Communication plays a vital role in nearly every aspect of our life. People communicate with others almost all the time either verbally or nonverbally. Although these two kinds differ totally in the way they are performed, both of them function basically the same. Moreover, they could create misunderstandings and be even obstacles to communication; however, these obstacles could be overcome by following some advices in order to achieve effective communication.
Verbal CommunicationTo start explaining the first and most obvious kind of communication, which is verbal, it would be beneficial to begin with the definition. Due to the fact that verbal communication is achieved via a language, defining the language means defining verbal communication itself.
According to Pearson and Nelson (2000), language is a “code, a collection of symbols, letters, or words with arbitrary meanings that are arranged according to the rules of syntax and are used to communicate.” So, language consists of words or symbols that represent things without being those things. For example, the word automobile is a symbol for a vehicle that runs on gasoline, but it is not the vehicle itself. When you speak, you encode by translating your thoughts into words. In listening, you decode their words by assigning meaning to them in order to translate them into thoughts of your own. Because language is an imperfect means of transmission, the thoughts encoded by one person almost never exactly match the thoughts decoded by another.
Consequently, communication can be difficult when individuals don't follow certain language conventions. Sometimes, people may be able to make sense of unconventional language usage; other times, language used in an unconventional usage can be an obstacle to communication. Unconventional language includes the use of clichés, which are expressions that have lost originality and force through overuse. Common clichés include” One for all and all for one” may be unclear to individuals who are unfamiliar with the underlying idea. The use of slang and jargon are also responsible for creating misunderstanding among people.
Improving verbal skills is the key to overcome these difficulties in communication. You can change and improve your use of language by avoiding intentional confusion. That needs striving to become increasingly sensitive to your own use of clichés, jargon and slang. You can also improve your verbal skills by being more descriptive, which includes checking your perception, paraphrasing and using operational definitions. These skills are essential to every person wants to be understood.
Nonverbal Communication
The other and equally important kind of communication is the nonverbal one. Unlike verbal communication, nonverbal communication is achieved by using nonverbal codes which consist of symbols that are not words, including nonword vocalizations. Bodily movement, facial expressions, the use of space, touching, vocal cues, clothing and other artifacts are all nonverbal codes. These codes, despite of their nature, are similarly encoded and decoded to convey meanings as it is the case with verbal codes. Considering some facial expressions in sending emotional information such as scowling with displeasure shows us that person's state of mind as clear as if he or she has told us about it. In fact, the power of nonverbal communication cannot be underestimated since Professor Albert Mehrabian says the messages we send through our posture, gestures, facial expression, and spatial distance account for 55% of what is perceived and understood by others. However, it is not always that easy to interpret nonverbal codes and Just as people have difficulty in interpreting verbal symbols, so do they struggle to interpret nonverbal codes.
Nonverbal communication is responsible for much of the misunderstanding occurs during communication. Reasons for this difficulty include using the same code to communicate a variety of meanings. For example, rising your right hand may mean that you are taking an oath, want a taxi to stop for you or a physician is examining your right hand. In addition, people use a variety of codes to communicate the same meaning and have different interpretations for the purpose of nonverbal codes such as the prolonged eye contact when greeting the Chinese for the first time is regarded as a mark of disrespect, and so this could indirectly cost you a business lost.
It is therefore important to acquire some skills in order to overcome those nonverbal obstacles as we do with verbal ones.
How to improve your Nonverbal Communication
You can improve your nonverbal communication by being sensitive to the context. The context includes the physical settings, the occasion, and the situation. You can also avoid confusion by adapting your nonverbal codes with the audience. Adaptation to an audience may determine your choice of clothing, hairstyle, and jewelry. By doing so, you can solve many of the difficulties in interpreting nonverbal codes and maintain positive relationships with others.
In conclusion, nonverbal communication accompanying with the verbal one plays a major role in our daily interactions with others. Unless they are used properly, problems and disputes could be triggered from both of them. Actually, effective communication has no magic formula, but improving your verbal as well as nonverbal communication may help you to achieve that. The increasing importance of reaching effective communication, especially in our changing world, is not solving all the world's problems, but is solving or avoiding many of them.
Sumaiah S. Al-Shayei holds a Post Graduate Degree. She is based in Riyadh, KSA.
Published on July 31, 2005
