Verbal signals of communication. Verbal and non-verbal behavior

Communication- this is the interaction of two or more people, which is the exchange of information of a cognitive or emotional-evaluative nature. This exchange is provided by non-verbal and verbal means of communication.

It seems that it could be easier to communicate through speech? But in fact, this process is not easy and ambiguous.

Verbal communicationis the process of exchanging information between people (or groups of people) using speech means. Simply put, verbal communication iscommunication through words, speech.

Of course, in addition to the transmission of specific “dry” information, during verbal communication, peopleinteractwith each other emotionally andaffecteach other, conveying their feelings and emotions in words.

In addition to verbal, there are alsonon-verbalcommunication (transmission of information without words, through facial expressions, gestures, pantomime). But this distinction is conditional. In practice, verbal and non-verbal communication are directly related to each other.

Body language always complements, “illustrates” speech. Pronouncing a certain set of words and trying to convey some idea to the interlocutor through them, a person speaks with a certain intonation, facial expression, gesticulating, changing posture, and so on, that is, helping himself in every possible way and supplementing speech with non-verbal means of communication.

Althoughspeech- it is a universal, rich and expressive means of information exchange, very little information is transmitted through it -less than 35%! Of these, only 7% falls directly on the words, the rest is intonation, tone and other sound means. More65% information is transmitted using non-verbal means of communication!

The priority of non-verbal means of communication is explained by psychologists by the fact that the non-verbal communication channel is simpler, evolutionarily more ancient, spontaneous and difficult to control (after all, non-verbalunconscious). And speech is the result of workconsciousness. Human awarethe meaning of your words as you speak them. Before you say something, you can always (and should) think, but controlling your facial expression or a spontaneous gesture is an order of magnitude harder.

The Importance of Verbal Communication

At personal, emotional-sensory communication is dominated (they are more priority and important) non-verbal means of communication. ATbusinessinteraction, the ability to correctly, clearly, clearly convey one’s ideas verbally is more important, that is, the ability to competently build one’s monologue, conduct a dialogue, understand and correctly interpret in the first placespeechanother person.

The ability to competently express yourself, your personality through speech is very important in a business environment. Self-presentation, interviews, long-term cooperation, resolving disagreements and conflicts, finding compromises and other business interaction requires the ability to communicate effectivelythrough words.

If personal relationships are impossible without emotions and feelings, then business communication is for the most partemotionless.If emotions are present in it, then they are either hidden or expressed in the most restrained, ethical form. The literacy of speech and the culture of verbal communication are valued mainly.

But in matters of the heart, the ability totalk and negotiate! Long-term love, friendships and, of course, a strong family are built on the ability to speak, listen and hear each other.

Verbal means of communication

Oralspeech is the main and very important means of verbal communication, but not the only one. Speech is also distinguished as separate verbal means of communication.written and internalspeech (dialogue with oneself).

If you don’t need to learn non-verbal skills (these are innate skills), then verbal means of communication involve the development of certainskills, namely:

• perceive speech,
• listen and hear what the interlocutor says,
• speak competently (monologue) and conduct a conversation (dialogue),
• write well,
• conduct an internal dialogue.

especiallysuch communication skills are valued how:

• the ability to speak concisely, clearly formulating an idea,
• the ability to speak briefly, to the point,
• the ability not to deviate from the topic, to avoid a large number of “lyrical digressions”,
• the ability to inspire, motivate, convince, motivate speech,
• the ability to interest in speech, to be an interesting interlocutor,
• honesty, the habit of telling the truth and not uttering unverified information (which may turn out to be a lie),
• attentiveness during communication, the ability to accurately retell what was heard,
• the ability to objectively accept and correctly understand what is said by the interlocutor,
• the ability to “translate” the words of the interlocutor, determining for themselves their very essence,
• the ability to take into account the level of intelligence and other individual psychological characteristics of the interlocutor (for example, not to use terms whose meanings the interlocutor probably does not know),
• mood for a positive assessment of the speech of the interlocutor and his personality, the ability to find good intentions of a person even in negative words.

There are many other communication skills that are important for anyone who wants to be successful in their profession and happy in their personal lives.

Barriers to Verbal Communication

What a wonderful interlocutor it would not be possible to become, it must be borne in mind that human speechimperfect.

Verbal communication is the mutual exchange of information in whichalwaysthere are several barriers. The meaning of words is lost, changed, misinterpreted, deliberately changed, and so on. This is because the information coming from the mouth of one person, coming to the second, overcomes several barriers.

Psychologist Predrag Micic in the book "How to have business conversations"described a scheme of gradual impoverishment of information during verbal communication.

The complete information (all 100%) that needs to be conveyed to the interlocutor is contained only in the mind of the speaker. Inner speech is more varied, richer and deeper than outer speech, therefore, already during its transformation into external speech, 10% of information is lost.

This is the first barrier to verbal communication, which Mitsich called"The Limit of the Imagination".A person cannot express everything he wants through words because of their limitations (compared to thoughts).

The second barrier is"Barrier of Desire"Even a thought that is ideally formulated to oneself is not always possible to express out loud the way one wants for various reasons, at least due to the fact that one has to adapt to one’s interlocutor and take into account the situation of communication with him. At this stage, another 10% of information is lost.

The fourth barrier is purely psychological -"Relationship Barrier". What and how one person hears, listening to another, depends on his attitude towards him. As a rule, out of 70% of the information heard, the interlocutor understands only 60% precisely for the reason that the need to logically comprehend what is heard is mixed with a personal attitude towards the speaker.

And finally, the last barrier -“memory capacity”. This is not so much a barrier to direct verbal communication as human memory. In memory, on average, only about25-10% information received from another person.

This is how out of 100% of the information that was originally in the mind of one person, only 10% is transmitted to another.

That is why it is so important to convey your thought as accurately and fully as possible, to convey it clearly and unambiguously, to express it in words understandable to the interlocutor, to try to make him hear, understand and remember what was said.

One of the ways a person communicates with other people is verbal communication. This is a method of communication with the help of words that convey this or that information. Along with it, non-verbal communication is also considered, when information is transmitted by facial expressions, gestures, and human behavior. All this has types and features of its manifestation, which you should be aware of.

A person from childhood studies the speech of the people around him. This allows him to express his thoughts and ideas in the future, so that those around him with whom he is in contact will know about them. Words can influence others. Words can control people. However, it is not always possible to find a common language.

Why is it so hard to get along with people? You yourself have probably come across such people with whom it is simply impossible to talk and negotiate. Either they contradict you, or they are rude, or they don’t understand, or they don’t hear what you are talking about. It is difficult to find a common language with those who do not hear anyone but themselves. This is the first reason for this state of affairs.

The second reason why it is so difficult to find a common language with people is the attempt to put your own interests and views above those of others. Please note that problems and scandals between people most often arise precisely when you or your opponent puts your opinion above someone else's. If you downgrade the other person's point of view, then naturally he will want to downgrade your opinion. If you consider your point of view to be more correct, this means insulting the personality of the interlocutor, whose opinion is considered incorrect.

People consider themselves better and more correct than others. If you consider someone worthless, below yourself, less correct and respected, then you express this with all your words and deeds. And how do you think that the person whom you humiliate feels at the same time? Aggression, anger, resentment. You would feel the same way. If you were humiliated, your opinion was insulted, considered “no one”, you would also be angry and offended. That's why people can't find a common language - they consider someone the best and the worst.

Every person has the right to respect and understanding. Even if your opinion does not coincide with the opinion of the other person, both of you are respectable people who should at least be accepted for who they are. You may not be best friends, but you must respect each other's points of view. Neither you nor anyone else is better or worse. You are equal to nature. If you instill this in yourself, then you will begin to find a common language with other people much faster and easier.

What is verbal communication?

What is verbal communication? This is a mutually directed interaction of people, in which the language system is used, clear, understandable, expressed, accessible. A person can communicate with one or more interlocutors at the same time. All of them must speak the same understandable language so that there is no misunderstanding. Verbal is a conversation at the level of words understandable to all interlocutors.

To date, there are many trainings that are aimed at improving speech skills. This suggests that people understand the need for the ability to communicate beautifully and correctly. The fact is that it is at the level of words that one can receive a positive or negative reaction in response. While you are talking, the interlocutor has emotions. Their color depends on what he hears from your lips.

Thus, verbal communication is a method of reproducing one's own thoughts and receiving information from outside.

Contact between people occurs through communication. People communicate, use their language to convey information to each other. If earlier, when there was no language, people could express their thoughts through drawings and gestures, now a person uses language as a means of interaction.

In order for you to successfully develop relationships with different people, you must learn the art of communication. If a person knows few words, uses abuse, while picking his nose and constantly twitches, then he will cause discomfort to almost any interlocutor. Communication involves finding a special approach to each person. But there are basics that can be used in almost any situation.

1. Let your interlocutor be the smartest and most interesting.

Communicate with a person in such a way that he feels smart, interesting and quick-witted. Often people make a mistake when they try to interrupt the speech of the interlocutors, to insist on their opinion, to convince them of something. If you remember, then in such situations disputes often arise and. You have not achieved trust and affection for yourself by your own methods. So they need to be changed.

And the surest way is to allow other people to be smart, interesting and quick-witted too. This does not mean that you become stupid and indifferent. On the contrary, your conversation is lively and interesting, while each of you can express your opinion, feel respect for yourself, see understanding (at best, support) in the eyes of the interlocutor. You are smart, and your interlocutor is smart. By your attitude towards him, you show that his thoughts and ideas are also reasonable, interesting, attractive, even if you have a different point of view.

1. Listen to your interlocutor.

There is no better interlocutor than one who knows how to listen and not interrupt. A bad habit of many people is the desire to express their opinion as quickly as possible. The interlocutor speaks, and you stop listening to him, because your own thought has arisen. You want to express it as quickly as possible, which is why you interrupt the speech of another person.

Your interlocutor may pause to give you a chance to speak. But if you constantly interrupt, then your interlocutor may have a desire to communicate with you as little as possible. Why would another person communicate with someone who does not want to listen to him? Every person wants to be heard. And to interrupt his speech means to show your unwillingness to listen to him.

Learn not only to speak, but also to be silent. And your silence should be aimed at listening to the opinion of the interlocutor. Not just be silent, but listen to the speech, delve into its essence and continue the conversation.

Verbal and non-verbal communication

To convey your idea to another person, a variety of methods are used. Here communication is divided into verbal and non-verbal. A feature of verbal communication are words that are pronounced orally or in writing. A feature of non-verbal communication is gesticulation and human behavior.

People tend to communicate at the verbal level. When they see each other, they begin to say some words. This allows them to express their attitude, experiences, thoughts, ideas, etc. When people understand the same meanings under words, then it is easier for them to perceive each other. A barrier in verbal communication arises when interlocutors understand different meanings under the same words.

In addition to words, people are still moving. Their facial expression changes, arms, legs and body take certain poses. As contact occurs, some actions, reactions, and so on. All this is called non-verbal communication.

Usually a person perceives his interlocutor as a whole. If he perceives his words consciously, then he often does not pay attention to his facial expressions and gestures. The subconscious takes an active part in the interaction, which is why so often there is a feeling that you have been deceived in some way. This happens when the spoken words do not match the gestures and actions of a person.

• Verbal communication is often a conscious process of the one who pronounces the words and the one who perceives them.
• Non-verbal communication is often an uncontrolled process where the body conveys the true attitude or desires of the speaker. His interlocutor(s) also unconsciously perceives his gestures. That is why sometimes there is a feeling of discrepancy between what was said and the “bodily” speech.

Non-verbal speech is also called "gesture language" or "body language". It includes:

1. Gestures are hand movements that are made during communication.
2. Mimicry is the facial movement of muscles during a conversation.
3. Look - orientation, severity, change to certain words.
4. Posture and gait - the position of the body while standing or moving.

The website of the psychological help website recommends being active while communicating with people. Listen not only to what they say, but also to see what they are doing, what their facial expression, posture, etc. If a person can control his own actions for a couple of minutes, then he will turn off, because he will be busy thinking about what to say.

The body never lies, especially if a person does not control it. It can be used to recognize when you are lying at the level of words, and when they are telling the truth. Other communication barriers are:

• Phonetic - features of diction, pronunciation, intonation.
• Logical - a feature of thinking that does not coincide with the thinking of the interlocutor.
• Semantic - the difference in the meaning and meaning of certain words, postures, actions, which is observed with a difference in cultures.
• Stylistic - features of the construction of phrases and sentences that may be incomprehensible to the interlocutor.

Types of verbal communication

How does a person communicate with others? The following types of verbal communication should be considered:

1. External speech.
   • Oral speech. It, in turn, is divided into:
     • Dialogic speech - two people speak in turn.
     • Monologue speech - only one person speaks, and the rest listen to him.
     • Tactile speech is the transmission of the alphabet at hand level. It is a way of communication between deaf and dumb people.
   • Written speech. It, in turn, is divided into:
     • Immediate - when the interlocutors instantly send a response. For example, rewriting via SMS or notes.
     • Delayed - when the interlocutors communicate through letters that are sent to them after a while.

1. Inner speech.

Verbal speech is expressed in the following forms of communication:

• Dispute - communication at the level of disagreement, where everyone tries to insist on their opinion and convince the interlocutor (s).
• A conversation is a communication between people that takes place in a relaxed atmosphere, where everyone can express their thoughts, experiences, clarify some questions, etc.
• Discussion and debate is a discussion of a scientific or socially important topic in order to find solutions. Here everyone expresses his opinion, assumptions, theories, etc.
• An interview is a specially organized communication on scientific or professional topics.
• Assembly, etc.

What are the methods of effective communication? Only those methods that will help create a comfortable space for trusting communication are considered. In other words, you will not manipulate, but, on the contrary, you will communicate in such a way that the other person has confidence in you, a desire to open up, to voluntarily give you any information that you wish to receive from him (and even he himself wants something secret). tell).

Methods for effective communication:

1. Feedback. “Did I understand you correctly, what did you mean by saying ... (and retell in your own words the meaning that was communicated to you)?”. You must show the person that you are listening. Nodding your head and sounding "Aha" is just listening. But trust comes from active listening, when you try to understand the information that is being given to you. Since you are listening and trying to understand, it means that you are not judging, especially if you just want to double-check the correctness of your understanding of what was said by the interlocutor.
2. Arrangement. If a person asks you for something, then make a promise to fulfill the request (if, of course, you agree to do this). For example, if a person asks you not to tell anyone what you hear from him, then there is nothing difficult in shutting your mouth and not divulging other people's secrets, right? Therefore, agree on something with another person. This will allow him to understand that you can be trusted (if, of course, you keep your word).
3. Before you know a person, get to know him. Engage in collecting information, getting to know the interlocutor if you do not know anything about him. This requires only one thing from you - to be silent and listen to everything that the other person says. You listen carefully, and it seems to your interlocutor that you are really passionate about his story. You collect information, and it seems to him that you understand him. And you feel good, and the interlocutor opens up before you.
4. People are more likely to trust authorities. How to become such a person? You just need to position yourself as an authoritative person. Authority is a specialist, he knows everything, if you follow him, you will survive.
5. It is easier to trust someone who has the same values ​​as you. The one who has the same life priorities, problems and values, people trust more, because they unconsciously understand that they will be understood.
6. People trust those who understand them. It should be noted that understanding is not the same as agreeing. You may not agree with what the person says, but if you understand their point of view, show empathy and simply show that their opinion also has a right to exist, you will inspire confidence. You may disagree, have your own opinion, but it is important to understand that the other person has some other idea.

Features of verbal communication

A feature of verbal communication is that this type of communication is available only to a person. To speak with others, you must first learn the words that are used in their environment. A person will not be able to express his thought if he cannot speak the language of other people, understand what he expresses, and coordinate it with the ideas that people form as a result of information perception.

An important feature of verbal communication is the ability to construct sentences in such a way as to express one's thoughts, beliefs, and ideas. They must not only be formed, but also transmitted in such a way that others understand them.

Speech should correspond to the situation and change, depending on the social role and its orientation. So, people maintain a distance between themselves, depending on the relationship they are in. Communication occurs at 4 levels:

1. Intuitive - on the basis of slightly heard information, guesses and assumptions are built.
2. Physical - touching and other types of contacts of interlocutors during communication.
3. Logical - a clear transfer of information.
4. Ethical - a change in intonation, timbre and other components of speech, depending on who the person is communicating with.

People rarely communicate with each other. Communication implies that people understand the meaning of each spoken word. The interlocutor says something, but may not mean what he says. And the person, in turn, under each word of the interlocutor understands the meaning that is familiar to him. Misunderstanding occurs because one does not know how to directly express his thoughts, and the second under each word understands something of his own. It turns out that people do not communicate with each other, but with themselves.

Communication with oneself occurs due to the fact that often the interlocutors are in their thoughts even in those moments when communication with other people takes place. While the interlocutor says something, the person thinks about what he will say next. That is why it sometimes happens that a person jumps from topic to topic without hearing what is being said to him. This person does not listen to his interlocutor, he is carried away by his thoughts.

Why don't people communicate with each other? Most likely, this comes from childhood, when everyone is taught not to listen to anyone but himself. There are people who from childhood are used to being silent while "adults are talking." There are people who are constantly listened to by others, so they are used to being each on their own wave. There are people who are accustomed not to specify the meaning of the words of their interlocutor, understanding by them what is convenient for them.

People communicate not with each other, but with themselves. This is a culture that can be re-educated, if you sincerely want it, in order to communicate more effectively with others.

Outcome

Verbal communication performs many functions in human life. Firstly, it allows you to transfer your thoughts, feelings, desires to other people. Secondly, it allows you to understand the thoughts and ideas of others. When people communicate with each other, they not only exchange information, but also influence. The result - communicating with certain people, a person involuntarily adopts their qualities, no matter how bad or good they may be.

When entering a new environment (starting a new job, making new friends, dating a new partner), consider whether you want to be like these people. If you start hanging out with a certain group (or at least one person who is a new acquaintance), you will soon become just like them.

Ordinary people forget this truth. They often change not for the better, because it is much easier to find a bad company than a good one. Successful people remember this, so they carefully select the society with which they are constantly ready to contact. They know that they will soon become like those with whom they often see each other, and they choose partners who can teach them something useful and good.

It doesn't matter which person or group of people you prefer. The longer you hang out with someone, the more you will become like them. People are not just attracted to each other. Usually they start relationships with those who are already somewhat similar to them or who embody the image of the person they want to be like.

Usually people do not know who they want to be, so they choose partners who have the same qualities as them. Often they converge on bad qualities, which unites, since other representatives may not show understanding.

Do you want to be like the environment you are in? Soon you will become the same person as the people with whom you started communicating. It doesn't matter if you like them or not. You will still develop similar qualities. Accordingly, choose your personal environment carefully and remember that your acquaintances are images that you will soon become like.

Human life in society is impossible without communication, it is not for nothing that these two words are so similar. Communication is both the exchange of information, and the way of interaction, and a separate type of activity. Communication is at the core of interpersonal relationships. Verbal and non-verbal means of communication briefly contain the whole essence of successful communication.

Verbal communication

Characteristic

Verbal communication is communication through words. This includes written and spoken language. This type of communication is the most rational and conscious. A person “thinks in words”, which means that speech is closely connected with thinking. Verbal communication includes four processes: speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Functions

Psychologists identify three main functions of verbal communication: informational, expressive, and the function of will expression.

Information function enables the exchange of information. Misunderstanding and misinterpretation of information generates conflicts. Therefore, the ability to correctly and clearly formulate your thoughts is so important. What a person says may be clear to him, but not clear to his interlocutor. Often, people who speak the same language put completely different meanings into the same words, and this creates problems in communication. The closer people are in a relationship, the less often they encounter this problem. It is not for nothing that people who easily understand each other are said to have “found a common language”.

Expressive (emotional) function associated with the possibility of emotional interaction. The language is rich in expressive and emotionally colored words. Suffice it to recall a literature lesson at school: epithets, comparisons, hyperbole - all this contributes to the transfer of emotions through words. Without emotions, people would turn into robots, and speech would be like a technical manual. The more accurately a person can express his emotions with words, the more likely he is to be understood correctly.

The function of the will (effectiveness) associated with the ability of one person to influence the behavior of another. A well-spoken phrase can change a person's life. Communication is about persuasion and persuasion. Parents are looking for the right words to persuade the child to behave well. Managers communicate with subordinates, trying to organize their work as efficiently as possible. In both cases, the goal is the same - to influence the behavior of another person.

Another generally accepted system for classifying the functions of verbal communication:

• communicative (provides a full exchange of information between people);
• constructive (competent expression of thoughts);
• cognitive (acquisition of new knowledge, training of brain activity);
• contact-establishing (establishing connections between people);
• emotional (expression of feelings and emotions with the help of intonation);
• accumulative (accumulation and storage of knowledge for gaining experience and use in the future);
• ethnic (unity of people speaking the same language).

Usage

The richer the speech, the more convincing and interesting it is. In addition, it is necessary to develop the ability to listen and hear the interlocutor. In business communication, it is important to observe professional etiquette.

Non-verbal communication

Characteristic

Non-verbal communication includes gestures, facial expressions, postures, touch, distance. Non-verbal communication is less conscious: often people are completely unaware of and have no control over their body language. And at the same time, it is through “non-verbalism” that the true attitude of the speaker is felt.

Gestures represent movements of the body or its individual parts and can complement verbal speech, and in some situations completely replace words. Gestures include nodding the head, shrugging the shoulders, and in general any body movement that has a generally accepted meaning. Gestures can be classified into the following categories:

• Communicative (gestures of greeting, farewell, attracting attention, prohibitive, affirmative, negative, interrogative, and so on);
• Modal - expressing assessment and attitude (gestures of approval, satisfaction, trust and distrust, and the like);
• Descriptive - having meaning only in the context of speech utterance.

facial expressions- movements of the muscles of the face - reflects the emotions of a person. Facial expressions are universal for representatives of different cultures: people from the farthest corners of the planet are happy, sad and angry with exactly the same facial expression. Facial expressions and gaze are the most difficult to control.

According to its specificity, a look can be:

• Business - is fixed in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe forehead of the interlocutor, so it is easier to emphasize the seriousness of the atmosphere of business partnership;
• Social - concentrated in a triangle between the eyes and mouth, thus creating an atmosphere of easy secular communication;
• Intimate - not directed at the eyes of the interlocutor, but below the face - to chest level. Such a view indicates a great interest in communication;
• A sidelong glance is used to convey interest or hostility. To express interest, it is combined with slightly raised eyebrows or a smile. A frowning forehead or lowered corners of the mouth testify to a critical or suspicious attitude towards the interlocutor.

Pantomime- a complex component of non-verbal communication, which includes factors such as:

• Posture - the position of the body in space - reflects the attitude of a person to other participants in communication and to the situation as a whole. The posture can be open or closed. The closed posture is characterized by crossed arms or legs and indicates that the person does not want to communicate and is uncomfortable. With an open posture, a person demonstrates a willingness to communicate.
• Gait is a style of human movement, which includes the rhythm, amplitude and dynamics of the step. To create an attractive appearance, the gait of a confident person is most preferable - light, slightly springy. According to the gait of a person, one can draw conclusions not only about his character, but also about his mood and age.
• Posture - the position of the human body, which is regulated unconsciously, at the level of reflexes, usually posture allows you to understand the mood of a person, since it directly depends on his fatigue and condition. Incorrect posture acts repulsively on a subconscious level, which means that for effective communication it is very important to learn how to keep your back and head straight and use it in everyday life.
• Gross motor skills of the body are a very important factor in non-verbal communication. Excessive fussiness and nervousness of movements can irritate the interlocutor, you need to control the uniformity of body movements and not make unnecessary turns in different directions.

touch It's kind of an invasion of someone else's personal space. Touching is acceptable between close friends, family members, and in informal settings. In business communication, a handshake may be an acceptable touch. Handshakes are divided into 3 types: dominant (hand on top, palm turned down), submissive (hand below, palm turned up) and equal.

Distance between interlocutors shows the degree of their closeness. There are four intersubjective zones: intimate (up to 0.5 meters), personal (0.5 - 1.2 meters), social (1.2 - 3.5 meters) and public (more than 3.5 meters). Very close people communicate in the intimate zone, informal communication takes place in the personal zone, formal working relationships take place in the social zone, and performances in front of a large audience take place in the public zone.

In non-verbal communication, voice characteristics are distinguished separately - prosodic (pitch, volume of the voice, its timbre) and extralinguistic (inclusion of pauses and various non-morphological human phenomena in speech: crying, coughing, laughter, sigh).

Functions

Non-verbal communication complements, enriches, and sometimes completely replaces verbal communication. The very first films in the history of cinema did not have speech accompaniment (the so-called “silent cinema”) and everything that happened on the screen was transmitted through the movements and facial expressions of the actors. Pantomime is built on non-verbal means of communication - a separate type of stage art in which actors play their roles using "body language".

At the same time, non-verbal communication performs the same functions as verbal communication: it carries certain information, expresses emotions and is a means of influencing the interlocutor.

Usage

Mastering non-verbal means of communication is more difficult. Most often, people focus only on the verbal side of communication, ignoring their gestures, posture, facial expressions, pantomime. A person may talk about a good attitude, but his body language will be aggressive. A person may call himself confident, but his posture and facial expressions will betray his fears and doubts.

When talking with people, you should pay attention to gestures and postures. It is good if during the conversation the hands are not hidden behind the back or in the pockets, but harmoniously complement the conversation with moderate gestures. Open palms are perceived as a sign of trust. In business communication, closed, too tense or too relaxed postures should be avoided. To maintain comfort in a conversation, it is important to maintain the correct distance. In business communication, the most appropriate distance between interlocutors is from 1.2 to 3.5 meters.

Understanding someone else's facial expressions helps to understand the emotions of another person. People are not always ready to talk about their emotions, but their facial expressions will display these emotions. It is much more difficult to control your own facial expressions than to notice someone else's. Therefore, the easiest way to master the verbal and non-verbal means of business communication is to develop inner confidence and goodwill. Then both speech and “body language” will harmoniously complement each other.

What primarily distinguishes us from other biological species? Drives social and personal progress? Allows you to get to know the world more, making us who we are - creatures with a developed intellect and thinking?

Of course, this is communication - the exchange of information and interactions between two or more individuals.

Communication is divided into two groups: verbal and non-verbal. And also - on the individual and mass. The interaction of verbal and non-verbal means of transmitting information helps to diversify the conversation, to give it the desired character. Both of these forms are equally important in live communication.

This group includes the transmission of information using words - speech. There are two types of speech interactions:

Oral conversation:

• listening - perception of the speaker's speech;
• speaking is the use of speech to convey messages to the listener.

Conversation in writing:

• reading - perception of information from the carrier;
• writing - fixing thoughts / knowledge on paper or electronic media.

Speech is possible thanks to the main tool of communication - language. A language is a system of signs and symbols, various combinations of which convey information about a particular object/phenomenon. The use of language requires thinking and intellect.

The peculiarities of the language are that it is diverse and multifaceted. So, there are non-literary and literary forms and types of it that are used by people depending on a specific life situation.

• Literary speech implies clear rules that must be followed. It is considered an exemplary language classic.
• Non-literary speech is freer and not constrained by conventions. It includes dialects and colloquial forms of the language and those words that we use in everyday life.

Language features

• Emotional. People tend to express their feelings and get emotional release through speech in communication. The emotional function is also performed by non-verbal means.
• Communicative. When we talk about communication or the transfer of information, we most often mean language.
• Cognitive. Language gives the individual the opportunity to join the knowledge of others and to transfer this knowledge to someone else. Learning a foreign language develops intelligence and logical thinking.
• Ethnic. Language is needed to unite people into groups based on nationality.
• Accumulative. Thanks to the knowledge of the language, we can accumulate and store information about the world around us. This is information gleaned from books, films, received from other people, etc.
• Constructive. Language helps a person to competently express his own thoughts, giving them a clear tangible form, to structure thought processes.
• Contact setting. Language also plays a role when communication in it does not carry useful information for the interlocutors - in this case, it helps to establish contact for further relationships.

Mastering the skills of verbal communication is the key to successful interpersonal communications. It is necessary to develop not only intelligence, correctness and literacy of speech, reading classical literature and studying native and foreign languages. It is important to be able to speak in the sense in which it is presented by psychology - to learn to be an interlocutor, to remove barriers and fear of contact with other people, to express understanding and sympathy. A person who skillfully uses the skills of verbal communications will easily find a common language with any person, even the most difficult in character.

Non-verbal communication

Non-verbal form of communication is also called "body language" or "gesture language". It includes all the information that we transmit to the interlocutor or interlocutors without the participation of speech, as well as interactions with them that carry a certain emotional coloring. For example, a handshake (expresses friendliness and willingness to cooperate), a kiss (love), a pat on the shoulder (a familiar friendly gesture), etc.

Features of non-verbal appearance

Non-verbal communication occurs only when talking face-to-face. Conversation in social networks through private messages is devoid of this communicative component.

Psychology pays special attention to this form of communication - it says more about a person than verbal can tell.

Non-verbal means are very important for pedagogical communication. They help the teacher to attract and hold the attention of students, develop his teaching style. With the active and appropriate use of gestures and facial expressions in the process of pedagogical communication, students learn the material better and use thinking, they become more open and easier to make contact.

Means of nonverbal communication

• Gestures. They play an important role in combination with words. They also serve as an independent means of communication: we give a thumbs up when we praise or express approval. The number of gestures during a conversation is an indicator of a person's temperament. For different peoples, this number varies greatly: the most emotional are the inhabitants of hot countries, while the northerners are much more restrained. We gesticulate a lot in the process of informal communication. In business situations, this is not appropriate.
• Mimic. The movements of the facial muscles carry a lot of information - after all, they help to understand the true feelings of the interlocutor, his personal characteristics, the nature of thinking, the level of intelligence, serve as an expression of his plans. You can say anything with your face. All parts of it are amazingly precisely coordinated with each other in the process of expressing emotions. The greatest semantic load falls on the lips and eyebrows - you should pay attention to them when talking.

• Sight. Determines the interest of the individual in the conversation. If a person, without taking his eyes off, listens to the speaker, it is clear that this information is really important to him. Also, prolonged eye contact sometimes expresses hostility or defiance. Constant looking away means boredom, a possible desire to end the conversation, or is a kind of lie detector - it has been established that a person who tells a lie looks into the interlocutor's eyes for less than a third of the conversation.
• Posture and gait. Psychology determines the character, self-esteem, age, mood, well-being according to these indicators. Relaxed postures are characteristic of self-confident people with high social status. The movements of uncommunicative and closed-in personalities are especially constrained, indecisive.

A heavy gait is typical for people who are overwhelmed by anger or other negative emotions, light, airy - indicates a cloudless mood of a person.

Functions of non-verbal communication

• Underline the information given. Thus, a person who has expressed a strong protest may shake his head indignantly. We also nod, expressing full agreement with the interlocutor - one of the manifestations of the interaction of verbal and non-verbal means of transmitting information.
• Complete what has been said. When we describe a tiny object, we bring the fingers of the hand together a short distance.
• Show the true state of mind of a person or attitude towards the interlocutor. Sometimes people behave and talk as usual in a company, although their hearts are heavy. Attentive comrades notice this by facial expression or movements.
• Replace words. The shrug gesture that means "I don't know" doesn't need any further verbal explanation.
• Make an accent. Mentioning weighty information in the course of the story or showing something important in a prepared presentation, we raise our index finger up, drawing additional attention of the interlocutors to the spoken phrase.

This is how the interaction of verbal and non-verbal means of transmitting information is manifested.

People monitor their speech and what they communicate to their interlocutors. It is much more difficult to constantly control facial expressions, gestures, gait. Not all of us succeed. Nevertheless, it helps to understand the true feelings and motives of a person, which is used in psychology.

Psychology tells us that in communication it is important to maintain the correct balance of means of verbal and non-verbal communication. The audience is unlikely to be imbued with a monotonous unemotional reading of a report or presentation without paying due attention to the speaker. But there is no need to rush to extremes either: there are people whose thoughts and emotions are ahead of the capabilities of the speech apparatus. They gesticulate violently, swallow words, forcing the interlocutor to get tired of such expressiveness.

In addition, it is worth considering the situation in which one or another form of communication is appropriate, as well as the characteristics and intelligence of the interlocutor.

Verbal and non-verbal means of communication

Communication is carried out by various means. Allocateverbal and non-verbal means of communication.

Verbal communication(sign) is carried out with the help of words. Verbal means of communication include human speech. Communication experts estimate that a modern person pronounces approximately 30,000 words a day, or more than 3,000 words per hour.

So, language is a system of signs and ways of connecting them, which serves as an instrument for expressing thoughts, feelings and wills of people and is the most important means of human communication.

In non-verbal communication, the means of transmitting information are non-verbal signs (postures, gestures, facial expressions, intonations, attitudes, spatial arrangement, etc.).

To the main non-verbal means of communicationrelate:
Kinetics - considers the external manifestation of human feelings and emotions in the process of communication. It includes:
- gesture;
- facial expressions;
- pantomime.

Gesture. Gestures are various movements of the hands and head. Sign language is the oldest way to achieve mutual understanding. In different historical eras and different peoples had their own generally accepted ways of gesticulation. Currently, attempts are even being made to create gesture dictionaries. Quite a lot is known about the information that gestures carry. First of all, the amount of gesture is important. Different peoples have developed and entered into natural forms of expression of feelings various cultural norms of strength and frequency of gestures. M. Argyle's research, which studied the frequency and strength of gestures in different cultures, showed that within one hour the Finns gesticulated 1 time, the French - 20, the Italians - 80, the Mexicans - 180.

The intensity of gestures can grow along with an increase in the emotional arousal of a person, and also if you want to achieve a more complete understanding between partners, especially if it is difficult.

facial expressions . Facial expressions are the movements of the muscles of the face, the main indicator of feelings. Studies have shown that with a motionless or invisible face of the interlocutor, up to 10-15% of information is lost. The main characteristic of facial expressions is its integrity and dynamism. This means that in the facial expression of the six basic emotional states (anger, joy, fear, sadness, surprise, disgust), all facial muscle movements are coordinated. The main informative load in the mimic plan is carried by eyebrows and lips.

visual contact, is also an extremely important element of communication. Looking at the speaker means not only interest, but also helps to focus on what we are being told. Communicating people usually look into each other's eyes for no more than 10 seconds. If we are looked at a little, we have reason to believe that we or what we say are treated badly, and if there is too much, this may be perceived as a challenge or a good attitude towards us. In addition, it has been observed that when a person lies or tries to hide information, his eyes meet the eyes of a partner for less than 1/3 of the conversation time.

Pantomime - this is gait, posture, posture, general motor skills of the whole body.

Gait is the way a person moves. Its components are: rhythm, step dynamics, amplitude of body transfer during movement, body weight. By the gait of a person, one can judge the well-being of a person, his character, age. In psychological studies, people recognized emotions such as anger, suffering, pride, happiness by walking. It turned out that a "heavy" gait is typical for people who are angry, "light" - for joyful ones. A proud person has the longest stride, and if a person suffers, his gait is lethargic, oppressed, such a person rarely looks up or in the direction he is walking.

Pose is the position of the body. The human body is able to take about 1000 stable different positions. Posture shows how a given person perceives his status in relation to the status of other persons present. Persons with higher status adopt a more relaxed posture. Otherwise, conflict situations may arise.

One of the first to point out the role of a person's posture as a means in non-verbal communication was the psychologist A. Sheflen. In further studies conducted by V. Schubts, it was revealed that the main semantic content of the posture is the individual's placement of his body in relation to the interlocutor. This placement indicates either closeness or a disposition for communication.

A pose in which a person crosses his arms and legs is called a closed position. Arms crossed on the chest are a modified version of the barrier that a person puts up between himself and his interlocutor. A closed posture is perceived as a posture of distrust, disagreement, opposition, criticism. Moreover, about a third of the information perceived from such a posture is not absorbed by the interlocutor. The easiest way to get out of this pose is to offer something to hold or look at.

An open position is one in which the arms and legs are not crossed, the body is directed towards the interlocutor, and the palms and feet are turned towards the communication partner. This is a posture of trust, consent, goodwill, psychological comfort.

The best way to achieve mutual understanding with the interlocutor is to copy his posture and gestures.

Takeshika - the role of touch in the process of non-verbal communication. Handshakes, kisses, stroking, pushing, etc. stand out here. Dynamic touch has been proven to be a biologically necessary form of stimulation. A person's use of dynamic touch in communication is determined by many factors: the status of partners, their age, gender, degree of acquaintance.

Proxemics - defines areas of the most effective communication. E. Hall identifies four main areas of communication:
- Intimate zone (15-45 cm) - a person allows only people close to him into it. In this zone, a quiet confidential conversation is conducted, tactile contacts are made. Violation of this zone by outsiders causes physiological changes in the body: increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, rush of blood to the head, release of adrenaline, etc. The intrusion of a “stranger” into this zone is regarded as a threat.
- Personal (personal) zone (45 - 120 cm) - a zone of everyday communication with friends and colleagues. Only visual eye contact is allowed.
- Social zone (120 - 400 cm) - a zone for official meetings and negotiations, meetings, administrative conversations.
- Public zone (more than 400 cm) - a zone of communication with large groups of people during lectures, rallies, public speaking, etc.

In communication, it is also important to pay attention to vocal characteristics related to non-verbal communication. Prosody - this is the general name of such rhythmic-intonational aspects of speech as pitch, volume of voice, its timbre.

It is necessary to be able not only to listen, but also to hear the intonational structure of speech, to evaluate the strength and tone of the voice, the speed of speech, which practically allow us to express our feelings and thoughts.

Although nature has endowed people with a unique voice, they give color to it themselves. Those who tend to sharply change the pitch of their voices tend to be more cheerful. More sociable, more confident, more competent and much more pleasant than people who speak in a monotone.

Exercise "Postcard"

Target: getting to know the participants, creating a relaxed psychological atmosphere, developing fantasy.

Instruction : Participants choose 1 postcard. A postcard can be either an association, or a visual support, or a suitable example. The teachers take turns demonstrating the chosen postcard and talking about themselves.On a postcard... as I……"

Exercise "Questionnaire"

Target: actualization of one's own mood and teachers in general

Instruction: Each teacher is asked the question “In what mood do you start this lesson? If you were asked to choose the weather according to your mood, what would you choose?

Exercise "Am I different from you?"

Target: removal of excessive emotional stress in the group, development of interpersonal communication skills.

Instruction : Ask the teachers to split into pairs. And within 2 minutes to conduct a conversation on the topic "How are we similar"; then 2 minutes - on the topic "What makes us different". At the end, a discussion is held, attention is drawn to what was easy and what was difficult to do, what were the discoveries. As a result, it is concluded that we are all, in essence, similar and at the same time different, but we have the right to these differences, and no one can force us to be different.

Exercise "Mimic gymnastics"

Target : the exercise introduces teachers to facial expressions as one of the ways of non-verbal communication.

Instruction: Imagine that we are traveling and end up abroad, in an unfamiliar country. We do not know a foreign language, but we somehow need to understand foreigners.

Let's get ready for the meeting. Let's do facial exercises:

1. Wrinkle forehead, raise eyebrows (surprise). Relax.
2. Move your eyebrows, frown (angry). To relax.
3. Expand your eyes, open your mouth, hands clenched into fists (fear, horror). To relax.
4. Relax eyelids, forehead, cheeks (laziness). To relax.
5. Expand the nostrils, wrinkle the nose (squeamishness). To relax.
6. Squeeze your lips, squint your eyes, wrinkle your nose (contempt). To relax.
7. Smile, wink (I'm having fun, that's what I am!).

And now let's break into pairs and show something with facial expressions, others must guess the mood shown.

Exercise "Send in one word"

Target: emphasize the importance of intonation in the process of communication.

Materials: emotion cards.

Instruction : Participants are given cards on which the names of emotions are written, and without showing them to other participants, they must say the word “Hello” with an intonation corresponding to the emotion written on the card. The rest guess what emotion the participant was trying to portray.

List of emotions : Joy, surprise, disappointment, suspicion, sadness, anger, fatigue, confidence, admiration, fear. Attachment 1

Issues for discussion:

1. Was this exercise easy for you?
2. How easy was it to guess the emotion from the intonations?
3. In real life, how often in a telephone conversation do you understand from the first words what mood your interlocutor is in?
4. What emotions do you experience most in life?

Exercise "Gift"

All participants sit in a circle.

“Let each of you take turns making a gift to your neighbor on the left (clockwise). The gift must be made ("give") silently (non-verbally), but in such a way that your neighbor understands what you are giving him. The one who receives a gift should try to understand what is being given to him.

Teacher-psychologist: Barkova L.I.