Language Blog

Part 1: 

Describe your experiment, both from your perspective and from your partner’s perspective. How did your partner change the way they communicated with you?   (5 pts)

This experiment was very intriguing and fun! Being asked to communicate in different ways gave me a better understanding of language and all the different aspects involved. In the first experiment, I was not allowed to speak for 15 minutes; that was the hardest part of the entire experiment for me. I love to talk and engage in conversation and most of the time, I carry conversations. In awkward situations, I always feel the need to fill the silence with my voice. So being unable to talk the entire time filled me with anticipation and frustration. My partner initially was having a lot of fun with this experiment. He took this as an opportunity to talk to me about video games that I knew nothing about and did not plan on playing. He was able to understand that I was bored through my yawns and body language (head resting on my hand and playing with my hair). He would also make jokes saying, “if you don’t say something you have to buy me ice cream”. I became frustrated not only because I now owe him ice cream, but also because that made it feel like he had more power over me. After about 3 minutes, the rest of the experiment felt very long. My partner started to feel that the conversation could only continue if he talked the entire time. He carried the entire conversation because, without a verbal response from me, it felt awkward to wait for my silence. I noticed that my partner was starting to feel uncomfortable because all I was doing was making direct eye contact with him while he spoke. If he would break eye contact with me he was unable to pick up on my non-verbal cues. Eventually, he understood that if he was not speaking of a topic that piqued my interest, the conversation felt very uneasy and seldom.

Who possessed the “power” in your conversation in your experiment, the “speaker” or the “non-speaker”? (5 pts)

The speaker held the most power in our conversation because they were able to guide the conversation to what they wanted to talk about. My partner was the only one talking so he was able to change subjects on his own accord while waiting for me to respond through body language and other forms of communication. However, I felt that the “power” in the conversation would start to slowly decrease halfway through. My partner started to lack confidence and fluidity in the conversation when it was evident that he was essentially having a conversation with himself. My nonverbal cues were not enough to keep the conversation meaningful to him.

Imagine that you and your partners in the conversation represent two different cultures meeting for the first time. Which culture has the advantage in communicating complex ideas within their own population?  

I believe that the speaking culture would have a slight advantage but not for the entirety of the conversation. Our conversation replicated exactly how two different cultures would act when meeting for the first time. My partner may have had the ability to explain complex ideas verbally, but he could not communicate those ideas to me, because I was unable to communicate a complex and thorough response. He did all the talking, and my body language could only explain so much. There was hesitation as to whether I was truly engaged, understanding, or interested so it became hard for him to want to communicate such complex ideas. Instead, the conversation became bland and basic. I felt very restricted in my responses, so I did not feel that I had much advantage in the conversation, but was merely passing time with my nonverbal responses.  

What attitudes might the speaking culture have toward the culture that does not use symbolic language?  

I believe that the speaking culture would feel very frustrated and misunderstood throughout the conversation. One person is listening, while the other is speaking, so the message is not being conveyed both ways. Therefore, they might just give up and/or possibly judge the other culture for not being able to understand or convey their ideas fully.

Identify individuals in our culture that have difficulty communicating with spoken language and explain how their experience mirrors your own for this experiment (think in terms of “power”). (5 pts)

In this experiment, I can see deaf individuals having a hard time speaking to someone without being able to communicate with words or ASL. Some individuals are non-verbal their entire lives. Many miscommunications might also occur between two individuals with different languages and issues that present themselves afterward. In this experiment, if my partner used spoken language and I was mute, not being able to use spoken words would be very frustrating for both of us. He would not be able to interpret what I fully want to communicate making it frustrating for him, and I would be frustrated that he can not understand what I am trying to communicate. 

Part 2: 

Were you able to last for the full 15 minutes of using only speech for communicating? What made this experiment difficult for you? (5 pts)

I was able to last approximately 10 minutes before I completely lost my mind and laughed for the remaining 5 minutes with my partner. Again, I love communicating with others and talking but even though I was allowed to talk, I realized how hard it is for me to have an engaging conversation without the vocal intonation, body movements, or hand gestures. I was constantly trying not to laugh because I sounded silly and robotic. I felt a little embarrassed at certain points because I felt very unlike myself. I felt that I was not able to show my full personality when speaking so the entire conversation felt forced and fake. 

As part of your experiment with your partner, you were asked to discuss their experience with the assignment. How did they feel about engaging with you while you were using no body language?  Did they feel comfortable doing so?  Or did they feel like something was missing? 

My partner was trying his hardest not to laugh at me or with me. He thought it was very interesting to see just how difficult it is to have a meaningful conversation with only words alone. In the beginning, he felt uncomfortable because the conversation did not feel personable and amusing. However, at that 10-minute mark, our laughter became uncontrollable. We have known each other for five years so it was easier to let the uncomfortableness linger because we knew that our normal conversations are never like this. Yet I can imagine that for two individuals who do not know each other and trying to communicate, the conversation would always feel uneasy and like something was missing. 

What does this experiment say about our use of “signs” in our language, i.e., how important is non-speech language techniques in our ability to communicate effectively? What does it say to us when our body language does NOT match our spoken language?  What does that say about one of the functions of body language?  (5 pts)

I believe that for an effective conversation, nonverbal communication goes hand in hand with spoken words. In this experiment I learned how important it is for people to speak with not only their voice but with their hands and body. The conversation can not carry on effectively because there is so much left unsaid without body language, hand gestures, or voice intonation. For example, if you were to try and ask a question without a change in voice, an eyebrow raise, or a head tilt, the other person would not be able to understand that there is a question being asked. It then creates frustration for the speaker who is asking the question.

Are there people who have difficulty reading body language? Can you describe environmental conditions where there might be a benefit to not reading body language? (5 pts)

Some people have difficulty reading body language, like those who can not read social cues. I think body language can be culturally influenced, meaning that one culture might have difficulty reading body language from another culture. For example, I think some cultures have entirely different uses of body language in comparison to other cultures so there is room for miscommunication. What may be interpreted as a wave, or a smile to someone from the same culture, may be interpreted as an insult to another culture. I am constantly aware of body language and that can be a good and bad thing because I pay very close attention to it. It is easy for me to overthink or overreact to a conversation based on body language alone which can cause issues in friendships or at work. When I am at work, I have customers who do not speak the same language as me. Most times body language can help me communicate with them, but other times the only thing I can grasp from their body language is their annoyance when we are not understanding each other. 

Part 3: 

Do you think your experiment in Part 1 would have been easier if you had been permitted to use written language? Why or why not?    (5 pts)

I think it would not have made a difference in our experiment. I believe that written language would only be helpful and exciting if I was answering simple “yes or no” questions. It would not be possible to have a 15-minute, complex conversation with the addition of written language. Though written communication can be helpful, especially for documentation, there are some downsides. There would be so much to say and it would not be possible to write everything down or respond in time; eventually, silence would overtake the conversation during the writing process and the words would still not convey a tone or emotion behind them (similar to reading a text). It would also be hard to use written communication as a solution if someone is unable to read or write, which is common in some cultures.

What advantage does written language provide to the culture that develops and uses it? (5 pts)

I think for some cultures written language can be helpful to track historical documents, share knowledge, or preserve cultural values. In turn, that would strengthen their cultural identity and allow them to learn from one another. For example, it could help with environmental adaptations. If a specific culture changes the way they grow crops, they can write about how they adapted to the change. The information can be spread to everyone in that culture to help them maintain and stabilize their environment as a whole.

What impact has written language had on “globalization”, or the spread of ideas around the world? (5 pts)

Written language helps information become accessible to multiple people at once (even if it is not interpreted the same among everyone). Written language can communicate information about a culture that can be translated to other cultures so that eventually everyone can learn and grow from each other. It allows education to form and with that, knowledge can be passed from generation to generation and around the world. Finally, complex concepts can be thoroughly communicated so ideas can then be exchanged on a global scale.

Overall, this experiment was not done quickly to prove a simple point. Within that experiment, I was able to learn so much about language. Everyone in the world interprets, listens, or speaks their ideas differently, and without being able to integrate all forms of communication, we would not be able to communicate our complex or simple thoughts and ideas effectively to one another.