Assignment 6

Part 1

This experiment, in where we were asked to communicate only by hand motion and body language, I found to be not as difficult as I thought it would be. I conducted this experiment with my brother. We are only 10 months apart and have been with each other since we were practically born. The relationship that my brother and I have definitely made communicating with him much easier and he was usually able to understand what I was trying to say to him.

My brother was a little thrown off at first when I tried communicating with him, seeing as I did not tell him what I was doing until I described it to him without using language. He started laughing at first and was a little confused, but he finally picked up on what I was doing and started looking at the hand gestures I was making.

I definitely think the speaking culture would have a lot of the same reactions my brother first did. After a while though, I do believe a lot of people would understand what is going on and eventually try to understand what the person that can’t speak is saying. I also think that the person that has to use hand motions and body language would have an easier time communicating complex ideas to the other. Think about it, not everyone will know your language. There are some symbols, however, that are universally known, like Santa Clause and Mickey Mouse. For example, a Russian man may not understand you when you ask him where you can get a car, but if you use your hands and make gestures for where, I, and car, he would understand you more clear and better I believe.

I’d also bet a lot of people have dealt with someone that can’t speak nor hear. If you don’t know sign language, it’s obviously harder to communicate with them. A lot like dealing with someone that doesn’t understand your language, communication through your hands and recognizable symbols is a key element. Language can’t always be depended on; the way we can ultimately communicate without language will get anyone farther, unless you know every language in the world.

Part 2

         For the second part of this assignment, we were asked to speak to another without any emotions, gestures, movements, or vocal intonations. I again did this experiment with my brother (without telling him at first what I was doing) and was not able to last that long without laughing or making a variation in my voice. It was much more difficult than the first part of this assignment for me.

         The parts in the conversation in which I was able to keep a straight face were awkward to say the least. When there was no awkward conversation, there was no conversation at all. Without being able to laugh, use my hands, and express emotions of hate and happiness in my face, my brother didn’t even seek out to start a conversation with me.

         The use of language and non-speech language goes together like spaghetti and meatballs. Without one or the other, it’s very difficult to communicate. Using just a monotone voice and non-emotional face is a very reasonable means of communicating, but like in my experiment, the conversation quickly ended. Same goes for using non-speech language; although it is possible, it’s harder to communicate and would only be used when necessary. Using the two to communicate is kind of essential now days.

         I think there are always people that have trouble with understanding body language, from the teenage boy watching his crush twirling her hair to the congressman giving the stink eye from across the room. A lot of people have trouble reading body language and factors the way they interpret a situation or conversation. Talking over the phone could provide an environmental situation in which no body language can be exhibited. It can be an advantage to calling someone over the phone you wouldn’t want to talk to, breaking up with someone, or even sounding tougher than you are face to face so you couldn’t show body language.