- I found this part of the experiment to be slightly difficult but not as hard as I thought part 2 was. I am actually taking a Sign Language class this semester so I found it hard not being able to use that form of language alongside not being able to speak. I found myself fluctuating my tone of sounds a lot to get my partners attention and show what I was trying to express. No words, but a lot of hums, mmms, and small noises and pointing (A LOT OF POINTING). My partners got most of the things I was saying but none of the more complex ideas. It proved difficult for them.
- I caught my partners humming a few times and pointing more than when we were just talking before we started the experiment. We got a good laugh after the 15 minutes. They could have been just making fun of me but from previous class experiments I think my actions were rubbing off on them after a few minutes. It was interesting to see how I tried to figure out ways to express my ideas and thoughts to my partners and how they tried to figured out what I meant without my saying it.
- I don't think that 2 different languages would have an advantage in communicating ideas in an outside environment. I think they would both have a disadvantage because neither one understands each others culture or language. Unless one of the cultures went to the other cultures community and was surrounded by other individuals of that culture then I could see how one culture/language would have an advantage over the other.
- The individual from the speaking culture might find the speechless culture ignorant or not as intelligent as them because they have a "less structured" language or lack there of. As humans I think we tend to take misunderstanding as stupidity or ignorance when that is not the case.
- I actually have a personal story of a time at my job when a deaf couple came into my store and were trying to ask where a certain item was. At that time I only knew minimal sign language so I ended up using my finger to point and written language to guide them through the store. This encounter actually encouraged me to take my sign class. When interacting with those who don't speak our own language we resort to new ways of communication such as hand motions etc. where sometimes we have to get creative and out of our box to close the language barrier.
No Physical Language
- In all I did finish the 15 minutes but I admit I stopped about 6-7 times because I found it so difficult to do. I felt like a robot and a person in a straight jacket not being able to move or get excited. Not being able to move my hands was the absolute hardest thing to do for me personally because I am a very eccentric person in my expressions. Keeping a mono tone and not fluctuating my tone of voice was challenging as well also because I am usually an eccentric talker, as my friends like to say!
- My partners couldn't stop laughing because I was having a hard time trying to not move or fluctuate which in turn didn't help me and probably caused half of my 6-7 pauses. They could hardly keep a conversation going because they said it was weird to talk to me when I was so stoic.
- Using signs and tone of voice help explain our story and express the feelings we are trying to portray about the topic at hand. Using non-language signs gives the people we are talking to a glimpse into our actual feelings about what we are talking about; it shows how excited, mad, sad, happy we are about something and its important because we can say certain things that can be either happy or sad or good or bad and our expression and actions show the difference.
- People who are blind are unable to read body language which sometimes can be a disadvantage. Being able to read body language can be useful in a dangerous or stressful situations or also if someone is lying. For example Reading body language is key for police when they are interrogating someone who could or could not be lying about a crime. Also reading body language can protect someone from a stranger maybe trying to harm or commit a crime upon someone.
This experiment truly was an eye opener. I never realized how loud I was and how much I move my hands. It was so hard to alter my way of expressing that it was almost agonizing to do because I was forcing myself so hard not to do what I am so accustomed to. It was really cool and interesting to see how others and myself reacted to this fun language experiment!
Good description of your experiences and your partner's responses.
ReplyDelete"I don't think that 2 different languages would have an advantage in communicating ideas in an outside environment."
Ah, but that wasn't the question. Which culture would be more successful communicating complex ideas, a culture that used symbolic language or a culture that didn't? I understand that there would be difficulty communicating between the cultures, but which culture would be able to teach each other about an complex idea such as the theory of relativity or Darwin's theory of natural selection? Would we even be able to do science without symbolic language?
Good discussion on Part 2. Body language contributes much more than just emotion to our conversations. Humans use body language to validate what they are hearing. Is that person telling the truth? What does their body language tell me? Without that confirmation, we don't know if we can trust what we are hearing, like a missing lie detector. That makes us uncomfortable.
Yes, people who are blind do have more difficulty reading body language, although they can still hear vocal intonation.
"Being able to read body language can be useful in a dangerous or stressful situations or also if someone is lying."
Good!
What about the last question? Can you think of a situation where it might be best for you to NOT read body language, or possibly ignore it. Are there any circumstances where body language might mislead you? Can it be misinterpreted? Do all cultures use the same system of body language?
Glad you enjoyed the experiment!
Hi Kari,
ReplyDeleteI also know a little sign language. I took two semesters of it here at COC. It was definitely a struggle to not use those signs with my partner. I kept finding myself almost cheating and using the sign out of habit. It was also very difficult for me to express complex ideas, it was more of a guessing game. My partner ended up just basically asking me yes or no questions in the end. It was a fun experiment though. Great post, I enjoyed reading it.