Summary
Highlights
The video introduces the importance of communicative strategies in maintaining good conversations and avoiding misunderstandings. It explains that effective communication involves not only what to say but also how to convey information, especially in challenging times. The lesson objectives are to distinguish and use acceptable, polite, and meaningful communicative strategies.
Nomination is the ability to get the hearers' attention and begin a conversation or propose ideas. This strategy involves opening a topic with others, often with news, inquiries, or announcements that promise extended discussion. The topic should be introduced clearly and truthfully, focusing only on relevant information to keep the interaction focused. Examples include greetings like 'Hi, how's the weather there?' or 'What's the latest news?'
Restriction is a strategy that limits or constrains the response of the other person in a conversation. The listener is forced to respond within specific categories defined by the speaker, or to listen without opportunities to contribute. Examples include a priest's homily, a commencement speaker, a politician's rally speech, or a teacher asking a 'yes or no' question, restricting the student's answer options.
Turn-taking refers to the process by which people in a conversation decide who speaks next. It involves recognizing verbal and non-verbal cues that signal when a speaker has finished or when a topic is exhausted, allowing a new speaker or topic. This strategy encourages equal opportunity for everyone to speak and can be informal ('jump in') or formal ('may I have the floor?').
Topic control refers to managing a conversation to stay focused on specific issues. It involves ensuring that once a topic is initiated, it is collectively developed by avoiding unnecessary interruptions and topic shifts. Examples include keeping discussions within assigned subjects, such as a debate speaker sticking to affirmative points or a student reporting only on an assigned topic.
Topic shifting is used to change the subject of a conversation, especially when one doesn't like or wants to redirect the current discussion. This can be used to avoid sensitive or unwanted topics, such as steering away from gossip or moving from work experience to personal concerns in an interview. An example given is changing a discussion about health during a pandemic to include emotional management.
Repair is a communicative strategy used when miscommunication occurs. It involves actions like asking for clarification, not acknowledging topic shifts, repeating, recasting, or adding information. Examples include asking for a clearer explanation, using non-verbal cues to indicate misunderstanding, or apologizing for mispronouncing a name, as in 'I'm sorry if I mispronounced your name.'
Termination refers to the practices of closing down a topic or ending a conversation. Cues can be non-verbal, such as looking at a cell phone, yawning, or looking away. Verbal termination includes direct statements like 'I have to go' or 'I wish I could listen more, but I gotta take off,' or simply saying 'Thank you for listening, hope to see you next week.'
The video concludes with a short quiz to test understanding of the seven communicative strategies. It provides various scenarios and asks the viewer to identify the strategy being used, reinforcing the concepts learned. The presenter encourages viewers to ask questions in the comments section and wishes them happy learning.