Types of languages

Can languages transmit a message and not use words? Yes, these are language substitutes that transmit a meaning without using words.

Sign Language
Sign Language is a language substitute because it replaces the words and letters of spoken language, which makes it convenient to the deaf and mute people to communicate. 

Even when sign language does not use words, there are differents languages in sign language. Watch this video: American Vs Spanish Sign Language.

Whistling
Whistling is considered a speech surrogate because it replaces the words with sounds. People who learn this speech surrogate are able to communicate a clear and whole message by only whistling.

Cryptograms
Cryptograms use a type of puzzle to subsisute written words in order to hide a message. Cryptograms are a type of secret language because only the people who know the cryptogram are able to decode the secret message.

A clear example of hidden messages is Gravity Falls. If you ever watched Gravity Falls, you may have noticed the end credits. In all of the end credits, there is a hidden message using cryptograms.

Decoded message using Vigenère cipher: Ignorance is bliss, but bliss is boring.

Gravity Falls uses Caesar ciphers, Atbash ciphers, the A1Z26 cipher, and keyed Vigenère cipher. They also use a combination of ciphers, or even a cypher that the creator of the show made.
If you want to go deeper in the Gravity Falls cryptograms, visit the next page:

 http://gravityfalls.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_cryptograms#Vigen.C3.A8re_cipher

Verbal Communication

We know that non verbal communication does not involve words, but facial expressions, touch, etc. On the other hand, verbal communication does involve words; but not only spoken words but also written words. 

Verbal communication is any form of spoken or written messages that transmit a meaning. A casual conversation between two friends is verbal communication. A book, a magazine, or a journal being read is verbal communication.  

Nevertheless, saying random words is not verbal communication because nothing is being transmited. To fix this problem, it is necessary to arrange the words in a specific order so that these words can transmit a message. This order is the syntagmatic relationship. 

The Importance of Non-verbal Communication

Non verbal communication is every non-spoken sign that transmits a message. Things like facial expressions, postures, proxemics (the distance between the speakers), kinesics (body movements), gestures, head movements, eye contact, touching, and other things send a silent message to the receiver. 

The face is the most expressive part of our body. The movements of the eyes, the mouth and the tone of voice helps to affirm this fact. 

Miranda Presley, from "The Devil Wears Prada"

Miranda is communicating with just her eyes. By using eye movement, and an angry face she is clearly judging. 

In the case of proxemics, when a man and a woman are close to each other, they are transmiting that they are a couple, or at least, something that can be something more than a friendship.

Actually, when two people are flirting the non verbal communication plays an important role. When a girl puts her hair behind her ear, she's flirting; when the couple smile to each other, they are flirting. The eye contact, the frequent touch, the smiles, etc. help to decipher if a person is flirting with you.

Therefore, non verbal communication is important because it is present in every day of our lives. Non verbal communication can send subtle messages that can accompany the verbal communication, or not. 

The word is not the real thing

What do you think is this? A horse? WRONG! The image above is not a horse, it is just a picture of a horse. Even though the horse has all the characteristics horses have, it is not a real horse; it is only a concept of a horse.

If we keep in mind this philosophy, we can argue that the media does not transmit the reality we live in because the media only presents one point of view of the whole reality.

The media helps a lot with presenting a version of the realithy. Why? Because the media presents news through a camera; a camera that has only one lent and cannot present more than one point of view. Therefore, even though you are watching the news on TV, that is not real; it is just one point of view of the presented reality.

Naming things

How are things named? Who decides that? How one person looks at a chair and say it's a chair? The process of naming things has been studied for many years and many theories have appeared. 

In order to name things, we have to think that the name of the thing is just "a mirror" that reflects the real thing. Nevertheless, if we accept this stance, the word of the thing would be only one specific thing, and no other concept could be possible. If this were viable, the translation between languages would be easy. 

However, this stance is too superficial because the process of naming things only works when naming physical things, not abstract things like feelings, actions, adverbs, etc. Also, symbols are not physical things, but concepts of a thing. For example, when we think about "a day", we imagine the Sun; nevertheless, the Sun does not represent a day, the Sun is just a concept of the word "day". 

There are two theories about the issue of naming things. 

• Referentiality

Referentiality refers to the form the signified takes. Some signifieds are socially constructed (some signifieds are the same in some cultures); or they are mentally constructed (each person will interpret the sign in different forms).

• Modality

Modality focuses if the message is reliable or not. When a person interprets a message, he can distinguish if the message is true or false.

Icon,Index, and Symbol

Chart about authors

Salvadoran Codes

What are codes? Codes are customs that transmit a message; this customs may have different meaning around the world. Codes have a social meaning which is common among the society.

Since codes are socially known, there are codes in El Salvador that can tell you more about a person. 

Social codes

Let's begin with the most basic thing that identifies a salvadorean: the accent. All salvadorean people speak with the letter J. Even when salvadoreans do not notice when we pronounce it, a person from another part of Latin America notices. Check out the next video to prove it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJLJljTglXg

Also, when salvadoreans refer to each other they usually use the word "maje". Even when the word is seen as offensive (it means dumb, or stupid), it is socially acceptable that friends treat each other with that word. 

If you live in El Salvador, you may want to stay away from a person full with tattoos. In El Salvador, if a person has a full body with visible tattoos it means, most of the time, that the person is a gang member. Sometimes this may not be the case, but people will look at you suspiciously because it is not common to see a person covered in tattoos in El Salvador.

Specially if you look like this.

Dress codes
People can say something about themselves with the clothes they wear. If someone wears jeans, T-shirt, and sneakers, this person is a casual, and probably, a decent person. If a man wears skinny jeans in his butt, a loose T-shirt, and a hat (or a swag style), then he may not be taken seriously. 

In the case of a woman, if she dresses in a skirt, high heels, and a short top, then people speculate about her reputation with men. She also may not be taken seriously, because people will only see that she has tendency to be promiscuous. 

Eye contact 
In El Salvador, eye contact is not necessary in casual conversations since sometimes it seems creepy to look directly to someone's eyes; but it is preferable if you are in a formal situation with someone of higher position. On the other hand, if you make eye contact with a gang member, it is seen as a challenge and they may steal from you by hitting you or threatening you. 

Arbitrariness

What is arbitrariness?

Arbitrariness consists in the claim that there is no direct link between the signified and the signifier. This means that both the signifier and the signified can have more than one concept. 

Arbitrariness happens more often between countries. Take the example of British and American English. British and American English have different words for the same concept. 

1. When the signifier changes but the signified remains. 

In British English, the signifier of the concept above is autumn; while in American English, the signifier of the same concept is fall. 

2. When the signified changes but the signifier remains. 

Keeping with the examples between countries, arbitrariness can also happen when the same word has two different concepts among countries. 

Let's take a look at Guatemala and El Salvador.

Two countries very close to each other, but each one of them with different language. 

For example, the signifier patojo/a has two different signifieds in each country. 

In Guatemala, the word means niño/a; while in El Salvador patojo/a means cojo/a. 

Therefore, arbitrariness refers to the non-existing link between the signified and the signifier, which permits to interpret a signifier with other signified than the usual; or a signified with other signifier. 

Definition of semiotic and sign

Semiotics

Semiotics is the science that studies the signs and each one of their interpretations. This science has been developed since many years ago, and with the dynamism of language, it keeps updating itself. 👀

Sign

  A sign is every little detail that communicates a message, either a verbal or non-verbal message. Every moment, every word, every sound, every image that wants to transmit a message, is a sign. 😲