Friday, March 21, 2014

Blog Post 5 -Nonverbal Analysis -Katie Smith

Al Pacino's motivational speech to his team was extremely inspirational. I wasn't even going to play football and it got me fired up. He utilizes many of the major nonverbal communication concepts, which undoubtedly helped him be so effective. 

Kinesics - His face consistently matches the tone of the speech. He is never smiling, he doesn't look surprised. He looks serious, he has a businesslike expression on his face. It feels like he really believes what he is saying, you can tell in his face that he means it. 
Chronemics - I think he does a great job with his time. The speech is not incredibly long; it doesnt drag on and make you bored. Also, he makes pauses in normal patterns throughout the speech. He especially does this when he says something important; he waits for the team to clap or cheer or get excited and then keeps that excitement going with his next big line. 
Artifacts- He is holding some rolled up paper and he keeps slapping on his opposite hand. To me this conveys seriousness. But that could be a personal thing, because when i was younger, my aunt used to always roll up a paper and spank her dogs with it when she was mad. We knew if she got the paper out, that she meant business. I also believe that this helped him keep the attention of the men he was speaking to. His clothes give a business casual feel. Yes, he is wearing a suit. But his jacket is unbuttoned, he is not wearing a tie and he has glasses hanging from around his neck. 
Physical appearance- He is not really tall, and he does not have an overpowering stature. But he carries himself in a way that is professional and exudes confidence. He doesn't cower or stoop his shoulders. He moves with dignity. However, he isnt stiff. He always looks relaxed or excited, but never uncomfortable. 

Paralinguistics - The tone of his voice is always serious. His pitch goes up when it needs to, and so does his sound level. One thing that I believe is so important to the effectiveness of this speech in particular is that he starts off in a very personal tone. His voice isnt loud, but its not quiet and mousy. He talks to these men like men. Then as excitement starts to build, he begins to get louder. He gets the loudest on parts that he thinks are important, but he incites emotion in his team during these parts. 

Al Pacino's use of Chronemics, Artifacts, Paralinguistics, Kinesics and physical appearance makes his speech absolutely perfect for the context and the audience. He gives off the impression that he is comfortable with what he is talking about and who he is talking to. He is confident in himself, which helps him instill confidence in his audience. He starts out on a personal paralinguistic level to entice the team, then he hits them with the kickers and makes them excited about what he is saying. 

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