We studied some messages in the same way as Extract 1 and Extract 2. The common elements included verbal pauses, repetition of words, emotive language, symbols and punctuation marks. We added the acronyms and emoticons that we observed at this stage.
In our analysis we concentrated on the following communication techniques:
orthographic pictures or emoticons,
text emphasis cues, such as the use of multiple exclamation marks, question,
marks and full stops,
discourse markers such as but or umm or oh,
emphasis by capitalisation, such as ALL,
abbreviations or shorthand such as brb (be right back) or cya (see you).
The use of any nonverbal communication was recorded, as well as any use of slang phrases, stock phrases, and emotive words. Each item was manually noted and totalled on each page of the log, the totals per log were recorded on an Excel spreadsheet. The items were then sorted by the total of the number of times of occurrence to determine which items were used most frequently. It is important to understand that the individuals participating in the chats varied from week to week.
Over the 2-week period, more than 152 nonverbal communication items were recorded. In many cases these were variations on a theme or different spellings of the same verbalization, for example okay or ok. Many of these were repeated many times. This study was concerned only with the most popular methods of self-expression. Data was then categorized by frequency (Appendix 1) and intent (Appendix 2).
Thus, in online chat people use verbal elements but they are often coupled with nonverbal elements in the same text message. The form used most frequently is the simple repetition of punctuation. Negative emotions and exclamations (73) were used less frequently than positive, happy, agreeable exclamations (142). Nonverbal elements are generally absent in online discourse. People use verbal elements and adapt these to add nonverbal communication to their postings.
2.
2. Improving verbal and nonverbal communication skills
Given the symbolic nature of communication and the number of interaction partners in groups, miscommunication and misunderstanding can occur easily. Several techniques can help you be sensitive to misunderstandings that result from the verbal messages you send.
S ome group members may hesitate to ask questions or to seek clarification, so be sure to watch for nonverbal messages that indicate group members' need for further information. A member who has a puzzled look or who leans in as if to hear better likely did not receive your verbal message clearly. B ut also be sensitive to more subtle cues. A
group member who is afraid to confront you directly might use the verbal strategy of changing the subject. O r group members might simply avert their gaze and act as if they are bored. Monitoring others' verbal and nonverbal messages can help you identify those instances in which your messages are not clear.
The main priority of education is academic and professional training of specialists in humanities and sciences, specialists with a high level of professional and communicative competence. Academic culture of public presentations includes both verbal and non-verbal components. The coherent use of these two types of communication means creates the general style of presentation.
Alongside with great attention to such segments of the academic presentation as clear structure (logical organization of the talk and argumentative patterns used), cognitive potential (new information of the general humanistic character and new information on specific issues) and linguistic competence (grammar, academic vocabulary, terminological lexis, discourse markers, verbal means of attracting attention of the audience, intonation, pronunciation, fluency of speech), it is very important to develop extra-linguistic competence. The latter comprises body language, voice, eye-contact, mimics, gestures, and dress code. Besides, the students should be trained in the art of creating a friendly emotional atmosphere and skills of transition from a presenter’s talk on the topic defined to a constructive discussion of its various aspects with the audience.
The pedagogical experience has proven that the competent use of rhetorical patterns, factual information, visuals (outline, hand-outs, pictures, graphs, tables, terminology lists) in the talk based on ethics of academic communication contributes greatly to the general success of public presentation.
The main statements of the paper are illustrated by photo materials taken by the author during different students' conferences; visuals illustrate typical mistakes in non-verbal behavior of presenters as well as possible ways of avoiding them.
Improving nonverbal communication skills is more difficult than improving verbal communication skills because we’re less conscious of the nonverbal messages we send. Thus the first step is to identify what nonverbal messages you send and how they influence the group’s interaction. One way to do this is to ask a group member you trust to observe you during a group meeting. This person can help you identify those nonverbal messages that contribute to the group and those that detract from it.
Another way to learn more about how your nonverbal messages influence the group is to watch how others respond to you. Suppose you want to ask a question and look toward the group member speaking to get his attention, but he ignores you. What other nonverbal message could you use to establish your talking turn?
It’s easy to assume that the other group member is being rude or impolite, but maybe your nonverbal cue wasn’t strong enough to signal that you wanted to talk.
Perhaps you need to make your nonverbal message more direct and forceful. You could lean forward in your chair and open your mouth in preparation to speak while directing your gaze at the speaker. Or you could add a short verbal message, such as «Tom?» to your lean and gaze.
You can also improve your nonverbal communication skills by observing and analyzing the effectiveness of other group members. Select a group member whom you admire, and pay careful attention to the type of nonverbal cues he or she uses. Try to identify how those cues functioned during the meeting. You are likely to identify a skill that you can incorporate into your communication repertoire.
When we think about how we communicate in groups, we often forget that, in addition to verbal and nonverbal messages, listening is a major part of the communication process. Because we focus so much energy on what we say and how we say it, we often overlook our listening skills. In the group context, listening is important because we spend far more time listening than talking.
The consequences of poor listening in groups include poor working relationships, ineffective group outcomes, and time lost to faulty group processes. Replace these ineffective listening habits with active listening—paraphrasing what the speaker has said, asking questions to confirm what was said, taking notes, and so on.
Thus, the main priority of education is academic and professional training of specialists in humanities and sciences, specialists with a high level of professional and communicative competence. Academic training must include both verbal and non-verbal components.
Summary:
Verbal and nonverbal communication are intertwined. However, the two message systems are not always in agreement. Research has demonstrated that when receiving inconsistent messages—messages in which the verbal and nonverbal components do not agree—receivers are more likely to believe the nonverbal message.
Alongside with great attention to such segments of the academic presentation as clear structure (logical organization of the talk and argumentative patterns used), cognitive potential (new information of the general humanistic character and new information on specific issues) and linguistic competence (grammar, academic vocabulary, terminological lexis, discourse markers, verbal means of attracting attention of the audience, intonation, pronunciation, fluency of speech), it is very important to develop extra-linguistic competence. The latter comprises body language, voice, eye-contact, mimics, gestures, and dress code. Besides, the students should be trained in the art of creating a friendly emotional atmosphere and skills of transition from a presenter’s talk on the topic defined to a constructive discussion of its various aspects with the audience.
Conclusion
The study of interaction of verbal and nonverbal communication spans many disciplines, but the communication discipline has its own unique perspective. This paper reviewed academic literature on interaction of verbal and nonverbal communication, different viewpoints and approaches. The paper described the results of research on the various methods people in an online chat employ to overcome the absence of nonverbal elements.
Communication relies on verbal and nonverbal interaction. To be most effective, group members need to improve verbal and nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication fulfills functions within groups that are sometimes difficult to communicate verbally. But interpreting nonverbal messages requires a great deal of skill because multiple meanings abound in these messages.
Verbal and nonverbal communication are intertwined. How you interpret messages from others depends on both the verbal and nonverbal components. But when verbal and nonverbal messages are inconsistent, receivers tend to rely on the nonverbal message.
We found a lack of general methodological foundations and common conceptual approaches, research into online synchronous interactions such as chat, especially in the use of textual symbols to provide nonverbal communication elements. There is no clear theoretical basis, commonly accepted terminology, fundamental assumptions, which would allow representatives of different directions and trends achieve mutual understanding. Opinions differ as to what should be seen as communication. We contend that there is a need for research in this area.
Alongside with great attention to such segments of the academic presentation as clear structure (logical organization of the talk and argumentative patterns used), cognitive potential (new information of the general humanistic character and new information on specific issues) and linguistic competence (grammar, academic vocabulary, terminological lexis, discourse markers, verbal means of attracting attention of the audience, intonation, pronunciation, fluency of speech), it is very important to develop extra-linguistic competence.
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Appendix 1.
Types and numbers of nonverbal expressions used
Nonverbal cue Number of occurrences Multi … 210 Multi !!! 73 Multi ??? 45 Capitals 21 LOL 39 See ya 37 Okay 27 :-) 22 Oops 17 Oh 15 Yep 14 Wow 6 Hey 5
Appendix 2.
Intent of nonverbal communication used and number of occurrences
Intent of nonverbal communication Number of occurrences Exclamation for emphasis 90 Show happiness 72 Show agreement 51 Question 48 Negative exclamation 41 Exit word 40 Negative emotion 32 Emphasis 29 Positive exclamation 19
