what is verbal communication in education

What Is Verbal Communication?

“Man is by nature a social animal,” the famous Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote more than 2,000 years ago. And communication…

“Man is by nature a social animal,” the famous Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote more than 2,000 years ago.

And communication lies at the heart of all social relationships.

From the time you enter this world, you start communicating. Your first cry is your first attempt at verbal communication. And as you start growing, you find newer ways of communication. You learn to form words and sentences to communicate.

This is the beginning of verbal communication.

What Is Verbal Communication? 

Characteristics of verbal communication, types of verbal communication, advantages of verbal communication.

Verbal communication means effectively presenting your thoughts in verbal format i.e., by talking. Verbal communication skills are essential in the world of business. Be it a weekly meeting or presentation to stakeholders, the importance of verbal communication is unparalleled. People always remember a person who speaks clearly, effectively, confidently, and charismatically.

For instance, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’s speech launching the iPhone is a classic example of brilliant verbal communication that people remember even today. Similarly, many speeches made by former US President Barack Obama are also unforgettable.

A powerful speaker is also able to connect with their audience easily. Like Oprah Winfrey says, “Great communication begins with a connection.”

You too can be a great speaker with practice. Most of us possess the means of verbal communication, what’s important is to recognize how to maximize them. Read on to learn more about its distinct characteristics.

Before we explore the various defining features of verbal communication, let’s look at its primary form. Verbal communication is oral in nature. Oral communication encompasses various activities such as talking, laughing or listening. We often navigate different emotional situations through oral forms of communication.

We also have written communication that includes script, alphabets, acronyms, logos and graphics. To interpret written messages, everyone involved must understand the code (e.g., the language). This is different from verbal or spoken communication.

There are several characteristics that are specific to verbal communication, namely:

The message being communicated is directly or indirectly related to an object

We use concepts to communicate messages

The content should be understood by both the sender and receiver

Cultural factors influence the content of messages

While communicating emotions and feelings, a sender’s state of mind influences the content of messages

Even though we talk to our friends, family and coworkers on a regular basis, we may not always be aware of how we’re communicating. Mastering the art of verbal communication will help you in more ways than one. Let’s explore different types of verbal communication and how your audience factors into it.

Verbal communication goes beyond words, sounds and languages. You need to know your audience to talk to them better. Remember that you can follow the Pyramid Principle and start with your main argument and then follow up with supporting statements. You can classify verbal communication into four types based on your audience.

Intrapersonal Communication

This is your private verbal communication channel. You talk to yourself and articulate your thoughts. Communicating with yourself will give you more confidence and clarity in your thoughts. It’ll help you make up your mind, form your sentences, find suitable words and effective ways to connect with other people. This will help you gain your colleagues’ trust in the workplace.

Interpersonal Communication

You can also call this one-to-one verbal communication. This type of communication happens between two individuals. It helps you understand if you’re getting your thoughts across clearly. Reactions, responses and verbal and nonverbal cues from the other person will help you understand whether you’re being understood or not. Make sure that you listen to the other person intently. Communication doesn’t just mean to talk to someone. It’s also about listening. So, listen, think and then respond. Take time to think and make sure you don’t offend people with your response.

Small Group Communication 

The number of people increases in small group communication. You move from communicating with a single participant to a few more. These small groups could be team meetings, board meetings or sales meetings. The number of participants is small enough for everyone to communicate with each other. When you attend small group meetings, be prepared with a topic to make sure you stay on track. Stay on topic and allow enough time for everyone to present their thoughts.

Public Communication 

You may also know this type as ‘ public speaking ’. Here, an individual addresses a large number of people at once. Speeches, election campaigns and presentations are a few examples of public communication. Since the number of people in the audience is larger in this type of communication, be sure to use words and phrases they’ll understand easily and structure your thoughts before addressing the audience. The more prepared you are, the more confident you’ll feel like a public speaker.

Verbal communication is a broad topic. There are various elements that help us organize our thoughts around it. They are:

When you express yourself your tone determines the message to be interpreted. For example, you can be saying something nice but if your tone is a sarcastic tone, the message will be conveyed differently. Your tone makes a huge difference to your speech.

The pace at which you speak is important as it determines the reaction of your audience. You may have attended lectures or webinars where people speaking slowly and softly can get boring. Similarly, it may be difficult to understand someone speaking at a rapid pace.

Volume ranges from a whisper to a scream. The volume at which you talk can convey various meanings. For example, if you whisper into someone’s ears in the presence of multiple people, it can be misconstrued as something negative. On the other hand, screaming while someone is talking is rude. Always monitor your volume depending on the social context you’re in.

Additionally, language, grammar and vocabulary are critical aspects of verbal communication. An erroneous message to a hiring manager, for example, can make or break your career opportunity. This is why verbal communication is a critical skill for success in professional settings as well. Effective communication helps with decision-making and increases collaboration in teams. Let’s look at the benefits of different types of verbal communication.

Verbal communication is one of the most important mediums of communication. The stronger your communication skills are, the easier it is for you to establish trust and build lasting relationships with others. Here are some benefits of strong verbal communication skills:

It provides complete understanding and there’s room to clarify any messages that may have been misunderstood

It’s one of the fastest modes of communication and is time-efficient

There is space for providing feedback, which allows two or more people to engage in a conversation at the same time

It allows speakers to exercise influence and persuade listeners to agree with ideas, thoughts and opinions

It’s flexible, that is, you can change your language and tone depending on the situation you’re in or the relationship you share with an individual

In short, verbal communication is one of the most reliable methods of communication. Its benefits apply to the world of work as well. Let’s look at the various ways in which strong verbal communication skills can be beneficial for professionals:

Building Relationships

Verbal communication allows you to build strong interpersonal relationships. It’s easier when you find like-minded people who share similar interests, ideas and outlooks. This further encourages you to cooperate, collaborate and engage in teamwork.

Persuading Someone

In professional settings, you need to exert a certain amount of influence to get things going. For example, if you want your coworkers to join your project, you need to be able to convince them first. Even in brainstorming sessions, you need to be able to convince others of your ideas and perspectives.

Bringing Clarity

As verbal communication enables feedback, you can provide clarity to your message by repeating yourself. For example, in conflicts or arguments, you can repeat your message so that there’s no room for ambiguity.

Improving Productivity

With proper communication in place, you can communicate effectively with team members and people across the organization. Well-established relationships enhance the process, allowing you to cooperate and collaborate quickly. Group discussions and teamwork maximize output, therefore increasing productivity.

Increasing Motivation

Verbal communication plays a crucial role in providing feedback and recognizing individual effort. Whether it’s a congratulatory speech or email, words of support and appreciation boosts confidence levels. If you’re a manager, don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate your team’s success and efforts. Not only will they get encouraged to do better, but it also cements your relationship with them.

Therefore, effective verbal communication opens up a two-way street that allows individuals to interact, engage and collaborate with each other, improving organizational efficiency and productivity. On an individual level, it helps you become more confident and a well-rounded professional.

Harappa offers two courses to build your communication skills— Writing Proficiently and Speaking Effectively . They’ll help you break the barriers and connect with your colleagues and the people around you. With key frameworks like the Pyramid Principle and PAM (Purpose-Audience-Message), you’ll learn how to communicate with impact.

Explore blogs on topics such as effective communication , the 7 barriers of communication ,  types of nonverbal communication , the different types of communication , and verbal and nonverbal communication on Harappa Diaries to make your world of work better.

Verbal Communication

Learning Objectives

• Understand the relationship between communication and symbols.
• Describe how words and meanings are socially constructed.
• Recognize the different functions of language in everyday interpersonal interactions, including both benefits and negative outcomes.

Have you ever said something that someone else misinterpreted as something else? Some of the most common problems in interpersonal communication stem from the use of language. For instance, two students, Kelly and James, are texting each other. Kelly texts James about meeting for dinner, and James texts “K” instead of “okay.” Kelly is worried because she thinks James is mad. She wonders why he texted “K” instead of “k,” “ok,” “yes” or “okay.” James was in a hurry, and he just texted in caps because he was excited to see Kelly.

This example gives us an understanding of how language can influence how our perceptions. Kelly and James had two different perceptions of the same event. One person was worried, and the other person was excited. This chapter examines verbal communication, embracing the idea that words are powerful. The words that we use can impact how other people perceive us and how to perceive others.

Language is a system of human communication using a particular form of spoken or written words or other symbols. Language consists of the use of words in a structured way. Language helps us understand others’ wants, needs, and desires. Language can help create connections, but it can also pull us apart. Language is vital to communication. Without language, it is very difficult to develop meaningful connections with others? Language allows us to express ourselves and obtain our goals.

Language can often be the most element in human communication. Language is made up of words, which are arbitrary symbols. In this chapter, we will learn about how words work, the functions of language, and how to improve verbal communication.

Linking Communication and Symbols

Communication is symbolic.

Have you ever noticed that we can hear or look at something like the word “cat” and immediately know what those three letters mean? From the moment you enter grade school, you are taught how to recognize sequences of letters that form words that help us understand the world. With these words, we can create sentences, paragraphs, and books like this one. The letters used to create the word “cat” and then the word itself is what communication scholars call symbols. A symbol is a mark, object, or sign that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention.

Consider a word you’re probably familiar with: love. The four letters that make of the word “l,” “o,” “v,” and “e,” are visual symbols that, when combined, form the word “love,” which is a symbol associated with intense regard or liking. For example, I can “love” chocolate. However, the same four-letter word has other meanings attached to it as well. For example, “love” can represent a deeply intimate relationship or a romantic/sexual attachment. In the first case, we could love our parents/guardians and friends, but in the second case, we experience love as a factor of a deep romantic/sexual relationship. So these are just three associations we have with the same symbol, love. Figure 1 depicts American Sign Language (ASL) letters for the word “love.” In this case, the hands themselves represent symbols for English letters, which is an agreed upon convention of users of ASL to represent “love.”

Symbols can also be visual representations of ideas and concepts. For example, look at the various symbols in Figure 2 of various social media icons. In this image, you see symbols for a range of different social media sites, including Facebook (lowercase “f”), Twitter (the bird), Snap Chat (the ghost image), and many others. Admittedly, the icons for YouTube and dig just use their names, but these images have become associated with these online platforms over many years.

The Symbol is Not the Thing

Now that we’ve explained what symbols are, we should probably offer a few very important guides. First, the symbol is not the thing that it is representing. For example, the word “dog” is not a member of the canine family that greets you when you come home every night. Similarly, if you explore the symbols in Figure 2 these symbols are not the organizations themselves. The stylized red P is not Pinterest, the lowercase blue f is not Facebook. Each of these might best be described as computer code that exists on the World Wide Web that allows us, people, to interact, but you can recognize the symbol associated with these businesses and this code.

Symbols are Arbitrary

How we assign symbols is entirely arbitrary. For example, in Figure 3, we see two animals that are categorized under the symbols “dog” and “cat.” In this image, the “dog” is on the left side, and the “cat” is on the right side. The words we associate with these animals only exist because we have said it’s so for many, many years. Back when humans were labeling these animals, we could just have easily called the one on the left “cat” and the one on the right “dog,” but we didn’t. If we called the animal on the left “cat,” would that change the nature of what that animal is? Not really. The only thing that would change is the symbol we have associated with that animal.

Let’s look at another symbolic example you are probably familiar with – :). The “smiley” face or the two pieces of punctuation (colon followed by closed parentheses). This symbol may seem like it’s everywhere today, but it’s only existed since September 1982. Today we have many symbolic emoticons to choose from: 🤔👀🏾🤚🏾.

Communication Is Shared Meaning

Although the assignment of symbols to real things and ideas is arbitrary, our understanding of them exists because we agree to their meaning. If we were talking and I said, “it’s time for tea,” you may think that I’m going to put on some boiling water and pull out the oolong tea. However, if I said, “it’s time for tea” in the United Kingdom, you would assume that we were getting ready for our evening meal. Same word, but two very different meanings depending on the culture one uses the term. In the United Kingdom, high tea (or meat tea) is the evening meal. Dinner, on the other hand, would represent the large meal of the day, which is usually eaten in the middle of the day. Of course, in the United States, we refer to the middle of the day meal as lunch and often refer to the evening meal as dinner (or supper).

Let’s imagine that you were recently at a party. Two of your friends had recently attended the same Broadway play together. You ask them “how the play was,” and here’s how they responded:

So, we got to the theatre 20 minutes early to ensure we were able to get comfortable and could do some people watching before the show started. The person sitting in front of us had the worst comb-over I had ever seen. Half through Act 1, the hair was flopping back in our laps like the legs of a spider. I mean, those strands of hair had to be 8 to 9 inches long and came down on us like it was pleading with us to rescue it. Oh, and this one woman who was sitting to our right was wearing this huge fur hat-turban thing on her head. It looked like some kind of furry animal crawled up on her head and died. I felt horrible for the poor guy that was sitting behind her because I’m sure he couldn’t see anything over or around that thing.

Here’s is how your second friend described the experience:

I thought the play was good enough. It had some guy from the UK who tried to have a Brooklyn accent that came in and out. The set was pretty cool though. At one point, the set turned from a boring looking office building into a giant tree. That was pretty darn cool. As for the overall story, it was good, I guess. The show just wasn’t something I would normally see.

In this case, you have the same experience described by two different people. We are only talking about the experience each person had in an abstract sense. In both cases, you had friends reporting on the same experience but from their perceptions of the experience. With your first friend, you learn more about what was going on around your friend in the theatre but not about the show itself. The second friend provided you with more details about her perception of the play, the acting, the scenery, and the story. Did we learn anything about the content of the “play” through either conversation? Not really.

Many of our conversations resemble this type of experience recall. In both cases, we have two individuals who are attempting to share with us through communication specific ideas and meanings. However, sharing meaning is not always very easy. In both cases, you asked your friends, “how the play was.” In the first case, your friend interpreted this phrase as being asked about their experience at the theatre itself. In the second case, your friend interpreted your phrase as being a request for her opinion or critique of the play. As you can see in this example, it’s very easy to get very different responses based on how people interpret what you are asking.

Communication scholars often say that “meanings aren’t in words, they’re in people” because of this issue related to interpretation. Yes, there are dictionary definitions of words. Earlier in this chapter, we provided three different dictionary-type definitions for the word “love:” 1) intense regard or liking, 2) a deeply intimate relationship, or 3) a romantic/sexual attachment. These types of definitions we often call denotative definitions . However, it’s also important to understand that in addition to denotative definitions, there are also connotative definitions , or the emotions or associations a person makes when exposed to a symbol. For example, how one personally understands or experiences the word “love” is connotative. The warm feeling you get, the memories of experiencing love all come together to give you a general, personalized understanding of the word itself. One of the biggest problems that occur is when one person’s denotative meaning conflicts with another person’s connotative meaning. For example, when I write the word “dog,” many of you think of four-legged furry family members. If you’ve never been a dog owner, you may just generally think about these animals as members of the canine family. If, however, you’ve had a bad experience with a dog in the past, you may have very negative feelings that could lead you to feel anxious or experience dread when you hear the word “dog.” As another example, think about clowns. Some people see clowns as cheery characters associated with the circus and birthday parties. Other people are genuinely terrified by clowns. Both the dog and clown cases illustrate how we can have symbols that have different meanings to different people.

Relating Words and Meaning

One person might call a shopping cart a buggy, and another person might call it a cart. There are several ways to say you would like a beverage, such as, “liquid refresher,” “soda,” “Coke,” “pop,” “refreshment,” or “drink.” A pacifier for a baby is sometimes called a “paci,” “binkie,” “sookie,” or “mute button.” Linguist Robin Tolmach Lakoff asks, “How can something that is physically just puffs of air, a mere stand-in for reality, have the power to change us and our world?” 1 This example illustrates that meanings are in people, and words don’t necessarily represent what they mean.

Words can have different rules to help us understand the meaning. There are three rules: semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic. 2

Semantic Rules

First, semantic rules are the dictionary definition of the word. Semantic rules are definitional meanings associated with words. However, the meaning can also change based on the context in which it is used. For instance, the word fly by itself does not mean anything. It makes more sense if we put the word into a context by saying things like, “There is a fly on the wall;” “I will fly to Chicago tomorrow;” “That girl is so fly;” or “The fly on your pants is open!” We would not be able to communicate with others if we did not have semantic rules.

Syntactic Rules

Second, syntactic rules govern how we help guide the words we use. Syntactic rules can refer to the use of grammar, structure, and punctuation to help effectively convey our ideas. For instance, we can say “Where are you” as opposed to “where you are,” which can convey a different meaning and have different perceptions. The same thing can happen when you don’t place a comma in the right place. The comma can make a big difference in how people understand a message.

A great example of how syntactic rules is the Star Wars character, Yoda, who often speaks with different rules. He has said, “Named must be your fear before banish it you can” and “Happens to every guy sometimes this does.” This example illustrates that syntactic rules can vary based on culture or background.

Another example is Figure 4. In this case, we learn the importance that a comma can make in written in language. In the first instance, “Let’s eat grandma!” is quite different than the second one, “Let’s eat, grandma!” The first implies cannibalism and the second a family dinner. As the image says, punctuation saves lives.

Pragmatic Rules

Third, pragmatic rules help us interpret messages by analyzing the interaction completely. We need to consider the words used, how they are stated, our relationship with the speaker, and the objectives of our communication. For instance, the words “I want to see you now” would mean different things if the speaker was your boss versus your romantic partner. One could be a positive connotation, and another might be a negative one. The same holds true for humor. If we know that the other person understands and appreciates sarcasm, we might be more likely to engage in that behavior and perceive it differently from someone who takes every word literally.

Most pragmatic rules are based on culture and experience. For instance, the term “Netflix and chill” often means that two people will hook up. Imagine someone from a different country who did not know what this meant; they would be shocked if they thought they were going to watch Netflix with the other person and just relax. Another example would be “Want to have a drink?”, which usually infers an alcoholic beverage. Another way of saying this might be to say, “Would you like something to drink?” The second sentence does not imply that the drink has to contain alcohol.

It is common for people to text in capital letters when they are angry or excited. You would interpret the text differently if the text was not in capital letters. For instance, “I love you” might be perceived differently from “I LOVE YOU!!!” Thus, when communicating with others, you should also realize that pragmatic rules can impact the message.

Words Create Reality

Language helps to create reality. Often, humans will label their experiences. For instance, the word “success” has different interpretations depending on your perceptions. Success to you might be a certain type of car or a certain amount of income. However, for someone else, success might be the freedom to do what they love or to travel to exotic places. Success might mean something different based on your background or your culture.

If a child complains that they don’t feel loved, but the parents/guardians argue that they continuously show affection by giving hugs and doing fun shared activities, who would you believe? The child might say that they never heard their parents/guardians say the word love, and hence, they don’t feel love. Though the parents/guardians and children are each talking about ‘love’ the way that meaning is conveyed, verbally and nonverbally, effect how each views reality.

Specific words can make a difference in how a person will receive the message. That is why leaders (and politicians) may spend time looking for the right word to capture the true essence of a message. A personal trainer might be careful to use the word “overweight” as opposed to “fat,” because the two sound drastically different. At Disney world, they call their employees “cast members” rather than workers, because it gives a perception that each person has a part in helping to run the show. Even on a resume, you might select words that set you apart from the other applicants. For instance, if you were a cook, you might say “culinary artist.” It gives the impression that you weren’t just cooking food, you were making masterpieces with food. Words matter, and how they are used will make a difference.

Words Reflect Attitudes

When we first fall in love with someone, we will use positive adjectives to describe that person. However, if you have fallen out of love with that person, you might use negative or neutral words to describe that same person. Words can reflect attitudes. Some people can label one experience as pleasant and another person can have the opposite experience. This difference is because words reflect our attitudes about things. If a person has positive emotions towards another, they might say that that person is funny, mature, and thrifty. However, if the person has negative feelings or attitudes towards that same person, they might describe them has childish, old, and cheap. These words can give a connotation about how the person perceives them.

Level of Abstraction

When we think of language, it can be pretty abstract . For example, when we say something is “interesting,” it can be positive or negative. That is what we mean when we say that language is abstract. Language can be very specific. You can tell someone specific things to help them better understand what you are trying to say by using specific and concrete examples. For instance, if you say, “You are a jerk!”, the person who receives that message might get pretty angry and wonder why you said that statement. To be clear, it might be better to say something like, “When you slammed that door in my face this morning, it really upset me, and I didn’t think that behavior was appropriate.” The second statement is more descriptive.

In 1941, linguist S.I. Hayakawa created what is called the abstraction ladder (Figure 5). 3 The abstraction ladder starts abstract at the top, while the bottom rung and is very concrete. Figure 5 shows how you can go from abstract ideas (e.g., information) through various levels of more concrete ideas down to the most concrete idea (e.g., interpersonal communication). Ideally, you can see that as we move down the ladder, the topic becomes more fine-tuned and concrete.

In our daily lives, we tend to use high levels of abstraction all the time. For instance, growing up, your parents/guardians probably helped you with homework, cleaning, cooking, and transporting you from one event to another. Yet, we don’t typically say thank you to everything; we might make a general comment, such as a thank you rather than saying, “Thank you so much for helping me with my math homework and helping me figure out how to solve for the volume of spheres.” It takes too long to say that, so people tend to be abstract. However, abstraction can cause problems if you don’t provide enough description.

Metamessages

Metacommunication is communication about communication. 4 It’s an abstraction of what we feel we’re talking about, as show in Figure 6. Metamessages are relationship messages that are sent among people who they communicate. These messages can be verbal, nonverbal, direct, or indirect. For instance, if you see two friends just talking about what they did last weekend, they are also sending metamessages as they talk. Metamessages can convey affection, appreciation, disgust, ridicule, scorn, or contempt. Every time you send messages to others, notice the metamessages that they might be sending you. Do they seem upset or annoyed with certain things that you say? In this book, we encourage you to consider your own messages, it’s possible you may not realize what metamessages you are sending out to others.

Words and Meanings

Words can have denotative meanings or connotative meanings. In this section, we will learn about the differences and the triangle of meaning. 5 Ogden and Richards noticed that misunderstandings occur when people associate different meanings with the same message. Their model (Figure 7) illustrates that there is an indirect association between a word and the actual referent or thing it represents.

As you can see, when you hear the word “dog,” it conjures up meaning for different people. The word “dog” itself is a symbol and signifier , or sound elements or other linguistic symbols that represents an underlying concept or meaning. When we hear the word “dog,” it is what we call the “signified,” or the meaning or idea expressed when someone hears the word. In this case, maybe you have a dog, and you really see that dog as your best friend, or maybe you call him your little “cuddle monster” because he always wants to be connected to you at all times. Again, meaning that we attach to the symbol is still separate from the physical entity itself. In this case, there is a real dog named Teddy, who is the referent, or the physical thing that a word or phrase denotes or stands for.

Words can have a denotative meaning, which is the dictionary definition. These are words that most people are familiar with, and they all can agree on the understanding of that word. If you asked a person what a car or a phone is, they would most likely know what you are talking about when you use those words.

Words can also have a connotative meaning, which is a subjective definition of the word. The word might mean something different from what you meant. For example, you may hear someone referring to their baby. You could fairly safely assume that the person is referring to their infant, but just as easily they could be referring to a significant other.

Functions of Language

Based on research examining how children learn language, it was found that children are trying to create “meaning potential.” 6 In other words, children learn language so they can understand and be understood by others. As children age, language serves different functions.

Instrumental and Regulatory Functions

Children will typically communicate in a fashion that lets parents/guardians know what they want to do. When children are born, parents/guardians have to figure out if the child is hungry, thirsty, dirty, or sick. Later, when the child acquires language, the child can let the parent/guardian know what they want by using simple words like “eat” or “drink.”

Instrumental functions use language to fulfill a need. For us to meet our needs, we need to use language that other people understand. Think about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which we previously covered–“Mom, I’m hungry!” “Ouch that hurt!” “I could use a drink.” “Hold my hand.” The way we talk often meets instrumental, or need-based functions.

Regulatory functions of language are to influence the behaviors of others through requests, rules, or persuasion. These functions may coincide with out needs, but they do not always. For example, you might say “go this way” or “be kind to your brother.” Regulatory functions are also present in advertisements that tell us to eat healthier or exercise more using specific products.

Interactional and Imaginative Functions

Interactional functions of language are used to help maintain or develop the relationship. Interactional functions also help to alleviate the interaction. Examples might include “Thank you,” “Please,” or “I care about you.”

Imaginative functions of language help to create imaginary constructs and tell stories. This use of fantasy usually occurs in play or leisure activities. People who roleplay in video games will sometimes engage in imaginative functions to help their character be more effective and persuasive.

Personal Functions

Personal functions , or the use of language to help you form your identity or sense of self. In job interviews, people are asked, “how do you describe yourself?” For some people, this is a challenging question because it showcases what makes you who you are. The words you pick, as opposed to others, can help define who you are.

Perhaps someone told you that you were funny. You never realized that you were funny until that person told you. Because they used the word “funny” as opposed to “silly” or “crazy,” it caused you to have perceptions about yourself. This example illustrates how words serve as a personal function for us. Personal functions of language are used to express identity, feelings, and options.

Heuristic and Representational Functions

The heuristic function of language is used to learn, discover, and explore. The heuristic function could include asking several questions during a lecture or adding commentary to a child’s behavior. Another example might be “What is that tractor doing?” or “why is the cat sleeping?”

Representational functions of language are used to request or relay information. These statements are straightforward. They do not seek for an explanation. For instance, “my cat is asleep” or “the kitchen light isn’t working.”

Cultural Functions and the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

We know a lot about a culture based on the language that the members of the group speak. 7 Some words exist in other languages, but we do not have them in English. For instance, in China, there are five different words for shame, but in the English language, we only have one word for shame. Anthropologist Franz Boas studied the Inuit people of Baffin Island, Canada, in the late 1800s and noted that they had many different words for “snow.” In fact, it’s become a myth over the years that the Inuit have 50 different words for snow. In reality, as Laura Kelly points out, there are a number of Inuit languages, so this myth is problematic because it attempts to generalize to all of them. 8

Analyzing the Hopi Native American language, Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf discovered that there is not a difference between nouns and verbs. 9 To the Hopi people, their language showcases how their world and perceptions of the world are always in constant flux. The Hopi believe that everything is evolving and changing. Their conceptualization of the world is that there is continuous time. As Whorf wrote, “After a long and careful analysis the Hopi language is seen to contain no words, grammatical forms, construction or expressions that refer directly to what we call ‘time’, or to past, present or future.” 10

A very popular theory that helps us understand how culture and language coexist is the Sapir- Whorf hypothesis . 11 This hypothesis helps us understand cultural differences in language use. The theory suggests that language impacts perceptions by showing a culture’s worldview. The hypothesis is also seen as linguistic determinism , which is the perspective that language influences our thoughts.

Linguistic relativity provides more room for the role of experience and understanding than linguistic determinism. Linguistic relativity argues that the structure of a language influences its speakers’ worldview or cognition, and thus individuals’ languages determine or influence their perceptions of the world. Language can express not only our thoughts but our feelings as well. Language not only represents things, but also how we feel about things. For instance, in the United States, most houses will have backyards. In Japan, due to limited space, most houses do not have backyards, and thus, it is not represented in their language. Many Japanese people do not understand the concept of a backyard, and they don’t have a word for a backyard. All in all, language helps to describe our world and how we understand our world .

The Importance of Language

By now, you can see that language influences how we make sense of the world. In this section, we will understand some of the ways that language can impact our perceptions and possibly our behavior. To be effective communicators, we need to realize the different ways that language can be significant and instrumental.

Naming and Identity

New parents/guardians typically spend a great deal of time trying to pick just the right name for their newborn.  Some names are very distinctive, which also makes them memorable and recognizable. Think about musical artists or celebrities with unique names. It helps you remember them, and it helps you distinguish that person from others. Some names encompass some cultural or ethnic identity. In the popular book, Freakonomics, the authors showed a relationship between names and socioeconomic status. 15 They discover that a popular name usually starts with high socioeconomic families, and then it becomes popular with lower socioeconomic families. Hence, it is very conceivable to determine the socioeconomic status of people you associate with based on their birth date and name. Figure 8 shows some of the more popular baby names for girls and boys, along with names that are non-binary.

Affiliation

When we want others to associate with us or have an affiliation with us, we might change the way we speak and the words we use. All of those things can impact how other people relate to us. Researchers found that when potential romantic partners employed the same word choices regarding pronouns and prepositions, then interest also increased. At the same time, couples that used similar word choices when texting each other significantly increased their relationship duration. 16 This study implies that we often inadvertently mimic other people’s use of language when we focus on what they say.

If you have been in a romantic relationship for a long period, you might create special expressions or jargon for the other person, and that specialized vocabulary can create greater closeness and understanding. The same line of thinking occurs for groups in a gang or persons in the military. If we adapt to the other person’s communication style or converge , then we can also impact perceptions of affiliation. Research has shown that people who have similar speech also have more positive feelings for each other. 17 However, speech can also work in the opposite direction when we diverge , or when we communicate in a very different fashion. For instance, a group from another culture might speak the same dialect, even though they can speak English, in order to create distance and privacy from others.

Types of Language

Formal vs. informal language.

In everyday conversation across situations you will probably notice that there is a difference in language use based on the environment, who you are talking to, and the reason for communicating. This is commonly called code-switching . Put simply, you talk differently to your best friend than you do your boss or a grandparent. In this section, we will discuss the different types of language. The types of language used will impact how others view you and if they will view you positively or negatively.

How you compose a text to your best friend is going to use different grammatical structures and words than when you compose an email to your professor. One of the main reasons for this difference is because of formal and informal language. Table 1 provides a general overview of the major differences between formal and informal language.

Table 1 Formal vs. Informal Language

Formal Language

When applying for a job, you will most likely use formal language in your cover letter and resume. Formal language is official and academic language. You want to appear intelligent and capable, so formal language helps you accomplish those goals. Formal language often occurs when we write. Formal language uses full sentences and is grammatically correct. Formal language is more objective and more complex. Most legal agreements are written in formal language.

Informal Language

Informal language is common, everyday language, which might include slang words. It is continuous and casual. We use informal language when we talk to other people. It is more simple. Informal language tends to use more contractions and abbreviations. If you look at your text messages, you will probably see several examples of informal language.

Jargon is the specialized or technical language of a specific group or profession that may not be understood by outsiders. 23 If you are really into cars or computers, you probably know a lot about the different parts and functions. Jargon is normally used in a specific context and may be understood outside that context. Jargon consists of a specific vocabulary that uses words that only certain people understand. The business world is full of jargon. A 2023 survey provides some of the most common business jargon: 24

• Best practices
• Move the needle
• Raise the bar
• ROI (return on investments)
• Top of mind

Perhaps you’ve heard a few of these jargon phrases in your workplace, or others like ‘low hanging fruit’ or ‘circle back.’ Maybe you have even found yourself using a few of them. Your workplace may even have some specific jargon only used in your organization, Rock Chalk!

Colloquialisms

Colloquialisms are the use of informal words in communication. 25 Colloquialisms vary from region to region. Examples might be “wanna” instead of “want to” or “gonna” instead of “going to.” It shows us how a society uses language in their everyday lives. Here’s a short list of some common colloquialisms you may have used yourself:

• Bamboozle – to deceive
• Be blue – to be sad
• Beat around the bush – to avoid a specific topic
• Gonna – going to
• Hit a writer’s block – unable to write
• Hit the hay – to go to sleep
• Threw me for a loop – to be surprised
• Throw someone under the bus – to throw the blame on another person
• Wanna – want to
• Y’all – you all
• Yinz – you all

Slang refers to words that are employed by certain groups, such as young adults and teens, or even older generations. 26 Slang is more common when speaking to others rather than written. Slang is often used with people who are similar and have experience with each other. Here is a list of some common slang associated with the millennial generation:

• Sick, wicked
• Not gonna lie

How many of these slang words do you use? What other slang words do you find yourself using? When it comes to slang, it’s important to understand that this list is constantly evolving. What is common slang today could be completely passé tomorrow. What’s common slang in the United States is not universal in English speaking countries.

Idioms are expressions or figures of speech whose meaning cannot be understood by looking at the individual words and interpreting them literally. 27 Idioms can help amplify messages or be used to provide artistic expression. For instance, “knowledge is power!”

Idioms can be hard to grasp for non-native speakers. As such, many instructors in the English as a Second Language world spend a good deal of time trying to explain idioms to non-native speakers. There are many extensive lists of idioms available online. Table 4.2 presents just a few different idiom examples.

Table 2 Common Idioms

Cliché is an idea or expression that has been so overused that it has lost its original meaning. 28 Clichés are common and can often be heard. For instance, “light as a feather” or “happily ever after” are common clichés. They are important because they express ideas and thoughts that are popular in everyday use. They are prevalent in advertisements, television, and literature.

Biased Language

Biased language is language that shows preference in favor of or against a certain point-of-view, shows prejudice, or is demeaning to others. 30 Bias in language is uneven or unbalanced. Examples of this may include “mankind” as opposed to “humanity.”

Table 3 Biased Language

Sexism, Hetero-/Cis-Normativity, and Racism

Before discussing the concepts of sexism and racism, we must understand the term “bias.” Bias is an attitude that is not objective or balanced, prejudiced, or the use of words that intentionally or unintentionally offend people or express an unfair attitude concerning a person’s race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or illness.  Sexism or bias against others based on their sex can come across in language. Sexist language can be defined as “words, phrases, and expressions that unnecessarily differentiate between females and males or exclude, trivialize, or diminish either sex.” 18 Language can impact how we feel about ourselves and others. For instance, there is a magazine called Working Mother , but there is not one called “Working Father.” Even though the reality is that many men who work also have families and are fathers, there are no words that tend to distinguish them from other working men. Whereas, women are distinguished when they both work and are mothers compared to other women who solely work and also compared to women who are solely mothers and/or wives.

Think about how language has changed over the years. We used to have occupations that were highly male-dominated in the workplace and had words to describe them. For instance, policemen, firemen, and chairmen are now police officers, firefighters, and chairpersons. The same can also be said for some female-dominated occupations. For instance, stewardess, secretary, and waitress have been changed to include males and are often called flight attendants, office assistants, and servers. Thus, to eliminate sexism, we need to be cautious of the word choices we use when talking with others. Sexist language will impact perceptions, and people might be swayed about a person’s capability based on the word choices.

Hereonormativity, a bias whereby people assume that others are heterosexual, is also pervasive in social interactions. For example, a young female might be asked “Do you have a boyfriend?” Heteronormativity manifests in language, and can make others feel ostracized or excluded because it involves language that articulates underlying biases. But here too language is changing, it is increasingly common for people to use the term “partner” to refer to a romantic companion. Cisnormativity , a bias involving presumptions about gender assignment, such as the presumption of a gender binary, or expectations of conformity to gender roles even when transgender identities are otherwise acknowledged, also creates challenges for individuals who do not ascribe to binary gender (e.g., agender, gender fluid, trans individuals, etc.). Trans and non-binary people who were able to freely express their gender identity were on average 20% more satisfied with their life and their job in a recent study. 12

Biases about race also manifest in language, racism is the bias people have towards others of a different race. Racist language conveys that a racial group is superior or better than another race. Some words in English have racial connotations. Smith-McLallen and colleagues explain:

In the United States and many other cultures, the color white often carries more positive connotations than the color black… Terms such as “Black Monday,” “Black Plague”, “black cats” and the “black market” all have negative connotations, and literature, television, and movies have traditionally portrayed heroes in white and villains in black. The empirical work of John E. Williams and others throughout the 1960s demonstrated that these positive and negative associations with the colors black and white, independent of any explicit connection to race, were evident among Black and White children as young as 3 years old … as well as adults. 19

Former President Trump’s use of the phrase “Chinese Virus” when referring to the coronavirus was racially insensitive. The former President is specifically using the term as an “other” technique to allow his followers to place blame on Chinese people for the coronavirus. Unsurprisingly, as a result of the use of the phase “Chinese Virus,” there have been numerous violent attacks against individuals of Asian descent within the United States. Notice that we don’t say people of Chinese descent here. The people that are generally inflamed by this rhetoric don’t take the time to distinguish among people they label as “other.”

It is important to note that many words do not imply any type of sexual or racial connotations. However, some people might use it to make judgments or expectations of others. For example, when describing a bad learning experience, the student might say “Black professor” or “female student” as opposed to just saying the student and professor argued. These descriptors can be problematic and sometimes not even necessary in the conversation. When using those types of words, it can create slight factors of sexism/racism.

Ambiguous Language

Ambiguous language is language that can have various meanings. Google Jay Leno’s headlines videos. Sometimes he uses advertisements that are very abstract. For instance, there is a restaurant ad that says, “People are our best ingredient!” What comes to mind when you hear that? Are they actually using people in their food? Or do they mean their customer service is what makes their restaurant notable? When we are trying to communicate with others, it is important that we are clear in our language. We need others to know exactly what we mean and not imply meaning. That is why you need to make sure that you don’t use ambiguous language.

Euphemisms also make language unclear. People use euphemisms as a means of saying something more politely or less bluntly. For instance, instead of telling your parents/guardians that you failed a test, you might say that you did sub-optimal. People use euphemisms because it sounds better, and it seems like a better way to express how they feel. People use euphemisms all the time. For instance, instead of saying this person died, they might say the person passed away. Instead of saying that someone farted, you might say someone passed gas.

Relative Language

Relative language depends on the person communicating. People’s backgrounds vary. Hence, their perspectives will vary. I know a college professor that complains about her salary. However, other college professors would love to have a salary like hers. In other words, our language is based on our perception of our experiences. For instance, if someone asked you what would be your ideal salary, would it be based on your previous salary? Your parents? Your friends? Language is relative because of that reason. If I said, “Let’s go eat at an expensive restaurant,” what would be expensive for you? For some person, it would be $50, for another, $20, for someone else it might be $10, and yet there might be someone who would say $5 is expensive!

Key Takeaways

• Communication is symbolic, and words are a common and important symbol.
• Words and meanings are socially and culturally connected.
• The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis proposes a range between linguistic relativism and linguistic determinism.
• Language has many functions and forms that are both formal and informal in nature.
• Language creates reality, and biases can be encoded in language.

Refers to words that relate to ideas or concepts that exist only in your mind and do not represent a tangible object.

abstraction ladder

A diagram that explains the process of abstraction.

affiliation

A connection or association with others.

ambiguous language

Language that has multiple meanings.

An attitude that is not objective or balanced, prejudiced, or the use of words that intentionally or unintentionally offend people or express an unfair attitude concerning a person’s race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or illness.

biased language

Language that shows preference in favor of or against a certain point-of-view, shows prejudice, or is demeaning to others.

Informal word or jargon used among a particular group of people.

Expression that has been so overused that it has lost its original meaning.

colloquialism

Informal expression used in casual conversation that is often specific to certain dialects or geographic regions of a country.

connotation

What a word suggests or implies; connotations give words their emotional impact.

Adapting your communication style to the speaker to be similar.

The dictionary definition or descriptive meaning of a word.

Spoken or written discussion of a subject.

Adapting your communication style to the speaker to be drastically different.

Replacing blunt words with more polite words.

formal language

Official or academic language.

heuristic function

The use of language to explore and investigate the world, solve problems, and learn from your discoveries and experiences.

Expression or figure of speech whose meaning cannot be understood by looking at the individual words and interpreting them literally.

imaginative function

The use of language to play with ideas that do not exist in the real-world.

informal language

Common, everyday language people use during most interpersonal interactions.

instrumental function

The use of language as a means for meeting your needs, manipulating and controlling your environment, and expressing your feelings.

interactional function

The use of language to help you form and maintain relationships.

The specialized or technical language of a specific group or profession that may not be understood by outsiders.

A system of human communication using a particular form of spoken or written words or other symbols.

language adaptation

The ability to alter one’s linguistic choices in a communicatively competent manner

language awareness

a person’s ability to be mindful and sensitive to all functions and forms of language.

linguistic determinism

The perspective that language influences thoughts.

linguistic relativity

The argument that the structure of a language influences its speakers’ worldview or cognition, and thus individuals’ languages determine or influence their perceptions of the world.

metamessage

The meaning beyond the words themselves.

personal function

The use of language to help you form your identity or sense of self.

bias against others on the basis of their race or ethnicity.

racist language

Language that demeans or insults people based on their race or ethnicity.

regulatory function

The use of language to control behavior.

relative language

Language that gains understanding by comparison.

representational function

The use of language to represent objects and ideas and to express your thoughts.

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

A theory that suggests that language impacts perceptions. Language is ascertained by the perceived reality of a culture.

Bias of others based on their biological sex.

sexist language

Language that excludes individuals on the basis of gender or shows a bias toward or against people due to their gender.

The nonstandard language of a particular culture or subculture.

The manipulation of language to achieve the most positive interpretation of words, to gain political advantage, or to deceive others.

static evaluation

Language shows that people and things change.

All the words understood by a person or group of people.

A mark, object, or sign that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention

Definitions for words commonly found in dictionaries.

The emotions or associations a person makes when exposed to a symbol.

the dictionary definition of the word

communication about communication

something that represents or signifies something else (e.g., the word 'dog')

language which helps to create imaginary constructs and tell stories

The argument that the structure of a language influences its speakers' worldview or cognition, and thus individuals' languages determine or influence their perceptions of the world.

Differences in language use based on the environment, who you are talking to, and the reason for communicating.

Specific writing and spoken style that adheres to strict conventions of grammar that uses complex sentences, full words, and third-person pronouns.

Specific writing and spoken style that is more colloquial or common in tone; contains simple, direct sentences; uses contractions and abbreviations; and allows for a more personal approach that includes emotional displays.

The specialized or technical language particular to a specific profession, occupation, or group that is either meaningless or difficult for outsiders to understand.

Idea or expression that has been so overused that it has lost its original meaning.

An attitude that is not objective or balanced, prejudiced, or the use of words that intentionally or unintentionally offend people or express an unfair attitude concerning a person’s race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or illness.

a bias whereby people assume that others are heterosexual

A bias involving presumptions about gender assignment, such as the presumption of a gender binary, or expectations of conformity to gender roles even when transgender identities are otherwise acknowledged.

Bias against others on the basis of their race or ethnicity.

Connecting and Relating: Why Interpersonal Communication Matters Copyright © by Cameron W. Piercy; Michael Robert Dennis; and Maura D. Corder is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Effective Communication in the Classroom: Skills for Teachers

Communication is key in the classroom: successful teaching is generally considered to require only 50% knowledge to 50% communication skills. As a result, a teacher should be proficient in all four modes of communication – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – and should know how to utilise this proficiency effectively in a school environment. Being able to do this has been proven to impact the success students achieve in their academic lives, as well as the teacher’s own career success.

In this article, we will outline the reasons why classroom communication has such importance. You will also learn some of the strategies you can use to help you and your students attain your best outcomes.

Why is it Important for Teachers to Have Effective Communication Skills?

Teachers benefit from good communication skills in three different areas: when communicating with students, with parents, and with colleagues.

Communicating with Students

Communication skills are most vital for interactions with students, because the act of teaching itself requires them. In your role, you are responsible for comprehending and breaking down complex information, conveying this information clearly to your students (both verbally and in written resources), presenting in a manner that sustains their attention, and listening to and resolving their questions or problems.

You are also required to adapt content for different learning styles, motivate students to learn, build supportive relationships using encouragement and empathy, manage the classroom, and give feedback – making your classroom a safe and supportive learning environment. All of these things require good communication skills.

The better your communication skills, the more effectively you can perform these tasks. In turn, your students will make more academic progress. Studies have found that the success of students is directly related to interactive, engaging teaching environments formed by able teachers (see Mashburn et al., 2008). Additionally, the way that you communicate with your students can positively affect their perceptions of school, their role in the classroom, themselves and their abilities, and their motivation to succeed (see Dobbs & Arnold, 2009).

However, this works both ways: poor communication skills – and thus poor methods of teaching – causes students’ comprehension levels to drop, and may affect their academic progress negatively. It could also lead to students lacking motivation, disliking school, and believing themselves to be unable to achieve. This could have consequences for the rest of their lives.

Therefore, effective communication between teachers and students is extremely important. It allows you to perform your job well, with positive results for your pupils. An added benefit is that your class can use you as a model for improving their own communication skills, which are critical for their development and future learning.  

Effective coaching and mentoring can help boost your communication with students as you focus on three key areas: foundations, principles and practice.

Looking to learn more?

Explore how to coach with consistency and plan for an effective mentoring session with our Coaching and Mentoring course which has been designed to give you the practical skills needed to get started with your successful teaching career.

Communicating with Parents

As a teacher, you will also need to communicate effectively with parents. This could take place through a variety of mediums, including phone calls, emails, and in-person meetings, so you must be skilled with both verbal and written language.

This is particularly important because you will often have to discuss sensitive subjects – such as behaviour issues, learning problems, and the student’s strengths and weaknesses – without making the parent feel confused or defensive. It is vital that you are clear, but tactful, at all times. Failing to communicate well with parents could lead to doubts on their part about your ability to teach, and possible complaints, as well as a lack of understanding of their child’s performance and educational needs.

Communicating with Colleagues

Teaching does not always involve independent work – it also requires collaboration. Whether you are planning lessons together, updating your colleagues on certain students’ progress, or sharing tips about how to handle issues in the classroom, good communication skills will be of use to you.

You might also utilise these skills in staff meetings and training sessions – being able to lead meetings, present in front of varied audiences, and give feedback to other staff could illustrate to your colleagues and superiors that you are a good candidate for promotion.

As we have demonstrated, there are many reasons why effective communication skills are imperative in a teaching career. In the next section, we will give you some strategies to improve your communication in the classroom.

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Strategies for Effective Communication in the Classroom

What we classify as ‘good’ or ‘effective’ communication depends on the context. When you are presenting in front of the class, you will use different strategies than when you are facilitating a group discussion, or speaking to a student one-to-one.

Here, we will suggest eight strategies that are applicable to each of the contexts that you may encounter.

1. Create a safe learning environment with supportive relationships

It has been proven that supportive relationships between students and teachers have a positive impact on class engagement, participation, and the students’ achievements. It has even been suggested that these supportive relationships may negate the tendency for low-income students to have poorer school outcomes (see O’Connor & McCartney, 2007).

This is because, when students feel supported, they are more comfortable expressing their own thoughts and ideas in class discussions, attempting challenges, and asking when they need help. Higher levels of engagement and participation then lead to better developed knowledge and greater achievement.

A supportive learning environment is built using communication: you should get to know your students well, and show them that they are safe from judgement or humiliation in your classroom. It is a good idea to learn students’ names early in the year, and use them often. Have an open-door policy for students to come and talk to you about any issues, and be empathic and caring when you interact with them at all times: don’t tell them off for not understanding and don’t ridicule their thoughts and ideas.

Additionally, you should recognise that some students don’t feel comfortable talking in front of the class. If you do ask them to participate, you could use scaffolding (such as sentence starters) to make them feel safer doing so. However, forced participation is usually unnecessary: it is likely that quieter students have excellent listening skills, and are learning just as much, despite not sharing their own thoughts.

2. More teamwork

Teamwork and group discussions contribute to making the classroom a more comfortable environment. By working in small groups, students are able to share their ideas more easily, and improve their own communication skills. These activities also give them a good opportunity to ask you questions and get feedback on their work, leading to effective communication between you, better understanding of the lesson, and academic benefits.

You could also try to improve your communication skills through teamwork with your colleagues. Planning more lessons together, sharing ideas, and problem-solving together will develop the way that you interact.

3. Body language

Communication is not only verbal, but also non-verbal: you should ensure that the signals you are giving out through your body language are positive, confident, and engaging.

For example, making eye contact with students when you are talking to them shows that you are being supportive and attentive. Making eye contact is also important when you are presenting to the whole class – it motivates everyone to pay attention, which helps them to learn, as well as making them feel involved. In order to make more eye contact, you may have to learn your lesson content more thoroughly in advance, so that you don’t have to look away to read your notes.

As you teach, you should use gestures to emphasise your words. This increases the interactivity of the lesson, making it more visually interesting and hence, more memorable. Keep your arms open – do not fold them – and use smiles, nods, and thumbs up to encourage students when they participate. Moving around the classroom while you teach can help to remove the barrier between you and your students, and gives them less opportunity to zone out or get distracted.

Body language is also important when dealing with negative behaviour. To avoid being confrontational, ensure that you don’t stand directly above or in front of a student, point, or invade their personal space. It may be effective to get down to their level and talk quietly about their behaviour, or speak to them outside the classroom, to avoid drawing too much attention. Remember that students’ behaviour is also a form of communication, and think about what it is telling you.

You can find out more about dealing with challenging behaviour from our dedicated article: ‘ How to Deal with Challenging Behaviour in the Classroom ’.

4. Active listening

The ‘listening’ component of communication should not be overlooked – over 60% of all misunderstandings result from poor listening (Caruso, Colombi, & Tebbit, 2017).

Practising good listening in the classroom can benefit you in two ways. Firstly, you will be a model for your students, who will improve their own listening skills, and thus retain lessons better. Secondly, by using active listening , you can correct misunderstandings and extend learning, resulting in a better education for your students.

Active listening involves listening carefully to what your students say, checking that you have understood them correctly (for example, repeating back to them what you think they have said), building on their ideas, and challenging or questioning them. It is the best approach to use to foster understanding in the classroom, and is an excellent example of effective communication.  

5. Feedback

Feedback is also an important component of communication in the classroom. There have been many studies focusing on feedback in recent years. It has been shown that positive feedback (i.e. praise) builds students’ confidence – making them more likely to believe that they can succeed – and helps to create a supportive environment and increase academic success.

You can also use positive feedback to modify students’ behaviour: for example, praising a student for having their hand up is likely to cause the students around them to stop ‘shouting out’ and copy this behaviour, in order to be praised themselves (Howell, Caldarella, Korth, & Young, 2014).

However, positive feedback can be detrimental to learning if it is used without being deserved, or too frequently (Cannella, 1986). Phrases such as ‘good job’ or ‘beautiful’ may not motivate students, because they do not understand what they are specifically being praised for, while over-praising can cause children to lack interest in situations where they are not being praised (e.g. Howell et al., 2014). As a result, you should give specific, deserved positive feedback – use the student’s name, explicitly state what they are doing right, and thank them enthusiastically.

Negative feedback is used more often in the classroom than positive feedback, and many researchers have argued that this should not be the case. While negative feedback can help students to improve – for example, by changing their behaviour, or trying harder at a task (Conroy et al., 2014) – it does also contribute to conflictual relationships with students (e.g. Allen et al., 2013). It has also been suggested that it can cause lower levels of academic success (e.g. Wu et al., 2010).

These disadvantages are compounded by the fact that the negative feedback is not always successful – students tend to continue the behaviour despite negative feedback around 20% of the time – and it tends to decrease students’ motivation and interest in a task (e.g. Spilt et al., 2016). Other consequences include decreased self-worth, which impacts children’s academic success (e.g. Harter, 2012).

As such, you should ensure that you use negative feedback only sparingly; for general classroom management, using positive feedback to illustrate the behaviour that you want to see is much more effective. In situations where you do have to use negative feedback, you should explicitly address the behaviour you want to stop, give an explanation why (e.g. ‘don’t do that. I don’t think it is safe’), allow the student to think about morality (e.g. ‘are you doing the right thing?’), or use a simple form of ‘no’ (e.g. ‘no’, ‘mm mm’). These techniques increase the effectiveness of negative feedback, and decrease any detrimental impact that it might have.

Finally, you should give students the opportunity to give you feedback on your lessons or teaching styles. This shows that you value their opinion, increases communication between you, and helps you to improve your teaching and their learning.

6. Sense of humour

The use of humour in the classroom has been found to increase learning, self-motivation, and positive relationships between students and teachers (see Segrist & Hupp, 2015). It allows you to establish a rapport with your class, and keep them interested in the lesson.

For example, you might tell jokes or funny anecdotes, give light-hearted personal examples, or laugh at students’ own jokes. However, you should ensure that you don’t use negative humour – where you demean or embarrass students – or humour that is either irrelevant to the lesson, disturbing, violent, sexual, or forced. Only continue to use humour that has received a positive response from the class (such as laughing).

7. Technical skills

Using up-to-date teaching aids such as computers, videos, and online resources is another way to keep students engaged and reinforce their understanding. It can also increase the effectiveness of your communication with students with different learning styles, who may benefit more from online resources than more old-fashioned ones. Try to work some of these aids into your lessons on a regular basis.

8. Be clear

Good communication – and good teaching – is about understanding and being understood. For this reason, you should always be clear and unambiguous, and adapt your words to your audience. Think about this while writing lesson plans (ensure that you break complex ideas down into simple, logical parts for your audience to understand), but also while you interact with the children after presenting the lesson. For example, you may wish to check that your teaching was clear by asking your students questions, or requesting summaries of the lesson in their own words.

When you ask your students questions, use appropriate scaffolding to ensure that they understand exactly what you are asking. If you teach in a primary school, your students’ language abilities won’t yet be fully developed. Closed questions (eliciting yes/no responses), forced alternatives (such as ‘is he angry or happy?’), and sentence starters (e.g. ‘a noun is…’) are most effective for communicating with younger children. For older children, open-ended questions (such as ‘how do you think…’ or ‘tell me about…’) allow them to extend their thinking and develop their problem-solving skills.

The importance of effective communication in the classroom should not be underestimated – it can have an impact on your students’ academic progress, feelings of self-worth, perceptions of school, and your own career. Using communication strategies like the ones we have detailed above could allow you to become a more successful teacher who better meets your students’ needs.

Further Resources:

• CPD Courses for Teaching Staff
• What is Effective Questioning & Why Should I Use it in My Classroom?
• Professional Development Plan for Teachers
• What is Contextual Safeguarding & Why is it Important?
• Marking Symbols: A Guide for Primary School Teachers
• How to Set Behaviour Expectations in the Classroom
• How Understanding Different Types of Memory Can Help in Teaching
• What is Adaptive Teaching?
• Metacognition in the Classroom: Benefits & Strategies
• How to Create a Positive Learning Environment
• How to Use Assessment for Learning in Schools
• Promoting Effective Communication with Parents in Education
• Communication Skills Quiz

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Her favourite article is How to Support a Child with Autism in the Classroom

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Verbal Communication for School

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Navigate the intricate world of educational dialogue with our all-encompassing guide on Verbal Communication for School. This resource is packed with practical Communication Examples that illuminate the ways verbal communication shapes the educational experience. From enhancing teacher-student interactions to fostering a collaborative classroom environment, discover the strategies and insights essential for cultivating a thriving educational atmosphere.

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What is Verbal Communication for School? – Meaning

Verbal Communication for School refers to the spoken language used within educational environments to facilitate learning, share information, and build relationships. It encompasses a wide range of interactions, from classroom instructions and student discussions to teacher feedback and peer collaboration. Effective verbal communication is foundational in creating an engaging and supportive learning environment, ensuring that information is conveyed clearly and learning is a dynamic, interactive process.

What is the Best Example of Verbal Communication for School?

A prime example of verbal communication in schools is the interactive discussion. In this setting, a teacher poses a thought-provoking question, prompting students to express their ideas, debate concepts, and listen to peers. This dialogue not only enhances understanding of the subject matter but also develops critical thinking and public speaking skills. Interactive discussions exemplify how Verbal Communication for Teacher can be used to engage students actively, encourage diverse perspectives, and create a vibrant learning community.

20 Verbal Communication for School Examples

Delve into the realm of Verbal Communication for School with a diverse array of examples designed to enhance educational experiences. This compilation not only showcases Verbal Communication Examples but also highlights the significance of understanding What Percent of Communication is Verbal? Explore effective Verbal Communication Techniques that address the Advantages and Disadvantages of Verbal Communication . Grasp the essential Functions of Verbal Communication , learn about different Types of Verbal Communication , and refine essential Verbal Communication Skills . Discover Ways to Improve Verbal Communication Skills and comprehend the nuances between Verbal vs Written Communication and Verbal vs Oral Communication for a more comprehensive and effective educational dialogue.

• Morning Announcements : Sharing daily news and schedules. Cause: Informing the school community. Fix: Ensure clarity and brevity.
• Classroom Instruction : Delivering lesson content. Cause: Educational delivery. Fix: Use clear, age-appropriate language.
• Peer Tutoring : Students helping students understand material. Cause: Collaborative learning. Fix: Encourage open-ended questions.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences : Discussing student progress. Cause: Parental involvement. Fix: Be clear, concise, and empathetic.
• Student Presentations : Sharing research or projects. Cause: Skill development. Fix: Provide guidelines and practice opportunities.
• Teacher Feedback : Offering constructive criticism. Cause: Learning improvement. Fix: Balance praise with actionable suggestions.
• Student Debates : Engaging in argumentative discussions. Cause: Critical thinking. Fix: Set clear rules and objectives.
• Drama and Role Play : Practicing expressive language. Cause: Creative expression. Fix: Guide with scenarios and debrief.
• Reading Aloud : Enhancing literacy skills. Cause: Language development. Fix: Choose engaging and appropriate texts.
• Bilingual Education : Teaching in multiple languages. Cause: Linguistic diversity. Fix: Use language transition techniques.
• School Assemblies : Addressing the entire student body. Cause: Community messaging. Fix: Use engaging, clear language.
• Library Story Time : Encouraging a love for reading. Cause: Literacy enjoyment. Fix: Interactive and animated storytelling.
• Group Projects : Facilitating cooperative communication. Cause: Teamwork. Fix: Assign roles and provide communication strategies.
• Book Club Discussions : Analyzing literature together. Cause: Deep learning. Fix: Guide with thematic questions.
• Science Fair Presentations : Explaining projects and findings. Cause: Knowledge application. Fix: Teach presentation skills.
• Math Problem-Solving : Talking through solutions. Cause: Comprehension. Fix: Encourage step-by-step verbalization.
• Sports Coaching : Giving instructions and feedback. Cause: Physical education. Fix: Use clear, motivational language.
• Art Critiques : Discussing artistic works. Cause: Aesthetic appreciation. Fix: Foster descriptive and respectful language.
• Health and Safety Drills : Practicing emergency communication. Cause: Preparedness. Fix: Regular drills and clear instructions.
• Counseling Sessions : Providing support and guidance. Cause: Emotional well-being. Fix: Encourage open, trustful dialogue.

Verbal Communication for School Students

Enhance the educational journey with effective Verbal Communication for School Students. This guide focuses on developing skills that foster understanding, expression, and collaboration among students. Explore the methods that enable students to articulate thoughts clearly, participate actively in learning, and build meaningful relationships, all while navigating the daily dynamics of school life. Understand the role of effective verbal interaction as a cornerstone of student success and a vibrant school community.

• Asking Questions in Class : Encouraging curiosity and clarification. “Can you explain how this math formula works?”
• Participating in Group Work : Collaborating and sharing ideas. “I think if we divide the tasks, we can complete the project more efficiently.”
• Expressing Needs to Teachers : Communicating personal learning requirements. “I learn better with visual aids; can we use more in class?”
• Peer Mentoring : Older students guiding younger ones. “Let me show you a trick to remember these historical dates.”
• Conflict Resolution among Peers : Addressing disputes constructively. “I understand you’re upset; let’s find a way to solve this together.”

Verbal Communication for School in Nursing

Dive into the specialized field of Verbal Communication in Healthcare tailored for nursing students within school settings. This guide provides insights into effective Verbal Communication for Students that are vital in nursing education, focusing on patient interaction, teamwork, and professional development. Learn about the tailored techniques that future healthcare professionals use to ensure clear, compassionate, and accurate communication, essential in the fast-paced and often high-stakes environment of healthcare.

• Explaining Medical Procedures : Simplifying complex healthcare terms. “This medication will help alleviate your pain by reducing inflammation.”
• Patient Education : Informing patients about their care. “It’s important to take the entire course of antibiotics to ensure recovery.”
• Team Briefings : Collaborating with healthcare teams. “In today’s shift, we need to focus on patient X’s post-operative care.”
• Empathy in Patient Interactions : Showing understanding and concern. “I know this can be a bit overwhelming, we are here to support you every step of the way.”
• Reporting to Supervisors : Conveying patient status and needs. “The patient in room 5 is showing signs of improvement but requires continued monitoring for any changes.”

What Strategies Promote Collaborative Verbal Communication for School Projects and Group Work?

Promoting collaborative verbal communication in school projects and group work is essential for student success and team synergy. Effective strategies enhance How to Improve Verbal Communication Skills among students, facilitating a more productive and enjoyable learning experience.

• Clear Role Assignments : Start by defining each member’s role and responsibilities to avoid confusion and overlap.
• Active Listening Techniques : Encourage students to practice active listening, ensuring that each member’s ideas are heard and valued.
• Regular Check-Ins : Schedule regular meetings or check-ins to discuss progress, address concerns, and adapt plans as needed.
• Conflict Resolution Protocols : Establish clear guidelines for resolving disagreements, emphasizing respect and constructive dialogue.
• Feedback Sessions : Implement structured feedback sessions allowing students to share insights and improvements in a supportive environment.

What is the Importance of Verbal Communication for School?

The importance of verbal communication in schools cannot be overstated. It is vital for effective teaching, learning, and building a cohesive school environment, directly impacting the Importance of Verbal Communication in educational success.

• Facilitates Learning : Clear verbal communication helps students understand and absorb material more effectively.
• Enhances Teacher-Student Relationships : Open and Effective Communication fosters trust and respect between teachers and students.
• Promotes Social Skills : Students develop critical social skills through daily verbal interactions with peers and teachers.
• Improves Academic Performance : Strong Communication Skills are associated with better academic results and higher engagement.
• Supports Emotional Development : Verbal expression is key to emotional growth and understanding one’s own and others’ feelings.

How Does Verbal Communication for School Differ Between Elementary, Middle, and High School Levels?

Verbal communication evolves significantly as students progress from elementary to high school, reflecting cognitive and social development. Understanding these differences is key to tailoring Why you need Verbal Communication Skills at each educational stage.

• Elementary Level : Focuses on basic language skills, storytelling, and simple explanations. Communication is more direct and often requires concrete examples.
• Middle School Level : Introduces more complex language and abstract thinking. There’s an increased emphasis on discussion, debate, and expressing individual thoughts.
• High School Level : Encourages sophisticated language use, critical analysis, and independent thought. Communication becomes more nuanced, reflecting deeper understanding and personal identity.
• Across All Levels : Despite these differences, the Rules of Verbal Communication remain constant, emphasizing clarity, respect, and adaptability.
• Adjustments in Teaching : Teachers adapt their Verbal Communication Techniques to match the developmental stage, ensuring that instructions and discussions are age-appropriate and engaging.

How does Effective Verbal Communication for School Impact Students’ Academic Success?

Effective verbal communication enhances understanding, boosts confidence, promotes engagement, and improves collaborative learning, leading to greater academic success and comprehension.

What Role Does Verbal Communication Play in Creating a Positive School Environment?

Verbal communication fosters respect, understanding, and cooperation among students and staff, creating a positive, inclusive, and supportive school environment.

How can Teachers Enhance Their Verbal Communication for School Settings?

Teachers can enhance communication by actively listening, providing clear instructions, giving constructive feedback, adapting to diverse needs, and continuously developing their interpersonal skills. In conclusion, effective verbal communication in schools is a cornerstone of successful education. This article explored its importance, effects on student engagement and learning, signs of improvement, and strategies for enhancement. By recognizing its value, implementing best practices, and fostering an environment that encourages open dialogue, schools can empower students, educators, and administrators to thrive academically and socially, paving the way for a brighter future.

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What strategies promote collaborative verbal communication for school projects and group work?

Teaching Communication Skills

A framework for exploring with students what good communication looks like and for helping them develop the necessary skills.

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Picture a great speaker—a famous politician, maybe, or a poet or performer. Maybe you’re thinking of someone speaking to an audience in a high-stakes scenario.

Most of the talk that happens in your classroom does not look like this. In small group or whole class discussions, students are more concerned with learning than with audience: Their talking is exploratory rather than presentational.

This is one of the challenges of teaching communication skills: What “good” looks like depends on the context. The skills needed to speak in front of an audience and hold a room are different from those needed to solve a problem or engage in a group discussion. If what you’re trying to teach is slippery and hard to define, how can you go about teaching it?

A Framework for Looking at Communication

Academics at Cambridge University and teachers at my school created a framework for describing good communication skills in different contexts. It divides these skills into four distinct but interlinked strands:

• Physical: How a speaker uses their body language, facial expressions, and voice.
• Linguistic: The speaker’s use of language, including their understanding of formality and rhetorical devices.
• Cognitive: The content of what a speaker says and their ability to build on, challenge, question, and summarize others’ ideas.
• Social and emotional: How well a speaker listens, includes others, and responds to their audience.

This framework provides a starting point for working out what exactly constitutes great communication in different situations. But how can a teacher create a classroom culture that values and actively develops students’ communication skills?

Start by talking explicitly with your students about what good communication looks like for a given context. While there are plenty of examples of great public speakers to hold up and analyze, it can be harder to find examples of excellent exploratory discussions. One fun way to explore what makes a great discussion is to film a group of teachers having a terrible discussion (fidgeting, going off topic, one person dominating and making irrelevant points while others aren’t listening) and then look at a really strong example (listening, building on or challenging each other’s ideas, working together to reach consensus). Comparing the two discussions, you and your students can start to build a shared understanding of what “good” looks like.

You can use this understanding to write, with your students, a set of discussion guidelines, including things like:

• We build on, challenge, summarize, clarify and probe each other’s ideas
• We are prepared to change our minds.
• We include everyone by inviting them into the discussion.

Creating guidelines with your students provides an opportunity to establish a positive culture for talk. It also enables you to dispel any negative, perhaps unspoken, misconceptions students may have about discussion, such as: “She always does well on tests, so I’ll just say what she says,” or “He’s my friend, so I shouldn’t disagree with him.”

Of course, creating discussion guidelines alone is unlikely to transform talk in your classroom—your students will need each skill to be explicitly taught, modeled, and praised, at least initially. You can establish the culture by saying things like, “I listened to what X said, and actually it’s made me think differently—I’m starting to change my mind,” or, “I’m not totally sure yet, but I think _____. What do you think?”

You’ll also need to explicitly and deliberately teach many communication skills. Take for example the skills involved in summarizing a discussion. Your students need to know what a summary is. They may also need some sentence stems to scaffold summarizing a discussion (“The main points you raised were...,” “In summary, we talked about...”). They may also need practice judging when it’s useful to summarize a discussion.

Over time, you can work on each guideline in turn and strengthen your students’ understanding of it. Continually returning to your discussion guidelines provides an opportunity for students to reflect on and talk about talking—to engage metacognitively in the learning process.

Supporting Quiet Students

For quieter students, increasing the amount of talk in your classroom may feel daunting. Ensuring that you have a guideline that requires all students to be included in discussions gives more confident students a responsibility to ensure that everyone is heard from. Again, you may need to explicitly teach what it means to invite someone into a discussion: developing an awareness of who has and hasn’t spoken yet, and turning your body to face someone who has been quiet and saying their name or asking them a question.

You can also support quieter students by providing them with scaffolds such as sentence stems, or by giving them a specific role, such as summarizer, that provides a clear route into discussion. Increasing the number of low-stakes opportunities to speak, in a supportive environment, may give some quieter students the confidence they need to find their voice.

If a student isn’t speaking as frequently as their peers, you needn’t assume that they aren’t benefiting from the increase in talking in your classroom. It’s likely that they’re listening carefully and taking in what is being said, so it’s vital to praise and celebrate listening skills as well as speaking skills.

Ultimately, learning is a process of sharing, engaging with, and responding to new and different ideas. As Professor Frank Hardman has said, talk is “the most powerful tool of communication in the classroom, and it’s fundamentally central to the acts of teaching and learning.”

• INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
• Communication Skills
• Verbal Communication

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The SkillsYouNeed Guide to Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal Skills:

• A - Z List of Interpersonal Skills
• Interpersonal Skills Self-Assessment
• What is Communication?
• Interpersonal Communication Skills
• Tips for Effective Interpersonal Communication
• Principles of Communication
• Barriers to Effective Communication
• Avoiding Common Communication Mistakes
• Social Skills
• Getting Social Online
• Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Improving Communication
• Interview Skills
• Telephone Interviews
• Interviewing Skills
• Business Language Skills
• The Ladder of Inference
• Listening Skills
• Top Tips for Effective Listening
• The 10 Principles of Listening
• Effective Listening Skills
• Barriers to Effective Listening
• Types of Listening
• Active Listening
• Mindful Listening
• Empathic Listening
• Listening Misconceptions
• Non-Verbal Communication
• Personal Appearance
• Body Language
• Non-Verbal Communication: Face and Voice
• Effective Speaking
• Conversational Skills
• How to Keep a Conversation Flowing
• Conversation Tips for Getting What You Want
• Giving a Speech
• Questioning Skills and Techniques
• Types of Question
• Clarification
• Emotional Intelligence
• Conflict Resolution and Mediation Skills
• Customer Service Skills
• Team-Working, Groups and Meetings
• Decision-Making and Problem-Solving
• Negotiation and Persuasion Skills
• Personal and Romantic Relationship Skills

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Verbal Communication Skills

Verbal communication is the use of words to share information with other people. It can therefore include both spoken and written communication. However, many people use the term to describe only spoken communication. The verbal element of communication is all about the words that you choose, and how they are heard and interpreted.

This page focuses on spoken communication. However, the choice of words can be equally—if not more—important in written communication, where there is little or no non-verbal communication to help with the interpretation of the message.

What is Verbal Communication?

Verbal communication is any communication that uses words to share information with others. These words may be both spoken and written.

Communication is a two-way process

Communication is about passing information from one person to another.

This means that both the sending and the receiving of the message are equally important.

Verbal communication therefore requires both a speaker (or writer) to transmit the message, and a listener (or reader) to make sense of the message. This page discusses both parts of the process.

There are a large number of different verbal communication skills. They range from the obvious (being able to speak clearly, or listening, for example), to the more subtle (such as reflecting and clarifying). This page provides a summary of these skills, and shows where you can find out more.

It is important to remember that effective verbal communication cannot be fully isolated from non-verbal communication :  your body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions, for example.

Clarity of speech, remaining calm and focused, being polite and following some basic rules of etiquette will all aid the process of verbal communication.

Opening Communication

In many interpersonal encounters, the first few minutes are extremely important. First impressions have a significant impact on the success of further and future communication.

When you first meet someone, you form an instant impression of them, based on how they look, sound and behave, as well as anything you may have heard about them from other people.

This first impression guides your future communications, at least to some extent.

For example, when you meet someone and hear them speak, you form a judgement about their background, and likely level of ability and understanding. This might well change what you say. If you hear a foreign accent, for example, you might decide that you need to use simpler language. You might also realise that you will need to listen more carefully to ensure that you understand what they are saying to you.

Of course your first impression may be revised later. You should ensure that you consciously ‘update’ your thinking when you receive new information about your contact and as you get to know them better.

Basic Verbal Communication Skills: Effective Speaking and Listening

Effective speaking involves three main areas: the words you choose, how you say them, and how you reinforce them with other non-verbal communication.

All these affect the transmission of your message, and how it is received and understood by your audience.

It is worth considering your choice of words carefully. You will probably need to use different words in different situations, even when discussing the same subject. For example, what you say to a close colleague will be very different from how you present a subject at a major conference.

How you speak includes your tone of voice and pace. Like non-verbal communication more generally, these send important messages to your audience, for example, about your level of interest and commitment, or whether you are nervous about their reaction.

There is more about this in our page on Non-Verbal Communication: Face and Voice .

Active listening is an important skill. However, when we communicate, we tend to spend far more energy considering what we are going to say than listening to the other person.

Effective listening is vital for good verbal communication. There are a number of ways that you can ensure that you listen more effectively. These include:

Be prepared to listen . Concentrate on the speaker, and not on how you are going to reply.

Keep an open mind and avoid making judgements about the speaker.

Concentrate on the main direction of the speaker’s message . Try to understand broadly what they are trying to say overall, as well as the detail of the words that they are using.

Avoid distractions if at all possible. For example, if there is a lot of background noise, you might suggest that you go somewhere else to talk.

Be objective .

Do not be trying to think of your next question while the other person is giving information.

Do not dwell on one or two points at the expense of others . Try to use the overall picture and all the information that you have.

Do not stereotype the speaker . Try not to let prejudices associated with, for example, gender, ethnicity, accent, social class, appearance or dress interfere with what is being said (see Personal Appearance ).

There is more information in our pages on Listening Skills .

Improving Verbal Communication: More Advanced Techniques

There are a number of tools and techniques that you can use to improve the effectiveness of your verbal communication. These include reinforcement, reflection, clarification, and questioning.

Reinforcement

Reinforcement is the use of encouraging words alongside non-verbal gestures such as head nods, a warm facial expression and maintaining eye contact.

All these help to build rapport and are more likely to reinforce openness in others. The use of encouragement and positive reinforcement can:

• Encourage others to participate in discussion (particularly in group work);
• Show interest in what other people have to say;
• Pave the way for development and/or maintenance of a relationship;
• Allay fears and give reassurance;
• Show warmth and openness; and
• Reduce shyness or nervousness in ourselves and others.

Questioning

Questioning is broadly how we obtain information from others on specific topics.

Questioning is an essential way of clarifying areas that are unclear or test your understanding. It can also enable you to explicitly seek support from others.

On a more social level, questioning is also a useful technique to start conversations, draw someone into a conversation, or simply show interest. Effective questioning is therefore an essential element of verbal communication.

We use two main types of question:

Closed Questions

Closed questions tend to seek only a one or two word answer (often simply ‘yes’ or ‘no’). They therefore limit the scope of the response. Two examples of closed questions are:

“Did you travel by car today?” and “Did you see the football game yesterday?”

These types of question allow the questioner to remain in control of the communication. This is often not the desired outcome when trying to encourage verbal communication, so many people try to focus on using open questions more often. Nevertheless, closed questions can be useful for focusing discussion and obtaining clear, concise answers when needed.

Open Questions

Open questions demand further discussion and elaboration. They therefore broaden the scope for response. They include, for example,

“What was the traffic like this morning?” “What do you feel you would like to gain from this discussion?”

Open questions will take longer to answer, but they give the other person far more scope for self-expression and encourage involvement in the conversation.

For more on questioning see our pages: Questioning and Types of Question .

Reflecting and Clarifying

Reflecting is the process of feeding back to another person your understanding of what has been said.

Reflecting is a specialised skill often used within counselling, but it can also be applied to a wide range of communication contexts and is a useful skill to learn.

Reflecting often involves paraphrasing the message communicated to you by the speaker in your own words. You need to try to capture the essence of the facts and feelings expressed, and communicate your understanding back to the speaker. It is a useful skill because:

• You can check that you have understood the message clearly.
• The speaker gets feedback about how the message has been received and can then clarify or expand if they wish.
• It shows interest in, and respect for, what the other person has to say.
• You are demonstrating that you are considering the other person’s viewpoint.

See also our pages on Reflecting and Clarifying .

Summarising

A summary is an overview of the main points or issues raised.

Summarising can also serve the same purpose as ‘reflecting’. However, summarising allows both parties to review and agree the message, and ensure that communication has been effective. When used effectively, summaries may also serve as a guide to the next steps forward.

Closing Communication

The way a communication is closed or ended will, at least in part, determine the way a conversation is remembered.

People use both verbal and non-verbal signals to end a conversation.

Verbal signals may include phrases such as: “Well, I must be going,” and “Thank you so much, that’s really helpful.”

Non-verbal conclusions may include starting to avoid eye contact, standing up, turning away, or behaviours such as looking at a watch or closing notepads or books. These non-verbal actions indicate to the other person that the initiator wishes to end the communication.

People often use a mixture of these, but tend to start with the non-verbal signals, especially face-to-face. On the telephone, of course, verbal cues are essential.

Closing an interaction too abruptly may not allow the other person to 'round off' what he or she is saying so you should ensure there is time for winding-up. The closure of an interaction is a good time to make any future arrangements. Last, but not least, this time will no doubt be accompanied by a number of socially acceptable parting gestures.

Further Reading from Skills You Need

Our Communication Skills eBooks

Learn more about the key communication skills you need to be a more effective communicator.

Our eBooks are ideal for anyone who wants to learn about or develop their interpersonal skills and are full of easy-to-follow, practical information.

Only part of the picture

It is vital to remember that any communication is made up of the sum of its parts.

Verbal communication is an important element, but only part of the overall message conveyed. Some  research suggests that the verbal element is, in fact, a very small part of the overall message: just 20 to 30%. This is still, however, significant, and it is worth spending time to improve your verbal communication skills.

Continue to: Effective Speaking Conversational Skills How good are your interpersonal skills? Interpersonal Skills Self-Assessment

See also: Ladder of Inference How to be Polite Personal Development

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication overview, learning outcomes.

• Define verbal communication and explain its main characteristics.
• Understand the three qualities of symbols.
• Describe the rules governing verbal communication.
• Explain the differences between written and spoken communication.
• Describe the functions of verbal communication.

“Consciousness can’t evolve any faster than language” – Terence McKenna

Nearly 25 years ago, the Nicaraguan government started bringing deaf children together from all over the country in an attempt to educate them. These children had spent their lives in remote places and had no contact with other deaf people. They had never learned a language and could not understand their teachers or each other. Likewise, their teachers could not understand them. Shortly after bringing these students together, the teachers noticed that the students communicated with each other in what appeared to be an organized fashion: they had literally brought together the individual gestures they used at home and composed them into a new language. Although the teachers still did not understand what the kids were saying, they were astonished at what they were witnessing—the birth of a new language in the late 20th century! This was an unprecedented discovery.

In 1986 American linguist Judy Kegl went to Nicaragua to find out what she could learn from these children without language. She contends that our brains are open to language until the age of 12 or 13, and then language becomes difficult to learn. She quickly discovered approximately 300 people in Nicaragua who did not have language and says, “They are invaluable to research – among the only people on Earth who can provide clues to the beginnings of human communication.” To access the full transcript, view the following link: CBS News: Birth of a Language .

Adrien Perez, one of the early deaf students who formed this new language (referred to as Nicaraguan Sign Language), says that without verbal communication, “You can’t express your feelings. Your thoughts may be there but you can’t get them out. And you can’t get new thoughts in.” As one of the few people on earth who has experienced life with and without verbal communication, his comments speak to the heart of communication: it is the essence of who we are and how we understand our world. We use it to form our identities, initiate and maintain relationships, express our needs and wants, construct and shape world-views, and achieve personal goals (Pelley).

In this chapter, we want to provide and explain our definition of verbal communication, highlight the differences between written and spoken verbal communication, and demonstrate how verbal communication functions in our lives.

• Survey of Communication Study. Authored by : Scott T Paynton and Linda K Hahn. Provided by : Humboldt State University. Located at : https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Survey_of_Communication_Study . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Image of commencement speech. Authored by : Sullskit. Located at : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Equalman_Commencement_Speech_University_of_Texas.jpg . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike