Module Three nonverbal communication skills. Communication is not just about what comes out of our mouth. In fact, what we don't say our body language, voice, intonation and use of silence often sends a louder message to other people than the words we say. Unless we actively practice nonverbal communication skills, we can't really be sure if we're actually sending the message that we want to send. Body language. Body language refers to the messages we send to other people through our posture, facial expressions, gestures, and bodily movements.

It is believed that a listener pays more attention to body language than verbal messages. This implies that if one's body language is inconsistent with a verbal message being sent, for example, frowning, while saying you're happy, the verbal message becomes less credible. In fact, such inconsistency can even nullify the verbal message and result of the verbal message being perceived as a lie at the very least, in consistencies between verbal and nonverbal communication can result in confusion. The following are some other components of body language. eye contact, eye contact is considered one of the most important aspects of nonverbal communication. Steady eye contact often indicates attention to the person one is in conversation with, as well as a willingness and sincerity to connect.

The lack of eye Connect can be viewed as defensiveness, nervousness, and or social withdrawal. Many say that our eyes are the windows to our soul, and that one can tell if an individual is happy, sad or angry simply by looking at their eyes. facial expression. It is believed that there are universal facial expressions for different emotions, most of which have an evolutionary basis. For example, anger is often indicated by sharp stares crunched eyebrows and the bearing of t. Sadness, on the other hand can be denoted by teary eyes and drooping lips. note though that the expression and perception of emotions tend to vary from culture to culture, posture, the way we sit down, stand up or even walk Communicate.

For example, slumping in a chair is often considered as a sign of inattention and or disrespect. Walking with one's head and shoulders down can be interpreted as a sign of nervousness or low self esteem. withdrawing to a fetal position can also be indicative of fear and or depression. The puffing of one's chest has been traditionally interpreted as specific movements. There are specific movements that have traditionally been associated with certain messages. For example, nodding is generally a sign of assent or agreement.

Raising clenched hands are interpreted as a sign of angry challenge. stomping our feet can be an indication of frustration. physical contact, the way we physically interact with other people is also a part of body language. Shaking of hands hugging, slapping, punching are forms of communication. The same can be said about our physical closeness and distance with another person. standing too close to a person can be considered as an invasion of boundaries, while standing too far from a person can be construed as avoidance The signals you send to others.

Generally our nonverbal communication is something that we do unconsciously. It can be influenced by many things including past habits, life experiences, personal models, culture in hidden thoughts and feelings. Because body language is often outside of awareness, most have no idea what it is exactly that they are communicating to other people. To take control of the signals that we send to others, it's important that we become much more deliberate and purposive in communicating non verbally. The following are some tips and techniques you can follow to be able to use body language effectively. Increase your awareness of your body language.

Try to get more information about what you communicate non verbally, so that you will know what to change and what to retain. ways you can do this include watching a videotape of yourself, studying yourself in front of a mirror and getting feedback from peers and friends. Know how certain behaviors are typically interpreted. interpreting body language can be very subjective. There are however Typical interpretations to specific body language. increasing awareness of what body language is often associated with what interpretation can help a person avoid body language in congruent with the message they want to send, as well as deliberately practice the body language congruent with their message.

Practice, practice, practice, body language is a skill. Initially, using body language that is congruent with the message that we want to communicate will feel unnatural, but just keep on working on it. Soon it will be second nature to you. It's not what you say it's how you say. Nonverbal communication also includes the way we deliver information. A simple change in tone and inflection can change the meaning of statements.

It is important then to be aware of the way we speak so that we can communicate more effectively. The following are aspects of how we say things that we should take note of. tone of voice. Voice intonation refers to the use of changing pitch in order to convey a message, the same message message for example, can be delivered using a rising intonation, a dipping intonation or a falling intonation. Changes in tone can help inject the emotions into messages. messages can be upbeat or depressing depending on the speaker's tone.

Changes in tone can also help identify what is the purpose of a sentence. There are intonations that better fit a question and intonations that better fit a declarative sentence. stress and emphasis, changing which words or syllables you put emphasis on can change its meanings. For example, consider the differences among these three statements below. The italicized word represents where the emphasis is, you mean he disobeyed his mother? You mean he disobeyed his mother?

You mean he disobeyed his mother pace and rhythm. The speed of speech as well as the appropriate use of pauses can change the meaning of words spoken and affect the clarity and effectiveness of a communication. For instance, people who speak too fast can be difficult to talk To a listener might feel too pressure to catch everything that they have to say. On the other hand, a person who speaks too slowly can bore their listener. Volume. How softly and how loudly you speak also matters in communication.

Ideally, one should generally speak in a moderate volume while in the company of others. To softer voice can communicate nervousness or lack of assertiveness. A loud voice can communicate anger and aggression. A person should also be flexible, able to whisper or shout when it is appropriate to do so. pronunciation and enunciate how well a message comes across is influenced by pronunciation and enunciate. Pronunciation refers to speaking a word in a way that's generally accepted or understood.

While enunciation is the act of speaking clearly and concisely. Developing one skills in pronunciation and enunciation ensures that one is accurately understood. Note that accents can cause varieties in what is considered as acceptable pronunciation