Effective Communication Skills

Definition: Effective Communication Skills involve the techniques and abilities that allow individuals to convey thoughts,
ideas, information, and emotions clearly and accurately to others, leading to mutual understanding and successful
interactions.

Importance: These skills are vital in personal, academic, professional, and social contexts, enhancing the quality of
communication and facilitating meaningful exchanges of information.

Features of Effective Communication:

1. Completeness:
• Communication should include all necessary information for the recipient to respond appropriately.
• Ensures the message is comprehensive and avoids misunderstandings.

2. Conciseness:
• Delivering information directly and to the point.
• Eliminating redundant or irrelevant details to maintain clarity.

3. Consideration:
• Recognizing the recipient's background, mood, preferences, and needs.
• Building rapport and connection by tailoring communication accordingly.

4. Concreteness:
• Backing messages with facts, figures, real-life examples, and situations.
• Enhances the connection between the recipient and the message.

5. Courtesy:
• Respecting the cultural, value-based, and belief-related aspects of the audience.
• Positive impact on the audience and fosters a receptive environment.

6. Clearness:
• Using simple and specific language to express ideas.
• Focusing on a single objective to avoid confusion.

7. Correctness:
• Maintaining proper grammar and language usage.
• Increases credibility and prevents negative impact on the audience.
Barriers to Communication

Sometimes, communication problems happen due to barriers. To be a good communicator, you should know these barriers
that block communication. This helps you fix things and start over. The table below shows barriers and how to solve them
for better communication.

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Definition:

Verbal Communication involves using words to convey messages in interactions.

Guiding Principles:

1. Appropriateness: Choose language suitable for the context (formal or informal).

2. Brevity: Use concise, powerful words to enhance credibility; avoid fillers like "uh" or "you know."
3. Clarity: Clearly state messages, considering varying interpretations.
4. Ethics: Select words respecting gender, roles, ethnicity, and preferences of the audience.
5. Vividness: Employ vivid words for creativity, adding color to communication.

Nonverbal Communication:

Definition: Nonverbal Communication uses behaviors to convey and represent meanings.

Examples of Nonverbal Communication:

• Stares, smiles, tone of voice, gestures, movements, posture, attire, personality, etc.
• Manners of walking, standing, sitting, attitude toward time and space.
Mastery of nonverbal communication is important for several reasons:

Message Enhancement:

• Nonverbal cues amplify and underline spoken messages, adding depth and significance.
• Enhances truthfulness and relevance, making the message more impactful.

Expression of Feelings and Attitudes:

• Nonverbal communication conveys emotions, attitudes, and perceptions without words.

Sustaining Listener Attention:

• Nonverbal cues maintain listener interest and engagement throughout the speech.

Speaker Impression:

• Nonverbal cues offer insights into the speaker's characteristics before speaking.

Dynamic Presentation:

• Effective nonverbal communication adds animation and dynamism to the speaker's delivery.

Tension Relief:

• Nonverbal cues provide an outlet to release nervousness and tension.

Dramatic Impact:

• Utilizing nonverbal cues strategically enhances the dramatic effect of the speech.

Audience Connection:

• Nonverbal signals create a bridge between the speaker and the audience.

Speaker Credibility:

• Proficient nonverbal communication enhances the speaker's credibility.

Variation in Speaking Style:

• Effective use of nonverbal cues helps diversify speaking style, avoiding monotony.

Intercultural Communication

Definition and Nature:

Definition: Intercultural communication involves interaction and meaning creation among individuals who bring diverse
cultural backgrounds into their interactions (Ting-Toomey, 1999).

Scholarly Perspectives:

Nationalities Perspective (Gudykunst, 2003): Communication among people of different nationalities.

Diversity Perspective: Communication influenced by varied ethnicities, religions, and orientations.

Key Elements:

• Involves cultural identity, encompassing values, prejudices, language, attitudes, and relationships (Gudykunst &
Kim, 2003).
• Facilitates understanding of human experiences across diverse societies.
• Involves sending and receiving messages across languages and cultures.

The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) offers a structure that explores how people experience cultural
differences. According to Bennett and Bennett (2004), it has six stages. These are the following:

Stage 1: Denial. The individual does not recognize cultural differences.

Stage 2: Defense. The individual starts to recognize cultural differences and is intimidated by
them, resulting in either a superior view on own culture or an unjustified high regard for the
new one.

Stage 3: Minimization. Although individuals see cultural differences, they bank more on the
universality of ideas rather than on cultural differences.

Stage 4: Acceptance. The individual begins to appreciate important cultural differences in

behaviors and eventually in values.

Stage 5: Adaptation. The individual is very open to world views when accepting new perspectives.
Stage 6: Integration. Individuals start to go beyond their own cultures and see themselves and
their actions based on multifarious cultural viewpoints.

Once you understand these stages, you may apply it to 1) recognize communication behaviors
which differ from your own, 2) take into account what can influence these types of behaviors, and 3)
try to analyze how linguistic and cultural communities differ in terms of communication behavior
and influencing factors (Allwood, 1985).

Characteristics of Competent Intercultural Communicators

Traits Identified by World Bank (2010):

Flexibility and Tolerance for Uncertainty: Ability to adapt to new situations and handle ambiguity with ease.

Reflectiveness or Mindfulness: Being self-aware and conscious of one's own cultural biases and assumptions.

Open-Mindedness: Willingness to consider diverse viewpoints and ideas without judgment.

Sensitivity: Being attuned to the emotions, needs, and cultural nuances of others.

Adaptability: Adjusting communication style and behavior based on cultural contexts.

Divergent and Systems-Level Thinking: Thinking creatively and understanding how individuals in a system or organization
impact each other.

Politeness: Engaging in respectful communication that considers cultural norms and values.

Consideration of Other Elements in Communication:

Factors like gender, age, social status, and religion also influence effective communication.

Avoiding Bias:

Stereotype Avoidance: Refrain from making generalizations about specific groups.

Gender-Neutral Language: Challenge gender norms by using plural pronouns or rephrasing sentences to avoid gender-
specific terms.

Respect for Age: Treat younger and older individuals with equal respect.

Religious Sensitivity: Be mindful of others' religious practices.

Politeness and Class: Maintain politeness and avoid belittling those perceived as having lower social status.