Verbal communication: what it is and how to achieve perfection in it

Every person is a social being. We cannot live without communication. At birth, the child already finds himself in a social group consisting of medical staff and mother. Growing up, he communicates with family and friends, gradually acquiring all the necessary social skills. It is impossible to live a quality life without communication. But this is not as easy a process as it seems at first glance. Communication has a multi-level structure and features that must be taken into account when transmitting or receiving information.

Communication as a way to carry out life activities for a person

Well-known psychologists have determined that a person makes two types of contacts in his life:

1. With nature.
2. With people.

These contacts are called communication. There are many definitions for this concept. Communication is called:

• a special form of interaction between people and their interpersonal relationships;
• a friendly or business relationship between a person and another person;
• interaction of a group of people (starting from 2 people) for the exchange of information, knowledge of the surrounding world, which can be of an affective-evaluative nature;
• process of conversation, conversation, dialogue;
• mental contact between people, which manifests itself through a sense of community, performing joint actions, and exchanging information.

How does communication differ from the concept of communication?

Communication covers all aspects of human contacts. These include contacts with nature, with neighbors, and at work. Communication is subject to certain requirements and rules. This concept presupposes specific goals for communication that at least one of the parties to the communication process has. Verbal communication (speech is its main means) is subject to strict rules, depending on its type. The communicator (a person who takes an active part in the communication process) has specific tasks that are designed to influence the other participant in the conversation. This process is more appropriate in business communication. That is why there is the concept of “verbal business communication,” which is applicable only in official communication and involves verbal exchange of information.

Types of nonverbal communication

Nonverbal interaction plays a significant role in the process of mutual exchange of emotions.

Types of nonverbal communication:

- voice, gestures, appearance (including clothing, body position);

— facial expressions (presence of a smile, direction of gaze);

- movements (nodding or shaking the head, swinging limbs, imitating some behavior, etc.);

- gait, touching, hugs, handshakes, personal space.

Voice is the sound that an individual makes during a conversation, when singing or shouting, laughing and crying. Voice formation occurs due to vibration of the vocal cords, which create sound waves as exhaled air passes through them. The voice cannot develop without the participation of hearing; in turn, hearing cannot develop without the participation of the vocal apparatus. So, for example, in an individual suffering from deafness, the voice does not function due to the absence of auditory perceptions and stimulation of speech motor centers.

In nonverbal communication, it is possible to convey the enthusiastic or interrogative nature of a sentence using just one voice intonation. Based on the tone in which the request was stated, one can conclude how important it is for the speaker. Often, due to the wrong tone and intonation, requests can sound like orders. So, for example, the word “sorry” can have completely different meanings depending on the intonation used. Also, using the voice, the subject can express his own state: surprise, joy, anger, etc.

Appearance is the most important component of nonverbal communication and it implies an image that a person sees and perceives around him.

Nonverbal business communication begins to be built precisely from the assessment of the external attributes of the individual. Acceptable appearance depends on the following characteristics: neatness, good manners, natural behavior, presence of manners, literacy in speech, adequate reactions to criticism or praise, charisma. In life, it is very important for each individual to be able to correctly use the capabilities of his own body when transmitting information to his interlocutor.

Non-verbal communication in business communication is absolutely necessary. After all, business people often have to convince their opponents of something, persuade them to their own point of view and perform certain actions (concluding deals or investing a significant amount in the development of an enterprise). It will be easier to achieve this if you can demonstrate to your partner that the interlocutor is honest and open.

No less important is the position of the body (posture) during the conversation. Using posture, you can express subordination, interest in a conversation, boredom or a desire for a joint partnership, etc. When the interlocutor sits motionless, his eyes are hidden under dark glasses, and he covers his own notes, the other person will feel quite uncomfortable.

To achieve success, nonverbal business communication does not imply the use of postures at business meetings that demonstrate closedness and aggressiveness. It is also not recommended to wear glasses with tinted lenses during any communications, especially at the first meeting. Since, without seeing the eyes of a communication partner, the interlocutor may feel awkward, because the lion's share of information remains inaccessible to him, as a result of which the general atmosphere of communicative interaction is disrupted.

The poses also reflect the psychological subordination of the participants in the conversation. For example, the desire for submission or dominance.

Thus, nonverbal communicative interaction is one of the tools of personal representation of one’s own “I”, an instrument of interpersonal influence and regulation of relationships, forms the image of the interlocutor, clarifies and anticipates the verbal message.

Two main types of communication

The process of exchanging information and influencing all participants in communication is divided into two large groups. All functions of communication must be carried out in these groups, otherwise it will not be productive.

Verbal communication involves the verbal transfer of information. In this process, someone speaks and someone listens.

Nonverbal communication occurs through the implementation of an optikokinetic system of signs. Gestures, facial expressions, pantomime are appropriate here, special attention is paid to tone and intonation, and eye contact occurs. This method of communication outwardly expresses the inner world of a person, his personal development.

Verbal communication - what is it?

We use verbal communication almost every minute of our interaction with people. We constantly exchange information, teach someone, listen to the flow of words ourselves, and so on. Verbal communication involves listening and speaking. In the process of such communication, its own structure is determined, and the following take part in it:

• "What?" - message.
• "Who?" - communicator.
• "How?" — specific transmission channels.
• "To whom?" - object of communication.
• "What effect?" - the influence of interlocutors on each other, who pursue certain goals for communication.

Verbal Communication Mastery

To competently present information, you need to master the skills and abilities of a verbal promise. This also includes the ability to objectively and correctly perceive words and phrases spoken by a person.

First, you should learn to express your own thoughts:

• concisely;
• clearly;
• essentially.

At the same time, it is undesirable to deviate from the main topic by explaining unnecessary details. During the conversation, you should listen carefully to your opponent. You also need to be an interesting conversationalist, using catchy statements and expressions. The speech should inspire and motivate others.

If it doesn't motivate others to take action, then you need to work on your voice:

• tonality;
• rhythm;
• intonation;
• timbre;
• diction.

Psychologists also recommend using specific speech phenomena. It will become lively and dynamic if the conversation is diluted:

• pauses;
• cough;
• laughing or giggling;
• sighs;
• in a whisper;
• grunt.

You should be very careful when including them in a conversation. They can be perceived in the wrong way when used inappropriately. To do this, you need to know and understand well the character traits and personality of your interlocutor. Simple observation will help with this.

The ability to listen carefully is 90% of success in any type of verbal communication. To learn this skill, you must always keep in mind a simple goal - the desire to accurately retell the information you hear.

Whatever the nature of the dialogue, it is important to remain calm and not forget about good manners. Respect for another person's opinion often encourages conversation. In addition, one must take into account the opponent's intellectual level, as well as his mental and emotional state. All this will help make verbal communication more effective and efficient.

Means of this type of communication

Verbal means of communication include speech, language, and words. Language, as a way for people to communicate and transmit information, appeared a very long time ago. It is a communication tool. A word in a language is a symbolic symbol that can have several meanings at the same time. Verbal communication cannot do without speech, which can be oral and written, internal and external, and so on. It should be noted that inner speech is not a means of transmitting information. She is not accessible to the people around her. Therefore, verbal speech communication does not include it in its system of means.

Speech helps a person encode certain information and transmit it to the interlocutor. It is through it that the informant influences his interlocutor, instilling in him his point of view. While the interlocutor can perceive it in his own way. This is where the basic functions and verbal means of communication begin to work.

Concept and specificity of verbal communication

One of the main means of communication is speech, verbal communication, also called verbal communication.
According to scientists, two-thirds of human communication consists of verbal communication. Speech is the most universal means of communication, since when transmitting information through speech, the meaning of the message is least lost. True, this must be accompanied by a high degree of commonality of the language code and understanding of the situation by the participants in the communicative process.

Verbal communication (VC) is an information and semantic exchange, interaction between people, occurring through speech and natural language. In the process of VC, with the help of speech, encoding and decoding of information (message, meaning) is carried out: the communicator encodes in the process of speaking, and the recipient decodes this information in the process of listening.

Both of them operate with words and concepts, both in the process of comprehension, speaking or writing, and in the process of listening, reading, understanding, and interpretation. It is the means by which information or feelings are transmitted that is the decisive basis (criterion) for dividing social communication into two main classes or types - verbal (speech, verbal) and non-verbal (non-verbal, “wordless”).

Verbal and non-verbal communication are impossible without the use of certain signs, or rather sign systems, since they serve as a means of transmitting information and the meanings and meanings inherent in it. And this is the fundamental similarity of these types of communication, and the fundamental difference between them is the differences between the sign systems used in communication.

What are speech and language, what is their relationship, what is the connection between them?

Speech is a historically established form of communication between people through linguistic structures created on the basis of certain rules. The process of speech involves, on the one hand, the formation and formulation of thoughts by linguistic (speech) means, and on the other hand, the perception of language structures and their understanding. Thinking can occur without speech, but cannot exist without language.

Language is both a means of expressing thoughts and a factor in the development of thinking and consciousness. The deep connection between consciousness (thinking) and the structures of language, the relationship between language, speech and thinking is an extremely important and ancient problem, primarily philosophical, as well as linguistic, historical and psychological. But we will not dwell on this, since from the point of view of the subject of communication theory, it is more important to consider something else - the problem of language as a sign system, as a material intermediary in social communication.

Her forms

Forms of verbal communication include oral and written speech, as well as such forms of interaction as monologue and dialogue. Depending on the development of events, oral speech may acquire the characteristics of a dialogue or monologue.

Forms of verbal communication include different types of dialogues:

• factual - exchange of information with the recipient for only one purpose - to support the conversation, sometimes this is perceived as a ritual (for example, when the question “how are you” does not involve listening to the answer);
• informational - an active process of information exchange, speech or discussion of any important topic;
• discussion - occurs when there is a contradiction in two or more points of view on the same problem, the purpose of such dialogue is to influence people to change their behavior;
• Confessional is a confidential type of dialogue that involves the expression of deep feelings and experiences.

Monologues in everyday life are not as common as dialogues. Verbal and nonverbal communication can be present in a monologue, when during a report or lecture a person not only provides information, but also accompanies it with facial expressions, gestures, a raised tone and changing intonation. In this case, both words and gestures become a specific code for the transmitted message. To effectively perceive these codes, it is necessary to understand them (it is difficult for a Russian person to understand a Chinese person, just as certain gestures are incomprehensible to the average person).

Abstract on the topic “Verbal communication”

Abstract the
topic “Verbal communication”
Contents

IntroductionChapter 1. Verbal forms of communication 1.1. Communication: concept, types 1.2. The concept and essence of verbal communicationChapter 2. Verbal means of communication 2.1. Oral communication means 2.2. Written and speech communication 2.3. Listening as a means of verbal communicationConclusion List of sources used

Introduction

A person receives information through all the channels available to him. But some of them are of a special nature for communication. This is, first of all, visual and verbal communication. Nietzsche wrote in his aphorisms: “People lie freely with their mouths, but the faces they make at the same time still tell the truth.” These words quite accurately convey both the autonomous nature of the transmission of information through the visual channel, and the fact that we do not know how to equally control the visual channel, as is done with the verbal channel. Verbal communication is dominant in any area of ​​human activity. Professional speaking skills are becoming an important component of success in many professions. Alexander Lebed's voice became his important characteristic. L. Brezhnev's babbling speech destroyed any efforts of the propagandists.

Lines from Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion come to mind:

“A woman who makes such ugly and pathetic sounds has no right to be anywhere... no right to live at all! Remember that you are a human being, endowed with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech, that your native language is the language of Shakespeare, Milton and the Bible! And stop clucking like a hoarse chicken.”

We are talking about verbal communication, and not about textual one, since text today is considered a unit of both the verbal and non-verbal spheres. W. Eco, for example, speaks of a text in the case of any set of interconnected situations. The investigator, while investigating a crime, also deals with the text, although there may not be a single word in it. But it is the text in front of him, since it has its own internal structure, different from others. Verbal communication affects people on many levels, not just through content. “The success of many politicians, actors, and business people is associated with the timbre of their voice,” writes Mary Spillane. Verbal communication uses human speech, natural sound language, as a sign system, i.e. a system of phonetic signs that includes two principles: lexical and syntactic. Speech is the most universal means of communication, since when transmitting information through speech, the meaning of the message is least lost. True, this should be accompanied by a high degree of common understanding of the situation by all participants in the communication process. With the help of speech, information is encoded and decoded: the communicator encodes while speaking, and the recipient decodes this information while listening. The terms “speaking” and “listening” were introduced by I.A. Winter as a designation of the psychological components of verbal communication.

The main goal of this work is to study the basic means of verbal communications.

To achieve this goal, the work involves consideration of the following tasks:

a) reveal the concept and essence of verbal communication;

b) study oral communication means;

c) study written and verbal communication.

Chapter
1. Verbal communication
1.1.
Communication : concept , types
Communication is, first of all, communication, that is, a specific exchange of information of emotional and intellectual content that is significant for the participants in communication1.

The subjects of communication are living beings, people. In principle, communication is characteristic of any living beings, but only at the human level does the process of communication become conscious, connected by verbal and non-verbal acts. The person transmitting information is called a communicator, and the person receiving it is called a recipient.

A number of aspects can be distinguished in communication: content, purpose and means. Let's consider them in more detail: The content of communication is information that is transmitted from one living being to another in inter-individual contacts. This may be information about the internal (emotional, etc.) state of the subject, about the situation in the external environment. The content of information is most diverse when the subjects of communication are people.

The purpose of communication answers the question “For what purpose does a creature enter into an act of communication?” The same principle applies here as was already mentioned in the paragraph on the content of communication. In animals, the goals of communication usually do not go beyond the biological needs that are relevant to them. For a person, these goals can be very, very diverse and represent a means of satisfying social, cultural, creative, cognitive, aesthetic and many other needs.

Means of communication are methods of encoding, transmitting, processing and decoding information that is transmitted in the process of communication from one being to another. Encoding information is a way of transmitting it. Information between people can be transmitted using the senses, speech and other sign systems, writing, technical means of recording and storing information2.

Types and types of communication. In psychological and pedagogical literature, the concepts of “types” and “types” of communication are used as certain varieties of this phenomenon. At the same time, scientists, unfortunately, do not have a unified approach to what is considered a type and what is a type of communication.

B.T. By types of communication, Parygin understands differences in communication according to its nature, i.e. according to the specifics of the mental state and mood of the participants in the communicative act. According to the scientist, typological types of communication are paired and at the same time alternative in nature: business and gaming communication; impersonal-role and interpersonal communication; spiritual and utilitarian communication; traditional and innovative communication.

For example, the subject of political communication is the sphere of politics, the interaction of political parties and their leaders with representatives of various parties and public associations when resolving certain political issues.

With this approach, it is obvious that pedagogical communication is one of the types of communication. The subject of such communication is the field of education, in which teachers and educators interact with their colleagues, students and their parents around issues related to the training and education of students.

A. A. Leontiev adheres to a slightly different view on the description of types of communication. The author argues that in the study of communication it is unlawful to take “pure” interpersonal communication in a dyad as the simplest “cell” of analysis, since each person represents a set (ensemble) of social relations. Therefore, the author proceeds from the fact that communication is processes that take place within a certain social community - a group, a collective, society as a whole, processes that are not inter-individual in nature, but social. They arise due to social need, social necessity and implement social relations. Based on this, the author identifies three types of communication: socially-oriented communication, group subject-oriented communication and person-oriented communication.

An example of socially oriented communication can be a lecture, salary, or television performance, where the lecturer or speaker acts as a representative of society and solves specific social problems with his audience. For example, it considers the environmental problems of a particular city or region.

Group subject-oriented communication is also aimed at solving social problems - organizing collective interaction in the process of joint activities. This is communication between members of a particular team with each other or with representatives of another team. At the center of such communication are the problems facing the team and the joint activities of its representatives.

Person-oriented communication, which represents the interaction of one person with another, is far from homogeneous. This could be communication between partners serving a specific joint activity (for example, preparing for an exam, competition or concert). But this can also be communication, the center of which is not any activity, but the personal problems of those communicating, for example, sorting out relationships between friends or a declaration of love between a boy and a girl.

Speaking about types of communication, many researchers distinguish between business and personal communication. These terms are found quite often both in pedagogical literature and in everyday life.

Business communication (also called role-based or functional-role communication) is aimed at organizing any joint activity, this or that matter. At the center of such communication are the interests of the business, the functional responsibilities of the partners, the contribution of each of them to achieving the result, and the personal characteristics of the partners: their likes or dislikes, feelings, mood, mental or physical state seem to be relegated to the background.

On the contrary, the center of personal (or interpersonal) communication is the psychological, physiological, moral and other personal problems of partners: their interests, inclinations, mood, relationships with others, well-being, etc. Business problems in such communication are not so significant for partners; the matter can wait, it can be completed after personal issues are resolved.

In the pedagogical process, business and personal communication are quite closely intertwined and inseparable from each other. The teacher not only pays attention to whether or not the student completes the teacher’s assignments, and in what ways he received the correct answer. The physical or mental state of the student, his joyful or depressed mood, the presence of internal anxiety, or preoccupation with something will not hide from the gaze of an experienced teacher.

1.2.
The concept and essence of verbal communication
Verbal communication is the verbal interaction of the parties and is carried out with the help of sign systems, the main one of which is language. Language as a sign system is the optimal means of expressing human thinking and a means of communication. The language system finds its implementation in speech, i.e. language is constantly present in us in a state of possibility. The term "speech" is used in two meanings. Firstly, speech is one of the types of human communicative activity: the use of language to communicate with other people. In this sense, speech is a specific human activity, expressed either orally or in writing. Secondly, speech is the result of an activity depending on the conditions and goals of communication (business speech, official speech, etc.)3.

The differences between speech and language are as follows. Firstly, speech is specific, unique, relevant, unfolds in time, and is realized in space. Secondly, speech is active, unlike language, it is less conservative, more dynamic, and mobile. Thirdly, speech reflects the experience of the speaker, is determined by the context and situation, is variable, can be spontaneous and disordered. Each utterance in the communication process performs one or another function (establishing contact, attracting attention, transmitting information, etc.). Particular functions of specific utterances can be combined into more general ones, which are called functions of speech. The following functions of speech are usually distinguished:

1) Communicative, or representative (representation - representation, image), which is dominant;

2) Appellative (appeal - call, appeal, i.e. influence), which is grammatically expressed mainly in the imperative mood and vocative form;

3) Expressive – expression of expressiveness of speech;

4) Phatic, i.e. contact-setting. Affects the area of ​​speech etiquette and is carried out through the exchange of ritual formulas;

5) Metalinguistic, i.e. interpretation function, when the speaker or listener needs to check whether they use the same code when communicating;

6) Voluntary, i.e. function of expression of will4.

So, the functions that speech performs in each specific communication situation determine the appearance of the utterance, primarily the selection of words and syntactic structures. We noted that the dominant function of speech is the communicative function, i.e. maintenance of the communication process. The communication process can be considered as an exchange of information between people, and its goal is awareness and understanding of the information transmitted and received. The information contained in speech is defined as the verbalized transmission of already acquired, meaningful and organized facts of objective reality.

Let us consider the features of the basic model of information transfer from the point of view of verbal communication. The source of information in verbal communication is the speaker or writer. The information channel can be the voice apparatus of the message creator, as well as technical means of information dissemination. The code in the case of verbal communication is the speech itself. At the same time, encoding is defined as the translation of information into linguistic units, and decoding is defined as the inverse process of perceiving and understanding a statement. The choice of code when transmitting verbal communication, as a rule, occurs automatically. Typically the code is the speaker's native language. However, the code can also be considered as a means of encrypting a message. Interference and distortion are the next important element of the model of verbal communication under consideration. In this case, distortions may be due to linguistic, extralinguistic and acoustic-pronunciation reasons or the graphic appearance of the message in written speech. Linguistic distortions are associated with insufficient refinement of the phrase, excessive complexity of the message, incorrect syntactic format, etc. Extralinguistic interference is caused by the knowledge base of the message recipient. Psychologists also notice that the defense mechanisms of the human psyche select information that corresponds to the individual’s predispositions and do not perceive what contradicts the views and beliefs of the person. To make a message noise-resistant, any information must have some degree of redundancy. Redundancy of information is a complete or partial repetition of a message that accompanies the receipt of new data and serves to check and correct our ideas. It is estimated that redundancy should range from 50 to 95% of the stock of knowledge in the field under consideration5.

A very important characteristic of verbal information is value. Value is understood as new information obtained from the implementation of information content contained in a linguistic sign. The value of meaningful information is determined by its novelty and surprise.

Thus, we have briefly described the main features of the transmission of verbal information. However, in real communication, the purpose of the act of verbal communication is, as a rule, not the actual transfer of information, but some influence on the interlocutor.

For this reason, there are three main types of communication results:

a) changes in the recipient’s knowledge;

b) changing the recipient’s settings, i.e. change in relatively stable ideas of the individual;

c) changing the conduct of the message recipient. Forms of speech communication. Depending on the direction of the speech flow during communication, dialogic and monologue speech are distinguished. Dialogue is a form of speech consisting of an exchange of statements - replicas, characterized by situationality (dependence on the speech situation), contextuality (dependence on previous statements), and a low degree of organization.

The main linguistic features of dialogue include: the presence of repetitions in responding remarks, syntactic incompleteness of remarks, expressiveness, and an abundance of interrogative and incentive sentences. The following types of dialogue are distinguished: informative dialogue; prescriptive dialogue (contains a request, order, promise or refusal to perform a proposed action); dialogue - exchange of opinions (this is usually an argument or discussion); dialogue for the purpose of establishing or regulating interpersonal relationships; idle dialogue (this can be emotional communication or intellectual conversation).

The purpose of verbalization is to maintain the unity of functional formations that arise in the process of business communication, to win over people, and to encourage them to greater spiritual generosity. As a result, the development of the ability to speak eloquently and use standardized speech is important for the image of a manager.

A special place in verbal communication is occupied by the identification and encouragement by a person of the potential capabilities of the interlocutor. The ability to speak kindly and beautifully has an attractive force and creates conditions for the emergence of relationships with people based on mutual sympathy, which is necessary for a favorable psychological atmosphere in the team.

Speech is the main, uniquely human way of communication6.

Speech is primarily divided into internal, i.e., a person’s conversation mentally with himself, through which the motives of his behavior are realized, activities are planned and controlled, etc., and external, aimed at the communication partner. External speech exists on the basis of internal speech. The translation of the content of internal speech into the external plane is associated with the emergence of difficulties in speaking out loud.

External speech is presented in two forms: oral and written.

Chapter
2. Verbal means of communication
2.1.
Oral speech means of communication
Oral speech remains the most common method of communication.

Oral speech: this is spoken speech, it uses a system of phonetic means of expression; it is created in the process of speaking; it is characterized by verbal improvisation and some linguistic features (freedom in the choice of vocabulary, the use of simple sentences, the use of incentive, interrogative, exclamatory sentences, repetitions, incompleteness of expression of thoughts)

To be understood, it is not enough to have good diction. You must be clear about what you are going to say. In addition, you must choose words so that your idea is correctly understood. If a person has to speak in front of a large audience, he formulates theses for himself or otherwise prepares for the report. But in everyday life, oral communication requires spontaneity, and this can cause anxiety, uncertainty and even fear in a person. You can start working on oral speech by expanding your vocabulary. Remember Martin Eden D. London, who, having decided to become a writer, began to learn a certain number of new words every day. It helped him. Nowadays, if they usually learn new words, it is only when studying a foreign language. Although it is necessary to expand your vocabulary both for those who have a small one and for those whose profession requires it (writer, speaker, translator, politician, etc.). If you clearly understand what you want to say and your vocabulary is large enough, then you will most likely be able to accurately express your thoughts and prevent possible misunderstandings. On the contrary, people who are confused in their thoughts and words are constantly at risk of getting into trouble. Often people are embarrassed to use their rich vocabulary, not wanting to flaunt their education for fear of seeming arrogant.

A very important ability associated with oral speech is the ability to hold the attention of listeners. If, while giving a report, you look someone in the audience straight in the eye, then you will be guaranteed their reciprocal attention. Conversely, if you express your thoughts in a monotonous voice, with your nose to a piece of paper prepared in advance, you will very soon find that the audience is not listening to you. Visual contact with the audience is also useful because it allows the speaker to gauge the audience's reaction. The most effective, as a rule, is personal communication, that is, communication in which two people participate. Thus, it has long been a known fact in politics that personal communication with voters increases a candidate’s chances of success in the election campaign.

2.2.
Written - speech communication
Written speech: this is speech, graphically fixed; it can be thought out and corrected in advance; it is characterized by some linguistic features (the predominance of book vocabulary, the presence of complex sentences, strict adherence to language norms, the absence of extra-linguistic elements)

The difference between written and oral speech lies in the nature of the addressee. Written speech is usually addressed to those who are absent. The one who writes does not see his communication partner, but can only mentally imagine him. Written speech is not affected by the reactions of those who read it9.

People use written communication less often than oral communication. But with the advent of email, the importance of written communication has increased greatly.

When selecting candidates for vacant positions, employers are paying increasing attention to their ability to competently express their thoughts on paper. If, when applying for a job, you are asked to fill out a questionnaire, this may mean that the employer is thus intending to test your knowledge of grammar and spelling.

Any written message has one undoubted advantage over oral communication. By composing it, you have the opportunity to think, put your thoughts in order and, if necessary, even rewrite it completely. However, two disadvantages of written communication should be noted. Firstly, a written message cannot convey the intonation of your voice and gestures (often, but not always: emoticons are a great achievement of humanity), and secondly, you are deprived of instant feedback from the reader. To address the first shortcoming, it makes sense to add an emotional touch to your message. Here, as in oral communication, a rich vocabulary can serve you well. The second problem is easily solved if you know the educational level, interests and vocabulary of the people you are addressing. A short message written in simple language tends to be more understandable to people.

The differences between written and oral speech also lie in the fact that what is spoken is short-lived and is only partially retained in memory, while what is written can be retained for a long time.

2.3.
Listening as a means of verbal communication
Listening in our lives is no less important than speaking: through hearing a person receives approximately 25% of all information about the world around him.

People listen to things for different purposes. First of all, they want to receive new semantic information. This is listening to a lecture, report, information on radio and television, listening to a business partner, etc. They often listen to receive emotional and aesthetic information. This is what listening to poetry and artistic prose is like.

According to the method of implementation, two types of listening are distinguished: absent-minded, passive (non-reflective), when a person is distracted by something, and concentrated, active (reflective), when attention mechanisms are turned on to the maximum.

Being able to listen is one of the most complex communicative phenomena directly related to the culture of communication.

Unreflective listening is not always appropriate. After all, silence can be taken as a sign of consent. Therefore, it is more honest to immediately interrupt the interlocutor and openly express your point of view in order to avoid misunderstandings later.

Reflective listening involves actively intervening in the interlocutor’s speech, helping him express his thoughts and feelings, and creating favorable conditions for communication.

It is important to be able to choose the type of listening that is most appropriate in a given communication situation.

Get to know the basic “rules” of listening to your interlocutor. They are set out by Eastwood Atwater in the book “I’m Listening to You...” (M., 1989)

1. Don't mistake silence for attention.

If the interlocutor is silent, this does not mean that he is listening. He may be lost in his own thoughts.

2. Be physically alert.

Turn to face the speaker. Maintain eye contact with him and make sure your posture and gestures indicate that you are listening.

3. Don't pretend to listen.

It's no use: no matter how much you pretend, lack of interest and boredom will inevitably show in your facial expressions and gestures.

4. Give the other person time to speak.

Focus on what he is saying. Try to understand not only the meaning of the words, but also the conclusions of the interlocutor.

5. Don't interrupt unnecessarily.

Most of us interrupt each other in social interactions, sometimes doing it unconsciously. Managers interrupt subordinates more often, and seniors interrupt juniors, than vice versa. Men interrupt more often than women. If you need to interrupt someone in an honest conversation, then help restore the interlocutor's train of thought that you interrupted.

6. Don't jump to conclusions.

This is one of the main barriers to effective communication. Refrain from making judgments and try to fully understand the other person’s point of view or train of thought.

7. Don't be overly sensitive to emotional words11.

When listening to a very excited interlocutor, be careful not to be influenced by his feelings, otherwise you may miss the point of communication.

8. Make sure there are no ambiguities or misunderstandings.

If the interlocutor has already spoken, repeat the main points of his monologue in your own words and ask if that’s what he meant.

Do not focus on the conversational characteristics of your interlocutor.

Conclusion

Verbal communication uses human speech, natural sound language, as a sign system, that is, a system of phonetic signs that includes two principles: lexical and syntactic. Speech is the most universal means of communication, since when transmitting information through speech, the meaning of the message is least lost. True, this should be accompanied by a high degree of common understanding of the situation by all participants in the communication process.

With the help of speech, information is encoded and decoded: the communicator encodes while speaking, and the recipient decodes this information while listening.

The sequence of the speaker's actions has been studied in sufficient detail. From the point of view of transmitting and perceiving the meaning of a message, the “communicator – message – recipient” scheme is asymmetrical.

For a communicator, the meaning of information precedes the encoding process, since the “speaker” first has a certain idea and then embodies it in a system of signs. For the “listener,” the meaning of the received message is revealed simultaneously with decoding. In this case, the significance of the situation of joint activity is especially clearly manifested: its awareness is included in the decoding process itself; revealing the meaning of the message is unthinkable outside of this situation.

The accuracy of the listener’s understanding of the meaning of the statement can become obvious to the communicator only when a change in “communicative roles” occurs, i.e. when the recipient turns into a communicator and with his statement makes it known how he revealed the meaning of the received information. Dialogue as a specific type of “conversation” is a consistent change of communicative roles, during which the meaning of a speech message is revealed.

The degree of coherence between the actions of the communicator and the recipient in a situation where they alternately assume these roles largely depends on their inclusion in the general context of the activity. The success of verbal communication in the case of dialogue is determined by the extent to which the partners provide the thematic focus of the information, as well as its two-way nature.

Likewise, ways to increase the impact of message text have been extensively researched. It is in this area that the content analysis technique is used, establishing certain proportions in the relationship between different parts of the text. Audience studies are of particular importance.

In social psychology, there is a large number of experimental studies that elucidate the conditions and methods for increasing the effect of speech influence; both the forms of various communication barriers and ways to overcome them have been studied in sufficient detail.

List of sources used

1. Dmitrieva N.Yu. General psychology. Lecture notes. – M.: Eksmo, 2007. – 128 pp. 2. Itelson L.B. Lectures on general psychology. – St. Petersburg: Peter, 2004. – 320 p. 3. Leontyev A.N. Lectures on general psychology. – M.: Meaning; Ed. , 2007. – 511 p. 4. Lukatsky M.A., Ostrenkova M.E. Psychology. – M.: Eksmo, 2007. – 416 p. 5. Luria A.R. Lectures on general psychology. – St. Petersburg: Peter, 2004. – 320 p.

Types of Verbal Communication

Speech communication has its own types. We have already listed the main ones - speech in all its manifestations, dialogue, monologue. The peculiarities of verbal communication are that it also includes private types of communication.

1. A conversation is a verbal exchange of opinions, thoughts, and knowledge. This process can involve two or more people who communicate in a relaxed atmosphere. Conversation is used when an issue is highlighted or an issue is clarified.
2. An interview is a little different from a conversation in that it is formal. The topics of the interviews are narrow professional, scientific or social issues.
3. Dispute is a dispute on scientific or any socially important topics. This type is also included in the concept of “verbal communication”. Communication within the framework of a dispute between people is limited.
4. The discussion, in turn, is also public, but the result is important in it. Here different opinions on a specific issue are discussed, different points of view and positions are presented. As a result, everyone comes to the same opinion and solution to the controversial issue.
5. A dispute is a confrontation of opinions, a kind of verbal struggle in order to defend one’s opinion.

Features of speech communication processes

Processes of verbal communication may occur with certain difficulties. Since two or more people take part in such communication, with their own interpretation of the information, unforeseen tense moments may arise. Such moments are called communication barriers. Both verbal and nonverbal means of communication are subject to such barriers.

1. Logical - a barrier at the level of logic of information perception. It occurs when people with different types and forms of thinking communicate. The acceptance and understanding of the information provided to him depends on a person’s intelligence.
2. Stylistic - occurs when the order of the information provided is violated and its form and content do not correspond. If a person starts the news from the end, the interlocutor will have a misunderstanding of the purpose of its presentation. The message has its own structure: first the interlocutor’s attention arises, then his interest, from there comes a transition to the main points and questions, and only then a conclusion from everything said appears.
3. Semantic - such a barrier appears when people from different cultures communicate, there is a discrepancy between the meanings of the words used and the meaning of the message.
4. Phonetic - this barrier arises due to peculiarities of the informant’s speech: unclear speaking, quiet intonation, shift in logical stress.

Features of verbal communication: the importance of listening skills

Research shows that when a person hears speech, certain emotions arise.
Whether they are negative or positive depends on how he perceives the words. The main barrier to verbal communication is different understandings of the same expressions. If each side puts completely different meanings into them, then the interlocutors will never come to a common denominator. Articles on the topic

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To achieve success in this method of communication, you must:

• learn how to construct sentences correctly;
• convey information to others as clearly and understandably as possible;
• use phrases and expressions that will correspond to the place and situation;
• maintain the subordination of the parties.

When communicating verbally with your opponent, you need to learn to listen carefully to his opinion. If the interlocutor thinks only about what to say next, it will turn out that he is talking to himself.

There are 2 common reasons why people don't understand each other. In the first case, they are too focused on themselves, so they only hear themselves. In other situations, they put their own interests above the interlocutor, thereby humiliating his dignity. A person perceives such an attitude towards himself as disrespectful, and therefore behaves aggressively.

Difficulties in verbal communication are sometimes caused by:

1. Culture. Each nation has individual behavioral characteristics and customs. In some nationalities, it is not customary to clarify the meaning of unclear words or figures of speech.
2. Habits. The tendency to lead instills in a person the habit of being the center of attention or constantly being on his own wavelength. As a result, it is difficult for him to take into account the opinions of others.
3. Education. As children, many were taught that it is better to remain silent when adults or other people speak. However, they were not told that they needed to listen carefully at this moment.

The listed circumstances are so deeply rooted in a person’s consciousness that they change his perception of reality. Understanding what this type of communication involves can help overcome such barriers.

Means of nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is an external form of manifestation of a person’s inner world. Verbal and nonverbal means of communication are correlated in one message to varying degrees. They can complement each other, accompany, contradict or replace. It has been proven that the transfer of information is carried out using words only 7%, sounds occupy 38%, and non-verbal means occupy 55%. We see that nonverbal communication occupies a very important place in people's communication.

The main means of communication without words are gestures, facial expressions, pantomime, eye contact systems, as well as a certain intonation and tone of voice. The main means of nonverbal communication also include human postures. For those who know how to interpret them, postures can say a lot about a person’s emotional state.

Communication nonverbal communication

The surrounding society can learn a lot about an individual solely by his manner of choosing clothes and conversation, gestures used, etc. As a result of many studies, it was revealed that non-verbal methods of communication have two types of source of origin, namely biological evolution and culture. Nonverbal means of communication are necessary for the purpose of:

- regulating the flow of the process of communicative interaction, creating psychological contact between interlocutors;

- enriching the meanings conveyed through words, guiding the interpretation of the verbal context;

- expressing emotions and reflecting the interpretation of situations.

Non-verbal communications include well-known gestures, facial expressions and bodily postures, as well as hairstyle, clothing style (clothes and shoes), office interior, business cards, accessories (watches, lighters).

All gestures can be divided into gestures of openness, suspicion, conflict or defense, thoughtfulness and reasoning, uncertainty and doubt, difficulty, etc. Unbuttoning a jacket or reducing the distance between a conversation partner is a gesture of openness.

Rubbing your forehead or chin, trying to cover your face with your hands, and especially avoiding eye contact and looking away to the side indicate suspicion and secrecy. Gestures of conflict or defense include crossing your arms and clenching your fingers into a fist. The thoughtfulness of the interlocutor is indicated by pinching the bridge of the nose, a hand on the cheek (the “thinker” pose). Scratching the space above the earlobe or the side of the neck with your index finger means that the interlocutor doubts something or indicates his uncertainty. Scratching or touching the nose indicates a difficult situation for the person talking. If during a conversation one of the participants lowers his eyelids, then such an action communicates his desire to end the conversation as soon as possible. Scratching the ear demonstrates the interlocutor's rejection of what the partner is saying or the way he is pronouncing it. Stretching the earlobe reminds that the partner is already tired of listening, and he also wants to speak out.

Non-verbal communications also include handshakes, which express the different positions of the participants in the communication interaction. Grabbing the hand of one of those meeting in such a way that its palm is down indicates the authority of the interlocutor. The equal status of those meeting is indicated by a handshake, in which the hands of the participants are in the same position. Stretching out one hand with the palm facing up indicates submission or submission. Emphasizes the different status of those meeting or a certain distance in position, or expresses disrespect by shaking with a straight, unbent hand. Extending only the tips of your fingers for a handshake indicates complete disrespect for the other individual. A handshake with two hands indicates trusting sincerity, excess of feelings, and closeness.

Also, handshakes of citizens of different countries may differ. For example, Americans are characterized by strong, energetic handshakes. After all, they talk about strength and efficiency. For people from the Asian part of the continent, such handshakes may cause bewilderment. They are more accustomed to soft and long handshakes.

Nonverbal communication plays an important role in business communication. For example, picking up lint from a suit is a gesture of disapproval and disagreement in negotiations. In order to prolong the pause before making the final decision, you can take off your glasses and put them on or wipe the lenses. You can also highlight actions that will non-verbally indicate the desire to complete the meeting. These include: pushing the body forward, with the hands placed on the knees or on the armrests. Hands raised behind the head demonstrate that for the interlocutor the conversation is empty, unpleasant and burdensome.

Nonverbal language of communication is even evident in the way an individual smokes. A closed, suspicious communication partner directs the exhaled stream of smoke downward. Stronger hostility or aggression is indicated by exhaling smoke from the corners of the mouth downwards. The intensity of smoke exhalation is also important. The rapid exhalation of smoke indicates the interlocutor's confidence. The faster it is, the more confident the individual feels. The more intense the flow is exhaled downwards, the more negative the interlocutor is. Ambition is indicated by exhaling smoke through the nostrils with the head raised up. The same thing, but with the head down, indicates that the individual is very angry.

Verbal and non-verbal means of communication during communicative interaction are perceived simultaneously, as a result of which they should be analyzed as an indivisible whole. For example, during a conversation with a smiling, nicely dressed person with a pleasant timbre of voice, his interlocutor, without realizing it, may still leave his partner because he does not like the smell of his eau de toilette. Such a non-verbal action will make the partner think that not everything is all right with him, for example, with his appearance. Understanding this may cause you to lose confidence in your own words, your face to turn red, and ridiculous gestures to appear. This situation indicates that verbal and nonverbal means of communication are inextricably linked. After all, gestures that are not supported by words are not always meaningful, and words in the absence of facial expressions are empty.

Features of nonverbal communication

In communication without words, everything is important: how a person holds his back (posture), at what distance he is, what gestures, facial expressions, postures, glances he has, and so on. There are certain areas of nonverbal communication that determine the effectiveness of communication.

1. Public - more than 400 cm from the informant; such communication is often used in classrooms and during rallies.
2. Social - 120-400 cm distance between people, for example, at official meetings, with people we don’t know well.
3. Personal - 46-120 cm, conversation with friends, colleagues, there is visual contact.
4. Intimate - 15-45 cm, communication with loved ones, you can speak quietly, tactile contact, trust. If this zone is forcibly violated, blood pressure may increase and the heart rate may increase. This phenomenon can be observed in a very full bus.

Verbal and nonverbal communication are processes that will help achieve effectiveness in negotiations if these zones are not violated.

Nonverbal communication and its types

Nonverbal communication is divided into types. The typology is related to the fact that, having an understanding of iconic forms of communication and their types, it is much easier to understand yourself and the people around you.

Sign communications are divided into types:

• Kinesics. This includes gestures, body movements and postures. Their role is to complement different means of communication. For the nonverbal communication system, postures, gestures, facial expressions and gaze are important - the main kinesic elements.
• Sensory - sensory perception using the tactile organs.
• Chronemics. It involves the use of time in nonverbal communication.
• Proxemics. It is based on the use of interpersonal relationships. It is divided into the following types:

1. Personal.
2. Intimate.
3. Public.
4. Social.

Sign language

Gestures are usually called socially practiced movements that can convey a person’s emotional state. There are a very large number of gestures, and they are all classified according to the purpose of transmitting information by a person and his internal state. Gestures are:

• illustrators (complement the message);
• regulators (the person’s attitude is visible);
• emblems (common symbols);
• affectors (transmission of emotions);
• assessments;
• confidence;
• uncertainty;
• self-control;
• expectations;
• denial;
• location;
• dominance;
• insincerity;
• courtship.

By how a person behaves during a conversation, one can determine his internal state, how interested he is in the exchange of information, and whether there is sincerity.

Human facial expressions

Human facial expressions are also a way of informing. When the face is immobile, 10-15% of all information is lost. If a person is deceiving or hiding something, then his eyes meet the eyes of the interlocutor less than a third of the time of the entire conversation. The left side of a person's face is more likely to show emotions. Accurate messages about a person's condition are conveyed through the eyes or the curvature of the lips. This occurs due to the behavior of the pupils - their contraction and dilation is beyond our control. When we experience the emotions of fear or sympathy, the pupils characteristically change.