turns reading the following sentence in the ways indicated: • Sentence: “Our hockey team won the series.” • Ways: • In a matter-of-fact tone • As if you cannot believe it (not hard if you’re a Leaf fan…) • As if you think your classmate will be excited about it

25. tactile • As with animals, tactile stimulation is very important for humans. • According to recent research, people who have frequent physical contact with loved ones (i.e., hugs, kisses, even handshakes or pats on the back) are considerably healthier emotionally than those who receive little to no tactile stimulation.

26. Personal space • How much space do we keep between ourselves and other people? • Different cultures have different expectations. • For example, in some cultures it is impolite not to feel the breath of the person you are talking to on your face; in others, much more distance is expected between bodies. • Watch: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/how-close-is-too-close-testing-personal-space-boundaries-1.1367438

27. Acceptable personal space also varies depending on the social situation. • You will stand closer when talking with a friend at a party than you will wen talking to a teacher. • This sense of space, and the relative formality of the relationship, can be increased by placing objects between you and another person (i.e., desk, lectern, a counter, etc.)

28. clothing • People throughout time and culture have always clothed or decorated their bodies depending on their cultural preferences and norms. • Why did we begin wearing clothes? • Some anthropologists say it developed out of modesty, while others claim that the wearing of clothes actually attracts attention to sexual organs; therefore, modesty is an invalid reason.

29. One reason that seems universal is the desire to show off, particularly to members of the opposite sex. • Using clothing or decoration, we can impress upon others our beauty, as well as our social, political, and economic status. • We also wear clothing to communicate who we are or what we believe; the most obvious way is by wearing t-shirts or jackets with slogans.

30. What does clothing tell us? • We can often tell a lot about a person by the clothes they wear. • For example, how do the following people communicate that they belong to a certain group? • A business person • A construction worker • A goth • A motorcycle gang • A minister or priest • A fashion model • A doctor or nurse