Language Blog

Part 1   

For this experiment, I tried to communicate with my cousins without using  hand signs or verbal language. I found out that this was very difficult and close to impossible.  Sometimes, I would mistakenly speak to get my message across or do some sort of body language gesture to get my point across. I was surprised at how much we are reliant on verbal language as a means of communication. The impressions of my partners were strange facial expression towards me.  They laughed because I communicating in a way that was not understandable. Since they couldn’t understand me, I told them about the experiment. One of my cousins tried the experiment as well and failed miserably because he didn’t even know how to start. The attitude of a speaking culture toward a culture that does not use symbolic language would be similar to the results of this experiment. The speaking culture would wonder why they would use the easier alternative of verbal language. In our society, people who are deaf have difficulties in communication with spoken language. As a result, we have to use different , more complicated means of communications such as sign languages.

Part 2

                In this experiment, I actually was successful in lasting the full 15 minutes speaking without any physical embellishments. However, the conversations felt very monotone and stiff.  It was a little less difficult then the first experiment but it had its own difficulties. Usually, I talk while making small gestures like a head nod or moving my hand. In this experiment, I found myself repeatedly stopping myself from doing these habits. I found that my partner was not able to clearly and efficiently speak sometimes in the conversation. For example, he tried to point to something but could only use his voice to show where it was located. This experiment shows that body language is just as important and as useful as verbal language. Body language allows us to infer many small things that aids in spoken language. One disadvantage of body language is that different people can misinterpret it. Be able to use body language is an adaptive benefit. For example, to avoid making a sound, two humans use body language to warn the other of a predator like a tiger. An environmental condition in which it would not be beneficial in reading body language is a natural disaster. For example, the panicked look a few peoples’ faces could cause confusion and frenzy.