Introduction
In the process of communication, the spoken word is never neutral. The meaning of a statement may change depending on what intonation, rhythm, timbre, phrasal and logical stress were used to convey it. All these sound elements of information transmission are called paralinguistic means.
Researchers identify the following acoustic means that accompany, complement and replace speech sounds: tempo, pitch, volume, speed, rhythm, pauses, intonation, coughing, sighs, groans, timbre, etc.
The relevance of the topic of this essay is due to the unique role of paraverbal communication in intercultural communication.
Subject – the purpose of paraverbal communication and its main means.
The purpose of the abstract is to determine the purpose of paraverbal communication and identify its main means.
In order to achieve the above goal, the following tasks were set:
- Expand the content of the concept: means of paraverbal communication.
- Identify the main means of paraverbal communication.
Actual level of communication
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Among other things, people naturally convey pure information. For example, they exchange content and verbalize observations. This is also necessary in everyday life: this creates orientation for oneself and others, since messages work in both directions.
So far, so good. If that was all, there would probably be no more nervous meetings or arguments with colleagues. Let's look at an example: a married couple is sitting in a car, the woman is driving, the man is in the front passenger seat. The husband says: “The traffic light is green.” How could the wife understand this statement?
? Of course, at the factual level, a statement is made about what color the traffic light shows. But this is said completely differently. You might think that the device itself is green.
Means of paraverbal communication.
Paraverbal means are a set of sound signals that accompany oral speech, adding additional meaning to it. Using your voice you can convey basic emotions - fear, anger, joy, surprise and emotional states - goodwill, anxiety, confidence, interest. For example, the emotion of sadness is expressed in a slow rise and fall in the strength and pitch of the voice, increased duration of syllables, and a drop in the strength and sonority of the voice.[3. c. 9] Fast speech evokes the idea of an active, energetic person, and a low, dull voice is associated with a purposeful, strong-willed, decisive person, etc. The purpose of paraverbal communication is to evoke in the partner the appropriate emotions, sensations, and experiences that are necessary to achieve certain goals and intentions. Paraverbal communication is based on the tonal and timbre features of language and their use in culture.
Paraverbalism in sales.
Paraverbals, as well as nonverbal communication with the client, are not always given due attention when training salespeople. Although a person receives about 90% of information through these methods of communication. Many managers notice a drop in the results of many salespeople 2 months after employment, the main reason is a drop in the salesperson’s motivation and, as a result, the salesperson conveys less positive emotions to the client. For many sellers, the intonation of their voice changes greatly, the work begins to weigh on the seller, and he passes on these emotions to the buyer. Therefore, when working with experienced salespeople, you need to pay more attention to motivation and incentives for work and training in paraverbal and nonverbal communication.
Types of paraverbal communication means.
Types of paraverbal communication include speech speed. [4. c. 22] Speech speed can be very slow, slightly slow, fast and very fast. The degree of perception of the speaker by communication partners depends on the speed of speech. A lively, lively manner of speaking, a fast pace of speech indicate the impulsiveness of the interlocutor, his confidence in his abilities. On the contrary, a calm, slow manner of speech indicates equanimity, prudence, good mood of the interlocutor, and the richness of his feelings. Noticeable fluctuations in speech rate reveal a lack of balance, uncertainty, and slight excitability. It is believed that the normal speed of human speech is 140-150 words per minute.
The culturally specific features of paraverbal communication are also reflected in the speed of speech. [5. c. 63.] For example, Finns speak relatively slowly and with long pauses. This linguistic feature gave them the image of people who think for a long time and act slowly. In the culture of North American Indians, pauses lasting several minutes within one speech message are considered normal. Fast-speaking cultures include speakers of Romance languages (French, Romanians, Moldovans, Gypsies), who practically do not pause between segments of speech. According to this indicator, Germans occupy a middle position, but the speed of speech is higher in Berlin and slower in the north of Germany
Another type of means of paraverbal communication is the volume of speech, which is an expression of a person’s feelings [6. c. 20]. In terms of volume, a person’s speech varies in the range from very quiet to screaming. Loud speech usually indicates a sincere motivation or arrogance and complacency, while quiet speech indicates restraint, modesty, tact or a lack of vitality, weakness of a person. Noticeable changes in volume indicate emotion and excitement in the interlocutor. As communication practice shows, the lack of logical arguments contributes to the increased emotionality of speech in other cases. In normal communication situations, you should speak at a normal volume, since a calm and respectable voice relieves tension and arouses interest in communication.
On this basis, quiet and loud cultures can be distinguished. For example, in Europe, Americans are criticized for speaking too loudly. This trait of theirs is born of the fact that very often for sociable Americans it does not matter whether their speech is listened to or not. It is much more important for them to show their competence and openness. In contrast, the British have a completely different point of view: they believe that they should not interfere in matters other than their own. [2. c. 16] Therefore, they have a particularly developed ability to direct their speech directly to the desired partner and at the same time take into account not only the noise level, but also the distance. Paradoxically, silence plays a very important role in communication. In different cultures, the idea of how much silence is necessary for adequate communication has its own national specifics. It is believed that Americans cannot stand long pauses and struggle to fill them with speaking. Therefore, when foreign journalists or businessmen travel to the United States to obtain the necessary information, they are instructed: take long pauses and the Americans will tell you everything themselves.
The next type of means of paraverbal communication is articulation [1. c. 105]. Clear and distinct pronunciation of words indicates the speaker’s internal discipline and his need for clarity. Unclear, vague pronunciation speaks of compliance, uncertainty, and lethargy of will;
The types of paraverbal communication also include voice pitch. [7. p.38] Voices also differ in their ability to influence other people. The pitch of the voice depends on the age, gender and individual personality characteristics of a person. Women and children have shorter and thinner vocal cords than men, so their voice pitch is about an octave higher. Falsetto is often characteristic of a person whose thinking and speech are based more on the intellect. A chesty voice is a sign of increased natural emotionality. A high, shrill voice is a sign of fear and excitement;
Speaking about the types of means of nonverbal communication, one cannot fail to mention the mode of speech. Rhythmic speaking means richness of feelings, balance, good mood. Strictly cyclical speaking indicates a strong awareness of what is being experienced, tension of will, discipline, and pedantry. An angular, abrupt manner of speech serves as an expression of sober, purposeful thinking.
In intercultural communication, the intonation of verbal communication is important, which often determines the meaning and content of the transmitted information [8, p. 40]. For example, in European languages, significant information is highlighted using contrastive stress. In South Asian languages it is the other way around; new information is communicated more quietly than already known information. In some Arab and African cultures, speaking volume is used as a means of regulating the speaker-listener role reversal. In European cultures, speaking loudly and simultaneously means an argument or quarrel.
Another means of paraverbal communication is manner: some cultures speak a lot, while others speak concisely, without using too many words. In a number of cultures, the content of what is said is often of secondary importance. For example, this manner is highly valued among the Arabs, in whose language and literature the content and meaning of what is said are not the main thing. There, preference is given to wordplay. Different words can be used with the same meaning. Arabs love to express the same idea in different words.
Chest voice.
The chest voice deserves special attention when training your speech. The chest voice sounds much lower and stronger, people begin to associate the owners of such a voice with success and strength, such people are treated with great respect and sometimes even fear. On the contrary, many people do not take people with a thin, weak voice seriously. For a seller, a chest voice is an excellent tool for influencing clients; from experience, we can say that a chest voice helps increase sales by 20-30%, and by developing skills in using the voice, sales can be increased several times.
It is important to note that the chest voice is not a “gift of God”; it can be easily trained. Moreover, you can do this yourself without using any complex techniques. To increase personal sales, sellers are recommended to conduct short voice training sessions daily. It has also been noticed that in the morning the voice is always lower than in the evening, even professional singers note this, so try to conduct important negotiations in the first half of the day.
Nonverbal level
How people understand something does not necessarily depend on the content of what they say. Then there are the things we communicate with on a non-verbal level. This means everything that is not said, but is still conveyed. These include:
- sight
- facial expressions
- gesture
5 golden rules of communication
- tactility
- spatial distance (interpersonal space),
- vocal characteristics (tone of voice, speed of speech, intonation, pauses, etc.)
Let's think back to the example of the couple in the car and how the statement "the traffic light is green" can differ from nonverbal cues:
- The husband furrows his eyebrows, points at the traffic light with a sharp movement of his hand and says: “The traffic light is green.”
- The husband strokes his wife on the thigh, nods towards the traffic light and says with a smile: “The traffic light is green.”
In the first example, the husband expresses his annoyance that his wife did not notice that the traffic light is green, and perhaps even suggests that she is chronically inattentive while driving. However, in the second example, the husband kindly points out that his wife may be too deep in thought to notice that the traffic light is green.
How to use nonverbal and paraverbal communication
Fortunately, this is not a case where nothing can be changed. Nonverbal and paraverbal levels of communication are actually very important so that people can make clear what they are trying to say.
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This puts the words in the correct context. But what do you really do if you are systematically misunderstood?
When there is communication, there is always room for misunderstanding. This has to do not only with how the speaker says something, what his tone is, etc. This is mainly due to the fact that communication always takes place between people, each of whom brings their own beliefs to the conversation. It becomes easier when you understand what actually happens when communicating.
An example of this would be a woman who doesn't like that she has short hair. Unfortunately, her hairdresser cut it too short. So if a friend tells her:
– Beautiful hairstyle, much shorter than last time!
Then it can easily happen that she takes it as criticism. After all, she evaluates “shorter” as something negative, whereas her friend does not have to evaluate it that way.
