Communication

Front 1

The nominalist vs. relativist positions

Back 1

Nominalist- Language does not shape perception. any thought can be expressed in any language

Relativist- Theview that the particularlanguage individuals speak,especially the structure ofthe language, shapes theirperception of reality andcultural patterns.

Front 2

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis & recent research

accepted/rejected?

Back 2

- The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis suggests that, based onthis variation in verb form, French, English, and Spanish speakers may think differentlyabout movement or action.

Front 3

Metaphor

Back 3

- Understanding a culture’s metaphors, then, helps us understand somethingabout the culture itself

*However,the Chinese have a metaphor that does not exist in English—that happinessis flowers in the heart. Experts suggest that metaphors reflect cultural beliefs andvalues; in this case, the metaphor reflects the more restrained Chinese communicationstyle, while the English metaphor of “happiness is being off the ground”reflects the relatively expressive English communication style

Front 4

Verbal communication style paradigms

- indirect/direct

- elaborate vs understated

Back 4

Indirect - rearranging flowers (china) can mean many things

Direct - asking someone what is the matter or telling someone exactly how you feel.

Understated - subtle movements, Bowing, silence and gestures mean more than words

Elaborate - big gestures and loud talking (Spanish culture) emotions in speech and lots of words

Front 5

Cocultural communication (minority groups)

- separation

- accommodation

- assimilation

Back 5

Front 6

Multilingualism

Back 6

On either the individual or the national level, multilinguals must engagein language negotiation. That is, they need to work out, whether explicitlyor implicitly, which language to use in a given situation. These decisions aresometimes clearly embedded in power relations.

Front 7

language and identity

Back 7

For Example:

French was the court language during the reign of Catherine the Great in 18th-century Russia.French was considered the language of culture, the language of the elite, whereasRussian was considered a vulgar language, the language of the uneducated andthe unwashed

Front 8

Languages policies

Back 8

For Example:

Special-interest groups in many U.S. states, especially Arizonaand California, have attempted to pass laws declaring English the official language.These attempts reflect a power bid to determine which language will beprivileged.