Exam Tips: Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is the act of expressing your thoughts with words. Verbal communication is generally defined as spoken language.There are two kinds of verbal communication. 

One is speech. 

Tone, enunciation, pauses, loudness, emphasis, word choice, these can all be used while speaking to enhance the spoken word. Examples of this type of verbal communication: speeches, face-to-face discussions, telephone conversations, voicemail, television, radio, recorded books and seminars, videos. Speakers using sign language would be considered to be using a form of verbal communication. 

  

The other is writing.

This may include letters, faxes, emails, books, newspapers, magazines, articles, hand written notes, announcements.

Expostion: The Art of Public Speaking

Discussion of Issues and Challenges

·   Has a current topic substantial knowledge of critical issues related to the topic and considerable appreciation of the challenges raised by the issues.  (5 marks)

·   Good knowledge & appreciation (4 marks)

·   Adequate knowledge & appreciation (3 marks)

·   Weak knowledge and appreciation (2 marks)

·   Little knowledge and appreciation (1 mark)

·   Not current, no knowledge  appreciation ( 0 mark)

Evaluation of the effect of source, context  and medium on the reliability of information  gathered

·   Excellent (4 marks)

·   Good (3 marks)

·   Unsatisfactory (1-2 marks)

·   No evaluation (0 mark) 

Organisation

· Introduction, logical sequence of ideas and conclusion ( 3 marks)

· Two of the elements above (2 marks)

· One element (1 mark)

No organ. (0 mark)

Delivery (Audibility, fluency, eye contact, body movement, and paralinguistic features such as pauses, throat clearing, pitch etc.

·  Clear, audible voice throughout, consistently fluent & confident, excellent paralinguistic control  (4 marks)

·  Generally speaks with clear, audible voice, mostly fluent and confident, with moderate paralinguistic control (3 marks)

·  Often speaks unclearly , hardly fluent/confident, limited paralinguistic control (2 marks)

·  Generally speaks unclearly, haltingly and uncertainly, no paralinguistic control (1 mark)

·  Does not deliver (0 mark)

Total: 16 marks

Definition and Elements of Communication

Can you post a good definition of communication? I have a simple one. According to Sharon K. Ferrett (2006), "Communication is the giving and receiving of ideas, feelings, and information."



With that said, let us now turn our attention to the main elements of the communication process. We have 3 of them below.

Can you think of the other elements?





 Here is another diagram. Are all the elements present?




Are the 5 main elements present now?
Would noise make the communication process effective?
Take note of the following:

Effective Communication 

If the receiver (listener) succeeds to understand the message which you were trying to convey in exactly the same sense(meaning) then communicator has communicated effectively. If someone achieves the desired level of objective through communication, it is “effective communication”. For example, if your message gets the proper response from the receivers then you have effectively communicated. 

 

 

How to achieve Effective Communication

Take into account Audience’s information needs
Take into account the Cultural Background and Gender of the audience
Consider Audience's Knowledge of the Subject
Consider your vocabulary
Ensure you are using the right channel
What else would you recommend?