PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

THE NATURE OF LANGUAGE

 At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
 ⚫ Explain the nature of language; and

 ⚫ Relate your experience with the input presented

Areyou confident with how
you speak and write to others?
INTRODUCTION

Purposive communication is very important

in human lives, specifically to convey ideas and
emotions, to influence others and to formulate
ideas which could probably never arise if we
have no language in which to embody them.
 Language is indeed a complex human
capacity. It is, therefore, important to be
aware of its features and behavior to be
able to use language more effectively and
productively in communicating with
others.
 If someone asked you what separates humans from other animals,
one of the first things that would probably come to your mind is
language.
 Language is so fundamental to human life that it is hard to
imagine what life would be like without it.
 Animals are be able to communicate with each other. Monkeys,
birds and dogs produced sounds often to reflect the state of their
emotions. While it may be true that animals communicate, only
human beings are truly capable of producing language.
 Animals can convey various message to each other, such as:
feelings (anger,
 fear), warnings, desire/willingness to mate, and location of food
sources.
 Nonetheless, animals lack anything like human language.
THE NATURE OF LANGUAGE
 What is language?
 It is believed that language is a God-given gift to human
species. Our ability to communicate is one of the
qualities that distinguishes us as human beings. Without
language, human civilization, as we now know it, would
have remained an
 impossibility.
 What exactly is language? Linguists agree that a
language can only be called a language if it has a system
of rules (grammar),
 a sound system (phonology),

 and a vocabulary (lexicon).

 These are the requirements for identifying the means of

communication as a language.
 Language shapes our social interactions
and brings order to our lives. We consider
language as advanced form of
communication that sets us humans apart
from other animals.
 Language is important in every aspect of our lives
because it allows people to communicate in a manner
that enables the sharing of common ideas.
 Inmost sociolinguistic and anthropological-
linguistic research, the speech community has
always been the focus. Speech community is a
term used to describe a group of people who
share the same language, speech characteristics,
and ways of interpreting communication.
 Definitions of Speech Community from Different Linguists:
 ➢ Lyons (1970) defined it as "all people who use a given language or
dialect". This definition was rather simple and general with the focus on a
given language or dialect.
 ➢ For Fishman (1971), a speech community is a subtype of community “all
of whose members share at least a single speech variety and the norms for its
appropriate use”. In this definition, he put forward the concept of speech
variety and norms of usage which was a great step forward.
 ➢ Hymes (1986) describes a speech community as a group which share rules
for the conduct and interpretation of speech.
 ➢ Gumperz (1986) defines a speech community as a group that has regular
and frequent interaction that is characterized by shared patterns of interaction
and
communication
 In Speech communities, people understand each other
because in their speech community, they share the same
set of rules in the language system. While growing up in
a community, people acquire the languages used by those
in the community.
 This is the process of language acquisition.
 The languages acquired while growing up are known as
mother tongues, which may also be referred to as first
languages. People discover later on that other languages
are needed for various reasons. These other languages
are referred to as second languages.
 People learn their second language in school or on their
own.
 This is the process of language learning.
 Language is always changing. We have seen that
language changes across space and across social group.
Language also varies across time.
 What happens if you, for example, who speaks a mother
tongue and English, go to work in Germany where the
residents speak German and a little bit of English? Will
you be able to understand each other? The answer is yes.
Though it will be a challenge for you and your German
friends to try to understand each other, eventually you
will be able to communicate as you slowly learn each
other’s languages.
 What is happening here is called language contact.
The result of such contact may be a new form of
language. It is possible that in your attempt to
communicate with each other, you and
your German friend will produce a new language form that
is understandable to both of you. Your own language may
also change as you constantly interact and communicate
with each other.
Thus, language change is the result of language contact.
THE COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION
PROCESS
 At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
 • Explain the principles and process of communication
and the ethical considerations in communication.
 • Elucidate how communication skills help resolve
problems, better understand new concepts and aid in
your profession.
 • Frame a slogan about how the knowledge of the
communication process aids people in communicating
effectively.
INTRODUCTION
 Communication is inevitable. Our need for self-
expression leads us to communicate not only our
thoughts, but also our feelings.
 Communication may be done verbally or non-verbally.

 A simple yawn from a member of the audience in a

public speaking engagement is a non-verbal message
sent to the speaker.
 On the other hand, a phone call inquiring about a certain
product is an example of a verbal message.
 Communication is from the Latin “communicares”
meaning “to share” or “to
 make ideas common”.

 Communication is generally defined as the exchange of

thoughts, ideas, concepts, and views between or among
two or more people, various contexts come into play
THE COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION
PROCESS
 1. Source
 The sender carefully crafts the message. The sender may
be anyone: an
 author of a book, a public speaker in a special occasion or
even a traffic enforcer.
 2. Message

 The message is the reason behind any interaction. It is the

meaning shared
 between the sender and the receiver. Messages take many
forms. They could mean
 poems, songs, essays, news articles, road signs, and even
symbols.
 3. Channel
 The channel is the means by which the message is
conveyed. When we answer a phone call, the phone is
the channel. On the other hand, when your parents
receive a notification of your abscences from school, the
channel is a letter. It is the responsibility of both the
sender and the receiver to choose the best channel for the
interaction.
 4. Receiver
 The receiver is the person who receives the transmitted
message. The receiver may be a part of an audience in a
public speaking event, a reader of a letter or a driver who
reads road signs.
 The receiver is expected to listen or read carefully, to be
aware of different kinds of sender, to jot down
information when needed, to provide response and to ask
questions for clarification.
 5. Feedback
 In any communication scenario, a feedback is essential
to confirm recipient understanding. Feedbacks, like
messages, are expressed in varied forms.
 A simple nod for a question of verification is considered
a feedback. Thus, feedbacks may be written, spoken, or
acted out.
 6. Environment
 The place, the feeling, the mood, the mindset and the
condition of both sender and receiver are called the
environment. The environment may involve the physical
set-up of a location where communication takes place,
the space occupied by both the sender and the receiver,
including the objects surrounding the sender and the
receiver.
 7. Context
 Context involves the expectations of the sender and the
receiver and the common or shared understanding
through the environment signals.
8. Interference/Barrier
 Interference is also known as barrier or block that
prevents effective communication to take place.
KINDS OF INTERFERENCE

 a. Psychological barriers are thoughts that hamper the

message to be interpreted correctly by the receiver.
 b. Physical barriers include competing stimulus, weather
and climate, health and ignorance of the medium.
 c. Linguistic and cultural barriers pertain to the language
and its cultural environment. Words may mean another
in different cultures.
 d. Mechanical barriers are those raised by the channels
employed for inter-personal, group or mass
communication. These include cellphones,
laptops, and other gadgets used in communication.
Thank you!