Verbal Communication: Meaning and Importance
The word verbal comes from the Latin word for word – verbum. Meanwhile, the word communication comes from the Latin word for to share – communicare. So, it follows from this that verbal communication means sharing things by means of words. What is shared here can vary: it might be information, feelings, thoughts, support and memories. You name it, you can share it using your verbal communication skills!
Verbal communication can be taken to mean many different things. However, one thing is always clear: words must always be involved in verbal communication. Words have been used for centuries as carriers of meaning.
And, though we may communicate in a variety of different languages, if we are using words we can define our communication style as verbal communication. Sometimes verbal communication is contrasted with written communication. However, strictly speaking, both types of communication use words and thus both are verbal.
It may be argued that one key part of the definition of verbal communication is that this is a type of communication that happens between several people. We can communicate verbally with one other person, or with a group of people – but can we verbally communicate just with ourselves? As mentioned at the start of this article, the word communication comes from a Latin root which means to share. And so, it is clear that communication essentially involves sharing things with other people.
Importance of verbal communication.
There are so many ways in which verbal communication is important. For example:
- Keeping each other informed: we can use verbal communication to disseminate useful and important information.
- Asking for help and support: communicating verbally about our problems is the first step to solving them.
- Making friends: communicating with others can be the start of a good friendship.
- Expressing ourselves creatively: verbal communication can be the means for expressing our imagination.
- Sharing emotions: we can share emotions as well as factual information with our verbal communication skills.
Types of verbal communication.
- Speaking face to face: here, our words are combined with our gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice to give a full communication package.
- Speaking on the phone: communicating verbally on the phone is an excellent way to reach people far away.
- Video-chat services: the wonders of the internet have enabled us to communicate verbally with people everywhere and to stay in touch with our loved ones across the globe.
- Writing a letter: old fashioned letter writing is an art that will never die.
- Giving a lecture: this is a key example of the utility of verbal communication in an academic context.
- Making announcements: those handy announcements over the tannoy at supermarkets or train stations are key examples of verbal communication.
- Leaving a voice mail: sometimes, we can record our verbal communications for our friends, family and colleagues to pick up later.
Examples of verbal communication.
To make things clearer, here are some examples of situations in which people communicate verbally.
- Two people smile at each other at a party. They want to get to know each other so they start chatting. This is an example of informal verbal communication, though no doubt both people will try to be polite to each other.
- Someone is going to be late for work, so they phone their boss to let them know. Here, verbal communication is likely to be relatively formal and polite – and it may well be apologetic as well.
- Someone is having a hard time in their life, so they call round to a friend’s house to talk it through face to face. Here, emotions are being shared by means of verbal communication. People often prefer to talk face to face with this kind of verbal communication rather than over the phone because there is something warm and comforting about being in the caring presence of another human being.
- A lecturer in a lecture hall explains a topic to their students using just the power of their voice. Here, verbal communication is being used in order to share information.
- An opera singer sings a classic aria, giving feeling to the words with the beauty of their voice and vocal range. In this example, we see how it is the quality of the voice that can often give additional depth and meaning to the words when verbal communication is taking place.
- A teacher interacts with children in their class, explaining topics in various different ways until everyone understands. This is another example in which verbal communication has a key goal – educating people.
- Someone purchases a new product and does not know how to use it, so they call the customer support line for some verbal advice. Information is being asked for and given in this scenario – hopefully at least.
- A group of colleagues meet in a board room to share information about their company’s finances. This is another example of formal verbal communication, where information is shared in a formalized context.
- Someone spots a thief breaking in to a nearby shops and calls the police with the time and location of the crime. Here, verbal communication needs to be concise, accurate and informative.
- Two people getting married recite their vows to each other as part of the ceremony. This is a very interesting example of verbal communication as it demonstrates the power of verbal communication to make things happen. Here, the couple’s words play a powerful part in actually making them into a married couple in the eyes of the law.
Conclusion.
Verbal communication is, in many ways, very much part of the fabric of any society. Do you like to communicate verbally? If so, are there any ways in which you might improve your verbal communication skills to make them even better than they are now? One thing that it is important to remember, for example, is that verbal communication is just as much about listening to the words that are used by the people we are speaking to as it is about speaking, writing, or generally using words ourselves.
