Linguistic and socio-cultural peculiarities of business communication

Knowing how to use volume to control meaning is a useful skill. Some speakers have naturally loud voices. However, the volume of one's voice should correlate with the size of the room and audience. If one speaks too loudly or too softly, the audience will react nonverbally. For example, when a speaker starts to speak too loudly, the listeners move back in their chairs. Or they move up to the edge of their seats, turning their ears in the speaker's direction when he speaks too softly.

Volume frequently reflects emotional intensity. Loud persons are often perceived as aggressive or overbearing. Soft-spoken persons are often perceived as timid or polite.

Volume, or loudness, is often a problem with inexperienced speakers. Some people cannot produce enough energy to be heard by others. Others blast their voices through interpersonal encounters. An overly loud voice can be irritating to listen to and sound brash or autocratic. A speaker with an overly soft voice is equally distracting. Not only is it difficult to hear and understand, but the audience might conclude that they are listening to a reluctant speaker, and will soon lose patience and interest. So, speaking too loudly or too softly may lead to a breakdown in speaker-listener communication. Vasile, A.J.; Mintz, H.K. Speak with Confidence: A practical guide. - Toronto: Little, Brown and Co., 1985. - P. 83.

Besides speaking too loudly or too softly, a speaker must be aware of a third aspect of volume, which is variety. Volume must be varied if it is to be effective. When the loudness or softness does not vary, then the voice will become boring. Also, a constant volume throughout the presentation leads to failure of distinguishing the main points in a speech. The volume should be varied to avoid monotony and periodically recapture his audience's attention. Modulating the volume appropriately can serve as a voice clue, helping the audience identify the key points. Lieb, A. Speaking for success: the Canadian guide. - Toronto: HBJ Canada Inc., 1993. - P. 19. One particularly effective technique for attracting attention to an important idea is to pause almost imperceptibly before the last two or three words and then to speak them softly. Listeners lean forward to catch the words. The speaker has their undivided attention. Thompson, A. Words Into Speech: a handbook for speakers. - Toronto: Copp Clark Pitman Ltd., 1991. - P.50.

However, some speakers begin at a normal volume but end up in almost a whisper. This problem of vocal drop-off is usually a product of nervousness, when the speaker either runs out of air while delivering a particularly long sentence, or prematurely focuses on the next sentence.

Consequently, shouting or whispering is a deviation from normal and it can be misinterpreted. Particularly, raising one's voice does not facilitate comprehension. Hence the voice should not be too loud. Haynes, J. Keys to Effective Communication. - <http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/keys_effective_communication_91344.php> To be better understood, a speaker should speak clearly, in a calm, reassuring manner.

Voice Quality

The voice that people hear when one talks is far different from the simple tone produced by the vibrations of one's vocal folds. Resonation increases the complexity of the voice tone. The resonators of the upper body and head are the primary sources of the distinctive sound of each human voice described as voice quality. Crystal ,D. A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. - 3rd ed. - Cambridge: Blackwell, 1991. - P. 377. By affecting these resonators, people change the quality of their voice.

Voice quality is the result of a combination of factors, most notably linked to physiology and breathing patterns. It can range from nasal to breathy and from hoarse to flat and convey an infinite variety of impressions -- harsh, excited, bored, angry, amused, apologetic, sexy, conceited. Lieb, A. Speaking for success: the Canadian guide. - Toronto: HBJ Canada Inc., 1993. - P. 20. D.Crystal indicates the labels for the many qualities which can be produced as those that tend to be impressionistic and ambiguous, e.g. a 'cheery', 'haughty', 'sullen' voice. Crystal ,D. A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. - 3rd ed. - Cambridge: Blackwell, 1991. - P. 377. Different vocal qualities can also be described as 'strident', 'thin', 'resonant', 'breathy', 'husky', 'harsh', 'nasal', or 'denasal'. Communicating / Taylor, A.; Rosegrant, T.; Meyer, A.; Samples, B.T. - New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1983. - P. 329. Many of these terms have negative connotations.

Good voice quality may be the biggest factor in the effectiveness of some speeches. The voices we hear regularly on television news are chosen, at least in part, because people respond positively to their quality.

What is behind this stereotypical response? Voice quality refers to the general characteristics of one's physiology and their effects upon an audience. The tonal qualities of the voice significantly affect how the message will be received, often overriding the message itself, because listeners automatically associate these qualities with personality. After years of cultural conditioning, listeners expect a speaker to sound the way he or she looks and to employ a tone of voice that is somehow commensurate with the subject. For instance, a speech on ballet delivered in a gruff, husky voice, or a speech on military strategy delivered in a breathy voice, would immediately sound incongruous. If the voice is not what the listeners expect, then much of the initial message will be lost until they adjust. Lieb, A. Speaking for success: the Canadian guide. - Toronto: HBJ Canada Inc., 1993. - P. 20.

Accuracy in sending and judging the nature of emotional messages appears to be related to an individual's sensitivity and familiarity with the vocal characteristics of emotional expression. Besides communicating emotional content, the voice has also been found to be a communicator of personal characteristics. Let us examine the aspect of vocal stereotypes.

Listening to a person's voice can sometimes help to identify that person's key characteristics. We also tend to associate particular voice types with particular personality types. Table 1 summarizes stereotypes related to vocal cues. Gamble, T.K.; Gamble, M. Contacts: Communicating interpersonally. - N.Y.: Random House, 1982. - P. 177-178.

Table 1. Vocal cues and perceived personality stereotypes

Speakers should be aware that their vocal quality suggests certain things about them. Whether receivers are interested in identifying the speaker's age, occupation, or status, they are likely to make assumptions based on what his or her voice says to them. Although the picture or stereotype they form may be far from accurate, it could still influence their assessment of the speaker as an individual and affect the way they react to the spoken message.

It follows from the above mentioned that in business communication delivery often plays a much more important role than the message itself. When using the described paralinguistic means of the language, one should be very careful. Such qualities as volume and pace can work in unison to achieve powerful effects, especially when selling and persuading from the public platform. Adaptation of the pace to the message can be shown by telling some points more rapidly, or by slowly drawing out the words, or by long pauses to let the points sink in. The way we emphasize words can also change the meaning of the sentences. Using stress helps the listeners to understand the sense of the words and to show which words are more important.

business communication linguistic cultural

Conclusion

On the basis of the above analysis it is possible to draw the following conclusions.

Socio-cultural sensitivity is as important as any other issue of business communication. Hence, when dealing with international partners or customers, business people should consider the communication peculiarities, styles and traditions of the target cultures. Moreover, specific features of both formal and informal interaction should be acknowledged in view of the fact that the main purpose of out-of-office events is to develop mutual trust and sociability among business people. In addition, participants of business interaction should be aware of possible communication mistakes in order to avoid communication blocks, frustration, and misunderstanding. Following accepted and approved communication patterns makes it possible to develop effective business communication.

Analysis of linguistic features of business communication shows that it also requires much attention on the levels of content, structure and delivery. Thus, in business communication it is important to pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal interaction. This means that, in order to be effective, partners of business interaction should pay attention not only to the peculiarities of business setting, but also build their speech according to the general principles of public speaking, as well as use feedback, eye contact, personal space, body action, and voice to give the best impression. A proper balance between confidence and respectfulness will help to achieve the goals.

For the future, business communication should continue to improve while it strives to produce a larger quantity of deep research.

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