Communication, e.g. verbal/non verbal and possible barriers essay

Effective communication is about conveying your messages to other people clearly and unambiguously. It is also about receiving information that other are sending to you, with as little distortion as possible. Communication involves three components; 1, Verbal messages-the words we choose, 2, Para verbal messages-how we say the words, 3, Non-verbal-our body language. Oral is quick and natural, it is most effective in the following situations: Face to face, debates and discussions, telephone conversations, radio interviews, speeches and gossip, oral communication needs both speaking and listening skills. Tone, accent, styles of speaking, body language and pitch make communication more effective and impressive.

The disadvantages of oral communication are that it has temporal appeal (quickly forgotten), cannot provide a ” hard copy” (legal, educational) and is quickly forgotten, we cannot remember each and every point as person is communicating orally and therefore it is not suitable to convey long and important messages. In our society (Western) it is not recognised as “ preserved”, unlike Aboriginal people’s “ oral tradition”. Para verbal communication refers to the messages that we transmit through tone, pitch and pacing of our voices, it is how we say something, not what we say.

A sentence can convey entirely different meanings depending on the emphasis. When we get angry or exited, our speech tends to become more rapid and higher pitched. When we become bored or feeling down, our speech tends to slow and take on a mono-tonal quality, when we are feeling defensive our speech is often abrupt. Kinesics or Nonverbal communication cannot be underestimated. In his book Silent Messages, Professor Albert Mehrabian says the messages we send through our posture, gesture, facial expression and spatial distance account for 55% of what is perceived and understood by others.

In fact, through our body language we are always communicating, whether we want to or not. Kinesics communication is unstructured and spontaneous, it will provide information consciously and unconsciously. Kinesic communication regulates the flow of conversation, it expresses emotion, qualifies content, it will complement and contradict communication but most importantly it expands/enhances verbal communication.

Robert Bolton PhD: People Skill Book, states that: Communication is effective attending, a careful balance of alertness and relaxation that includes appropriate body movement (kinesics), eye contact and posture, fully attending says to the speaker “ what you are saying is important. I am totally present and intent on understanding you”. When I approach teaching I always consciously attempt to adhere to these concepts with my students, even though they have varying degrees on visual impairments there definitely is an overall sense of meaning being met, also I to consciously try to adhere to the fact that I always try to listen carefully.

The fact that my students do not have a lot of choice academically means that they are very “ hungry” to learn, potentially inducing anxiety just by wanting to impress so in these cases listening can significantly reduce any potential anxieties. Ruel Howe. Theologian and educator, “ A barrier to communication is something that keeps meaning from meeting. Meaning barriers exist between all people”. Communication breaks down when people exert themselves in a potentially demeaning manner. The flashing of or rolling eyes, gestures made with exasperation, attacking people, criticizing, blaming and shaming, ordering, threatening. This negative communication immediately creates barriers and therefore meaning does not meet.