Extralinguistic factors affecting the success of speech communication

Considering a phenomenon such as speech communication, we will see that many points influence its success. One of them will be extralinguistic factors. The definition of this concept, what it includes, we will, among other things, analyze in the article. Let's start with the most important term and its components.

Speech situation

What is the speech situation in foreign and native speech? In fact, this is the first step in communication between people. In modern reality, these situations can be both natural (two friends met on the street and talked), and artificial (students were asked to reason in a lesson about the social problems of the region).

Species and topics of verbal communication in our world are many. Together they enrich the spiritual life of mankind, our culture.

Speech situation - specific circumstances against which human communication takes place. It is the starting point of any of our speech actions: depending on it, a model is built for dialogue, communication with the audience, the search for topics of conversation, the mainstream of the conversation, and so on.

Example text for a speech situation:

• Friendly conversation.
• Speech presentation.
• An explanation to the authorities.
• Consultation about buying a computer.
• Explaining to the kid why matches are not a toy and so on.

Types of Speech Communication

In foreign-language and native speech, there are three main types of speech communication:

• Official, business . This is communication between a subordinate with a boss, a teacher with a student, a doctor with a patient, and so on. It is characterized by the most stringent regulation of speech etiquette. Violation of any of its rules may even face serious sanctions.
• Semi-official . This is a conversation of colleagues, groups of students, relatives. The norms of speech etiquette here are more blurred. Communication is built more according to the rules characteristic of this small group.
• Unofficial . Conversations with friends, lovers, acquaintances, within the family. Observance of speech etiquette here is rather arbitrary. Key, communication topics are free. People here limit themselves only to their own moral ideas, morality, tact.

Components of a speech situation

To better understand the main topic of our conversation, we highlight the main components of speech communication:

• The participants . There are both direct participants - the addressee and the addressee, and third parties - observers, listeners. The presence of the latter forms the situation itself, affects the course of communication.
• Place and time of communication . A very important aspect that determines the style of communication. Talking on the street, talking at a party, speaking to a reputable audience are different speech situations. Inside, they are divided into two branches:
  • Canonical - the utterance of speech synchronously to the moment of its perception. The addressee and the addressee are at the same time in the same place.
  • Non-canonical - the pronunciation time does not coincide with the time of perception, the speech itself does not have a specific addressee (for example, a public report, talking on the phone, communicating using letters, etc.)
• The subject of communication .
• The purpose of communication . The result that communication participants want to see as the result of their speech interaction. Objectives are divided into the following groups:
  • Directly expressed.
  • Direct. In particular, the reception and transmission of data.
  • Indirect.
  • Long term.
  • The so-called intellectual: criticism, the search for truth, discussion, clarification, etc.
• Feedback between the participants in the dialogue . There are two categories:
  • Active (dialogue).
  • Passive (an example is the text of a written response).

Extralinguistic and prosodic means

Now let's move on from all speech communication closer to the main topic of conversation. In communication, prosodic and extralinguistic means of communication are used. Their role is very multifaceted:

• Regulation of the flow of speech.
• Saving language means of communication.
• Anticipation, addition and substitution of speech utterances.
• Expression of an emotional state.

Each of these areas has its own set of communication tools:

• Extra linguistics - dilution of speech with pauses, the inclusion of psychological manifestations: laughter, crying, sigh, nervous coughing, etc.
• Prosodica - such intonational-rhythmic constructions as loudness and pitch, stress, timbre and so on.

Prosodics and extra linguistics

Let's look at both prosodic and extralinguistic factors, styles.

So prosodika.

Intonation is the whole variety of linguistic means associated with the voice, which do not require concentration on the content of what has been said.

Speech Speed :

• Less than 200 words per minute is slow.
• About 350 words per minute is calm.
• About 500 words per minute is fast.

Voice pitch is low to high.

The course of speech (mode) : rhythmic, cyclical, jerky, angular, rounded.

The timbre of the voice .

The volume of the voice .

Articulation - clear and crisp or slurred, "jammed" pronunciation.

Now let's move on to extralinguistics.

Cough, shortness of breath . It can manifest itself as a reaction to external stimuli, to talk about health problems, and to be dictated by the desire to "say" something to the interlocutor with these sounds.

Pause The reasons for it can be different: attaching importance to what has been said, thoughtfulness, a means of gaining time, distraction for something outside. Often a pause is allowed, noting that the interlocutor wants to say something.

Researchers believe that the meaning of pauses in a conversation is sometimes almost equal to the value of what is said.

Laughter is a means of relaxing the atmosphere, making the conversation somewhat emotional. There can be several reasons for it: something was said to be comical, funny, I want to express my attitude to something my interlocutor.

Laughter can be both natural and artificial, strained.

Inarticulate sounds . Many during the conversation grunt, sigh, "ecat", "moo", etc. These sounds can indicate both the attitude to the subject of conversation, and reveal the internal state of a person.

But that is not all.

Other factors for successful communication

In addition to extralinguistics and prosodiki, there are also tactical means of communication: a kiss, a handshake, a pat or other touch.

Speaking about the successful building of verbal communication, it is not necessary to ignore proxemics - the distance between the interlocutors. It can be personal, intimate, close, public, social. An important role is played by the orientation of communication - a corner, independent, competing and defensive position.

And the image of the interlocutor concludes the success of the dialogue - his manner of dressing, decorating himself, doing hair and makeup.

Examples of using prosodic and extralinguistic means in speech

Let's see how widely we use the means of extralinguistics and prosody in speech and how they can characterize us:

• We use a high voice to convey strong emotions, both positive and negative: joy, anger, delight, fear, enthusiasm.
• A clear pronunciation of words, the absence of "swallowing" of suffixes and endings is used to declare oneself as a disciplined, responsible person.
• Quick speech is characteristic of an excited, worried about something interlocutor. Slow can indicate both arrogance and equanimity, as well as fatigue or grief. Calm speech characterizes a thoughtful, balanced person.
• If the pace of the conversation gradually revives, speeds up, this speaks of inspiration by the subject of the conversation, immersion in its topic.
• A brisk, hasty manner of verbal communication is characteristic of an impulsive, temperamental person, confident in his words. But if his speech is fragmentary, erratic, characterized by sharp changes in the speed of speaking, then this is evidence of timidity, constraint, arousal, inconstancy and fussiness.
• If a person correctly pronounces words, adheres to a certain cyclicality of the conversation, this indicates his severity, pedantry, firmness, emotional coldness.

However, one should not forget that gestures and facial expressions also belong to the means of communication. If a person speaks measuredly, clearly, but at the same time frantically gestures, “runs” with his eyes, lips curved, then this gives out his excitement, insecurity. Therefore, you should always pay attention to the fact that speech and non-verbal means of expression are synchronous during a conversation.

Of great importance in speech communication is the wealth of the lexicon, the general outlook of the interlocutor. In addition to extralinguistic factors, this indicator significantly affects the success of speech communication.

What are these extralinguistic factors?

Now a few more definitions of this phenomenon. Extralinguistic (social) communication factors are parameters of social (extra-linguistic) reality, which determine both frequent and global changes in speech.

Also, style-forming, extralinguistic, extralinguistic factors of communication are called the mass of phenomena of non-linguistic reality, in which and under the influence of which speech acquires a lot of its style characteristics, as well as the organization and selection of language tools.

Components of a speech situation as non-linguistic factors

Note that the extralinguistic factors can be called the components of the speech situation. "Extra" = "super": in the sense of what is not directly studied by linguistics (the science of language).

Let's remember these components:

• Speaking.
• Destination.
• Subject of conversation.
• The purpose of communication.
• The atmosphere of communication.

What are the social factors of verbal communication?

Extralinguistic factors globally include:

• A number of demographic parameters (density, distribution method).
• Age difference.
• The social structure of society.
• The number of speakers of the language of the dialogue.
• Cultural and linguistic features.
• Written traditions.
• Culturally linguistic contacts.

So we examined extralinguistic factors and means of communication. These are all non-language features that, depending on the correct application, can make communication both successful and unsatisfactory.