The interaction of people in society occurs through speech, but full communication is impossible without the participation of a non-verbal (paralinguistic) communication system. One and the same set of words has different meanings depending on the manner of sounding and emotional coloring. Communication associated with paralinguistic means of communication, in some cases, can even successfully replace the verbal system. Examples are widely known in the communication of representatives of different cultures who do not have a common language, but are able to understand each other. On the basis of non-verbal communication systems, the adaptation of people with speech disorders to life in society is built.
Types of paralinguistic means of non-verbal communication
First, we give a definition of the phenomenon under consideration. The paralinguistic system of non-verbal means of communication is a combination of means that accompany verbal interaction and complement the semantic content of words.
Types of non-verbal means of communication (by the nature of manifestation):
- phonation - sound features (volume, tempo, intonation, etc.);
- kinetic - movements that accompany speech (facial expressions, gestures);
- graphic - features of the graphic expression of speech (handwriting).
Separate a separate group of extralinguistic means of communication, which are atypical features of speech. These include sighs, pauses, coughing, laughter, etc.
The classification of paralinguistic tools by belonging to communities (individuals) distinguishes the following types:
- universal for all speakers;
- characterizing a separate ethnocultural group;
- demonstrating personal and psychological characteristics of a person.
Paralinguistic and extralinguistic means of communication are systems of signals that accompany the voice. Speech features not only characterize a particular message, but also form the image of the speaker himself, giving signals about his emotional state, personality characteristics, self-confidence, sociocultural characteristics, etc.
Some elements of non-verbal communication are controlled by the speaker, such as loudness and speed of speech, diction. Other elements are difficult to control, such signals include sighing, coughing, laughter, moaning, crying, etc. These systems are helpers in building full communication, fill phrases with personal meaning and emotions. Filling words with emotions is of the greatest value in the interaction, finds the same emotional response from the surrounding audience. Due to incomplete control, signs of non-verbal communication can give out those qualities of a person that he would prefer to hide.
Voice volume
Expressive speech is dynamic in volume and places emphasis on meaningful words. Changing the volume level within acceptable limits for communication is considered the most effective construction of the statement, which keeps the attention and interest of the interlocutor. A loud voice has an incentive power and inclines the listener to action. At the same time, increasing the volume above an acceptable norm is considered as a violation of personal space and an attempt to force. A quiet voice characterizes restraint, which, depending on the context, indicates the speaker's insecurity or calmness. The latter is observed in a situation where quiet speech contrasts with the increased volume of speech of the interlocutors.
Pace of speech
The pace of speech characterizes the personal qualities of a person, his temperament. The slow pace of speech sets up calmness, thoroughness of the conversation, while the fast one gives dynamics, energy, characterizes the speaker as purposeful, confident in himself and what he is talking about.
The pace of speech varies depending on the emotional state of a person: sadness slows down the usual pace, joy and fear increase it. In addition, excitement, general well-being, mood influence him, correcting him in one direction or another, thereby allowing the interlocutor to read these signals to maximize understanding of the meaning of the message.
Rhythm
Inconsistent speech is perceived by the interlocutor as an indicator of excitement, tension, uncertain knowledge of the topic of discussion, the desire to hide important points in the conversation. An inconsistent narrative, interrupted by pauses and coughing, creates a negative impression of the speaker’s qualifications. Deep knowledge of the subject of communication and self-confidence are characterized by the even rhythm of speech, creating a harmonious picture.
Voice pitch
Age and sex characteristics and physical characteristics of a person determine the height of the voice. For example, a female typical voice is always different from a male one, and a child's voice is always different from an adult. The emotional coloring of the message makes adjustments to the pitch of the voice, reducing it in fear, in a depressed state. Emotions of anger and joy, on the contrary, make the voice more sonorous.
Extralinguistic means
Pauses place emphasis in communication, are used before important words as an opportunity to concentrate, attract or switch attention. Laughter creates a positive atmosphere, relieves stress and anxiety. Coughing, sighing characterize the speaker’s attitude to the message, his condition during the conversation.
Intonation as a paralinguistic means of communication
Intonation performs the following functions in communication:
- Addition of information (expresses the speaker's attitude to the content of the message). Example: a replica “sun” with an intonation of joy or sadness will accurately show the speaker’s attitude to sunny weather.
- Replacing a part of a message (an intonation pause replaces a part of verbal means in the context of a conversation). Example: the phrase “I called him, but he ...” does not require explanation that the communication did not take place.
- Strengthening the meaning of individual words. Example: the phrase "she is beautiful-and-and-vaya" shows the unprecedentedness of the described beauty.
Intonation is always combined with other paralinguistic means of communication, which forms a holistic image of the speaker, his personal qualities, emotional state and attitude to the subject of communication.
Corrective action
Paralinguistic means of non-verbal communication add brightness to communication, fill communication with emotions, which create a full-fledged interaction of people and give the joy of communication. For special populations, gestures and facial expressions have become the only way to interact with society. Paralinguistic means of non-verbal communication become a real salvation for people with speech impairments, and specialized help is largely based on the development of the ability to read and demonstrate informational messages and emotions without words.
Communication is the main process of socialization through which the child learns the rules and ways of life in society. For people with severe speech impairments, the communication process is limited and the only means are non-verbal. For example, the use of paralinguistic means of communication with alalia helps to integrate into society using facial expressions, gestures, pantomimics in the absence of the possibility of verbal contact. Correction work with patients with this diagnosis is based on the development of nonverbal means, training, if possible, the rhythm of the voice and sound combinations, which in itself already has a stimulating effect on the corresponding parts of the brain.
Party Effect and Speech Uniqueness
The amazing ability to perceive voice is called the "party effect." Its peculiarity is that a person with a lot of voices not only hears and recognizes what is needed, but tunes in precisely to him, suppressing other noises and voices.
Each person has a unique set of properties of voice, manner of speaking, timbre, phonetic features of pronunciation. The conversation of a well-known person immediately attracts attention even in the absence of a listener speaking in the field of view, even an additional confirmation of identity is not required, with good audibility, recognition is 100%. The uniqueness of the phonetic characteristics of human speech is widely used as an identification of a person and is the subject of many experiments.
According to the results of experiments, the determination of biophysical characteristics by speech is in the range of 80-100%, socio-psychological indicators are not read so successfully, but the characteristics of emotional behavior, the level of sociability and the situational mood of the speaker are high. These results once again confirm the importance of paralinguistic means of interaction, transmitting in the communication process much more information about the speaker than contained in the voiced message.