Speech as a means of communication
People need to communicate with each other and with themselves, and also receive information from universal human socio-historical experience. All these functions are provided by speech. Speech as a means of communication is the topic of today’s conversation.
Speech is the result of recoding thoughts into sound or graphic structures. When communicating through speech, three main elements function:
- subject of speech communication (who speaks),
- object (recipient) of the message;
- the speech message itself.
This means that success depends on three factors :
- characteristics of the speaker,
- the mental state and state of perception of the person receiving the message;
- quality of speech “products”.
The speech process is associated not only with mental manipulations of the psyche, but also affects the spheres of interpersonal and personal relationships. The attitude towards the situation is also conveyed through speech.
Let's look at what helps transmit speech:
- tone;
- voice volume;
- focus of gaze;
- certain body movements.
The tone of speech is a kind of indicator of the speaker’s mental state. The interlocutor very accurately grasps whether the speaker himself believes in his own words, what meaning he attaches to what was said, how he treats the person with whom he is communicating.
Voice volume . It also shows the intentions of the speaker and his attitude towards those who listen to him. For example, if they want to exert pressure or influence, they speak louder. In Europe, if they are indignant, they also increase the strength of their voice. but in the East in such cases they switch to a whisper.
Focus of gaze . Shows the true mood of the speakers and serves as a channel of communication between them. When embarrassed, the eyes usually droop, and an averted gaze can indicate the speaker’s insincerity.
Body movements. Strengthens the speaker's self-expression. Different cultures have their own norms of body movements, distance between interlocutors and gestures. We talk more about body language in European culture and its influence HERE.
However, the basis of verbal communication is the message itself. One should remember the unity of its content and form .
Content. Some people are used to just chatting, without really thinking about what they say. But any message carries not only information, but also a charge of energy. Later we will talk about how, for example, we program ourselves for ill health with the help of phrases, how we bring disaster upon ourselves. In the meantime, we are talking about speech as a means of communication.
Form. Even the most striking content will be lost and will not have the desired impact on listeners if it is presented in an inexpressive or inappropriate form.
So, if the feelings that we convey in poetry are presented in the form of an information note, then not only will the meaning of what was said or written be lost, but the text will seem pompous and insincere.
Construction of speech according to the laws of speech communication:
- assess (determine) the situation;
- we determine our attitude to the situation (i.e., reaction to the situation);
- explains what one would like to do (motivation for activity).
If the speaker loses control over emotions, then this structure changes. Often, first of all, statements are used that are not confirmed by an adequate assessment of the situation, for example, offensive ones. And when, having calmed down, we carry out the exercise of assessing the situation, we become ashamed. Moreover, such behavior can greatly damage relationships with people.
“Provocateur” words can also ruin relationships with people and cause conflictual communication: read about them HERE.
Usually in such cases the interlocutor either answers in the same spirit or remains silent. Negative emotions of the speaker generate negative emotions in the interlocutor (according to the law of generating emotions in the process of communication).
Conclusion: to avoid unpleasant situations, send messages imbued with positive emotions.
Definition of the situation . The speaker creates a picture of what is happening, records events and his attitude towards them. At the same time, if we want speech to have a greater impact, we look for bright, rich expressions, like a painter, we draw pictures, only with words:
“For one lost day, the enterprise loses so much. How much will it miss for thousands of lost days?! (numbers…)"
In speech, it is better not to use categorical expressions “never”, “always”, “forever”, etc., as well as evaluative cliches: “slobs”, “fools”, “parasites”... You should avoid anything that degrades human dignity.
Reaction to the situation. It is appropriate to express concern, experience, and surprise. Sarcasm and indignation can only be used if you intend to break up with the person.
However, it is better to avoid rage and insults, especially with obscene language, in any case. Such an attitude can temporarily stimulate only uninitiated performers and people-pleasers. Such a negative attitude disorganizes independent, creative and self-sufficient people.
Inspiration to activity. The speaker specifically, clearly, clearly formulates his advice, recommendation, request or reasoning.
Next time we will talk about the properties of good speech in communicating with people.
In the meantime, tell me, what kind of speech in communication would you call high-quality?
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Speech as the basic mental concept of its properties and functions
Tatiana Birulina
Speech as the basic mental concept of its properties and functions
Speech as a basic mental concept , its properties and functions
Speech between people using language constructs, the creation of which contains certain rules.
It should be noted that this concept is studied in the context of several disciplines, so there is no clearly formulated and final interpretation of it. Linguists interpret this word more narrowly: speech is a person’s knowledge and ability to use natural language. In general psychology, speech is a way of expressing and communicating to other people one’s internal, psychological states , thoughts and feelings. Speech also includes non-verbal means of communication: gestures, facial expressions, pantomime and other various means of exchanging information.
Speech is an integral element of human activity. Thanks to speech, a person learns about the world around him, shares his experience and knowledge with other people, both his own and subsequent generations. It is speech determines the mechanism for the development of thinking.
According to I.P. Pavlov, speech is a distinctive feature of human thinking, since it provides an opportunity to escape from reality and generalization.
Speaking (both oral and written)
has a number of characteristic features, including:
1) content, which consists in the number of thoughts, images and feelings expressed in speech, their significance and correspondence to reality;
2) clarity , achieved by syntactically correct construction of sentences, using pauses and logical stress when necessary to highlight words;
3) expressiveness - emotional richness, brightness, energy of speech, variety and richness of linguistic means;
4) effectiveness - the influence of speech on the behavior and beliefs of other people, their thoughts, feelings and will.
Forms of speech are “standard methods of structural and semantic organization of speech utterances based on the corresponding use of linguistic means of constructing speech messages.”
In the general structure of speech activity, there are three forms: external oral, external written and internal speech .
It should be noted that in general psychology and special pedagogy forms of speech are classified differently, depending on the criteria considered.
Based on the nature of the means of expressing thoughts used, oral speech (implemented by sound means), kinetic speech (includes expressive gestures and postures, most often used in conjunction with other forms of speech) and written speech are .
external speech differs (audible, articulated, hidden speech ( “to oneself”
, inner
speech (collapsed and predominantly predicative)
.
According to the degree of activity of the individual in planning and producing speech activity, speech is divided into active (planned completely independently), reactive (the interlocutor-partner partially and indirectly takes part in planning) and automated (with a complete absence of planning)
.
Researchers have identified several main functions performed by speech .
1. Communicative - the main function of speech , manifested in the transfer of information from one person to another or a group of people. There is an exchange of words that are perceived as separate concepts containing certain knowledge.
This function implies that people use speech in various types of joint activities as an organizing tool.
The communicative function of speech is divided into two subfunctions : messages, when a person expresses his opinion on any problem or characterizes his attitude towards any subject, and incentives to action, the effectiveness of which depends on the emotional expressiveness of speech.
2. The regulatory function of speech (was identified by L. S. Vygotsky and studied by A. R. Luria and other psychologists ) is realized in conscious forms mental activity - the so-called higher mental functions , which are voluntary. This function is manifested in the fact that people use speech to regulate the behavior of other people, as well as to master their own behavior, applying the same stimulus-signs to it. It is thanks to inner speech that a person is able to master his voluntary actions.
3. The programming function of speech consists in “constructing semantic schemes of a speech utterance, grammatical structures of sentences, in the transition from an idea to an external, detailed utterance. is based on internal programming, carried out using internal speech. As clinical data show, it is necessary not only for speech expression, but also for constructing a wide variety of movements and actions.”
Speech is closely integrated with all human mental processes ; it is language in action.
36. Speech as a means of communicationCommunication
- this is communication between people, reflecting the level of their awareness in any area, serving as a means of transmitting information and, in general, being a necessary “attribute” in the life of every person.
There is, for example, the language of the deaf and dumb, and this is also a means of communication, as it conveys information, and can do this quite emotionally. Even silence itself can be a means of communication, conveying information based on emotional intensity or the length of the pause.
But still, the best means of communication, i.e. transmitting information, is human speech.
The term “speech” has not one, but three meanings. The first is speech as the process of speaking; second - speech as a product of speaking, i.e. text (no matter whether written or oral); and third - speech as an oratorical genre.
In the first case, we mean fluency in the mechanism of speech, i.e., how intellectually developed a person is, how quickly he can choose the right word, the purity of his speech, the absence of pronunciation defects. Most often, this term refers to everyday colloquial speech that everyone speaks, good or bad. The main task of this type of speech is to convey information to the listener, and for this it is not necessary to have special oratorical abilities, as in the third definition of speech, where speech is elevated to the rank of art. In this case, speech is not just a means of communication, although it also carries information. This is a beautiful, delivered speech that has a goal, objectives and topic. It is designed for a specific listener. And if it is considered as a process, it is more subtle and psychologically calculated. The speeches of the great speakers remained in the memory of posterity as evidence of the culture and high level of development of the people who spoke them. But once again it should be emphasized that these speeches are designed for human psychology, the beauty and power of words.
The second meaning of speech, i.e. speech as the result of a process, is addressed to the choice and use of language means: phonetic, lexical. The text carries information, but is not a means of communication in the full sense of the word.
What is more important for us is speech as a process, what means of language are used in colloquial speech in order to make it more informative and at the same time more emotional. Such means include all kinds of vernaculars, proverbs and sayings, which, on the one hand, reduce the level of normativity of speech, on the other, enrich it. The speaker’s speech should be simple and figurative enough so that the listener does not have any misunderstandings. In colloquial speech, such a linguistic technique as asking again is often used. Usually it demonstrates the insufficient level of language proficiency of the interlocutors.
Those participating in communication have their own role, which is associated with certain rights and responsibilities of communicants, opportunities and limitations of communicative behavior.
The main communicative roles are identified, such as the roles of addresser, addressee and observer.
Addressee
is a speaking, writing text producer who directs his speech activity at the addressee, thereby influencing him as an object of speech.
At the same time, this addressee-object can be considered as the second subject of the speech act, the interlocutor in communication. Especially such relationships between the addresser and the addressee are manifested in dialogue with its inherent change in communicative roles. Each participant in the conversation can play either the role of the addresser or the addressee in the dialogue, and the unfolding sign communication reflects the positions, properties and speech activity of both. Such relationships can manifest themselves both in written communication and in the monologue of speech, although they are expressed indirectly in these cases. The main essence of communication
is the transfer of information. And information can be conveyed in completely different ways, the main thing is that the interlocutors understand each other. Information can be conveyed by non-verbal means of communication - gesture, nod of the head, facial expressions, etc.
For stylists, colloquial speech can be interesting from a research point of view, since live speech is constantly changing, and tracking these changes is very important. There is also normative, or literary, speech. It is more likely to come into contact with oratory, since public speaking can be a striking example of it.
Table of contents
Speech as an element of verbal communication
Verbal communication is communication using words (speech communication). The main feature of speech is that, depending on its form and content, it concentrates on other people who are included in the communicative process. Verbal communication can be directed at an individual or a specific group. It may also not even have a specific addressee, but in any situation it has a conversational character.
The act of verbal communication looks like a dialogue involving speaking and listening. The ability to speak becomes a subject of study here. For this purpose there is a separate science of rhetoric, as well as a special discipline - oratory.
In modern works on communication issues, much attention is paid to the ability to listen. Research results have shown that not all people have sufficient listening skills. I. Atwater pointed out that listening is very difficult for many. A person is primarily occupied with his own broadcasting. In addition, if he became silent during the dialogue, this does not mean that he began to listen. Listening is an active process that requires attention.
Depending on the situation, unreflective listening may include:
- Support,
- OK,
- Understanding.
This requires minimal responses that help prolong the conversation (for example, “yes”, “I understand”, “that’s interesting”). Various neutral words help keep the conversation going and relieve tension.
