PART III

TYPES/FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
Introduction
This topic introduces you to the four main types of communication (Verbal, Non-verbal, Visual,
Audio-Visual). You will be able to use this knowledge to improve your communication and make
sure that you are promoting effective communication skills now (as a student on campus) and beyond.
Objectives
By the end of this topic you should be able to:
• Understand the features, advantages, and disadvantages of verbal communication.
• Understand the features, advantages, and disadvantages of visual communication.
• Understand the features, advantages, and disadvantages of audio-visual communication.
• Understand the features advantages, and disadvantages of nonverbal communication and how
it interacts with verbal communication.
Topic Resources
Bowman, J. M. (2020). Nonverbal Communication: An Applied Approach. SAGE Publications, Inc;
1st Edition.
Sen, L. (2006). Communication Skills; New Delhi: Prentice-Hall.
Dennis Tourish and Owen Hargie, (2009) Auditing Organizational Communication. UK: Psychology Press.

Introduction
While it is easy to think of communication as simply the verbal transmission of information from
one person to another, it is so much more than that. Communication ranges from non-verbal, such
as a glance and raised eyebrows, to verbal, such as a change in pitch, speech rate, and voice tone.

1. Verbal Communication
Verbal communication refers to the form of communication in which a message is transmitted
verbally; communication is done by word of mouth and a piece of writing. With verbal
communication, people express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings through spoken or written language.
The objective of every communication is to have people understand what we are trying to convey. In
verbal communication remember the acronym KISS (keep it short and simple).

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When we talk to others, we assume that others understand what we are saying because we know what
we are saying. But this is not the case. Usually, people bring their attitudes, perceptions, emotions, and
thoughts about the topic hence creating barriers to delivering the right meaning. So to deliver the right
message, you must put yourself on the other side of the table and think from your receiver’s point of
view. Would he understand the message? How would it sound on the other side of the table?

Verbal Communication is divided into:

i. Oral Communication and,
ii. Written Communication

a). Oral Communication.

In oral communication, spoken words are used. It includes face-to-face conversations, speech,
telephonic conversation, video, radio, television, and voice over the internet.
In oral communication, communication is influenced by pitch, volume, speed, and clarity of
speaking.
*Discussion Forum. Identify the different types of Oral Communication. Share your feedback on the discussion
forum.

The advantages of Oral communication are:

i. It brings quick feedback. In a face-to-face conversation, by reading facial expressions and
body language one can guess whether he/she should trust what’s being said or not.
ii. There is a high level of understanding and transparency in oral communication as it is
interpersonal.
iii. There is no element of rigidity in oral communication. There is flexibility for allowing
changes in the decisions previously taken.
iv. The feedback is spontaneous thus, decisions can be made quickly without any delay.
v. Time-saving. Because the message is instant, it helps avoid time wasted i.e. it is fast; and
useful for obtaining very recent unpublished information.
vi. Best in case of problem resolution. The conflicts, disputes, and many issues/differences can
be put to an end by talking them over.
vii. It is essential for teamwork and group energy.
viii. It promotes receptive and encouraging morale among organizational employees.

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 ix. It is best used to transfer private and confidential information/matters. (not always).
x. It is based on two-way communication and therefore promotes an understanding of real
information need(s) and the communication of relevant information.
xi. It is flexible, easy, and simple to use.
xii. It saves money and effort because oral communication is a less expensive way to
communicate with each other.
xiii. It allows feedback on the spot so if the receiver is not 100 percent sure what the message
means, then that feedback will be answered right away.
xiv. It is pleasant to use as it brings personal warmth and friendliness and develops a sense of
bonding because of the contact between the people.

Disadvantages of oral communication

i. In face-to-face discussion, the user is unable to deeply think about what he is delivering.
ii. Relying only on oral communication may not be sufficient as business communication is
formal and very organized.
iii. Oral communication is less authentic than written communication as they are informal and
not as organized as written communication.
iv. Oral communication is time-saving as far as daily interactions are concerned but in the case of
meetings, long speeches consume a lot of time and are unproductive at times.
v. Oral communications are not easy to maintain and thus they are unsteady.
vi. There may be misunderstandings as the information is not complete and may lack essentials.
vii. It requires attentiveness and great receptivity on the part of the receivers/audience.
viii. Unrepeatable.
ix. Information retention is difficult, it is harder to store or retrieve. The 80-20 rule comes into
play here-the majority of the audience is likely to forget 80% of the information while retaining
only 20%- thus making the speaker's task very difficult.
x. Selective hearing and receiving of information may be distorted resulting in
miscommunication.
xi. Responses on the spot might not be carefully thought of.
xii. Difficulty in finding words to correctly convey meaning in a short period.
xiii. More or less a different meaning might be conveyed by the manner of speaking, tone of voice,
and facial expressions.
xiv. The same words said in different tones may convey very different messages.
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 xv. The audience must be active listeners.
xvi. People usually take more time to communicate an idea.
xvii. Long and wordy types of oral communication cannot be as effective as written messages.

b). Written Communication

In written communication, written signs or symbols are used to communicate. A written message may
be printed or handwritten.
*Discussion Forum. Identify the different types of Written Communication. Share your feedback on the discussion
forum.
Messages, in written communication, are influenced by the vocabulary & grammar used, writing
style, precision, and clarity of the language used.
Written Communication is the most common form of communication being used in business. So, it
is considered core among business skills.
i. For communicating with the internal public (environment) in writing; Memos, reports,
bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, and electronic mail are the types of written
communication used as internal communication documents.
ii. For communicating with the external public (environment) in writing, electronic mail, Internet
Web sites, letters, proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards, contracts, advertisements, brochures,
and news releases are used.

Advantages of written communication include:

i. Messages can be edited and revised many times before it is sent.
ii. Written communication provides a record (evidence) for every message sent and can be saved
for later study.
iii. A written message enables the receiver to fully understand it and send appropriate feedback.
iv. Some may find it easier to organize information through writing.
v. Easier to visualize the flow of information.
This idea is good but only if the visualizations, e.g. PowerPoint presentations, are kept simple, short,
and to the point for the audience to grasp the idea easily. Presentation of too much-written material
is difficult to grasp in a short period.

Disadvantages of written communication include:

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 i. Unlike oral communication, written communication doesn’t bring instant feedback and the
message could be misunderstood.
ii. It takes more time to compose a written message as compared to word-of-mouth. and
several people struggle with writing ability.
iii. As human nature one can make mistakes in spelling something different which can sometimes
lead to major mistakes.
iv. The receiver might understand the message differently.

2. Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is the sending or receiving of wordless messages. We can say that
communication other than oral and written, such as gestures, body language, posture, tone of
voice, or facial expressions, is called nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is all
about the body language of the speaker also known as Kinesic Communication or body language.
a. Body posture.
The way that the body is held can communicate many different messages. An open body that takes
up a lot of space can indicate comfort and domination, whilst a closed-in body that makes itself small
can signal inferiority. Copying of the other person's body shows agreement, trust, and liking.
b. Gestures
The use of gesture is communicating through the movement of the body and arms.
Ekman and Friesen (1969) identified five types of gestures:
i. Emblems: Direct replacements for words.
ii. Illustrators: Shaping what is being said.
iii. Affect displays: shows of emotion.
iv. Regulators: for controlling the flow of conversation.
v. Adaptors: Self-oriented tension relievers and other forms.
c. Facial signals
When we communicate with others, we look mostly at their face. This is not a coincidence as many
signals are sent with the 90-odd muscles in the face. The way the head tilts also changes the message.
The eyes are particularly important, and when communicating we first seek to make eye contact. We
then break and re-establish contact many times during the discussion.

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Eyebrows and forehead also add significant signals, from surprise to fear to anger. The mouth, when
not talking can be pursed, downturned, or turned up in a smile.
Nonverbal communication helps the receiver in interpreting the message received. Often, nonverbal
signals reflect the situation more accurately than verbal messages. Sometimes nonverbal response
contradicts verbal communication and hence affects the effectiveness of the message.

Nonverbal communication has the following three elements:

i. Appearance.
ii. Speaker: clothing, hairstyle, neatness, use of cosmetics.
iii. Surrounding: room size, lighting, decorations, furnishings.
iv. Body Language
facial expressions, gestures, postures

Advantages of non-verbal communication.

1. You can communicate with someone who is deaf
2. You can communicate at a place where you are supposed to maintain silence.
3. You can communicate something which you don’t want others to hear or listen to.
4. You can communicate if you are far away from a person. The person can see but not hear you.
5. Non-verbal communication makes conversations short and brief.
6. You can save time and use it as a tool to communicate with people who don’t understand your
language.
Disadvantages of non-verbal communication
1. You cannot have long conversations.
2. Cannot discuss the particulars of your message.
3. Difficult to understand and requires a lot of repetition.
4. Cannot be used as a public tool for communication.
5. Less influential and cannot be used everywhere.
6. Not everybody prefers to communicate through non-verbal communication.
7. Cannot create an impression upon people/listeners.

3. Visual Communication
“It is easier to see with your eyes than with your mind.”

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It includes gestures and facial expressions, tables and charts, graphs, diagrams, posters, slides,
film strips, handouts, flipcharts, whiteboards, slide shows, projectors, illustrations, computer
graphics, etc.
Visual communication alone is not enough. It can be used to transmit elementary ideas, orders, and
warnings among others. It can be effectively used only in combination with other media. The
diagrammatic representations combine the written with the visual. Pie charts and pictograms also
combine the two, for there is always a written indication of what is shown in them. Such forms are
very useful in the representation of statistical data.

Advantages of visual communication

1. It is very fast in conveying a message. E.g. A graph showing company expenditure in a financial
year can be understood just at a glance compared to paragraphs of text or a speech conveying the
same information.
2. A picture is retained in our memory longer than words or quotes.
3. Impactful- A graphic of any kind can elicit a stronger reaction from the viewer.
4. It is a much more efficient way of communicating and the effort required in relaying information
is less.
5. Ambiguities are more common with oral communication. A visual on the other hand makes
everything very clear.

Disadvantages of visual communication

1. High cost- High-quality images, pictures, and graphics require additional resources to procure and
make, driving up the cost.
2. Making a graph or pie chart requires more time and effort as it involves selecting, compiling, and
presenting a large amount of information in a visually pleasing manner.
3. Only a small amount of information can be conveyed via a graphic. A very detailed visual will look
cluttered, overwhelm the reader, and reduce its impact.
4. Visuals can be distracting, shifting the focus from the presentation itself. This is especially true if
it is poorly designed.
5. When using visuals, many concepts lose their complexity. This is especially harmful to an
organization as the viewers can miss out on crucial details and hinder the decision-making process.
Oversimplification can also make the issue being discussed seem petty and unimportant.

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 4. Audio-Visual Communication
It is a combination of sight and sound. It may also make use of the written word. It makes use of
telecasts, short films on the cinema screen, videotapes, and digital video discs.

Visual communication is not found to be adequate in itself. People will just casually glance at it and
let go of that. It is quite likely they will miss the message. However, if slides are accompanied by
explanation and narration, it will facilitate interpretation and ensure that the message is driven home.
Besides, information transmitted through audio-visual means is retained much longer than through
any other means.
Audio-visual communication is found most suitable for mass publicity (such as advertising), mass
propaganda, and mass education. Large business houses frequently make use of this technique to
educate their workers and to popularize their products. Within an organization, the workers can be
educated by giving suitable demonstrations on the close-circuit television screen.
For this technique to be effective, it is necessary to make the films and slides attractive and interesting
and the narration clear, precise, and easily understandable. They should also be short and screened at
an appropriate time.

Advantages of Audio-Visual Aids in Communication

Audio-visual aids can be used in any of the following ways:
i. To reinforce stated facts.
ii. To aid the understanding of ideas.
iii. To clarify relationships or physical layouts.
iv. To introduce the audience to a new topic area.

Useful guidelines to consider when designing visual aids include:

i. Use graphs to highlight a comparison.
ii. Use line charts to highlight a trend.
iii. Keep the visual device clear – avoid unnecessary clutter.
iv. Use meaningful titles to avoid ambiguity.
v. Use colors carefully – they must be clear under all lighting conditions.

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Task. Research and make notes on the disadvantages of Audio-Visual Communication.

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