4.7 Conclusion

Adaptors – displays of nonverbal communication that help you adapt to your environment and each context, helping you feel comfortable and secure.

Affect displays– nonverbal communication that express emotions or feelings, for example smiling and waiving to coworkers to welcome them to an event.

Artifacts – forms of decorative ornamentation that are chosen to represent self-concept.

Chronemics – cultural views of time.

Cliché – a common saying that may make no sense to other cultures.

Connotative – The connotative meaning is often not found in the dictionary but in the community of users itself.

Context – Contextual rules govern meaning and word choice according to context and social custom.

Denotative – The denotative meaning is the common meaning, often found in the dictionary.

Doublespeak – Doublespeak is the deliberate use of words to disguise, obscure, or change meaning.

Emblems – gestures that have a specific agreed-on meaning, like when someone raises their thumb to indicate agreement.

Euphemism – A euphemism involves substituting an acceptable word for an offensive, controversial, or unacceptable one that conveys the same or similar meaning.

Eye contact – refers to the speaker’s gaze that engages the audience members. It can vary in degree and length, and in many cases, is culturally influenced.

Facial gestures – involve using your face to display feelings and attitudes nonverbally.

Gestures – involve using your arms and hands while communicating.

Haptics – communication by touch.

Illustrator – a nonverbal gesture, such as a hand motion to emphasize or illustrate a point you’re making.

Jargon – Jargon is an occupation-specific language used by people in a given profession.

Kinesics – the study of body movements.

Language – A system of symbols, words, and/or gestures used to communicate meaning.

Offensive Language – Some language is offensive and has no place in the workplace.

Nonverbal communication – the process of conveying a message without the use of words. It can include gestures and facial expressions, tone of voice, timing, posture and where you stand as you communicate.

Object-adaptor – involves the use of an object in a way for which it was not designed.

Oculesics – eye contact.

Paralanguage – involves tone and nonverbal aspects of speech that influence meaning, including how loudly or softly you are speaking, intensity, pausing, and even silence.

Proxemics – the space between people and the space between people and objects.

Space – in a nonverbal context, this means the space between objects and people.

Semantics – Semantic rules govern the meaning of words and how to interpret them (Martinich, 1996)

Slang – The use of existing or newly invented words to take the place of standard or traditional words with the intent of adding an unconventional, nonstandard, humorous, or rebellious effect.

Symbol – Something  that suggests or represents something else.

Syntax – Syntactic rules govern the order of words in a sentence.

Triangle of Meaning – A model of communication that indicates the relationship among a thought, symbol, and referent and highlights the indirect relationship between the symbol and referent.

Vocalics – another term for paralanguage.

Word – a single distinct meaningful element in speech or writing