Vice Language And Its Communicative Function

This thesis gives a brief talk on paralanguage and its communicative functions. Broadly, paralanguage refers to expressions, motions, body language dynamically and narrow paralanguage, dress and environmental language statically. Narrowly speaking, paralanguage refers to the vocal paralanguage which consists of phonetic characteristics (voice quality, length, loudness, stress, pitch, tempo and intonation), vocal segregates (pause and silence) and differentiators, and written paralanguage which includes handwriting, typeface, electronic paralanguage and concrete poetry, etc. Paralanguage has the functions of complementing, substituting, accenting, regulating and contradicting. Paralanguage offers meaning and plays an important role in effective communication as well as language. Therefore, the study of paralinguistic theory is absolutely necessary and significant.