 Like all contemporary living languages, English has an amazing linguistic diversity. There are often 15 different words that can all describe the same thing with slightly different shades of meaning. Our challenge as communicators often lies in identifying and selecting the most appropriate word for achieving the goal of that communication. Let's take a deeper look at language and the important role it plays in the effective delivery of a message. We'll start by discussing the fundamental principles that constitute the nature of language. First, it's important to understand that language is symbolic. This simply means that language is really just a collection of pre-selected icons and symbols that represent an object or an idea. For example, when we see the letters T-I-G-E-R put together consecutively, we understand that it spells tiger and further that it's referring to this big jungle cat. It's really no different than when we're driving and we see the road signs like these. Even without the symbols of letters and words, we draw meaning from these icons and understand what they're communicating. The symbolic nature of language is further illustrated by expressions like Netflix and Chill, which have meaning in the arrangement of the letters and words, but then also have a further broadly understood secondary meaning represented by the expression. Language is also arbitrary, at least for the most part. Words are generally made up with little or no specific connection to the object or idea that they represent. We see this gorgeous creature and are probably able to identify it as a cow. But why is it called a cow? Why not a fork, a table, or theory of relativity? Is there some mystical meaning behind the label? Maybe something in the aura of the animal that connects it to those particular symbols? No, it was almost certainly something that someone said that caught on and just became common terminology. This is true of most words in the English language. Language is far less magical than random utterance. There are some exceptions, however. Words like boom, buzz, and even the move from our old friend here are intended to mimic the sound that they represent. This is called anomatopoeia, but is far less common than an arbitrary connection between the symbol and the actual thing. Despite the fact that language itself is arbitrary, the application and use of language is in fact governed by rules. This includes phonological rules that govern the sounds associated with the language. When you are first learning to read and write, you may recall seeing posters like this that helped us connect particular sounds with particular letters or letter groupings. Quite frankly, phonological rules are one of the most challenging aspects of the English language for learners because they're so unique and in many ways nonsensical compared to other languages around the world. Language is also governed by syntactic rules. These are guidelines that dictate the structure and order of words and sentences. Yoda from the Star Wars universe famously violates syntactic rules of language with nearly every expression. Once again, here we can observe the challenge faced by non-native speakers working to learn English. In most languages, descriptive words follow the object they describe, but the reverse is true in English. For example, in English we would say the big red truck, but most other languages would say the truck big and red. This is a syntactic anomaly that is common practice in English. Language also involves semantic rules, which relate to the meaning of a word. For example, what do you call a carbonated sugary drink that typically comes in a can or bottle? Communists all around the world might say soda, but true freedom-loving Americans would call this a pop. Semantic meanings are commonly seen when there are multiple words that can be used to describe the same thing or when a single word could potentially have more than one meaning, such as bear. Finally, language is governed by pragmatic rules. Pragmatic rules inform us as to how language should be interpreted in a particular context. In many ways, we can think of language like an iceberg. The word or symbol is the exposed part of the iceberg that we can see on top of the water. That portion is clearly visible to everyone. However, there's also a significant amount of meaning and interpretation that is less visible based on factors such as the relationship between the communicators and the situation in which the communication is taking place. It is also important to understand that language is subjective. Words and other symbols don't necessarily convey the same meaning to all people. In fact, every word has two types of meaning. The first is the denotative meaning. This is what we would commonly refer to as the dictionary meaning of the word. If we look up that word in the dictionary, what we would find is the denotative meaning of the word. The second type of meaning is the connotative meaning. The connotative meaning is more subjective and connected to the interpretation of the individual. It is heavily influenced by an individual's frame of reference, the perceptual filter comprised of each person's unique collection of beliefs, values, experiences, knowledge, and other attributes that make them who they are. The subjective nature of language is illustrated in the semantic triangle developed by Ogden and Richards. As the name would suggest, the semantic triangle is a triangle, with each of the three points representing a different aspect of language. The first identifies the symbol itself, the collection of letters or other markers representing the object of the message. In this example, we will use the word home. The second point of the triangle represents the denotative meaning of the word or symbol. In this case, if we were to look up the word home in the dictionary, we would likely find the description of a structure commonly used as a residence with walls, a roof, doors, and windows. The third point on the triangle brings us to the connotative meaning of the word or symbol. For some people, the word home would bring to mind happy feelings of family, safety, and comfort. However, the semantic triangle also illustrates the same symbol could lead to the same denotative meaning, but a very different connotative meaning. In this instance, we could take the same symbol of home and identify the same shared denotative meaning of a structure commonly used as a residence. For some people, though, home would not bring about positive feelings, but rather anxiety, fear, or chaos. It is important to remember that language does not always hold the same meaning for all people. For one last example with the semantic triangle, let's take a look at the word baseball. Here we see the symbol, a collection of letters in a specific order that represents what we want to communicate. Denotatively, if we looked up baseball in the dictionary, we would find two meanings, one describing the actual ball used in the sport and another describing the game itself, one player at bat, nine in the field, three strikes, four balls, etc. Connotatively, however, the word baseball would likely put us all over the map. Some people love baseball and the word would elicit positive feelings, other people find baseball boring, and the word is more likely to bring on a negative response. Some people would immediately associate it with long days at the ball field watching their kids play. For others, it might bring back memories of attending pro games at a huge stadium with friends and family, or maybe it just makes you think of hot dogs, nachos, and crackerjack. The connotative meaning of this and any other word will be completely unique to that individual because each of us has a completely unique frame of reference. One final note on the nature of language is that language is created by and specific to a particular culture. We can see this in the constantly changing vocabulary of buzzwords used in business. Not only are many of these words and expressions specific to the world of business and perhaps even a specific industry, but the passing popularity of a specific lingo means that this language is also bound to a particular time frame in that world. This is true for any culture or group with a shared common interest. If you think about a culture to which you belong, for example, think of any hobby that you might have. There's almost certainly a language attached to it that is unique in semantic and pragmatic use. Now that we have a better understanding of the fundamental nature of language, let's turn our attention to some emphasis strategies to enhance our language use and tips for improving our verbal communication. First, there are several things that we can do to enhance and support the language that we use. To start, we can combine the words that we choose with visual communication that clarifies their meaning or bolsters their impact. This could include the use of images, graphs, physical objects, or any number of other types of professional aids. We can also use sign posts to add clarity and distinctiveness to the main idea of our message. We create verbal sign posts using words like first, second, and third to indicate the start of a significant idea or segment. Sign posting also includes expressions such as next, in conclusion, or any other word or phrase intended to indicate a change in direction or highlight a key portion of the message. Sign posts help to focus audience attention at especially important points. They're also helpful in guiding audience members through your message and keeping everyone on the same page. Used properly, language can also reinforce significant ideas through foreshadowing and internal summaries. These are essentially brief previews and reviews used to introduce and summarize lengthy or complicated portions of a message. Repetition can be a valuable tool for emphasizing key points of your message. While you don't want to overdo it and simply say the same thing five times in a row the exact same way, strategically repeating the central ideas and phrases throughout the delivery of your message can serve to drive home those points and give them greater staying power in the audience's memory. Finally, let's discuss a few practical tools for improving your verbal communication in delivering a message. First, be intentional about defining terms clearly. Whether your message is written or spoken, your audience should not need a dictionary to understand your language or be forced to perform mental gymnastics along the way to follow along. Use language that will be familiar to and easily understood by the listener. Your language should also be as precise as possible. Abstraction can be a useful tool, however, audiences are frequently suspicious of vague language and rightly so. Precise language conveys competence and character which enhances your credibility. Precision also enhances the audience's ability to understand and retain the information in your message. Of course, the type and precision of your language is entirely dependent on the specific audience for which your message is intended. The makeup, knowledge base, experience and general frame of reference of the intended audience should be a central consideration at all stages of the preparation and delivery of your message. Your language choice should be targeted to that specific person or collection of people. Your choices should also lead to greater consideration in the tone of your language. A report or request intended for your supervisor or someone further up in the hierarchy should take on a different tone than a directive for a subordinate or message to a client. Effective communicators know to match the tone of their language to their intended purpose and audience. It's also important that we check for understanding multiple points in the process. Before delivering any message, we should refute the message ourselves to see if anything jumps out and is potentially confusing or unclear. If possible, we should also ask a third party to review the message to see if they're able to understand all of the content. And we can also check for understanding in our audience during and or after delivering the message. Finally, professional communication should be goal oriented. These messages should not be delivered just for the sake of being seen or heard. They should be clear in purpose and value to the communication. And that purpose should be clear to both the sender and to the audience. Now that we have a better understanding of the nature of language, some emphasis strategies, and a few tips for improving your verbal communication. It's time to put this knowledge into practice as we prepare and deliver messages in a professional context. Keep these notes about language at the forefront of your mind the next time you communicate at your workplace.