Final answer:
Written communication is considered non-verbal communication, utilizing written symbols to convey messages with nuanced rhetoric and semiotics. It serves to engage audiences and share culture, requiring understanding of rhetorical situations and appropriate tone depending on the context.
Step-by-step explanation:
Written communication is typically categorized as non-verbal communication because it relies on written symbols and text rather than spoken words or sounds to convey a message. Despite this, written communication is rich in rhetoric and can be as nuanced as verbal communication. Through careful selection of words, structuring of sentences, and the use of literary devices, writers engage in a form of dialogue with their audience. Semiotics, the study of signs and symbols, underpins written communication. We comprehend and engage with written communication because we have learned to recognize and understand these signs within our language system.
When considering communicative scenarios, we must recognize the specific rhetorical situations involved. Writing in various contexts—be it on social media, in academic settings, or literary texts—requires different approaches to effectively convey messages. Academic writing, for instance, demands a more formal tone and established structures compared to the informal style that might be accepted on social media or in personal correspondences.
Furthermore, all writing is part of a larger conversation, whether it is with oneself during freewriting, with instructors and classmates in an academic setting, or with a broader audience on social media platforms. Writers like Selena Gomez use strategies such as vulnerability and analysis to engage audiences in these conversations. Hence, written communication is a powerful tool that serves as a means of sharing experiences, developing relationships, and building communities.