This article will allow the reader to determine the meaning of the term "paralinguistics", to analyze in detail its meaning in human life, to study the features and functions of this science and get acquainted with a brief history.
What is paralinguistics?
Paralinguistics is a science that studies the means and methods of transmitting information in a non-verbal way.
In any conversation, a person uses both verbal and non-verbal ways of transmitting information to the interlocutor. Paralinguistics is a separate section in the science of linguistics. Of course, paralinguistic information transfer methods are not units of speech and part of the language system. Nevertheless, this method of communication is extremely important.
Paralinguistic means began to be studied not so long ago, namely, in the thirties of the 20th century. The concept itself was introduced in the 40s. Actively, this science began to develop in the early 60s of the twentieth century.
Relationship with Other Sciences and Significance
In any case, it is worth understanding that this science is part of an integrated way of learning a language. Paralinguistics and extralinguistics in speech communication are one of the most important ways to study language tools designed to transmit information. By the way, paralinguistics, along with ethnolinguistics and sociolinguistics, is part of a larger science, namely extralinguistics.
Paralinguistics and extralinguistics study linguistic aspects related directly to the functioning of the individual in the social environment and the methods of transmitting the information that he uses. This science pays considerable attention to the ethnolinguistic and other unique components of speech associated with the speaker.
Despite the fact that paralinguistics is not considered part of the language system, all speech-type messages can be considered as communication only in combination with paralinguistic tools. What specific criteria and features does science consider? What do scientists pay attention to? What do paralinguistics refer to?
Types and functions of paralinguistic methods of information transfer
Paralinguistics is a science that distinguishes several types of communication media in its field of study.
Among them are:
- Phonon means - this is almost everything that relates to the way of speaking, in particular the voice timbre, pronunciation rate, speech melody, loudness of a speaking person’s tone, features of social articulation of a social or dialect type, as well as ways to fill sentences with pauses during a conversation.
- Kinetic - they include features of the speaker’s body position in space, his movement, posture, which the interlocutor observes, gestures and facial expressions during a conversation.
- A group of graphic tools - this includes the features of spelling words, a person’s handwriting, options for supplementing semantic information with graphic signs, letter substitutes.
Paralinguistics is a science that studies not only non-verbal means of communication. Researchers also take into account the role of each component in communication.
- Sometimes non-verbal means are used to replace elements of a verbal nature in a conversation (an example is the use of gestures of denial or consent).
- During communication, often there is a combination of both verbal and non-verbal means to convey a general meaning (for example, if a person talks about something specific, he can point to this subject).
- Supplementing the transmitted information by introducing non-verbal signals (facial expressions and gestures are often used by people to strengthen the meaning of words, to demonstrate their attitude to the subject of a conversation).
Conclusion
Summing up, we can say that paralinguistics is a special form of studying non-verbal and verbal methods of transmitting information that everyone uses in speech, regardless of age, gender and nationality.
This science pays attention to the ethnolinguistic and universal components of the language, and also affects the idiolect (the totality of the communication characteristics of an individual individual). Studying non-verbal communication allows you to learn more about the person himself, to determine his nationality, age, temperament, character and a host of other important facts.