Effective Communication: Elements, Functions, and Linguistic Signs
Effective Communication
Elements of Communication
Communication is the process of transmitting information. It involves several key elements:
- Emitter: The origin of the communication act.
- Receiver: The recipient of the communication act.
- Message: The information transmitted from sender to receiver.
- Channel: The medium through which the message is transmitted (e.g., air, touch, telephone, mail).
- Context: The situation in which the communication takes place.
- Code: A system of signs with rules that allow for their use.
Signs
Signs can be categorized as:
- Touch: A hug
- Taste: Flavors
- Olfactory: Smell
- Visual: Images
- Hearing: Sounds
- Natural Signs: Naturally occurring signs.
- Artificial Signs: Conventional and arbitrary signs (e.g., icons, symbols).
Functions of Language
- Representative Function: Uses declarative sentences and verbs in the indicative mood (e.g., “I will not go to the picnic.”)
- Expressive Function: Uses exclamatory or interrogative sentences and emotionally charged words (e.g., “How wonderful you are!”)
- Appealing Function: Uses exclamations and verbs in the imperative mood (e.g., “Peter, come here!”)
- Phatic Function: Uses interrogative sentences as a means of maintaining communication (e.g., “Okay? Right?”)
- Metalinguistic Function: Uses specific terms related to language itself.
- Poetic Function: Uses resources to elicit surprise (e.g., rhymes, comparisons).
Linguistic Sign
A linguistic sign is an artificial sign consisting of three elements:
- Signifier: The signs or letters that form the words.
- Meaning: The concept represented by the signifier.
- Reference: The extra-linguistic reality to which the sign refers.
Key features of linguistic signs:
- Conventional: The association between signifier and meaning is based on social agreement.
- Arbitrary: There is no inherent connection between the signifier and meaning.
- Mutable: Signs can evolve in their meaning over time.
- Linear: Signs are perceived sequentially.
- Articulated: Signs can be broken down into smaller units (e.g., morphemes, phonemes).
Narrative
Narrative involves telling a story, whether real or imaginary. It typically includes:
- Narrator: The entity that tells the story.
- Characters: The individuals who participate in the story.
- Time: The duration and pace of the story.
- Space: The setting where the story takes place.
Description
Description involves representing people, objects, or places through language. It focuses on attributes and properties. Types of description include:
- Technical/Objective Description: Aims for accuracy and objectivity.
- Literary Description: Aims to create beauty and evoke emotions.
Exposition
Exposition aims to present a topic clearly and informatively. Types of exposition include:
- Informative Exposition: Presents information in a straightforward manner.
- Specialized Exposition: Deals with complex or scientific topics.
Argumentation
Argumentation involves presenting reasons to support or refute an idea. It aims to persuade the audience. Elements of argumentation include:
- Argument: The main idea being discussed.
- Development: The reasoning and evidence supporting the argument.
- Conclusion: The final affirmation or stance.
Text and Discourse
A text is a unit of communication consisting of sentences with coherence and thematic unity. Key properties of a text include:
- Adaptation: Suitability to the communicative situation.
- Consistency: Semantic compatibility of the elements.
- Cohesion: Connections between sentences and paragraphs.
Textual Coherence
Textual coherence refers to the logical and meaningful connection of ideas within a text.
Textual Cohesion
Textual cohesion refers to the linguistic elements that create connections within a text (e.g., recurrence, ellipsis, discourse markers).
Literary Genre
Literary genre refers to categories of literary works based on their form, content, and style (e.g., poetry, novel, drama).
Levels of Language Organization
Natural languages are organized into different levels:
- Phonetics/Phonology: Study of sounds.
- Morphology: Study of word formation.
- Semantics: Study of meaning.
- Syntax: Study of sentence structure.