LESSON 5: VEBAL AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
PREAPRED BY: MRS. AIMEE O. ARAZA
Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication
Communication is a natural phenomenon; it is an act of interacting with people
and sharing information with them. Do you know, whether you speak or not, it
communicates the message to the other party. There are two types of
communication Verbal and Non-verbal.
Verbal communication is a form of communication in which you use words
to interchange the information with other people either in the form of speech
or writing.
The communication in which the sender uses words, whether spoken or
written, to transmit the message to the receiver is known as Verbal
Communication
The communication can be done in two ways (i) Oral – like face-to-face
communication, lectures, phone calls, seminars, etc. (ii) Written – Letters, E-
mail, SMS, etc.
. Consider the following when engaging in Verbal communication:
[Link] - The language that you use should be appropriate to the
environment or occasion. (i.e., whether formal or informal).
[Link] - Speakers who often use simple yet precise and powerful words are
found to be more credible. Try to achieve brevity by being more direct with your
words. Avoid fillers and insubstantial expressions which do not add to the
message, such as “uh”, “you know”, “I guess”, and others. [Link] - The
meanings of words, feelings or ideas may be interpreted differently by listener;
hence, it is essential for you to clearly state your message and express your
ideas and feelings. [Link] - Words should be carefully chosen in
consideration of the gender, roles, ethnicity, preferences and status of the
person or people you are.
[Link] - Words that are vividly or creatively describe things or feelings
usually add color and spice to communication; hence you are encouraged to
find ways to charm your audience through the use of vivid words.
Some verbal elements in speaking:
a. Pause – A speaker takes pauses between utterances to allow listeners to
process what is said.
b. Loudness or softness – Emphasis can be achieved either speaking loudly or
softly.
c. Rhythm – refers to the speed and flow of a speaker’s utterances
LESSON 5: VEBAL AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
PREAPRED BY: MRS. AIMEE O. ARAZA
d. Repetition and Rephrasing – In order that the listener can better
understand what was said, the speaker may repeat or even paraphrase the
message.
e. Tone – The tone of voice often shows the attitude of the speaker toward the
topic or the listener.
f. Appropriate Form of Language – A speaker must use the appropriate form
of language to be used in a given setting.
On the contrary, Nonverbal communication does not use words for
communicating anything, but some other modes are used, i.e. where
communication takes place by way of unspoken or unwritten messages such as
body language(movement), hand gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, sign
language and so forth.
Non-verbal communication is based on the understanding of the parties to
communication, as the transmission of messages from the sender to receiver is
wordless i.e. the communication uses signs. So, if the receiver understands the
message completely and proper feedback is given afterwards, then the
communication succeeds. Nonverbal Communication is continuous in nature.
The types of Non-verbal communication are as under:
• CHRONEMICS: The use of time in communication is chronemics, which
speaks about the personality of the sender / receiver like punctuality,
the speed of speech, etc For example, in terms of social context, being
late for a date for a female in some countries is a part social ritual.
• VOCALICS: The volume, tone of voice and pitch used by the sender for
communicating a message to the receiver is known as vocalics or
paralanguage.
• HAPTICS: The use of touch in communication is the expression of
feelings and emotions. Handshake, or a gentle pat on back, or a high
five.
• KINESICS: It is the study of the body language of a person, i.e.,
gestures, postures, facial expressions, etc. Kinesics signals can be inborn
(unwitting), learned (witting), or a mixture of the two. Blinking the eyes,
clearing the throat, and facial flushing are innate (inborn) signals. These
are often involuntary, as are, for example, facial expressions of
happiness, surprise, anger, disgust, and other basics emotions
understood by people in all cultures.
LESSON 5: VEBAL AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
PREAPRED BY: MRS. AIMEE O. ARAZA
-Laughing, crying, and shrugging the shoulders are examples of mixed
signals. They may originate as innate actions, but cultural rules shape their
timing and use. Gestures, such as a wink of the eye, a thumbs up, or a
military salute, are learned signals. The meanings of such signs vary among
different cultures.
• PROXEMICS: The distance maintained by a person while
communicating with others, communicates about the relationship of the
person with others like intimate, personal, social and public. Proxemics
consists in the messages people express when, for example, they prefer
to sit at the front or back of a classroom, or whether they sit near to or
far from the head of the table at a meeting. Most teachers will tell you
that the mischief-makers dash to the back of the classroom and that the
more serious students choose a front a seat.
• ARTIFACTS: The appearance of a person speaks about his personality,
i.e. by way of clothing, carrying jewelry, lifestyle, etc. This kind of
communication is known as artifactual communication. Color and
Appearance The choices we make in the colors we wear, clothing,
hairstyle and makeup are all a means of nonverbal communication.
Mastery of nonverbal communication is important for several reasons:
[Link] enhances and emphasizes the message of your speech, thus making it
more meaningful, truthful and relevant.
[Link] can communicate feelings, attitudes and perceptions without you saying
a word.
[Link] can sustain the attention of listeners and keep them engaged in the
speech.
[Link] gives the audience a preview to the type of speaker you are.
[Link] makes you appear more dynamic and animated in your delivery.
[Link] serves as a channel to release tensions and nervousness.
[Link] helps make your speech more dramatic.
[Link] can build a connection with listeners.
[Link] makes you a credible speaker.
[Link] helps you vary your speaking style and avoid monotonous delivery.
