Para language means ‘like a language’. Nonverbal aspects of the spoken words are known as Paralanguage.
Feature of Paralanguage
1. Voice
When we talk of voice we have to keep three things in mind
- Tone -The quality of voice is called tone. Volume is the softness or loudness of voice changed according to the audience and the distance between speaker and listener; a loud tone indicates aggression which has a negative impact.
- Speed is another feature of a voice. Rapid speech indicates excitement or nervousness. Other qualities like clear pronunciation, good accent, rhythm are also important.
- Pitch — High or low note of the scale. A high note is usually louder and heard at a long distance. A high-pitched voice is often jarring.
- Stress on words — Stress on a particular word or syllable can convert the original meaning of the sentence.
2. Pause or Silence
An effective way of communication. A pause before or after certain words can make the words stand out from the rest. Silence can be used, deliberately to convey certain feelings like anger or displeasure.
