Forms of communication
- 2. Means of Communication Media/means of Communication Verbal Non-verbal Oral Written Sign Language Body Language Visuals signs Audio signs
- 3. Verbal Communication- Oral, Written The word Verbal means ‘connected with words and use of words’. All serious or formal communication is usually in words. Words, as we all know, can be written or spoken. Oral Communication: In oral communication, words should be chosen very carefully so that what they connote has the precise shade of meaning.
- 4. Merits of oral communication 1. Saving of time and money: It saves money as well as time. No money needs to be spent for producing oral communication since it involves only the spoken words. The words are received and understood as they are spoken. So it saves time too. 2. Immediate feedback: The receiver can give his feedback immediately. The speaker can judge the mood of the speaker.
- 5. Cont. 3. Builds a healthy climate: A friendly climate is created when you communicate orally since there is less formality. 4. Best medium during emergency: Oral communication is the best tool during the emergency. It is the best method of communication when an immediate and fast feedback is critical.
- 6. Demerits of oral communication 1. Greater chances of misunderstanding: Unless it is, recorded, you cannot refer to an oral message again. There are, therefore, greater chances of a message being misunderstood or misinterpreted. 2. Ineffective for lengthy communication: Oral communication is not useful for lengthy communication. Because of human limitations, it is obvious that something important will be missed out.
- 7. Cont. 3. Lower retention rate: It is its drawback. A listener may absorb only some part of an oral message since the attention span differs from person to person. 4. No legal validity: Oral communication lacks proof of record. There is no permanent record or proof of what has been said. Hence, oral communication has very little value from legal point of view.
- 8. Written Communication A message constitutes written communication when it is put in “black and white”. It is a formal type of communication. It is usually considered binding on business communications and it is often used as evidence. Technological advancement has enlarged the gamut of written communication through email and other such facilities.
- 9. Merits of written communication 1. Precise and accurate: It is generally prepared with great care and precision. You have to be very serious and organized while communicating in the written form, because it is open to verification. 2. Permanent record: It constitutes a permanent record. It proves very useful for future reference
- 10. Cont. 3. Suitable for lengthy and complicated messages: Complicated messages can be understood better when they are in the written form rather than in the oral. There is less chance for misinterpretation and misunderstanding. 4. Responsibility can be easily fixed: In it. Responsibilities of sender and receiver can be fixed easily. People have the tendency of shifting responsibilities for mistakes, but this is difficult if the onus is in black and white.
- 11. Cont. 5. Has legal validity: It is acceptable as a legal document and has been used as evidence.
- 12. Demerits of written communication 1. Costly in terms of money and man-hours: Writing letters is a costly process not only because you need to spend money on postage, but also because several persons are involved in the process of sending out a letter from an organization. 2. Slower method of communication: It can be time consuming since it may take even two or three days to reach the receiver. 3. No flexibility: The written word is not subject to subject to instant change after communication. Therefore, conveying an
- 13. Cont. afterthought may prove very lengthy, and, at times, even impossible. 4. Literacy essential: For written communication, the sender as well as the receiver should be literate. In any country where literacy is low, a written message will be meaningless for large masses of illiterate persons. Literacy also means literacy in the language of the message.
- 14. Silence Silence speaks louder than words. We communicate with the help of silence. It lays down the relationship between the communicators and their attitude towards each other. And it also shows the inability to converse further. A student who has not done his work will stay mum when the teacher asks him for it.
- 15. Functions of silence • To allow a speaker time to think • To isolate oneself • To hurt • To prevent communication • To communicate emotional responses • To say nothing
- 16. Face-to-Face communication Face-to-face communication may, at the first thought, appear to be identical with oral communication. However, it is possible to visualise the difference between the two. Telephonic conversation is oral communication but we cannot call it face-to-face communication.
- 17. Merits of Face-to-face communication • Facial expressions and gestures help to communicate better : As already explained, oral communication is better than the written one in one respect: the message being communicated also gets the assistance of facial expression and gestures. Thus the communication is almost perfect.
- 18. • Particularly suitable for discussion : It is suitable for discussions, for there is immediate feedback from the listener. It provides the speaker with a much better opportunity for adjustment. A puzzled look indicates lack of understanding: explain yourself better. A blank face with head turned sideways suggests lack of interest: either make
- 19. your listener interested in what you are saying or stop. These adjustments are possible only in face-to-face communication.
- 20. Demerits • Difficult to practise in large-sized organization : It is extremely difficult to practise in modern large-sized organization, particularly if their various units or departments are situated at different places. • Not effective in large gatherings : It is very difficult to get a message across to large gatherings. In the absence of a
- 21. satisfactory feedback, his speech lapses into a monologue. • Ineffective if the listener is not attentive : A limitation which the face-to-face communication shares with oral communication is that its effectiveness is closely linked with the listener’s attentiveness. The message can easily get diverted, thus making communication ineffective.