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The Importance of Communication Skills. Humans are social animals. Whenever we are in the company of others, we are communicating... . They improve relationships Develops respect Develops empathy for others Allows us to function more effectively in social situations
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Humans are social animals. Whenever we are in the company of others, we are communicating...
They improve relationships Develops respect Develops empathy for others Allows us to function more effectively in social situations Helps us to succeed in life (school, work, etc) Why are communication skills important?
How do humans communicate? a) Verbal:Language &noise and sounds b) Non-verbal: • Written word • Body Language: • Eye contact • Haptics (touch) • Proxemics (proximity to each other) • Kinesics (all human behaviour except touch) • Symbols • Gestures & posture
Continued... • Tone/pitch/tempo • Posture: Eg. Tapping foot, slumped, upright • Expression: crying, excited, fear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRZqRjxkHpk
Paul Ekman’s Experiment • Humans everywhere use similar expressions to demonstrate 6 basic emotions • Fear • Anger • Disgust • Sadness • Surprise • Happiness
What are some of the barriers? • Noise pollution • People do not always share the same vocabulary/dialect/language • Jargon, Slang, Acronyms, “Legal-eze” • No feedback (one-way versus two-way) • Interpretation of non-verbal communication • Perception • Fear: an inability to speak, or fear of repercussions
Humans do use symbols in much of their communications. Experts say that humans differ from animals because they learn based on a series of learned symbols/responses and not from instinct. • However, 90% of human communication is non-verbal. Humans have their own series of learned signals which represent meaning to communicate to others. Feedback is essential to effective communication!!
“The Power of the Face” (Learn 360 clip, 5 mins)