Language Experiment

Part 1:

1. I found this experiment to be extremely difficult since we were not allowed to use any kind of spoken language. I was trying to communicate with my partners about the things that went on during my day, but was limited in my knowledge of appropriate hand signs and body language to clearly express what I wanted to say. If I couldn't think of suitable motions to go along with my thoughts, I resorted to pointing at objects or pictures to refer to things and people I was talking about. Luckily, there are certain body movements and signals that are generally known, such as the gestures for "hi," "driving," "running," "eating" that put us on the same page, and once my partners had an idea of the context of the conversation, it was easier to nod and direct their thoughts to the focus of my intended message.
2. My partners were pretty clueless in the beginning and it took awhile for us to try to come up with a good method for communicating. At first, I initiated the conversation and just started to gesture, but this approach appeared to be haphazard and they had a difficult time figuring out what I was saying. Therefore, instead of me signaling and them merely guessing, they changed their way of communicating by taking on a more active role and straightforwardly asking me specific questions and I responded using non-verbal clues.  
3. If my partners and I were from two different cultures, I think that the culture using symbolic language would have the advantage in communicating complex ideas because gestures are not universal and different meanings can be conveyed, so therefore messages would be misconstrued. The speaking culture might think that the other culture is incompetent, inferior, or rude since they do not know the cultural context behind their actions. I took a course on Deaf people in our culture and learned that they feel misunderstood and are often stigmatized and stereotyped because one of the ways "culture" is thought of, is having a linguistic community with spoken language. Those who speak develop a particular view about deaf people and have a hard time communicating/knowing them, consider them to be disabled/handicapped, and may treat them with pity as a result. I learned that it is common for people from spoken culture to interact with the deaf in this manner instead of viewing them as a people of distinct culture with a particular history and linguistic community of their own.  

Part 2:

1. I was able to last for the full 15 minutes of using only speech for communicating but it was most difficult to not be able to use hand movements or changes in tone. I feel like the differences in the sounds of our voices are tremendously significant in affecting meaning, so it was extremely hard not being able to express certain emotions behind my sentences.
2. My partners had a hard time of clearly understanding me because they did not know the context of what I was communicating. For example, I was talking about a co-worker that is fairly unproductive and forgetful. The simple statement "James didn't mail the letters" could mean that he hasn't gotten to it yet, he didn't have to mail them, or that he has repeatedly made the same mistake and caused an inconvenience. However, without intonations or facial expressions, and the fact that my partners did not know the relationship between James and the rest of my co-workers, it was very difficult for my partners to understand the gravity of the situation.  
3. Non-speech language is significant in our ability to communicate effectively in face-to-face interactions because certain elements of the emotional content of talk comes out through facial expressions and gestures. At the same time, even people in the same culture read signs differently. For example, some people might consider those who cross their arms to be shy, reserved, stand-offish, or angry. However, it may just be that they feel comfortable resting their arms in that position or that they don't have anywhere else to place them.
4. I work with children with autism and I feel like they have a hard time reading body language a lot of the times. Communication is divided between verbal and body language and it is beneficial to be able to read such signs since they set the mood and provide clues, giving a better sense to the intended meaning behind what people are trying to say. For example, the angle/direction people sit, the use of eye contact, and proxemics can offer insight into the level of interest in a conversation. However, an environmental condition in which it might be a benefit to not reading body language could perhaps be in frightening situations between a mother and her child, in which it is probably better if the child could not read the mother's expressions or mannerisms so that he/she wouldn't panic and create more stress for the parent. 

Part 3:

1. Yes, I think the experiment in Part 1 would have been easier if I was allowed to use written language because I would be able to use diction in order to communicate meaning, like in a story or essay. Also, certain emotions can be evoked by using punctuation marks such as ellipses or exclamation points. 
2. The advantage that written language provides a culture is preservation - preservation in a sense that written language allows for memory, so that cultures can pass down important information with more accuracy. Written language can also cause new forms of social life. For example, in America, written language has surpassed the realm of print into the digital age, and as a result has transformed a different kind of socialization that diminishes the gap between time and space so that it is easier for people to communicate via e-mail, IM, video chat, etc.
3. Written language has revolutionized the distribution of information as it can be rapidly transmitted across physical borders. Language is a significant element of culture, so therefore this phenomenon also contributes to the circulation of commodities and people around the world as they migrate, interact, and exchange knowledge and goods.