Language Experiment: Symbolic vs. Speaking Language

Part 1:

1. Did you find this experiment difficult or easy? Explain

• I found this experiment difficult for me and easy for her. It was difficult for me because I wanted to talk and explain myself to her, but i couldn't.  I found it easy because the person I was interacting with knows my personality and what I mean. It was easy for her because she knows my personality and knows what I would say just by my hand movements.

2.  What were the impressions of partners in the conversation? Did they alter their way of communicating with you because of your absence of symbolic communication? Describe.

• Her impression was like"this is what you have to do?" No my partner didn't alter her voice when I was interacting with her. The only thing she tried to do was understand what I was trying to express through her with my hands. 

3. Imagine that you and your partners in the conversation represent two different cultures meeting for the first time. Which culture has the advantage in communicating complex ideas? What attitudes might the speaking culture have toward the culture that does not use symbolic language? Identify individuals in our culture that have difficulty communicating with spoken language and explore how that affects how those who do speak interact with those individuals.

• I believe the one that can use language can communicate complex ideas. The attitude towards symbolic language would be awkward, and be like what are you trying to say. In our culture, the people who are deaf  have a hard time interacting with others. This would affect them, and would make them feel isolated from the rest of the world.

Part 2:

1. Were you able to last for the full 15 minutes of using only speech for communicating? What made this experiment difficult for you?

• No, me and my partner couldn't last the full 15 minutes. This experiment was difficult for me because, I am not used to not having emotions in my tone of voice. Also, in my culture we use our hands and eyebrows to point something out, and to express a situation even more. 

2. How were your partners in this part of the experiment affected by your communication limitations? Explain.

• My partner thought I had no emotions at all. Also, when my partner found out about the second part of the experiment, she understood why I was acting like that. My partner told me, it was hard for her to take me seriously, and to tell if I was joking or not.  

3. What does this experiment say about our use of “signs” in our language, i.e., how important is non-speech language techniques in our ability to communicate effectively?

• This experiment showed me that the "signs" in our language is important. If we do not use them, it would take away from the emotion of our tone of voice. I believe it would make the interaction with others feel a little awkward and the others would feel like we have no emotions.

4. Are there people who have difficulty reading body language? Describe the adaptive benefit to possessing the ability to read body language. Can you describe environmental conditions where there might be a benefit to not reading body language?

• Yes, there are people who have difficulty reading body language. For once,  I am one of those people to a certain limit. There are some body language where I cannot understand and read it. The adaptive benefit of possessing the ability to read body language; for example, if you are with a group of  friends and want to talk with someone you can, either move your eyes and direct them to somewhere to get them by themselves. No i cannot describe a benefit to not reading body language.