FACULTY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND LANGUAGES
3LEL, ELEL & ELGN 311
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1. COMMUNICATION
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise and live out the true meaning of its creed:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
Who can forget these lines from Martin Luther King’s iconic ‘I Have A Dream’ speech? These
impactful words have transformed countless lives.
“Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still, I’ll rise.”
These lines from Maya Angelou’s poetry Still I Rise still ignite hope.
When Dale Carnegie wrote, “To be interesting, be interested”, in his all-time bestseller How
to Win Friends and Influence People, generations were influenced and inspired.
Do you know the magic ingredient that achieves such extraordinary results? It is
communication.
1.1.
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
The word sounds simple but has multiple layers to it. According to the dictionary, the
definition of communication is “a process by which information is exchanged between
individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior”.
In simple words, communication is a transfer of ideas, thoughts, or information from one
person, group, or place to another.
1.2.
NATURE OF COMMUNICATION
Communication is an integral part of our society, culture, and relationships. Read on to know
why it’s important in our everyday lives and how it helps better our bonding with people.
1.2.1. IT IS A TWO-WAY PROCESS:
Take the example of a company facing remuneration issues with its employees. This was
affecting employee morale as well as the company’s productivity.
The company initiated an internal communication exercise through surveys, feedback, and
discussions between managers and their teams. Soon the management was able to track
and solve the employees’ issues, resulting in improved morale and productivity.
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Communication is a two-way process. Knowing and understanding the other side’s
perspective is crucial to it. Both parties have to be active while exchanging ideas or
information. Effective two-way communication usually leads to a logical conclusion.
1.2.2. IT CREATES MUTUAL BONDING:
Here’s another example. Sanjay has a designing job at a reputed advertising agency. He
loves his job and looks forward to going to the office every day.
While he loved the core job, another thing that made him happy was the fact that his
immediate boss was a great communicator. He encouraged creative freedom and
appreciated out-of-the-box ideas.
Effective communication creates long-lasting mutual bonds between individuals, groups,
and organizations.
1.2.3. IT CREATES A STRONG INFLUENCE:
Communication has a great influence on the human psyche. Do you know why biopics such
as Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Mary Kom, Dangal, and M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story are super
hits?
They are, of course, well-scripted, have soulful songs and superb performances. But the
real reason is that these films strike a chord in your heart. They inspire you and add value
to your life through constructive communication.
1.2.4. IT IS DYNAMIC:
Communication is ever-evolving. You will find discussions with well-informed
communicators enriching and constructive. That is why you share an excellent rapport
with a certain colleague but are at a loss for words with another.
1.2.5. IT IS VERSATILE:
In ancient days, stories from the epics were carved on temples in sculptures. The legends
passed on from generation to generation through folklore.
Today, we are witnessing a historic global digital revolution. Work-from-home has become
a buzzword. Everyone is attending meetings, reading posts or blogs, and learning new skills
online.
There are various mediums of communication—words, symbols, sounds, visuals, and so
on. Choose the medium of communication that is suitable for the purpose, audience, and
the message of communication. You can learn more about the Purpose, Audience,
Message, or the PAM Framework, in Harappa’s Speaking Effectively course.
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1.2.6. IT IS DIVERSE:
When meeting an old friend at a café, you usually begin the conversation with an informal,
“So what’s up?”. But you begin a business letter with “Dear Sir/Ma’am”. During a corporate
meeting, your body language speaks a lot about your confidence, and your presentation
proves your competence.
There are various tools of communication. Some are verbal, some nonverbal, some are
formal, while others are informal. Then there is interpersonal, business, or corporate
communication. Every type of communication serves a specific purpose. Mastering these
diverse communication tools makes you a more effective communicator.
1.2.7. IT HAS CONTINUITY:
Communication flows continuously depending upon its content and context. Group
discussions, coffee break conversations, counseling sessions, and question-answer
sessions are examples of an ongoing cycle of communication.
Such an exchange of ideas or thoughts is rewarding for your personal as well as
professional growth.
1.3.
WHAT IS EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION?
Visit the workplaces of your friends if you can and observe different work cultures. Think
about the different offices you have worked at and visited. Some workplaces stand out for
their efficient functioning and interpersonal synergy. Why so?
Look around, and you will see some small nuclear families in big trouble and some big joint
families co-existing happily. Why so?
You may have guessed the reason already. It is communication. Effective communication is a
balanced blend of emotion, facts, logic, rationality, and truth. It builds your strong presence,
is persuasive, and fosters stronger relationships.
Some of the features of effective communication are:
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Comprehensiveness
Accuracy
Reliability
Clarity
Coherence
Focus
Emotional intelligence
Empathy
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“The way we communicate with others and ourselves ultimately determines the quality of
our lives,” said Tony Robbins, one of the world’s top life and business strategists.
Excellent communication skills lead to better opportunities in professional as well as personal
life. Today, the importance of communication has increased phenomenally. Technology has
increased the speed, accuracy, and sharpness of interpersonal as well as inter-group
communication.
1.4.
WHAT’S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COMMUNICATION?
1.4.1. FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT:
Have you ever wondered how your favourite TV news anchors became so good at their
job?
In addition to having the ability to handle pressure, they are masters at communication.
The top news anchors are conversant with the latest news, information, views, global
affairs, and current trends and they know how to strategically integrate all that in their
communication.
Communication helps you improve your knowledge, work on your weaknesses, and hone
new skills to keep up with the ever-changing needs of the world.
1.4.2. FOR LEADERSHIP:
Some of the Fortune 100 Companies through the years such as CISCO, Hilton, Adobe, and
Accenture share traits such as strategic leadership and authentic communication.
They say great leaders communicate and great communicators lead.
Effective communication is the compelling quality of a true leader. Such a leader wins the
confidence of her employees and leaves an impact on their commitment and productivity.
1.4.3. FOR SHARING IDEAS:
Suppose you have an idea which, according to you, can turn into a flourishing start-up. But
if you keep it yourself, it will never be used. So how do you share it with the relevant people
who can help you turn your idea into reality?
To transform a great idea into a fruitful venture, you need to communicate it to the right
mentor or partners who will help you see it through. Effective transfer of ideas facilitates
your progress.
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1.4.4. FOR MOTIVATION:
Do you feel you are experiencing constant setbacks? Are you unable to meet your goals?
Is your productivity suffering because of low morale?
If yes, it’s time you get a strong dose of motivation. Listen to how some people have risen
from the ashes. Read a few impactful rags-to-riches stories.
Communication empowers you to rise and motivates you to follow your dreams and goals.
1.4.5. FOR INTERACTION:
Let’s take another example. Anish is popular with his peers and his juniors look up to him.
It’s all because he is an active listener and is open-minded.
In other words, Anish has excellent interpersonal interactions. And that is because he is a
good communicator. Healthy communication ensures more acceptance and stronger
bonding.
1.4.6. FOR AN ORGANIZATION:
Remember that communication is the backbone of any organization. It defines the goals,
vision, and values an organization will go forward with.
Maintain a positive environment and healthy communication with your partners and
associates, and watch the magic work as your performance improves and productivity
soars.
1.4.7. FOR DECISION-MAKING:
Let’s look at this through the example of Rajesh who told the HR executive at his company
that he had made up his mind to resign. However, the HR executive urged him to
reconsider his decision.
Later, when he went to say goodbye to his manager, who offered him coffee and advice
on his career move, he hesitated. The manager unraveled the pitfalls in Rajesh’s decision.
He explained how Rajesh could learn new skills and expand his client portfolio in his
current job.
He also appreciated Rajesh’s commitment to his work and told him that the company
valued him. The manager finally said that the company would love to continue having him
aboard. That was it. Rajesh withdrew his resignation.
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Effective communication with the right people, at the right time, in the right manner, can
influence decision-making.
So, talk to people, exchange ideas, get inputs, think comprehensively, and then take any
decision.
1.5.
OTHER BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION:
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1.6.
It builds trust
It helps in problem-solving
It provides clarity on concepts
It strengthens team-building
It helps overcome challenging situations
It facilitates harmonious living
It helps persuade and convince others
FINAL THOUGHTS
Excellent communication skills pay rich dividends in all walks of life, including your career. You
can become a great communicator by mastering the principle The Rule of Three which can
make messages more effective and memorable. To learn more about the Rule Of Three
framework, check out Harappa’s Speaking Effectively course.
But that’s not the only thing that can hone your overall communication skills. Harappa
Education’s Speaking Effectively course also teaches you to use emotions and facts to
communicate convincingly. It teaches you the techniques that can help you exhibit confidence
and present ideas precisely.
With practice and guidance, you can surely master these skills. Harappa’s courses are poised
to add quality to your communication skills so that you are able to avail of every opportunity
that knocks on your door.
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2. NON – VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Have you seen The Dying Swan, the signature solo dance performance by legendary
ballerina Anna Pavlova? It expresses the pain and struggle of a dying swan trying to survive.
As the graceful Pavlova trembles and finally collapses under the weight of melancholy, the
passion and the beauty of the performance tugs at the heartstrings of the audience.
Have you heard about miming? It is the theatrical technique of expressing an idea or mood
of a character entirely by gesture and body movements. Marcel Marceau, the celebrated
French actor and mime artist, described mime as the ‘Art of Silence’.
At the heart of the powerful performances by Pavlova and Marceau lies strong and aesthetic
nonverbal communication.
2.1.
WHAT IS NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION?
When you don’t want to take part in a particular conversation, you may look the other way.
Without uttering a word, you convey, “I am not interested.”
Nonverbal communication is conveying your message through gestures, postures, signals, or
clues. In our personal and professional lives, we give and receive countless nonverbal clues
every day.
2.2.
TYPES OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Let us explore the types of nonverbal communication.
2.2.1. BODY LANGUAGE:
Body language is an effective means of nonverbal communication. You can tell a lot
about a person from their facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, and
use of space. One of the best-known examples is actor Amitabh Bachchan whose
effective body language gave an aura to his angry young man persona in his early films.
Learn to read the body language of people around you by noticing their postures and
gestures.
2.2.2. EYE CONTACT:
Eyes are an effective communication tool to convey messages without saying a word. Eye
contact says a lot about a person. For instance, those who avoid eye contact are often
perceived as shy or less confident.
It is said that actor Irrfan Khan spoke a thousand words with his eyes. “I’m just beguiled
by Irrfan’s magic eyes,” Hollywood star Tom Hanks once said.
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2.2.3.FACIAL EXPRESSIONS:
From a lip movement to the raising of eyebrows and shifting of the glance, our facial
expressions convey a wide range of emotions. Some facial expressions are very
powerful. For instance, a smile makes any situation easier to handle.
2.2.4. GESTURES:
A gesture is another form of nonverbal communication. Different gestures could mean
different things in different situations.
Have you seen people communicate using sign language? Every hand gesture means
something. Even during regular conversations, most of us knowingly or unknowingly use
certain gestures such as nodding or giving a thumbs-up or high five.
2.2.5. PARA-LINGUISTICS:
Para-linguistics means vocal communication through the tone, pitch, and volume of your
voice. Remember the community tennis matches held on the weekends? The way your
sister came shouting, you knew she had won the match.
“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said,” said Peter
Drucker, a well-known management consultant.
2.3.
EXAMPLES OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Let’s look at an example of nonverbal communication. Hitesh works in an ad agency. He is
always given the first preference for final presentations, and his colleagues wonder why.
The reason is that his manager knows that in addition to content creation, Hitesh has
excellent nonverbal communication skills. His body language exudes confidence and his
habit of making eye contact and his gestures express trust and clarity.
Teachers, actors, lawyers, TV anchors, journalists, or salespeople, who communicate with
their students, audience or customers regularly, need to have excellent nonverbal
communication.“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said,”
said Peter Drucker, a well-known management consultant. This pretty much sums up the
importance of nonverbal communication.
It is said that 80% of communication happens nonverbally. We express our innermost
emotions such as love, hope, pleasure, anger, sadness and anxiety without words.
Empathetic nonverbal communication is the secret ingredient of happy relationships and
has the power to clear misunderstandings.
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2.4.
IMPORTANCE OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Here’s how nonverbal communication helps. It:
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Adds value to verbal communication
Helps overcome cultural barriers
Helps communicate with the nonliterate or people with a hearing disability
Increases workplace efficiency
Reinforces trust and credibility
You will be an effective communicator if you pay attention to yours as well as other people’s
body language.
Harappa Education’s Speaking Effectively course is thoughtfully designed to help you use
nonverbal cues to speak powerfully. The course will also tell you about Aristotle’s Appeals—
the three appeals of reasoning, credibility, and emotion—besides giving insights through
other interesting facts and examples.
The importance of nonverbal communication
Your nonverbal communication cues—the way you listen, look, move, and react—tell the
person you’re communicating with whether or not you care, if you’re being truthful, and
how well you’re listening. When your nonverbal signals match up with the words you’re
saying, they increase trust, clarity, and rapport. When they don’t, they can generate tension,
mistrust, and confusion.
If you want to become a better communicator, it’s important to become more sensitive not
only to the body language and nonverbal cues of others, but also to your own.
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2.4.1. ROLES OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Nonverbal communication can play five roles:
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Repetition: It repeats and often strengthens the message you’re making verbally.
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Contradiction: It can contradict the message you’re trying to convey, thus
indicating to your listener that you may not be telling the truth.
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Substitution: It can substitute for a verbal message. For example, your facial
expression often conveys a far more vivid message than words ever can.
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Complementing: It may add to or complement your verbal message. As a boss, if
you pat an employee on the back in addition to giving praise, it can increase the
impact of your message.
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Accenting: It may accent or underline a verbal message. Pounding the table, for
example, can underline the importance of your message.
Source: The Importance of Effective Communication, Edward G. Wertheim, Ph.D.
2.5.
How to read body language
Once you’ve developed your abilities to manage stress and recognize emotions, you’ll start
to become better at reading the nonverbal signals sent by others. It’s also important to:
Pay attention to inconsistencies. Nonverbal communication should reinforce what is being
said. Is the person saying one thing, but their body language conveying something else? For
example, are they telling you “yes” while shaking their head no?
Look at nonverbal communication signals as a group. Don’t read too much into a single
gesture or nonverbal cue. Consider all of the nonverbal signals you are receiving, from eye
contact to tone of voice and body language. Taken together, are their nonverbal cues
consistent—or inconsistent—with what their words are saying?
Trust your instincts. Don’t dismiss your gut feelings. If you get the sense that someone isn’t
being honest or that something isn’t adding up, you may be picking up on a mismatch
between verbal and nonverbal cues.
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2.6.
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Evaluating nonverbal signals
Eye contact – Is the person making eye contact? If so, is it overly intense or just
right?
Facial expression – What is their face showing? Is it masklike and unexpressive, or
emotionally present and filled with interest?
Tone of voice – Does the person’s voice project warmth, confidence, and interest, or
is it strained and blocked?
Posture and gesture – Is their body relaxed or stiff and immobile? Are their
shoulders tense and raised, or relaxed?
Touch – Is there any physical contact? Is it appropriate to the situation? Does it make
you feel uncomfortable?
Intensity – Does the person seem flat, cool, and disinterested, or over-the-top and
melodramatic?
Timing and place – Is there an easy flow of information back and forth? Do
nonverbal responses come too quickly or too slowly?
Sounds – Do you hear sounds that indicate interest, caring or concern from the
person?
Authors: Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., Melinda Smith, M.A., Lawrence Robinson, and Greg Boose
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3.
PROXEMIXS
Proxemics, a term created by Edward Hall, studies the relationship between people and the
space they occupy. Study the definition and example of proxemics, and learn about
personal, physical, and geographical territory. Updated: 12/13/2021
3.1. Definition of Proxemics
Do you feel uncomfortable when someone stands too close to you? Do very bright colours
in a room make you feel distracted? These questions are important to the study
of proxemics.
Basically, proxemics is the study of space and how we use it, how it makes us feel more or
less comfortable, and how we arrange objects and ourselves in relation to space. The term
was coined by the anthropologist Edward Hall. Hall was interested in understanding how
humans use space in communication.
Personal Territory
In order to understand more about proxemics, we need to discuss different kinds of spaces.
There are four kinds of distance that people generally use in communication. This can vary
by place, and different cultures have different standards. These are known as realms of
personal territory. Let's talk about these now.
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Public space is the space that characterizes how close we sit or stand to someone,
like a public figure or public speaker. So, if you are at an event listening to a
professor give a lecture, you are probably about 12 - 25 feet away.
Social space means we're getting a little closer, about 4 - 12 feet away. This is the
kind of space you're probably in if you're talking to a colleague or a customer at
work.
Personal space is even closer. In this case, you're probably about 1 - 4 feet away
from someone. This is reserved for talking to friends or family.
Intimate space is for people who you are very close to. In this case, you're probably
less than a foot away and you might even be touching the other person. This is the
space you're in with a romantic partner, for example.
It's important to note that this can vary culturally. These are the standards we generally find
in the United States. But this might not be the case everywhere.
For example, it might be considered rude to stand too close to someone in one place but
not another. It might be very common to touch someone's arm or shoulder while talking in
one place, but this could be considered rude in other places. In one country, you might greet
someone with a kiss on the cheek, and in other places this might be considered too
intimate.
3.2.
Physical Territory
Next, let's talk about physical territory. This is a little bit different than personal territory.
It's more about the ways that we arrange objects in space. For example, you probably have
your bed set up so that you face the centre of your bedroom, instead of the wall.
Another example of physical territory might be the colour of the walls in a room. Very bright
colours have been shown to be distracting. So, a person designing an office building
probably would not choose to use bright orange or red paint on the walls, as it might be
jarring to employees or students.
3.3.
Geographic Territory
Finally, proxemics also involves the study of geographic territory. This is a lot like what it
sounds like! It refers to how we act depending on the kind of geographic space we're in.
There are a few types of geographic territory:
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4.
HAPTICS
4.1. Introduction
Communicating non-verbally involves visual cues (visual acuity), gestures (body language),
paralanguage (intonation, pitch, speaking speed), oculesics (study of eye movement),
chronemics (study of role of time in communication), haptics (communication through
touch) and proxemics (study the use of space in communication). Non-verbal communication
develops a social-emotional development from a childhood haptics, a non-verbal
communication method that communicates through the sense of touch in humans and
animals in the real world.
Etymology
The term haptics was derived from Greek “haptikos” focus on medical, technological and
biological applications of touch and closely connected with proxemics as haptics and
proxemics communicate through space and territory. Haptic communication differs around
the world cultures, it is insignificant to touch in Western and British cultures and frequent
among Italian and French.
Theory
Haptic communication is exclusively designed to course the information quickly.
Communicating through non-verbal haptics involves handshake, pat, kiss, slap, hug, massage,
hit, kick, embrace, tickle etc. Each touch communicates a unique message like fear, disgust,
love, encouragement, gratitude, sympathy, anger, sex, pain, violence etc. Moreover, haptic
communication depends on environment and interpretations such as on who, why, when and
differs with setting and purpose as professional, friendship, guide, punishment, sympathy,
arousal, attention, greeting, seeking, etc.
Communication through touch is an essential part of human social development. Haptic is
either intentional or unintentional leads towards either positive or negative consequences.
The sense of touch is the effective, direct and intimate way of communication starts from a
fetus and helps to sense the world in and around. It carries distinct emotions and the intensity
of its emotion may vary as good and bad touch. Non-verbal haptic communication sends
messages through sensory nerves and receives messages through brain sensors as it impacts
the psychological stimulus. Involuntarily and persistently both humans and animals
communicate with their environment through touch, since it’s a basic and vital survival
instinct for them. Touch communicates emotions and feelings in a physical form, creates
physical intimacy, bonds, rapport, comfort, and amplify.
Haptics is categorized into functional/professional, social/polite, friendship/warmth,
love/intimacy, sexual/arousal. Significantly humans communicate non-verbally, they send
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signs and emotions through many forms which need understanding as touch is critical for
effective communication that could be interpreted differently. Haptic communication is
correlated with kinesics (eye movement-gaze), where adaptors in gestures are touching
movements and behaviours targeted towards self and others like shaking legs, scratching,
using mobile phones, clearing throat, etc. Advantages of non-verbal communication are a
compliment, substitute, attraction, express, helps physically challenged and illiterate people.
Disadvantages are vague, culture bond, difficult to interpret, information distortion and multichannel.
When there happens no communication through touch, humans feel abandoned and isolated
since the basic survival instinct of the six and five sense living organisms is touch. Haptic
communication connects and intense in transmitting emotions like task-orientation, ritual
interaction, idiosyncratic relationship, emotional attachment, and sexual intent. These
categories depend on the tolerance of an individual and intense in sharing feelings as touch
with a hidden motive is strategic communication. Touch communication which is an immense
method could be with high contact, low contact, and internal differences result in positive
and negative correlations. The ability of the human to understand and respond to the haptic
communication helps them to decode the encoded message.
Field Application
1. Touch communication is an effective and intimate way to handle and nurture the
children. Anything communicated through touch would be more effective
compared with other forms of communication as touch involves physical
attachment.
2. Haptic communication is applied with physically challenged students, where they
learn through touch.
3. Haptic communication widely used in the field of AI (Artificial Intelligence and
Robotics sensor system), This system supports the medical haptic methods in
surgical and other applications. In the Entertainment industry, the emergence of
haptic methods and the haptic sensor provides adequate support for computing
and gaming.
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4.2.
HAPTICS: SIX REASONS TOUCH IS IMPORTANT
Touch is our least understood and least researched sense. Yet it's fundamental to how you
interact with the world around you, wellbeing, and communication. Here's six reasons why we
should all pay more attention to our sense of touch.
4.2.1. Touch gives us a sense of presence
Tactile sensations, vision, and proprioception (the sense of the position of our bodies in space)
all combine to create our sense of body ownership or presence. When this is disrupted we
become disorientated, losing our sense of what is our body and what isn’t.
Reaching out to touch things to assure ourselves of their reality is also a fundamental human
behaviour. As Descartes put it, “Of all our senses, touch is the one considered least deceptive
and the most secure.”
4.2.2. Sensory experience helps us explore the world
The complex interplay of sensations such as hot, cold, hard, soft, pain, itching, and so on is
central to understanding and interacting with the world. Tactile sensations warn us, allow us
to discriminate between objects, and (unlike vision) provide a 360° field of perception.
Tactile sensations such as hot and cold help us to navigate the world.
4.2.3. Haptic feedback makes action possible
When I reach for a cup of coffee on my desk, it’s sight that directs my hand towards the cup.
But it’s haptic feedback (a mix of tactile sensations and proprioception) that allows me to grip
the cup and pick it up. I do all of this without having to think about it – it’s completely intuitive.
Without haptic feedback, it’s impossible to do even the simplest actions.
It’s extremely rare to lose your sense of touch, but the few people who have (such as Ian
Waterman, whose amazing story you can read here) describe it as being effectively paralyzed.
It takes months or years for them to learn how to manipulate objects using solely their sense
of sight.
4.2.4. Touch is essential to emotional connection and wellbeing
Humans are social animals, and research shows touch builds emotional connection and is
fundamental to social communication. Touch is essential to early childhood development and
several studies (including one featuring Ultraleap's haptic technology) have shown that
people can communicate emotions solely through touch.
Touch is fundamental to connection and social communication.
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4.2.5. Your sense of touch is astonishingly acute
Touch receptors in your fingertips are capable of detecting a skin displacement of just
0.00001mm. Or, to put it another way, you can detect an object the size of a molecule (albeit
a very large one).
4.2.6. Haptic technology is the next big thing
Haptic technology integrates touch into computer interfaces and virtual worlds.
We’re used to simple haptic devices such as the vibrate function on a mobile phone. Today,
though, there are far more sophisticated systems – including the ultrasound
devices developed by Ultraleap, which precisely focuses ultrasound waves to create tactile
sensations in mid-air.
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5.
KINAESTHETICS – MOVEMENT
5.1. Definition: A kinesthetic-tactile learning style requires that you manipulate or touch
material to learn. Kinesthetic-tactile techniques are used in combination with visual and/or
auditory study techniques, producing multi-sensory learning
5.2.
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5.3.
Kinesthetic-Tactile Style
Like to make things with your hands
Remember best when you make things for your studies
Making something for a subject helps you understand better
Prefer making charts or posters for group projects to gathering the information
Remember spelling words better if you write them several times
Study Strategies
a.
Use all the manipulative study strategies you can think of, for example:
 Write
 Make visuals (concept maps, time lines, charts, graphs
 Make models
 Use your fingers (e.g. for counting off items you are reviewing)
 Prepare/use index cards
b. Use the movement of your body to increase attention to your study, for example:
 Chew gum
 Pace
 Tap your foot or pencil
 Study in a rocking chair
c. Look for participation activities with other students to enhance your learning
Caution
If you move your body while studying and reviewing, you will find you also need to move your
body during a test to aid recall. Keep this in mind when choosing the type of movement to
use.
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5.4.
Confounding Factor
Attention Deficit Disorder
What if you are disorganized, distractible and have a short attention span? You also notice
you are a poor planner and get “bored” easily. You may not be a kinesthetic learner so much
as a person who needs motion to concentrate. Consider whether you might have ADD or
ADHD. If so, there will be other things you can do to improve your attention. Make an
appointment to discuss this with Academic Support and Accessibility Services
Adapted from: Laskey, Marcia L. and Paula W. Gibson, College Study Strategies. Allyn and
Bacon, Boston, 1997.
5.5.
Characteristics of a Kinaesthetic Learner
Kinaesthetic Learning is a specific style of learning, We all have preferred learning styles
that help us to engage with content and retain information. The three core learning
styles are Auditory, Visual and Kinaesthetic Learning. Read our blog on Visual Learning
Characteristics here.
Kinaesthetic learning happens when we have a hands-on experience. An example of a
kinaesthetic learning experience is when a child learns to use a swing or to ride a bike.
They can read instructions or listen to instructions, but deep learning occurs via the
process of doing.
The characteristics of a kinaesthetic learner are that they need a multi-sensory learning
environment for deep learning as they learn through ‘doing’. A kinaesthetic learner is
someone who needs to be actively engaged in their learning. They are ‘tactile’ learners
who use movement, testing, trial and error and a non-traditional learning environment
to retain and recall information.
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5.5.1. What are some common Kinaesthetic Learner traits?
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5.6.
Understand more when learning through hands-on experience
Become easily bored in a traditional classroom
Learn through movement
Enjoy sports and physical activity
Is an active participant rather than a passive observer when learning
Enjoys opportunities to go on excursions or be outside the classroom –
Likes to build things and work with their hands
Loves testing things and experimenting and creating
Is restless when they are sedentary
They are hand talkers and expressive in nature.
They love to try new things and rely on what they can experience or perform
What are the best ways to teach a Kinaesthetic Learner?
When teaching it is important to understand the most effective ways your students
retain information and understand the concepts you teach them.
When you can identify those that need a traditional approach, with handouts, lecturestyle lessons and verbal summaries, you can cater to the auditory learners.
Students who need mind-maps, colour-coded notes and visual guides will appreciate
information set out this way. They are visual learners.
Make sure you have ‘hands-on’ experiences, lessons that have a practical aspect and
include movement for kinaesthetic learners.
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6.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VERBAL AND NON – VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Imagine you’re in a work meeting and a colleague is making a presentation. She is animated
and uses her hands a lot to make a point. What do you focus on? Obviously, you listen
carefully to her words to make sure you understand what she’s saying.
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But that isn’t all. You probably also pay attention to her body language–including posture,
gestures, and facial expressions–as she speaks.
Many think that communication is just about the spoken word. But verbal communication is
not the only form of communication. Nonverbal communication is equally important.
We communicate our thoughts, ideas, and plans to other people through both, verbal and
nonverbal communication. Verbal and nonverbal communication in humans are the
outcome of thousands of years of processing and perfecting the art of communication.
Verbal communication consists of getting your message across using sounds, words, and
languages, while nonverbal communication involves unsaid things like eye movement, body
language, and tone. Think about it: a lie is visible in the eye, nervousness can be gauged
from shaking hands or legs, and happiness is easily understood from the tone someone uses
when speaking. When you are talking to someone face-to-face, you tend to use verbal and
nonverbal communication at the same time.
Most people use both verbal and nonverbal communication every day of their lives. Think of
the last conversation you had with someone. What was spoken aloud, and what was
conveyed using nonverbal cues? You will be able to come up with at least one prominent
example of verbal and nonverbal communication.
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Let us look at the differences between verbal and nonverbal communication:
VERBAL COMMUNICATION. VS NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Medium of communication Verbal communication uses Nonverbal communication
language, words, sentences, uses body language, facial
and voice as the medium of expressions, tone, and
communication.
pauses in speech as the
medium of communication
Channels of communication Verbal communication uses Nonverbal communication
a single channel of
uses multiple channels of
communication, the human communication including
voice, which speaks a single your entire body, facial
word at a time.
expressions, and tone of
voice
Examples of
Verbal communication can
Nonverbal communication
communication
take place over a phone call, can only occur when all the
in a face-to-face
parties in the conversation
conversation, over
can see each other. This
loudspeakers, through
helps them properly
audio recordings, and so on. understand what they are
communicating nonverbally
Mode of communication
Verbal communication is
Nonverbal communication
linear and voluntary. You
is a continuous process. It is
set out to say something,
not well-thought-out and is
gather your thoughts, form largely involuntary,
your sentences, and then
although you can train
start delivering your
yourself to use it more
message. It is a wellpurposefully. Unlike verbal
thought-out process in
communication, nonverbal
which the speaker focuses
communication is not linear.
on communicating their
It depends more on how
message effectively.
one uses their body
language and other cues to
respond to external stimuli.
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Consciousness
in communication
Decoding the
communication
Verbal communication is a
conscious process. It
involves thinking,
processing, and articulating.
Verbal communication is
fairly easy to decode if you
understand the language
and the words being used.
When you pay close
attention to the person who
is speaking, you will
understand what they are
saying.
Nonverbal communication
happens on an unconscious
level. One doesn’t really
think about it actively
Nonverbal communication
is a little harder to decode
than verbal communication.
You have to pay attention to
many factors including the
speaker’s body language,
facial expressions, and tone
to decode what the other
person is trying to convey.
To effectively communicate with another person, it is crucial to master both verbal and
nonverbal communication. You can master verbal communication by reading about
communication techniques, practicing how you speak, and listening to other people.
Likewise, you can master nonverbal communication by practicing to use the appropriate
facial expressions, body language, and tone when interacting with others. You also need to
observe other people more closely to see how they respond to certain things, how they
react, how they close off or open up so that you can decode their nonverbal cues
effectively.
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Harappa’s Speaking Effectively course will ensure that you have all the right tools to connect
with your listeners using both verbal and nonverbal communication. The Listening
Actively course will provide you with the tools to become a better listener.
Now that you have understood the difference between verbal and nonverbal
communication, you can use them effectively at work.
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