Various Methods of Communication
Communication means exchanging ideas, opinions, or information among people. People use different methods of communication express themselves. The choice of the methods depend on various factors, such as the urgency of the message, the time availability, the expenditure involved, the intellectual and emotional level of the sender and the receiver.
METHODS OF COMMUNICATION
There are three basic methods of communication:
1. Verbal
2. Non-verbal
3. Visual
VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Verbal communication involves the use of words in delivering the intended message. Words are the most accurate and powerful tools to express and share ideas.
There are two primary forms of verbal communication.
- Oral communication
- Written communication
ORAL COMMUNICATION
The process of expressing information or ideas through spoken words is known as oral communication.
Oral communication is a more natural form of communication than the written form. The most significant advantage of oral communication is that it provides immediate feedback and clarification. Both, the speaker and the listener takes turns to speak and enter into a kind of dialogues to make the whole communication process purposeful. It is a time saving and useful tool. It lends a personal touch to the entire interaction. Telephonic conversation, video-conferencing, voicemails, general conversation, speeches, meetings, seminars, group discussions, etc., come under the category of oral communication. The factors that determine the effectiveness of an oral communication are:
Pace: It means how fast or slow you speak. If the speaker talks to fast, the receiver may not be able to absorb and interpret the message correctly. On the other hand, if the speaker talks to slow, the receiver might lose interest.
Clarity in Pronunciation: It refers to speaking words clearly and correctly, including the correct sounds of the letters with proper emphasis.
Volume/Pitch: It means how loud or soft your voice is. If the speaker talks in loud volume with someone sitting across the table, he may sound dominating, and the receiver might field detached/unconnected. On the other hand, speaking in a soft voice leads the receiver to think that the person is shy or not confident. So, you need to have a balanced tone.
Choice of Words: It refers to choosing the appropriate words while communicating. Consider the following example, where are remark about someone's shoes using two different words leads to entirely different interpretations by the receiver. The table given below list the comments and interpretations.
Therefore, while drafting your message, carefully choose words that communicate your meaning clearly and leave little scope for misinterpretation.
Fluency: It refers to the ability to speak with ease and accuracy in a language. To talk with friends in means that your speech flows well and there are not many interruptions to that flow. It keep the receiver and engaged. For example, too many pauses and words like, um, ah, you know, etc., used by the speaker, may distract the receiver and break the flow of communication.
Length of Communication: The conversation should be simple, short and to the point. If the speaker talks for a long duration of time about things which are not relevant to the topic, the listener lose interest in the speech and the purpose of this page is defeated. On the other hand, a conversation with a short conveys the message clearly and concisely and keeps the listener and engaged.
ADVANTAGES OF ORAL COMMUNICATION
- It is interpersonal and helps in building relationships.
- It encourages involvement in team worm and decision-making process.
- Oral message provides prompt feedback.
- It is cost efficient.
- It is preferred mode of communication for private or confidential matters.
DISADVANTAGES OF ORAL COMMUNICATION
- In this form of communication emotions are visible and hands can lead to miscommunication.
- It has no legal validity.
- It does not provide a permanent record and the message can easily be forgotten.
- It may be difficult for certain people to understand speech due to various accents and pace used in oral communication.
- This form of communication is not suitable for lengthy messages.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
It involves sending messages in the form of written words to convey information. Written communication is the most formal form of communication. It is an innovative activity of their mind that involve a careful choice of words and their placement in the correct order. Examples of written communication include letters, reports, resumes, brochures, circulars, memorandums, contract, notices, etc. Nowadays written communication has become shorter and faster. SMS and messengers like WhatsApp, e-mails, social media etc., are some of the standard mediums of written communication. For effective written communication, the message should be meaningful, concise, and complete.
ADVANTAGES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
- Written communication allows the sender to thoughtfully draft clear and comprehensive message.
- Written content has legal validity.
- It is a suitable mode of communication for lengthy messages.
DISADVANTAGES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Non-verbal communication means communicating without the use of words, oral or written. It can be efficiently used to enhance our verbal communication. It includes our body language, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, pointing fingers etc.
Non-verbal signs can convey thoughts and feelings in the absence of verbal communication. How we say something, is often more important than what we say. Research by Albert Mihranian suggest that nonverbal communication has the most significant impact on the receiver than the speaker's words.
The different elements of non-verbal communication are:
Facial Expression: It is the most noticeable expect of nonverbal communication. They look on a person's face is often the first thing we see even before we hear what he has to say.
Gestures: Conscious hand and body movements and signals are an essential way to communicate without words. Some of the common gestures include waving, pointing, and using fingers to indicate number. However, some unconscious gestures also convey one's state of mind, for example, glancing at the watch is interpreted as a sign of disinterest or a desire to leave the conversation. Additionally, different cultures recognise their specific gestures, for example, in India, we fold our hands to greet others and express our regards for others, but gesture has no significance in the other parts of the world.
Voice: Non-verbal speech such as tone, pitch, volume, modulation, rhythm and rate are essential elements of communication. When we speak, other people read our voices in addition to listening to our words. These non-verbal sounds provide subtle but for clues into our true feelings and what we mean. For example, the tone of voice can indicate sarcasm, anger affection, or conference. A loud tone of voice might be interrupted as a sign of approval and enthusiasm, while a soft tone of voice maybe construed as a sign of nervousness. Even lack of sound and silence can communicate a lack of interest or understanding or even hard feelings into in a face to face discussion.
Body Language: We communicate numerous messages through her body language. Body language includes facial expressions, eye moments, hand gestures, posture, etc. For example, standing erect and leaning forward communicate to listener that you are approachable and friendly. Using appropriate expressions and gestures strengthen your speech. For example, in a declamation contest, if your body language reflects confidence your speech will have a greater impact on the audience as well as on the judges.
Eye Gaze: The movement of eyes like looking, starting, and blinking is an essential form of non-verbal communication. Eye Gaze also determines if someone is being honest or not. Steady eye contact may be interrupted as the person being truthful and trustworthy.
Physical Contact: Communication through physical contact is another essential non-verbal behaviour. Sometimes, our touch may be able to express their feelings more effectively than the words. For example, a warm hug from a mother consoles a child, whereas, a firm grip of a mother shows her control to prevent the child from doing something wrong.
Dress and Appearance: In oral forms of communication, the appearance of both the speaker and the surroundings play a vital role in creating an impact on the audience for receiver. For example, a well dressed person gives an impression of position and power, thus generating respect from others.
ADVANTAGES OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
- Non-verbal communication complement the verbal message.
- Physical gestures greatly help handicapped people, especially deaf people.
DISADVANTAGES OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
- It is difficult to analyse a non-verbal message, thus leaving a greater possibility of distortion of information.
- In Non-verbal communication long conversation and necessary explanations are not possible.
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
Visual communication skills and was the judicious use of visual aids to make a penetrative and lasting impact on a receiver's mind. Graphs, charts, maps, powerpoint presentations, overhead projectors, smart boards, white and black boards, models, paper handouts, etc., are the different types of visual aids that help in conveying a message efficiently. For example, an educator can impart knowledge on a particular topic to the students in an effective manner with the help of a smart board, picture, or a diagram. These visual aids helps to retain information and understand the concept much more clearly and quickly. The use of visual is to grab the attention of the strengths and keep them engaged.
ADVANTAGES OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION
- Visual aids like graph, diagrams, models, etc., make communication more meaningful.
- Use of visual aids makes complex data easy to comprehend.
- Visual aids make the communication more interesting.
DISADVANTAGES OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION
- Some of the aids used in visual methods of communication are costly.
- Sometimes visual presentation of information becomes complex.
- Sometimes visual techniques take much time to communicate.
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