Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie verhandeling word gepoog om teen die agtergrond van multikulturele skoolsituasies in Suid-Afrika 'n oorsig van die problematiek random kommunikasievaardighede te gee. Algemene intra- en interpersoonlike kommunikasievaardighede word uitgelig. In aansluiting by 'n literatuurondersoek is kwalitatiewe data deur middel van onderhoude met skoolhoofde en onderwysers wat by multikulturele skoolsituasies betrokke is, ingesamel. Die wyse waarop mense met mekaar praat is deurslaggewend. Kommunikasieprobleme kan ontstaan wanneer kultuurgroepe met mekaar kommunikeer. Die hantering van misverstande en konflik in multikulturele skoolsituasies is belangrik. Onderwysbestuurders moet verskeie kommunikasievaardighede tydens 'n konfliksituasie aanwend. Die doeltreffende funksionering van 'n skool word grootliks medebepaal deur effektiewe kommunikasievaardighede wat toegepas word om verhoudinge tussen verskillende groepe te verbeter. Onderwysbestuurders behoort opgelei te word om effektief met alle betrokkenes in 'n konfliksituasie te kommunikeer. / This paper endeavours to give a review of the problematic nature of communication skills against the background of multicultural school situations in South Africa. General intra and interpersonal communication skills are highlighted. Further to the literature review, qualitative data has been gathered through interviews with a number of principals and teachers who are involved in multicultural school situations. The manner in which people speak to each other is important. Communication problems can occur when culture groups communicate. The management of misunderstandings and conflict is important in multicultural school situations. Education managers must utilise several communication skills during a conflict situation. The successful functioning of a school is essentially co-determined by the employment of effective communication skills to improve relationships between different groups. Education managers should be trained to communicate effectively with all persons involved in a conflict situation. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Onderwysbestuur)

6 Abstract This thesis aims to offer a comprehensive view of corporate communication while emphasizing its importance for everyday life of corporations and achievement of their strategic targets. The thesis introduces potential interpretations of corporate communication with the main focus on key moments of corporate communication as well as on consequences non-effective communication has on employee satisfaction and their life in the corporation. In the thesis I opted for the method of compilation and comparison of professional literature along with expert interviews which reveal the quality of internal communication in two selected corporations and prove one-sided view of communication inside corporations. The first part of the thesis provides a detailed look at characteristics of individual communication forms, knowledge of these characteristics being the cornerstone of further research in corporate communication. Besides, this part also describes the principles of active listening, a skill which is frequently omitted from the communication skill list. The second part deals with potential interpretations and divisions of corporate communication in professional literature and offers a thorough account of internal communication and its individual aspects. The following part looks at communication between...

O Distúrbio do Espectro do Autismo caracteriza-se como uma síndrome comportamental complexa, que compromete o processo do desenvolvimento ao longo da vida, ocorrendo uma grande variabilidade na intensidade e forma de expressão da sintomatologia, nas áreas que definem o seu diagnóstico. Pessoas com autismo necessitam de atenção especial durante toda a vida e é necessário voltar a atenção também para cuidador. O estresse parental da família de uma criança com autismo é significantemente maior do que o observado em famílias de crianças com desenvolvimento típico ou outras deficiências. A comunicação é um aspecto especialmente afetado nos quadros de autismo e pode ser potencializadora do estresse, sendo uma das primeiras preocupações dos pais. Assim foi indagado se, com relação à comunicação, o fato do filho com autismo não usar alguma fala para se comunicar teria relação com o aumento do nível de estresse dos pais. O Objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o nível de estresse de pais de crianças com autismo, verificando sua associação com a ausência de oralidade na comunicação de seus filhos. Participaram dessa pesquisa os pais de 75 crianças com autismo e pais de 100 crianças sem nenhuma queixa quanto ao desenvolvimento, que foram divididos em três grupos, sendo o grupo 1 formado por pais de crianças autistas que não apresentam comunicação oral; o grupo 2 por pais de crianças autistas que apresentam comunicação oral e o grupo 3, por pais de crianças sem nenhuma queixa. Todos os participantes responderam ao questionário sócio-demográfico, ao questionário de nível de estresse (formulado pela própria autora) e ao questionário de qualidade de vida. Os resultados mostraram que a maioria dos pais dos três grupos apresentaram médio nível de estresse e que não houve diferença significativa entre os pais de crianças com autismo, com e sem comunicação verbal. Quando os pais de crianças com autismo foram comparados aos pais do grupo controle, foi verificada diferença significativa, sendo que mais pais de crianças com autismo apresentaram alto nível de estresse. Foi constatada existência de associações entre o nível de estresse identificado e a qualidade de vida relatada pelos pais, mostrando que quanto maior o estresse apresentado pelos pais, menor é a qualidade de vida. Conclui-se, portanto, que o nível de estresse de pais de crianças com autismo não é influenciado pela ausência de oralidade na comunicação de seus filhos / Autism spectrum disorders are described as a complex behavioral syndrome. It impairs the development throughout life and has great variability in symptoms and intensity in the various areas that define the diagnosis. Persons with autism need special care during all life and therefore the caretakers need attention too. Parental stress in families with children with autism is significantly higher than the observed in families with children with other disorders or with typical development. Communication is specially affected in autism, is one of parent\'s first concerns and may increase stress. This study asked if parents of non-verbal children with autism have higher levels of stress than parents of verbal children with autism. The purpose of this study was to assess the stress levels of parents of children with autism and to verify its association with the abscess of verbal communication. Participants were parents of 75 children with autism and 100 parents with no complaints about their children development. They were divided in 3 groups: Group 1 comprised by parents by children with autism and no verbal communication; Group 2 comprised by parents by verbal children with autism and Group 3 with parents with no complaints about their children development. All participants responded to a socio-demographic questionnaire, to a stress level questionnaire (proposed by the author) and the questionnaire about quality of life. Results show that most parents from the three groups presented medium level of stress and that there was no significant difference between parents of children with autism with and without verbal communication. When parents of children with autism were compared with parents from the control group a significant difference was observed, with more parents of children with autism with high levels of stress. Associations between the stress level and the quality of life were also observed, showing that when higher stress levels were reported, lower quality of life was verified. It can be concluded that the stress level of parents of children with autism not influenced by their lack of verbal communication

<p>This thesis investigated whether vocal emotion expressions are conveyed as discrete emotions or as continuous dimensions. </p><p>Study I consisted of a meta-analysis of decoding accuracy of discrete emotions (anger, fear, happiness, love-tenderness, sadness) within and across cultures. Also, the literature on acoustic characteristics of expressions was reviewed. Results suggest that vocal expressions are universally recognized and that there exist emotion-specific patterns of voice-cues for discrete emotions.</p><p>In Study II, actors vocally portrayed anger, disgust, fear, happiness, and sadness with weak and strong emotion intensity. The portrayals were decoded by listeners and acoustically analyzed with respect to 20 voice-cues (e.g., speech rate, voice intensity, fundamental frequency, spectral energy distribution). Both the intended emotion and intensity of the portrayals were accurately decoded and had an impact on voice-cues. Listeners’ ratings of both emotion and intensity could be predicted from a selection of voice-cues.</p><p>In Study III, listeners rated the portrayals from Study II on emotion dimensions (activation, valence, potency, emotion intensity). All dimensions were correlated with several voice-cues. Listeners’ ratings could be successfully predicted from the voice-cues for all dimensions except valence.</p><p>In Study IV, continua of morphed expressions, ranging from one emotion to another in equal steps, were created using speech synthesis. Listeners identified the emotion of each expression and discriminated between pairs of expressions. The continua were perceived as two distinct sections separated by a sudden category boundary. Also, discrimination accuracy was generally higher for pairs of stimuli falling across category boundaries than for pairs belonging to the same category. This suggests that vocal expressions are categorically perceived.</p><p>Taken together, the results suggest that a discrete-emotions approach provides the best account of vocal expression. Previous difficulties in finding emotion-specific patterns of voice-cues may be explained in terms of limitations of previous studies and the coding of the communicative process.</p>

This thesis investigated whether vocal emotion expressions are conveyed as discrete emotions or as continuous dimensions. Study I consisted of a meta-analysis of decoding accuracy of discrete emotions (anger, fear, happiness, love-tenderness, sadness) within and across cultures. Also, the literature on acoustic characteristics of expressions was reviewed. Results suggest that vocal expressions are universally recognized and that there exist emotion-specific patterns of voice-cues for discrete emotions. In Study II, actors vocally portrayed anger, disgust, fear, happiness, and sadness with weak and strong emotion intensity. The portrayals were decoded by listeners and acoustically analyzed with respect to 20 voice-cues (e.g., speech rate, voice intensity, fundamental frequency, spectral energy distribution). Both the intended emotion and intensity of the portrayals were accurately decoded and had an impact on voice-cues. Listeners’ ratings of both emotion and intensity could be predicted from a selection of voice-cues. In Study III, listeners rated the portrayals from Study II on emotion dimensions (activation, valence, potency, emotion intensity). All dimensions were correlated with several voice-cues. Listeners’ ratings could be successfully predicted from the voice-cues for all dimensions except valence. In Study IV, continua of morphed expressions, ranging from one emotion to another in equal steps, were created using speech synthesis. Listeners identified the emotion of each expression and discriminated between pairs of expressions. The continua were perceived as two distinct sections separated by a sudden category boundary. Also, discrimination accuracy was generally higher for pairs of stimuli falling across category boundaries than for pairs belonging to the same category. This suggests that vocal expressions are categorically perceived. Taken together, the results suggest that a discrete-emotions approach provides the best account of vocal expression. Previous difficulties in finding emotion-specific patterns of voice-cues may be explained in terms of limitations of previous studies and the coding of the communicative process.

Thesis (DAppLing)--Macquarie University, Faculty of Human Sciences, Dept. of Linguistics, 2009. / Bibliography: p. 208-233. / Introduction -- Conceptual frameworks: language competence and the acquisition of modality -- Generic frameworks: speech, writing and electronic communication -- Linguistic frameworks: modality and related concepts -- Research design and methodologies -- FTDs in the ACAD and BB corpora -- Learner's use of FTDs in discoursal context and their individual repertoires -- Conclusions and implications. / While natural interaction is one of the important components that lead to successful language learning (Vygotsky 1978, 1986), communication in classroom practice in Thailand is mostly teacher-centered and not genuinely interactive. Online group communication is different because it allows learners to exercise interpersonal communicative skills through interaction and meaning negotiation, as in reciprocal speech situations. At the same time it gives learners time to think and produce language without having to face the kind of pressure they feel in face-to-face classroom discussion. The language learner's competence is thus likely to be enhanced by opportunities to communicate online, and to be more visible there than in academic contexts, although there is a dearth of experimental research to show this. One way of investigating the pedagogical potential of bulletin board discussions is to focus on the interpersonal linguistic devices used in textual interactions (Biber 1988). -- The purpose of this research is to find out whether students communicating online in bulletin board writing will exercise their repertoires of linguistic fine-tuning devices (hedges, modals, and intensifiers) more extensively than when writing academic essays. This was expected because hedges, modals and intensifiers are likely to be found in interactive discussions (Holmes 1983), while academic tasks do not create such an environment. Though hedges and modal devices are also found in academic genres (Salager-Meyer 1994, Hyland 1998), those used tend to be academic in function rather than communicative. -- In order to compare the frequency and variety of the fine-tuning devices used by learners in the two mediums, data was gathered from 39 Thai students of English at Kasetsart University, from (1) their discussions in online bulletin boards and (2) their academic essays. Tasks were assigned on parallel topics in three text types (narrative, explanatory, argumentative) for both mediums. The amount of writing was normalized to create comparable text lengths. Measures used in the quantitative analysis included tallying of the types and tokens of the experimental linguistic items, with the help of the AntConc 2007 computer concordancer. Samples of written texts from the two mediums were also analyzed qualitatively and compared in terms of their discourse structure (stages, moves and speech acts), to see which functional segments support or prompt particular types of pragmatic devices. -- The findings confirm that in electronic bulletin boards the students exercise their repertoires of fine-tuning devices more frequently, and use a greater variety of pragmatic functions than in academic essays. This is probably because online discussion fosters interactions that are more typical of speech (Crystal 2006), and its structure allows for a series of interpersonal moves which have no place in academic tasks. Text-type also emerged as a significant factor: writing argumentative texts prompted greater use of modals and intensifiers than the narrative and explanatory ones. Thus students' communicative competence showed itself most fully in the argumentative online assignments, and was not so evident in academic and expository essays. Frequent use of modal and intensifying elements was also found to correlate with the students' English proficiency grades, and how regularly they wrote online. This incidentally shows the importance of exposure to L2 in language acquisition, and that lower-proficiency learners need more opportunities to exercise their L2 resources in interactive discourse, in order to develop competence in using them. -- These research findings support Long's (1996) 'Interaction Hypothesis', that learners learn best in situations that cater for interaction; and Swain's (1985) 'Output Hypothesis', that learners need the chance to exercise their language naturally in a variety of contexts -through academic tasks as well as social interactions, which are equally important for language education. Extended performance opportunities undoubtedly feed back into the learner's communicative competence. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / xi, 389 p. ill

The research was directed at setting up guidelines for an interdisciplinary team which deals with children suffering from nonverbal learning disorder in middle childhood. The primary motive for the study was to, in general, further greater awareness of nonverbal learning disorder with parents and the relevant professions, but in particular, the interdisciplinary team which therapeutically handles children with nonverbal learning disorder. For the purpose of this study Thomas and Rothman's Intervention Research Model was applied. Information from relevant literature and semi-structured interviews with expertise in the area of learning disabilities was combined in order to set up guidelines for nonverbal learning disorder in middle childhood.The researcher concludes that thorough background knowledge of child development should be a precondition before nonverbal learning disorder could be identified and diagnosed. Because areas of development function interdependantly of each other, the developmental defecits of the nonverbal learning disorder child can only be treated effectively in a therapeutic way through an interdisciplinary team approach. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play therapy)

Des difficultés de compréhension interpersonnelles sont régulièrement rapportées par les proches et les patients atteints de Dystrophie Myotonique de type I (DM1) ou de Dystrophie Facio-Scapulo-Humérale (FSHD). Nous nous sommes intéressés à différents facteurs qui peuvent éclairer la présence d’un contresens relationnel au sein des couples (le patient avec son conjoint). Les facteurs étudiés sont : les troubles cognitifs, l’atteinte des mimiques faciales et le style d’attachement de chacun des partenaires. La méthode utilisée est basée en partie sur l’observation de l’interaction (communication verbale et non verbale) au sein des couples lors la réalisation d’une tâche de résolution de problème. Un test de reconnaissance des émotions faciales avec des visages atteints et des visages contrôles a également été construit et proposé à 57 sujets naïfs. Les résultats observés permettent de confirmer que l’atteinte du visage et de la cognition sociale (théorie de l’esprit) ainsi que le style d’attachement des membres du couple jouent un rôle dans les difficultés à se comprendre entre partenaires de l’interaction. Il est important de sensibiliser chacun des partenaires au rôle de la communication non verbale (CNV) dans leur quotidien. La CNV transmet non seulement des informations sur l’état interne (notamment les émotions) de l’autre, mais également sur ses besoins d’attention, de soutien, de support émotionnel. / Interpersonal communication difficulties are regularly reported by individuals suffering from Myotonic Dystrophy type I (DMI) and Facioscapulohumeral muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), and their families. Our study focuses specifically on communication between patients and their spouses. In order to investigate the nature of communication difficulties, cognitive impairment, impaired facial expression and the attachment styles of subjects were examined. Our investigation procedure involved detailed observation of couples’ communication processes (verbal and non-verbal communication) while completing a problem-solving task. Furthermore, we construct a test of facial emotion recognition composed of images from the DM1 and control groups, which was administered to 57 naive subjects. Results enables us to confirm that impaired facial expression, social cognition difficulties (theory of mind) and attachment style play a major role, in the communication and comprehension difficulties reported by patients and their families. A phenomenon of relational misinterpretation seems to occur between patients and their partners. It is therefore important to raise couples’ awareness of the role of non-verbal communication in everyday life. Non-verbal communication not only provides information about an individual’s internal state (such as emotions), but also about his or her needs for attention and emotional support.

Communication is a fundamental process for organizations with meetings as the most important arena. The nonverbal language affects the transfer and the rendering of what is communicated. Digitization has changed the opportunities to communicate, where the possibility of nonverbal communication is limited. The aim of the study is to describe and analyze the technical domestication in meetings at two selected workplaces. The purpose is to contribute to research on digitizing organizations in general and workplace meetings in particular. We intend to achieve the goal and purpose of the survey by examining how the technology is handled and what it is attributed to it by the employees. This survey research the questions from a user perspective.   Data has been gathered through a qualitative research method. 15 interviews have been conducted with public sector employees. The result has been analyzed based on the theoretical framework by Gidden’s structuring theory. Further the theoretical concepts nonverbal communication, digital trust and paralinguistic and expressive linguistic have been used. The results from the study indicates that physical meetings is to prefer before digital meetings. The conclusion is that digital meetings cannot replace physical meetings. However, digital meetings are able to provide a new way of working with meetings in working life. Another conclusion is that the employee's technical domestication is a consequence of a normative approach at the workplace.

Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie verhandeling word gepoog om teen die agtergrond van multikulturele skoolsituasies in Suid-Afrika 'n oorsig van die problematiek random kommunikasievaardighede te gee. Algemene intra- en interpersoonlike kommunikasievaardighede word uitgelig. In aansluiting by 'n literatuurondersoek is kwalitatiewe data deur middel van onderhoude met skoolhoofde en onderwysers wat by multikulturele skoolsituasies betrokke is, ingesamel. Die wyse waarop mense met mekaar praat is deurslaggewend. Kommunikasieprobleme kan ontstaan wanneer kultuurgroepe met mekaar kommunikeer. Die hantering van misverstande en konflik in multikulturele skoolsituasies is belangrik. Onderwysbestuurders moet verskeie kommunikasievaardighede tydens 'n konfliksituasie aanwend. Die doeltreffende funksionering van 'n skool word grootliks medebepaal deur effektiewe kommunikasievaardighede wat toegepas word om verhoudinge tussen verskillende groepe te verbeter. Onderwysbestuurders behoort opgelei te word om effektief met alle betrokkenes in 'n konfliksituasie te kommunikeer. / This paper endeavours to give a review of the problematic nature of communication skills against the background of multicultural school situations in South Africa. General intra and interpersonal communication skills are highlighted. Further to the literature review, qualitative data has been gathered through interviews with a number of principals and teachers who are involved in multicultural school situations. The manner in which people speak to each other is important. Communication problems can occur when culture groups communicate. The management of misunderstandings and conflict is important in multicultural school situations. Education managers must utilise several communication skills during a conflict situation. The successful functioning of a school is essentially co-determined by the employment of effective communication skills to improve relationships between different groups. Education managers should be trained to communicate effectively with all persons involved in a conflict situation. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Onderwysbestuur)