Language
Blog
This experiment was difficult for me because there
were very little ways to say something without the use of words or ASL. I found
myself trying to make up ways to communicate with my hands which became pretty
difficult. My hands were essential in communicating what I was trying to say to
others. My partners became confused because they were trying to figure out what
I was trying to get across to them. I felt I was slowing down the conversation
with my lack of speaking ability. They did not alter their way of communicating;
they simply tried to make clear what I was trying to say. The culture with a
more advanced way of communication and with the ability to speak has the
advantage because they are able to be more direct. The speaking culture may
have a negative attitude towards those that cannot speak because they would
question their intelligence and way of their culture. Individuals who are not
from this country that do not speak our language and come from a small culture
would have most difficulty communicating through spoken language. It ultimately
affects the speaking culture because they may feel frustrated or uneasy when
trying to get a message across those that do not understand.
I was able to last the 15 minutes, however, it felt
very prolonged and uneasy. Without the use of emotion or facial features, it
became a bit confusing for my partners. What made this experiment difficult for
me was not being able to use hand movements. The previous experiment allowed
for hand movements, however following that experiment made communicating quite
difficult. My partners were affected because there were times that I would say
something and they would be confused because of my lack of emotion. Non-speech
techniques have proven to be very important at times because of their significant
use in trying to get a message across. Without hand or facial movements, it
would be difficult to communicate with many people. There are some people who cannot
read body language and it can be important at times. Reading body language
really helps distinguish what the other person is feeling. If someone is
standing in a certain way or slouching, this may come off as lazy or bored. The
benefits of reading body language are that you can fully understand what the person
is saying to you and you can know their mood.
Hello Richard,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the culture who is allow to express themselves freely in any way possible is at a greater advantage than cultures that do not have these means. I also appreciate the example you brought up about other cultures that come to America not knowing the language. These cultures need to adjust to the spoken language in order for them to progress, enjoy, appreciate, and move forward into our society.
"The speaking culture may have a negative attitude towards those that cannot speak because they would question their intelligence and way of their culture."
ReplyDeleteGreat observation. Why is this the case? Why do we equate the ability to communicate verbally with intelligence?
Good description in Part B. Can you identify a specific group of people who have difficulty reading body language? Can you think of circumstances when it might be better to not read body language? Do all cultures use the same system of body language?
I like your post this week. We had a lot of the same problems with trying to communicate words. My hands were going crazy as well trying to get my point across. Maybe your parents could have asked yes or no questions to accommodate you. Im surprised you made it the whole fifteen minutes without using gestures because i could not help it.
ReplyDeletewe had similar problems i too felt talking with my hands made the conversation difficult. i looked insane waving my hands around. i was able to make it longer waving my hands then talking, i think it was because i enjoyed the silence
ReplyDeleteI really liked this post. I felt like you really understood the experiments and carried them out pretty well. After reading quite a few of the posts though, I'm surprised that more people didn't find it hard not to laugh during part 2 like I did. My friends and I all had quite a bit of trouble not laughing during the second experiment. Overall, really good post!
ReplyDelete