Communication Types and Semantic Noise

Semantic Noise

• Unintentional misunderstanding caused by ambiguity, ethnic slurs, profanity, and vulgar speech

Types of Communication According to Mode

• A message can be conveyed verbally, nonverbally, or visually
• Non-verbal communication enhances verbal communication

Verbal Communication

• The process of sending and receiving messages through words, including writing and sign language

Oral Verbal Communication

• Uses spoken words
• Examples: face-to-face conversations, speech, telephonic conversations, video, radio, television, voice over the internet
• Influenced by pitch, volume, speed and clarity of speaking

Written Verbal Communication

• Uses written signs or symbols to communicate
• Examples: email, letter, report, memo, etc.
• Most common form of communication used in business

Nonverbal Communication

• Sending or receiving messages without words
• Includes gestures, body language, posture, tone of voice, and facial expressions

Elements of Nonverbal Communication

• Appearance (speaker): Clothing, hairstyle, neatness, use of cosmetics
• Appearance (surrounding): Room size, lighting, decorations, furnishings
• Body language: Facial expressions, gestures, postures
• Sounds: Voice tone, volume, speech rate

Functions of Communication

• Informative function: Informs others about facts, information, and knowledge
• Instructive function: Gives instructions about what, when, where, why, and how to do something
• Persuasive function: Influences others to believe and accept a particular viewpoint
• Argumentative Function: Authors should use evidence, like statistical evidence or indisputable dates and events, to support their argument

Guidelines for Writing A Clear Introduction in a Position Paper

• The CLEVER HOOK: Start with engaging sentences that catch the reader's attention
• The Identified Issue: Highlight the main issue and provide your interpretation of the facts
• The Author's Position: End with a clear thesis statement that expresses your position on the topic. The thesis statement outlines the paper’s purpose, articulates your ideas, and helps the reader understand the purpose of the paper

A Well-Organised Body

• The body of the paper follows the introduction
• It includes arguments to substantiate the thesis
• Consider alternative explanations or counterarguments, present them, and argue against them to further defend the thesis

A Strong Conclusion

• Restate the main ideas
• Summarize the main concepts or key arguments
• Draw a conclusion based on the information presented

Social Media Use

• Many social media platforms have become extremely popular, with exponential user growth
• However, not all platforms survive. Some, like Hi5, MySpace, and Friendster, have disappeared due to poor market share performance.
• Platforms that have survived have continuously evolved to respond to user needs and interests
• The exponential rise of social media can be attributed to the emergence of technologies that enable fast, convenient, and interactive communication
• Over 4.59 billion people used social media in 2022, a number projected to rise to almost six billion by 2027

Responsible Use of Social Media

• You are responsible for everything that appears on your social media accounts, including status updates, comments, pictures, videos, and shared links
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect, even if you disagree with them
• Don’t use social media to harass, demean, or bully others
• Consider how your posts may affect your reputation, especially when it comes to employment prospects
• Remember that anything you post can potentially be seen by anyone, regardless of your privacy settings

Social Media and the New Era of Technology

• Social media has become a powerful communication tool and platform in the era of technology and globalization
• The modern mindset is often "I have access to social media, so I must have an idea or feeling to share with the world"

English Language and the New Media

What is New Media?

• Highly interactive digital technology that is easily processed, stored, transformed, retrieved, hyper-linked, searched for and accessed
• Examples include blogs, social media, online newspapers, virtual reality, and computer games

Language in New Media

• Sometimes referred to as Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)
• Other terms used include:
  • Netspeak
  • Computer-mediated discourse
  • Digital discourse
  • Electronic discourse
  • e-communication
  • Digitally mediated communication
  • Keyboard-to-screen communication

Types of Computer-Mediated Communication

• Synchronous Communication: Real-time communication using applications like chatrooms, instant messaging, video conferencing, and mobile phones.

  • Benefits: Enables experienced users to introduce abbreviations and emoticons to less experienced users. Moderators can easily impose order in a discussion and use uppercase to emphasize points.

• Asynchronous Communication: Communication that occurs at different times, where responses are not immediate.

  • Examples: Emails, shared network group folders, discussion boards, frequently updated webpages, video-sharing platforms, social networking sites.
  • Benefits: Allows participants to think about course content more deeply, contribute different viewpoints, and conceptualize topics from various perspectives.

• The Internet is the Largest Area of Language Development in Our Lifetime: The constant expansion of the internet requires us to adapt to its growth.

• Digital Discourse and Sociocultural Linguistics: Digital discourse illuminates social and cultural processes, focusing on everyday language functions and uses.

• CMC is vernacular: it uses common language regardless of age, social class, gender, or race.

  • Examples include acronyms, initialisms, emojis, and expressive punctuation.

Explore the various modes of communication and understand how semantic noise can lead to misunderstandings. This quiz delves into verbal and nonverbal communication, highlighting the importance of each mode in effective message delivery. Test your knowledge on the intricacies of communication styles and their impact on interactions.