Communicationis an interaction between two or more people, which represents an exchange of information of a cognitive or emotional-evaluative nature. This exchange is ensured by non-verbal and verbal means of communication.

It seems that it could be easier to communicate through speech? But in reality this process is complex and ambiguous.

Verbal communicationis the process of exchanging information between people (or groups of people) using speech means. Simply put, verbal communication iscommunication through words, speech.

Of course, in addition to transmitting specific “dry” information, during verbal communication peopleinteractwith each other emotionally andinfluenceat each other, conveying their feelings and emotions in words.

In addition to verbal, there are alsononverbalcommunication (transfer of information without words, through facial expressions, gestures, pantomimes). But this distinction is conditional. In practice, verbal and nonverbal communication are directly related to each other.

Body language always complements and “illustrates” speech. Pronouncing a certain set of words and trying to convey some of his ideas to his interlocutor through them, a person speaks with a certain intonation, facial expression, gesticulating, changing posture, and so on, that is, helping himself in every possible way and supplementing speech with non-verbal means of communication.

Althoughspeechis universal, rich and means of expression information exchange, very little information is transmitted through it -less than 35%! Of these only 7% falls directly on the words, the rest is intonation, tone and other sound means. More65% information is transmitted using verbal means communication!

The priority of non-verbal means of communication is explained by psychologists by the fact that the non-verbal channel of communication is simpler, evolutionarily more ancient, spontaneous and difficult to control (after all, non-verbalunconscious). And speech is the result of workconsciousness. Human realizesthe meaning of your words as you pronounce them. Before you say something, you can (and should) always think, but controlling your facial expression or spontaneous gesture is much more difficult.

The Importance of Verbal Communication

At personalIn emotional and sensory communication, non-verbal means of communication predominate (are more priority and important). INbusinessinteraction, what is more important is the ability to correctly, clearly, clearly convey your ideas verbally, that is, the ability to competently build your monologue, conduct a dialogue, understand and correctly interpret first of allspeechanother man.

The ability to competently express oneself and one’s personality through speech is very important in a business environment. Self-presentation, interviews, long-term cooperation, resolving disagreements and conflicts, finding compromises and other business interactions require the ability to communicate effectivelythrough words.

If personal relationships are impossible without emotions and feelings, then business communication is for the most partunemotional.If there are emotions in it, then they are either hidden or expressed in the most restrained, ethical form. Speech literacy and culture of verbal communication are mainly valued.

But even in matters of the heart, skill is very important.talk and negotiate! Long-term love, friendships and, of course, a strong family are built on the ability to speak, listen and hear each other.

Verbal means of communication

Oralspeech is the main and very important means of verbal communication, but not the only one. Speech is also distinguished as separate verbal means of communicationwritten And internalspeech (dialogue with oneself).

If you don’t need to learn non-verbal skills (these are innate skills), then verbal means of communication require the development of certainskills, namely:

• perceive speech
• listen and hear what the interlocutor says,
• speak competently (monologue) and conduct a conversation (dialogue),
• write correctly,
• conduct internal dialogue.

EspeciallySuch communication skills are valued How:

• ability to speak concisely, clearly formulating thoughts,
• ability to speak briefly, to the point,
• ability to stay on topic, avoid large quantity“lyrical digressions”,
• the ability to inspire, encourage, convince, motivate with speech,
• the ability to interest in speech, to be an interesting conversationalist,
• honesty, the habit of telling the truth and not uttering unverified information (which may turn out to be lies),
• attentiveness during communication, the ability to retell what was heard as accurately as possible,
• the ability to objectively accept and correctly understand what the interlocutor says,
• the ability to “translate” the words of the interlocutor, determining for oneself their very essence,
• the ability to take into account the level of intelligence and other individual psychological characteristics of the interlocutor (for example, not to use terms whose meanings the interlocutor probably does not know),
• an attitude towards a positive assessment of the interlocutor’s speech and his personality, the ability to find a person’s good intentions even in negative words.

There are many other communication skills that are important to acquire for anyone who wants to be successful in their profession and happy in their personal life.

Barriers to verbal communication

No matter how wonderful an interlocutor you might become, you need to take into account that human speechimperfect.

Verbal communication is a mutual exchange of information in whichAlwaysthere are several barriers. The meaning of words is lost, changed, misinterpreted, deliberately changed, and so on. This is because information coming from the mouth of one person, coming to the second, overcomes several barriers.

Psychologist Predrag Micic in the book “How to Conduct Business Conversations”described a scheme for the gradual impoverishment of information during verbal communication.

Complete information (all 100%) that needs to be conveyed to the interlocutor is contained only in the mind of the speaker. Internal speech is more diverse, rich and deep than external speech, therefore, already during its transformation into external speech, 10% of the information is lost.

This is the first barrier to verbal communication, which Micic called“The limit of imagination.”A person cannot express everything he wants through words because of their limitations (compared to thoughts).

Second barrier -“Barrier of Desire.”Even a perfectly formulated thought to oneself cannot always be expressed out loud as desired due to various reasons, at a minimum, due to the fact that you have to adapt to your interlocutor and take into account the situation of communication with him. At this stage, another 10% of information is lost.

The fourth barrier is purely psychological -“Relationship barrier”. What and how one person hears while listening to another depends on his attitude towards him. As a rule, out of 70% of the information heard, only 60% is understood by the interlocutor precisely for the reason that the need to logically comprehend what was heard is mixed with a personal attitude towards the speaker.

And finally, the last barrier -“Memory Capacity”. This is not so much a barrier to direct verbal communication as to human memory. On average, only approximately25-10% information heard from another person.

This is how out of 100% of the information that was originally in the mind of one person, only 10% is transferred to another.

That is why it is so important to convey your thought as accurately and completely as possible, to convey it clearly and unambiguously, to express it in words that are understandable to the interlocutor, to try to ensure that he hears, understands and remembers what was said.

A person is a unit of society, and not only personal well-being, but also life in general depends on his interaction with others like him. Information can be exchanged both verbally and non-verbally. Which of these communication methods is more effective? What is the role of nonverbal and verbal means of human communication? We'll talk about this below.

Which method of communication is more important?

It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously, since in business communication the verbal method undoubtedly prevails, and in interpersonal communication, rather, the non-verbal one.

Let's imagine a situation where a person reading a report, instead of the expected and necessary dry facts, begins to gesticulate, click his lips, wink, jump, and so on. will amuse the dormant audience, but may be perceived ambiguously. Business involves maximally articulating the information that needs to be conveyed to the interlocutor. But even in a dry report there are many non-verbal components.

When talking with people with whom you have a close emotional connection, pronouncing some points may look more ridiculous than replacing them with more understandable gestures. For example, when we call a person to come with us, it is enough to nod our head towards the exit; A sharp nod up and down with wide eyes will indicate a questioning look, which can be answered with a nod (which means "yes"), a shake of the head left and right (which means "no"), or a shrug, which means "I don't." I know".

Verbal

Speaking, listening, writing and reading are all verbal means of communication. In oral or written conversation, knowledge is exchanged only through encoded information (in the form of sounds or symbols).

Verbal communication has certainly brought great benefits to humanity due to its unique function of high-speed duplication of the world. Saying the phrase “the cup is on the table” is much easier than trying to represent it with gestures.

By duplicating, a language encodes information into a very compact format. This unit of information is so convenient to pass on from mouth to mouth and from generation to generation that it is thanks to verbal communication that we can see pictures of the world that existed long before us.

Non-verbal

We receive most of the information about a person through nonverbal communication, which can be synchronized with verbal communication or be in an independent way communications.

The interaction of nonverbal and verbal means of communication often occurs at a subconscious level. The latter include facial expressions, gestures, pantomime, and changes in location during communication. But the appearance, style of clothing, hairstyle or headdress, accessories and aroma of a person also play a huge role in non-verbal communication.

A well-groomed, neat person with collected facial expressions and gestures can already tell a lot about himself to his interlocutor. At a minimum, you can read that a person respects himself, loves certain style clothes, prefers a certain brand of phone, is working on his speech or is naturally talented, strives to earn good money, has a positive attitude towards life, had his nails done this week, etc. Appearance- This is the first piece of non-verbal information. That's why they say that you meet someone by their clothes.

Without facial expressions, gestures and pantomime, verbal communication would look boring and incomplete. In addition, it makes it possible to understand the true essence of words, because even the word “thank you,” pronounced with different intonation, can have a completely opposite meaning.

Intonation, pitch of voice, length of spoken sounds, facial expressions, gestures, posture, dynamics of body movements, angle between interlocutors, gaze... All this can say more than the words themselves. If a person is well brought up, then the discrepancy between verbal and nonverbal information appears more often.

For example, someone well-mannered is late for the train, and his interlocutor still cannot finish his story. Although this intelligent comrade will claim that he is listening attentively to his friend, his feet will most likely be directed towards the exit, and with his eyes he will subconsciously search alternative ways leaving the room, scratching or fiddling with your fingertips. Gestures and facial expressions can be either conscious or project our subconscious.

Effective use of verbal and non-verbal means of communication makes it possible to perceive information in the most comprehensive manner. That's why many messengers offer a whole arsenal of emoticons, cartoons and GIF animations.

Verbal means of communication

Characteristic this method Communication comes from basic functions, one of which is the transmission of encoded information. A code is a set of words of a specific language. For full communication it is necessary that the interlocutors speak at least one common language, otherwise the words may be misinterpreted or not understood at all.

Many people have been in a situation where you had to show or ask directions from a foreigner in a language you don’t speak, or understand their broken Russian. Meeting a blank look and assessing the complexity of what is happening, the entire arsenal of non-verbal means comes into play.

Therefore, an important characteristic of verbal means of communication is the clarity of the material presented. Unfortunately, misunderstandings in conversation are much more common than you might think. This also applies to cases where people speak the same language, but formulate their thoughts differently.

It turns out that the information seems to have been voiced, but is floating in the air, since the interlocutor is unable to accept it and sort it into pieces, or the accents in it are so incorrectly placed that it is not possible to understand it correctly. The sounds are made, but there is little meaning in them.

Types of speech activity

Speech communication can be either oral or written. Oral verbal communication includes speaking and listening, and written communication includes writing and reading.

During the day we use all four types of speech activity without even knowing it. Even on the most passive day off, we say hello to someone, answer someone, listen to someone, read an advertisement in the entrance, new newspaper or news on the Internet, send a message in messenger...

Although scientists believe in a bad way communications are verbal means of communication, but not a single day can go by without them.

Speaking

Just as you can listen, but not hear, in the same way you can speak, but say nothing. Let's remember a boring lesson at school or a lecture at the institute, which was not seasoned with emotions or solid facts, there was no information that could leave an imprint on our memory. Or, for example, an ordinary conversation with a distant acquaintance about nature and weather, when silence looks ridiculous, but you don’t want to tell your secret.

Speaking, viewed through the prism of verbal language, is a competent, linear and, most importantly, clear presentation of information to everyone. But here’s the problem: if the speech is monotonous, devoid of the necessary intonation, pauses and precise gestures, then it is impossible to perceive it for a long time. Even the most interested listener will not be able to understand the essence of the text after 45 minutes. All the efforts of the teacher or speaker are no longer perceived by the audience.

In order for the information to reach the listener and, if possible, not immediately fly out of his head, this verbal method must be supplemented with non-verbal tricks. That is, to make accents, which works like For example, after voicing a very important key information It’s worth pausing and then repeating the last sentence again. It’s even better if this pause is complemented by a raised index finger.

Hearing

Listening is the most active type of speech activity, nothing more than decoding the spoken information. Although this process is more passive, it still requires considerable intellectual expenditure. It is especially difficult for those listeners who do not speak the speaker’s language or certain professional terminology well, or the speaker does not express his thoughts linearly, jumping from topic to topic, forgetting what he said at the beginning. Then the listener’s brain works in an enhanced mode in order to form a more or less clear picture from this.

It is worth separating the process of listening from hearing. There may not be such a word, but there are many popular expressions: it flew past the ears, flew into one ear, flew out of the other, etc. What does this mean? The listener accepts information only when he is committed to accepting it. If internal issues or interests dominate external information, it is less likely to be accepted.

We only hear important or interesting information, and we just listen to the rest. For this we must thank our brain, because it knows how to divide all the surrounding noise into fractions and weed out the unnecessary ones, otherwise we would simply go crazy.

Letter

Writing is a type of verbal communication that appeared later than the previous two, but in our time its popularity has grown noticeably: school notebooks, personal diaries, business documents... A striking example Verbal means of communication in writing are dialogues on a social network.

However, writing has one very important function - accumulative. This is the accumulation of information in large volumes, which would be impossible without its recording.

Reading

Reading, as a type of communicative activity, is an analytical-synthetic process. The reader must decode the symbols written on paper, define the words so that they sound in his head, and, of course, understand the meaning of what he read.

In the first grade, when reading syllables, it is very difficult for children to concentrate on the content of the text, since most of their attention is occupied by decoding what is written in the book.

When learning foreign languages, people again go through the same stages of adaptation to written text. This is especially true for languages ​​that use symbols that are unusual for us: Arabic, Georgian, Chinese, Berber and others.

When reading, we analyze and synthesize information, but if we are unable to generalize it, draw conclusions and make predictions, reading does not bring great benefit. Remember when at school the teacher asked: “Did you read or remember the letters?”, and the dissatisfied student answered gloomily: “I read, but could not connect two words.”

Types of verbal communication

Depending on the number of people taking part in the communication process, dialogical and monologue communication are distinguished.

Everyone knows that dialogue is a conversation between two or more people. It can be of a business, interpersonal or conflict nature. Interview, conversation, discussion, interview and debate are classified as dialogic communication.

A monologue is a story told by one person. It can be directed both externally, to the public (lecture, theatrical monologue, report, etc.), and occur within a person (internal monologue).

Zones of oral verbal communication

How many people have noticed how uncomfortable you feel when a person comes too close to you during interpersonal communication? And how surprising is it when another person, on the contrary, moves away, keeping a distance of two meters? Although this can be attributed specifically to non-verbal manifestations, during oral conversation it is worth knowing these rules of maintaining distance, so as not to be considered strange or not to force a person into an awkward position.

So, the intimate zone is a distance of up to 25 centimeters. It is often violated in public transport, but that's the way it is good reasons. If you come to to a stranger too close, don't be surprised if he pulls away. We allow only the most trusted people into this area, and the intrusion of strangers causes, at a minimum, discomfort.

Difficulties

Verbal means of communication (oral and written speech), according to some scientists, convey only 20 to 40 percent of information. This means that the nonverbal component greatly prevails.

Indeed, if a person’s facial expressions, gestures and pantomime disgust us, then it doesn’t matter what he says.

So, during verbal communication face to face, the most complete exchange of information occurs, since the interlocutors have the opportunity to observe each other’s facial expressions and gestures, catch intonations, and smell the aroma, which is also a very important component of nonverbal communication.

However, there are people (and in our time their number has increased noticeably) who, when talking face to face, cannot convey very important or sensitive information; it is much easier for them to do this using remote means of communication.

Total illiteracy of the population began to progress about 15 years ago, when mobile communications and the Internet became available to almost everyone. The era of SMS has given rise to painful brevity, frequent correspondence in various instant messengers and in social networks blurred the line between business and friendly communication.

How often have you thought that the words “communication” and “society” are very similar. Introduce human existence in society without communication is impossible. Communication is both a way of interaction between people and a means of exchanging information and a type of activity. It is communication that is the basis of interpersonal relationships and the key to successful communication. In this article we will look at concepts such as verbal and nonverbal communication.

Humans have an undeniable advantage over other forms of life: they know how to communicate

Verbal communication is the transfer of information using words. IN this concept includes oral and written speech. It is verbal communication that has the greatest rationality and awareness. When a person is engaged in mental activity, various words pop up in his subconscious. This means that human speech is an integral part of thinking. The concept of verbal communication consists of four processes: writing, reading, listening and speaking.

In psychology, there are three functions that verbal communication carries: expression of will, expressive and informational. The last of these features gives people the ability to share information. It should be mentioned here that incorrectly presented information can create misunderstandings and become a source of conflict. Because of this, it is very important to be able to correctly and competently convey your thoughts to others. If something is clear to you, then it is not necessary that the interlocutor will understand it too. Some words have different meanings semantic meaning, and their incorrect interpretation can create problems in contact between people. The stronger the connection between the people conducting the dialogue, the lower the chance that they will encounter a similar problem.

There is even a folk saying about people who have no difficulty communicating with each other. They say about such people that they “found mutual language" The function of will is often called the function of reality. It contains the possibility of influencing one person on another with the help of words. A correctly composed phrase can completely change a person's destiny. It is this component of communications that is responsible for persuasion and suggestion.

Let's look at examples of verbal communication in a situation where parents choose certain words to influence the child's behavior. Expressive verbal communication is also manifested in communication between managers and staff, when well-chosen words can affect the efficiency of the work process. In each of the described cases, there is only one goal - to change people's behavior with the help of words.

The expressive function of verbal communication is often called the function of emotional interaction. Each of the languages ​​available on our planet has expressiveness and is capable of embellishing words with vivid emotions. In literature, various hyperboles, comparisons and epithets are used to convey emotions. If for a moment we imagine a situation in which people gave up their emotions, their behavior would become similar to that of robots. The speech itself, which has lost its emotional coloring, is similar to technical documentation. It is the emotions in the added words that increase the chance of correctly conveying your thoughts to your interlocutor.

Exist certain types verbal communication. They include:

1. Communication– this term should be understood as the exchange of information between several people.
2. Cognitive communication– acquisition of new knowledge.
3. Emotional– involves expressing one’s own emotions through intonation.
4. Rechargeable– accumulation and storage of information that can be used in the future.
5. Ethnic- a way of uniting people who use one language to communicate.
6. Constructive– correct and clear expression of one’s own thoughts.
7. Contact-making- a way of creating relationships between several people.

How verbal communication is used

Having looked at what verbal communication is, let's move on to consider how verbal communication is used. It is verbal means of communication that make it possible to competently and clearly express your feelings, emotions and thoughts.

There are also colloquial expressions that may be difficult to understand to the interlocutor. The expression of your thoughts should be consistent and logical. To do this, you need to constantly improve yourself and expand your vocabulary. For this purpose, you can attend public speaking courses, and also devote as much time as possible to reading.

A correctly delivered speech can not only convince the interlocutor to accept your point of view, but also attract interest in your person. You should also pay attention to developing the ability to hear other people. Professional etiquette is an integral part business communication, which some people devote many years to learning.

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication occurs through body language. This concept includes distance between people, touching and postures. Much attention is paid to facial expressions and gestures. It is important to pay attention to the fact that this form of communication is less conscious. Most people are unable to take full control own body. That is why movements of the eyes and lips can make it clear to the interlocutor about the veracity of the speaker’s words.

Gestures serve as the main complement to the verbal transmission of information. This means that in certain cases, gestures can completely replace words. Movements of the arms, shoulders, body and head are manifestations of gesticulation. In human psychology, gestures are classified into the following categories:

1. Communication- gestures with which a person greets or says goodbye to another person, attracts attention, asks a question or denies something. There are more than several dozen varieties of communicative gestures.
2. Modal– gestures that evaluate and express relationships. This category includes approving gestures, gestures demonstrating trust or distrust in the words of the interlocutor.
3. Descriptive– such gestures acquire meaning only in conjunction with speech.
4. Facial expressions– movement of facial muscles reflecting human emotions. It should be noted that for representatives of different cultures, facial gestures are universal. People exhibit emotions such as anger, joy and sadness equally all over the world. According to scientists, it is almost impossible to completely control your gaze and facial expressions.

There is a special classification for the look. During business communication, people concentrate their gaze on the forehead of the interlocutor. This action uniquely emphasizes the seriousness of the reigning atmosphere. Social gaze – directed towards the nose area. It is this look that allows you to create an atmosphere of ease during communication. An intimate gaze is directed towards the neck of the interlocutor. Such a look can demonstrate an interest in closer communication.

The peculiarities of verbal communication are such that some views can be assessed in two ways. A sideways glance can mean both interest in the interlocutor’s words and express hostility. This is why it is very important to be able to decipher additional emotions. A smile and raised eyebrows can be an expression of interest in the conversation. The downturned corners of the lips and a frowning forehead clearly demonstrate a critical attitude towards the interlocutor.

Nonverbal means of communication include pantomime. The position of the interlocutor’s body in space can clearly demonstrate the person’s attitude to the situation that has arisen. There are two specific types of postures: closed and open. The first pose involves crossed arms or legs, which clearly indicates an attempt to isolate oneself from communication. An open posture, on the contrary, indicates a readiness to continue the conversation.

A person's style of movement can say as much about a person as their speech. The amplitude, rhythm and dynamics of the step are a reflection human soul. A confident person walks easily, and each step pushes his body off the ground, as if springs were attached to his legs. To a person who knows how to understand body language, a person’s gait can tell about the character, age and mood of its owner.

Posture, like gait, is regulated by reflexes. It is with the help of posture that you can understand the mood of your interlocutor, since it clearly demonstrates his sense of the world. To some extent, poor posture can cause a repulsive effect. In order to achieve effective and fruitful communication, you should learn to adopt the correct position of your back and neck. You should also pay attention to gross motor skills of the body. Increased fussiness, nervous and crumpled movements not only irritate the people around you, but also clearly demonstrate your lack of confidence in yourself and your words. That is why you should keep your body under strict control during important conversations.

Touching can be regarded as an attempt to invade the personal space of the interlocutor. The appropriateness of touch depends on how our speech sounds. Business Etiquette includes only a handshake. Other forms of touching in such a situation are unacceptable. Psychologists say that there are three forms of a handshake:

1. Dominant– your hand rests on top, but is directed downwards.
2. Submissive- your hand goes from below.
3. Equal– the palm is directed with the edge towards the ground.

The distance between people clearly demonstrates the degree of trust between them. There is a certain number of zones, each of which has its own characteristics. The intimate intersubjective zone is about half a meter and only close people communicate in this zone. Personal zone does not exceed one and a half meters. Informal conversation takes place in this area. The social zone varies from one and a half to three and a half meters. In this zone, formal relations between employees of a certain enterprise are carried out. There is also a public intersubjective zone, where the distance between interlocutors is more than three and a half meters.

Functions of nonverbal communication

Verbal means of communication include various ways convey information verbally or in writing. Nonverbal means of communication allow you to complement oral speech and give it more emotional colors. In some situations, nonverbal means completely replace verbal contact. As an example, we can cite silent films, where actors conveyed the essence of what was happening using body language. This art is called “pantomime”.

Also, nonverbal means of communication have the same set of functions as verbal ones. Every gesture and body movement allows you to convey information, express emotions and influence your interlocutor. Mastering this communication technique is quite difficult. With the main emphasis on the competent presentation of words and thoughts, most people completely forget about controlling their gestures. In some situations, words may completely mismatch body language. When a person talks about confidence, but his posture shows the opposite, the interlocutor tends to believe his body language.

This is why you should pay great attention to gestures when talking with other people. You should not try to hide your hands, as such a pose can be regarded as an attempt to close yourself off from your interlocutor. Open palms facing the interlocutor are a sign of trust. During business negotiations, you should try to stay as collected as possible and try to avoid relaxed or closed postures. In order to create comfortable conditions for a conversation, you should calculate in advance the correct distance for conversation.

In order to master both communication techniques, you should develop such qualities as goodwill and confidence. . Constant self-development allows you to reach a level where body language and speech complement each other.

15. Communication as communication. Verbal and non-verbal means of communication.

Communication - “transfer of information from person to person”, a complex multifaceted process of establishing and developing contacts between people (interpersonal communication) and groups (intergroup communication), generated by the needs of joint activities and including at least three different processes: communication (information exchange), interaction (exchange of actions) and social perception (perception and understanding of the partner) Communication is carried out by different means. There are verbal and non-verbal means of communication .

Verbal communication - communication with words, speech, the process of exchanging information and emotional interaction between people or groups using speech. Verbal communication is distinguished from nonverbal communication, where the main thing is conveyed not by speech, but by intonation, gaze, facial expression and other means of expressing attitudes and emotions. Verbal communication represents verbal interaction between the parties and is carried out with the help of sign systems, the main one of which is language. Language as a sign system is the optimal means of expressing human thinking and a means of communication. The language system finds its implementation in speech, i.e. language is constantly present in us in a state of possibility. Verbal communication uses human speech, natural sound language, as a sign system, that is, a system of phonetic signs that includes two principles: lexical and syntactic. Speech is the most universal means of communication, since when transmitting information through speech, the meaning of the message is least lost. True, this should be accompanied by a high degree of common understanding of the situation by all participants in the communication process.

Nonverbal communication - this is the side of communication consisting in the exchange of information between individuals without the help of speech and language means presented in any symbolic form. Such means of nonverbal communication as facial expressions, gestures, posture, intonation, etc. perform the functions of supplementing and replacing speech, conveying the emotional states of communication partners. The instrument of such “communication” is the human body, which has a wide range of means and methods of transmitting or exchanging information, which includes all forms of human self-expression. A common working name used among people is non-verbal or “body language”. Psychologists believe that correct interpretation of nonverbal signals is the most important condition for effective communication. Knowledge of body language and body movements allows you not only to better understand your interlocutor, but also (more importantly) to foresee what impression what you hear will make on him even before he speaks out on this matter. In other words, such wordless language can warn you whether you should change your behavior or do something different to achieve the desired result.

16. Speech: types, functions, mechanisms.

Speech is always a specific process of the informant’s use of linguistic signs. But since this process is always two-way, involving another communication partner, different roles in the communication process - passive or active, different sensory mechanisms and different participation of paralinguistic means such as speech rate, handwriting features, pronunciation features, speech mechanisms turn out to be diverse and hierarchically subordinate. First of all, we should highlight the central control departments, concentrated in the left hemisphere of the brain, which is sometimes called the speech hemisphere. With various damage to the left hemisphere, for example, during strokes, surgical interventions, injuries, a person loses the ability to speak, read, write, and understand speech addressed to him. Without appropriate medical intervention, this damage may be irreversible and turns into a real social tragedy, since the victim loses the main tool of communication. In the left hemisphere of the brain there are special areas responsible for the motor functions of speech (Broca's motor speech center, named after the French surgeon who discovered it) and sensory functions (Wernicke's sensory speech center, named after the German neurosurgeon Wernicke who discovered it).

The executive departments of the speech mechanism primarily include the articulatory department, which provides a person with the opportunity to articulate (pronounce) a variety of speech sounds. The articulatory department, in turn, consists of the larynx, the laryngeal part of the pharynx, the oral and nasal cavities, and the vocal cords, which generate sound using a flow of air coming from the lungs. The more diverse speech sounds a person’s articulatory system is capable of creating, the more opportunities he has for designating various objects and phenomena of reality using phonetic means (from Greek phone - sound). The Russian language has a fairly rich system of phonetic means - 41 independent sound types distinguishing soft and hard consonants, sonorants, pronounced with the participation of the voice (M, N, JI), hissing. When pronouncing Russian sounds, the larynx and laryngeal part of the pharynx are practically not involved (compare the specifics of Caucasian languages) and dental-labial combinations typical of the English language, as well as diphthong sounds, double vowels, the middle between A and E (for example, typical for the Baltic languages ). However, if we consider that there are languages ​​with a very laconic system of speech sounds (for example, 15 sounds in the languages ​​of some African peoples), then the Russian phonetic system can be considered quite rich.

It should be noted that mastering the skills of articulatory movements constitutes a fairly large part of overall speech development. Sometimes, especially with congenital physical anomalies, for example, a cleft lip or a short frenulum of the tongue, medical help is required; sometimes correction with the help of defectologists and speech therapists is sufficient. Some features of pronunciation skills remain for life in the form of an accent, by which it is so easy to determine the dominant language, the so-called mother language.

Human speech arose and developed on the basis of the auditory system. Hearing is so important for speech that in its absence, for example, deafness or hearing loss, a person becomes mute. Deaf-muteness leads to mental retardation, various communication difficulties, and personality changes. Also in Ancient Greece deaf and hard of hearing people were prohibited from holding leadership positions. There are quite a few methods of general and speech audiometry that allow early psychodiagnosis of speech auditory function, which helps to master language using compensatory methods, for example, using sign languages ​​(the language of the deaf and dumb). It is assumed that sign language includes many supranational features, which ensures the relative universality of its use. A deaf-mute from Africa will understand a deaf-mute from Russia using sign language faster than an ordinary speaker of a normal audio language.

The visual system plays a very small role in the development of speech functions in a child. Blind children and blind adults are guided by acoustic channels of speech information, sometimes by tactile ones (Braille for the blind). Difficulties arise when moving to those types of speech that are focused on the active work of the visual analyzer, associated with the identification of small distinctive details of graphemes (letters) or with mastering the skills of repeating these details in one’s own activities (written speech). In general, the visual modality of speech processes is largely optional, more conscious and involves a mandatory stage of training in special classes, for example, at school during penmanship and reading lessons. The acoustic modality of speech processes is more spontaneous, vital and voluntary. In any human community, first of all, establish an acoustic speech communication system, which ensures the rapid exchange of information, for example, in cases of general illiteracy or in specific living conditions - in poor lighting, difficulties with eye contact, etc.

The type classification of speech processes is associated with their modality and the degree of activity of the informant. The variety of types of these speech processes is clearly presented in Fig. 22. The figure identifies various sectors that have relative autonomy and hierarchical subordination compared to others. Thus, the lower left sector - listening, or listening, speech - is leading in the entire structure. It is here that the first perceptual standards are formed, allowing a person to distinguish sound complexes from each other and correlate various objects of the surrounding world with them.

The verbal part of communication allows us to determine social status interlocutor, as well as his level of intelligence. Our speech can influence other people, which helps to build connections and achieve mutual understanding.

Speech and verbal communication are extremely important. It often happens that the appearance and behavior of the interlocutor makes an extremely positive impression, but after the very first phrase he says, it begins to crumble. In order not to end up in his place, it’s a good idea to learn a few rules.

The essence of communication and communication

Communication is understood as a complex mechanism of interaction between people through the exchange of information, which also includes the perception and understanding of each other by the interlocutors. The structure of this communication, depending on the point of view of the researcher, is scientific literature viewed differently. Thus, G. M. Andreeva identifies three sides in the structure of communication:

1. Communicative, involving direct exchange of information between interlocutors.
2. Interactive, reducing not only to the exchange of knowledge, but also some actions.
3. Perceptual, which consists in establishing mutual understanding based on the perception and knowledge of individuals of each other.

Concept of verbal communication

Communication tools such as speech (language) and words form the basis of this type of communication. The phonetic system of a language is based on the rules of vocabulary and syntax. The first is a collection of words of a language. And the second is the means and rules for the formation of speech units characteristic of a particular language.

As a verbal means of human communication, speech can be called a universal method of communication, because when exchanging information, its meaning is lost much less than when using other means. Speech communication is carried out according to the following plan:

The speaker selects words to express his thoughts, connects them with each other according to the rules of grammar, and pronounces the formulated phrase.

Listener - perceives interconnected words, deciphers speech units and understands the thought encoded in it.

Verbal means of communication must be understandable to both interlocutors. Therefore, it is usually carried out on one national language, which was developed in the process of speech communication by many generations of people.

Language and speech

In the scientific literature related to types of verbal means of communication, “language” and “speech” are used interchangeably. However, there is a concept verbal communication", developed by the famous social psychologist A. Leontyev. In it, communication is primarily an activity carried out through speech. And the word “language” refers to a certain system and structure. The speech can be called external manifestation language, the sequence of its units, it is organized and structured according to its laws. Speech can easily be assessed by various parameters, it can be good or bad, clear or unclear, emotional or inexpressive, which does not correspond to the term “language”.

The following types of speech activity are distinguished:

• speaking;
• writing;
• hearing;
• reading.

The first two are necessary for the production of the text, and the second - for its perception.

Functions of speech

The main functions of speech are:

• constructive, which consists in the formation of thoughts;
• communicative, implying the exchange of information;
• emotive, manifested in the speaker’s attitude to the subject of speech, as well as in a direct emotional reaction to the situation;
• impact on the interlocutor.

In preparing a speech, the formation and formulation of thoughts occurs. Speech cannot be separated from it, therefore, based on the nature of speech, one can draw conclusions about the characteristics of a person’s thinking and behavior. And the verbal means of communication used convey not only the content of speech, but also various emotions. They make speech stylistically colored and socially differentiated.

Forms of speech

An idea expressed orally and in writing can be formulated differently using the same verbal means of communication. Therefore, forms and types of speech are distinguished depending on the method of transmitting information. There are three of these forms:

• Inner speech.
• External oral speech.
• External written speech.

The first is sometimes called speech “to oneself”; these are internal monologues and remarks, the way a person thinks. Verbal means of communication include both external forms of speech. They are used to transmit information. Its main varieties are dialogue, monologue and group speech.

Spoken speech options

Oral speech is realized by sound (verbal) means of communication, these are sounds and sound combinations, tempo-rhythm, placement of pauses, accents, melody, as well as intonation. Speech activity usually does not separate them from each other; these elements form a single dialectical whole. However, depending on which of them is given more attention, on the goals of speech, several options are distinguished oral speech:

1. Codified, that is, one that meets accepted standards of language and “semantics”, for example, literary speech, business, slang, etc. This version of oral speech is used more often than others in everyday life.
2. Uncodified, involving the use of “pseudowords”. This term is applied to neologisms that are not widely used. Many literary figures have sound combinations into which they invested some meaning, but they have not become entrenched in the language of readers. So, I. Pivovarova has the lines: “Kulinaki - pulinaki, Dogs bark loudly...”.
3. Sound gestures that represent short words not carrying information, but characterizing actions or showing the speaker’s attitude towards something. For example, "uh-huh", "cough-cough", "fut", tsk, etc.
4. Onomatopoeia, that is, imitation of sounds made by animals, babies, inanimate objects - a car, a gun, etc.
5. Sound characteristics. This type of verbal means of communication is also onomatopoeia, but used as an assessment of something.
6. Embolophrasies, certain insertions into normative speech, taken from profanity, or atypical for a given situation. An example is the use of words or sounds “this is the same”, “well”, “so to speak”, etc.
7. Hesitations are also insertions, but uncoded, that is, the interlocutor does not understand their meaning. The most common of them is the sound "e".

Often, one of these types of means of verbal communication is used intentionally, for example, a pause is lengthened to attract the attention of listeners to a particular fragment of text. In fact, all these variants of oral speech are combined in the speech of every person, often even in one phrase.

Verbal means of communication

As mentioned above, the main means of verbal communication are words that have specific meanings assigned to them. They must convey information from one person to another, for this they need to be spoken, written or expressed by gestures (for example, for the deaf and dumb).

Verbal means of communication also include:

• Intonation. Sometimes, to understand the essence of what is being said, it is important to hear and understand the meaning of the speaker’s intonation. With its help, feelings, emotions, and attitudes towards the topic of conversation are expressed. Thus, a high-pitched voice conveys joy, enthusiasm and distrust, while a soft and muffled voice is a sign of sadness and fatigue. It is worth noting that people who can accurately convey their emotions using intonation are able to more accurately understand the nuances of other people's speech.
• Pace. Usually, fast speech betrays excitement and concern about something, a personal interest in resolving the problem, and a desperate attempt to convince the interlocutor. Slow speech indicates fatigue, as well as arrogance. Rhythm disturbances, such as intermittency and confusion, are a sign of anxiety.
• Volume. Very often, psychology books say that loud speech is a sign of self-confidence. With this in mind, many people try to make their speech as loud as possible. However, this is not always justified, since voice volume in itself is not effective remedy verbal communication. This characteristic is important in terms of isolating its most significant fragments from the general monotonous speech.

Dialogues and monologues

Dialogue can be called a natural form of human interaction. Its elementary unit is a replica. He is characterized by situationality and reactivity. That is, the interlocutors must respond to each other’s remarks depending on the situation and stimulate the opponent to answer or discuss something.

A monologue initially allows for no response from the interlocutor. It is used for passive perception. However, it requires a lot preparatory work from the speaker. He must construct the text in such a way that it contains not only the subject, but also its description, and the problem situation associated with it, etc. It is necessary to plan not only individual remarks, but also the entire monologue as a whole, its composition and semantic completeness .

Speech qualities

It is important for any person that his speech is convincing and understandable. And the following qualities make it so:

The ability to speak was taught in ancient times. In ancient times, every educated person studied oratory, since the way he spoke indicated the level of his development. However, the ability to listen is equally important. There are concepts of effective listening. If we hear speech, but do not delve into its essence, then we speak of ineffective listening. The German scientist G. Breuning identified the following rules for successful verbal communication:

1. Short sentences. To understand long sentences, your partner requires great concentration, because in subordinate clauses The meaning of the question may be lost. The thought in them must be complete.
2. Voice. One of the most powerful tools of persuasion. It affects not only the mind, but also the feelings. The voice can evoke sympathy or disgust. This verbal means of communication with children is especially important; it helps to establish contact, interest them, and encourage them to take some action. Monotony of speech leads to failure in this field.
3. Pauses. They not only increase attention, as mentioned above, but also calm and help all interlocutors take a breather.
4. Lexicon. It is not only the quality of words that is important, but also their quantity. So, depending on education, human memory can produce from 3 to 50 thousand words, but in spontaneous speech only 3-12 thousand.
5. Verbs are more important than nouns. Verbs create clarity of expression, while nouns create abstractness. Moreover, it is advisable to choose the active form of the verb. It is better to avoid adjectives altogether or use them to a minimum, since they are overly personal.
6. Unambiguous interpretation of phrases. If the interlocutor does not understand the meaning of the spoken words, then the essence of the speech will be far from him. Ambiguous words or expressions can lead to misunderstandings about the meaning of a conversation. If a monologue involves the use of a large number of special terms, then it is advisable to decipher at the very beginning of the speech what is meant by this or that word.

Communication barriers

To summarize, it is worth paying attention once again to the fact that for successful communication it is important to adhere to certain rules of speech pronunciation. Even minor deviations from them will lead to the emergence of communication barriers, even with the skillful use of verbal means of communication. Briefly, these barriers can be characterized as follows:

1. Phonetic - arises due to the nuances of the speaker’s speech (intonation, diction, accent, speed of speech).
2. Logical - formed when the logic in the speaker’s speech is difficult for the listener, or seems erroneous to him.
3. Semantic - associated with different understanding of the meaning of words by interlocutors.
4. Stylistic - associated with the discrepancy between the speaker’s speech style and the situation or state of the listener. It is important to follow a logical chain: draw attention to the message - arouse interest in it - give out the main text - discuss it and allow the interlocutors to draw conclusions.