Topic 1: Language and Communication

In this topic, i learned about language and communication. For my own perspective, language is one system for human to communicate with each other by speech and writing so that human can represent their ideas and thoughts through the sounds or letters. Language in some countries or races is different from each others. Each word of language is symbol which has a particular meaning. For example, a cat can be called ‘kucing’ in Malay but Ibanez called it ‘mayau’.

I made my effort to learn some language or word from my friend from Kenya and compare it to my own languages which is Iban. For example:

Kenya Language:
Nakupenda
Hakuna Matata
Una fanya nini sahi?
Mambo?

Iban Language:
Aku sayau ke nuan
Anang irau
Nama pengawa nuan?
Nama berita?

English Language:
I love you
Don’t worry
What are you doing?
How are you?

I fully understand that linguistic symbols have their own function and form. Normally the structure including the subject, verb and object for English language. For example:

I play football.
Subject verb object

For Iban language, it’s the same with English language. For example:

Aku main bul
Subject verb object

Linguistic also consist of units by rules. In order to make sentences, we should know the spelling and grammatical rules. If we put the word at the different place in sentence, it will bring the different meaning to the sentence. For example:

The red carpet is under the table.
The carpet is under the red table.

Linguistic is specifically human. Human uses language to communicate with each other. Plus, using language, we can be creative. For example, in order to make a song lyric, we will combine the words together to get the best lyric.

Bujang Semanggang, song by Joyce Menti(Iban singer)
Belala asai begulai enggau nuan bujang,
Betanda semalam-malam,
Maya pengerami mangkung tiang,
Tegepang telentang,
Meda penyigat nadai endur mantah,
Ku nanya dini menua nuan,
Nuan madah diri urang semanggang.

Language use is constrained by culture. We use language for some function and the structure is different for some function. For example, when having birthday party, we use the non-formal language but for some formal function like meeting and making a speech, we should know what to say and not say.

Communication happened when there are 2 parties which is the sender and the receiver having the 2 way process. The sender will give the message by speaking or writing (encoding) to the receiver. The receiver will listen or read (decoding) the message. Communication between these 2 parties can be divided into 2 types, non-vocal and vocal.

Non-verbal communication is how we send the message to the receiver with no voice involved. We can visualize, tactile, olfactory and kinetic. For visualize, we stare, wink and blink to do the non-verbal communication. In tactile, we pat people shoulder in order to comfort them. In olfactory, normally we twitched the nose and our eyes. Then, for the kinetic or physical communication, we use body language to hug and withdrawing.

Non-speech communication, it’s referring to the use of vocal cords but with no speech. It’s including the physiological reflexes. We yawn and cough on purpose. There are emotion markers to show feeling such as sighs and sobs. Besides, we will raised voice or whisper for the voice-quality differences. We also do the paralinguistic effect to show appreciation, joy, happiness or sadness. For example, we will belch, laugh and hum.