People have an undeniable advantage over other forms of life: they know how to communicate. Education, training, work, relationships with friends and family - all this is done through communication. Someone may enjoy the communication, some may not, but we cannot deny the existence of such a positive in all respects communication process. Communication is considered one of the main forms of human social activity. In the process of communication, what one person knew and knew how, becomes the property of many people. Communication in scientific understanding is the interaction of people (the impact of people on each other and their responses to this impact) and the exchange of information during this interaction.
There are two groups of ways in which interaction between people can take place: verbal and non-verbal means of communication. It is believed that verbal communication provides less information about the objectives, truthfulness of information and other aspects of communication, while non-verbal manifestations can establish many points that advertise in the conversation is not accepted. But different means of communication are applicable and significant depending on the situation. So, in the business world, it is important to mainly verbal communication, since the manager is unlikely to follow his gestures or emotionally respond to the next assignment for an employee. When communicating with friends, new acquaintances or relatives, non-verbal manifestations are more important because they give an idea of the feelings and emotions of the interlocutors.
Verbal communication.
Verbal communication is performed using words. Verbal communication is considered to be speech. We can communicate through written or oral speech. Speech activity is divided into several types: speaking - listening and writing - reading. Both written and oral speech is expressed through language - a special system of signs.
To learn how to effectively communicate and use verbal means of communication, you need not only to improve your speech, know the rules of the Russian language, or learn foreign languages, although this is certainly very important. In this regard, one of the main points is the ability to talk also in a psychological sense. Too often, people have different psychological barriers or fear of making contact with other people. For successful interaction with society, they need to be identified and overcome in time.
Language and its functions.
Language acts as a tool for expressing the thoughts and feelings of people. It is necessary for many aspects of human life in society, which is expressed in the following functions:
- Communicative (interaction between people). Language is the main form of full-fledged communication between a person and his own kind.
- Accumulative. With the help of language we can store and accumulate knowledge. If we consider a certain person, then these are his notebooks, notes, and creative works. In a global context, this is fiction and written records.
- Cognitive. With the help of language, a person can acquire the knowledge contained in books, films or the minds of other people.
- Constructive. With the help of language it is easy to form thoughts, to clothe them in a material, clear and concrete form (either in the form of oral verbal expression, or in the form of a written one).
- Ethnic. Language allows to unite peoples, communities and other groups of people.
- Emotional. With the help of language, you can express emotions and feelings, and here it is considered their direct expression with the help of words. But basically this function, of course, is performed by non-verbal means of communication.
Non-verbal communication.
Non-verbal means of communication are necessary for people for clarity in understanding each other. Naturally, non-verbal manifestations relate only to oral communication. Since the external non-verbal expression of emotions and feelings performed by the body is also a kind of set of symbols and signs, it is often called “body language”.
"Body language" and its functions.
Non-verbal manifestations are very important in the interaction of people. Their main functions are as follows:
- Supplement the spoken message. If a person announces a victory in some business, he may additionally raise his arms over his head, or even jump up for joy.
- Repeat what is said. This reinforces the verbal message and its emotional component. So, when answering "Yes, this is so" or "No, I do not agree," you can repeat the meaning of the message also in a gesture: with a nod or, on the contrary, side-to-side winding in denial.
- The expression of the contradiction between word and deed. A person can say one thing, while feeling completely different, for example, joking out loud and sad in his soul. It is non-verbal communication tools that allow you to understand this.
- Focus on something. Instead of the words "attention", "notice", etc. You can show a gesture that attracts attention. So, a gesture with an extended index finger on a raised hand shows the importance of the text spoken in this case.
- Replacing words. Sometimes some gestures or facial expressions can completely replace a certain text. When a person shrugs or indicates a direction with his hand, it is no longer necessary to say “I don't know” or “right-to-left”.
A variety of non-verbal means of communication.
In non-verbal communication, you can select some elements:
- Gestures and posture. People appreciate each other before they start talking. So, just with a pose or a walk, you can create the impression of a self-confident or, on the contrary, fussy person. Gestures make it possible to emphasize the meaning of what has been said, to place accents, to express emotions, but it must be remembered that, for example, there should not be too many of them in business communication. It is also important that different nations may have the same gestures, which mean completely different things.
- Mimicry, look and facial expression. A person's face is the main transmitter of information about a person’s mood, emotions and feelings. The eyes are generally called the mirror of the soul. It’s not for nothing that many classes on developing understanding of emotions in children begin with recognizing basic feelings (anger, fear, joy, surprise, sadness, longing, etc.) on the faces in the photographs.
- Distance between interlocutors and touch. The distance at which a person can comfortably communicate with others, and the possibility of touching, people determine for themselves, depending on the degree of closeness of one or another interlocutor.
- Intonation and voice characteristics. This element of communication as if unites verbal and non-verbal means of communication. With the help of different intonation, loudness, timbre, tone and rhythm of the voice, the same phrase can be pronounced so differently that the meaning of the message will change directly to the opposite.
It is important to balance verbal and non-verbal forms of communication in your speech. This will allow you to convey your information to the interlocutor as fully as possible and understand his messages. If a person speaks emotionally and monotonously, his speech quickly tires. Conversely, when a person actively gesticulates, often inserts interjections and only occasionally utters words, this can overload the interlocutor's perception, which will alienate him from such an expressive partner in communication.
