THE ROLE OF SEMANTICS

IN
COMMUNICOLOGY
WITH
REFERENCE TO LANGUAGE TEACHING
AND LEARNING

Seyed Hossein Fazeli

fazeli78@yahoo.com
Department of Linguistics, University of Mysore, Mysore.

International Conference on “Quality Improvement in Educational

Communication” 29-30th March2008-Tiruchirappalli
OUTLINE
Introduction
1. The reality and nature of communication
2. Understanding nature of “communication” based on the mathematical models
3. Entity of “Communication”
4. The process of acquiring of “meaning”
5. Where is meaning? (In communication)
6. The elements of messages in communication
7. General view about communication
8.The Concept of “Meaning”
9. General perspective about the process of “Meaning”
10. Characteristics of meaning in communication
11. The use of meaning in communication
12. The Suggested categories OF HUMAN communication
13. Language learning and teaching
14. Language learning and Human Communication
15. Individual differences through language learning
16. Vocabulary in the first and second languages
17. Cultural content as a main role player in language learning and teaching through
communication
18. The emphasis of communication and culture in language learning and teaching
19. Communication strategies in Educational Communication
20. Results
21. Conclusion
References
Introduction
 
1. The reality and nature of communication

The term “communication” in Webster dictionary

(1970) was used as equal to “impact,”, “bestow,”
“convey,” and “have interaction” and so on
Definitions and Models of Communication
Aristotle and Communication
Lasswell(1948) and Communication
Wright(1957)and Communication
Aranguren(1970) and Communication
Smith (1988) and Communication
2. Understanding nature of “communication”
based on the mathematical models
In “self to self communication” situations
If we suppose that:
* M = “Meaning which exists in the mind of sender of
message during the specific communication, as it
is called Communication A.”
* M′ = “Meaning which consist in the mind of receiver of
message during the specific communication,
as it is called Communication A.”
* * Among the two individuals communication, one of
the below states, will occur:
1.State one
M'/M=1, Two individuals communicate each
others completely
2.State two
M'/M=0, Two individuals did not communicate
each others
3.State three
M'/M <1, Two individuals communicate each
others, but not completely
4.State four
M'/M >1, Two results will occur:

A-Complete communication B - Self

communication
 In group and mass communication situations
If we suppose that:
*M = “Meaning which exists in the mind of sender or
senders of message along the specific communication as
it is called Communication A”.
* M'= “Meaning which exists in the mind of receiver or
receivers of message along the specific communication
at it is called Communication A.”
* n= number of sender of message (n for one sender).
* n' = number of receiver of message (n for one receiver).
* * Among the process of communication, of group and
mass communication, one of the below states will occur
1.State one
∑M ∑M' n∑M'
= or = 1, complete communication
n n' n' ∑M
2.State two
n∑M'
=0, Communicative situation
n'∑M
3.State three
n∑M'
<1, Only communication will be done,
n'∑M which is not complete (incomplete) communication

4.State four

n∑M'
>1, Two results : A. Complete B. Self
communication communication
n'∑M
3. Entity of Communication
The process aspect of communication

Communication is not static, but it is dynamic

Communication does not have starting or ending

point

The elements and parts of communication, have

mutual interactions to each others
4. The process of acquiring of meaning
5. Where is meaning? (In communication)

Berlo and the place of meaning

Wallas and the place of meaning

L.Norman and the place of meaning

Saches and the place of meaning

General view about the place of meaning

6. The elements of messages in communication
7. General view about communication
Judgments (J) are as result of dominance of subjective (S)
on objective (O), G. Hegeal

Judgments (J) are as result of dominance of objective (O)

on subjective (S), K.Marx

Judgments (J) are combination of objective (O) and

subjective, M. Weber

ELEMENTES IN COMMUNICATION
1.Meaning source of message sender
2.Meaning source of message receiver
3.Communication ability
4.Encoder 5.Code sender 6. Channle 7.Message
8.Code receiver 9.Decoder 10.Evaluation of message
11.Send back 12.Evaluation of send back 13.Noise
8.The Concept of Meaning
The main problem in meaning

One dynamic bilateral action occurs among the receiver

with the message based on a particular Social-cultural
experience (J. Watson 1984)

Language,Dictionary and Meaning

We use language to express our meaning

9. General perspective about the process of
Meaning
Extremely, the words do not have any meaning
Meanings are in the humans
Meanings are as cause to reply
Meaning are as personal properties
Meanings will learned, added or deleted but will not be found
“Communication” does not include any transformation of meaning
Meaning is not in the message
The elements and components of language, are lack of meaning and they are
as symbol and guidance
Some people have codes for some meanings; however, the other people do
not have
One type of egocentric in communication
10. Characteristics of meaning in communication
Meaning is not in the message

Meaning is in the human

Meanings are as personal properties

Meaning is learned, added or deleted

Language is lack of meaning

Meaning is undiscovered

Meaning is un transferable
11. The use of meaning in communication
To know the people; we should know their
conception of language

Implicit meaning of individuals are represented

through the words

Meanings are represented in particular point of

time
Berlo stated one story that he had asked one
person: “why does he call one pig, pig?” that
person answered: “because pig is piggish”
 12. THE SUGGESTED CATEGORIES
OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION
Machine to machine Animal Human
communication communication communication

Man-Machine Man to man

communication Man-Animal communication
communication

Mass communication Group communication Self to Self communication

Verbal Non verbal

communication Non verbal communication
Verbal Verbal
communication
communication communication

Non verbal
communication
13. Language learning and teaching
learning is “acquiring or getting of knowledge of a subject or skill by
study, experience, or instruction”
learning is relatively permanent change in a behavioral tendency and
is the result of reinforced practice
The concept of learning, as it is understood today, has been generally
influenced by the psychological study of the learning process
Teaching may be defined as “showing or helping someone to learn
how to do something, giving instruction, guiding in the study of
something, providing with knowledge, causing to know or understand
Teaching is guiding and facilitating learning, enabling the learner to
learn, setting the condition for learning and language teaching
includes the activities which are intended to bring about language
learning
Your understanding of how the learner learns, will determine the
philosophy of education, your teaching style, your approach, methods
and classroom techniques
14.Language learning and Human Communication

Language is acquiring the ability to use its structure

within general vocabulary (sign) under essentially
the condition of human communication

Acquisition of the language, associated with units

and patterns of content that together constitute the
language

All language learning occurs through experience

15. Individual differences through language
learning

Language learning proceeds at different rates for different

persons under seemingly the same conditions

The differences are related to different capacities which are

the results of genetic potential plus total past experiences

Total past experiences, include the total social, cultural,

religion and the other effect ons and experiences of
individuals
16.Vocabulary in the first and second languages

The core vocabulary of the first language is learned at home

in the great struggle of the child to communicative for his
needs

In learning a second language, the student is not usually

forced to acquire the same sort of vocabulary

The vocabulary of a second language can be decided by the

teacher, the text book, or the school; it is in fact so selected

The words of a second language are not translation of the

words of the first language
17. Cultural content as a main role player in
language learning and teaching through
communication
We cannot teach a language well, without to grips with its
cultural content

There can be no real learning of language without understanding

something of the patterns and value of culture of which it is apart

The complete understanding of one subject occurs when the

learner will be able to connect among previous learned meaning
and new experience and also analyze and express it
18.The emphasis of communication and culture
in language learning and teaching
Classroom goals are focused on all of the component of
communicative competence and not restricted to
grammatical or linguistic competence

Language technique and designed to engage learner in the

pragmatic, authentic, and functional use of language for
meaningful purposes

In the communicative classrooms, the students ultimately

have to use the language, productively and receptively, in
unrehearsed content
19. Communication strategies in Educational
Communication

While learning strategies deal with the

receptive domain, intake, memory,
storage and recall, communication
strategies pertain to the employment of
verbal or non-verbal mechanisms for the
productive communication of information
20. Results
The second language text book designers and language
teachers should be based on that language includes the
symbols only
Both of the text book design and teaching should be done
based on the communicative view of the learning
Individual potential in the learning are different
Meaning of different individual are not same in both same
and different languages
Similarities in individuals can be helpful and useful in
communication
The similarities of meaning are as joint point or aspect
makes possible to joint the teacher and learner for different
purposes of learning
The meaningful situation can be made based on the cultural,
social and the others
The two languages are not translation of each others
21. Conclusion
Language teaching and learning is as a type process of
communication among the teacher, learner, and text book
and so on

If semantics will be so more equipped with the help of the

other branches, it can be as main criteria in the study of
many universal situations

The study of nature of meaning and communication and

also the role of meaning in communication can be used for
different purposes such as educational communication
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I acknowledge that I did the main frame of
my work through the process of Dr. Mehdi
Mohesniaan raad’s works .
THANK
YOU