Extralinguistic factors influencing the success of verbal communication

Speech situation

What is a speech situation in foreign and native speech? In fact, this is the first stage of communication between people. In modern reality, these situations can be either natural (two acquaintances met on the street and started talking) or artificial (schoolchildren were asked to speculate in class about the social problems of the region).

There are many varieties and topics of verbal communication in our world. Together they enrich the spiritual life of humanity and our culture.

A speech situation is the specific circumstances against which human communication occurs. It is the starting point of any of our speech actions: depending on it, we build a model of dialogue, communication with the audience, the search for topics of conversation, the direction of the conversation, etc.

Example text of a speech situation:

• Friendly conversation.
• Presentation of a report.
• Explanation to superiors.
• Consultation about buying a computer.
• Explaining to the child why matches are not a toy, etc.

Expression of extralinguistic means in a literary text (using the example of the works of T. Malik)

By the end of the twentieth century, in the field of linguistics there was increasing attention to the semantic side of the object being studied. In view of the fact that the empirical stage of the study is coming to an end, there is a need for a stage of abstraction-generalization, which is not inherent in direct observation.

Linguistics has long been preparing to enrich empirical knowledge with other ideas and actions. In the twentieth century, directions for studying language appeared based on a methodology that brought together the philosophical ideas of empiricism, phenomenology, and constructivism. One of these areas is, of course, pragmalinguistics [1, p. 10].

Pragmatics is considered a relatively new field that studies the use of linguistic signs in speech. In the process of communication, when expressing his thoughts, the speaker sets himself a certain goal. This goal is for the listener to understand the speaker.

At least two people must participate in the information exchange process. An act of communication initiated by one participant, of course, requires a response action: a response to a question, thought or request, consent, refusal or threat. Interpersonal relationships that arise in the process of communication cannot exist without an object, since the subject and the object are interconnected and cannot be considered separately.

Within the framework of communication, various relationships arise that have a certain information content. As, in our opinion, it is correctly stated in the theoretical literature: “This is a different context of any method of presenting content or thoughts; also, the concept of context is understood as a method of expressing thoughts through verbal and non-verbal means” [2, p. 91].

To put it another way, along with language learning, literary text covers even neutral actions. “The choice of means existing in the language system is largely related to the neutral (extralinguistic) properties of communication” [1, p. 200].

Non-verbal means include the following:

— Extralinguistic (laughter, crying, hubbub, noises)

In this way the agreement came to an end. Nishantui was scheduled for the coming days, and the wedding was scheduled for Asadbek’s return.

After dinner and the hosts left, Manzura asked Abdulhamid:

— What is Nishantui?

“This...,” Abdulhamid grinned, “in our opinion, this is an engagement.” Apparently they also call it a blessing? Do you know what you've done now?

- What have I done?

“You have wooed us,” Abdulhamid said and grinned slyly [4, p. 72].

— Paralinguistic (melody, pause, breathing, pronunciation, rhythm and consonance);

In the process of communication, paralinguistic means are considered additional means involved in communication. Paralinguistic means are one type of extralinguistic phenomena; neutral actions accompany units of language learning [3, p. 120].

They perform the task of transmitting information, adding content, and adding clarification to a jumble of relationships. A person, in the process of transmitting certain information, uses non-verbal means to increase emotionality and enhance the impression, based on the environment and conditions of live conversation, using voice tonality, stretching sounds, pronunciation with pauses, etc.

For example: At first Zainab did not understand the meaning of this conversation. Realizing, she opened her big eyes:

She asked, “Is what you are giving me opium?”

- What did you think? - Mardona said, grinning. — Did you enjoy yourself after the injection?

Having said this, she extended her hand to Zainab's chest.

Zainab, finding some kind of strength in herself, knocked out this hand, stood up and shouted: “You brute!” Minx! Disappear! —

Mardona smiled venomously.

- Unwashed, he placed it on the neck of a non-believer. I didn’t come here of my own free will. You called me, I’m sending you away, I’m leaving. But then, even if you beg, I won’t come back. Think about it: a car is waiting on the street. We'll get there in a few minutes. Get rid of pain. Enjoy it. If instead of pleasure you like to suffer, what can I say, I went...

Zainab endured until Mardona reached the gate. Then, unable to bear the pain any longer, she shouted:

- Stop!

Mardona stopped at the threshold of the gate [4, p. 188].

From the above passage of text it is clear that if, when expressing thoughts, we examine communication without taking into account paralinguistic means, the analysis will not be complete. In most cases, a thought without non-verbal means will turn out to be bare, both from the logical and from the psychological side it will not meet the requirements.

— Kinetic (hints, expression of thought through gaze)

One day the class teacher raised Asadbek and Kesakpolvon from their seats.

- Which of you stole Turdialiev’s pen? - He said, looking at them with angry eyes.

At this time, Kesakpolvon was a master of looks - he looked at the teacher, as if saying: “I have not heard about this.”

But Asadbek, who considered theft a shameful matter, could not do this. Suspicion made him bow his head.

“I’m not a thief,” he said, not looking at the teacher [4, p. 55].

— Proximin (various body movements when speaking during communication).

“Last night there was a dog party in a trash can,” Cozy said, smiling in anticipation of a gift. Kesakpolvon thought in one breath, nodded his head: “They killed him in vain, he didn’t bother us.”

Causey didn't say "you gave the order." The cold smile disappeared from his face, he shrugged his shoulders, as if saying “guilty” [4, p. 181].

In some cases, in the process of communication, nonverbal means appear in a mixed way. The young man standing behind Sharif went outside and brought Nasiba.

- Oh, what's wrong with you? - Nasiba asked before she could cross the threshold.

- Quiet! - Berger shouted. - Speak only in Russian! Are you Namozova? Come closer. So you are this mug's wife?

“Yes,” said Nasiba, nodding her head. She couldn't speak Russian. Despite this, I tried to ask: “What do you need?”

— I will ask questions, Namozova! - said Berger, lighting a cigarette and flicking the ashes onto the carpet:

- How many children do you have?

- Four... three sons, one daughter.

- Yes... your children need a father. Look at me, Namozova, if you need a husband, tell me: where did your husband hide the money?

- Money? What money? - Having said this, Nasiba looked at her husband. Sharif shrugged as if to say, “I’m surprised too.”

- Look into the eyes! - Berger shouted. - If you say so, your husband is yours. If you don’t tell me, I’ll take him [4, p. 100].

Both the speaker and the listener conduct their conversation using extralinguistic means: various movements, signs and hints. Even when reading a book, watching TV, watching sports competitions, people frown, sometimes laugh, sometimes surprise appears on their faces, sometimes they cry, thus making various movements without noticing it. All of the above elements can be classified as extralinguistic means.

In the context of the globalization process, the need of the hour is to increasingly strengthen communications between countries, continents, and territories.

Each communicator, depending on gender, is characterized by different nonverbal means.

Male communicators have the following nonverbal properties:

- Speak while waving your arm extended forward with your palm open;

We don’t have that kind of money,” said the plaintiff, a young man who had just spoken, waving his arm extended forward with an open palm [4, p. 6].

- Say hello by extending your hand and squeezing it tightly;

Asadbek, without getting up from his seat, greeted him, extending his hand [4, p. 130].

- Clink glasses to drink, give a sign by clicking the throat;

Let's not drink, clink glasses together like Russians [4, p. 65].

— Talk to the communicator at a short distance, looking him in the face, etc.

The young man, who expected to see Asadbek’s anxiety, looked straight into his eyes, did not see the anxiety [4, p. 68].

Nonverbal means inherent to female communicators:

- Squint coquettishly, expressing whim;

She knew that her beauty and flirtatious look would slay any man. [4, p. 142]

- Bite your tongue to express regret;

Manzura, having said “oh,” in which surprise and fear were mixed, biting her lower lip, did not say another word.

- Greet with a kiss, butting heads;

“Oh, Zaynabushka, my soul, my sweet one,” she greeted with a kiss, “it’s good that she came,” said Mrs. Monica [4, p. 183].

- Touching your lips with your little finger, look shyly at the ground;

“I saw the baby again in a dream,” Manzur’s wife rejoiced, biting her lip and shaking her head, without saying the interpretation [4, p. 59].

— Inappropriate actions inherent in women in the process of communication, etc.

Thinking about how to distract Kosoy, the beauty, with hints and a flirtatious look, found a reason for him [4, p. 212].

Separately, it should be emphasized that extralinguistic means are considered one of the factors that enliven speech and increase its effectiveness, but their excessive use distracts the listener’s attention and turns him into a spectator.

To conclude, the listener's understanding and comprehension of the speaker's words can be produced by the existence of a common ground for both actors.

In a work of art, hints of a character and his body movements provide certain information about his character, mental and emotional state. Extralinguistic means enrich the idea of ​​the character.

In particular, in the text of the work of the writer Tahir Malik “Shaitanat”, hints, body movements, words, word formations, linguistic units in the form of conversation used in the communication process are masterfully used by the writer, thanks to which we become witnesses to the masterful use of extralinguistic means.

Literature:

1. Safarov Sh. Pragmalinguistics. Tashkent-2008.

2. Myrkin I. Ya. Text, subtext and context // Questions of linguistics. - 1976, No. 2 - p. 86-93

3. Muratova N. The place of verbal and non-verbal means in the process of communication // Questions of Uzbek linguistics and literary criticism. Samarkand, 2012.

4. Tahir Malik, Shaitanat. I-IV - vol. Tashkent-2012.

Types of speech communication

In foreign and native speech, three main types of speech communication can be distinguished:

• Official, business. This is communication between a subordinate and a boss, a teacher and a student, a doctor and a patient, and so on. It is characterized by the most stringent regulation of speech etiquette. Violation of some of its rules may even result in serious sanctions.
• Semi-formal. This is a conversation between colleagues, a group of students, and relatives. The norms of speech etiquette here are already more blurred. Communication is built more according to the rules characteristic of this small group.
• Informal. Conversations with friends, lovers, acquaintances, within the family. Observance of speech etiquette here is rather conditional. The tone and topics of communication are free. People here limit themselves only to their own moral ideas, morality, and tact.

Proxemics

Proxemics (spatial movements) - distance, orientation, placement at the table. It identifies the areas of most effective communication.

Distance. American anthropologist Edward Hall, founder of the science of proxemics, identifies four main zones of communication:

• Intimate zone (15-45 cm) - only people who are close to each other can enter this zone. In this zone, a calm, confidential conversation is conducted, and tactile contacts are established. The invasion of a “stranger” into this zone is perceived as a threat;
• personal zone (45-120 cm) - an area for relaxed communication with friends and colleagues. Only visual contact is allowed;
• social zone (120-400 cm) - area for official discussions and negotiations, meetings and administrative conversations
• public zone (400-750 cm) - an area of ​​communication with large groups of people at lectures, meetings, public speaking, etc.

People generally feel comfortable and make a favorable impression when they are at a distance appropriate to the above types of interactions. Being too close or too far away has a negative impact on communication. If a stranger tries to cross your personal distance, you will instinctively take a step back or extend your arms to prevent the invasion of your personal space. You may feel anger, increased heart rate, or a rush of adrenaline. If you are in a situation where an intrusion is inevitable (elevator, crowded transport), we recommend that you try to remain calm, do not talk to him, it is better to refuse even non-verbal contact with him (do not look the person in the eyes).

It should be noted that the rules regarding communication zones depend on the age, gender, personality and social status of the person, as well as on his nationality and population density in the area of ​​​​residence. For example, children and older people tend to be closer to their interlocutors than teenagers, young adults and middle-aged people. Men prefer a more distant position than women. A well-adjusted person moves closer to the interlocutor, while restless, nervous people stay further away. People communicate with interlocutors of higher status at greater distances. Asians interact over greater distances than Europeans, and city dwellers interact more closely than those living in sparsely populated areas. In rural areas, the concept of “personal space” is much broader than in cities. As a result, a rural resident often experiences significant discomfort while in the city.

Orientation. One should also take into account such prokeine components of the nonverbal system as orientation (angle of communication). Orientation is the position of partners relative to each other, which is expressed in the rotation of the body and toes towards or away from the partner, signaling a desire or reluctance to communicate. This arrangement of partners can vary from “face to face” to “back to back” and, accordingly, from cooperative to competitive communication.

Components of a speech situation

To better understand the main topic of our conversation, let’s highlight the main components of verbal communication:

• Participants. There are both direct participants - the addressee and addressee, and third parties - observers, listeners. The presence of the latter shapes the situation itself and influences the course of communication.
• Place and time of communication. A very important aspect that determines the style of communication. A conversation on the street, a conversation at a party, a speech in front of a respected audience - various speech situations. They are internally divided into two branches: Canonical - pronouncing speech synchronously with the moment of its perception. The addressee and the sender are in the same place at the same time.
• Non-canonical - the time of utterance does not coincide with the time of perception, the speech itself does not have a specific addressee (for example, a public report, a telephone conversation, communication via letters, etc.)

Handshake

A handshake, the most common tactic, is an indispensable attribute of any meeting and farewell. A handshake is a polyphonic gesture known since ancient times. Primitive people stretched out their hands with open palms to show their lack of weapons and peacefulness when meeting each other. The following types of handshakes and their characteristics can be distinguished:

• an energetic, energetic handshake of the interlocutor at the same time as a joyful exclamation shows the sincerity of the partner, his desire to continue the conversation;
• when the partners’ hands are in the same position, this is a demonstration of equality;
• The dominant handshake (hand held on top, palm down) is its most aggressive form. With a dominant (powerful) handshake, one person communicates to another that he wants to dominate the communication process;
• The submissive handshake (hand down, palm up) is demonstrated in situations where one person wants to let the other take the lead so that they feel in control;
• Squeezing your partner's hand in a "glove" shape (one person wraps both hands around the other's) indicates friendliness. However, this type of handshake should be used with people you know well, as it can have the opposite effect if the person is nervous;
• the depth of sensation depends on where the other hand is placed when shaking hands; the upper arm is better than the forearm, the forearm is better than the elbow;
• a long handshake with a smile and a warm gaze is an expression of affection;
• a longer handshake and sticky hands—excitement;
• a short, lazy handshake and dry hands - indifference;
• If a lifeless hand reaches out to you like a dead fish, don't mess with it;
• shaking hands with an extended, straight arm is a sign of aggressiveness. Your main goal is to keep your distance and not let the person near your private parts;
• A strong handshake until your fingers grind together is a sign of an aggressive, tough person.

Tapping on the back or shoulder. This tactical element is possible under the condition of close relationships and equal social status of the communicants. Patting is often interpreted as an expression of friendship, sympathy, or encouragement. These nonverbal gestures are usually characteristic of men. Pats him on the back, as if demonstrating masculine strength and the owner’s readiness to help.

Extralinguistic and prosodic means

Now let's move on from all verbal communication closer to the main topic of the conversation. Communication uses prosodic and extralinguistic means of communication. Their role is very multifaceted:

• Regulating the flow of speech.
• Saving language means of communication.
• Anticipation, addition and replacement of speech utterances.
• Expression of emotional state.

Each of these areas has its own set of communication tools:

• Extralinguistics - diluting speech with pauses, including psychological manifestations: laughter, crying, sighing, nervous coughing, etc.
• Prosody - such intonation and rhythmic structures as volume and pitch of the voice, stress, timbre, etc.

5.2. Prosodic and extralinguistic means in nonverbal communication

Through the analysis of prosodic and extralinguistic characteristics, the image of a person is recreated, the characteristics of his speech, the manner of speaking, laughing and even crying, i.e. everything that contributes to the manifestation of mental individuality. Prosody is the general name for such rhythmic and intonation aspects of speech as pitch, volume of voice tone, voice timbre, stress force. The extralinguistic system is the inclusion of pauses in speech, as well as various kinds of psychological manifestations of a person: crying, coughing, laughter, sighing, etc. These means regulate the flow of speech, save linguistic means of communication, they complement, replace and anticipate speech utterances, express emotional states. In business interactions, “rhetorical tricks” are very often used, that is, emotional stimulants. It is important for business people to evoke not just emotions in their interlocutor, but precisely those emotions that are necessary to achieve certain goals and intentions. The energy of speech is practically a win-win in business communication: its expression and tonal variation. F. M. Dostoevsky in the novel “Demons” describes the speech capabilities of one of the heroes - P. Verkhovensky: “He speaks quickly, hastily, but at the same time self-confidently and does not reach into his pocket for words... His reprimand is surprisingly clear, his words they fall like equal, strong grains, always ready at your service. At first you like it, but then it becomes disgusting, namely from this too clear pronunciation, from this bead of eternally ready words.” It is the unity of behavior and pronunciation of words that influences the interlocutor and creates trust. In business communication, when using verbal and non-verbal means, maximum success is achieved by those who master the subtle tools of arousing emotions and feelings. The famous artist I. Ilyinsky wrote in the book “About Myself”: “...The intonations of the human voice are especially colorful, varied, deep and soulful when they are pronounced in a natural and not a forced voice, and when they are pronounced like this, they penetrate especially deeply into the soul of the listener, carrying the desired thought.” Intonation refers to all phenomena, sound means of language that are associated with the voice and do not require concentration of our attention on the content of what is said. This is intonation, the melody of speech, the presence and duration of pauses, the volume of the voice, the voice of V. Vysotsky from his inherent intonations, and this will no longer be his voice. With his hoarseness and extraordinary intensity of emotions, he turned simple words into emotional anguish, forcing people to look at many things in life with different eyes and, calling for reflection on how and for what to live. Intonation can instantly cancel out words of condolences or congratulations. The following characteristics of the voice are distinguished: Speed ​​of speech. A lively, lively manner of speaking, a fast pace of speech indicates the impulsiveness of the interlocutor, his self-confidence; a calm, slow manner indicates equanimity, prudence, and thoroughness; noticeable fluctuations in speech speed reveal a person’s lack of balance, uncertainty, and slight excitability. In Indo-European languages, people speak at a rate of 200 to 500 words per minute. Based on this: less than 200 words per minute - relatively slow speech; about 350 words per minute - relatively normal speech; about 500 words - relatively fast speech. Verbal communication experts believe that, for example, for the French or Italians, the “normal speed” is usually higher than that of the Germans. This is why it is so difficult to translate Italian and French films into German: synchronization becomes extremely difficult; when translating from English, the problem is exactly the opposite. Volume. High volume of the voice is, as a rule, inherent in the true strength of motives (vital force), or complacency; low volume indicates restraint, modesty, tact or lack of vitality, weakness of a person; strong changes in volume indicate the emotionality and excitement of the interlocutors. As communicative practice shows, the absence of logical arguments contributes to the strengthening of emotional speech in other cases. They say that when Churchill was preparing for speeches, while working with the text, he made notes like “weak arguments, strengthen your voice...” Articulation. Clear and distinct pronunciation of words indicates inner discipline, a need for clarity and a lack of liveliness; unclear, vague pronunciation indicates compliance, uncertainty, softness, and lethargy of will. Voice pitch. Falsetto is often characteristic of a person whose thinking and speech come more from the intellect; chest voice - thinking and voice are accompanied by increased emotionality; a high, penetrating voice is a sign of fear and excitement; a low tone of voice is relaxation, peace and dignity. Voices are imprinted with their own character. Thus, under the influence of cinematic clichés, a low male voice became a sign of masculinity, and many young men in America lost their voices trying to imitate them. Mode, or flow of speech. Rhythmic speaking - richness of feelings, balance, usually a good mood; strictly cyclical, correct speaking - strong awareness of what is being experienced, tension of will, discipline, pedantry, coldness of feelings; rounded manner of speaking - deep, full emotional life; angular, abrupt manner - sober, expedient thinking. In addition, the timbre of the voice can also influence the perception of information. For example, a pleasant voice timbre promotes trust. Here is a quote from an ancient source about Cleopatra: “She had a wonderful voice, and thanks to her charm she knew how to talk to everyone. It was a great pleasure to sit and listen to her, which is why she could overthrow anyone: both a cold-blooded person and a middle-aged one.” You need to be able not only to listen, but also to hear the intonation structure of speech, to evaluate the strength and tone of the voice, the speed of speech, which practically allow us to express our feelings, thoughts, and volitional aspirations not only along with the word, but also in addition to it, and sometimes in spite of it. A well-trained person can determine by his voice what movement is being made at the moment of pronouncing a particular phrase, and vice versa, by observing gestures during speech, you can determine what kind of voice a person speaks in. As mentioned above, extralinguistic means include pauses and other inclusions, such as sighing, crying, laughter, etc. During the interaction of people, pauses sometimes occur, the reasons for which are very diverse: • to give additional force to subsequent words; • due to the fact that the interlocutor is thinking; • to gain time for reflection; • as a reaction to the interlocutor’s body signals, indicating a desire to say something; • because the speaker is distracted, etc. If one of the partners is distracted (for example, someone looked in while opening the door), then a pause occurs, followed by either a thoughtful questioning, or something like “however...”, “by the way...” . Thus, the pause in its meaning, in principle, does not represent anything. At the same time, as practice shows, it often carries much more information than can sometimes be contained in words. Laughter is considered an anti-stress factor. Thanks to it, the situation is relieved, tension is relieved, and it is a healing agent. People laugh for various reasons: • something funny or comical caught their eye; • expecting someone's prepared trick; • they want to demonstrate some kind of attitude towards their partner, then laughter can be sarcastic, malicious, ironic, cynical, ruthless or hostile. There is a happy laugh that demonstrates joy, pleasure, approval, especially when a person hears what he wants. Finally, laughter can be artificial, that is, forced, forced, a mask of laughter, a game - to achieve some intentions. During a conversation, a person can also utter a variety of sounds that do not have verbal content, but they “speak.” These sounds can have different meanings depending on the situation. People who pronounce such sounds, as a rule, are not aware of this, so we can record their repetition among the same people. So, for example, there are people who find everything that happens tragic, hopeless, so they, without realizing it, constantly sigh and moan. Such human manifestations during communication, such as coughing or coughing, do not always indicate specific pathogens (for example, smoke); sometimes it is a desire to “cough up something.” Often shortness of breath is interpreted in a similar way: when a person is tormented by “something” from the inside, then he wants to symbolically burp this “something”. So, para- and extralinguistic features of speech make it possible to obtain a wide variety of information that complements body language, and to draw conclusions about a person’s personal characteristics, his character, internal states and feelings. Tactical means of communication include dynamic touches in the form of a handshake, patting, and kissing. Dynamic touch has been proven to be a biologically necessary form of stimulation, and not just a sentimental detail of human communication. The use of dynamic touch in communication is determined by many factors. Among them, the status of the partner, age, gender, and the degree of their acquaintance are especially powerful. A handshake, for example, is divided into 3 types: dominant (hand on top, palm down), submissive (hand on bottom, palm up) and equal. The usual form is a firm handshake followed by some shaking of the hands. If the handshake of someone else’s hand is too strong or, conversely, very limp, it can make an unpleasant impression. A double handshake shows deep respect. Shaking hands is appropriate in many cases: during meetings, congratulations, as an expression of agreement, friendship. If someone refuses to shake hands when invited, they may seem rude and rude. Such a tactical element as patting on the shoulder or hugging a partner’s shoulder emphasizes a friendly relationship. However, for many people this form of manifestation of feelings is simply unacceptable and unpleasant. Some people enjoy any kind of touching. Others do not like this and are unhappy with the intrusiveness on the part of the interlocutor. Takesic means of communication, to a greater extent than other nonverbal means, perform in communication the functions of an indicator of status-role relationships, a symbol of the degree of closeness of the communicators. Inappropriate use of tactical means by a person can lead to conflicts in communication. Any communication process is spatially and temporally organized. For example, placing partners facing each other promotes contact and symbolizes attention to the speaker, while shouting in the back can also have a certain meaning of a certain order. The advantage of certain spatial forms of organizing communication both for two people and in mass audiences has been experimentally proven. In the same way, some standards developed in various subcultures regarding the temporal characteristics of communication act as a kind of addition to semantically significant information. For example, arriving on time for the start of business negotiations symbolizes politeness towards the interlocutor; on the contrary, being late is interpreted as a sign of disrespect. In some special areas, various “tolerances” for lateness with their corresponding meanings have been developed in detail. By the way, different cultures have different standards for the distance at which communication is acceptable. Therefore, a Latin American, who is accustomed to a closer distance in communication, tries to come closer to him during a conversation with a European. He begins to retreat. And each of them is offended: the Latin American believes that the European does not want to talk to him normally, and the European views the American as an aggressor invading his territory. One of the first to study spatial structure was the American anthropologist E. Hall, who coined the term “proxemics,” the literal translation of which means “proximity.” Proxemic characteristics include the orientation of partners at the moment of communication and the distance between them. E. Hall described the norms of approaching a person to a person - distances characteristic of North American culture. These norms are defined by four distances: • intimate distance (from 0 to 45 cm) - communication between the closest people: children, parents, spouses, lovers, relatives, close friends; • personal, personal (from 45 to 120 cm) - communication with familiar people: communication at a party, official reception, friendly evening; • social (from 120 to 400 cm) - preferable when communicating with strangers and in official communication; • public (from 400 to 750 cm) - when speaking in front of various audiences. Violation of the optimal communication distance is perceived negatively. Orientation and angle of communication are proxemic components of the nonverbal system. Orientation, expressed by turning the body and toe of the foot in the direction of the partner or away from him, signals the direction of his thoughts. It has been observed that during negotiations, when one of the participants decides to end the discussion or simply leave the meeting, he involuntarily turns his whole body or points his legs towards the exit. The angle at which people position their body also provides very valuable nonverbal information. For example, the bodies of two men communicating are turned towards the imaginary vertex of the triangle. This is a kind of non-verbal invitation to a third person to join their conversation by standing at this point. The effectiveness of business communication depends on what place the participants occupy at the table. There are four positions of the parties at the table. Corner location. This position is most typical for a friendly, casual conversation, although it is also possible for a business conversation, for example, a doctor - a patient. This arrangement does not interfere with visual contact, and also provides the opportunity to make many gestures and notice the gestures of the interlocutor. The corner of the table serves as a partial barrier; in case of aggressive behavior of the interlocutor, you can move further away, in a situation of mutual understanding, you can get closer, there is no territorial division. Cooperative behavior is necessary for direct business interactions. When one task or problem is solved together, people need to sit next to each other to better understand each other's actions and intentions, to see the materials being analyzed, to discuss and develop common solutions. Competitive-defensive position The position of partners opposite each other creates an atmosphere of rivalry, in which each of the participants in the interaction strictly follows his own line, defends his position, and tries to beat the “rival”. The table between them becomes a kind of barrier. It is extremely difficult to reach consensus with such a seating arrangement, even compromise is difficult, but confrontation and conflict may well end communication. At the same time, such a landing may indicate subordination. The conversation in such a situation should be short and specific. In real practice, this is how people sit down at the negotiating table. Independent position. In certain situations of business communication, it is advisable to take this position, that is, diagonally across the entire table. This position is typical for people who do not want to interact. It indicates a lack of interest or a desire to remain unnoticed, for example: at a business meeting, seminar, etc. Finally, an integral part of non-verbal means of communication is the image of a person, how he looks in the eyes of others. One of the most important elements of the image is the manner of dressing. An old proverb says: “One meets people by their clothes...”. As studies show, in 85 cases out of 100, after the first acquaintance, people form an image of a person based on his appearance. The first minute of the meeting is decisive in creating a social and psychological partner; it determines the nature of further interactions. It is difficult to change the first impression later. Consequently, even the most intelligent, kind, sociable and benevolent person, a unique specialist, in the end even a genius needs to be attentive to his appearance if he wants to establish good relationships with others. Many examples of non-verbal communication are recorded in the memoirs of the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck: “I never felt the need to wear orders except in St. Petersburg and Paris; in these capitals you just have to show up on the street with nothing less than a ribbon in your buttonhole if you want the police and the public to treat you politely. One street boy shouted after me: “Look, he’s a Frenchman.” Subsequently, I was repeatedly given occasion to recall this review. My long goatee, the only thing I didn’t shave, my soft hat and tailcoat gave the boy the impression of something exotic.” At all times, clothing expressed belonging to a particular social group, caste, religion or profession. Dress code in many cases was regulated by decrees of monarchs; for violating these decrees, the perpetrators were brought to justice. For example, in 1615. In the Czech Republic, the Sejm declared the brocade cloak, which had gone out of fashion by that time, as official clothing, without which it was forbidden to appear in the Parisian Castle. And in the Russian Empire in 1742, a decree was issued prohibiting persons without rank from wearing velvet clothes. Recently, clothing requirements are not nearly as strict as they once were. However, even now in developed democratic countries, entrepreneurs attach very great importance to the appearance of their employees and business partners. Many situations of modern life require a strictly defined form of clothing. These are primarily protocol events. The protocol does not allow a woman to appear at a reception at the monarch in a mini-skirt. Citizens and citizens who have come to an audience to the ambassador of another country or the minister in torn jeans, shorts and mini-skirts may simply not be allowed by the secretary of a senior person. Even in a decent restaurant, men in shorts are not allowed, without a jacket and tie. Interestingly, in the English parliament, for example, in the summer - you can not appear in a red suit. This is considered bad manners. But in winter you can. So, the image that a person created can intensify or weaken thanks to the style of clothing and appearance. Everything is important here - what is the style, color, material for the costume; how jewelry, perfumes, makeup, hairstyle are combined; Officially or negligence in clothes, etc. Experts are convinced that if a person has made the right choice in all details, his chances of being successful and respected in the team can surpass all expectations. If the choice turned out to be unsuccessful, many unnecessary and unpleasant issues may arise that will be remembered for many years. It should be noted that the non -verbal behavior of the personality is polyfunctional, it: • creates the image of a communication partner; • expresses the relationship of partners in communication, forms these relations; • is an indicator of current mental states of the individual; • acts as a clarification, changing the understanding of a verbal message, enhancing the emotional intensity of what is said; • maintains an optimal level of psychological intimacy between communicating; • acts as an indicator of status-role relationships. So, in the conclusion of this section, Goethe’s words can be brought: “There is nothing inside, nothing comes from there, since everything inside is outside.”

Questions and tasks for the section “Nonverbal communication”

1. What is nonverbal communication? 2. List the main blocks of nonverbal communication. 3. Explain the role of gaze in nonverbal communication. 4. Analyze the social and communicative content of a person’s posture. 5. What is the role of human gestures? How to explain the presence of different gestures in different cultures (give examples). 6. What is prosody? What is its role in nonverbal communication? 7. Takesic means of communication, their significance for non-verbal communication. 8. What is the importance of communication space for nonverbal communication? 9. What does physiognomy study? 10. What is constitutional language?

Means of prosody and extralinguistics

Let's look at both prosodic and extralinguistic factors and styles.

So, prosody.

Intonation is the whole variety of linguistic means associated with the voice, which do not require concentration on the content of what is said.

Speech speed:

• Less than 200 words per minute is slow.
• About 350 words per minute - calm.
• About 500 words per minute - fast.

The pitch of the voice is from low to high.

Speech flow (mode): rhythmic, cyclical, abrupt, angular, rounded.

Voice timbre.

Voice volume.

Articulation - clear and precise or slurred, “chewed” pronunciation.

Now let's move on to extralinguistics.

Cough, shortness of breath. It can manifest itself as a reaction to external stimuli, talk about health problems, or be dictated by the desire to “tell” something to the interlocutor with these sounds.

Pause. The reasons for it can be different: attaching meaning to what was said, thoughtfulness, a means to gain time, distraction to something extraneous. Often a pause is allowed, noticing that the interlocutor wants to say something.

Researchers believe that the meaning of pauses in a conversation is sometimes almost equal to the meaning of what is said.

Laughter is a way to defuse the situation and make the conversation somewhat emotional. There can be several reasons for it: something comical or funny was said, you want to express your attitude towards something to your interlocutor.

Laughter can be either natural or artificial, forced.

Inarticulate sounds. During a conversation, many people grunt, sigh, “eep,” “moo,” etc. These sounds can indicate both an attitude towards the subject of conversation and reveal a person’s inner state.

But that is not all.

Nonverbal communication - para- and extralinguistic features

Speech tones influence the meaning of a statement, signal about emotions, a person’s state, and his attitude. The paralinguistic components of nonverbal communication, which determine the quality of the voice, its range, tonality, include: volume, tempo, rhythm and pitch. Extralinguistic components are atypical features of pronunciation - speech pauses, laughter, coughing, sighs, etc.

The paralinguistic components of nonverbal communication, which determine the quality of the voice, its range, tonality, include: volume, tempo, rhythm and pitch.

Extralinguistic components represent atypical individual features of pronunciation - speech pauses, laughter, coughing, sighs, crying, stuttering, etc.

Voice volume , especially the dynamics of changes in this parameter over time, is an important acoustic means of encoding nonverbal information. Thus, sadness is characterized by a low voice volume, and anger is characterized by an increased volume. The high volume of the voice is combined with a pronounced motivating force of the statement and often serves the intention of influencing the interlocutor.

It can be easier to speak louder if you simultaneously increase the frequency (this is “high-pitched conversation”). If the increase in tone exceeds the permissible level for a particular partner, then this is perceived as an attack on personal dignity.

A low voice volume during communication is most often associated among listeners with restraint, modesty, and lack of vitality. The tactic of constantly changing the volume of the voice is recognized as the most effective in the practice of business communication. Often a word spoken in a low voice against a background of loud speech attracts more attention than a word amplified by a shout.

Rate of speech. The average statistical characteristics of a person’s speech rate change significantly with age due to a weakening of the activity of the articulatory process. We can talk about the rate of speech as an individual personality trait associated primarily with the characteristics of a person’s temperament.

A fast pace of speech may indicate impulsiveness and self-confidence, while a calm, slow manner indicates equanimity, prudence, and thoroughness. In addition, there are significant differences in speech performance between representatives of different cultures: the “normal speed” of speech among the French and Italians is usually higher than that of the Germans and the English.

Situational changes in a person’s individual rate of speech make it possible to judge a change in his condition. Thus, people begin to speak faster when they are excited, when they talk about their difficulties, or want to convince or persuade their interlocutor of something. Slow speech may indicate fatigue, depression, or poor health.

The same phrase (“Sorry, I’ll tell you everything myself”), pronounced at the request of the researchers by a professional actor with different emotional tones, had an average rate of utterance (syllables per second) when expressing joy - 5.00; sadness - 1.74; anger - 2.96; fear - 4.45. Similar results were obtained when analyzing the emotional expressiveness of vocal speech.

Rhythm, or flow of speech. Confused, intermittent speech, as a rule, indicates excitement and mental stress. When a person speaks on topics that are difficult for himself, he gets confused and often constructs phrases incorrectly. The more intermittent the speech, the more hesitations, nasalization (uh... uh... uh...), filler words (“meaning”, “so to speak”, etc.), the more incompetent he seems to the listener. It must be borne in mind that confused speech is often mistaken for an attempt to deceive a partner.

Rhythmic speaking (even flow of words) is associated in the minds of listeners with balance, good mood of the interlocutor, and richness of feelings.

The pitch of the voice and its change over time is a carrier of information about the age, gender, and individual personality characteristics of a person. Women and children have shorter and thinner vocal cords than men, so their voice pitch is about an octave higher. The same pattern determines individual differences in the pitch of the voices of different people: tall and plump people, as a rule, have a larger larynx and lower voices than short and thin people.

The emotional content of the message may slightly change the pitch characteristics. Thus, anger is accompanied by an increase in sonority, “metallicity,” and fear makes the voice “dull,” “dull,” and “squeezed.”

Pauses during a conversation are made in order to: provide the partner with the opportunity to speak; gain time to think; give power to words following a pause; wait out your partner's distraction; respond to nonverbal signals indicating the partner’s desire to say something.

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If a person does not pay attention to being interrupted, then he is more focused on himself, and if he has difficulty withstanding pauses in a conversation, he is more focused on interpersonal interaction.

The ability to pause is sometimes an indispensable means of conducting a conversation. A few seconds of silence can be more eloquent than words; they help to collect thoughts, provide an opportunity to control oneself, attract or switch attention.

The ability to listen to a pause and interpret the reasons for silence allows you to obtain important additional information in the communication process.

Laughter is seen as a universal means of relieving tension in communication. Open, natural laughter (laughter with the mouth wide open) demonstrates joy, pleasure, and approval. Fat people, cheerful people by nature laugh with their whole bodies.

Laughter, which relieves tension and defuses the situation, most often reflects a natural reaction to something funny and comical; it is not aimed at demonstrating one’s attitude towards one’s partner. A demonstrative reaction may be accompanied by caustic, mocking, malicious, ironic, cynical, or embarrassed laughter. Finally, there is artificial laughter, forced as an expression of a certain game aimed at achieving personal goals.

Sighs, groans, and coughs are also “speaking” sounds. Their role in communication comes down, first of all, to expressing certain states (hopelessness, impatience, dissatisfaction, etc.) and “infecting” others by evoking similar feelings in them.

Intonation is all phenomena, sound means of language that are associated with the voice and do not require concentration on the content of what is said. Intonation is a special way of expressing feelings, emotions, the speaker’s attitude towards his own words and those people with whom he communicates (authoritative intonation, mocking, ironic, confident, etc.) According to the figurative expression of M.M. Bakhtin, in intonation the speaker comes into contact with the listener.

Intonation has not yet been studied enough. Their diversity and high degree of individualization make it difficult to create any kind of “alphabet” of intonations. It is very important to take into account that nonverbal information is transmitted not by one acoustic means, but by several simultaneously. For example, information about a change in the emotional state of the speaker is reflected in a change in timbre (voice spectrum) and in changes in pitch, strength, timbre, and rhythm of a speech phrase characteristic of each emotion.

In the system of speech communication, the following types of non-verbal information can be distinguished, transmitted by the peculiarities of sound pronunciation: emotional, aesthetic, individual-personal, biophysical, social-group, psychological, spatial, medical, information about physical interference.

The perception of emotional information depends on the degree of expression of the emotion in the voice and its type. Studies have shown greater reliability in the perception of emotions such as anger and fear, compared to the emotions of joy.

To characterize emotional impressiveness, i.e. a person’s ability to perceive emotional information, the concept of “ emotional hearing ” is used. If actual speech hearing provides a person’s ability to perceive the verbal semantic content of speech, then emotional hearing is the ability to determine the emotional state of the speaker by the sound of his voice. The degree of development of emotional hearing correlates with empathy - comprehension of the states of another person in the form of empathy.

Verbal definitions of the aesthetic information of speech and voice are evaluative in nature: like - dislike, pleasant - unpleasant, gentle - rude, etc. The most important feature of aesthetic information is imagery and metaphor, the use of not only acoustic definitions (voiced - dull, high - low), but also visual (bright - dull, light - dark), skin-tactile (soft - hard, warm - cold) and even taste (sweet, juicy). Listeners are able to endow the voice with even moral categories, for example, calling it “noble.”

Based on studies of aesthetic information, it can be argued that listeners attribute to the owners of “beautiful” speech not only pronounced intellectual qualities and positive personal qualities (goodwill, generosity, self-esteem), but also business qualities (competence, reliability, energy), as well as good health status.

The emotional and aesthetic characteristics of speech are especially necessary for representatives of speech professions, since the large audience of radio and television not only gives a critical assessment of the speakers, but also forms aesthetic assessments of their own speech under their influence.

Individual personal acoustic information is a specific characteristic of each person. The uniqueness of a person’s voice is determined by the unique characteristics of timbre, pitch, intonation, and phonetics. It is known that in medieval Italy, along with other distinctive features of a person, the properties of his voice were noted in the passport.

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Experimental studies indicate high reliability of recognition of familiar people based on individual voice characteristics: up to 98% when listening to phrases lasting 3-5 seconds. Recognition is preserved even with time-inverted sound, which indicates greater noise immunity of this type of nonverbal information. Nowadays, the uniqueness of a person’s voice is used as a means of automatic identification of a person, for example, in banks to provide individual access to the owner’s safe, and in forensic science when analyzing offenses.

Biophysical information characterizes the gender and age differences of people, as well as certain constitutional characteristics (height, weight). In contrast to individual personal information, it is interpreted as a person’s belonging to a certain typological group.

The reliability of determining the biophysical characteristics of a speaker from his voice is quite high: for gender - 98.4%, age - 82.4%, height - 96.7%, weight - 87.2%. The accuracy of recognition depends significantly on the age of the listeners, who best determine the age of the speakers close to their own. At the same time, young listeners tend to underestimate the age of those who are older than them. Children make more pronounced errors in determining the biophysical characteristics of speakers. It can be said that the perception of information largely depends on the social experience of auditors.

Medical information reflects the health status of the speaker and is characterized by the terms “sick”, “sick” voice. They indicate both a malfunction of the vocal apparatus and a general painful state of the body. Experienced clinicians successfully use such information for diagnostic purposes.

Information about the interference that accompanies the speech process can also be important for the listener. Indifferent interference not related to the speaker may be the result, for example, of electroacoustic noise in the telephone line, and noise in the room from which the conversation is being conducted may carry certain information about the speaker (location, presence of other people, etc.) This type of information is of particular importance in criminology.

Spatial information is information about the spatial location of the speaker in relation to the listener (right - left, ahead - behind, moving away - approaching, etc.) An interesting psychological phenomenon is the so-called party effect. It is observed in cases where there are many speakers near the listener; at the same time, the listener is able to selectively direct his attention to the interlocutor of interest to him, while simultaneously suppressing (ignoring) the speech of other people. It is interesting that this effect of directed attention manifests itself not only during binaural spatial perception, but also during the perception of monophonic tape recordings, talking on the phone, when among simultaneously sounding voices the listener can single out one.

Social and psychological information reflects the national and hierarchical-status non-verbal acoustic characteristics of the speaker. Nationality is manifested in accent and intonation of speech. No less important information is conveyed by dialect (local accent). The intonation and phonetic base of a foreign language are most difficult for foreign speakers to master, even if they have mastered sufficient vocabulary, grammar and syntax. Therefore, an accent, often preserved for many years, is a reliable sign of recognizing the speaker's nationality.

Psychological information covers a wide range of personality characteristics. Attempts to diagnose from the voice such psychological characteristics of the speaker as will, temperament, sociability, intelligence, insincerity, etc., have been made repeatedly. Although the data obtained are often contradictory due to the complexity of the process of human perception and understanding by a person, it was possible to identify a number of properties that are most “transparent” for voice assessments. These include emotional and communicative personality traits.

Of particular interest is the creation of a psychological image of a speaking person based on impressions of his speech. This “image” that appears in the listener is probabilistic in nature. Nevertheless, it plays a significant role in the process of interpersonal interaction, being the calling card of a partner.

Thus, the meaning of a statement largely depends on what intonation, rhythm, and timbre were used to convey it. Speech tones influence the meaning of a statement, signal about emotions, a person’s state, and his attitude to the communication process.

Author: Mikhail Alekseevich Vasilik, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, Head of the Department of Political Science at St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University.

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Other factors of successful communication

In addition to extralinguistics and prosody, there are also tactical means of communication: a kiss, a handshake, a pat or other touch.

When talking about successfully building verbal communication, we should not ignore proxemics—the distance between interlocutors. It can be personal, intimate, close, public, social. The orientation of communication also plays an important role - an angular, independent, competitive-defensive position.

And the success of the dialogue is concluded by the image of the interlocutor - his manner of dressing, decorating himself, doing his hair and makeup.

Examples of the use of prosodic and extralinguistic means in speech

Let's see how widely we use the means of extralinguistics and prosody in speech and how they can characterize us:

• We use a high-pitched voice to convey strong emotions, both positive and negative: joy, anger, delight, fear, enthusiasm.
• Clear pronunciation of words and the absence of “swallowing” suffixes and endings are used to declare oneself as a disciplined, responsible person.
• Rapid speech is typical for an excited interlocutor who is worried about something. Slowness can indicate arrogance and equanimity, as well as fatigue or grief. Calm speech characterizes a thoughtful, balanced person.
• If the pace of the conversation gradually quickens and quickens, this indicates inspiration by the subject of the conversation, immersion in its topic.
• A lively, hasty manner of verbal communication is characteristic of an impulsive, temperamental person who is confident in his words. But if his speech is fragmentary, disordered, and characterized by sudden changes in the speed of speaking, then this is evidence of timidity, embarrassment, excitement, inconstancy and fussiness.
• If a person pronounces words correctly and adheres to a certain cyclical nature of the conversation, this indicates his severity, pedantry, firmness, and emotional coldness.

However, we must not forget that the means of communication also include gestures and facial expressions. If a person speaks measuredly, clearly, but at the same time desperately gestures, “runs” his eyes, curls his lips, then this betrays his excitement and uncertainty. Therefore, it is always worth paying attention to the fact that speech and non-verbal means of expression are synchronous during a conversation.

The richness of the vocabulary and the general outlook of the interlocutor is also of great importance in verbal communication. In addition to extralinguistic factors, this indicator significantly influences the success of verbal communication.

Means of communication.

Page 3

Prosodic and extralinguistic means.

Prosodic and extralinguistic means of communication are associated with the voice, the characteristics of which create an image of a person, contribute to the recognition of his states, and the identification of mental individuality.

Prosody is the general name for such rhythmic and intonation aspects of speech as pitch, volume of voice tone, voice timbre, stress force.

The extralinguistic system is the inclusion of pauses in speech, as well as various kinds of psychophysical manifestations of a person: crying, coughing, laughing, inhaling, etc.

The flow of speech is regulated by prosodic and extralinguistic means, linguistic means of communication are saved, they complement, replace and anticipate speech utterances, and express emotional states.

Enthusiasm, joy and distrust are usually conveyed in a high-pitched voice, anger and fear are also conveyed in a fairly high-pitched voice, but over a wider range of tonality, strength and pitch. Grief, sadness, and fatigue are usually conveyed in a soft and muffled voice, with a decrease in intonation towards the end of the phrase.

The speed of speech also reflects feelings: fast speech - excitement or concern; slow speech indicates depression, grief, arrogance or fatigue.

So, you need to be able not only to listen, but also to hear the intonation structure of speech, to evaluate the strength and tone of the voice, the speed of speech, which practically allow us to express our feelings, thoughts, and volitional aspirations not only along with the word, but also in addition to it, and sometimes in spite of it. to him. Moreover, a well-trained person can determine by his voice what movement is being made at the moment of pronouncing a particular phrase, and vice versa, by observing gestures during speech, one can determine in what voice a person speaks. Therefore, we must not forget that sometimes gestures and movements may contradict what the voice communicates. Therefore, it is necessary to control this process and synchronize it.

Takesic means of communication.

Tactical means of communication include dynamic touches in the form of a handshake, patting, and kissing. Dynamic touch has been proven to be a biologically necessary form of stimulation, and not just a sentimental detail of human communication. A person’s use of dynamic touch in communication is determined by many factors. Among them, the status of the partner, age, gender, and the degree of their acquaintance are of particular importance. Handshakes, for example, are divided into three types: dominant (hand on top, palm facing down), submissive (hand on bottom, palm facing up) and equal.

Such a tactical element as a pat on the shoulder is possible under the condition of close relationships and equal social status of those communicating.

Takesic means of communication, to a greater extent than other nonverbal means, perform in communication the functions of an indicator of status-role relationships, a symbol of the degree of closeness of the communicators. Inappropriate use of tactical means by a person can lead to conflicts in communication.

Proxemic means.

Communication is always spatially organized. One of the first to study the spatial structure of communication was the American anthropologist E. Hall, who introduced the term “proxemics”, the literal translation of which means “proximity”. Proxemic characteristics include the orientation of partners at the moment of communication and the distance between them. The proxemic characteristics of communication are directly influenced by cultural and national factors.

E. Hall described the norms of approaching a person to a person - distances characteristic of North American culture. These standards are defined by four distances:

· intimate distance (from 0 to 45 cm) – communication between the closest people;

· personal (from 45 to 120 cm) – communication with familiar people;

· social (from 120 to 400 cm) – preferable when communicating with strangers and in official communication;

· public (from 400 to 750 cm) – when speaking in front of various audiences.

Violation of the optimal communication distance is perceived negatively.

Orientation and angle of communication are proxemic components of the nonverbal system. Orientation, expressed by turning the body and toe of the foot in the direction of the partner or away from him, signals the direction of thoughts.

Pages: 3

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What are these extralinguistic factors?

Now a few more definitions of this phenomenon. Extralinguistic (social) factors of communication are parameters of social (extralinguistic) reality that determine both frequent and global changes in speech.

Also, style-forming, extra-linguistic, extra-linguistic factors of communication are called a lot of phenomena of extra-linguistic reality, in which and under the influence of which speech acquires a lot of its stylistic characteristics, and the organization and selection of linguistic means also takes place.

Components of a speech situation as extra-linguistic factors

Let us note that the components of the speech situation can also be called extralinguistic factors. “Extra” = “over”: in the sense of something that is not directly studied by linguistics (the science of language).

Let's remember these components:

• Speaking.
• Destination.
• Subject of conversation.
• Purpose of communication.
• Communication environment.

What are the social factors of verbal communication?

Globally, extralinguistic factors include:

• A number of demographic parameters (density, method of settlement).
• Age difference.
• Social structure of society.
• The number of people who are native speakers of the language in which the dialogue takes place.
• Cultural and linguistic features.
• Written traditions.
• Language culturally determined contacts.

So we looked at extralinguistic factors and means of communication. These are all those extra-linguistic features that, depending on correct application, can make communication either successful or unsatisfactory.

Seating at a table

Proper placement of participants at the table is a means of effective interaction. Different shades of people's attitudes can be expressed by the place they occupy at the table. By the position of two people at the table, you can assess the nature of their communication. There are four main positions (Fig. 3.1, A, B - interlocutors).

1. An angular position is typical for people having a friendly, casual conversation. This position is most favorable for communication between student and teacher, as well as between a leader and his subordinates, since both can provide a lot of space for exchange of opinions and gestures. The corner of the table serves as a calming barrier, protecting them from unexpected attacks. Their eyes don't squint, and when difficult questions are raised, they can always keep their gaze on a stationary object and concentrate on formulating an answer.
2. Competitive defensive position. Positioning against each other can create a defensive position Positioning at the table

And the atmosphere of competition. Therefore, this position is used in heated discussions, disputes and debates. The interlocutors sit facing each other, which allows them to clearly see facial expressions and gestures, which can change every second depending on the relevance of the issues being discussed. This can lead to a situation where each side has its own point of view - the table becomes a barrier between them.

1. the position of business interaction is one of the most successful strategic positions for discussing and developing joint decisions. There are no physical barriers between the conversation participants; they sit side by side. Communication is confidential and intimate. In this position, you can discuss almost any issue and topic, since the interlocutors completely accept each other.
2. independent position. It is occupied by people who do not want to interact with each other. The interlocutors sit in different corners of the table, which negatively affects the communication process. If you try to change your position, sit closer, the other person may demonstratively stand up and leave the room. This is the most negative form of communication at the table and a form of nonverbal communication in general. This indicates a lack of interest. This position can also be considered hostile.

The shape of the table at which the manager communicates with his subordinates is also important.

Square tables are good for short business conversations. The person sitting next to him will most likely develop a cooperative relationship. And more understanding will come from the person sitting on the right. The person sitting opposite will provide the most resistance.

A round table creates an atmosphere of informality and ease and is the best way to have a conversation with people of the same social status, since everyone at the table is assigned the same place. The leader has the highest power at the round table, so sit on each side of him, visually endowed with more power and respect than the rest. And the member sitting to his right has more influence than the member sitting to his left. The degree of influence decreases depending on the distance from the leader.

Square and round tables are widely used in business communication. A square table, which is usually a work desk, is used for business negotiations, briefings, when the culprits are called “on the carpet.” A round table is used to create a relaxed, informal atmosphere and is good when you need to negotiate.