Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Communication involves our words (verbal messages) and behaviors (nonverbal messages).  To be an effective communicator, educators must use both verbal and nonverbal communication.  Verbal and nonverbal messages support each other, and when used together appropriately, communication will be enhanced.

Verbal Communication

"Verbal communication takes into account the effect that words have on your students and will affect your ability to teach competently" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011).  Teachers must always work hard to make sure that communication is clear, concise, appropriate, and interesting.  Some verbal communication techniques are: teacher clarity, teacher appropriateness, and verbal delivery.  To promote teacher clarity, teachers should prepare students for what is being taught, provide many examples, demonstrate, provide lots of practice, and stress important or difficult ideas.  Teachers should also make sure that the language being used in the classroom is age appropriate, and content appropriate.  Teachers should always try to use inclusive language, which is language that considers all types of people regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, and so on.  Verbal delivery is extremely important when it comes to verbally communicating well.  Teachers should pay attention to their articulation, the tone of their voice, pronunciation of words, volume, and the rate at which they are speaking.  Nobody wants to listen to a speaker who uses a boring, monotone voice.  It is important that teachers have an enthusiastic quality when it comes to verbal delivery so that their students are engaged in the lesson.

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication is using facial expressions, gestures, and touch to portray messages.  Nonverbal communication means that no words are necessary to communicate. "Nonverbal communication serves many functions in the classroom.  As in any context, a nonverbal message can repeat, substitute for, complement, contradict, or regulate the verbal message" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). 

Nonverbal communication can be categorized in several ways: proxemics, spatial arrangements, environmental factors, chronemics, artifacts, and kinesics.  Proxemics has to do with personal space.  Teachers need to be careful not to invade the personal space of students so as not to make them feel uncomfortable.  Spatial arrangement affects communication.  Teachers should be aware of how and where they seat their students, making sure they understand how their seating arrangement can affect classroom dynamics and communication.  Environmental factors deal with the classroom environment.  Teachers should make sure their classroom is clean, nice to look at, has a comfortable temperature, and has good lighting.  All of these environmental factors impact communication.  Chronemics is the study of how people use time.  Teachers should always make sure they are giving students enough time on each subject being taught.  Similarly, teachers should ensure that they are giving students appropriate time when responding to a question or participating in a class discussion.  Teachers should always be dressed professionally and appropriately, and should expect the same of students as well.  Artifacts, and/or clothes do have an effect on how students perform in the classroom.  "Kinesics is the study of body movement, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and so on" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011).  Teachers that use more kinesic behavior in the classroom, are more effective at communicating with their students than those who don't use it as much.  Things like eye contact, using gestures, or using a facial expression like a smile keep students in tune with what you are saying.  Nonverbal communication is an important way of communicating to our students.

Below is a video taken from www.youtube.com showing what it would be like to communicate using nonverbal communication only:

In this video, we see a man trying to order coffee using only nonverbal communication.  He cannot talk, and has to rely on using facial expressions and hand gestures to try to explain what he wants to order.  As you can see, it is difficult to communicate using only nonverbal skills.  This video makes it easy to see that one needs to use both verbal and nonverbal skills to communicate effectively.  When used together in support of each other, verbal and nonverbal communication are very effective.