2. Speech is often the most focused on part of communication but the
silence in a conversation can speak volumes about how each person
feels. Pauses can indicate regret, distaste, agreement, hesitancy and
many other emotions depending on the context and the culture.
Silence – Importance of Silence
3. In some cultures, like Japan, silence is valued as a intelligent attribute
that is highly valued. Other countries, however, like the United States
tend to dismiss silence as weakness either as indecision or timidity.
Silence – Different Cultures Reception to Silence
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4. The most common handicapping fear is communication apprehension
also referred to as “stage fright”. This is involuntary silence that occurs
when an individual is too scared of the audience to properly
communicate their message.
Silence – Communication Apprehension
5. Paralanguage is the use of vocalizations that are not actual words. They
can be split into three categories:
Paralanguage – The Importance of Paralanguage
Vocal Characterizers Vocal Qualifiers Vocal Segregates
Laughter or sobs Loud/Soft
High Pitch/Low Pitch
Long Duration/Short Duration
“Uhh”
“Umm”
6. Paralanguage – Cultural Importance of Paralanguage
Vocal segregates can often be distracting to the message that someone
is trying to convey. In social situations it often frowned upon to stutter or
use these filler words.
