1. Language and
meaning
Lecture 4.1
University of Alberta
ALES 204
Nancy Bray
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2. Housekeeping
Assignment marking process
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3. ALES 204 Checklist
☑Assignment #1 - Done!
☑Readings: Chapters 1, 2, 6, 3, and part of 11 - Done!
☑For this week: Chapters 4 and 5
☑Start thinking about Assignment #2
☑Look at topic options on eClass
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4. Course Map
Analyze a communicative situation
Plan an approach
Identify strengths and weakness of your approach
Context Rhetorical Purpose Channel
Interpersonal Informative Oral
Small Groups Persuasive Written
Public
Mass Communication Visual
Online
Define communication and understand a model of communication
Describe the role that culture, hierarchy, perception, language, non-verbal behaviour, and
generation play in communication
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5. Culture
Hierarchy
Perception
You Another person
Language
Non-verbal
Generation
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6. Lecture Outline
1. What is language?
2. How does language influence communication?
3. Video and discussion
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7. 1. What is language?
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8. What is
language?
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9. Triangle of meaning
Thought
Word Thing
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10. Example: Process of Writing
Thought
“angry wet cat”
Word Thing
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11. Example: Process of Reading
Thought
“angry wet cat”
Word Thing
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12. 2. How does language affect
communication?
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13. Word barriers
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14. Bypassing
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15. Types of
meaning
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16. Influences on
meaning
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17. Time
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18. Place
Ad from England
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19. Experience
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20. Sapir-Whorf
hypothesis
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21. 3. Video and discussion
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22. Mark Pagel
How language transformed humanity
http://www.ted.com/talks/mark_pagel_how_language_transformed_humanity.html
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23. Debate
1. Support or disagree with Pagel’s idea that there should only be one
language.
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24. Why this image?
Can you figure out what this image has to
do with communication?
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25. The Bible
“God went down and
confounded their speech,
so that they could not
understand each another,
and scattered them over
the face of the earth...“
(Genesis 11:7–8)
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26. Greek mythology
“Formerly Zeus himself
had ruled over men, but
Hermes created a
confusion of human
speech, which spoiled
Zeus' pleasure in this
Rule"
(Kerenyi, 1980)
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27. Two important themes
1. Communication = fundamental to human existence.
2. Paradox: we believe perfect communication is possible, but we
cannot attain it.
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28. Photo Credits
language by nofrills
barrier by Sudhamshu
bypass by Scott McLeod
rose by THE Holy Hand Grenade!
dictionary by TexasT's
clock by ToniVC
Electrolux ad
customs officer by CBP Photography
colours by Wifihighfive
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