COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN ENGLISH.
Introduction
Communication is a vital part
of our daily routines. We sit in school and listen to teachers. We read books
and magazines. We talk to friends, watch television, and communicate over the
Internet. The word communication is
used in common talk, usually, to mean speaking or writing or sending a message
to another person. Communication is
really much more than that. It involves ensuring that your message has
reached the target audience, (that is, the persons to whom it is sent) and that
the receiver understands and responds as you want them to. It also involves
ensuring that you yourself able to understand, interpret, and respond to
messages that you receive.
What is communication?
Communication is the process by which information is shared between
individuals and/or organizations by means of previously agreed symbols
(words, signs, pictures, sounds etc.)
through a defined channel. The symbols must be understood by the person or
persons with whom we intend to communicate. Both must assign the same meaning
to the symbols used; otherwise, there is miscommunication. Unless there is a
common understanding of the symbols, it is not possible to communicate. This definition implies that communication
is the exchange of ideas, opinions and information through written or spoken
words or actions.
The process of communication is
successful only when the receiver understands an idea as the sender intended
it. Both parties must agree not only on the information transmitted but also on
the meaning of that information. Therefore, meaning is crucial in
communication, where no meaning is transferred no communication has taken
place.
Effective communication
Effective communication is communication that
is clearly and successfully delivered, received and understood.
Effective communication takes place only when the listener clearly
understands the message that the speaker intended to send. In other words, a
speaker transmits a message and must ensure that the message is delivered
clearly. A listener takes delivery of the message and must be an active
listener.
Some skills associated with
effective communication include:
- Being a good listener
- Using and recognizing body
language and non-verbal communication
- Taking control of emotion and
stress
- Understanding and empathizing
with others
Communication
is effective only when both the sender and the receiver are focused on the act
of communication. While the sender must sharpen and improve skills of speaking
and writing, the receiver must improve skills of listening and reading.
Functions/Reasons of communication
There are many good reasons why
we communicate so much. We actually need to communicate physically, socially
and psychologically.
Physically, we needto communicate just to stay healthy. Socially
isolated people are two to three times more likely to die prematurely than are
people with strong social ties. In fact, researchers have found poor
communication and loneliness to increase the likelihood of many serious
diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
Socially, we need to communicate in order to feel included, to feel
affection, and to feel some sense of control over our lives. To feel a sense of
inclusion, we must develop relationships where we have a sense of belonging. To
feel affection, we must develop relationships where we experience a sense of
caring and being cared for. And in order to feel a sense of control, we must
communicate some degree of influence over our environment.
Psychologically, we need to communicate so as to develop a sense of
identity as human beings, of who we are as related to other human beings. More
specifically, we need to communicate for the following concrete reasons:
·
To inform and being informed- Most of us spend
hours each day in a reciprocal acts of informing and being informed. We ask and
answer questions etc.
·
To express feelings- this is achieved when we
share our disappointments and triumphs, congratulate each other, communicate
sympathy. In doing this we invite others to offer the emotional support we
need.
·
To express imagination- here, communication is
used to express and describe the fictitious events, people, and ideas. Normally
used in storytelling, jokes, drama etc. for entertaining purposes.
·
To perform social rituals- This is when
communication is used to satisfy social conventions. For example, we shake hands or say how are you in our
first meetings because it is a communication ritual formalized.Though in
question form but the respondent completes the ritual by repeating the same
words.
·
To persuade and motivate others- communication
is used to attempt to influence the thoughts and behaviors of others. E.g.
Politicians convincing voters to vote for them. Product advertisements etc.
Besides the above concrete
reasons, other reasons as to why we communicate of which stem from the
comparative advantage nature of human beings include:
- To meet physical and physiological needs e.g. food,
shelter, clothing etc. without which as human beings we are not able to
survive.
- To pass on information or to receive information
- For decision making purposes
- To establish and maintain mutual relationships
- To entertain and be entertained
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