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Analyzing Nonverbal Communication Elements

This document contains instructions and tasks for an English language course. It provides formatting guidelines for submitting assignment tasks, and includes 3 sample tasks related to analyzing pictures and evaluating messages. The document emphasizes evaluating elements that contribute to conveyed messages, analyzing how they attain the message's purpose, and distinguishing reflected moods/motifs. It also stresses considering cultural context when interpreting meanings.

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Joseah Mae Saenz
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
3K views31 pages

Analyzing Nonverbal Communication Elements

This document contains instructions and tasks for an English language course. It provides formatting guidelines for submitting assignment tasks, and includes 3 sample tasks related to analyzing pictures and evaluating messages. The document emphasizes evaluating elements that contribute to conveyed messages, analyzing how they attain the message's purpose, and distinguishing reflected moods/motifs. It also stresses considering cultural context when interpreting meanings.

Uploaded by

Joseah Mae Saenz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS


BICOL UNIVERSITY
LEGAZPI CITY

FIRST SEMESTER
ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-2021

PROPERTY OF:

__________________________________________________
NAME OF STUDENT/COURSE AND YEAR

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


FORMAT FOR TASKS

Save all tasks in a letter-size or short bond paper [.docx or .doc format] and rename the
file using this format (M4- BSSW -Block B- Surname & Initials). Send your work to my e-
mail add: auroramojarmonjardin@[Link]

Name: __________________________ Course & Year: ______

TASK # 1

advertisment

RATIONALE:
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GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


TASK # 2

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TASK # 3

1. _____________________________________________________________________________
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2. _____________________________________________________________________________
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3. _____________________________________________________________________________
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4. _____________________________________________________________________________
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5. _____________________________________________________________________________
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GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


CHAPTER FOUR

EVALUATING MESSAGES

WHAT IS THIS LESSON ABOUT?

This lesson introduces the different modes by which messages are conveyed.
More important is the ultimate goal of delineating personal judgments on ideas
presented that would engage you toward the diversity of cultures manifested.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

1. Identify individual elements/aspects that contribute to the message;


2. Analyze the functions of such elements toward the attainment of the
message;
3. Distinguish moods/motifs reflected; and
4. Illustrate certain characteristics of effective messages.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


Analyze each picture below.

a. b.

a. 1.______________________________________________________________________
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2.______________________________________________________________________
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3.______________________________________________________________________
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b. 1.______________________________________________________________________
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2.______________________________________________________________________
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3.______________________________________________________________________
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GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


LESSON 1: A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS

LET’S READ!

Grand narratives have come to extinction. Those pieces of history that the great
Napoleon Bonaparte considers ‘one-sided account’ no longer stand as sell-outs. These
are no longer sufficient to make people understand the phenomena around them.
As issue arise the determination to comprehend them more than ever can be
seen in how advertisements emerge in the limelight as ground-breaking technology that
advances advocacies. People realize their importance. Gradually, tiny details manage
to awaken their sensibilities.
Evaluating messages in this era is made simpler. Looking at them through
several lenses is helpful as culture is arbitrary in nature. It conveys ideas that are
distinct and rooted in myriad sensibilities. What one experiences is what one brings to
the table to further explain what is depicted in the picture, video or any form of
illustration. Unlocking messages is central to evaluation. So be mindful of the elements
that make up the bulk of the illustration, as these are the ones you will be assessing as
you read on.

GUIDE QUESTIONS IN UNLOCKING MESSAGES


1. What is the general motif of the picture?
2. How does the motif reflect interrelatedness of the elements?
3. What objects/elements stand out?
4. What objects/words seem out of place?
5. What culture prevails in understanding the message conveyed?
6. What general note can be drawn from the picture?

GUIDE QUESTION IN EVALUATING MESSAGES


1. How is the message conveyed?
2. What belief is used to support the message?
3. In what way is the message best delivered?
4. To what extent is the impact of the message felt?
5. Who is the addressee of the message?
6. What ethos does the message support?

Simple unlocking means distinguishing the objects present, even colors. As these
gradually come to the fore, careful investigation of the value each present follows.
The explosion of cultures is alluded to how distinct people’s ideas are from each
other. Pinning down a meaning to something without acknowledging the culture of the

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


author is perhaps considered an offense. Without examining, the cultural backdrop,
many things could be displaced, and out of the many things identity is unquestionably
the first one to lose essence.

Within man’s spectrum messages could go ad infinitum--- these make him who he
is. Evaluating them would support the quest for truth behind his consciousness.

EASY STEPS

1. Determine what you will evaluate.


2. Define your goal.
3. State your objective.
4. Identify your audience.
5. Establish your baseline.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


TASK #1

Check on these circumstances and figure out the best way you could possibly
create an ad to resonate your message. Choose one and focus on the
arrangement of the given elements in the picture to express your intended
message. Come up with a rationale behind that picture/ad.
1. A vegan meal with chopsticks on the table
2. A man and a butanding
3. A building and a man standing side by side
4. A load of trash beside a shanty
5. A child eating with two male of his side

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


LESSON 2: THE POWER OF NONVERBAL CUES

LET’S READ!

Listening to someone talking gives the privilege of proving his sincerity to the
addressees. Like many politicians, anyone finds common gestures along with words
uttered. This is based on the premise that human being share commonalities. Standing
before a crowd, for example, not only exposes one’s vulnerability but it also shows,
most importantly, his ability to overcome the fear of public speaking. In many instances,
speakers are evaluated based on the tiniest of details they display to people. This
implies that non-verbal cues are so powerful in communication.
People unknowingly uncover the other side of themselves when communication
is free-flowing. It does not reveal habits such as gestures while speaking. While these
do not necessarily define an individual’s overall being, it shows however, a huge part of
psyche. It is important to note that this does not at all translate into changing
personalities by putting an end to some of these habits.
At the end of the day, the concern is just to evaluate messages put across by
these manifestations during communication. What is more vital in the process is the
ability to understand what they would want to convey to add clarity to the spoken words.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4
LESSON 3: TYPES OF NONVERBAL CUES

LET’S READ!

As noted by John Stroker, a higher percentage (93%) of communication is


manifested through non-verbal behaviors. This means that messages are still conveyed
even when people are not actually speaking. Non-verbal messages refer to the cues
that are sent through body language, posture, gesture, movements, facial expressions,
and appearance that are used in place of or simultaneously with verbal messages. As
categorized by Verderber et al. (2015), non-verbal messages are group into four:
kinesics, paralanguage, proxemics and chronemics.

KINESICS: Use of Body


• The technical name for the interpretation that comes along with motions
when someone communicates is kinesics.
• This includes gestures, movements, postures, eye contact, facial
expressions, and touch. You have to be careful when you employ these
physical movements as they may imply a different meaning in other
cultures. For instances, too much bowing in Japanese may be laughed,
but it should not be the case because that is their way of expressing
courtesy. Another example is the use of American hand sign for “OK”. In
France, this means “worthless” but in Japan, it is a symbol for money. In
Tunisia, this same hand sign means “I’ll kill you.”

PARALANGUAGE: Use of Voice


• The voice should have intelligibility, variety and understandable patterns.
• Intelligibility pertains to the loudness of your voice, rate of your speech,
pronunciation, and enunciation. Some people from other cultures tend to
speak faster than others. For instance, most people in the USA speak
between 100 and 200 words per minute.
• Variety refers to your pitch, force and pauses. If you vary these aspects of
your voice, you can avoid monotony.
• Stress is the emphasis put on a certain syllable or word/s. Putting too
much stress might be considered rude for some cultures; thus, it should
be used judiciously and sparingly.

PROXEMICS: Use of Space


• The technical term used to study how space and distance communicate is
proxemics (Hall, 1968).
• There are three types: personal space, territorial space, and acoustic
space.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


 Personal space. This is the distance one consciously maintain
when interacting with others. The more intimate your relationship
with another person, the more you allow him/her to be near your
personal space.
 Territorial space. This is the physical space which implies your
sense of authority and ownership.
 Acoustic space. This is the area where the voice of the speaker is
either heard or not.

CHRONEMICS: Use of Time


• Chronemics refers to how people perceive and value time.
• In a monochromic culture, “time is the essence.” Thus, when you see
people start looking at their watch or at the clock every now and then in a
classroom it may mean that the class may be running out of time. It may
also be a sign of lack of interest. However, in a polychromic culture,
people usually consider the “luxury of time” so waiting is not an issue. In
both cases, participants have to be sensitive and mindful of others’
schedule or use of time.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


LESSON 4: MULTIMODALITY

LET’S READ!

MULTI-MODAL is the strategic use of two or more communication modes to make


meaning as image, gestures, music, spoken language, and written language.

Multimodal representations mediate the sociocultural ways in which these modes


are combined in the communication process (Kress & Van Leeuwen 2001, p. 20).
Nowadays, it is difficult to draw lines between reading, speech, watching and writing.
Humans are not only targets of messages but also producers of communications and
meanings and participants in meaning-making communities and networks (Lankshear &
Knobel 2006).
Language is not the only important communication system in digital media, since
visual symbols and signs are as significant as written or spoken language. The idea of
visual literacy as a part of new literacies is an important one. Words and images are
integrated in a variety of ways in web pages, newspapers and magazines, as well as in
textbooks. Sociocultural understandings of learning and literacy (with multimodal
information) can be crystallized in some specific learning principles.

A learner understands texts in relation to other texts in a genre. The multimodal


principle refers to the notion that the learner is also aware of knowledge being built up
through various modalities, not just through written words. Becoming literate involves
adopting particular ways of understanding a domain and the communication modes and
textual genres of that domain. Images often communicate things other than words. The
reading of images does not follow the same linear path as the reading of written text.
The interplay between words and images is also complex. Two modes of representation
together communicate things that neither of the modes would convey separately.
Although reading and writing seem central to what literacy means, we never just read or
write about something. We always read or write about something specific. This means
that there are many different ways of reading and writing. We read or write, for example,
newspapers, advertisements, poetry or essays in different ways. Each of these genres
has its own set of rules and requirements. Each is a culturally and historically distinct
mode of representation and, in that sense, a different literacy, which could also be
called a domain.
MULTI-MODAL TEXTS. A multimodal text can be paper- such as books, comics
and posters. A multimodal text can be digital- from slide presentations, e-books, blogs,
e-posters, web pages and social media, through animation, film and video games. A
multimodal text can be live- a performance or an event.

According to Jenkins in 2011, multi-modal text can also be transmedia; that is


where the story is told using “multiple delivery channels” through a combination of
media platforms as books, comic, magazine, film, we series, video game mediums-
working together to form part of the same story.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


LESSON 5: MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION

LET’S READ!

WHAT IS A MEDIUM?

A medium is a device by which a message, oral or written can be transmitted from the
sender to the receiver.

We divide the different types of communication medium into two different categories:

• Physical media

• Mechanical media

PHYSICAL MEDIA

With physical media we mean channels where the person who is talking can be
seen and heard by the audience. The whole point here is to be able to not only hear the
messages but also to see the body language and feel the climate in the room. This does
not need to be two-way channels. In certain situations the receiver expect physical
communication. This is the case especially when dealing with high concern messages,
e.g. organizational change or downsizing. If a message is perceived as important to the
receiver they expect to hear it live from their manager.

o Large meetings

Large meetings have got great symbolic value and should be used only at
special occasions. This channel works very well when you need to get across
strategic and important messages to a large group of people at the same time,
creating a wide attention, get engagement or communicate a sense of belonging.
Large meetings are excellent when you want to present a new vision or strategy,
inform about a reorganization or share new values. The opportunity for dialogue

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


is limited at large meeting, of course but you can create smaller groups where
dialogue can be performed.

o Department meetings (weekly meetings)

In the weekly meetings you and your group communicate daily operative
issues, gives status reports and solves problems. Weekly meetings are also used
to follow up on information from large meetings, management team meetings etc.
from a “what’s-in-it-for-us-perspective”. This type of smaller group meetings gives
good opportunities for dialogue.

o Up close and personal (exclusive meetings)

This is a form of meetings where, often, a senior manager meets with a


“random” selection of employees to discuss and answer questions. Some
managers use this as ongoing activities on a monthly basis. It can also be used
in specific projects or campaigns e.g. launching new strategies.

o Viral communication or word of mouth

It is also called works external as well as internal and refer to marketing


techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in
awareness or knowledge through self-replicating viral processes. It can be word-
of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the network effects of social media.

MECHANICAL MEDIA

The second of the two types of communication medium is mechanical media.


With mechanical media we mean written or electronic channels. These channels can be
used as archives for messages or for giving the big picture and a deeper knowledge.
But they can also be very fast. Typically though, because it is written, it is always
interpret by the reader based on his or her mental condition. Irony or even humor rarely
travels well in mechanical channels.

o E-mail

o Weekly letters or newsletters


Managers that have large groups of employees and who has difficulties in
meeting all of them often choose to publish a personally weekly letter. It is sort of
a short summary of news with personally reflections. Many employees often
appreciate it because it has the potential to give the “what’s-in-it-for-us” angle.
They can also contain summaries and status in tasks, projects or issues –
yesterday, today and tomorrow.

o Personal letters
At special occasions it can be justified to send a personal letter to employees
in order to get attention to a specific issue. E.g. pat on the back letter after extra
ordinary achievements. Or it can be a letter with your personal commentary on
an ongoing reorganization that affects many employees. One other example is a
letter that summarizes the past year and wishes all the best for the holidays.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


o Billboards
One of the most forgotten types of communication medium is clearly the
billboard. Especially today, when everything is about social media. But the good
thing with the billboard is that you can use billboards to inform people who does
not have computers and/or access to the Internet or to reach people that work
part time and does not attend weekly meetings.

o Magazines or papers
A Magazine offers the opportunity to deepen a specific issue, explain context,
describing consequences or tell a story. It also has the opportunity to reach
many people.

o SMS
 Text messaging to the mobile phone is one of the new types of
communication medium and not a very widely used channel but where it is used
it is proven very effective. Some companies use it as an alert system. The
advantage with SMS is that it is fast. But it should be used rarely as an exclusive
channel. Some companies use it as a subscription tool where you can subscribe
to e.g. press-releases.

o Social media
Media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using
highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media supports the
human need for social interaction, using Internet- and web-based technologies to
transform broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media
dialogues (many to many).

COMMUNICATION MEDIUM IN PUSH OR PULL CHANNELS.

Push channels are channels where the sender are pushing the message to the
receiver. Meaning it is up to the sender to control the communication.

• E-mail
• Newsletters and letters (if sent out)
• Magazines (if sent out)
• Meetings
• Telephone
• SMS

Pull channels on the other hand is when the receiver is pulling the message from the
sender. It is up to the receiver when he or she wants to take in the message.

• Internet
• Billboards
• New letters and letters (if not sent out)
• Magazines (if not sent out)
• Social media

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


Push channels are often regarded as having higher reliability than pull channels
because of the fact that it is more active in the communication.

TASK #2

Choose a news about a recent national issue (an issue that has made
it to the news headlines in the past two weeks.) As a critical reader, evaluate
the news article and find out if there are flaws in the way the article is
presented.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4
LESSON 6: MODE OF COMMUNICATION

LET’S READ!

Communication mode refer to the channel through which one expresses his/her
communicative intent. It is the medium through which one conveys his/her thoughts.
Views or feelings can be communicated through face-to-face interaction, video, or
audio. The mode may also be text-based.

FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION. This is the most common communication mode. It is


an informal or casual conversation between two or more people. People engage in
social conversations to establish relationships or maintain them. It is one way of gaining
new acquaintances or friends. How to speak, what to speak, when to speak, and to
whom one is speaking are all important considerations in building relationships.

VIDEO AS A MODE OF COMMUNICATION. Web cameras are used so that two or


more people who cannot interact face-to-face can communicate. If there are no
technical glitches encountered, this could be a very effective mode of communication
especially for people separated by distance. While this is a convenient communication
mode for people who want to reach out to each other despite distance, a disadvantage
is the time zone difference between countries. In this case, one of them should make
the necessary adjustments to pave the way for a successful communication.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


AUDIO AS A MODE OF COMMUNICATION. Audio means transmitted sound. Thus, in
this mode of communication, only the voice of the speaker is head. Ordinarily,
someone’s voice is heard through the telephone or an answering machine when the
other party is not able to answer the call. An obvious downside of this mode is not being
able to see the body language or cues of the person you are talking to.

TEXT-BASED COMMUNICATION. E-mails, facsimile, text messaging, and instant messaging. Social
networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram likewise offer text-based interaction. While
text-based communication mode does not originally provide video and audio benefits, it has a wider
reach and can disseminate information to a bigger audience quickly.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


LESSON 7: VISUAL GRAMMAR

LET’S READ!

What is Visual Grammar?

The term grammar is used to refer to the system, elements, and structure of an

area of knowledge or the language we speak. A language, as we all know, is a method

for humans to communicate. Through the written word and spoken word used to

communicate with one another, we are aware of this.

Visual communication also relies totally on the language we speak. Whenever we try to

visually communicate with someone, the mutual language knowledge works to help each

other know what we are trying to say. This is known as visual language and the system

which controls this language is known as visual grammar.

For us to communicate using visual language, it is important to clearly understand what

components comprise it, what relationship exists among these components, and how

they are utilized all the time to develop meaning and allow easy understanding. Gaining

adequate knowledge of visual grammar will not only prove to be important for your

practice of visual communication but will also enable you to articulate through the written

and spoken word, the concepts which shape your ideas.

The Definition of Visual Grammar and It’s Understanding

To properly understand what visual grammar is, Christian Leborg’s brilliant book called

“Visual Grammar” is the best solution. An excerpt from the book, rather its preface, says

the following:

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


“The reason for writing a grammar of visual language is the same as for any language:

to define its basic elements, describe its patterns and processes, and to understand the

relationship between the individual elements in the system. Visual language has no

formal syntax or semantics, but the visual objects themselves can be classified.”

In the quote mentioned above, the last point is quite important.

COMPONENTS OF VISUAL GRAMMAR

The following are the various components that come together to form visual grammar as

a whole.

• Objects — they are the very basic elements that you have to work with, when it

comes to visual grammar. These objects can either be concrete or abstract.

o Abstract Objects — these are the idealized shapes that one cannot physically
create. For instance, a point. By definition, a point has no area, but a fixed
position. It can only exist as an abstract object but not as a physical one that
we can perceive. Abstract objects include various points, lines, volumes, and
surfaces.

o Concrete Objects — these are the ones which are perceived by one inside
defined limitations, known as ‘contours’. Including the contour and inside is
your object, shape, and form. Outside the contour exists everything else.
Shapes of forms can be organic, geometric, and abstract as well. Concrete
objects have a definite form, size, and color.

• Structures — The patterns which are formed with the help of the basic elements

are the structures. These too can be either abstract or concrete.

o Abstract Structures — a structure is deemed as abstract when its lines are


inactive and invisible.

o Concrete Structures — these are the structures that either possess active
or visible structure lines. While abstract structures represent the structure
indirectly, concrete structures represent them directly.

• Activities — These represent the various processes that you can portray with the

help of the previous basic elements and structures.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


• Relations — These represent the various relationships between objects,

processes, and patterns. They are the way each component in your design will

relate to one another and the viewer as well.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


• LESSON 8: ELEMENT OF VISUAL ANALYSIS

LET’S READ!

WHAT IS VISUAL ANALYSIS?

Visual analysis is a method of understanding art that focuses on an artwork’s visual


elements, such as color, line, texture, and scale. In its strictest definition, it is a
description and explanation of visual structure for its own sake. Yet the purpose of
visual analysis can also recognize the choices that an artist made in creating the
artwork, as well as to better understand how the formal properties of an artwork
communicate ideas, content, or meaning. Visual analysis is often used as a starting
point for art-historical writing.

Visual analysis is not just for art. It is also a critical part of visual literacy, a skill
that helps people read and critically interpret images, whether in a museum, on social
media, in entertainment, advertising, or the news. As citizens of the 21st century, we are
constantly confronted with visual media. Practicing visual analysis sharpens critical
judgment skills and helps people seek out answers instead of passively receiving
information. This is especially important when exposing hidden ideologies that may
motivate seemingly neutral images.

ELEMENTS OF VISUAL ANALYSIS

• Representation – who/what is involved and what are they doing, what’s


happening in the image

• Interaction – roles and relationships, how do I relate to the image, how do the
design and lay-out contribute to meaning

• Composition – where elements are placed in relation to one another, how do the
design and layout contribute to meaning

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


LESSON 9: VISUAL RESOURCES OF INTERACTION

LET’S READ!

Gaze – to viewer (demand, offer), between participants (roles and relationships)


o How does this affect the way I interact and relate to the image?
o How does it make me feel?

Angle – high angle, low angle, eye level


o What roles and relationships are created?
o How does this affect the way I interact and relate to the image?
o How does it make me feel?

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


Shot Distance – close shot, mid shot, long shot
o What roles and relationships are created?
o How does this affect the way I interact and relate to the image?
o How does it make me feel?

Proximity - close, open


o What roles and relationships are created?
o How does this affect the way I interact and relate to the image?
o How does it make me feel?

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


Colors
o White – purity, virtue, peace, simplicity
o Yellow – energizing, cheerful, hope, deceit, cowardice
o Orange – energy, vibrancy, friendly, autumnal
o Red – passion, anger, love, danger
o Light purple and pink – romance, spring
o Purple – luxury, royalty, creativity
o Blue – calmness, sadness, peace
o Dark blue – business-like
o Green – envy, jealousy, new life, growth, nature, renewables
o Brown- reliability, dependable, dull, earthy, natural
o Grey – moody, depressing, formal, conservative
o Black – elegance, formality, evil, death, mystery

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4
LESSON 10: NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

LET’S READ!

WHAT IS NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION?

Nonverbal communication is the transfer of information through the use of body


language including eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and more. Verbal
communication is the use of language to transfer information through written text,
speaking or sign language.

Nonverbal communication is important because it gives us valuable information about a


situation including how a person might be feeling, how someone receives information
and how to approach a person or group of people.

Paying attention to and developing the ability to read nonverbal communications is an


invaluable skill you can leverage at every stage of your career.

Types of Nonverbal Communication

There are several types of nonverbal communications you should be aware of,
including:

 Body language. Body language is the way someone situates their body naturally
depending on the situation, the environment and how they are feeling. For
example, someone might cross their arms if they are feeling angry or nervous.

 Gestures. While gestures vary widely across communities, they are generally
used both intentionally and unintentionally to convey information to others.
Someone in the United States might display a “thumbs up” to communicate
confirmation or that they feel positively about something, for example.

 Facial expressions. One of the most common forms of nonverbal communication


is facial expressions. Using the eyebrows, mouth, eyes and facial muscles to
convey can be very effective when communicating both emotion and information.

 Touch. Some people also use touch as a form of communication. Most


commonly, it is used to communicate support or comfort. This form of
communication should be used sparingly and only when you know how the
receiving party feels about touch. It should never be used to convey anger,
frustration or any other negative emotions in the workplace.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION CAN PLAY FIVE ROLES:

 Repetition: It repeats and often strengthens the message you’re making


verbally.

 Contradiction: It can contradict the message you’re trying to convey, thus


indicating to your listener that you may not be telling the truth.

 Substitution: It can substitute for a verbal message. For example, your facial
expression often conveys a far more vivid message than words ever can.

 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.

 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.

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4


TASK #3

Watch this two-minute video ([Link]/watch?v=C8lm8MC6QOQ)


and carefully delineate the speaker’s intent of speaking through some of the
nonverbal cues portrayed. After watching the video, answer the following questions:
1. What is the speaker’s most dominant nonverbal cue?
2. Is the content made more understandable with the specific NVC?
3. What technique was used to draw viewers’ interest?
4. Are the NVCs made common to many culture?
5. Do you agree with the employment of these NVCs by the speaker to achieve
the video’s goal?

GEC-15, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION Module 4

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