BLOCK 01 UNIT 3: VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Unit 3 discusses the following topics:
- Verbal Communication: Oral and Written Modes
- Non-verbal Communication
- Body Language and Silence.
- Barriers to Communication
- The Six Wh-s That See You Through as a Communicator.
Verbal Communication: Oral and Written Modes
- The word verbal means words.
- Verbal communication means communication by using words.
- Verbal communication can be in two modes- oral and written communication
| oral communication | written communication |
|---|---|
| It is an Informal one | it is a formal communication |
| In spoken form | In written form |
| Oral communication is more natural and spontaneous. | it is a preplanned communication not a natural |
| A great percentage of our communication is oral communication | it uses only academic and professional use |
| it is less reliable because it cannot be recorded for future reference | it is more reliable than oral communication. because it can be filed for future reference |
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
- Non-verbal communication is the communication without using the word
- Albert Mehrabian, a professor of psychology, estimates that 55% of the impact of a message is through the non-verbal mode.
- Non-verbal communication can be visual or auditory.
- Examples:- Symbols, signs, sounds, eye contact, facial expression, body postures, gestures, physical appearance, and even silence also comes under non-verbal communication.
Symbols and signs.
- Symbols and signs are used where one-way communication is adequate and effective.
- Pictures and signs of a petrol pump, Stairs, or Toilet can pass instant messages than those words.
- The language barriers also can be reduced with the help of nonverbal signs. This is why the majority of the international tourist places use signs of the toilet, exit, and stairs instead of words.
Gestures.
Similarly, communication can be made with gestures. A cricket umpire and a football referee can pass the instant message to players by using gestures.
- Various studies suggest that about 45% of our communication takes place through non-verbal mode.
- Both verbal and nonverbal communication are complemented each other.
- Judicious use of different modes of communication based on the purpose is very important.
- Verbal and non-verbal communications are supportive and complementary to each other.
Advantages of Non-verbal Communication
- Non-verbal communication has many advantages over verbal communication.
- It makes instant communication possible.
- Visual tools can present a quick picture of statistics, trends, and comparisons.
- Advantage of Signs.
- It helps us to pass the instant messages.
- Anybody who sees a red light automatically stops the vehicle without conscious thought.
- Similarly, green light stimulates us to take our own way.
- The waving of a green or red flag by a railway guard or a station master passes on a clear message to the driver and to the people on the platform.
- Advantage of Symbols.
- Some symbols are universal and easy to understand.
- Therefore, by using universal symbols we can communicate with people who come from different cultural backgrounds
- They are popular and convey the same message in almost all cultures.
- A heart signifies love.
- A white flag indicates peace.
- Advantages of Graphs, Charts, and Flow Charts
- Graphs, charts, and flow charts are effective means of communication.
- Graphs can communicate very quickly than a verbal description.
- Graphs are useful to record changes over a period of time.
- Chart offers an effective way of condensing a large amount of data to a manageable size.
- The expenditure of a country can be effectively shown through a pie diagram.
- The academic performance of different years of an institution can be compared easily by using a bar diagram.
- If we describe the same with words we have to use many paragraphs.
BODY LANGUAGE AND SILENCE
- Body language is the way the human body communicates through its physical movements and changes in body position.
- Body language is culture-specific and context-dependent. It varies based on the culture and context
- Facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, posture, etc. constitute our body language.
- The scientific study of body language is called kinesics.
DIFFERENT FACTORS OF BODY LANGUAGE
Eye Contact
- Eye contact is one of the most important factors in effective communication.
- The eyes have been called the windows of the soul.
- They seem to reflect our nature.
Eyes are the power full communicator. different actions of the eyes promote different meanings and interpretations.
| eyes actions | interpretations |
|---|---|
| Maintaining eye contact. | Boldness, confidence. |
| Looking away, shifting eye contact. | Disagreement, impatience, loss of interest, dishonesty. |
| Looking down. | Shyness, nervousness. |
| Closing the eyes. | Lack of interest, hostility. |
Posture.
- Proper posture is also important for good communication.
- Leaning backward, and swinging the legs are all bad manners.
- Bend forward a little to indicate that you are listening attentively.
distance
- The physical distance between people is usually a clear indication of the relationship between them.
- The study of the human use of space within the context of culture is called proxemics.
- Hall defined three kinds of personal spaces that surround individuals.
- Intimate space -for the closest friends and intimates.
- Social and consultative spaces -people feel comfortable conducting routine social interactions with acquaintances as well as strangers.
- Public space – for interactions as impersonal and relatively anonymous.
Silence: Its Role in Communication.
- Silence can be interpreted in more than one way.
- It could be effectively used to express one’s protest.
- It can also provoke introspection in speakers as well as listeners.
- In some times silence can make a positive impact or negative impact depending upon the situation.
- Indira Gandhi is said to be famous for her silence at high-level meetings.
- The Japanese are also said to, use silence very effectively.
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
- Everybody tries to communicate, but all communication needs not to be successful
- Everybody tries to communicate, but not all communication is successful.
- Sometimes there is a gap between what the speaker intended and what is listener understood.
- Sometimes there are some obstacles between sender and receiver.
- This means that sometimes communication can be failed because of a number of reasons.
- Those reasons can be classified under the three categories as
- (a) Semantic and Linguistic barriers
- (b) Sociopsychological Barriers
- (c) Cross-Cultural barriers
Semantic and Linguistic Barriers
Semantic barrier means misunderstanding and misinterpretation of meaning. Semantic barriers can be divided into:
- Ambiguity in Expression
- Homophones
- Contextual Meaning and Speech Acts
- Stress and Intonation.
- Word Shift
- Style.
- Register and Jargon “Acronyms”
- Ambiguity in Expression
- There are words and sentences which have more than one meaning, interpretation, and explanation.
- Every language has words that sound the same but have different meanings or words that sound or look very similar but are very different in meaning.
- Such differences create confusion in the mind of the reader and lead to a breakdown of effective communication.
- Ambiguity can arise because of such words or expressions.
- Ambiguity can be intentional and unintentional.
- Homophones
- Homophones- Words that are pronounced similarly but have different meanings.
- For example. sea, see; cite, site, sight; eye, I; wait, weight; check, cheque; weak, week; loose, lose.
- A proficient listener can easily make out the meaning from the context but normal speakers may not identify the correct word.
- It leads to confusion in the mind of a listener and leads to failure in communication.
- Contextual Meaning and Speech Acts.
- The meaning of a word is derived from the intention of the writer and the context where we use the word.
- Language is used to perform a “speech act” such as giving an order, extending an invitation, and so on.
- Take the example “Ram, the door is open”
- This sentence can be interpreted in different ways, depending on the context:
- As an invitation — Ram, come in.
- As a command — Ram, close the door.
- As a warning — Ram, be careful!
- As a statement of intent — Ram, we are open for discussion.
- Stress and Intonation.
- Stress on a particular syllable in a word, or on a word in a sentence can change the meaning drastically.
- EXAMPLES
- In words:
- ‘Project and Project
- In sentences:
- They stole the fruit from the garden.
- They stole the fruit from the garden.
- They stole the fruit from the garden.
- They stole the fruit from the garden.
- Word Shift
- The meaning of a sentence can change when the position of a word is shifted.
- It snows here only in winter. (at no other time than in winter)
- It only snows here in winter. (it does nothing but snow during winter)
- Style.
- There are two styles of language- formal and informal.
- We have to distinguish these two styles. •Using a formal style in an informal context may create a comic impact.
- Same way use of informal style in a serious context is considered as rude behavior.
- We have to use words and sentences based on the contexts otherwise communication may not be successful.
- Register and Jargon “Acronyms”
- Register is the type of language which we use for a particular purpose or particular communicative situation.
- The variations in formality are known as registers in linguistics.
- Such changes or variations are determined by the audience, purpose, context, and social situation.
- For E.g. the word ‘instrument’ in the field of banking is a cheque or a demand draft.
- A ‘section’ means a bundle of hundred notes of the same denomination.
- same words when we use them in different fields the meaning keeps changing and changing. This leads to confusion in the mind of the listeners and speakers and it leads to the breakdown of communication.
- Jargon consists of a set of words specific to a department, field, or profession.
- Examples- medical jargon, legal jargon, sports jargon, trade jargon, and political jargon.
- It uses to make communication precise, effective, and short.
- But people from the other field may confuse with such words and break proper communication.
- Acronyms are words made by putting together the initial letters of a descriptive name.
- They are usually understood only within their context:
- Examples: STD, PAN, PIN, and NGO are common acronyms in India.
- The expansion of the acronyms can be understood only by the context in which they use. Therefore people may confuse with acronyms as well.
Socio-psychological Barriers
The following are the socio-psychological barriers to communication
- The Attention-span of the Listener
- A serious and gloomy atmosphere
- External Disturbances and the Wrong Medium
- Personal Bias and Strong Feelings
- Selectivity.
- Cynicism and Negativity
- Perceived Benefits
- The Attention-span of the Listener
- The attention span of the listener also can be a barrier to communication.
- The time spent on the communication process should not exceed the audience’s patience or attention span.
- A listener has his own attention span. if the speaker goes beyond the attention span, the listener cannot concentrate on the speech.
we can solve the problem of attention span by using brevity
- Brevity is an essential component of effective communication.
- Brevity is the quality of being concise or short.
- Brevity shows an effort by the speaker to convey the essence of what (s)he wants to say in the best possible way.
- A classic example of brevity: when Gandhiji died, the writer and Nobel laureate Pearl S. Buck remarked,
- “Another crucifixion”. In just two words, she conveyed the idea of Gandhiji as a prophet.
2. A serious and gloomy atmosphere
- A serious and gloomy atmosphere also can be a barrier to communication
- Whether in teaching or talking, a smile always complements the message.
- Even a hard concept can be conveyed through humor and occasional jokes.
- Eye contact and a smile give the listeners a feeling of togetherness.
- Therefore we have to create a present admos[here in the context of communication
3. External Disturbances and the Wrong Medium
- Noise from the surroundings or mechanical failures can break communication.
- In the case of computerized presentations failure of power supply during their presentation can be an external barrier.
- Each mode or medium of communication (verbal and nonverbal) has its characteristic strengths and weaknesses.
- We have to use a mode of communication based on the context.
4. Personal Bias and Strong Feelings
- People have strong feelings about specific issues or people that may affect the success of communication.
- Their emotion may interfere with the message that he wants to send and receive.
5. Selectivity,
- Selectivity can be another barrier to communication.
- The attitude of selectivity is very dangerous.
- Because the listener listens and understands only what he wants and ignores all other parts.
6. Cynicism and Negativity
- Cynicism is the belief that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere
- The cynical and negative person is not open to new ideas.
7. Perceived Benefits
- For successful communication, we need an attentive and interested audience.
- If the listener does not perceive any benefit to them, the listener(s) may soon lose interest.
THE SIX WH-S THAT SEE YOU THROUGH
AS A COMMUNICATOR
- Before we communicate with anyone or any group, we have to ask six questions to ourselves that begin with “Wh”
- 1)Why am I communicating?
- 2)With whom am I communicating?
- 3)How should I communicate?
- 4)What am I communicating?
- 5)Where am I communicating?
- 6)When am I communicating?
These questions are important Because in different situations or places we have to take different roles and positions. Therefore we have to communicate with respect to the same.