What is communication|4 types of communication -

What is communication and Explain

The term communication is derived from a Latin word „communis‟ which means common. This means establishing a common ground. Now whatever is common is shared by all. But what is that which is shared by all in communication? It is fact, ideas, understanding, opinions, information etc.

What is the best definition of communication?

The best definition of communication are as follows:

In the words of Newman, Summer & Warren, “communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, and opinions by two or more persons.”

According to Keith Davis, “Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another.”

Communication should not be interpreted as merely sending or receiving messages. It involves a systematic and continuous process of telling, listening and understanding. It is a two way process and is complete only when there is some response from the receiver of information.

What are the 4 types of communication?

Communication is the transfer of ideas and information from one person to another person. It is a bridge of meaning among people so that they can share what they fell and know. By using this bridge, a person can safely cross the river of misunderstanding that sometimes separates people. To make successful communication there are different methods/ ways.

There are 4 types of communication-

1. Oral/Verbal communication

2. Non-Verbal Communication

3.Written communication

4. Visul Communication

Lets discuss each one by one

1. Oral/Verbal communication

Oral communication means communication through words spoken i.e. by speech: – In oral Communication, Both the parties to the process, i.e. sender and receiver, exchange their ideas through oral words either in face to face communication or through any mechanical or electrical device, such as telephone etc. in this system person can exchange their feelings fully and clarification regarding any doubt or ambiguity may be sought. Oral communication is preferred by rank and file employees as well as supervisors and managers, as they enjoy the opportunity to ask questions and to participate.

Advantages of Verbal Communication

1. Economical: Oral communication is relatively less expensive. It saves the money spent on stationary in an organization.

2. Time sever: Oral communication is fast. It saves the time involved in writing the message.

3. Flexible: Oral communication is very flexible in sense it provides an opportunity to the speaker to correct himself and make himself clear by changing his voice, pitch, tone etc.

4. Quick response: Oral communication is also helpful in getting quicker response from the receiver. The speaker gets immediate response from the receiver. It thus provides immediate feedback to both sender and receiver.

5. Personal touch: Oral communication is personal in nature. It is this nature that brings superiors and subordinates closer. It is also an effective tool of persuasion.

6. Maintains secrecy: Oral communication has an added advantage of maintaining secrecy. Oral messages can be more easily kept confidential than written messages.

7. Group communication: Oral communication is an effective tool for communicating with the groups at large. Group reactions can also be interpreted immediately to arrive at reasonable conclusions.

Disadvantages/Limitation of Verbal Communication

1. Time Consuming: Oral communication may not be time saver always. Many a times it is seen that meetings continue for a long time without arriving at any satisfactory conclusion.

2. Poor retention: Oral communication is more likely to be forgotten. The listener cannot always retain oral messages in his memory for long. Sometimes even the speaker may not remember what he actually said.

3. Not suitable for lengthy messages: Very often oral communication gets distorted. This is more so in case of lengthy messages when communicated through various level of hierarchy.

4. No Record: No permanent record is kept in case of oral communication. In the absence of record, oral messages have no legal validity.

5. Misunderstood: In oral communication, much depends upon the tone, pitch, voice etc. the speaker, due to his poor vocal expression, may not be able to make himself clear and the listener may also be in attentive. Thus the message may be misunderstood.

6. Not precise: Oral communication is not precise and to the point. People are more precise when they write rather when they speak. Very often, the exact message to be conveyed is lost in a mass of words.

2. Written communication

Written communication means communication through words written. In written communication, both the parties to the process, i.e. sender and receiver, exchange their ideas through written words, graphs, diagrams, pictographs, etc. It transmits messages through letters, memos, notices, circular notes, manuals etc. While oral communication is spontaneous and natural, written communication requires conscious efforts. Written communication depends on language as a means up of sentences into clauses and of matter into paragraph etc is very important.

What are the Characteristics of Written communication?

1. Written communication is a one cycle even because it does not get immediate response from the receiver.

2. Written communication is specific when it is meant for specific persons. It can also be general when it is meant for public at large.

3. Written communication is a creative activity. It requires a lot of imagination and continuous efforts.

4. Written communication is however not spontaneous. It requires a meticulous planning on the part of the writer.

5. Written communication is time taking. The message has to be planned, drafted and finally encoded (written) before sending.

What is the Importance of Written Communication?

1. Written communication is indispensable to an organization. Just as it is impossible to think of social life without oral communication, it is impossible to think of business or an organization without written communication. It is the backbone of the business communication.

2. Written communication is used more in an organization because face to face communication is not always possible, due to employees being spread over widely located geographical distance.

3. Written communication assigns responsibility. In an organization employees have to function within defined limits of authority and responsibility. In the absence of written communication it is not easy to determine responsibility.

4. Written communication, through its media of letters and menus to its creditors, shareholders can boost up the image of the organization.

3. Non-Verbal Communication

Non-Verbal Communication: Communication without using words or writings known as non-verbal communication. In other words, non-verbal communication means communication through physical movements and facial expressions. Gestures, posture, eye movements, etc. are examples of non-verbal communication.

What are the Types of Non-verbal Communication?

Non-verbal communication is mainly of three types

Kinesics
1. Para language
1. Proxemics

What is Kinesics or Body Language? Explain

Body Language: The word kinesics literally means body movement. It stands for the way the body communicates without words, and through various movements of its parts. Communication through body movements is called body language. Body language is a type of nonverbal communication that relies on body movements (such as gestures, posture, and facial expressions) to convey messages. Body language may be used consciously or unconsciously. It may accompany a verbal message or serve as a substitute for speech.

Importance of Kinesics:

The importance of kinesics can be put brought forward by the words of famous psychologies Paul Ekman who says, “We talk with our vocal cord but we communicates with our facial expression, tone and pitch of voice, our whole body.”
1. The importance of body language lies in the fact that one can play fast and loose with words but body language speaks truth.
1. When managers consciously read what others are conveying by body movement, they can easily deal with issues before their become problem.
1. Non-verbal communication is also important because it is efficient. A message can be very well transmitted more economically than any other means of communication.

Role of different parts of body in Communication:

1. Head: Head occupies a very important place in our body. Similarly it also plays a very important role in communication. The way we hold our head conveys a lot. The movement of head is very important in face to face communication. Posture of head conveys:-

i. A head held up: Sign of honour, self respect and self confidence.

ii. A head bent low: Sign of modesty, politeness, or guilt.

iii. A stiffly head, held or drawn back words: Sign of pride, or naughtiness.

2. Face: A popular states „the face is the index of mind‟ i.e. the face is the mirror of mind. The face is indeed the primary site for expressing emotions. It reveals both the type and intensity of the feeling. Facial expression conveys a lot without speaking a single word. A manager can very well practice to interpret these signals by first observing his own expression in a mirror.

3. Eye Contact: Eye command particular attention as a source of non verbal communication. Eyes communicate our deepest feeling. In face to face communication eye contact is of great importance. They are especially effective for indicating attention and interest, influencing others, regulating interaction and establishing dominance. Eyes adopt different position in different situations such as:-

i. Fixed eye: Show concentration.

ii. Raised eyes: Indicate fear or surprise.

iii. Smiling eyes: Reflect happiness.

iv. Long fixed gaze: Show interest.

v. Evasive eyes: Nervousness or lack of interest.

4. Gestures: The physical movement of arms, legs, hands, torso and head are called gestures. They also play a very important role in conveying meaning or messages without using words, examples:-

i. Pounding fist on the table shows „anger‟

ii. Arms spread apart means wide.

iii. Shuffling from one leg to another means nervous or restlessness etc.

5. Body shape and postures: Behaviourial scientists have studied the shape of the human body and have broadly put there in the following three types:-

i. Ectomorph: thin, youthful and tall.

ii. Mesomorph: strong, athletic and muscular.

iii. Endo morph: Fat round and soft.

A person can make both positive and negative impression of himself or others through his body posture. Therefore we should make efforts to ensure that our body does not send out wrong or negative signals especially during interview, meeting and other formal or informal interactions.

6. Attire and Appearance: Our choice of color, clothing, hairstyles, and other factors affecting appearance are also considered a means of nonverbal communication. According to what people see when they first set their eyes on you, judgments about your personality and abilities are going to be concluded. “Quality is more important than quantity” – This really applies here as well. It is really pivotal to dress up properly for any business or job offer we may encounter. One shouldn’t focus on wearing too much accessories, jewellery and make up. What is very vital is the physical appearance and the proper hairstyle. Appearances also include:

Body cleanliness
Clean Nails
Shiny shoes
No tattoos
Being appropriately dressed

Advantages of Kinesics:

1. Body language communication is easily visible. It helps the receiver of the message in decoding the message.

2. It adds intensity to the process of communication.

3. People are for the body language so it goes a long way to improper the overall atmosphere.

Disadvantages of Kinesics:

1. No one can totally rely upon the body language because it is non verbal. It cannot be taken seriously.

2. There are chances of misinterpretation because people belonging to different cultural backgrounds send different body signals.

3. If the listener is inattentive, these body languages become ineffective.

Para Language

Para‟ means „like‟. Para language means „like language‟. It is non-verbal communication which is closely related to verbal communication. It is non verbal communication because it does not comprise words.

It is „like‟ verbal communications because it is related to way the words are spoken. Without it words do not convey their intended meaning. While verbal communication consists of „what‟ or the contents of words, paralanguage involves the „how‟ of a speaker’s voice or the ways in which the speaker speaks. Example of paralanguage is voice, words stress etc.

Elements of Para Language:

1. Voice: Voice is the most important element of Para language. Voice tells us about the speaker’s sex, age, background, education; temperament etc. voice conveys the message in a more effective way. However these points have to be considered.

i. Pitch variation: Pitch means highness or lowness of sound i.e. quality of sound. Wide variation in pitch should be made during a speech. This is essential and helps in catching the attention of the listener and maintaining the interest in the speech.

ii. Speaking speed: The speaking speed should neither be too fast nor too slow. The speed should be such which ensures fluency. As a rule the easy parts of the messages should be delivered at a brisk pace as it is likely to be understood easily. On the other hand, the difficult complicated, technical part of the message should be delivered at a slower rate.

iii. Pause: Pause is an important aspect of speech. One cannot and should not go on speaking without pause. But pause have to be at the right moment. A pause at the right moment can be very helpful in emphasizing the upcoming subject. Where as an arbitrary pause or unnecessary frequent pauses spoils the speech.

iv. Variation in volume: an efficient speaker varies his volume while delivering his speech. Volume means loudness of voice. Volume variation puts life into one’s speech. However the loudness of voice should be adjusted according to the size of the audience. While speaking one should be loud enough to be audible but not too loud to put the audience off.

v. Non fluencies: speech is not always a continuous string of meaningful words. There are pauses scattered at intervals. These pause are very often inserted with sounds or utterances like „ah‟, „oh‟, „uh‟, „hum‟, „you know‟, ok etc. These sound or utterances are called „Non fluencies‟. These non fluencies if used carefully and sparingly add to the fluency of the speaker, gives him time to breathe or relax and makes the listener more alert and gets the message conveyed overtly or covertly.

2. Proper word stress: Proper word stress is at most important in communication. A speaker can change the meaning by putting stress on a word here or a word there in the same sentence.

A good speaker should put stress on words or parts of words. One should also improve one’s word stress by listening the good speakers and participating in discussion.

ADVANTAGES OF PARA LANGUAGE

No oral communication is complete without Para language.
A speaker education and background can be judged from his way of speaking
Para language of a person indicates his place in hierarchical structure of the organization.
Knowledge of person’s Para language is helpful in dealing with him.
One can improve his Para language by listening to good speakers.

LIMITATIONS OF PARA LANGUAGE

Para language is like a language nut not a language we cannot rely on it.
Unless the listener is open minded, voice quality, speaking speed, pitch, etc may prejudice him, causing poor listening. Voice quality and speaking speed etc cannot be a substitute for intellect or wisdom. They can only complement it.
Speaker belongs to different speech communities due to which it is difficult to maintain uniformity in Para language.
It is difficult to blend what is said and how it is said. Therefore, extra care is required to get to the exact content of the language.

Proxemics or Space Language

Non verbal communication involves not only body language and Para language but also the space around us Proxemics is the study of how we communicate with the space around us. The space here means the distance between the sender and receiver of the message in oral communication. This distance is called proximity.

Proxemics is also concerned about the use of space by groups of people. Different people make use of space around them in different ways. The way a group uses the space assigned determines their respective position and interaction pattern. For example: people seated in front are considered to be bold and are the ones who initiate the conversation. Fixed and semi fixed spaces have important implication in communication. Let us analyse it further.

Fixed spaces: Fixed spaces refer to permanent features like room, walls, and buildings and its total capacity, length, breadth etc. These features determine who interacts with whom, why, how and for what purpose.
Semi Fixed Species: Semi fixed spaces refer to physical features which are not permanent and can be changed or re-arranged. For example, furniture decor etc. In other words semi fixed spaces are flexible that permits the use of a variety of spaces to conduct different types of communication. For example, some furniture can be arranged or rearranged as per the need of communication.

Various Categories of Space Language

Edward T. Hall has done very useful and interesting work in his idea. Placing ourselves in the centre he has presented the space around us in the form of the following concentric circles: – Distance wise it can be stated as below: – Intimate: Physical contact to 18 inches. Personal: 18 inches to 4 feet. Social: 4 feet to 12 feet. Public: 12 feet to as far as one can see or hear.

1. Intimate space language: In this very close contact is maintained within the space of 18 inches. It is most suitable for the use of body language as most of our body movement originate within this area. Only very special people like our family members, relatives and close friends enter into this area intimate space is very suitable for highly confidential talks and decision concerning sensitive matters.

2. Personal space language: Personal space extends from 18 inches to 4 feet. People have normal conversation with close friends, colleagues and visitors. The nature of communication is more or less personal and is generally relaxed and casual. It permits informal spontaneous talking. Some important decisions are also taken in this.

3. Social space language: Social space extends from 4 feet to 12 feet. It is used for formal and official relationship. Most of the communication in the organization takes place in this space. Communication here is dominated by reason and planning rather than by emotion and feeling.

4. Public space language: public space extends beyond 12 feet. Communication in public space is highly formal and objective. Public address system may have to be used. Public announcement and election rallies are best examples of public space language.

Oral communication

Advantages of oral communication: