REVISION OF UNIT 1 and 2-

ENGLISH COMMUNICATION
 SYLLABUS​
1) INTRODUCTION : Theory of Communication,​
Types and modes of Communication​
2) Language of Communication : Verbal and Non-
Verbal (Spoken and Written)​
• Personal, Social and Business Barriers
and Strategies​
• Intra-personal, Interpersonal and
Group communication.​
 SYLLABUS​
3) SPEAKING SKILLS :​
• MONOLOGUE​
• DIALOGUE​
• GROUP DISCUSSION​
• EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION/
MISCOMMUNICATION​
• INTERVIEW​
• PUBLIC SPEECH​
 SYLLABUS
4) READING AND UNDERSTANDING:​
• CLOSE READING​
• COMPREHENSION​
• SUMMARY​
• PARAPHRASING​
• ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION​
• TRANSLATION (from Indian language to English
and vice-versa)​
• LITERARY/ KNOWLEDGE TEXTS
 SYLLABUS
5) WRITING SKILLS:​
• DOCUMENTING​
• REPORT WRITING​
• MAKING NOTES​
• LETTER WRITING​
 MARKS DISTRIBUTION-
• EXAMINATION- 75 MARKS​
• INTERNALS- 25 MARKS​
 COMMUNICATION
What is Communication ???

• Keith Davis- “ Communication is the

transfer of information and understanding
from one person to another person. It is a way
of reaching others with facts, ideas,
thoughts and values.”
 Communication
• The word “ communication” is used to mean
any activity in which information,
emotions and feelings are conveyed from
one to another.​
 Classification of Communication​
One Way Communication
• When the sender communicates a
message without expecting or getting
feedback, the communication is termed as
one-way communication.​
• Feedback is completely absent in this kind
of communication.​
• Eg- listening of a recorded song.​
 One Way Communication​
• Receiver has no chance of feedback in
the process​
• It can be verbal (oral or written), non
verbal ( without use of words), formal or
informal.​
 Two Way Communication
• Both the sender and the receiver
equally contribute in the process​
• When both the sender as well as the
receiver actively participate in the process.​
• This type of communication is also termed
as Transactional Communication because
the exchange of message and feedback
takes place between the sender and the
receiver.​
Two Way Communication
 Self Check Questions
• You are listening a song.​
• You are playing with your pet dog.​
• You are watching a movie.​
• The teacher is teaching the students.​
• Your grandmother is telling you a story.​
 Levels of Communication
Extrapersonal Communication
• Human beings interact with non-
human entities.​
• We often communicate with our pets. This is
an example of extrapersonal communication.​
• Any communication with the
inanimate objects can also be termed so.​
 Intrapersonal Communication
• When we communicate with ourselves
which we often do for many reasons.​
• We talk or communicate to
ourselves whenever we are in doubt or we are
suffering from indecision or confusion or
enveloped by sadness or anger, etc.​
• It is only by communicating with
ourselves that we formulate our decisions.​
 Intrapersonal Communication
• Moreover, at all moments our brain
is communicating with different parts of
our body and sending signals for it to operate
in a particular way. This is also thought to be
an example of intrapersonal communication.​

• Intrapersonal is the communication

with oneself.​
 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
• It refers to all communications that we
share with other human beings.​
• It refers to the communication between
two or among more than two individuals.
• It is a transactional process which
includes message sending and message
receiving.​
• Mainly, it involves the exchange or sharing
of information.
 Interpersonal Communication
• A speech, conversation, dialogue or
an interview – are examples of
Interpersonal Communication.​
• Message can be communicated through
words as well as non- verbal means.
• It is used in both formal as well as
informal situations.​
 On the basis of size, Interpersonal communication
can be divided into the following categories:

• One to One Communication

• This type of communication occurs between
only two individuals.​
• It can be informal as well as formal.​
• It is also known as DYADIC COMMUNICATION.​
• Dyadic Communication refers to
‘the communication between two individuals.’​
• Dyadic means ‘based on two’.​
• It is generally done in oral form.​
 One to One Communication
• Feedback is an essential component of
this type of communication.​
• Both the sender and the receiver
play reversible and reciprocal roles in the
process.​
• Body language plays a vital role in this type
of communication.​
 GROUP COMMUNICATION​
• Not only two, but more than two persons
can also further the process
of communication.​
• Sometimes one person conveys a message
to a group of persons;​
• And sometimes a group of persons convey
the message to another group.​
• This type of communication is referred to
as Group Communication.​
 GROUP COMMUNICATION​
• Not only two, but more than two persons
can also further the process
of communication.​
• Sometimes one person conveys a message
to a group of persons;​
• And sometimes a group of persons convey
the message to another group.​
• This type of communication is referred to
as Group Communication.​
 Group Communication can be
divided into the following categories:
• Small- group Communication
• This type of communication takes place
among the members of a smaller group (
consisting of more than two but not more than
forty to fifty individuals.)
• All the members remain present at the
same place, or connected through some
mechanical or electronic device. They share a
common goal.​
 Small group Communication
• Feedback is an essential characteristic of this
type of communication.​
• It facilitates faster delivery of the message
and can be informal as well as formal.​
• For example, the conversation among
the members of a family, students of a
class, passengers of a bus, etc.​
• Instead of individuals, the communication
can take place between two groups, like
the communication between two families, or so.​
 Large- group Communication
• This type of communication involves a
large number of people on individual or
group basis.​
• The group size can be from hundreds
to thousands.​
• It is usually conducted in an organized
or formal way
 Large- group Communication
• For example, address by some political leader in
a gathering, religious preaching at a religious
place, or so.​
• It is also referred to as Public Communication.​
• It generally occurs face to face.​
• All the participants remain present at the
same place.​
• It requires some mechanical gadget,
like microphone, amplifier, etc. to transmit
the message.​
 MASS COMMUNICATION
• For example, address by some political leader in
a gathering, religious preaching at a religious
place, or so.​
• It is also referred to as Public Communication.​
• It generally occurs face to face.​
• All the participants remain present at the
same place.​
• It requires some mechanical gadget,
like microphone, amplifier, etc. to transmit
the message.​
 Mass Communication
• A mediator is required to transmit
the message.​
• For example, the Editor acts as a
mediator who selects and publishes the news
in the newspaper.​
• Mass communication is meant for
large audiences and requires a medium to
transmit the message.​
 Mass Communication
• Oral communication requires some
means, such as radio, television, etc;
• Written form needs print or visual media,
such as newspaper, magazine, internet, or so.​
 ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
• Communication that happens within
an organization is termed as
Organizational Communication.​
• No organization can survive, prosper,
progress if the employees of the
organization do not communicate with each
other and with the outside world.​
Organizational Communication can be
divided into the following categories :
• INTERNAL COMMUNICATION-
It means ‘occurring within’.
It occurs within an organization.
It takes place between/among the employees,
the employer and the employees, and so on.
It can be oral or written, formal or informal.
It can occur through emails, posters,
documents, staff meetings, or so.
 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION- It can move in
vertical, horizontal or diagonal directions:
a) VERTICAL COMMUNICATION: The employees are
appointed at different hierarchical levels within an
organization. Some of them are placed at higher level,
and some at lower. The communication that takes
place between the employees of two different
hierarchical levels is known as ‘vertical
communication’. It includes both upward and
downward movements.

For example, Principal , Vice Principal, teachers,

clerks, and other staff members.
 On the basis of movement, the
communication can be categorized as:
• DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION
– Communication that moves from higher level to
lower level of the organization
– Message from Principal to teacher.
– The purpose of DC is to convey programs, policies,
procedures, instructions, orders or routine
information to the subordinates.
– It can be oral as well written.
 Downward Communication can take
place through :
• Notices
• Memos
• Letters
• Circulars
• Meetings
• Telephonic conversations
• Face to face conversation
 UPWARD COMMUNICATION
• The Communication that moves from lower
level to the higher level of the organization

• For instance, the message from a teacher to

the Principal
• Its main function is to convey information,
suggestions, ideas, proposals , complaints and
grievances to the higher authority.
Upward Communication can take place
through
• Reports
• Letters
• Telephone- calls
• Face-to-face conversations.
 b) Horizontal Communication
• Communication not only takes place in
upward and downward directions but also
proceeds in a horizontal manner.
• It takes place among the persons of equal
ranks or status.
• The communication at the level of
Professional peer groups or working on same
hierarchy is known as Horizontal
Communication.
 Horizontal Communication
• It generally takes place among the
departmental Heads who are responsible for
different functional areas of the organisation.
• For instance, message from the Head of
Commerce Department to the Head of B.Voc
Department.
• It is also known as lateral or sideward
communication
Horizontal Communication takes place
through
• Letters
• Memos
• Reports
• Telephonic conversations,
• Face-to-face interactions
 Diagonal Communication
• All the organizations have set guidelines for
their employees, and they need to follow
them.
• It consists of hierarchical structure and form a
‘chain of compound’.
• Each employee needs to communicate with
the employee(s) from other department
through the superior of his/her department.
 Diagonal Communication
• But if an employee communicates directly to the
superior of other department, bypassing the
superior of his/her own department, this type of
communication is called Diagonal Communication
• It takes place when an employee communicates
with the other who is not only superior but also
works in other department of the organisation, or
vice versa.
• It cuts across different functions and levels within
the organisation.
 Diagonal Communication
• The direct communication between a lab staff
from Chemistry Department and Head of
Biology Department is an example of diagonal
communication.
• Diagonal Communication is also referred to as
Crosswise, Radial or Circular Communication
• Increasing use of electronic mail has made
diagonal communication much easier.
 7 C’s of EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
• It is thought that for effective communication,
there is a need to follow certain norms which
are known as 7 C’s of Effective
Communication.
• These norms apply both in written as well as
in oral communication.
 7 C’S of Communication
• Completeness
• Conciseness
• Consideration
• Clarity
• Concreteness
• Courtesy
• Correctness
 Completeness
• Any communication must be complete in the
sense that a message should convey all the
facts required for the comprehension of the
message
 Conciseness
• Conciseness refers to the fact that while
communicating one should try to make a
message as short as possible to make it
effective.
• Conciseness in communication not only saves
time but also it is cost effective and highlights
the message making it more appealing and
understandable for the audience/ reader
 Consideration
• Consideration in Communication implies that
the sender of the message steps into the
shoes of the audience/ readers in terms of
their viewpoints, background, mindset,
education level, to ensure that the message
sent is completely and properly understood by
the receiver.
 Clarity
• It implies that the message should be clutter
free and it is easily understandable.
• We should have clarity of thought.
• One should use exact, appropriate and specific
words to express oneself.
 Courtesy
• It implies that the sender should respect the
receiver in terms of being polite, judicious,
reflective, and enthusiastic.
• It creates a positive atmosphere for
communication and leads to effective
communication.
 GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION
• Informal communication is also a part of
organizational communication, which is known as
Grapevine Communication.
• Though members of an organization
communicate at a formal level, but that does not
satisfy the human hunger for interaction and
building interpersonal relationships.
• This type of communication is oral and
undocumented, based on hearsay or personal
impressions.
 GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION
• Rumours keep on floating in every organisation.
• Many a times, they contain useful information.
• Grapevine carriers them and spreads among the
members of the organization.
• Information follows no set lines or definite rules,
but spread very fast and in any direction, like a
vine of grapes, that’s why it is called grapevine
Features of Grapevine Communication
• It is a channel of informal communication. It
carriers the information at a rapid rate. Once
the information enters the grapevine, it
reaches almost instantaneously to every point
in the organization.
• It does not follow a fixed path.
• The information can flow throughout the
organization in every possible direction.
Features of Grapevine Communication
• It extends beyond the formal hierarchy system
of the organization. Anyone, regardless of rank
or status, can pass on or receive information
through it.
• It is controlled by people rather than the
authority. It is selective with regard to the
person who receives the information.
• Grapevine generally occurs orally.
 ADVANTAGES OF GRAPEVINE
• It is a fast means of communication and can
bypass any individual, rank or status without
restraint. It can spread useful information
throughout the organization within no time.
• Passive employee (s) can receive information
about the activities that are going on within
the organization through it.
• It is inexpensive.
 ADVANTAGES OF GRAPEVINE
• It supplements to the formal channel of
communication. The authority can also use
grapevine to know employees’ reaction (s)
towards some decision before its official
announcement.
• It provides the employees a channel to express
their anxieties and opinions without any fear.
• It helps to build teamwork and motivate people.
• It helps in building social relations
 DISADVANTAGES OF GRAPEVINE
• The message has no authenticity. The
information can or cannot be true.
• It can harm the reputation of an individual or
organization.
• It can create misunderstanding and lead to
conflict.
• It can affect employees’ morale adversely.
 Grapevine Chain
• Keith Davis pointed out in 1980 that there can
be four possible configurations of Grapevine-
1) Single Strand Chain
2) Gossip Chain
3) Probability Chain
4) Cluster Chain
 Types of Grapevine Chain
• Single Strand Chain-
When information passes from A to B and then
from B and C and so on. In this case, there is very
little chance of verification of information
• Gossip Chain-
Where person A sends information to all others in
the group.
 Types of Grapevine Chain
• Probability Chain
Where person A sends information randomly
without specifically choosing a recipient of the
message.
• Cluster Chain
Person A sends message to B and C and each of
them then conveys it to a cluster of others.
The sender is selective about the receiver when
he/she sends the message, and then the receiver
takes up the role of the sender and sends it to
multiple people
 Formal Pattern/Networks of
Communication
• The formal patterns or networks in
organizations can be categorized into five
divisions:
– Chain Network
– Y Network
– Wheel Network
– Circle Network
– All Channel Network
 Different Types of Formal
Pattern/Networks of Communication
• Chain Network
In Chain Networks, the members of the
network communicate through intermediaries
who relay messages to the top.
• Y Network
In a Y Network, the member at the fork of the
“Y” is the central person.
 Different Types of Formal
Pattern/Networks of Communication
• Chain Network
In Chain Networks, the members of the
network communicate through intermediaries
who relay messages to the top.
• Y Network
In a Y Network, the member at the fork of the
“Y” is the central person.
 Different Types of Formal
Pattern/Networks of Communication
• Wheel Network
In Wheel Networks, individual members
communicate with the central member
separately. The central member is a superior
authority authority who controls all the
communication.
• Circle Network- In Circle Networks, members
communicate with the person next to him or her.
Therefore one member can communicate with
two.
 Different Types of Formal
Pattern/Networks of Communication
• All Channel Network
In all channel networks, all the members have
the freedom to communicate with anyone he
or she wants to communicate with. Therefore
fast exchange of information takes place in
this network
 COMMUNICATION PROCESS
• Communication is the process of transmitting and
receiving message(s).
• It is a social interaction where at least two
interacting parties are involved.
• Human being can be one of the parties and
other can be a human being, non- human being
or non- living thing.
• One party communicates the message and the
other understands intended meaning of the
message.
 COMMUNICATION PROCESS
• Communication takes place when someone
transfers information, knowledge or
understanding to the other.
• Minimum two parties are involved in the process:
one transmits a message, and the other receives
the message and understands its meaning.
• It involves the selection, production and
transmission of signs and symbols in such a way
that the receiver can perceive the meaning of the
communicated message.
 The Communication Process/ Communication
Cycle/ Communication Environment
• It consists of the following elements
1) Sender
2) Message
3) Encoding
4) Channel
5) Receiver
6) Decoding
7) Feedback
The Communication Process/ Communication
Cycle/ Communication Environment
 SENDER
• Sender or transmitter is the source of message
and transmits it for a special purpose.
• The process starts when an idea occurs in
sender’s mind which she/he wants to convey
to the other party in order to achieve some
objective.
• At first she/he formulates a clear idea about
the message. Her/his logical faculty and
mental attitude shape the message.
 Sender
• She/He encodes the idea, and translates it
into transmittable symbols.
• She/He decides the symbols, medium, time
and channel to send the message.
• The process starts with the sender and ends
with her/him by the comprehension of
feedback.
• She/He can be a speaker, a writer, or an actor
 MESSAGE
• Message is the idea, emotion, opinion or
information that is to be transmitted by the
sender.
• It can be verbal (oral or written) or non-verbal
( without use of words).
• It exists in sender’s mind.
• The most important characteristic of message
is that it is well organized, structured, shaped
and selective.
 MESSAGE
• For example, the subject matter, taught by the
teacher, is message.
• Communication is impossible without the
existence of message.
• The message needs to be well- crafted,
complete, clear and unambiguous
 ENCODING
• Encoding is the activity of converting data or
information into codes.
• It is the process of translating the message
into symbols which can be in the form of
words, actions, signs, signals, pictures, or
audio-visuals.
• It takes place in sender’s mind.
 ENCODING
• The sender puts his ideas or facts into words,
symbols, pictures or gestures to make them
understand.
• The symbols are selected by the sender
according to the type of message and
receiver’s ability to understand and interpret
them correctly.
 ENCODING
• It is a method of providing a structured
message by the use of shared course of
communication (medium) which can be verbal
or non-verbal.
• For example, the teacher prepares the topic to
teach in the class, and decides the way of
teaching whether through lecture or visuals.
• She/He reads the lesson, and translates the
symbols into her/his mind.
 CHANNEL
• Channel is the imaginary path through which
the message passes.
• It connects the sender and the receiver.
• Air and sight are some of important channels
of communication.
• Sender selects the channel keeping the
receiver in mind.
 CHANNEL
• Choice also depends on the type of message as
well as relationship between the sender and the
receiver.
• If both have informal relations, sender chooses
informal channel; but in case of organizational
communication, he/she chooses formal channel.
• Similarly, if the message is informal in nature,
she/he may choose informal channel ; but in case
of formal message, she/he may choose formal
channel.
 CHANNEL
• There is a difference between the channel and
the medium.
• Channel is the path through which message
passes whereas medium is the carrier of
message.
• For example, in oral communication, air is the
channel while voice is the medium.
 CHANNEL
• Similarly, letter is the medium while postal or
courier service is the channel.
• Medium plays an important role in the
delivery of message.
• Inappropriate medium can mar the very
purpose of communication.
 RECEIVER
• Receiver is the party to whom the message is
directed.
• Receiver can be a human being, non-human
being or non-living thing.
• The main function of receiver is to receive the
message, decode and understand its intended
meaning and convey feedback.
• Receiver is the destination of the message.
 RECEIVER
• She/He/It remains at receiving end of the
communication, receives and decodes the
symbols, signals or words; and draws meaning of
the communicated message.
• That is why she/he is known as ‘decoder’.
• She/He can be a reader, a listener or a viewer.
• For example, student(s) is the receiver in the
class.
• The process of communication is incomplete
without the availability of the receiver.
 DECODING
• Decoding means giving meaningful
interpretation the message.
• It is opposite to encoding.
• It is an act of translating the codes into their
ordinary meaning.
• It is performed by the receiver, and takes place
in his/her mind.
• It helps the receiver to interpret meaning from
the message.
 DECODING
• It is a mental process by which the receiver
draws meaning from the communicated
words, signs, signals, symbols or pictures.
• She/He translates the symbols into
meaningful information to the best of his
ability.
• For example, students listen to the lecture,
and draw meaning of the communicated
words, signs, signals and symbols.
 FEEDBACK
• The reaction, response or reply of the receiver
is known as feedback.
• It is receiver’s response to the message.
• It confirms the receipt of message.
• It is directed towards the sender and
completes the communication cycle.
• Response of students to the teacher will be
called feedback.
 FEEDBACK
• Feedback is an important component of
communication process.
• Both the sender and the receiver play
reversible and reciprocal roles in the process.
• Receiver acts as a sender and sender becomes
receiver in case of feedback.
• Feedback can be used as a tool to measure
the effectiveness of communication.
 FEEDBACK
• It also allows the receiver to ask questions in
order to clear his/her doubts as well as
develop confidence.
• Understanding is the end result of
communication, but it does not imply
agreement all the time.
• If the receiver does not understand the
message, she/he gives her/his feedback in
negative.
 FEEDBACK
• On the other hand, if receiver comprehends
the message, she/he gives affirmative
feedback.
• Hence feedback can be affirmative as well as
negative.
• Feedback can also be verbal (spoken or
written) or non-verbal, in the form of smiles,
sighs, nods, etc.
 ADVANTAGES OF FEEDBACK
• Feedback confirms the receipt of message.
• It enables the receiver to clear his/her doubts.
• It helps the sender to know receiver’s interest.
• The sender can make necessary change(s) in
the message on the basis of received
feedback.
• It encourages interactive communication
• It completes communication cycle.
Identify which of the following actions
is/are the example(s) of feedback
• A student is asking a question from the
teacher to clear his doubt.
• A supervisor is passing on instructions to the
workers.
• Some students are sleeping in the class when
the teacher is teaching.
• The receptionist is answering a question.
• You are looking at a picture.
 LISTENING
• It is important to speak well, but it is more
significant to be a good listener.
• Listening is not the same as hearing.
• We hear too many sounds coming to us from
various corners, but we do not bother to
fathom the significance of all those sounds.
• It is only to some sounds we turn our attentive
ears as they mean something significant to us.
 There are many kinds of listening-
• Evaluative listening
• Discriminative listening
• Appreciative listening
• Emphatic/Empathetic listening
 EVALUATIVE LISTENING
• While listening to the arguments in a Board
meeting, the directors of a company evaluate
the arguments of the speaker while listening;
it can be called evaluative listening.
 DISCRIMINATIVE LISTENING
• Suppose in the Annual Dinner of a company
the Director is chatting with all the staff of the
organization informally, where some are
listening to what he is saying while others are
busy with their own discussions. This can be
an example of discriminative listening.
 APPRECIATIVE LISTENING
• When one listens with a kind of appreciation
for what is spoken, it is called appreciative
listening.
• For example, if someone is presenting the
financial report of a company and people are
nodding heads in appreciation, it can be an
example of Appreciative listening.
 EMPHATIC/ EMPATHETIC LISTENING
• When one listens to the speaker with empathy
or sympathy, then it is called Emphatic
Listening.
• For Example, if in a negotiation, one party is
presenting her/his point of view and the other
party sympathizes with her/his point of view,
then it is called Emphatic Listening.
 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
• Communication can also be without words.
• In many cases, no words are exchanged, yet
communication happens as we can also
communicate through our body language
which is a non- verbal communication.
• It is perceived that non-verbal cues form a
major part of communication process.
• Therefore, it is significant that we focus our
attention to this aspect of communication.
The non-verbal cues are as follows-
• Kinesics
• Proxemics
• Chronemics
• Haptics
• Paralanguage
• Silence
• Sign Language
 KINESICS
• Kinesics is the study of body’s physical
movements for the purposes of communication,
that is, the way our body communicates without
words, through various movements of its parts.
• For example, nodding one’s head communicates
acceptance.
• Some body movements during communication
are conscious, whereas others we do
unconsciously.
 KINESICS
• The unconscious body movements are very
significant pointers in interpreting messages.
• For example, if two people are communicating
who are in similar rank in the organizational
hierarchy and one of them starts fidgeting
with his mobile phone, it sends the message
that the person is not interested in the
conversation
 Elements of Body Language
Each body part is an important component of
body language and communicates in its own way.
• Head
• Eye
• Face
• Posture
• Gestures
• Personal Appearance
 HEAD
• Head is the part of body that communicates in
different ways.
• Holding the head high marks honour
• Lowering of head indicates the feeling of
politeness and modesty
• Jerking means rejection
• Nodding communicates appreciation,
understanding, interest, agreement or
confirmation
 EYE
• “Eye is extension of brain and window of
soul.”
• Eye movement is an important element of
body language and expresses feelings,
thoughts, emotions and intention of a person.
• Eye expresses how deeply a person is involved
in the conversation.
 EYE
• Students’ looking at the teacher, while he/she is
teaching, implies that they are paying attention,
but if they are watching outside the window, it
shows their inattentiveness.
• Eye contact is of paramount importance in face-
to-face interaction.
• Long eye contact reflects interest , confidence
and pride whereas brief eye contact indicates loss
of interest, nervousness and embarrassment.
 FACE/FACIAL EXPRESSION
• The Face has great significance in kinesics.
• Face is the most expressive part of the body.
• It expresses what is going on within the mind of
an individual.
• Whatever a person feels deep inside is reflected
on her/his face.
• The lines of forehead, the muscles of cheeks, the
eyebrows and lips communicate the feelings,
thoughts and intention of a person very well.
 FACE/FACIAL EXPRESSION
• In general, face and facial expressions can be
said the true index of one’s emotional and
thinking behaviour.
• When one is perturbed, her/his face reflects
the level of anxiety and stress.
• Similarly, when one is in a happy or joyful
mood, her/his facial expressions convey the
same to others
 POSTURE
• Posture refers to the way we hold ourselves when
we stand, sit, walk, or choose not to talk.
• Our postures change according to circumstances.
• When one is nervous, one usually starts fidgeting
with something or the other like mobile phones.
• Posture speak volumes about the mental state of
the person even though she/he may not have
spoken a single word.
 POSTURE
• Posture refers to ‘the way of standing, sitting,
lying and walking.’
• Posture plays an important role in oral
communication.
• Audience judge the speaker’s personality from
her/his posture whether she/he is vibrant, alive,
dynamic, nervous, confident or self assured.
• The speaker can also gauge the success of her/his
communication by observing the posture of the
listener.
 Examples
• If someone has a slumped posture, then it
signifies that she/he is in low spirits.
• If someone has an erect posture, then it
signifies that she/he is in high spirits and has
energy and confidence.
• If someone leans forward during a
conversation, it signifies that she/he is open,
honest, and interested.
 GESTURE
• Gestures refer to ‘the motions of hands or other body
parts to emphasize certain point.’
• The movements of body parts- hands, arms, legs,
head, etc, contribute to the meaning of oral messages.
• For example, the movement of hands, while one is
delivering a lecture or making a presentation,
reinforces the communication; while shuffling of feet
communicates nervousness.
• Proper coordination of speech and gesture enhance
the effectiveness of communication manifold.
 Gestures can be roughly divided into
the following types-
• Enumerative- numbers, with fingers we
enumerate number of objects while speaking.
• Descriptive- size of the objects, with fingers or
hands we describe how big or small the object
is that we talking about.
• Symbolic- abstract concepts, while talking of
abstract things like love, we often put our
hands on our hearts.
 Gestures can be roughly divided into
the following types-
• Locative- location of an object, we often point
out where the object is lying or where the
person is located with our fingers.
• Emphatic- emphasis, to emphasize a point we
sometimes bang on the table.
 PERSONAL APPEARANCE
• Physical or Personal Appearance includes a person’s
way of dressing, hairstyle, wearing shoes, etc.
• Good appearance attracts the attention of everybody
and acts as a significant non-verbal cue.
• A person is judged on the basis of his/her clothes,
hairstyle, personal hygiene, body odour, and even skin
tone.
• This is the reason that some organizations prescribe a
kind of dress to wear on certain occasions.
 PERSONAL APPEARANCE
• Personal Appearance also plays an important
role during public speaking.
• Personality of the speaker leaves an
immediate impression and the audience forms
an opinion about him/her even before he/she
starts speaking.
 PERSONAL APPEARANCE
• For example, the speaker dressed in suit, tie
and polished shoes communicates that he/she
believes in formal and well structured
programme; whereas a person in loose or
casual dress communicates that she/he is
quite informal and careless to many things
 PERSONAL APPEARANCE
• It is important to remember the occasion for
which one dresses up so that one ‘gels’ with
the event and does not necessarily attract
attention.
• Often, culture determines these choices, for
example, dark clothes are worn for a western
funeral and white or non-bright clothes are
worn for an Indian funeral.
 PROXEMICS
• Space or lack of it between the sender and the
receiver of the message also speaks volumes.
• When one hugs someone; though no words
are exchanged but the warmth of the
relationship can be felt by both. This is also
communication.
• The study of physical space in interpersonal
relations is called Proxemics.
 PROXEMICS
• Our gestures should be in accordance with the
space available.
• When there is plenty of space to manoeuvre,
one should be bolder and expand one’s
gesture.
• The word ‘proxemics’ has been derived from
the word ‘proximity’ which means ‘the region
close around a person’.
 PROXEMICS
• The space or distance that a person chooses
to maintain from others is also a part of non-
verbal communication.
• All of us create imaginary inner and outer
circles which are based on the relations.
• The space marks the relationship between the
two persons.
 Edward T. Hall (1966) has divided the
communication space into four distinct zones-
 Types of Spaces in PROXEMICS
INTIMATE SPACE
• The Intimate zone extends just to 18 inches
(one and a half feet).
• It is the innermost circle.
• We allow only selected persons to enter into
it.
• The intimacy or closeness conveys the
relationship between the two.
 INTIMATE SPACE
• Members of family, lovers, spouses, relatives, and
parents usually communicate in this zone.
• Other individuals sometimes enter into this zone
of communication but only for a brief period and
only under special circumstances-when they want
to congratulate, sympathize or console.
• A handshake, a pat on the back or a hug are some
of the examples of communication in this
Intimate Zone.
 INTIMATE SPACE
• This is a particularly private zone where only
family members or very close acquaintances
are admissible.
• Non- verbal communication like body
language and touch are common because of
the physical proximity or closeness of the
sender and the receiver who are clearly visible
to each other
 INTIMATE SPACE
• Verbal communication is minimal and may
often simply be just whispers.
• In the workplace, this zone might be covered
by a very selected group of people,
 PERSONAL SPACE
• The next circle around the intimate is the
personal space.
• The Personal zone/space stretches from 18 inches
(one and half feet) to 4 feet.
• This is perhaps the region where the sender could
speak audibly without having to put extra volume
in his words.
• Even in this zone, body language continues to
play a major role since the receiver is still within
audible and visible distance.
 PERSONAL SPACE
• Oral communication, of course, grows
stronger since some words are exchanged
here.
• The people who usually occupy this place,
apart from relatives, are close associates and
friends.
• A person’s immediate senior or subordinate in
the workplace may also be included in this
circle.
 PERSONAL SPACE
• Some sensitive decision making may take
place in this zone.
• We allow close friends, peers, colleagues and
co- workers to enter into this space.
• This zone is personal and is quite a relaxed
and casual place.
• It permits spontaneous and unplanned
communication.
 PERSONAL SPACE
• When two or more colleagues sit in a canteen
and discuss something informally, then usually
there is a distance between them and yet the
distance is not so much which does not
suggest closeness.
• This is an example of personal space/zone
 SOCIAL SPACE
• Social space/zone is in the radius of 4 feet to
12 feet.
• In this zone, relationships are more formal and
official.
• It is the most relevant circle for a business
organization.
• Most of the organizational communication
takes place in this circle.
 SOCIAL SPACE
• In this zone, relationships are more formal and
official.
• People are more cautious in their movements.
• The situations involve less emotion and more
planning.
• Twelve feet is understood to be a distance up
to which a person’s natural voice can carry
without technological aid like that of a
loudspeaker.
 SOCIAL SPACE
• Oral communication is quite prevalent and
paralanguage increasingly becomes more useful.
• Professional talk, instructions, requests, business
negotiations, meetings, and persuasions are all
part of this region.
• Suppose you have gone for an interview and
sitting across the table in front of the
interviewers. The distance between you and the
interviewers is that of social zone.
 PUBLIC SPACE
• Public zone starts from 12 feet and may extend
to 25 feet or to the range of eyesight and hearing.
• Public zone/space is the outermost zone/space.
• Everybody can enter into this zone.
• Events are formal in this zone.
• The audience views and hears as an impartial
observer and is free to do whatever it feels like.
 PUBLIC SPACE
• The speaker often uses a microphone to
communicate in this zone.
• Public space/zone is essential as a public
address system may become necessary for
communicating to a large group of people as
an audience.
• A communicator needs to depend on
paralinguistic skills since it is considered to be
beyond a properly visible distance.
 PUBLIC SPACE
• Additionally, feedback is more of a group
phenomenon rather than an individual one.
• Body language plays a smaller role in public
space.
• It is to be noticed that as the communicator
moves outwards through the different circles,
body language has a lesser role to play and
oral communication in conjunction with
paralanguage has a greater role.
 PUBLIC SPACE
• As one moves inwards, the situation gets
reversed.
• The understanding of space in this manner helps
us to assess the role played by organizational
spaces and how people use those spaces.
• When the PM or the President of India addresses
the masses, they usually keep a distance from
them for security reasons. It is an example of
public space.
 SPACE/DISTANCE: More info
• Space or distance plays an important role in
the process of communication.
• Each communicator maintains a personal
territory around him/her.
• She/ He maintains some distance from others.
• The distance depends upon the relationship
between the speaker and the listener
 SPACE/DISTANCE: More info
• This space reflects the relationship, closeness and
status of the person to whom speaker is
communicating.
• In case of informal relationship, the space will be
less; but the space will be more in case of formal
relations.
• The space also depends on the situation.
• More distance is maintained between the
speaker and the listener(s) in formal situation,
while there will be less distance in informal
situation.
 SPACE/DISTANCE: More info
• It also includes a reference to standing and
seated positions. The person, in the superior or
commanding position, usually stands and others
remain seated.
• We can find the example from organizational
meetings.
• The superior talks to the subordinates in standing
position and the subordinates remain seated.
• Proxemics is the study of this territory or
distance.
 CHRONEMICS/TIME LANGUAGE
• How we manage our time communicates a lot
about the kind of person we are.
• The study of the use of time to communicate
is known as Chronemics.
• Chronemics refers to ‘the study of usage of
time.’
• It involves the meaning given to the time
dimension.
 CHRONEMICS/TIME LANGUAGE
• It deals with the manner in which one
structures one’s time and interactions.
• Time is an important component of non-
verbal communication.
• It reveals the character of a person.
• Work done in time speaks about the worth of
a person.
 CHRONEMICS/TIME LANGUAGE
• Completion of task within specified time
communicates sincerity, reliability and hard
work, whereas habitually late coming or
absenteeism communicates unreliability and
laziness of the person.
• For example, a student’s punctuality reflects
her/his sincerity and interest in the study,
whereas lateness conveys insincerity and lack
of interest
 CHRONEMICS/TIME LANGUAGE
• By valuing someone else’s time, we
communicate our professionalism or
seriousness both subtly and explicitly.
• Punctuality is very important in business
world.
• Speed and punctuality affect the image of an
organization.
• Delay communicates mismanagement and
people lose faith in the organization.
 CHRONEMICS/TIME LANGUAGE
• Whereas completion of work on time
communicates smooth management and build a
positive corporate image.
• Hence, communication conveyed through a sense
of time is called chronemics.
• Basically, time language is the approach to time
that the sender has.
• A person makes meaningful suggestions about
himself, his background and his organization, by
the importance he attaches to time.
 CHRONEMICS/TIME LANGUAGE
• When train or flights run late, apart from the
inconvenience caused to the travellers, the
image of the railways or the airlines also
suffers.
• They project inefficiency and
mismanagement.
• Delay is an aspect of mismanagement of time
and people lose faith in organizations that
cannot deliver on time.
 CHRONEMICS/TIME LANGUAGE
• Chronemics is the ability to project time as a
dimension of orderliness, discipline,
seriousness of purpose and punctuality.
• The business world lays great stress on the
need for effective use of time both for greater
productivity, smooth management as also for
a positive corporate image of efficiency
 HAPTICS
• Of all the nonverbal medium, the one that brings
the sender and the receiver in direct physical
contact with each other is touch.
• Touch is also a marker of organizational status. It
is usually the senior who initiates the process and
is in a position to control it.
• In association with other media like body
language and oral communication, haptics can
add degree of bonding for better interpersonal
interaction.
 HAPTICS
• We also communicate with our sense of
touch, which is known as haptics.
• Haptics is related to the study of physical
touch and how it is used to communicate the
message.
• Touch is one of the means of physical contact
and easier form of human communication.
 HAPTICS
• Patting on one’s back, embracing, kissing and
shaking hands are some of the common haptic
gestures.

• One can use touch to communicate affection,

familiarity, sympathy, motivation, hatred or other
emotions
• A gentle touch at the arm of a person is used to
draw her/his attention, while a gentle hand on
the shoulder communicates motivation.
 HAPTICS
• We use handshake to greet people.
• A gentle shake- hand communicates the
feeling of friendship, whereas limp shake-
hand communicates lack of interest.
• The way we communicate by our physical
contact or by touching the other person is
known as Haptics.
• Even kissing, slapping or shaking hands with
someone are ways of communicating.
 HAPTICS
• You have been to an International conference
where you have presented a paper which was
highly appreciated by the International
community. You come back to college and others
are congratulating you. As your friend meets you,
she/he embraces you.
• Embracing is the means that your friend feels is a
more spontaneous form of communication than
merely congratulating with words.
 PARALANGUAGE
• The term paralanguage consists of two words:
‘Para’, meaning ‘like’ or ‘similar to’; and
language, the mode of communication.
• Paralanguage literally means like language,
but actually it is non-verbal.
• However words are used in paralanguage, but
the language focuses on ‘how’ rather than
‘what’.
 PARALANGUAGE
• It lays stress on how the words are spoken, rather
than on their literal meaning.
• It aims at the tone of the voice with which
something is said.
• For example, a louder voice suggests anger or
assertion, while a whisper indicates secrecy.
• Paralanguage is non-verbal because it does not
consist of words in literal sense, but it is close to
verbal communication because it shows how the
words are spoken or uttered.
 PARALANGUAGE
• Actually, paralanguage is a middle path
between verbal and non-verbal
communication.
• It is an important supplement to verbal
communication because it makes oral
communication effective and complete.
• Mainly paralanguage is a part of non-verbal
communication.
• It emphasizes on voice nuances.
 PARALANGUAGE
• Paralanguage is basically the way meaning is
conveyed by how we say things while speaking.
• It is a powerful complementary media for oral
communication which makes it advantageous to
written communication.
• Para language is made up of two words- para and
language which literally means ‘beyond language’
which is not language but still related to
language.
 PARALANGUAGE
• When a telephone bell rings and you pick up
the receiver and hear the word “hello”, it not
only greets you, but also tells you about the
gender of the person, the voice is of someone
familiar, and the sociolinguistic and
educational background of the person calling.
• All these are not contained in the word “hello”
but are manifest in the way the word is
spoken.
 PARALANGUAGE
• Paralanguage shows the main purpose for which
an utterance is made.
• In some ways, we may call it the ‘highlighter’ of
oral messages, since it uses certain physical
aspects of language articulation to emphasize the
central focus of the message.
• Paralanguage is the meaning conveyed by how
something is said. Oral communication is what is
said. This is the distinguishing feature that makes
paralanguage different from oral language and
also indicates their inseparability.
 PARALANGUAGE
• Paralinguistic properties of speech play an
important role in human communication.
• Speech has non-verbal elements- voice
quality, speaking style, speed, accent, volume,
pitch, tone, rhythm, pause, modulation,
fluency, intonation, and stress.
• Paralanguage studies how a speaker speaks.
 PARALANGUAGE
• The study includes non-verbal factors: the
tone or pitch of voice (high or low), the pace
(fast or slow), the volume (loud or soft), the
emphasis or stress on words, break in the
sentence, faltering, hesitation, and so on.
 Paralanguage/Paralinguistic features-
Paralanguage consists of various aspects-
1) Vocalization of Words
(a) Volume Variation
(b) Pitch Variation
(c) Speed of Speaking
(d) Pauses
2) Word Stress
3) Inflections
4) Non-fluencies
 1. Vocalization of Words: There are
different dimensions of it based on -
(a) Volume Variation
• Sound energy while speaking.
• The amount of energy given while speaking
depends on the distance between the
speaker and the listener and also on the
emotional state of the speaker.
• If the person is angry, then the sound energy
is high, but in intimate conversations, it is
very low.
 (a) Volume Variation
• Sound energy is also a very good indicator of the
rank of the speaker.
• Volume is basically the indicator of sound energy
that is spent in getting the message across to the
receiver.
• The greater the distance between the sender and
the receiver, or louder the noise interference, or
larger the size of the audience, the greater is the
volume of sound necessary.
 1. Vocalization of Words
(b) Pitch Variation
• It refers to the shrillness of sound.
• Pitch variation allows an oral message to
acquire dynamism.
• It helps to remove the monotony of speech
and also make the articulation persuasive.
 (b) Pitch Variation
• Often understood to designate rank in an
organization, people in higher positions seem
to use high- pitched voices as compared to
their subordinates.
• Pitch variation is also higher when a person is
emotionally charged, for example, when he is
angry.
 Intonation
• Intonation is related to the rise and the fall of
the pitch of the voice.
• Pitch is determined by the frequency of
vibration of the vocal cords.
• Each word is made up of one or more than
one syllables.
• For example, the word captain is made up of
two syllables- cap and tain.
 Intonation
• In the words, having two or more syllables, all the
syllables are not equally prominent.
• Sometimes one of them is pronounced with
greater prominence than the other.
• That syllable is said to be accented.
• It may be stressed with the help of greater breath
force, muscular effort, and amplitude of the
vibration of the vocal cords.
• For example, the syllable ‘cap’ is stressed in the
word captain.
 1. Vocalization of Words
(c) Speed of Speaking
• It refers to whether the person speaking is
relaxed or in a hungry.
• But this should not be confused with fluency.
• Fluency in a language is very different from
the speed of language.
• Fluency is the ability of a person to speak a
language without having to first think about
the next expression to be uttered.
 ( c) Speed of Speaking
• Fluency means a greater and more appropriate
use of vocabulory.
• Speaking speed, on the other hand, is the speed
at which an utterance is delivered.
• When a person is in great hurry, he rushes
through the words without waiting to see if the
receiver has grasped the meaning.
• Speed of speech is must be such that the
different parts of the message can easily be
understood, or else there is immense scope of
misunderstanding.
 1. Vocalization of Words
(d) PAUSES
• Pauses are very significant while speaking as
they provide the necessary gap for the
receiver to grasp the messages.
• It is the reverse phenomenon of speed.
• When pauses in utterance are judiciously
used, they provide welcome gaps for the
receiver to understand the message.
 (d) PAUSES

• But too many pause or pauses at the

inappropriate places may cause distraction and
impatience in the receiver.
• Well timed pauses helps in dramatizing the
utterance by creating suspense.
• The listener becomes more attentive when the
pause withholds further information even if
momentarily.
• It may also be used as the oral equivalent of
parenthesis.
 2) WORD STRESS
• The stress placed on a particular word in a
phrase or a sentence is called ‘word stress.’
• It helps to make out whether an utterance is a
statement, a question, a request, or an order.
• For example, the sentence- Shut the door- can
be used as a request as well as an order.
• If the word ‘shut’ is stressed, it may be taken
as an order, but if the word ‘door’ is stressed,
it may be taken as a request.
 2) WORD STRESS
• Word Stress is a very important dimension of
paralanguage.
• When we speak, the meaning is not there in the
words spoken but the way in which we stress on
a particular word.
• Word stress could be of two kinds:
- Where words are stressed in a sentence or when
different syllables of a word get stressed so as to
bring about subtle changes in emphasis and thus
in meaning.
 2) WORD STRESS
• The first instance where word stress works in a
sentence, could be seen below by the subtle
shift of emphasis as stress is shifted from one
word to the other.
• Is this how you study ?
• Is this how you study ?
• Is this how you study?
• Is this how you study ?
 2) WORD STRESS
• Notice that the shift in stress in words of the
same statement makes the emphasis change.
• This is a possibility in oral communication
alone where paralanguage plays its role in
underlining the appropriate emphasis.
• In written communication, the same set of
words in the sentence would not have had the
same advantage of emphasis.
 2) WORD STRESS
• The second level of word stress is that of
stressing particular syllables in a word to
indicate how they are being used in a
sentence, whether as a verb or as a noun:
Pretend ( Noun)
Pretend (Verb)
Exhibit (Noun)
Exhibit (Verb)
 2) WORD STRESS
• For example, after evaluating your
assignment, your teacher comes to the class
and says “ Is this how you work?”. This
sentence can be spoken in various ways-
- Is this how you work ?
- Is this how you work ?
- Is this how you work ?
- Is this how you work ? (The bold words are
stressed)
 WORD STRESS
• - Is this how you work ?
In this sentence, your teacher is pointing
towards the assignment and probably
commenting on the shabbiness of the work
done.
• Is this how you work ?
In this sentence, your teacher is probably
referring to the way in which the work had
been done.
 WORD STRESS
• Is this how you work ?
In this sentence, your teacher would have
been referring to the people ( that is, you who
have done the work shabbily)
• Is this how you work ?
In this sentence, your teacher is referring to
the work itself.
 3) INFLECTIONS
• Inflections are the small bits of sounds that are
attached to utterances so that the spoken
language takes on a particular linguistic flavour.
• Pronunciation or the way language is spoken,
often reveals the social, cultural, educational,
regional and linguistic background of a person.
• These are often taken as markers of a speaker’s
identity and could cause miscommunication as
also stereotyping of the speaker.
 3) INFLECTIONS
• A Bengali speaking English and a South Indian
speaking English sound different as they differ
in attaching the small sounds.
• However, it can no longer be said that one is
speaking standard English while the other’s
language is an aberration as we now accept
that the important thing is to communicate
effectively and the focus is no longer on
accent, variety of speech etc.
 4) Non-fluencies
• The hesitant moments in our speech between
the intelligible parts of our utterances are
usually filled with sounds such as ‘ ummm’ or
‘errr’. These sounds are called non- fluencies.
• Non-fluencies are terms that express the state
of a person’s mind, particularly in a moment
of urgency.
 Non-fluencies
• They are used in moments of distress, pain,
anger, frustration, etc. almost as a shortcut for
a longer message.
• Words and phrases are also used but hardly
ever in their literal sense.
• Common examples of non-fluencies are- okay,
you know, ah, oh, etc.
To explain non-fluencies, the following
narrative may be illustrative:
• You are carrying some softie ice cream from the
parlour for your friends waiting outside.
Someone in a tearing hurry pushes against you
and suddenly you discover that the ice cream is
all over your clothes. Even before you realize, you
have uttered two words of annoyance and
disgust, ‘Oh Shit!’ Now, this is non-fluency,
because what you are referring to with your
expression is the act of the hurrying person and
the consequent loss. This entire annoyance gets
condensed into non-fluency.
 Non-fluencies
• Non- fluencies may be slang and even abusive
terms but they are usually empty of their
literal meaning.
• Non fluencies are useful for the speaker
because it gives them breathing space to
collect their wits, while for the receiver, they
provide the opportunity of understanding the
speaker’s mental condition better.
 SILENCE
• Silence is another means of non-verbal
communication.
• It doesn’t use words, but can have some
signals, like eye movements, facial
expressions, postures, gestures, etc.
• However, it is a passive non-verbal means, but
acts as an effective communicative tool.
• Silence has different connotations and
meanings in different contexts.
 SILENCE
• It can communicate fear, respect, shyness,
disgust, sadness, disagreement, ignorance, or
so.
• For example, the silence of students in the
class communicates their interest, but when
the teacher asks a question, the silence of the
student communicates that she/he doesn’t
know the answer.
 SILENCE
• Meetings are held in all the organizations to
discuss certain issues.
• Silence can rob very purpose of the meeting.
• Silence of a member may communicate that
she/he is either ignorant about the matter
being discussed, or not interested in the
discussion.
 SILENCE
• As the person becomes silent, he provides
himself an opportunity of mental relaxation,
as also gathering and organizing his thoughts.
• Because it is a passive medium, silence also
has the potential of being interpreted as a sign
of suffering from fear or being respectful.
• But in the absence of verbal clarifications, the
interpretation of silence could be wide.
 SILENCE
• One of the main limitations is that silence is often
taken for assent, and is difficult to express
disagreement through it.
• In meetings and group activities, silence may rob
the group of a member’s viewpoint (that is, the
primary cause of his presence).
• Remaining silent in such a setting may send out
wrong signals: that either the person is not
interested or that he is ignorant about the issues
being discussed.
 SILENCE
• Often our silence also speaks as much as our
words.
• For example, an informal meeting is convened
in an organization where the employees are
planning to celebrate the festival of Holi. The
Managing Director enters the room, listens to
the discussion for a while, remains silent
throughout and leaves the room.
 SILENCE
• Immediately the employees understand that
they should not be engaging themselves in
such discussions presently as it is year ending
and the employees are supposed to finish the
Year Ending Report which is to be submitted
next week.
• The Managing Director’s silence spoke more
than his words. In most cases, silences are
pauses filled with meaning.
 SIGN LANGUAGE
• Sign language refers to symbols which are
commonly used within a particular community or
communicative group to mean something that is
constant for all the members of that community.
• For example, Traffic signals are signs or symbols
that are common all over the world.
• These signs are abstractions which people agree
on the meanings to make it work.
• Other examples of signs are road signals, graphs,
maps, alarms, sirens, etc.
 SIGN LANGUAGE
• For example, a patch of uniform black and
white painted bands on the road has come to
mean a zebra crossing, the lane that
pedestrians can use to cross the road.
• Signs are abstractions and people must agree
on the meaning of signs for them to work.
• Usually, they can convey simple messages
because it is not possible to express complex
ideas with symbols of limited scope.
 SIGN LANGUAGE
• Road signs, traffic signals , graphs, maps,
alarms and sirens- all convey their respective
and particular messages.
• Sign language is audio or visual, depending on
the receiver’s sensory faculty that is being
addressed by the sign.
• A combination of the two, that is audio-visual,
has become a unique medium of
communication in itself.
 AUDIO SIGNS
• When some sounds are used by a group to
symbolize certain things then they are called
audio signs.
• Audio signs are sounds that convey messages
addressed to our faculty of hearing.
• It is one of the most ancient communication
practices, one that imitates wild animals and
their methods of communicating.
• Drum beats and conch blowing have been
variously used to warn of danger.
 AUDIO SIGNS
• Despite its primitive connections, sound
signals continue to be used, particularly for
purposes where immediacy is required and
visual signs cannot be seen, for example,
ambulance hooters, or fire-tender sirens.
• In the workplace, sound signals are used as
markers of time periods, like the siren in
factories, announcing shift change.
 AUDIO SIGNS
• The alarm clock, the office buzzer, the doorbell,
the telephone ring and the car horn are all
examples of audio signs.
• The advantage of sound is that it is a fast medium
that can spread to a large number of receivers
who may be scattered over a large area.
• Also the receivers may not be within the visual
distance of the sender and yet, because reception
of sound signals is involuntary, they would the
message.
 AUDIO SIGNS
• Sirens in factories signify shift change; the
ringing of a doorbell signifies that someone is
at the door; the sound of an office buzzer
signifies that the boss wants the peon for
some work; drum beats and conch shells,
though not used so much these days, could
mean the threat of danger.
 VISUAL SIGNS
• Visual Signs are basically graphics and
illustrations that have some associative meaning
in their design.
• The picture on a road sign, of a boy or girl
running with a school bag, suggests that there is
a school ahead on that road and one needs to
slow down.
• Similarly, the picture of a plate, a spoon and a
fork suggests that there is a restaurant ahead
where a traveller may have some refreshments.
 VISUAL SIGNS
• Visual signs must be used in a perfect way so that
at one glance people are able to grasp the
meaning of it.
• The main advantage of visual signs is that they
can condense a message so that the receiver can
grasp the meaning at one glance.
• This is one of the primary reasons why highway
road signs use the visual sign language.
• Drivers of speeding vehicles can easily follow the
instructions available from these signs.
 VISUAL SIGNS
• Written instructions would have been difficult
to read when one is moving at high speed.
• Visual signs also have a universal appeal and
do not disadvantage people who are
unfamiliar with a particular language in which
the verbal message could have been written.
• Certain signs are understood worldwide, like
the meanings of traffic lights: red, yellow and
green.
 VISUAL SIGNS
• Visual signs like maps and graphs serve to
illustrate and enliven the contents rendered in
verbal medium.
• The main reason is that the appeal of the
visual medium makes it so much more
persuasive.
• Illustrations like map or graph or a flowchart,
make verbal ideas clearer and help us
understand better.
 AUDIO-VISUAL SIGNS
• Audio-visual is the combining of the faculties
of hearing and seeing simultaneously.
• It is the most popular medium in the present
times.
• Mass media, that is, television, films and
multimedia, etc have become emblematic of
modern civilization.
• Its business potential is immense and
communicative power is persuasive.
 AUDIO-VISUAL SIGNS
• From advertizing to marketing, from
presentations to interactive websites, the
audio-visual’s potentialities are tapped for
business.
• Since it is largely a technology-based medium,
and as communication technology improves
further, the audio-visual is likely to grow
stronger.
 AUDIO-VISUAL SIGNS
• A visitor comes to an office and sees a TV in
the lobby which was showing a small
documentary on stock market.
• The person immediately understands that the
organization deals with Stock Market and
Investments.
• In TV, films, multimedia, Internet, many audio-
visual signs are used to communicate the
message.
 Barriers to Communication
• Communication is a smooth transmission of
information, ideas, emotions and feelings ( and
more importantly transmission of meaning ) from
one to another where the intended message
encoded by the sender is grasped by the receiver
and she/he responds accordingly..
• But in many cases we fail to communicate the
desired information, knowledge or emotion as
some barrier crops up between the sender and
the receiver which prevents successful
communication.
 Barriers to Communication
• Barrier distorts the message or hampers the
process and makes communication meaningless.
• For example, when we are communicating orally
it may happen that the communication
environment is noisy and consequently the
receiver of the message is not able to hear us
clearly.
• This noisy environment is a barrier to
communication
 Barriers to Communication
• Barriers to Communication is anything that
prevents smooth exchange of meaning
between two people.
• It may also happen that two unknown persons
accidentally meet and want to communicate
but do not have a common language that can
be the medium in which they can
communicate
 Barriers to Communication
• Or may be when we are writing, if our
handwriting is illegible or we use very subject-
specific jargon which the receiver has no
knowledge of, and then the communication
would not achieve its desired goal.
• In these cases, illegible handwriting or the
highly specialized jargonized language are
barriers to communication.
 CLASSIFICATION OF BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION.
• Noise or Barriers can be of two kinds-
1. CHANNEL NOISE
2. SEMANTIC NOISE
The difference between the Channel Noise
and Semantic noise can be summarized as
• Channel Noise develops externally (that is,
external to the message)
• Semantic Noise is internal to the message.
 CHANNEL NOISE
• When there is any unwanted interference or
snag in the medium of communication process, it
is termed as channel noise, for example, a noisy
market place and illegible handwriting can be
termed as channel noise as in both the cases the
factors that create communication failure are not
an intrinsic part of the message- in one case it is
the communication environment which is not
suitable for communication and in the other
medium of communication, i.e. writing, is not
readable.
 Below are some of the causes with
examples of Channel Noise
• PHYSICAL NOISE IN THE CHANNEL- Undesirable
physical noise is a great barrier to
communication. Any physical noise which is not
related to the communication process can cause
a barrier.
• INFORMATION OVERLOAD- A message should
only provide that much information as is required
to understand it. Too much of information can
lead to a situation where the intended message is
lost.
 Below are some of the causes with
examples of Channel Noise
• MULTIPLE TRANSFER STATIONS- If a clerical
staff of an organization figures out a mistake
in some document and wants to communicate
it to the Director and informs her/his higher
official who then informs her/his superior and
then her/his superior to the Director, then it
may happen that because of the Multiple
Transfer Stations, the content of the message
is lost.
 MULTIPLE TRANSFER STATIONS-

• It may also happen that the message changes

in its tone and meaning because of it being
transferred too many times which hampers
the communication
 FEAR OF SUPERIORS
• It often happens that one wants to pass on
some information to one’s superior, but
she/he cannot do it as she/he feels that the
senior/superior would get offended.
• Often the way superior would react makes us
not to communicate what we truly feel or
think which can be a major barrier to smooth
functioning of an organization.
 USE OF INAPPROPRIATE MEDIA
• Inappropriate selection of media to
communicate messages can lead to
miscommunication or may not have the
desired result.
• For example, you are the manager of a
company which is bidding for a tender; will it
be possible to bid for tender using oral
communication? Oral communication is an
inappropriate media for a bid for tender.
 NEGATIVE PRESUPPOSITIONS
• One usually has a feeling that a memo is
always issued to seek clarification or to warn
or to inform, whereas a memo can also be
issued to congratulate someone. People have
a negative presupposition about memos. So
when someone gets news that her or his
friend got a memo, she/he starts feeling bad
without any reason.
 COMMUNICATION SELECTIVITY
• When we are selective in our listening, it can
be a barrier to communication.
• It can also be a significant barrier when one
decides to read only parts of a document.
 POOR LISTENING
• If one is a poor listener then it can itself be a
barrier to communication.
• Listening is a significant thing in the process of
communication
 SEMANTIC NOISE
• Semantic Noise can be defined as noise or
barrier that is generated from within a
message.
• As language is connotative, that it, meaning of
word is not always stated directly and can also
be implied; therefore the communication
process fails many times as the same word is
interpreted differently by different people.
 SEMANTIC NOISE
• For example, if someone says that ‘ the bark is
strong’ then the meaning of the sentence will
depend on the context in which it is spoken.
• In one context it may mean a dog’s bark and in
another the bark of a tree.
• So, if the context is not given to us then the
meaning becomes inaccessible.
 SEMANTIC NOISE
• Sometimes ambiguity in the language may
also cause semantic noise, for example, if one
says- “I saw Ravi going with some old men and
women”, one is not sure whether the
adjective “old” applies to the men or also to
the women.
 Below are some of the causes with
examples of Semantic Noise
-LIMITED VOCABULORY
• Limited Vocabulory can become a significant
barrier to communication as it can create not
only a problem in understanding things, but
also may lead to a situation where the person
is not able to express what she/he intends to
express.
 LIMITED VOCABULORY
• One also has to keep in mind that having an
extensive vocabulory does not always ensure
that one would be a good communicator.
• For effective communication, one should
know which words to use in which
circumstances.
• Moreover, words have both their literal
meaning (denotative) as well as
symbolic(connotative) meaning.
 INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN VERBAL
AND NON-VERBAL LANGUAGES
• We communicate not only with our words but
also with non-verbal cues- dress, eye contact,
physical touch, facial expressions, gestures,
postures, etc.
• Often we use non-verbal cues or body language
consciously, but many a times the non-verbal
cues are unconscious.
• It is essential that our gestures and postures are
compatible with our words. Wherever, it is not so,
we are misinterpreted or misunderstood.
 Varied Perception due to Different
Backgrounds
• Each one of us perceives the same incident or
entity in a different way which can lead to
communication failure.
• For example, the Librarian of your College
called a library committee meeting to discuss
the issue of books being stolen from the
library.
 Varied Perception due to Different
Backgrounds
• The Chairperson of the Committee came to
meeting and pointed out that stealing of books
suggests that the students are interested in
gaining knowledge and recommended that all
books to be replaced and at the most security
measures can be tightened.
• Many others in the meeting felt that this was not
the solution, yet they did not say anything as they
did not dare to oppose the Chair.
• This is an example of Varied Perceptions because
of the ways in which we try to look at the world.
 BLOCKED CATEGORIES/CATEGORICAL
THINKING
• In general, we react positively to an
information only if it is in consonance with our
own views and attitudes.
• Conversely, when we receive information that
does not conform to our personal views,
habits, and attitudes, or appears unfavorable
to us, we tend to react negatively or even
disbelieve it.
 BLOCKED CATEGORIES/CATEGORICAL
THINKING
• For example, you think that you can never
deal with matters related to accounts as you
are very poor in that field.
• So, whenever any document reaches you from
the Accounts Section, you immediately pass
on the work to someone else thinking that
you will not be able to handle it.
• This is an example of blocked categories.
 WRONG ASSUMPTIONS AND
INFERENCES
• Wrong Assumptions can often lead to
miscommunication.
• Suppose there is a string of letters that are
written by two departments regarding a certain
issue and one department writes a letter to the
other department without referring to the earlier
communications in this regard when the Head of
the other department has changed.
• There is always a chance that the letter would not
serve its purpose.
 EMOTIONAL, PSYCHO-SOCIAL
UNSETTLED STATE
• It is true that none of us can be unemotional,
as emotions are an integral part of human life,
but when emotions are not moderated, they
can become a barrier to communication.
• It can lead to a situation where one reacts
negatively to situations which can act as
barriers to communication.
 SEMANTIC NOISE- MORE INFO
• Semantics is related to the meaning of a word,
phrase or sentence in language.
• Verbal communication takes place through
words, and words have different meanings in
different contexts.
• Similarly, the pronunciation of a word also
makes the difference.
• Different people pronounce the same word in
different ways.
 SEMANTIC NOISE- MORE INFO
• Sometimes the listener derives another
meaning of the word which creates confusion
and misunderstanding. This is known as
Semantic Noise.
• It is created when the sender and the receiver
have different meanings of a message.
• Mainly, it is caused by the sender.
• It occurs when sender uses technical language
which the receiver fails to understand.
 More Causes and Ways of Semantic
Noise
-JARGONS
• Sometimes, technical personnel use jargons to
convey the message.
• If the listener belongs to some other field,
she/he may have different definition of the
terminology, which acts as semantic noise.
 INCORRECT PRONUNCIATION
• Some words are written in one way and
spoken in other.
• This difference leads to another meaning of
the word which causes confusion and
misunderstanding.
• The incorrect pronunciation of the word by
the speaker acts as semantic noise.
 FAULTY TRANSLATION
• All of us are multilingual.
• We use different language while dealing with
different people.
• Sometimes, we need to translate the message
into another language which needs high level
of linguistic proficiency.
 FAULTY TRANSLATION
• Faulty Translation or approximate
understanding of words can lead to confusion
and misunderstanding.
• Sometimes the speaker does not make
analysis of the audience before the delivery.
• This state is also termed as semantic noise
 INFORMATION OVERLOAD
• Transmission of excessive information refers to
‘information overload’.
• Too much information confuses the receiver and
leads to errors.
• The receiver fails to understand, analyze and act
upon the information that is beyond his/her
mental capacity.
• It results in delay in action or leads to inaction.
• This is flaw on speaker’s part and acts as
semantic noise.
 INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE
• Language is the medium of expression.
• It facilitates communication.
• But sometimes it acts as a barrier.
• Limited vocabulory or poorly chosen words can
lead to wrong meaning.
• Moreover, words have different meanings in
different contexts.
• Selection of words that do not suit the occasion
or context is called semantic noise.
 NOISE- MORE VARIETIES
PHYSICAL NOISE
• The noise that is external to both the speaker
and the listener, and disrupts or interferes
with physical transmission of the sound
signals made by the speaker is termed as
Physical Noise.
• It can occur at any point in the process of
communication
 PHYSICAL NOISE
• For example, faulty telephone line creates
problem in listening the message and can
create confusion.
• Adverse weather conditions can also create
problem in listening the message.
• Similarly, technical problem in public address
system can distort the sound signal and affect
the communication.
 PHYSIOLOGICAL NOISE
• Physiological noise is created by the barrier (s)
within the speaker or the listener.
• It includes the barriers related to speaker’s
problem with articulation, mumbling, speed of
speaking (whether too fast or too slow), or
speaking without pause.
• It can also occur due to the hearing problem
of the listener(s).
 PSYCHOLOGICAL NOISE
• Psychological state of the speaker or the
listener can affect the meaning of the
message.
• Any kind of psychological or emotional
disturbance can hinder the flow of
communication.
• The noise that interferes with mental state of
either the speaker or the listener is known as
Psychological Noise.
PSYCHOLOGICAL NOISE CAN OCCUR IN
FOLLOWING WAYS-
• EMOTIONS
• PREMATURE EVALUATION
• INATTENTION
• LACK OF INTEREST
• POOR RETENTION
 EMOTIONS

• Emotional state of the speaker or the listener can

create psychological noise.
• Feeling of sadness, fear, anger, anxiety or
jubilation can influence the reception and
receptivity to the ideas of the other.
• If receiver is in a fit of anger or in a bad mood,
she/he may not be able to derive exact meaning
of the communicated message.
• Extreme emotions or depression can also affect
the effectiveness of communication.
 PREMATURE EVALUATION
• Sometimes the listener forms her/his opinion
before receiving the complete message.
• This judgement, based on incomplete
information, is likely to be wrong.
• Such premature evaluation prevents effective
communication and acts as psychological
noise.
 INATTENTION
• It is essential for a listener to pay proper
attention to the message.
• If the listener is occupied with some other
work, unwilling or unable to listen, he/she
may receive partial message.
• She/he may not be able to understand the
intended meaning of the message, and may
derive wrong meaning.
• Thus, inattention acts as psychological noise.
 POOR RETENTION
• Retention is extremely important during
interaction.
• The speaker needs to memorize the facts to
present before the listener (s).
• But if he/she forgets the matter, the message
will be incomplete.
• It is also related to psychological noise.
 LACK OF INTEREST
• Receiver’s interest is essential for effective
communication.
• If the receiver is interested in the
communication or the subject matter is of
her/his interest, she/he will pay proper
attention and receive the information
enthusiastically.
 LACK OF INTEREST
• But if the receiver is not interested or the
subject matter is not of her/his interest,
she/he will not pay due attention.
• In this way, lack of interest acts as
psychological noise.
 MECHANICAL FAILURE
• Mechanical equipments play an important role in
the communication of messages.
• In case of large audience, or long distance
between the speaker and the listener, some
mechanical equipment is required to
communicate a message.
• Any kind of defect in the equipment, or power
breakdown can lead to communication failure.
• Moreover, the wrong choice of equipment can
also lead to miscommunication.
 CULTURE/CULTURAL BARRIER
• Culture is the behavioral feature of a
particular group.
• It includes social beliefs, values and customs
of the group.
• Every group has its own characteristics, such
as speech, writing style, language, festivals,
cuisines, etc.
• These differences often lead to
miscommunication.
 TYPES OF CULTURE/CULTURAL
BARRIER
• INTER-CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
• RELIGION
• ETHNOCENTRISM
 INTER-CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

• There are diverse cultures in different regions.

• Each culture follows its own customs,
traditions, beliefs, values and languages.
• People need to move from one place to
another place for work or for other reasons.
• They need language for communication, but
words have different meanings in different
cultures.
 INTER-CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
• The same category of words, signs and
symbols, gestures and actions mean
differently to the people belonging to different
regions or cultural backgrounds.
• These cultural differences lead to
communication failure or miscommunication.
 RELIGION
• There are different religions all over the world.
• Each religion follows its own values, traditions
and codes.
• They impose certain restrictions on dress, food
and social behavior.
• They practice a particular language which creates
problems before the persons who do not know
the language.
• It results in communication failure or
miscommunication.
 ETHNOCENTRISM
• The word ‘ethno’ is related to ‘ethnic group’.
• Ethnocentrism is the state when the members
of one ethnic group consider themselves
superior to the members of the other group,
and think that they should be given
preference or precedence over the other.
• This perception can be based on race, color,
caste, religion, education, social or economic
class.
 ETHNOCENTRISM
• It leads to rigidity and acts as a hindrance in
the acceptance of other culture.
• Such views create bad environment and
hinder the flow of communication.
 CLASSIFICATION OF BARRIERS
• A barrier acts like a sieve, allowing only part of
the message to filter through; as a result, the
desired response is not achieved.
• To communicate smoothly and effectively in an
organization, irrespective of your position, you
need to know how barriers operate, why they
cause misunderstanding, and how to minimize
their negative impact.
• How often have you said, ‘ I meant to say this and
not that’?
 CLASSIFICATION OF BARRIERS
• Even with the best intentions, communication
barriers crop up and our written and spoken
messages are misunderstood.
• If we classify barriers according to the
processes of message formation and delivery,
we can identify three types:
1. INTRAPERSONAL
2. INTERPERSONAL
3. ORGANIZATIONAL
 INTRAPERSONAL BARRIERS
• Individuals are unique because of differences
in perceptions, experiences, education,
culture, personality, etc.
• Each of us interprets the same information in
different ways, as our thinking varies.
• These differences lead to certain inbuilt or
intrapersonal barriers.
Let us explore all the common causes that
lead to these intrapersonal barriers-
• Wrong Assumptions
• Wong Inferences
• Varied Perceptions
• Blocked Categories
• Differing Background
• Categorical Thinking
 WRONG ASSUMPTIONS
• Many barriers stem from wrong assumptions.
• For example, when a doctor tells her patient that
he has to take some medicine only ‘SOS’ (i.e.,
during an emergency), without knowing whether
the patient understands the term ‘SOS’, she is
creating a barrier in their communication.
• Here the Doctor has made a wrong assumption
about her patient’s level of knowledge.
 VARIED PERCEPTIONS
• We all know the story of the six blind men and
their description and their description of an
elephant.
• The elephant was perceived by each man as fan,
a rope, a wall, a sword, a snake, and a tree.
• None of the blind men were wrong, as the part of
the elephant’s body touched by each man
compared well with the various objects they
named.
 DIFFERING BACKGROUNDS
• No two persons have the same background.
• Backgrounds can be different due to different
education, culture, language, environment,
financial status, etc.
• Our background plays a significant role in how
we interpret a message.
• At times, something not experienced earlier is
difficult to interpret or appreciate.
 DIFFERING BACKGROUNDS
• Think of a class where the professor talks
about his rock- climbing adventure.
• Students who have experienced rock- climbing
may be able to appreciate the professor’s talk,
while others who have never been into
adventure sports may not find it interesting at
all.
 WRONG INFERENCES
• Suppose you have returned from a business
trip and you find that two of your colleagues
are absent. They do not turn up for several
days. Since there is a recession on, you draw
an inference that they have been laid off.
• The fact is that they have been promoted and
sent to another department.
• This is an example of fact- inference
confusion.
 BLOCKED CATEGORIES
• In general, we react positively to information only
if it is in consonance with our own views and
attitudes.
• Conversely, when we receive information that
does not conform to our personal views, habits,
and attitudes, or appears unfavorable to us, we
tend to react negatively or even disbelieve it.
• Rejection, distortion, and avoidance are three
common, undesirable, and negative reactions to
unfavorable information.
 BLOCKED CATEGORIES
• For example, one of your fellow students may
think that only students of Science are good in
reasoning; another might be of the opinion
that young executives are more efficient than
older ones.
• Such people fall into blocked categories,
because they may not be able to accept any
deviation from their points of view.
 CATEGORICAL THINKING
• People who feel that they “know it all” are
called pansophists.
• This type of thinking exists in people who feel
that they know everything about a particular
subject, and therefore refuse to accept any
information on that topic.
• For example, in a general body meeting of
your organization, you are to be briefed about
the annual budget.
 CATEGORICAL THINKING
• However, you do not pay attention because
you feel that you have already been briefed
about it by your secretary the previous day.
• Later you propose that new vehicles have to
be bought.
• Imagine your embarrassment when you
realize that the topic was discussed and a
discussion has already been taken in the
general body meeting.
 INTERPERSONAL BARRIERS
• Intrapersonal barriers stem from an individual’s
attitudes or habits, whereas interpersonal
barriers occur due to the inappropriate
transaction of words between two or more
people.
• The two broad categories into which these
barriers can be classified are :
1. INEFFICIENT COMMUNICATION SKILLS
2. NEGATIVE ASPECT NURTURING IN THE CLIMATE
 INTERPERSONAL BARRIERS
• NEGATIVE ASPECT NURTURING IN THE
CLIMATE- refers to a situation when negative
tendencies nurtured by some people affect
others around them.
• This leads to a barrier as individuals start
thinking only negative.
• Interpersonal barriers creep in as a result of
the limitations in the communication skills of
the encoder or the decoder or of both.
 INTERPERSONAL BARRIERS
• In addition, they may also occur because of
some disturbance in the channel or medium
of communication.
• If two people are involved in communication,
the traits that distinguish them as individuals
can be the root cause of a communication
problem.
 The most common reasons for
interpersonal barriers are:
• LIMITED VOCABULORY
• INCOMPATIBILITY (CLASH) OF VERBAL AND
NON- VERBAL MESSAGES.
• EMOTIONAL OUTBURST
• COMMUNICATION SELECTIVITY
• CULTURAL VARIATIONS
• POOR LISTENING SKILLS
• NOISE IN THE CHANNEL
 LIMITED VOCABULORY

• Inadequate vocabulory can be a major

hindrance in communication.
• At times, we find ourselves searching for the
exact word or phrase that would be
appropriate for what we are trying to express.
• For example, during a speech, if you are at a
loss for words, your communication will be
very ineffective, and you will leave a poor
impression on the audience.
INCOMPATIBILITY (CLASH) OF VERBAL
AND NON- VERBAL MESSAGES
• Imagine a situation where your CEO introduces
the newly recruited middle-level manager to the
other employees. In a small speech, he conveys
the message that he is very delighted to have the
new manager appointed in his office. However,
the expression on his face shows just the
opposite of what he is saying
• The stark difference between the verbal and the
non-verbal aspects of his communication leaves
his listener feeling confused and puzzled.
 EMOTIONAL OUTBURST
• Imagine that you are the President of a well-
established company. There are rumours floating
amongst your employees that you have indulged
in fraudulent activities. Your are fully aware that
these rumours are baseless. However, when you
are asked to address the same employees , you
are unable to put your point across, as you are
flushed with anger. Despite the fact that you are a
confident public speaker, your communication
failed as you were overwhelmed by your
emotions.
 EMOTIONAL OUTBURST
• In most cases, a moderate level of emotional
involvement intensifies communication,
making it more personal.
• However, excessive emotional involvement
can be an obstacle in communication.
• For example, extreme anger can create such
an emotionally charged environment that a
rational discussion becomes impossible.
 COMMUNICATION SELECTIVITY
• When the receiver in a communication process
pays attention only to a part of the message,
he/she is imposing a barrier known as
communication selectivity.
• This happens because he/she is interested only in
that part of the message which may be of use to
him/her.
• In such a situation, the sender is not at fault.
• It is the receiver who breaks the flow of
communication.
 COMMUNICATION SELECTIVITY
• Take for example, a meeting held by the CEO
of the company. She has called all her senior
executives from various divisions- production,
marketing, finance, human resource (HR), etc.
During the meeting, she discusses diverse
topics. However, she may not be able to get
the entire message across to each of the
participants, unless she gets their undivided
attention.
 CULTURAL VARIATIONS
• This is one of the predominant interpersonal
factors contributing to communication failure.
• As businesses are crossing national boundaries to
compete on a global scale, the outlook of the
global and domestic workforce has changed
drastically.
• European, Asian, and American firms have
expanded their businesses worldwide to create
international ties partnership, collaborations, and
affiliations.
 POOR LISTENING SKILLS
• A common obstacle to communication is poor
listening habits.
• We should remember that listening and
hearing are not the same.
• Hearing is a passive exercise while listening
requires careful attention and accurate
decoding of the signals received from the
speaker.
 NOISE IN THE CHANNEL
• Noise interferes in the transmission of signals.
• Noise is any unwanted signal that acts as a
hindrance in the flow of communication.
• It is not necessarily limited to audio
disturbances, but can also occur in visual,
audio-visual, written, physical, or
psychological forms.
 NOISE IN THE CHANNEL
• All these forms of noise communicate
extraneous matter which may distract the
receiver from the message, and even irritate
him/her.
• Technical or physical noise refers to the din of
machines, the blare of music from a stereo
system, or other such sounds which make the
task of the listener difficult.
 NOISE IN THE CHANNEL
• Human noise can be experienced when, for
instance, employees gather for a meeting and
a member arrives late distracting everybody’s
attention.
• Disturbances in telephone lines, poorly
designed acoustics of a room, dim typescripts
and illegible writing are examples of technical
noise.
 ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS
• Communication barriers are not only limited
to an individual or two people but exist in
entire organizations.
• Every organization, irrespective of its size, has
its own communication techniques, and each
nurtures its own communication climate.
• In large organizations where the flow of
information is downward, feedback is not
guaranteed.
 THE MAIN ORGANIZATIONAL
BARRIERS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
• Too many transfer stations
• Fear of superiors
• Negative Tendencies
• Use of inappropriate media
• Information overload
 TOO MANY TRANSFER STATIONS
• The more links there are in a communication
chain, the greater are the chances of
miscommunication.
• Imagine, for instance, that your professor asks
you to convey a message to X. You, because of
some inconvenience or sheer laziness, ask
your friend Y to do this job. Now, there are
four people involved in this communication
channel.
Let us se how the message gets distorted as a result of
the increased number of transfer stations.

• Professor : X was supposed to meet me today

regarding the submission of an assignment on
Magnetic Theory. But I want X to meet me on
Friday, as I am going out of station tomorrow.
• You (to your friend Y) : Ask X to meet the
professor tomorrow, regarding the assignment, as
the professor is going out of station today.
• Your friend Y ( to X) : X, you have to meet the
professor today as he will not be available
tomorrow.
 TOO MANY TRANSFER STATIONS
• This was an example of how messages get
distorted in huge organizations with several
layers of communication channels.
• The message gets distorted at each level not
only because of poor listening or lack of
concentration, but also because of several
other reasons.
 FEAR OF SUPERIORS
• In rigidly structured organizations, fear or awe
of superiors prevents subordinates from
speaking frankly.
• An employee may not be pleased with the
way his/her boss extracts work from him/her
but is unable to put his/ her point across
because of fear of losing the goodwill of the
boss.
 NEGATIVE TENDENCIES
• Many organizations create work groups.
• While some groups are formed according to
the requirements of the task at hand, such as
accomplishing a particular project, many other
small groups are also formed for recreational,
social, or community purposes.
 NEGATIVE TENDENCIES
• These groups may be formal or informal, and
generally consist of people who share similar
values, attitudes, opinions, beliefs and
behaviors.
• Nevertheless, on some occasions, a
communication barrier can exist due to a
conflict of ideas between the members and
non- members of a group.
 NEGATIVE TENDENCIES
• For example, the student members of the sports
club of an educational institution may be
annoyed with non- members who oppose the
club’s demand for allocating more funds to
purchase sports equipment.
• This type of opposition gives rise to insider-
outsider equations, which in turn pave the way
for negative tendencies in the organization.
• Once these negative tendencies develop, they
create noise in interpersonal communication.
 USE OF INAPPROPRIATE MEDIA
• Some of the common media used in
organizations are graphs and charts, telephones,
facsimile machines, boards, email, telephones,
films and slides, computer presentations,
teleconferencing and videoconferencing.
• While choosing the medium for a particular
occasion, the advantages, disadvantages, and
potential barriers to communication must be
considered.
 While deciding upon the medium, the
following factors should be considered:
• TIME
• TYPE OF MESSAGE
• COST
• INTENDED AUDIENCE
 USE OF INAPPROPRIATE MEDIA
• The telephone, for instance, would not be an
ideal medium for conveying confidential
information.
• Such messages are best conveyed in person or,
if the receiver is located in another office, by
private chat messenger,
 USE OF INAPPROPRIATE MEDIA
• Printed letters, which provide permanence,
are preferable for information which requires
to be stored for future reference.
• Usually, a mix of media is best for effective
communication.
• For example, after booking an order online, a
follow-up call can be made to verify whether
the order has been placed or not
 INFORMATION OVERLOAD
• One of the major problems faced by
organizations today is the decrease in
efficiency resulting from manual handling of
huge amount of data.
• This is known as INFORMATION OVERLOAD.
• The usual results of information overload are
fatigue, decrease in interest and boredom.