Chapter-1

Methods of Communication
What is communication?
Communication is the process by which we understand and, in turn, try to be understood
by others. It involves the sender conveying his/her message and the receiver
understanding it. If the receiver is not able to understand the message, communication is
said to be incomplete.
Various Methods of Communication:
Having good communication skills means being able to put our point of view in a clear,
effective and unambiguous manner.
There are three main methods of communication including verbal, non – verbal and
visual:
1. Verbal Communication:
The word verbal means 'relating to or in the form of words'. When communication takes
place with the help of words (spoken or written), it is referred to as verbal
communication. Language plays a very important role in verbal communication. Both the
sender and the receiver use a mutually understandable language such as English, Hindi,
Tamil, Punjabi, etc. to communicate with each other in verbal communication.
Verbal communication includes both Written communication and Oral communication.

Written Communication:
When the message or information is passed to others in the written form then
communication is said to be written communication. Examples of written communication
are emails, letters, memos, circulars, newspapers, etc. One major advantage of the written
communication is that it can be preserved for future reference.
A good communicator must have good writing skills. Some things to keep in mind to do
this are:
• Keep your reader or the receiver of your communication in mind while drafting
the message.
• Use simple and precise words. Avoid using difficult and flowery language.
• Keep the message brief. Use short precise paragraphs.
• Give facts to support your viewpoint in the message.
• Add a summary of your message at the end.
 • Re-read and check if the communication aptly expresses the information you wish
to convey.
Oral Communication:
When a message or information is communicated to others by speaking or through word
of mouth it is called Oral Communication.
The following are a few tip for effective oral communication:
• Think of what you are saying as your words will have an impact on the listener/s.
• Be calm and composed. Be mindful of your tone and mood while communicating.
• Do not show negative body language while speaking as this also gets conveyed.
• Repeat what you are communicating if you feel there is a scope for doubt.
• Be a good listener. Listen intently with undivided attention when others speak.
• Seek clarification if you have any doubts and repeat the clarification.
• Do not interrupt the other person as this will disrupt his/her train of thought.

Elements of Effective Verbal Communication

• Listening Skills: Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret
messages during the communication process. Effective listening is the most
important skill in verbal (oral) communication.
• Language Competency: Language competency refers to the skill or the ability to
communicate using a language. Good competency in the language goes a long
way in making the communication effective, impressive and meaningful.
• Vocabulary: A good vocabulary is needed for effective communication. It is the
use of the right words, at the right place and in the right context.
• General Awareness: Our level of awareness about what is happening in our
surroundings including the latest events is termed as general awareness.
• Domain Knowledge: It refers to our knowledge or the expertise we have in the
field that we are communicating about. Having a good domain knowledge is
essential to effective communication

Advantages and Limitations of Verbal Communication

Verbal communication, especially written communication has many advantages. Some of
these are that it is reliable, easy to understand, has little scope of misunderstanding, can
be recorded for future reference and gets a fast feedback. Despite these advantages,
verbal communication has certain limitations.
 • Once a message is communicated orally or in writing, it cannot be edited, deleted,
changed, retracted or revised.
• If a message is poorly drafted it can create misunderstandings.
• A disadvantage of verbal communication is that the receiver may quickly forget
the message.
• Written communication is ineffective for people who are not able to read or write.
Oral communication is ineffective for people with hearing disabilities.

2. Non Verbal Communication:

Non-verbal communication takes place without speaking or writing any word, simply
through facial expressions, touch, one's posture, eye contact, body language and hand
gestures. Non-verbal communication is used in situations where verbal communication is
not possible or not required. Examples of such communication are a thumbs up, a thumbs
down, winking, shrugging shoulders and other gestures that we use in our daily life as a
part of non-verbal communication.
Elements of Non-verbal Communication
• Body language: It refers to a complex mix of gestures, movements, eye contact,
postures and the voice tone by which attitudes and feelings are communicated.
• Oculesics: It refers to the use of eye-movement, gaze and eye behaviour during
communication.
• Proxemics: It refers to the amount of physical space that people maintain, while
communicating.
• Haptic: It refers to communication by touch. Touch is a powerful element of non-
verbal communication that can be used to convey feelings and emotions very
effectively. Shaking hands, hugging, patting on the back are examples of haptic
communication.
• Paralanguage: Paralanguage refers to the nonverbal elements of the voice. This
include qualities such as pitch, rhythm, tempo, resonance, control, pace and the
use of voice serrates such as "aah", "um", etc.

3. Visual Communication:
Visual communication or Graphic communication is the third most important method of
communication. It can be defined as the transmission of information and ideas using
signs, symbols, photographs, tables, images, drawings, videos and animation.
Elements of Visual Communication
While communicating visually we should keep some visual elements in mind. Let us
learn about some important design elements for effective visual communication.
• Color: Selecting visually appealing colors not only makes a message more
readable, it can reinforce or even evoke the response you are trying to achieve.
• Typography: When the typography or font is pleasing to the eyes, people are
attracted to the message and want to read it.
• Imagery: Use customized imagery for better impact. Stock images become
repetitive.
• Content: Arrange the content of your visual communication effectively. Keep it
brief, relevant and written to hold the viewer's attention.

Advantages of Visual Communication

• A Support Tool: Visual aids support oral and written communication and
help to make it no meaningful.
• Simple presentation: Complex information, data and figures can be easily
presented very simply through graphs, pictures and diagrams.
• Keeps the Attention: During a long communication session, the use of
visual aids help in gaining and retaining the audience's attention.
• Broad Communication: A message can be easily communicated to a large
number of receivers at the time through visual methods.

Limitations of Visual Communication

• Not cost effective: Creating and using visuals like maps, charts, diagrams,
animation, etc. requires tools and techniques that cost a lot of money.
• Too brief: Complete and detailed information cannot be presented using this
method.
• Prone to misinterpretation: If visual elements are not arranged properly or
the receiver does no know how to interpret the visuals correctly, information
displayed can be misinterpreted.
• Limited scope: Every topic cannot be represented visually. For example,
rules regarding the working of an organization, its plans and policies cannot
be presented visually.
• Difficult to understand: Visual tools such as graphs and maps can be
difficult to understand f people who have no knowledge of their usage.
 Exercise Time
1. Multiple Choice Questions. Tick (✔) the correct answer.
1. What do you think is the purpose of communication?
a. To inform b. To share thoughts, ideas and feelings
c. To influence d. All of these
2. Which of these is not an element of the non-verbal communication?
a. Words b. Gestures c. Expressions d. Body language
3. Which of these is the essential element of verbal communication?
a. Pictures b. Sound c. Language d. Video
4. Which of the following methods are used to receive information from the
sender through a letter?
a. Reading b. Writing c. Speaking d. Listening
5. Which of these is an example of visual communication?
a. Letter b. Phone call c. Book d. Traffic lights

2. Fill in the blanks.

1. Three most commonly used methods of communication are verbal communication, non-verbal
communication and_____________________ communication.
2. _________________ refers to the use of eye movement, gaze and eye behavior during
communication.
3. The __________________ tempo, resonance etc. refers to nonverbal elements of the voice
like voice pitch, rhythm,
4. The _______________communication takes palace through facial expressions, gestures etc.
5. The Communication of messages through the use of colours is called_________________ .