Verbal Communication &

Communication Barriers
Topic and Objective

I. Verbal Communication
• Key concepts about language

II. Barriers to Communication

Objective:
Demonstrate an understanding of various key concepts about language in
verbal communication as well as interpret the barriers to communication
 Introduction
• Communication uses
• a mixture of spoken language and body language
• gestures and silence
• facial expression and Non-verbal signs

• Understanding some of the theory behind language and how it works can help build greater
communication competence.
What are the Goals of Communication?

To change behavior

To get and give

To get action
Information

To persuade To ensure understanding

Source: CGAP Direct

What is Verbal Communication?

• Verbal communication is communication using words

. . . . . or

language.
.....
Verbal Communication

• We may think that, having good communication skills is all

about the ability to speak well….. or all about “SPEAKING.”

• Verbal Communication has another very important part –

“LISTENING”.
.........

“Speaking” + “Listening” = “Verbal Communication”

Verbal Communication 7

- Key concepts about language (1)

• Meaning is in people, not in words

• Everyone has their own conceptions of the meaning of words
• Words do not necessarily have a shared meaning (e.g. chair)
• Meaning not from single words, but from the way they
are used
• Idioms: collections of words, cannot always be interpreted literally
(e.g. ‘sharp as a bullet’, ‘I’m all thumbs today’)
• The meaning of words changes according to situation
• Interpreted differently according to context, age, trend
(e.g. football, ‘old’ when used by a 5-year-old and a 55-year-old;
‘my bad, seriously?’)
 Verbal Communication
- Key concepts about language (2)
• Men and women use language differently NEW WORDS
• Men and women place different emphasis on facts, relationships, emotions, empathy and
power when they use language. • MacGyver
• Culture influences who we are and how we use language • peoplekind
• Our culture influences not only what we say, but also how and when we say it.
• spritzy
• Language changes constantly
lamestream
• Through pop culture, new words for new things (e.g. gleek, metrosexual,•crowdsourcing)

• Language is very reliant on tone • brain fade

• Both spoken and written has tone – happy, angry, annoyed or bored.
• al desko
• Language alone is rarely enough to express feelings
• Emotions – (kisses, tears reinforce non-verbal emotions)
 The Impact of Language on Communication

Using language to create meaning is a very complex process as we all

attribute meaning to our own beliefs.

Need to ponder about this every time we speak or write:

How can I best express my message?
How will others be best able to understand my intended meaning?

Being aware of language and how it works allows you to better control
your verbal communication.

You also need to understand the barriers which may affect good
communication, and how to prevent communication breakdown.
Communication BARRIERS

Barrier
Anything that gets in the way of clear
communication between sender and receiver.

Types of Barriers
• Physical
• Emotional
• Linguistic (language barrier)
• Psychological
• Gender and culture
• Technological
Types of Barriers : Physical

• Telephone, the Internet, distance and actual physical objects in the way
• Tiredness
• Hearing, sight or speech problems
• Environment – face to face vs. videoconferencing
• Medium – telephone vs. e-mail vs. snail mail
• Language – grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure

The secret of being an effective communicator is choosing the most appropriate

channel for each message.
The importance of punctuation

Woman without her man is nothing

Woman: without her, man is nothing.

Woman, without her man, is nothing.

Types of Barriers : Emotional

• Two way – strong or weak emotions affect the participants of the

communication process

• Being defensive, negative or overly assertive

- Often when we are angry, we cannot see or hear things correctly.
- Expressing emotions = deals with the emotions but can make others
uneasy
- Not expressing emotions = inhibits trust, relationship, open communication
Types of Barriers : Linguistic

• Different perceptions of words or context (e.g. ‘test’)

• Accent, idioms, tone, jargon used

• Differing ability with language

Types of Barriers : Psychological

• religion, politics and values

• personality (clash)
• confidence (or lack of)
• preferred communication style
(some people communicate better
in speech vs writing, individual vs group,
email vs face-to-face)
Types of Barriers : Gender and Culture

• Men listen for information | women listen for feelings and empathy.

• Women focus on relationship | men focus more on tasks.

• Culture: Asians work very hard, the Welsh love singing, the French are
great lovers, beware of stereotyping.

‘Intercultural competence requires an ability to move beyond stereotypes

and respond to the individual’ (Lustig & Koester, 2003: 154)
Types of Barriers : Technology

• Texting on social networks, mobile phone, sending e-mails, using the

Internet for research, PPT presentations, drafting and publishing
written work and using spreadsheets

• Generation gap

• Socio-economic grouping

• A lack of feedback and non-verbal cues, can cause misunderstanding

Overcoming Barriers to Communication

• Strategies for overcoming barriers TO communication

• With knowledge and sensitivity
• Put yourself in the other person’s shoes
• Monitor your own behaviour
• Choose the right, simple and appropriate vocabulary
• Ask questions

• Strategies for overcoming barriers BETWEEN organizations

• Communicate regularly
• Employ good customer service – front line
• Host regular meetings
Summary of Key Points

• The environment affects why, how, and when we communicate.

• Understanding the key concepts of language in verbal communication
and take appropriate action
• There are several types of barrier that gets in the way of clear
communication between sender and receiver and results in ineffective
communication or miscommunication
Reference 20

• Susan O’Rouke. Sandra Barnett (2009). Communication and Innovation (2nd Edition).
New Zealand: Pearson-Prentice Hall.