One of the ways a person communicates with other people is verbal communication. This is a method of communication using words that convey certain information. Along with it, nonverbal communication is also considered, when information is transmitted by facial expressions, gestures, and human behavior. All this has types and features of its manifestation that you should know about.

From childhood, a person studies the speech of the people around him. This allows him to express his thoughts and ideas in the future so that those around him with whom he comes in contact know about them. Through words you can influence others. You can control people through words. However, it is not always possible to find mutual language.

Why is it so difficult to find a common language with people? You yourself have probably come across such people more than once with whom it is simply impossible to talk and negotiate. Sometimes they contradict you, sometimes they are rude, sometimes they don’t understand, sometimes they don’t hear what you are talking about. It is difficult to find a common language with those who do not hear anyone but themselves. This is the first reason for this state of affairs.

The second reason why it is so difficult to find a common language with people is the attempt to put your interests and views above those of others. Please note that problems and scandals between people most often arise precisely when you or your opponent puts your opinion above that of others. If you belittle another person's point of view, then naturally they will want to belittle your opinion. If you consider your point of view more correct, this means insulting the personality of your interlocutor, whose opinion is considered incorrect.

People consider themselves better and more correct than others. If you consider someone to be insignificant, inferior, less correct and respected, then express this with all your words and actions. How do you think the person you humiliate feels? Aggression, anger, resentment. You would feel the same way. If you were humiliated, your opinion was insulted, you were considered a “nobody,” you would also be angry and offended. That's why people can't find a common language - they consider someone better and worse.

Every person has the right to respect and understanding. Even if your opinion does not coincide with the other person's, you are both respected people who should at least be accepted for who they are. You may not be best friends, but you must respect each other's points of view. Neither you nor anyone else is better or worse. You are equal to nature. If you instill this in yourself, then you will begin to find a common language with other people much faster and easier.

What is verbal communication?

What is verbal communication? This is a two-way interaction between people, which uses language system, clear, understandable, expressed, accessible. A person can communicate with one or more interlocutors at the same time. They all have to speak the same language clear language so that there is no misunderstanding. Verbal is a conversation at the level of words that are understandable to all interlocutors.

Today, there are many trainings that are aimed at improving speech skills. This suggests that people understand the need to be able to communicate beautifully and correctly. The fact is that it is at the level of words that you can receive a positive or negative reaction in response. While you are speaking, the other person's emotions arise. Their color depends on what he hears from your lips.

Thus, verbal communication is a method of reproducing one's own thoughts and receiving information from the outside.

Contact between people occurs through communication. People communicate, use their language to convey information to each other. If earlier, when there was no language, people could express their thoughts through drawings and gestures, now people use language as a means of interaction.

So that you have a successful relationship with different people, you must learn the art of communication. If a person knows few words, uses swear words, picks his nose and constantly twitches, then he will cause unpleasant sensations in almost any interlocutor. Communication involves finding a special approach to each person. But there are basics that can be used in almost any situation.

1. Let your interlocutor be the smartest and most interesting.

Communicate with the person in a way that makes him feel smart, interesting, and savvy. People often make a mistake when they try to interrupt their interlocutors, insist on their opinion, or convince them of something. If you remember, in such situations disputes often arise. You have not achieved trust and favor with yourself using your methods. This means they need to be changed.

And the surest way is to allow other people to be smart, interesting and quick-witted too. This does not mean that you become stupid and indifferent. On the contrary, your conversation is lively and interesting, while each of you can express your opinion, feel respect for yourself, and see understanding (at best, support) in the eyes of your interlocutor. You are smart and your interlocutor is smart. By your attitude towards him, you show that his thoughts and ideas are also reasonable, interesting, attractive, even if you have a different point of view.

1. Listen to your interlocutor.

There is no better interlocutor than one who knows how to listen and not interrupt. A bad habit of many people is the desire to express their opinion as quickly as possible. The interlocutor speaks, and you stop listening to him, because your own thought has arisen. You want to express it as quickly as possible, which is why you interrupt the other person’s speech.

The person you're talking to may pause to give you a chance to speak. But if you constantly interrupt, then your interlocutor may have a desire to communicate with you as little as possible. Why would another person communicate with someone who does not want to listen to him? Every person wants to be heard. And interrupting his speech means showing your reluctance to listen to him.

Learn not only to speak, but also to remain silent. And your silence should be aimed at listening to the opinion of your interlocutor. Don’t just remain silent, but listen to the speech, delve into its essence and continue the conversation.

Verbal and non-verbal communication

To convey your thought to another person, a wide variety of methods are used. Here communication is divided into verbal and non-verbal. A feature of verbal communication are words that are spoken orally or in writing. Feature nonverbal communication becomes gestures and human behavior.

People are accustomed to communicating at the level of words. When they see each other, they begin to say some words. This allows them to express their attitudes, experiences, thoughts, ideas, etc. When people understand the same meanings by words, then it is easier for them to perceive each other. A barrier in verbal communication arises when interlocutors understand different meanings for the same words.

Besides words, people also move. Their facial expression changes, their arms, legs and body take certain positions. As contact occurs, some actions, reactions, etc. are performed. All this is called nonverbal communication.

Usually a person perceives his interlocutor as a whole. If he perceives his words consciously, then he often does not pay attention to his facial expressions and gestures. The subconscious mind takes an active part in the interaction, which is why so often there is a feeling that you have been deceived in something. This happens when the spoken words do not match the person’s gestures and actions.

• Verbal communication is often a conscious process between the one who utters the words and the one who perceives them.
• Nonverbal communication is an often uncontrollable process in which the body conveys the true attitude or desires of the speaker. His interlocutor(s) also unconsciously perceives his gestures. This is why sometimes there is a feeling of inconsistency between what is said and “bodily” speech.

Nonverbal speech is also called “body language” or “body language.” It includes:

1. Gestures are hand movements that are made during communication.
2. Facial expressions are facial muscle movements during a conversation.
3. Look – direction, expression, change to certain words.
4. Posture and gait - the position of the body while standing or moving.

Website psychological assistance the site recommends being active when communicating with people. Listen not only to what they say, but also to see what they do at the same time, what their facial expression, posture, etc. If a person can control his own actions for a couple of minutes, then he will then switch off because he will be busy thinking about it. , what to say.

The body never lies, especially if a person does not control it. You can use it to recognize when they are lying to you at the level of words, and when they are telling the truth. Other communication barriers are:

• Phonetic – features of diction, pronunciation, intonation.
• Logical is a feature of thinking that does not coincide with the thinking of the interlocutor.
• Semantic - the difference in the meaning and significance of certain words, poses, actions, which is observed when cultures differ.
• Stylistic – features of the construction of phrases and sentences that may be incomprehensible to the interlocutor.

Types of Verbal Communication

How does a person communicate with others? Types of verbal communication to consider:

1. External speech.
   • Oral speech. It in turn is divided into:
     • Dialogical speech - two people speak in turn.
     • Monologue speech - only one person speaks, and the rest listen to him.
     • Factile speech is the transmission of the alphabet at the level of the hands. This is a way of communication between deaf and mute people.
   • Written speech. It in turn is divided into:
     • Immediate – when the interlocutors immediately send a response. For example, texting via SMS or notes.
     • Postponed – when interlocutors communicate through letters that are sent to them after some time.

1. Inner speech.

Verbal speech is expressed by the following forms of communication:

• Dispute is communication at the level of disagreement of opinions, where everyone tries to insist on their opinion and convince the interlocutor(s).
• A conversation is communication between people that takes place in a relaxed atmosphere, where everyone can express their thoughts, experiences, clarify some questions, etc.
• Discussion and disputation is a discussion of a scientific or socially important topic in order to find solutions. Here everyone expresses their opinion, assumptions, theories, etc.
• An interview is a specially organized communication on scientific or professional topics.
• Meeting, etc.

What are the methods effective communication? Only those methods are considered that will help create a comfortable space for confidential communication. In other words, you will not manipulate, but, on the contrary, you will communicate in such a way that the other person will have trust in you, a desire to open up, give you voluntarily any information that you want to receive from him (and even want about something secret tell).

Effective Communication Techniques:

1. Feedback. “Did I understand you correctly, what did you mean when you said... (and are you retelling in your own words the meaning that was conveyed to you)?” You must show the person that you are listening to him. Nodding your head and making an “Aha” sound is simple listening. But what builds trust is active listening, where you try to understand the information being given to you. Since you listen and try to understand, it means you are not judging, especially if you just want to double-check the correctness of your understanding of what the interlocutor said.
2. Agreement. If a person asks you for something, then make a promise to fulfill the request (if you, of course, agree to do so). For example, if a person asks you not to tell anyone what you hear from him, then there is nothing difficult in shutting your mouth and not divulging other people’s secrets, right? So agree on something with the other person. This will let him know that you can be trusted (if, of course, you keep your word).
3. While you don't know the person, get to know them. Collect information and get to know your interlocutor if you don’t know anything about him. This requires only one thing from you - to be silent and listen to everything the other person says. You listen carefully, and it seems to your interlocutor that you are really interested in his story. You collect information, and it seems to him that you understand him. And you feel good, and the interlocutor opens up to you.
4. People trust authorities more easily. How to become such a person? You just need to position yourself as an authoritative person. The authority is a specialist, he knows everything, if you follow him, you will survive.
5. It's easier to trust someone who has the same values ​​as you. People trust those who have the same life priorities, problems and values ​​more, because they unconsciously understand that they will be understood.
6. People trust those who understand them. It should be noted that understanding does not mean agreeing. You may not agree with what the person says, but if you understand their point of view, show empathy and simply show that their opinion has a right to exist, you will build trust. You may disagree, have your own opinion, but understanding that the other person has some other idea is important.

Features of verbal communication

The peculiarity of verbal communication is that this type communication is available only to humans. To speak with others, you must first learn the words that are used in their environment. A person will not be able to express his thoughts if he does not know how to speak the language of other people, understand what he is expressing, and reconcile this with the ideas that people form as a result of perceiving information.

An important feature of verbal communication is the ability to construct sentences in such a way as to express one’s thoughts, beliefs, and ideas. They must not only be formed, but also communicated so that others understand them.

Speech must correspond to the situation and change, depending on the social role and its orientation. So, people maintain a distance from each other, depending on what kind of relationship they are in. Communication occurs on 4 levels:

1. Intuitive - based on lightly heard information, guesses and assumptions are made.
2. Physical – touching and other types of contact between interlocutors during communication.
3. Logical – clear transmission of information.
4. Ethical - changing intonation, timbre and other components of speech, depending on who the person is communicating with.

People very rarely communicate with each other. Communication presupposes that people understand the meaning of every spoken word. The interlocutor says something, but may not mean what he says. And the person, in turn, understands each word of the interlocutor to mean the meaning that is familiar to him. Misunderstanding occurs because one does not know how to directly express his thoughts, while the other understands something different under each word. It turns out that people communicate not with each other, but with themselves.

Communication with oneself occurs due to the fact that interlocutors are often in their own thoughts even in those moments when communication with other people occurs. While the interlocutor is saying something, the person is thinking about what he will say next. This is why it sometimes happens that a person jumps from topic to topic without hearing what is being said to him. This person does not listen to his interlocutor; he is carried away by his own thoughts.

Why don't people communicate with each other? Most likely, this comes from childhood, when everyone learns not to listen to anyone but himself. There are people who, from childhood, are accustomed to remaining silent while “adults talk.” There are people who were constantly listened to by others, so they were used to being on their own wavelength. There are people who are accustomed not to clarify the meaning of their interlocutor’s words, understanding by them what is convenient for them.

People communicate not with each other, but with themselves. This is a culture that can be re-educated if you sincerely want it, in order to communicate more effectively with others.

Bottom line

Verbal communication serves many functions in a person's life. Firstly, it allows you to convey your thoughts, experiences, and desires to other people. Secondly, it allows you to understand the thoughts and ideas of others. When people communicate with each other, they not only exchange information, but also influence. The result is that when communicating with certain people, a person unwittingly adopts their qualities, no matter how good or bad they may be.

Finding yourself in a new environment (starting new job, making new friends, starting to date a new partner), think about whether you want to be like these people. If you start hanging out with a certain group (or at least one person who is a new acquaintance), you will soon become just like them.

Ordinary people forget this truth. They change frequently better side, because it is much easier to find a bad company than a good one. Successful people They remember this, so they carefully select the society with which they are constantly ready to contact. They know that they will soon become like those with whom they often see, and they choose partners who can teach them something useful and good.

It doesn't matter which person or group of people you prefer. The longer you communicate with someone, the more like him you will become. People are attracted to each other for a reason. They usually start relationships with those who are already somewhat similar to them or who personify the image of the person they want to be like.

Usually people don't know who they want to be, so they choose partners who have the same qualities as them. They often agree on bad qualities, which unites, since other representatives may not show understanding.

Do you want to be like the environment you are in? Soon you will become the same person as the people you started communicating with. It doesn't matter here whether you like them or not. You will still develop similar qualities. Accordingly, choose your personal environment carefully and remember that your acquaintances are images that you will soon become like.

5. Specific features of the psyche as a form of reflection. The concept of consciousness and the unconscious.

6. Neurophysiological foundations of the human psyche. The problem of the relationship between the mental and physiological in the human psyche

8. Correlation of the concepts “person”, “personality”, “individual”, individuality. Category of personality in modern psychology.

9. Orientation as an integral characteristic of personality. Motivation of human behavior. Types of motives.

10. Personal self-awareness.

12. Concept of activity. Activity structure.

13. The concept of skills and abilities. Formation of skills and abilities

14. The concept of communication in psychology. Unity of communication and activity. Structure of communication.

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

16. Speech: types, functions, mechanisms.

17. Communication as interaction. Types of interaction.

18. Social - perceptual side of communication. Mechanisms and effects of interpersonal perception

19. Classification of social associations. General psychological characteristics of a small group.

20.Interpersonal relationships in groups. The concept of psychological compatibility in a group.

21. Leadership and management in a small group. Leadership and management styles.

22. Concepts about sensations. Types and properties of sensations.

23. Perception, its types. Basic properties of a perceptual image.

24.25. Concept of thinking. Thinking and speech. Concept, judgment and inference as forms of thinking.

26. 27. Basic mental operations, their characteristics. Types of thinking, their characteristics.

28.Imagination, its place in the system of psychological processes. Types of imagination.

29.Memory, its place in the system of mental processes. Types and processes of memory.

30.Memory processes.

31. The concept of attention. Types and properties of attention.

32. Volitional human behavior and its mechanisms

33. 34. Emotional mental phenomena. Types and forms of emotional mental phenomena.

35. The concept of character. Character structure. Character traits, their classification.

36. Character formation. The concept of character accentuations. Types of accentuations.

37. The concept of temperament. Types of temperament.

38.Temperament and character. The concept of individual style of activity.

39. Inclinations and abilities. Types of abilities.

40. Development of abilities. The concept of talent. The problem of diagnosing abilities.

41. Psychology in antiquity.

42. Aristotle's doctrine of the soul.

43. The role of R. Descartes in the development of psychological science.

44. The emergence and development of associative psychology in the XII-XIX centuries. (b. Spinoza, d. Locke, Hartley).

45. The origin of psychology as a science. Introspective direction in the history of psychology: structuralism and functionalism.

46. ​​Formation and development of behaviorism. Behaviorism and neobehaviorism.

47. Psychoanalytic concept of Freud.

48. Neo-Freudianism as a socially oriented form of psychoanalysis.

49. Formation and development of the humanistic direction in psychology.

50. Cognitive psychology: prerequisites for its occurrence and brief description.

51. Contribution of domestic psychologists to the development of psychological science (S.L. Vygotsky, S.L. Rubinstein, B.G. Ananyev, etc.).

52. The cultural-historical concept of L.S. Vygotsky and the development of its ideas in the studies of A.N. Leontiev, D.B. Elkonin, L.I. Bozhovich and others.

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 activity and including at least three different processes: communication (exchange of information), 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 linguistic means, presented in some 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 auditory system. For speech, hearing has so much important, that in its absence, for example, deafness or hearing loss, a person becomes mute. Deaf-muteness leads to mental retardation, various communication difficulties, personal 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 during the transition 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.

Humans have an undeniable advantage over other life forms: they know how to communicate. Parenting, learning, work, relationships with friends and family - all this is done through communication. Some people may enjoy communication, others may not, but we cannot deny the presence of such a positive communication process in every sense. Communication is considered one of the main forms of human social activity. In the process of communication, what one person previously knew and could become the property of many people. Communication in the scientific sense is the interaction of people (the influence of people on each other and their responses to this influence) and the exchange of information during this interaction.

There are two groups of ways in which interaction between people can take place: verbal and non-verbal means of communication. It is believed that verbal communication provides less information about goals, the veracity of information and other aspects of communication, while non-verbal manifestations can reveal many points that are not customary to advertise in a conversation. But applicable and meaningful different means communication depending on the situation. Thus, in the business world, mainly verbal communication is important, since it is unlikely that the manager will monitor his gestures or react emotionally to the next assignment to the employee. When communicating with friends, new acquaintances or family, non-verbal manifestations are more important, since they give an idea of ​​the feelings and emotions of the interlocutors.

Verbal communication.

Verbal communication is carried out using words. Speech is considered a verbal means of communication. We can communicate using written or spoken language. Speech activity is divided into several types: speaking - listening and writing - reading. Expresses itself both in writing and oral speech through language - a special system of signs.

To learn to communicate effectively and use verbal means of communication, you need not only to improve your speech, know the rules of the Russian language or study foreign languages, although this is certainly very important. In this regard, one of the main points is the ability to speak also in a psychological sense. Too often people have various psychological barriers or fears of establishing contacts with other people. To successfully interact with society, they need to be identified and overcome in time.

Language and its functions.

Language acts as a tool for expressing people's thoughts and feelings. It is necessary for many aspects of human life in society, which is expressed in its following functions:

• Communicative(interaction between people). Language is the main form of full communication between a person and his own kind.
• Rechargeable. With the help of language we can store and accumulate knowledge. If we consider a certain person, then these are his notebooks, notes, creative works. In a global context, this is fiction and written monuments.
• Cognitive. With the help of language, a person can acquire knowledge contained in books, films or the minds of other people.
• Constructive. With the help of language, it is easy to form thoughts, to put them into a material, clear and concrete form (either in the form of oral verbal expression or in written form).
• Ethnic. Language allows us to unite nations, communities and other groups of people.
• Emotional. With the help of language you can express emotions and feelings, and here it is their direct expression through words that is considered. But basically this function, of course, is performed by non-verbal means of communication.

Non-verbal communication.

Nonverbal communication is necessary for people to clearly understand each other. Naturally, nonverbal manifestations relate only to oral communication. Since the external nonverbal expression of emotions and feelings performed by the body is also a certain set of symbols and signs, it is often called “body language.”

"Body language" and its functions.

Nonverbal expressions are very important in human interaction. Their main functions are as follows:

• Complementing a spoken message. If a person reports victory in some matter, he may additionally raise his arms above his head in victory or even jump for joy.
• Repeating what was said. This enhances the verbal message and its emotional content. So, when answering “Yes, that’s true” or “No, I don’t agree,” you can repeat the meaning of the message also in a gesture: nodding your head or, conversely, shaking from side to side as a sign of denial.
• Expressing the contradiction between word and deed. A person can say one thing, but feel something completely different, for example, joke out loud and be sad in his heart. It is non-verbal means of communication that allow us to understand this.
• Focus on something. Instead of the words “attention”, “note”, etc. you can show a gesture that attracts attention. Thus, a gesture with an extended index finger on a raised hand shows the importance of the text spoken.
• Replacing words. Sometimes some gestures or facial expressions can completely replace a certain text. When a person shrugs his shoulders or points in the direction with his hand, it is no longer necessary to say “I don’t know” or “right or left.”

A variety of non-verbal means of communication.

In nonverbal communication, some elements can be distinguished:

• Gestures and posture. People judge each other before they even speak. So, just by posture or gait you can create the impression of a confident person or, conversely, a fussy person. Gestures allow you to emphasize the meaning of what was said, place emphasis, express emotions, but you need to remember that, for example, in business communication there shouldn't be too many of them. It is also important that different peoples can have the same gestures but mean completely different things.
• Facial expressions, look and facial expression. A person’s face is the main transmitter of information about a person’s mood, emotions and feelings. The eyes are generally called the mirror of the soul. It’s not for nothing that many activities to develop children’s understanding of emotions begin with recognizing basic feelings (anger, fear, joy, surprise, sadness, etc.) from faces in photographs.
• Distance between interlocutors and touching. People determine the distance at which a person is comfortable communicating with others and the possibility of touching for themselves, depending on the degree of proximity of a particular interlocutor.
• Intonation and voice characteristics. This element of communication seems to combine verbal and non-verbal means of communication. With the help of different intonation, volume, timbre, tone and rhythm of the voice, the same phrase can be pronounced so differently that the meaning of the message changes to the exact opposite.

It is important to balance verbal and nonverbal forms of communication in your speech. This will allow you to convey your information to your interlocutor as fully as possible and understand his messages. If a person speaks unemotionally and monotonously, his speech quickly becomes boring. Conversely, when a person actively gestures, frequently inserts interjections, and only occasionally pronounces words, this can overload the perception of the interlocutor, which will push him away from such an expressive communication partner.

Communication - a very complex process interactions between people aimed at achieving mutual understanding and gaining certain experience. Every day a person moves in society, comes into contact with colleagues, classmates, household members, and friends. In order to achieve his goal in communication, a person uses verbal and non-verbal means.

Let's look at these two groups separately.

Verbal communication: functions of language

Verbal communication is the use of words to convey information. The main tool is speech.

In communication there is different goals: make a message, find out the answer, express criticism, your opinion, stimulate action, come to agreement, etc. Depending on them, speech is built - oral or written. The language system is being implemented.

Language is a set of symbols and means of their interaction that act as a tool for expressing feelings and thoughts. The language has the following functions:

• Ethnic - different peoples have their own language, which is their distinctive feature.
• Constructive – puts thoughts into sentences, sound form. When it is expressed verbally, it acquires clarity and distinctness. The speaker can evaluate it from the outside - what effect it produces.
• Cognitive – expresses the activity of consciousness. Most of the knowledge about surrounding reality a person receives through communication, language.
• Emotional – colors thoughts with the help of intonation, timbre, and diction features. The function of language works at moments when the speaker seeks to convey a certain emotion.
• Communicative – language as the main means of communication. A full exchange of information between people is ensured.
• Contact-establishing – acquaintance and maintaining contacts between subjects. Sometimes communication does not carry a specific goal, does not contain useful information, but plays an important role for further relationships and serves as the basis for the emergence of trust.
• Accumulative - through language a person accumulates and stores acquired knowledge. The subject receives information and wants to remember it for the future. Effective way will make a note, keep a diary, but not always have a suitable one at hand paper carrier. Transmission from mouth to mouth is also good method assimilation of information. Although a book, where everything is structured and subordinated to a specific purpose and meaning, is, of course, the most valuable source of important data.

Speech activity: forms of language

Speech activity is a situation in which communication between people occurs through verbal components, language. There are different types:

• Writing is recording the content of speech on paper or electronic media.
• Speaking is the use of language to convey a message.
• Reading – visual perception information captured on paper or computer.
• Listening is the audio perception of information from speech.

Based on the speech form, communication can be oral and written. And if we consider it depending on the number of participants, it can be divided into mass and interpersonal.

There are also literary and non-literary forms of language, which are unique to each nationality; they determine the social and cultural status of the nation. Literary language– exemplary, structured, with stable grammatical norms. It is also presented in two forms: oral and written. The first is the speech that sounds, the second can be read. At the same time, oral appeared earlier, it was the original one that people began to use. Non-literary speech – dialects of individual nationalities, territorial features of the oral language.

But highest value in the psychology of communication has non-verbal communication. A person unconsciously uses various signs: gestures, facial expressions, intonation, posture, location in space, etc. Let's move on to consider this large group.

Non-verbal communication

Nonverbal communication – “body language”. He does not use speech, but uses other means, which allows him to perform important functions:

1. Focusing on what's important. Without mentioning unnecessary words, a person can use a gesture or take a certain position, which will indicate the significance of the moment.
2. Inconsistency. The speaker says the same words, but thinks in completely opposite ways. For example, a clown on stage is unsmiling and unhappy in life. The slightest facial movements on his face will help you understand this. Just like exposing a lie if a person tries to hide it behind an insincere smile.
3. Addition to what was said. Sometimes each of us accompanies enthusiastic words with a gesture or movement that indicates the strong emotionality of the given situation.
4. Instead of words. The subject uses gestures that everyone can understand, saving time. For example, shrugging your shoulders or giving directions requires no further explanation.
5. Repeat and enhance the effect of speech. A verbal appeal is sometimes quite emotional, and non-verbal means are designed to emphasize the firmness of your statement. Nodding or shaking the head when answering “Yes” or “No” shows confidence and assertiveness.

Types of nonverbal means

A large group consists of kinesthetics - external manifestations of a person’s feelings and emotions during communication. This:

• Facial expressions
• Gestures
• Pantomime

Gestures and postures

The interlocutors’ assessment of each other occurs long before the conversation itself begins. Posture, gait, and gaze can in advance reveal a person who is insecure or, on the contrary, self-confident, with claims to power. Gestures usually emphasize the meaning of speech, give it an emotional tint, and place accents, but their excess can also spoil the impression, especially in business meeting. In addition, at different nationalities the same gestures mean completely opposite phenomena.

Intense gestures determine a person’s emotional state. If his movements are sharp, there are many of them, then the subject is overexcited, agitated, overly interested in conveying his information to the opponent. Which can be both an advantage and a significant disadvantage, depending on the circumstances.

Posture plays an equally important role. If the subject has his arms crossed over his chest, then he is skeptical and does not really trust you. Perhaps he is closed, does not want communication in principle. If the interlocutor turned his body towards you and did not cross his arms and legs, then, on the contrary, he was open and ready to listen. In psychology, for effective communication, it is recommended to mirror the opponent’s posture in order to achieve relaxation and trust from him.

Facial expressions

Man's face - main source information about his internal state. A frown or a smile are the factors that determine further communication with the subject. Eyes truly reflect human essence. There are seven types of basic emotions, each of which has its own characteristic features: for anger, joy, fear, sadness, melancholy, surprise, disgust. They are easy to remember, identify and then observe in people for better understanding the moods of others.

Pantomime

This includes gait. A closed or upset person most often slouches, lowers his head, does not look into the eyes, and prefers to look at his feet. Angry people walk with sharp movements, hasty but heavy. A confident and cheerful person has a springy gait or a long stride. It changes depending on how you feel.

There is a section of nonverbal means that takes into account the distance between speakers - proxemics. It determines the comfortable distance between the interlocutors. There are several communication areas:

• Intimate - 15-45 cm. A person allows only those closest to him there. Intrusion by strangers may be perceived as a threat requiring immediate protection.
• Personal – 45-120 cm. Acceptable for good friends and colleagues.
• Social and public – characteristic of business negotiations, major events and speaking at them from the podium.

Takeshika is a section of communication dedicated to the role of touch. If you apply them incorrectly, without taking into account the difference in social status, age, gender, then you can find yourself in an awkward situation, even become the cause of a conflict. A handshake is the most harmless form of touch. This is especially true for men who use it to test the strength of their opponent. They choose, so to speak, which of them is the most powerful. Sometimes uncertainty, or disgust, or compliance is easily revealed when a person only shakes his fingertips.

Voice Characteristics

Intonation, volume, timbre, and rhythm of the voice can serve as an example of a combination of two types of communication. The same sentence will sound completely different if you alternate the listed methods. Both the meaning and the effect on the listener depend on this. Speech may also contain pauses, laughter, and sighs, which color it with additional colors.

Let's summarize. It is important to understand that a person unconsciously conveys much more to his opponent through nonverbal means, more than 70% of the information. The receiving subject must interpret correctly in order to avoid misunderstandings and quarrels. The perceiver also evaluates the signals sent by the speaker more, perceives them emotionally, but still does not always interpret them correctly.

In addition, a person verbally speaks only 80% of what he originally intended to convey. The opponent listens carefully, discerning only 60% of the information, and then forgetting about another ten percent of the information. Therefore, it is very important to take into account non-verbal signs in order to remember at least the purpose, the meaning of the addressee’s message that they so wanted to convey to you.

Every person is a social being. We cannot live without communication. When a child is born, he already falls into social group consisting of medical staff and mother. Growing up, he communicates with family and friends, gradually acquiring all the necessary social skills. It is impossible to live a quality life without communication. But this is not as easy a process as it seems at first glance. Communication has a multi-level structure and features that must be taken into account when transmitting or receiving information.

Communication as a way to carry out life activities for a person

Well-known psychologists have determined that a person makes two types of contacts in his life:

1. With nature.
2. With people.

These contacts are called communication. There are many definitions for this concept. Communication is called:

• a special form of interaction between people and their interpersonal relationships;
• a friendly or business relationship between a person and another person;
• interaction of a group of people (starting from 2 people) for the exchange of information, knowledge of the surrounding world, which can be of an affective-evaluative nature;
• process of conversation, conversation, dialogue;
• mental contact between people, which manifests itself through a sense of community, performing joint actions, and exchanging information.

How does communication differ from the concept of communication?

Communication covers all aspects of human contacts. These include contacts with nature, with neighbors, and at work. Communication is subject to certain requirements and rules. This concept implies specific goals for communication, which at least one of the parties to the communication process has. Verbal communication (speech is its main means) is subject to strict rules, depending on its type. A communicator (a person who takes an active part in the communication process) has specific tasks, which are designed to influence the other participant in the conversation. This process is more appropriate in business communication. That is why there is the concept of “verbal business communication,” which is applicable only in official communication and involves verbal exchange of information.

Two main types of communication

The process of exchanging information and influencing all participants in communication is divided into two large groups. All functions of communication must be carried out in these groups, otherwise it will not be productive.

Verbal communication involves the verbal transfer of information. In this process, someone speaks and someone listens.

Nonverbal communication occurs through the implementation of an optikokinetic system of signs. Gestures, facial expressions, pantomime are appropriate here, Special attention paid to tone and intonation, eye contact occurs. This method of communication outwardly expresses the inner world of a person, his personal development.

Verbal communication - what is it?

We use verbal communication almost every minute of our interaction with people. We constantly exchange information, teach someone, listen to the flow of words ourselves, and so on. Verbal communication involves listening and speaking. In the process of such communication, its own structure is determined, and the following take part in it:

• "What?" - message.
• "Who?" - communicator.
• "How?" - specific transmission channels.
• "To whom?" - object of communication.
• "What effect?" - the influence of interlocutors on each other who are pursuing specific goals for communication.

Means of this type of communication

Verbal means of communication include speech, language, and words. Language - as a way of communication for people and transmitting information - appeared a very long time ago. It is a communication tool. A word in a language is a symbolic symbol that can have several meanings at the same time. Verbal communication cannot do without speech, which can be oral and written, internal and external, and so on. It should be noted that inner speech is not a means of transmitting information. She is not accessible to the people around her. Therefore, verbal speech communication does not include it in its system of means.

Speech helps a person encode certain information and transmit it to the interlocutor. It is through it that the informant influences his interlocutor, instilling in him his point of view. While the interlocutor can perceive it in his own way. This is where the basic functions and verbal means of communication begin to work.

Her forms

Forms of speech communication include oral and written speech, as well as such forms of interaction as monologue and dialogue. Depending on the development of events, oral speech may acquire the characteristics of a dialogue or monologue.

Forms of verbal communication include different types of dialogues:

• factual - exchange of information with the recipient for only one purpose - to support the conversation, sometimes this is perceived as a ritual (for example, when the question “how are you doing” does not involve listening to the answer);
• informational - an active process of information exchange, speech or discussion of any important topic;
• discussion - occurs when there is a contradiction in two or more points of view on the same problem, the purpose of such dialogue is to influence people to change their behavior;
• Confessional is a confidential type of dialogue that involves the expression of deep feelings and experiences.

Monologues in Everyday life do not occur as often as dialogues. Verbal and nonverbal communication can be present in a monologue, when during a report or lecture a person not only provides information, but also accompanies it with facial expressions, gestures, a raised tone and changing intonation. In this case, both words and gestures become a specific code for the transmitted message. To effectively perceive these codes, it is necessary to understand them (it is difficult for a Russian person to understand a Chinese person, just as certain gestures are incomprehensible to the average person).

Types of Verbal Communication

Speech communication has its own types. We have already listed the main ones - speech in all its manifestations, dialogue, monologue. The peculiarities of verbal communication are that it also includes private types of communication.

1. A conversation is a verbal exchange of opinions, thoughts, and knowledge. Two people can participate in this process and more people who communicate in a relaxed atmosphere. Conversation is used when an issue is highlighted or an issue is clarified.
2. An interview is a little different from a conversation in that it is formal. The topics of the interviews are narrow professional, scientific or social issues.
3. Dispute - a dispute on scientific or any social important topics. This type is also included in the concept of “verbal communication”. Communication within the framework of a dispute between people is limited.
4. The discussion, in turn, is also public, but the result is important in it. Discussed here different opinions regarding a specific issue, are presented different points view and position. As a result, everyone comes to the same opinion and solution to the controversial issue.
5. A dispute is a confrontation of opinions, a kind of verbal struggle in order to defend one’s opinion.

Features of speech communication processes

Processes of verbal communication may occur with certain difficulties. Since two or more people take part in such communication, with their own interpretation of the information, unforeseen tense moments may arise. Such moments are called communication barriers. Both verbal and nonverbal means of communication are subject to such barriers.

1. Logical - a barrier at the level of logic of information perception. It occurs when people communicate with different types and forms of thinking. The acceptance and understanding of the information provided to him depends on a person’s intelligence.
2. Stylistic - occurs when the order of the information provided is violated and its form and content do not correspond. If a person starts the news from the end, the interlocutor will have a misunderstanding of the purpose of its presentation. The message has its own structure: first the interlocutor’s attention arises, then his interest, from there comes a transition to the main points and questions, and only then a conclusion from everything said appears.
3. Semantic - such a barrier appears when people communicate with different culture, discrepancy between the meanings of the words used and the meaning of the message.
4. Phonetic - this barrier arises due to peculiarities of the informant’s speech: unclear speaking, quiet intonation, shift in logical stress.

Means of nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is an external form of manifestation inner world person. Verbal and nonverbal means of communication are correlated in one message to varying degrees. They can complement each other, accompany, contradict or replace. It has been proven that the transfer of information is carried out using words only 7%, sounds occupy 38%, and non-verbal means occupy 55%. We see that nonverbal communication takes a very important place in human communication.

The main means of communication without words are gestures, facial expressions, pantomime, eye contact systems, as well as a certain intonation and tone of voice. The main means of nonverbal communication also include human postures. To someone who knows how to interpret them, poses can say a lot about emotional state person.

Features of nonverbal communication

In communication without words, everything is important: how a person holds his back (posture), at what distance he is, what gestures, facial expressions, postures, glances he has, and so on. There are certain areas of nonverbal communication that determine the effectiveness of communication.

1. Public - more than 400 cm from the informant; such communication is often used in classrooms and during rallies.
2. Social - 120-400 cm distance between people, for example, at official meetings, with people we don’t know well.
3. Personal - 46-120 cm, conversation with friends, colleagues, there is visual contact.
4. Intimate - 15-45 cm, communication with loved ones, you can speak quietly, tactile contact, trust. If this zone is forcibly violated, blood pressure may increase and the heart rate may increase. This phenomenon can be observed in a very full bus.

Verbal and nonverbal communication are processes that will help achieve effectiveness in negotiations if these zones are not violated.

Sign language

Gestures are usually called socially practiced movements that can convey a person’s emotional mood. There is very a large number of gestures, and all of them are classified according to the purpose of transmitting information by a person and his internal state. Gestures are:

• illustrators (complement the message);
• regulators (the person’s attitude is visible);
• emblems (common symbols);
• affectors (transmission of emotions);
• assessments;
• confidence;
• uncertainty;
• self-control;
• expectations;
• denial;
• location;
• dominance;
• insincerity;
• courtship.

By how a person behaves during a conversation, you can determine his internal state how interested he is in sharing information, and whether there is sincerity.

Human facial expressions

Human facial expressions are also a way of informing. When the face is immobile, 10-15% of all information is lost. If a person is deceiving or hiding something, then his eyes meet the eyes of the interlocutor less than a third of the time of the entire conversation. Left-hand side A person's face often reveals emotions. Accurate messages about a person's condition are conveyed through the eyes or the curvature of the lips. This occurs due to the behavior of the pupils - their narrowing and dilation is beyond our control. When we experience the emotions of fear or sympathy, the pupils characteristically change.