Language Blog Post

Part One:

A.) I thought this assignment was engaging and fun. My partner and I both found the activity interesting and it revealed a lot about human communication. My inability to use verbal communication posed a challenge for me but both my partner and I had fun trying to communicate; obviously this type of communication would be grating after a while, however. It was very difficult to communicate without verbal speech but we quickly found ways to remedy this. While yes or no questions could be answered with a simple nod or thumbs up, more complex questions were much more difficult to answer. Questions like "what's your favorite movie", while simple to answer in verbally, are much more difficult to remedy without speech. I found myself acting things out or trying to present things that were similar to what I wanted to communicate but easier to explain .My communication was reserved, mainly, to facial expressions and body motions. While it was difficult to communicate, I would say the assignment was rather easy. The requirements were clear and easy to follow and it was more of a problem solving activity than anything. It was easy because, despite not using verbal communication, I could still communicate somewhat fluently. That being said, my method of communication definitely had an effect on how my partner communicated with me. We soon discovered that complex questions were difficult to answer so my partnered relied on asking many simpler or yes or no questions in order to get to the answer they wanted. Overall, a very interesting assignment.

B.) My partner was undoubtedly in control of the conversation. Despite my best efforts, my partner initiated and changed topics. This trend held in regards to who asked the questions, while I was entirely engaged in answering the questions. I conducted this activity with only one other person so I was never excluded in any way. Despite this, there was a clear power dynamic in this conversation. My verbal partners had all the power in the conversation; they were leading the conversation and making their own statements, something I could not do. Due to the fact that my partner could easily ask or answer questions and make statements while I could only answer questions, they and the greater power in the conversation.

C.) Cultures who use verbal communication would have a distinct advantage over non-verbal cultures in conveying complex ideas. With a verbal culture there are set words and phrases that can be strung together in many different ways making it easier to convey complex ideas. These words are not open for interpretation as physical communication might be. I believe that a verbal culture would have difficulty understanding a non-verbal culture, I mean this both literally and figuratively. They might view themselves as superior or more complex in their communication. A modern situation that might somewhat resembles the relationship between a speaking and non-speaking culture would be if a Russian-speaking person tried to have a conversation with someone who used sign language but only understood English. While they would both be able to communicate with improvised body language, the Russian-speaking person would not be able to easily decode sign language and the sign language user would not understand Russian.        

Part Two:

A.) This part of the activity was much different in feel than the first part of the assignment. I quickly discovered just how hard it is to speak without physical or verbal embellishments. We had to restart the conversation several times because I would unconsciously respond in a non-verbal way or add to my questions or responses in some way. I discovered just how much physical and verbal embellishments play a role in society; I had no idea I moved my eyebrows so much. Despite my clear verbal communication, my partner described the conversation and myself as coming off "creepy" and "boring." This fact demonstrate just how much embellishments ply a role in communication. This activity was much more easy to complete than the previous one. While my lack of embellishments did hold me back in a way, the ability to verbally communicate made asking and answering questions much easier. Despite this, some difficulties were still raised. My partner did not appear to be affected by my lack of body language during the conversation but afterward confessed to being somewhat "unnerved", describing me as "robotic". While my partner had no issue understanding me on a base level, they had a much harder time detecting emotional undertones. I would often be asked if I was being sarcastic or if I was happy when answering questions. The lack of inflection in my voice didn't lead to difficulty understanding my verbal language, but my partners perception of my emotional undertones were somewhat skewed.

B.) This activity shows that "signs" use in language is hugely important for effective communication. Non-speech techniques add another layer to communication and allow messages to be more clear. Humans use these "signs" all the time when interpreting communication. Non-speech techniques can be used to deduce a multitude of basic emotions that can then be used to decode verbal speech. If someone appears standoffish or angry but their speech doesn't match this it might mean they are begin sarcastic. Body language can either lead to the reinforcement of discounting of what the individual is saying. Additionally, the interpretation of this body language can lead to the reinforcement or discounting of said language. Individuals can interpret ulterior motives or emotional undertones from a persons body language and apply this to their verbal language; this leads to greater belief in or doubt as to what a person is saying.

C.) The adaptive benefit of being able to read body language is it adds complexity. While one-layer of communication is achieved through strictly verbal communication, a whole other dimension is added with the introduction of body language. Non-spoken communication adds an emotional level to a conversation that helps facilitate the formation of more complex ideas and perceptions. This speaks volumes towards human's classification as social beings. The ability to read body language, both historically and in the modern day, has contributed to the individuals ability to survive and thrive. Body language possess an emotional aspect which contributes to the formation of personal connection and relationships; this pertains directly to modern reproduction in humans. Additionally, body language allows for more complex communication which helps with the acquisition of resources.      

D.) There are certainly people who have difficulty identifying body language. Individuals with developmental disabilities often have trouble identifying body language. People who have autism very often have difficulty reading the unspoken signs of communication. While there are very few instances where reading body language wouldn't be beneficial, it could prove detrimental if a person is in distress. When someone is going through or has experienced something life-altering their emotions, speech, and body language often goes hay-wire. During these instances it might be best to just listen to what these individuals have to say because traumatic experiences have different effects on body language. A person who is hurt and needs help might come off as when this isn't the case.