Verbal & Non Verbal

Communication
Expand the following:

1. You cannot not

communicate
2. Action speaks louder than
words
 Verbal & non-verbal

communication
In Verbal Communication:

 Words account for only - 7%

 Tone

 Modulation 38%
 Volume

 Total - 45%
Balance 55% is through non-verbal Communication, which
includes:-
 Our Body Language. Our movement
 Breathing. Choice of clothing
Verbal Communication Non-verbal
Communication

 Through the  Bodily actions

words we use. and vocal
qualities that
accompany a
verbal
message.
 What is Verbal
Communication?
 ‘Verbal’ is the Latin adjective of
‘Word’.

So, verbal communication means

communicating with words, whether
written or spoken.
 Verbal
Communication
 Verbalcommunication
consists of speaking,
listening, writing and
reading.
 Advantages of Verbal
Communication

 More personal
 Makes immediate impact.
 Provides opportunity for interaction and
feedback.
 Helps us correct our messages according to the
feedback and non-verbal cues from the listener
 It is very fast and non-expensive.
 Disadvantages

 A word once uttered can’t be

taken back.
 Impact may be short lived.
 It can be forgotten easily.
 There is no legal evidence of oral
communication.
 Importance of
Effective
Communication
TO AVOID MISUNDERSTAN
DING
S
MISCOMMUNICATION
What is non-verbal
communication?
 Non-verbal communication is defined
as:
“the process of using wordless
messages to generate meaning”.
 The use of non-verbal communication
can create a whole new meaning to a
message.
Non-verbal Communication
 Non-verbal
Communication

 Non-verbal communication
includes all
unwritten and unspoken
messages, both t
eexxcceeppt
iningg
intentional and unintentional
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EEvvery !
w oord
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HOW NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION WORKS
1. Nonverbal cues complement a verbal
message by adding to its meaning.
2. Nonverbal cues regulate verbal
communication.
3. Nonverbal messages can substitute for
verbal messages.
4. Nonverbal messages accent what you are
saying.
 Importance of Non-
verbal
Communication
 For being an excellent
communicator,
a person needs to augment
his/her
verbal expressions with non-
verbal ones.
 Advantages of Non-
verbal
Communication
The usage of non-verbal
communication can clarify even the
toughest message to understand.
Sometimes, non-verbal cues can be
more
meaningful than the words themselves.
Forms of non-verbal
communication

Paralanguage
 Language of Flowers
 Language of Colors
 Language of Time
(Chronemics)
Forms of non-verbal
communication

Language of Space (Proxemics)

 Language of Touch (Haptics)
Body Movement (Kinesics)
Gestures
Facial Expression
Posture
 Paralanguage

 Paralanguage is almost similar to verbal

communication.
 Language deals with ‘what is said’
 Paralanguage deals with ’how it is said’
 It is a type of non-verbal communication
which
includes – articulation, pronunciation, volume,
pitch, rate and other vocal qualities.
Language of Flowers

Flowers say for many of us what we cannot say

ourselves. These meanings are also influenced by
culture and gender.
Red roses are to be sent only to a female sweetheart
or a wife, no one else, and only on Valentine’s Day and
birthdays. But now, with flower shops pushing the idea
that it is okay to send flowers on any occasion, men and
women can send any kind of flower to anyone, whether
there is an occasion or not.
Language of Colors

The use of colors is based on the meaning

of each color. Colors have a certain meaning
based on the dictates of culture and gender.
* baby boys – blue
* baby girls – pink
* violet people – paint their room pink
* King of Thailand only can wear yellow
 Language of Time
(Chronemics)

Chronemics refer
s to the study of
how time affects
communication.
 Language of Time
(Chronemics)

Time can be classified

into several different
categories:
•Biological
•Personal
•Physical
•Cultural time.
 Language of Time
(Chronemics)

Biological time
refers to the
rhythms of living
things.
 Language of Time
(Chronemics)

Personal time refers

to the ways in which
individuals
experience time. The
way we experience
time varies based on
our mood, our
 Language of Time
(Chronemics)

Physical time
refers to the fixed
cycles of days,
years, and
seasons.
 Language of Time
(Chronemics)
Cultural time refers to how a large
group of people view time.
Polychronic people do not view time
as a linear progression that needs to
be divided into small units and
scheduled in advance. Polychronic
people keep more flexible schedules
and may engage in several activities
at once. Monochronic people tend to
schedule their time more rigidly and
do one thing at a time. A polychronic
or monochronic orientation to time
 Language of Space
& Distance
(Proxemics) Proxemics or the
use of space
provides us with
ideas about how
close or how far
people are from
the center of
power or where a
person is in the
social ladder.
 Language of Space
& Distance
(Proxemics)
Proxemics refers to the study of
how space and distance influence
communication. We only need
look at the ways in which space
shows up in common metaphors
to see that space,
communication, and relationships
are closely related.
 Language of Space
& Distance
(Proxemics)
For example, when we are content with and
attracted to someone, we say we are “close” to him
or her. When we lose connection with someone, we
may say he or she is “distant.” In general, space
influences how people communicate and behave.
Smaller spaces with a higher density of people
often lead to breaches of our personal space
bubbles. If this is a setting in which this type of
density is expected beforehand, like at a crowded
concert or on a train during rush hour, then we
make various communicative adjustments to
manage the space issue.
 Intimate Space

 As we breach the invisible

line that is 1.5 feet from our
body, we enter the intimate
zone, which is reserved for
only the closest friends,
family, and
romantic/intimate partners.
It is impossible to completely
ignore people when they are
in this space, even if we are
trying to pretend that we’re
ignoring them.
 Personal Space

 Personal space is your

“bubble”- the space you
place between yourself
and others.
 This invisible boundary

becomes apparent only

when someone tries to
enter your “bubble”.
 Social Space (4–12
Feet)
 Communication that occurs in the
social zone, which is four to twelve
feet away from our body, is
typically in the context of a
professional or casual interaction,
but not intimate or public. This
distance is preferred in many
professional settings because it
reduces the suspicion of any
impropriety. The expression “keep
someone at an arm’s length”
means that someone is kept out of
the personal space and kept in the
social/professional space.
 Public Space (12 Feet
or More)
 Publicand social zones
refer to the space four or
more feet away from our
body, and the
communication that
typically occurs in these
zones is formal and not
intimate. Public space
starts about twelve feet
from a person and extends
out from there.
Language of Touch
(Haptics)

Haptics refers to touch

behaviors that convey
meaning during
interactions. Touch can
comfort, it can aggravate,
it can encourage, or it can
dissuade.
Language of Touch
(Haptics)

There are several types of

touch, including functional-
professional, social-polite,
friendship-warmth, love-
intimacy, and sexual-arousal
touch.
 Kinesics

The word kinesics comes from the

root word kinesis, which means
“movement,” and refers to the study
of hand, arm, body, and face
movements. Specifically, this section
will outline the use of gestures, head
movements and posture, eye
contact, and facial expressions as
nonverbal communication.
Gestures

Gestures are the most often

used type of Nonverbal
Communication. Speech, to
be understandable and
interesting to a listener,
must be accompanied by
different gestures.
Gestures

Regulating gestures are used

to control the flow of
communication such as
nodding one’s head.
(nodding is a way of saying
“yes” but in Middle East,
nodding means “no” while
shaking the head means “yes”.
Gestures

Emphasizing gestures
punctuate what we want
to highlight
Gestures

Illustrating gestures are

used to show size, height,
distance, or similar qualities
like using one hand to mimic
a certain height or two
hands to show distance or
size.
 Gestures

Emblems are gestures associated

with specific meanings.
Emblems can be still or in motion;
for example, circling the index
finger around at the side of your
head says “He or she is crazy,” or
rolling your hands over and over in
front of you says “Move on.”
 Facial Expression

Our faces are the most expressive part

of our bodies. Think of how photos are
often intended to capture a particular
expression “in a flash” to preserve for later
viewing. Much research has supported the
universality of a core group of facial
expressions: happiness, sadness, fear,
anger, and disgust. The first four are
especially identifiable across cultures.
 Facial Expression

It is important to the
Communication Process that the
Listener monitors any and all the
facial expressions of the Speaker.
This will be the Listener’s gauge
as to whether the Speaker is
sincere and serious
 Head Movements and
Posture
In terms of head movements, a head nod
is a universal sign of acknowledgement in
cultures where the formal bow is no longer
used as a greeting. In these cases, the
head nod essentially serves as an
abbreviated bow. An innate and universal
head movement is the headshake back
and forth to signal “no.”
Head Movements and
Posture
There are four general human
postures:
standing
sitting
squatting
lying down
 Eye Contact

We also communicate through eye behaviors,

primarily eye contact. While eye behaviors
are often studied under the category of
kinesics, they have their own branch of
nonverbal studies called oculesics, which
comes from the Latin word oculus, meaning
“eye.” The face and eyes are the main point
of focus during communication, and along
with our ears our eyes take in most of the
communicative information around us.
Verbal Vs Non-verbal
Communication

 Although verbal communication

is easier to understand, non-
verbal communication is
essential to understand not only
a message, but more
importantly, the feelings behind
the message.
Questions