Paralinguistic Features of Language In face-to-face communication speakers often alter their tones of voice or change their physical postures in order to convey messages. These means are called paralinguistic features of language, which fall into two categories. I. First category: vocal paralinguistic features
A. (1) : to express attitude or intention
B. examples — whispering: need for secrecy — breathiness: deep emotion — (2) : unimportance — nasality: anxiety — extra lip-rounding: greater intimacy II. Second category: physical paralinguistic featuresA. facial expressions — (3) — smiling: signal of pleasure or welcome — Less common expressions — eye brow raising: surprise or interest — lip biting: (4) B. gesture Gestures are related to culture. — British culture — shrugging shoulders: (5) — scratching head: puzzlement — other cultures — placing hand upon heart: (6) — pointing at nose: secret
C. proximity, posture and echoing — proximity: physical distance between speakers — closeness: intimacy or threat — (7) : formality or absence of interest Proximity is person-, culture-and (8) -specific. — posture — hunched shoulders or a hanging head: to indicate (9) — direct level eye contact: to express an open or challenging attitude — echoing — definition: imitation of similar posture — (10) : aid in communication — conscious imitation: mockery