Use of Time and Paralanguage in Work Place Interaction: A Case of Narok Teachers’ Training College

Abstract

The importance of nonverbal communication cannot be underestimated. A significant part of human communication does not rely on words, but nonverbal signs such as time, tone of voice, body movements and touch among others. Nonverbal communication is a powerful part of all social and professional discourse. The objectives of the study were to establish the awareness at Narok Teachers’ Training College that time and paralanguage are nonverbal cues, ascertain gender and age differences in nonverbal behaviour, and determine how nonverbal cues enhance communicative competence in work place interaction. The researcher uses The Semiotics Theory which is the study of signs in relation to their mode of transmission, as well as the Tubbs Model of Communication which stipulates that communication is a non-static process of a sender/receiver attempting to stimulate meaning in the mind of another. The study was carried out in Narok Teachers’ Training College in Lower Melili location, Narok County. Respondents were purposively sampled while data collection was carried out using questionnaires augmented with participant observation. The data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. In as much as absolute mastery of the use of time and paralanguage is not an absolute guarantee, improved consciousness in what one intends to communicate using these non-verbal cues is important in the workplace. The research outcomes were consolidated through coding, tabulation and use of frequency histograms. Further clarification of data was made in narrative form. Some of the findings showed that, professional competence is not marked by being loud. In addition, both male and female gender can be authoritative without necessarily being loud, since loudness is not a sign of dominance or self-confidence, but could actually be a face-saving effect for aggression and insecurity. On the other hand, use and perception of time revealed that belated or real-time responses were majorly based relationships rather than the tasks to be performed.