Luka Malgaj

A Short Introduction to Paralanguage

Paralanguage or variations in the voice is a language alongside of language and includes vocal characteristics such as pitch, range, resonance, tempo, and quality, and various vocal sounds such as grunts, groans, and clearing of the throat.

PARALANGUAGE (or variations in the voice) is a language alongside of language and includes vocal characteristics such as pitch, range, resonance, tempo, and quality, and various vocal sounds such as grunts, groans, and clearing of the throat.

Paralanguage is closely tied to verbal expression, it is quite unlike the signs and symbols we know as language.

PITCH (voice)- some people use a wide variety of changes in their pitch while others make few pitch changes or even talk in monotone- mw generally drop our voices at the end of a statemen and rise our pitch level at the end of a questions.

RESONANCE- the variations from thin and quiet voice to a laud and booming voice

TEMPO- some people speak quickly; others speak very slowly

QUALITY of a speaker”s voice is most often associated with variations of harshness and breathiness in the voice; it also involves smoothness of delivery and other similar factors

Althought paralanguage may seem to focus only on subtle nuances, paralinguistic expressions need not be subtle.

Paralanguage conveys information about sex, emotional states, personality variables, and other common attributes

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR