EssaysForStudent.com - Free Essays, Term Papers & Book Notes
Search

Nonverbal Communication

By:   •  Essay  •  975 Words  •  June 1, 2010  •  2,734 Views

Page 1 of 4

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Communication

From the very beginning, I have some questions to ask you, my dearest reader. Have you ever noticed your relativesЎЇ or friendsЎЇ words and reactions? Is there any doubt in your mind or you feeling thereЎЇs a contradiction? If there is any, which one will you believe?

Here is my answer. Nonverbal communication is the single most powerful form of communication. More than voice or even words, nonverbal communication cues you in to what is on another personЎЇs mind.

There is some truth in an old saying in China Ў°actions speak louder than wordsЎ±. In my opinion, Research shows that clues in the nonverbal "channels" of communication (how something is said) are often more important than words alone ItЎЇs quite suitable using here to describe the importance of nonverbal communication. Body language, facial expression, gestures even voice, carefully observed and interpreted, can tell a lot about what others are feeling. We can not deny that we learn most about the meaning of nonverbal messages by studying them in relationship to verbal messages. Essentially, a nonverbal message functions in one of three ways: It replaces, reinforces, or contradicts a verbal message. So we should pay more attention to it in our daily life especially during business communications.

Someone may ask what the nonverbal communication is. In order to answer this question, I searched on the internet and eventually found the definition of it. Nonverbal communication (NVC) is usually understood as the process of sending and receiving wordless messages. Such messages can be communicated through gesture; body language or posture; facial expression and eye gaze; object communication such as clothing, hairstyles or even architecture; symbols and graphics; prosodic features of speech such as intonation and stress and other paralinguistic features of speech such as voice quality, emotion and speaking style. To define it in a simpler way, the nonverbal communication can be thought of quite simply as Ў°communication without wordsЎ±.

We are saying something every time and we are communicating with the others at every moment. Therefore it is important to observe and try to understand what is really being communicated. In many situations people say what they think intellectually rather than what they feel emotionally. In our every day life, people wear masks to hide their feelings. ThatЎЇs the reason that brings us many misunderstandings and thatЎЇs way we had better figure it out that whatЎЇs truly in the spokespersonЎЇs mind.

Then letЎЇs take a close look at it. To be specific, nonverbal communication ranges from facial expression to body language. Gestures, signs, and use of space are also important in nonverbal communication. Multicultural differences in body language, facial expression, use of space, and especially, gestures, are enormous and enormously open to misinterpretation.

To understand them all, you should recognize that people communicate on many levels. Watch their facial expressions, eye contact, posture, hand and feet movements, body movement and placement, and appearance and passage as they walk toward you. Every gesture is communicating something if you listen with your eyes. Become accustomed to watching nonverbal communication and your ability to read nonverbal communication will grow with practice.

If a personЎЇs words say one thing and their nonverbal communication says another, you are wont to listen to the nonverbal communication ЁC and that is usually the correct decision.

Assess job candidates based on their nonverbal communication. You can read volumes from how the applicant sits in the lobby. The nonverbal communication during an interview should also elucidate the candidateЎЇs skills, strengths, weaknesses, and concerns for you.

Really complicated, right? SoЈ¬there are many detailed

Download as (for upgraded members)  txt (6.2 Kb)   pdf (99.2 Kb)   docx (12.5 Kb)  
Continue for 3 more pages »