ABSTRACT
This chapter opens with the definition of verbal communication and the relationship between verbal communication and meaning is explained in terms of the triangle of meaning, denotative and connotative meanings, and the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. The chapter pays special attention to how words influence thought and behavior, in addition to doublespeak. Students also learn skills related to civil and competent conversations—in particular, how to begin, sustain, and conclude a conversation. Furthermore, the chapter shows how the culture, gender, and workplace contexts and ends by teaching students how to improve their ability to engage in civil communication by using specific words and concrete words and by indexing and owning thoughts and feelings.
