Poster
Galhano Rodrigues, Isabel
(University of Porto, Porto)
Conversational funtions of verbal and nonverbal
signals in Portuguese face-to-face interaction
Based on one single functional theoretical framework, several aspects
of verbal (linguistic and prosodic) and nonverbal communication will
be described.
A few seconds of a face-to-face interaction between three Portuguese
participants will show the importance of considering not only
context and the whole factors that are present in a face-to-face
interaction (such as participantes social and individual characteristics),
but also pragmatical aspects of language.
The functions considered for the classifi cation and description of
verbal and nonverbal singals were developed at fi rst for verbal pragmatical
signals in face-to-face interaction and resulted from a synthesis
of principles and categories of the theories of Conversation
and Discourse Analysis. In this paper I will prove that the different
forms of nonverbal communication can have the same functions as
verbal conversational signals.
Movements and positions of body, head, eyes, face, arms and hands
will be described not only regarding their form and semiotics, but
also their multiple functions in relation to speech production/reception
which includes words, prosody, and what is beyond it : participants
expectations, atitudes, motivations and relation to each
other.
Besides, this example will emphazise the importance of when and
where a movement is made and what it means in interaction, independentely
of its idiossyncratic aspects.
The moment and the function of each movement, as well as its synchronization
with speech and other movements/positions (of the
same participant or of the other interaction partners) can offer very
important cues regarding speech processing. For instance, what happens
before, during and after the growth point, that leads to simultaneous/
non-simultneous activation of the muscles of speech organs
and of different parts of the body.
