Chapter Four :

Verbal and Non Verbal

Messages
Team 5
Muhammad Ikhwan Bin Idris (2018452108)
Mohd Haffizi Bin Md Rejab (2018602126)
What is Verbal Messages?
 According to Oxford Dictionary of English(2018),
verbal messages are related to or in the form of
words.
 In other words, we tend to speak to convey or
deliver messages to other people
Verbal Messages
 We speak when we want to convey our motions or
feelings
 Verbal messages are the fastest way for us to
deliver messages especially when you need
immediate feedback
 Clarity and Ambiguity
 Use unequivocal terms to avoid misunderstandings
Equivocal terms; “are those with two different, but
equally acceptable or common, meanings.”
 Seems perfectly clear and understandable, until you
discover that others interpret differently
 E.g : You agree to visit a client at home at “dinner time”
in a part of the country where “dinner” is midday and
“supper” is in the evening. When you appear at 8pm, the
client asks why you did not arrive at the promised time.
 Low-level abstractions; “are specific, concrete statements
that refer directly to objects or events that can be
observed”
 High-level abstractions; “cover a broader range of
possible objects of events without describing them in
detail.”

High-Level Abstraction Low-Level Abstraction

Please order some supplies Please order 5 easels and a case of
paper
The job will take a little longer The job will take 72 hours to
complete
 Relative words; are words such as, “soon, often,
large and short.”
 Replace relative words with numeric words such as
two days, 3 hours, and so on rather than soon.
 Use Slang with Caution Casual slang laden speech may be
fine off the job, but it can create the wrong impression
with bosses, clients, and even colleagues.
 E.g : ‘Bro’ for your close friends/officemate,
Mr./Mdm. for your boss

 Use Jargon Judiciously

 Jargon; vocabulary specific to a certain profession, such as
terms like CEO meaning Chief executive officer and CSR
meaning Corporate Social Responsibilities.
Inflammatory Language
 Language has the power to stir intense emotions.
It can motivate, inspire, and amuse audiences.
Unfortunately, it can also generate negative
feelings:
 Avoid Biased Language
 Biased language; “terms that seem to be objective
but actually conceal an emotional bias.”
 Use neutral language, or use terms that quantify
the meaning
Speaker’s Biased Language Listener’s restatement
She’s long-winded She has been talking for one
hour(quantify)
It’s a gamble So you don’t think the idea is a
reasonable risk. Is that it?
(paraphrase)
 Beware of Trigger Words
 Trigger words; “terms that have such strong
emotional associations they act almost like a
trigger, setting of an intense emotional reaction in
certain listeners.
 Can refer to specific person, groups, issues and so
on
 Acknowledge the misunderstanding, apologize and
choose more agreeable term
Language and Identity Management

 The way you speak can shape how others perceive

you. There are several speech habits that can
help you create a professional image.
 Choosing the Optimal Degree of Powerful Language
 tocreate an impression of power and conviction, use
powerful speech.
 E.g : politicians, employers

 Use Positive Language

 Strategic way to enhance a professional identity
 Negative language habits can damage a positive image.
 E.g : Negative response : “how are you?”, “not bad”
Positive response : “I’m fine”, “Yes, I can”
 Limit Disfluencies
 Disfluencies;
“are utterances that add no
meaning to a statement. Interjections like
umm, you know, and like can make a smart
ideas sound less persuasive.”
 E.g : “urmm”, “you know”, etc
Feminine and Masculine Language Use

Rapport Talk (Feminine) Report Talk (Masculine)

 Create Connections  Assert a position
 Establish goodwill  Establish Status
 Show support  Show independence
 Build community  Claim attention
Nonverbal Communication
Presentation Outline

1.What is Nonverbal communication?

2.Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication
3.Types of Nonverbal communication
4.Improving Nonverbal Effectiveness
 1. What is Nonverbal Communication?

Nonverbal communication = Communication without words

Define as communication through sending and receiving

wordless cues
2. Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication
a) Nonverbal behavior always has communicative value
b) Nonverbal communication is powerful
c) Nonverbal behavior is ambiguous
d) Nonverbal behavior communication primarily express attitudes
e) Nonverbal communication affects career success
f) Nonverbal behavior is culture bond
a. Nonverbal behavior always has communicative
value
 Appearance, movement, facial expressions, voice convey meaning
 Also in mediated communication
 Example: used of emoticons, typed in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS ( impression of
shouting)

b. Nonverbal communication is powerful

 First impressions influence our subsequent impression and judgements
 We form impressions of others mostly from nonverbal observations about
physical appearance and behavior.
c. Nonverbal behavior is ambigous
 Most nonverbal behavior have a multialtitude of possible meanings.
 A serious mistake to assume you can correctly determine which is true or not.

d. Nonverbal communication primarily expresses

attitudes
 Certains situations best expressed in speech and writing.
 Nonverbal behavior can imply how the speaker feels about your statements.
 Example :
- Current sales are running 16 percent above last year’s sales.
- Management decided to cancel the sales meeting after all.
e. Nonverbal communication affects career success
 The ability to manage nonverbal behavior plays a strong role in communication
success.
 Example :
- managers who are good at reading and responding for nonverbal cues
receive higher performance rating from both their bosses and their
subordinates.

e. Nonverbal behavior is culture bond

 Certain types of nonverbal behavior seem to be universal.
 Nonverbal expressions do vary from culture to culture.
 Example :
- how much distance is appropriate between speakers is different from country to
country. To a Japanese person, comfortable space to make communications is 40 inches
while US Country 35 inches.
 3. Types of Nonverbal Communication

a) Voice

Closeness
b) Appearance
Appearance
eg: invading
someone space
eg: untidiness c) The face and eyes
Physical
Voice
Environment d) Posture and Movement
Eg: laughing eg: cubicle
e) Personal Space and
Time Type of Distance
Eg: punctual Nonverbal Eye
Communication Eg: winking f) Physical Environment
g) Time
Posture
Face
Eg: slouching
Movement eg: frawn
Eg: nodding
a. Voice
Paralanguage = Voice
Study of a person’s voice

Communication in ways that have nothing to do with what person says

but to HOW a person says it.

 a wide range of vocal characteristics, each of which helps

express an attitude
 Example: Pitch ( high – low)
Rate
Volume
Tempo
Pronounciation

Negative voice :
i. “uptalk” – the tendency to end sentence on a rising pitch
- make assertions sound like questions
ii. Vocal fry – a set of low, creaky vibration (showing less trustworthy, less
competent and less educated).
b. Appearance
 Plays a tremendous role in determining how a communicator’s message will be
received.
 Contribute by a number of factors, in good shape, trim, clothing and muscular
 Only clothing you may have the most control.
 Kind of clothing either to dress up or to dress down. (depends on occasions)
 Factors :
- Industry or field of work
- Geography.
c. The face and eyes
 Facial expression - Person’s
face communicates emotions
clearly ( happiness, anger,
fear, sadness).

 Eye contact, a good indicator

of how involved person in a
situation.
d. Posture and Movement
 Posture - A person’s body communicate message to other
Example :
- The way your sit
 Gesture - a less obvious set of bodily clues
Example :
- fidgeting hands might signal nervousness
- Tapping foot – mean impatience.
 Body relaxation or tension is strong indicator of who has the power in one-on-one
relationships
Example :
- Job interview, the person in control can afford more relax while the candidates
more stress.
 Height
Example : Standing up tall can help appear more authoritative.
e. Personal space and distance
 Distance between ourselves and others
reflect feeling and attitude which affects
communication.
 Distance creates feeling
Example:
- greater distance as less friendly
 Intimate, personal, social and public
distances make up the concept of space.
 Meanwhile, interpersonal distance means
that the person with higher status
generally controls the degree of
approach.
f. Physical Environment
 The way space is allocated in an organization.
Example :
- next to the boss’s office showing higher status
 Is through proximity
Example :
- workers in the same area deal with one another
more than with similarly employed people in other area.
 Choices about seating influence interaction.
 Furniture arrangement influence the way people
communicate.
 Create the most desirable degree of accessibility by
manipulating space and barriers to managing interaction,
- which is proximity and visibility encourage contact
- Distance and closure discourage contact
g. Time
 The way we use time sends a number of silent
message.

Example:
- arrives half-hour early at work is a good to
practice, showing a hard work worker.

 Attitudes toward time vary from culture to

culture.

Example:
- monochronic cultures: speaking within
allocated time shows good planning and
concern of the audience.

- polychronic culture : speaking within time

show lack of excitement
3. Improving Nonverbal Effectiveness
a) Monitor your nonverbal behavior
 Self monitoring – process of paying a close attention to your behavior and
using these observations to shape the way you behave.
 Good at knowing when to adapt nonverbal behavior to suit the situation.
 Useful to ensure yourself become integrated into the fabric of an
organization.

b) Demonstrate interest in others.

 Immediacy describes verbal and verbal behaviors that indicate closeness and
liking.
 Immediacy important for first impression.
c) Observe conventions
 Some nonverbal conventions are cultural.
 Some are strong within certain fields and organizations.
Thank you..