Unit 3 More Than Words
Useful Information
Humans are not the only living things that can communicate information to one another. There are some interesting forms of communication among other animal forms. Honeybees, for example, perform a kind of dance that accurately transmits information about the direction, distance, and nature of a food source. Dogs and wolves employ scents to communicate, in addition to barks, howls, and growls. They also use a system of visual signals that includes not only facial expressions and body movements but also positions of the tail.
Communication gets more complex with the social organizations of animals. After humans, the nonhuman primates have the most intricate systems. Far from depending primarily on vocalizations, as we might expect, the nonhuman primates seem to rely heavily on combinations of gestures, facial expressions and postures as well as sounds. Just as is true with humans, the nonhuman primates are able to lend many shades of meaning to their body-language vocabulary. However, there are important occasions when only sounds will do. Discovering something good to eat, for example, a monkey or ape will let out a cry of pleasure that brings the rest of the troops running; or, sensing danger, it will give a shriek that causes its companions to seek shelter. This wordless communication system serves the nonhuman primates extremely well. It is complex and allows them to do much. Yet, for all its complexity it falls short of human language. The gift of language provides a magnificently efficient and versatile system of communication. Its coded series of sounds conveys thought at least ten times faster than any other method of signaling can—faster than hand signs, moving pictures, or even other kinds of vocalization. Language is man’s passport to a totally new level of social organization, the tool that enables him to vary his behavior to meet changing conditions instead of being limited by the less flexible action patterns that other primates have. Through language, man can step outside himself and give things names, reflect on them and refer to them in the past and the future. Most important of all, language gives man the capacity to share his thoughts and to pass along learned behavior to succeeding generations.
Since we are all humans, we might think that we would all have the same communication styles. This is not true. Sometimes, different personalities and different cultures can make it seem as if we come from countries with different traffic signal systems—interpreting the lights however we see fit.
Some of us charge forward, always saying exactly what we think in every situation, assuming the light is green until we encounter a roadblock. Others of us always worry about how what we say causes others to react towards us and assume that the light is red
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unless someone tells us it’s green. We don’t say what we think until given the ―go-ahead.‖ Still others of us see yellow at every communication intersection, proceeding with caution, attuned to signs that others have missed. Each of these systems has advantages in some instances. A yellow-light person is more likely to avoid miscommunication problems, whereas a green-light person can quickly cause hard feelings without even thinking about it. Furthermore, a red-light person may end up being a very poor communicator because he hesitates to ever express his true feelings and appears to be a shallow individual. This may seem to be a simplistic analogy, but it can be an interesting exercise to think about which color of the ―light‖ you tend to see when you are communicating with others. Communication, both verbal and non-verbal, is a fascinating subject, and as communicators we must not forget that half of communication is listening. Good listeners tend to be popular, well-liked people because they appear interested in those with whom they are communicating. They also tend to make fewer mistakes, for obvious reasons. Thus, in learning a new language, it is essential to both speak and listen accurately, just as is true with one’s own native language.
Part One Preparation
1. Why Are You Speaking? STEP ONE
1) – He is expressing his feelings/opinion/comment.
– He might love this woman, so he wanted to give the woman some hints, wishing that he and the woman could develop a relationship as intimate as the two in the picture.
2) She is criticizing the children’s behavior and hopes that they would not do this again. 3) She is curious and is asking about the man’s ideas. 4) – He is making a suggestion.
– He asks the boy not to disturb him.
STEP TWO
--- to greet people, ―Glad to meet you.‖
--- to ask for directions, ―Could you tell me where the railway station is?‖
--- to make an invitation, ―I’d like for you to come and have tea with us on Friday.‖ --- to make a request, ―Could I ask you to write him a letter?‖
--- to make an inquiry, ―Do you know the assignment for today’s English class?‖ --- to apologize, ―Forgive me for being late.‖
--- to ask for permission, ―May I use your dictionary?
--- to express thanks, ―I really don’t know how I can thank you enough.‖
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2. Act and Guess
Possible verb phrases to be written on the cards:
Frying an egg, driving a car, playing golf, playing the piano, tying a shoelace, taking a shower, catching a mosquito, stealing a wallet, etc.
Note: The teacher can set a time limit for both the acting and guessing to make it more challenging. Also, students should be encouraged to come up with their own phrases.
3. Idioms Related to Parts of the Body
1) G 2) A 3) H 4) C 5) B 6) E 7) F 8) D
4. 1) E 2) A 3) F 4) B 5) D 6) C
Extra Activity: 5. Action, Body and Emotions
Directions: Often parts of the body are closely linked to particular verbs. The
combination of the verb and part of the body expresses certain emotions or attitudes. First choose an appropriate verb from Column I) for the nouns in Column II), then from Column III) choose a possible emotion or attitude so that the relevant action may be expressed.
I) Action lick wrinkle raise clench shrug stick out Key:
lick ? lips ? anticipation wrinkle ? nose? dislike, distaste raise ? eyebrows? inquiry, surprise clench ? fist? anger, aggression shrug ? shoulders? doubt, indifference stick out ? tongue? disrespect
II) Part of body fist
eyebrows shoulders tongue lips nose
III) Possible emotion or attitude expressed doubt, indifference disrespect
anger, aggression dislike, distaste inquiry, surprise anticipation
Part Two Reading-Centered Activities
In-Class Reading
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I. Pre-Reading Picture 1: It means ―I agree‖ or it is to show that you are paying attention. Picture 2: It means you’re saying ―No!‖ or it is to show that you are disappointed. Picture 3 & 4: Both gestures mean ―Come here!‖
II. Passage Reading Background Information North America (l.10): the third largest continent in the world, consisting of
Canada and the United States of America, as well as Mexico, Central America,
Greenland and other smaller islands
The Middle East (l.11): the countries of southwest Asia, and North Africa, around
the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea, from Libya to Iran and including Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula.
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