Add@Me Learning Methods Database (EN)

The facilitator asks the participants what type of communication do they find difficult to communicate and why? Also, what type of communication do they find easy to communicate and why?

After a round sharing of opinions and discussions the facilitator introduces the four types of communication highlighting their basic features as follows:

- Verbal Communication is a type of oral communication where the sender shares his/her thoughts in the form of words. The tone of the speaker, the pitch and the quality of words play a crucial role in verbal communication.

- Nonverbal communication includes all the ways we communicate without words (Ivy & Wahl, 2014). In the literature it is supported that nonverbal type is a very important tool because it conveys thoughts, attitudes, perceptions and meaning. Nonverbal communication refers to vocal expression.

- Visual Communication is the type of communication which refers to the use of signboards, displays, hoardings, banners, maps etc.

- Written Communication refers to the use of letters, circulars, manuals, telegrams, memos, emails, reports etc. to send messages to others.

Once the above features are well understood by everyone, then the facilitator invites the participants to make pairs and match their difficulties and preferences regarding communication into the above four types of communication using their own comments.

The facilitator may ask the groups to explain their examples using the shape of a circle. The key here is to realize that communication is a constant interaction between sender and receiver and vice versa. The shape “circle” serves well to explain the “mechanics” of the communication process and may provide insights regarding this matter. Then the facilitator can propose many examples on how a message is conveyed like the one below:

Group activity: "Phone message" Explain to the group that we are going to play a game called "Phone message". The facilitators select one person from each group to be the Sender of a message. Then, they ask from him/her to deliver the message to the person who is exactly next to him or her without the others listening what is this message. The objective is to convey a message through different People and see how the last person receives the message. When the procedure ends, then the facilitator asks the last person to say the message and in turn the facilitator tells the group what the initial statement was.