Semantic and linguistic barriers to communication:
Effective communication is a necessary part of dealing with individuals under stress.
Effective communication with an individual who may be showing signs of anxiety can possibly divert energy from an “acting out” scenario to a more rational one.
Communication is defined as an exchange process whose purpose is to inform, persuade or entertain another.
In order to make this definition complete, understanding must be included. No matter the circumstances that surround the communication process, the receiver and sender must have an understanding of what has been stated, written or implied.
If this is not the case, communication is no more than a collection of words, spoken or written, gestures, or sounds.
The Semantic barrier in communication can be defined as the misunderstanding and interpretation of meaning which restrict effective communication. It can be in form of language, signs, and symbols.
The word semantic is credited to the Greek word “semantikos” which indicates “significant”.
Semantics is a broad interdisciplinary study which deals with philosophical and logical understanding behind the language. The Semantic barrier can be caused in every type of communication.
There are two types of the semantic barrier of communication:
i. Denotative barriers which are based on and caused by the direct meaning of a word.
ii. Connotative barriers refer to the differences in the meaning of the defined word.
Example of semantic barrier:
- Use of idioms: Idioms are phrases that have a figurative meaning that’s different from what it literally sounds like. For instance, if you ask someone, “Can you give me a hand?” or if you say, “I can’t get a hold of John,” the figurative meaning differs from the literal meaning.
We use such phrases and figures of speech as a matter of course in our daily interactions and we don’t really even think before doing so.
2. Misunderstood words: Words may be a barrier to communication because some words have different meanings or usage in different contexts. For instance, homonyms are words that sound the same but have different meanings and are spelled differently.
When used in spoken language, however, this can easily cause confusion. For example, the words ‘write’ and ‘right’. They sound the same but mean different things
3.Non-native speakers: People often cross international borders on account of work nowadays. This leads to problems with things getting lost in translation, as we saw in the example of Chevrolet.
Many people have a limited vocabulary when they’re speaking in a language that is not their native tongue. This can create a barrier to communication.
4.Missed or misinterpreted jokes: Sometimes jokes don’t come across as they should. This could happen because people misunderstand the meaning of certain words and phrases or if they’re just not funny.
They might even be inappropriate or offensive.
Jokes rarely travel well across cultures, as they depend on a shared understanding of language and usually contain specific cultural touch points.
5. Differences in emoting: Some individuals don’t express their feelings willingly or openly. This might be a cultural issue or an individual one.
Due to certain mental health or sensory conditions, emotions can also be misinterpreted.
6. Tech trouble: It used to be called a cross-connection: when phone lines literally got tangled and you could someone else’s conversation.
The modern version of this is the poor Internet connection causing frozen screens and broken audio, which can result in misinterpretation or misunderstanding.
7. Lack of information: When we deliver partial or incomplete information, the meaning of the rest of the message might be misunderstood by the receiver.
A language barrier is a figurative phrase used primarily to refer to linguistic barriers to communication, i.e. the difficulties in communication experienced by people or groups originally speaking different languages, or even dialects in some cases.
The people who come to a new country at an adult age, when language learning is a cumbersome process, can have particular difficulty “overcoming the language barrier”.
Similar difficulties occur at multinational meetings, where interpreting services can be costly, hard to obtain, and prone to error.
Examples of language barriers that prevent individuals from effective communication include:
1.Dialects: While two people may technically speak the same language, dialectal differences can make communication between them difficult. Examples of dialectical language barriers exist worldwide.
Chinese, for example, has a variety of dialects that are commonly spoken, including Cantonese and Mandarin.
2. Language Disabilities: Language disabilities are physical impediments to language. Physical language disabilities that cause language barriers include stuttering, dysphonia or an articulation disorder and hearing loss.
How to overcome these barriers?
i. Checking whether it is a good time and place to communicate with the person.
ii. Being clear and using language that the person understands.
iii. Communicating one thing at a time.
iv. Respecting a person’s desire to not communicate.
V. Checking that the person has understood you correctly.
Subcribe on Youtube - IGNOU SERVICE
For PDF copy of Solved Assignment
WhatsApp Us - 9113311883(Paid)
1 Comments
can u please enter the word count of these?
ReplyDeletePlease do not enter any Spam link in the comment box