Human Communication D-5 >> Presentation Day

Verbal Messages are sent with words. It's important to remember that the word verbal refers to words, not to orality; verbal message consist of both oral and written words. First, we need to understand six key principles of verbal message: (1) meaning are in people, (2) language is denotative and connotative, (3) meanings depend on context, (4) message vary in politeness, (5) message vary in assertiveness, (6) message can deceive.

Language is Denotative and Connotative. Denotative refers to the meaning you'd find in a dictionary; it's the meaning that members of the culture assign to a word.

Connotative refers to the emotional meaning that specific speakers-listeners give to a word. Words have have both kind of meaning. For example, when a person uses the word, “father,” it will not be value free. A father may connote various other thoughts and feelings such as kindness, severity, love, or abuse. Therefore, in interpreting a text, it will be important to ask what words connote in that particular context. Also it will be important to realize that words can connote very different notions with a change in time and place.

For example, if we look at the term rose. The denotation is that it is a red, wild flower. If we look at the connotations, we naturally associate a rose with Valentine's Day or romance and courting.