Open AccessNon-verbal Communication Used by Parents to Their Children in Presence of Visitors in Ovoko
Author(s) -
Bestman Esegbuyiota Odeh,
Abugu Linda,
Jacinta Ukamaka Eze,
Juliana Ginika Mamah,
Augustigozi Eze
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of language teaching and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2053-0684
pISSN - 1798-4769
DOI - 10.17507/jltr.1204.03
Subject(s) - interpretation (philosophy) , semiotics , sign (mathematics) , nonverbal communication , psychology , population , expression (computer science) , social psychology , developmental psychology , linguistics , sociology , demography , computer science , mathematical analysis , philosophy , mathematics , programming language
This study examines the use of non-verbal communication by parents to their children in presence of visitors in Ovoko speech community, Enugu state, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study are: to identify various body communication signs used by parents to their children in presence of visitors and to provide the interpretations in the speech community under study. Primary methods of data collection are adopted which is observation and interview. From the pictures gathered from the field, a total of ten (10) facial and body expressions are selected for analysis in this study. The study adopts the social semiotic theory as a theoretical framework for its analysis. The study identifies various body signs used by parents to their children. It further reveals that all expressions used by the population have meanings attached to them. The study therefore, recommends that a study of the children’s interpretation and opinion of the parents’ body expression is a worthwhile academic undertaking in other to ascertain if the right perlocutionary response to the sign is always achieved.