Communication Types

Communication takes place by exchanging symbols to describe our ideas and experience.
Language is a common symbol system which is used for sharing our experiences with others.
We can also use other symbols like pictures, colours, signs and sounds to communicate. We do
communicate a number of things by our facial expressions, movements, clothing and so on,
though we do not speak. Thus communications through words are called Verbal
Communication; communications through symbols are called non-verbal communication.

We use verbal communication for most purposes. Verbal communication may be oral or written.

Verbal Communication

Oral Communication Written Communication

A). ORAL COMMUNICATION:

Oral Communication is more natural and immediately available for responding to a

comment / statement. In natural and informal situations, we speak readily without
hesitation in order to communicate with others; but in a formal and official situation, many
persons feel nervous and cannot speak easily. It needs training, practice and skill to speak
effectively in a formal situation.
Oral communication requires the presence and simultaneous attention of both the persons.
Need for personal presence makes certain demands on the skills of both; each must be able
to respond to the body language of the other, and must be able to make immediate response
to what the other says.
Oral communication occurs in situations like conversations, telephone talk, interviews,
presentations, group discussions, and meetings.

 FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION:

Oral communication is best when it is face-to-face. A face-to-face setting is possible

between two individuals or among a small group of persons at an interview, or in a small
meeting, where both the sender and the receiver could see each other and communicate.

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Communication can flow both ways in these situations. Here, an immediate feedback, which
gives clarification is possible. Besides, a face-to-face setting offers a rich communication
experience owing to the presence of the living personality whose voice, tone, expressions
and movements add significance to the words.

 TELEPHONE TALK:

Telephone talk depends entirely on the voice and its quality. It does not have the advantage
of physical presence or facial expressions since there is no option to look at others physical
appearance at live. Clarity of speech and skillful use of voice are important in this kind of
communication. There can be confusion between similar sounding words like “pale” and
“bale”, or between “light” and “like”. Names and addresses communicated on the telephone
are sometimes wrongly received. It is therefore customary in telephonic conversation to
clarify spellings by saying G for God, P for pen etc.

 PRESENTATION:

It has a face-to-face setting. It is a formal, well-prepared talk on a specific topic, delivered to

knowledgeable and interested audience. It looks odd and slumbers if the presentation is
not welcomed by the audience to which it is presented. At times a touch of humour always
enriches the presentation. The purpose for such kind of communication is to give / pass on
the information rather than making them dull and sleepy.

 PUBLIC SPEECH:

A public speech or lecture also has a face-to-face setting, but here the space between the
speaker and audience do matters. This distance increases as the audience gets larger, as in
an open air public meeting. This way of communication much depends on the speaker’s
skill in using gestures and using the microphone in the correct order.

 INTERVIEW:

An interview is a meeting at which one person or panel of persons, who are the
interviewers, discuss a matter with another person or ask questions of another person,
who is the interviewee. The purpose is, usually to assess, to judge whether it would be
worthwhile to enter into a relationship with the other. An interview is of structured
question and answer type of communication.

 MEETING:

Usually a meeting involves many persons; there is a chair person or leader who leads and
guides the communication and maintains perfect order. There is a fixed agenda, that is, a
list of issues to be discussed at the meeting. Meetings are of many types, from the small

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committee meeting consisting of three or four persons to the large conference or the share
holders’ meeting. This type of oral communication is backed up by note-taking and writing
up of minutes.

B). WRITTEN COMMUNICATION:

Written communication is used for many purposes. Many types of documents are required
for official work. Letters, circulars, memos, notices, reports and minutes are constantly
prepared and exchanged in and between organizations. All has a format and layout which is
fixed by custom.

 LETTER:

Letters are the most widely used form of written communication. They are used mostly for
external communication. A letter has a complex lay-out which has to be carefully followed.

 MEMO:

Memo, short form of memorandum, is an informal message between members of an

organization and generally relates to daily work. Information or instructions can be
conveyed by a memo. A memo may or may not be signed.

 NOTICE:

A notice is used in order to communicate the same message within an organization. It is the
most common method of mass communication, within an organization. It should be short,
its language should be simple and the type should be large and well spaced for easy
reading.

 CIRCULAR:

A circular is a detailed document giving information, instructions or orders on a specific

matter. A circular has a number and date for reference, and is signed by the authorized
signatory of the issuing office. They are generally issued by government department and
other official bodies like government departments, councils, universities and Head Offices
of organizations.

 REPORT:

A report is a document prepared by an individual or a committee entrusted with the task of

collecting information on a given subject. It requires careful research, collection of data and
presentation of the findings, conclusions and recommendations. Reports are of varying
length and may be anything from two pages to a full book dived into chapters.

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  MINUTES:

Minutes are the written record of decisions taken at a meeting. Different bodies have their
own convention of recordings the discussion and the decisions. Minutes may be written by
hand or typed and pasted in minute books, or typed and filled in a minute file. Minutes are a
legal document.

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Non-verbal methods of communication can be consciously created and used with both
written and oral communication. Graphics of all kinds can enrich the message presented in
a document or in a speech. Pictures, maps, charts, diagrams, sketches, cutouts, models, etc.,
communicate more effectively quality vice and clarity vice than verbal communication.
Apart from these symbols we consciously may convey the meaning by facial expressions,
gestures, eye contact, clothing, posture, etc. These are called body language. They do
communicate more than verbal communication.
Tone of voice

 Rate and volume of speech

 How we articulate our words

 Rhythm, intonation and stress placed on words –

 Facial expression

 The amount of eye contact we make

 Gestures/touch

 Body language and posturing