1.2. The evolution of language:
We can be certain of one thing regarding languages, that it is flexible, it continues to evolve over time, adapting to societies and the environment. This brings me to my first question: How and why did language evolve? Language evolution includes the following: evaluation of the language as a communicative system and of course the evolution of specific languages across generations and within different communities.
A quote from Charles Darwin directs us to Gestural theory:
„I cannot doubt that language owes its origin to the imitation and modification, aided by signs and gestures, of various natural sounds, the voices of other animals, and man’s own instinctive cries.” — Charles Darwin - (John Tyler Bonner
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In order to send the message he produces a signal and establishes a code for the given information that the receiver will have to decode. The signal is transmitted by a channel and the code protects the signal from other disturbing sources, for example noise, so that the signal reaches the receiver in a nearly unaltered form. The last step is the decoding of the message by the receiver to understand its meaning and significance. (Beciu 2009, …show more content…
Communication theory: Agenda setting theory
The Agenda setting theory was developed in 1968 by Dr. Max McCombs and Dr. Donald Shaw during the American presidential election in the same year. This theory originally suggested that the media sets the public agenda in the sense that: “Media may not tell you what to think, but it will tell you what to think about.” (McCombs M.E. 1972, 176)
Editors, newsroom staff, and broadcasters play an important part in process of shaping reality and by choosing and displaying relevant news. Readers learn not only about a given issue, but also learn how much importance to attach to that respective issue. This can be established by the amount of information that is presented in the give news story and the position it takes. The mass-media is the one setting the agenda by determining the importance of an
The argument can be made that, instead of appealing to the lowest common denominator in the public, at least some media should give the more informed and critical segment of the people what it wants (Lazere 305). The people are considered to be the largest segment of the audience and that should be enough evidence for the media members to make the news tailor made for the viewing public. When confronted with said evidence, most media members blame it on education. “One professional consultant who pioneered these formats justified them by claiming, “People who watch television the most are unread, uneducated, untraveled and unable to concentrate on single subjects more than a minute or two.” (Lazere 306).
These messages enclose information, and the senders of these messages intend particular meanings to reach the receiver of the message, who will then attribute a meaning to the message. The intended meaning may be varying from the meaning attribute to the message by the receiver. This is not only due to the words was used but also by the non-verbal messages that are also sent (Fielding, 1995). Heath (1997) stated that communication occurs in various ways and at diverse levels of awareness. Barber (1993, cited in Heath, 1997) states that communication is that sharing understandings and involves openness to the enquiry of another person, having attention, perception, receptivity and empathy towards that person.
Society expect to be constantly entertained; they have become so concerned with things such as who the latest star is dating, scandals, or dumb people doing rather idiotic things. Much of society have been consumed in their personal instant gratification and what makes them “happy”. When on an off chance that news does show things that are serious and impactful(not necessarily positive things that is happening in the world) people have become so numb that the best they could do is feel sympathetic and at worst continue on with their day. The other part of the problem is that those behind what is being published and shown on the news media have been absorbed in their avarice nature, whatever allows them to make as much profit they do. “Writing thousands of hours of coverage from what could have been summarized in a couple of minutes every few weeks, a new rhetorical strategy was developed, or-let’s be generous-evolved”(6), Saunders describes the new formula formed by mass news firms that would yield the most profit.
This happens through speech and sound perception. As for non-verbal communication, it employs non-verbal means among which there are body and sign language, touch (refers to haptic perception), and, finally,
For instance, each media channel lacks capacity to refer on all environmental occurrences and, therefore, will portray a picture of the world, which lacks congruency with objective reality (McCombs 2004, 16-21). Despite capacity issues matters of relevance influence the topic selection. Media channels try to bind the biggest audience possible and, therefore, try to orientate on topics of greater interest. But whether an issue is relevant or not depends on multiple factors. News media is dependent on external sources of information, on intermedia agenda setting, as well as on official sources.
The media will pick and choose which topics to discuss according to the viewer’s ratings. The news media represent the news in a manner that will leave people coming back for more. They choose carefully what they want to report and by doing so they do not spread lies within the articles but what they choose not to tell the audience. The media shares what the people
The focus of his research and academic publishings was Media; what it can be used for, how it can be used, and effects that are a result of using media (Pelkey “Media and Ideology 1”). McLuhan theorized that the medium used to promote a message affects the way in which the message is perceived, coining the phrase “the medium is the message”. “The medium is the message because it is the medium that shapes and controls the scale and form of human association and action. For the ‘message’ of any medium or technology is the change of scale or pace or pattern that it introduces into human affairs” (Pelkey “Media and Ideology 1”). If a product is advertised on the radio, the perception listeners have will be different from the perception of those who see the same product on a television advertisement.
Mass media represent a powerful force in modern societies as they shape public discourse and influence public opinion by transmitting social, political and cultural values. For decades, women’s representation in mediated popular culture has been a central problem because of the gendered ideologies it circulated. From the 1880s to the 1970s, American women’s magazines played a significant role in disseminating the dominant ideology and patriarchal order, perpetuating the myths of female disposability and domesticity, maintaining traditional images of femininity. They promoted the idea of women’s emotionality, vulnerability and beauty ideals.
According to Baran (2012) mass communication can be defined as “the process of creating shared meaning between the mass media and their audiences.” This essay aims to discuss the degree to which we are shaped by our interaction with the media. In order to achieve the aforementioned aim of this essay I will focus on the following: limited-effects theory, two-step flow theory, attitude change theory and agenda setting. The limited effects theory sets out that media influence is based on individual and social characteristics.
Language development is a critical part of a child’s overall development. Language encourages and supports a child’s ability to communicate. Through language, a child is able to understand and define his or her’s feelings and emotions. It also introduces the steps to thinking critically as well as problem-solving, building and maintaining relationships. Learning a language from a social perspective is important because it gives the child the opportunity to interact with others and the environment.
He decides to whom the message is supposed to be sent to. The sender must simplify the message as much as possible to make it easier to be understood and decrease the time it needs to be interpreted in. Second, the message which can be something as non verbal as pictures, and advertisements, or just verbal lie written in an e-mail or a letter or spoken face to face. Both of these types can be combined together. Third, the medium which the channel that will be used all the way through the process of the communication.
It is true that all social animals communicate with each other, from bees and ants to wheels and apes, but only humans have developed a language which is more than set of prearranged signals. No doubt human speech differs in physical way from the communication of other animals. It is impossible to find out that when and how the special talent of language is developed, but it’s clear that its evolution must have been a long process to develop. Origin of language The origin of language is a huge debatable topic over the years.
The Learning perspective argues that children imitate what they see and hear,and that children learn from punishment and reinforcement.(Shaffer,Wood,& Willoughby,2002). The main theorist associated with the learning perspective is B.F. Skinner. Skinner argued that adults shape the speech of children by reinforcing the babbling of infants that sound most like words. (Skinner,1957,as cited in Shaffer,et.al,2002). This theory explains that the language starts on what they see or hear, the children will imitate what they see on their parents or the people around them.
Language is an important part of our life. Language and communication cannot separate. People use the language as a means of communication to express their ideas and feelings. They communicate either with each other using language in every social interaction; communicate with others directly or indirectly in the spoken and written form. Therefore, language is an important thing of communication in social life.
Media is critical in today 's society because the mass media performs a number of es- essential functions in our lives. First, they serve an information or surveillance function. Second, they serve an agenda-setting and interpretation function. Third, they help us create and maintain connections with various groups in society. Fourth, they help us socialise and educate us.