Introduction
Communication is of the essence in creating and sustaining relationships, sharing information and experiences, and expressing our feelings to others. Both verbal and nonverbal forms of communication are used cohesively for effective communication. Verbal communication involves the use of written and spoken words. In contrast, non-verbal communication includes the use of gestures, body language, facial expressions, and touch, among others, to convey a message. There is a rift and several similarities between these two forms of communication. However, despite the perception that verbal communication is a cut above the nonverbal form, these two forms must work together to pass an understandable and compelling message.
Delivery of Information
Nonverbal communication involves using different body parts consciously or unconsciously to pass a message. Facial expressions such as smiling, tone of voice and volume, posture, and proxemics cues determine how the recipient interprets and understands the message. The signals encode information about one’s gender, social attributes, physiological development problems, and personal identity (Hall, Horgan & Murphy 276). The nonverbal form can only be successfully delivered when people see each other or are close to hearing each other. In contrast, verbal communication is not limited to physical distance but occurs through diverse modes such as voice, emails, phone, and letters. Verbal communication is a lively way of delivering an audial or a visual message, such as pictures. It takes different forms of interpersonal, intrapersonal, and small group communication. Sign language is also verbal as it signs words that can be spoken or written. Nonverbal elements are complemented in sign language in delivering the message through the signs’ size, intensity, and speed. Hence, a jumble of these two forms makes the delivery of a message more successful. However, the merge of verbal and nonverbal communication hinges on the intentionality of the message.
The intentionality of the message
A verbal message accompanied by different nonverbal cues is understood differently. For example, a person replying by saying a `no` with a grim face expresses total negativity. Smiling instead of having a pouty face will express a better attitude in the same reply. Verbal communication is intentional and conscious, including thinking, processing, and articulating messages. However, wordless communication is entirely unintentional and unconscious. For instance, it is a common cultural belief that liars effortlessly give themselves away unconsciously through their nonverbal cues. A truthteller has distinct signals from a liar due to the differences in their intentions (Vrij, Stamatis & Christodoulidou 298). Moreover, nonverbal cues concisely express feelings that would be hidden and difficult to tell, such as love (Kostoula, Stamatis & Christodoulidou 20). For an adequate discernment of a message, both the verbal and the nonverbal prompts carry how the recipient will understand the message.
Mode of Communication
The message’s expression occurs through different verbal and nonverbal communication modes. These modes are a result of voluntary and involuntary mental processes. Verbal expressions are always voluntary, well-thought-out messages as the speaker intellectually gather thoughts and form mental words before pronouncing, writing, or signing them. It is expressed singly through diverse delivery channels such as letters, music, and emails. As a result, verbal communication can only pass one message at a time. However, as it is to the saying that actions speak louder than words, it is to the nonverbal communication multiplexity. The nonverbal form is multiplex and can convey a different message from the intended verbal message; for example, saying a ‘yes’ while shaking the head ‘no’ could mean dishonesty. As a result of the unconscious nature associated with it, it lacks linearity as it depends on the individual body’s responses to feelings and stimuli. Although the rift is evident between the two forms, they exist in tandem for successfully decoding the message by the recipient.
Decoding the information
How we decode messages determines how we understand and express ourselves to others. Thus, the encoder and decoder must apply the different modes of relaying information for effective communication (Hall, Horgan & Murphy 272). In verbal communication, the message is always easy to discern. Listening and proper paying of attention is all it takes to comprehend. However, the language barrier challenges successful conversations between people of different languages. Nonverbal communication is not affected by differences in linguistic backgrounds but sometimes is misunderstood by the recipient mainly due to the diversity in people’s cultures. For example, head nodding in Turkey and Bulgaria expresses a `no’ while the same cue in the United States means a `yes’ (Рожкова 231). Comparing these two cultural contexts, a nonverbal conversation between an American and a Turk could have differences in understanding the message due to the difference in their culture. Additionally, one must pay close attention to facial expressions and body language for effective communication.
Conclusion
Verbal and nonverbal forms of communication must complement each other to relay information effectively. Effective communication results from proper delivery of data, the right intentions of the message, the correct modes used, and accurate decoding of the message. Much gravity is to overcome the barriers tagged to verbal and nonverbal forms of messaging, such as cultural, physiological, and linguistic differences. Moreover, practicing the appropriate verbal and nonverbal communication techniques, using updated and conforming methods, being polite, and possessing efficient listening and speaking skills can enrich effective communication with others.
Works Cited
Hall, Judith A., Terrence G. Horgan, and Nora A. Murphy. “Nonverbal communication.” Annual review of psychology 70.1 2019: 271–294.
Kostoula, Vasiliki, Panagiotis J. Stamatis, and Louiza Christodoulidou. “Verbal, Non-Verbal Communication and Body Language in Part A of Erotokritos by Vitsentzos Kornaros.” European Journal of Education and Pedagogy 3.1 (2022): 16–23.
Рожкова, Е. Ю. “Non-verbal communication in different cultures.” 2019.
Vrij, Aldert, Maria Hartwig, and Pär Anders Granhag. “Reading lies: Nonverbal communication and deception.” Annual review of psychology 70.1 (2019): 295-317.
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