KARATINA

UNIVERISTY : CIM 211

EDUCATION MEDIA
Dr Mugo David (PhD)

email: davidgm200@yahoo.com Cell: 0721 290 330

LECTURE 10
Communication … cont
NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION/VISUAL COMMUNICATION
c) Non Verbal communication

 Although the most common methods of communication are

carried out orally or in writing, the power of non-verbal
communication must never be underestimated.

 It involve the sending and receiving messages in a variety of

ways without the use verbal codes (word)

 A teacher should be mindful of the non verbal signals they send

to and receive from their students

 VBI is both intentional and non intentional. Most speakers are

not conscious of their NVC
 It is achieved through Gestures (non verbal body movement intend to
express meaning e.g. wink, touch, body language, Facial expression, or
d) eye contact

 NVB communication ca also be achieved through object communication

which include, clothing or Hair style

 Speech can also contain non-verbal communication an aspect called

Paralanguage, which include Paralanguage include, voice quality,
speaking style, stress of specific words or Rhythm and intonation
 Argyle (1988) further suggests that there are 5 primary functions of non
verbal communication :

1. to express emotions

2. To express interpersonal attitudes

3. To complement speech

4. Presentation of ones personality

5. For rituals such as greetings e.t.c.

 Nonverbal messages are an essential component of communication in the
teaching learning process.

 Teachers should be aware of non verbal behavior in the classroom for three
major reasons.

 NV messages are essential to a teacher for 3 major reasons

a) An awareness of NV behavior allows a teacher to become a better

receiver of student’s messages

b) The teacher becomes a better sender of signals that reinforce learning

c) It help to increase the perceived psychological closeness between the

teacher and the learner
 The combined effect of simultaneous verbal and non verbal, vocal and
facial cues are critical in the communication process.

 Cues from spoken constitute 7%, from voice tone 38%, and from facial
expression 55% to the total meaning
Major areas of NVC.

a) Eye contact

 It is an important aspect of NVC

 It helps to regulate the flow of communication.

 It signals interests in others.

 Teachers who make eye contact with their students open the flow of
communication and convey interest, concern, warmth and credibility
b) Facial expressions

 Facial expression such as smiles send signals to the student about the
teacher. Smiling is a powerful cue that express happiness, friendliness,
warmth, liking or affiliation

 Nonverbal communication and behavior can vary dramatically between

cultures, but facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, and fear
are similar throughout the world.

 A teacher is encouraged to send facial signals that show likeability

warmth and approval
c) Gestures

 A gesture is a non verbal body movement intended to express meaning.

 Gestures may be articulated with hands, arms or any other body part

 They may include movement of the head (e.g. nodding), face, or eyes
such as winking

 Some gestures have been identified by researchers as replacement of

words, e.g. an hand wave may mean “hallo”

 Other common gestures include waving, pointing, and using fingers to

indicate numeric amounts
 Other gestures are used spontaneously with words, and may be used to
supplement verbal messages e.g. pointing to an object when speaking
about it
d) Posture and body orientation
 Posture refers to how people their bodies during communication

 It can also refer to the overall physical form of an individual.

 Body Posture can convey a wealth of information about how a person is

feeling as well as hints about personality characteristics, such as
confidence, openness or submissiveness.

 It can also be can be used to determine the degree of attention, level

of fondness between the communicators.
 An individual communicate numerous messages by the way he walk,
talk, etc.

 Standing upright, but not rigid, a forward lean signify that the teacher
is approachable, receptive and friendly

 Speaking with the body turned shows disinterest with the learners
e) Closeness and personal space (Proximity)

 This refer to the physical space between the communicants.

 The space between the sender and the receiver of a message influences
the way the message is interpreted.

 Every culture has different levels of physical closeness appropriate to

different types of relationship

 Individuals learn these distances from the society in which they grew up.

 The study of personal space is called proxemics.

 In Western society, four distances have been defined according to the

relationship between the people involved:
• Intimate Distance (touching to 45cm)
• Personal Distance (45cm to 1.2m)
• Social Distance (1.2m to 3.6m)
• Public Distance (3.7m to 4.5m)
 A teacher should be sensitive to the students space (or vice versa), and
should endeavor not to invade the same

 Where we have too much physical space, teachers are encouraged to move
around. This increases proximity for better eye contact and for expression
of other non verbal communication
f) Paralanguage

 These are the non verbal cues of the voice

 Voice properties e.g. tone, volume, pitch and accent can give non verbal
cues.

 Expression of emotions while speaking e.g. laughing, yawning etc are

examples of paralanguage.

 For maximum and effective teaching, a teacher should learn to vary their
tone, volume and pitch.

 Teachers speaking in monotone are perceived to be boring and dull, and

results less learning.

 This is because learners loose interest listening to teachers speaking in

monotone
g) Humor

 Humor is a teaching tool

 Laughter resulting from humor releases stress and tension that may
have built up during classroom communication

 Laughter fosters a friendly classroom which in turn foster social

interactive learning
h). Clothing and body characteristics

 Our clothing is a “talking” communication tool.

 It carries a certain message, which is used by talented representatives

of the fashion industry, communicating with the world through their
clothing

 Clothing has both a functional and communicative function.

 By clothing you are able to know that an individual is a student, a male

or a female, a police officer, a nurse and so on

 A teacher is encourage to dress in an acceptable code, be well groomed

not necessarily striking dress
 Elements of physique, such as height, skin color, etc send non verbal
messages during communication

 E.g. school captains are usually tall and built

i). Time in communication

 Time is an important element in NVC

 The way a teacher structure time, the way they react to time is a
powerful communication tool

 Time perceptions such as punctuality, willingness to wait, and the

speed of performing tasks determines how long learners are willing to
listen.

 A teacher who is not sensitive to the bell, which acts as a warning of

time may tire the learners
j) Touching in communication

 This is communication by touching.

 It is vital in conveying physical intimacy, fondness and warmth.

 However, some forms of touch can also communicate abuse, hate, e.g.
kicking, slapping etc

 Touch can be sexual – such as kissing, or plutonic such as hugging.

 These forms of touch are not professionally or culturally acceptable

between the teacher and the student.
k). Physical environment

 Environmental factors such as furniture, colour of the classroom wall,

decorations, or the music playing in the background influence
communication
l) Written text and NVC.

 Written text can also have an aspect of NVB communication. These

elements include:

a) Handwriting style

b) Spaces between words

c) use of emoticons

 A teacher should work on his handwriting, chalk board management.

 They should also encourage their students to improve their writing

skills
Barriers to effective classroom communication

During communication several factors may disturb the message, leading to

misunderstanding or lack of understanding

1. Language barrier

If a teacher uses a complicated language or complex vocabulary beyond

the student’s experience, there maybe communication breakdown

2. Poor communication skills

A teacher or student with a problem with speaking, writing or listening

skills may have a problem understanding the message
3. Physical barriers

Communication may be hindered is the classroom is near a

physical facility e.g. a busy road, a noisy workshop, etc. The noise
from these facilities may distort the message or distract the
attention of the receiver

4. Psychological barriers

Refer to the state of mind of the learner, his attitude towards the
subject, and content being taught. A learner with a negative
attitude to learning, the subject or content may not receive
effective communication
5. Physiological state

Refer to the state of the body of the learner. If the learner is tired,
sick hungry or frustrated he/she will suffer attention deficit, so
cannot interpret the message clearly

6. Presence of preferred stimuli

if the learning environment is interrupted by anything that

captures the learners’ attention, learners will find that stimuli
more interesting than the message being delivered.

Thus there will be competition between the stimuli and the

message being delivered by the teacher
7. Learners disabilities

Partial deafness, deafness or blindness will hinder the reception of

the message.

8. Contradiction between verbal and non-verbal messages

if there is no harmony between body gestures and the message

conveyed, there will be communication breakdown. So teacher
must use only those gestures that are acceptable by the culture of
the learner.
9. Pre-judgement

what is understood is often conditioned by what we already know,

background knowledge and experience. Often people hear what
they want to hear, rather what has been said

10. Relationships

The effectiveness of communication may depend on the

relationship with the sender of the message. If the relationship is
not good, effective communication may fail
11. Intercultural issues

when communicating with another person, you do so using the

theories and believes of your own culture, but they interpret your
messages on the assumptions of their own culture. So basic
cultural barriers may occur
How to overcome barriers to classroom communication
1. Improve the speaking skills by:

a) being brief’ precise, clear, humorous, and illustrative

b) Varying the tone of the voice

c) Proceed at the speed of the learners

d) distinct pronunciations of words

e) Express emotions when necessary

2 Give students opportunities to write in their own language, to express

the ideas according to their own understanding.
3. Plan and organize the message to be communicated in a clear and
logical manner

4. Pick up the non verbal signals and respond to them

5. Do not interrupt a speaker until he/she has finished

6 Learn to give positive feedback verbally or non verbally, to let the

students know you are following them
7. Be a good listener. Read students verbal and non verbal communication
as you deliver your message

8. Avoid using technical and difficult language, beyond the level of the
learners

9. Use varied reinforcement techniques to students who make

communication attempts

10. Use varied learning resources, visual and audio, projected and non
projected media

11. Use gestures and experiences acceptable to the students’ culture

12. Attend to students with physical, visual and (or) audio challenges

13. Recognize your prejudices. Learn to accept that believes of others may
be different from yours

14. Do not prejudge. Accept students without prejudging them

15. Treat students as individuals. Do not treat one person as being a

stereotype of a particular group, rather as a unique individual with
personal qualities and attributes
 .

… the end

GOD BLESS