Employability Skills III: Verbal, non-verbal and visual communication

Hello students, welcome to Kwickprep. In an interview, the panel forms an opinion before you say a word. How? Your posture, your eyes and your smile speak first. Today we learn verbal, non verbal and visual communication, and how to use all three well.

Every message uses one or more of three types. Verbal communication uses words. Non verbal communication uses the body and the voice, without the words themselves. Visual communication uses pictures, signs, charts and colours.

Verbal means using words, and there are two forms. Oral communication is spoken. Face to face talk, like a class discussion, lets you see the listener, so make eye contact. Distant oral talk happens on a phone or a video call, so speak slowly and clearly. Written communication includes emails, letters, notices and text messages, and it gives a record, so always check spelling.

Here is how to speak well. First, plan, and know your main point before you begin. Use simple and polite words, like please and thank you. Speak at a steady speed and a clear volume, not too fast. Pause and ask whether the listener understood, so the message is not lost.

Public speaking means speaking to a group, like in the school assembly. First, know who is listening and why you are speaking. Then prepare and practise aloud, maybe in front of a mirror. Start with a question or a short story to catch attention, and end with a summary. Stand straight and look around at the audience, not at the floor.

Now non verbal communication. It sends a message without words. It shows feelings and attitude, like interest, boredom or confidence. It can support your words, or it can contradict them. For example, saying I am fine while frowning sends a mixed message. People often trust the body more than the words.

Here are six non verbal signals. Facial expressions show feelings, so a warm smile makes you look friendly. Posture is the way you sit or stand, and sitting straight shows interest. Gestures are hand movements, and open palms show honesty. Eye contact means looking at the person, steady but not staring. Touch and space mean how close you stand, and a handshake or a namaste is usual, depending on the workplace. Paralanguage means how you say words, like tone, pitch and speed, so keep a calm voice.

Let us sort body language into positive and negative. Smiling looks friendly, but frowning looks upset. Nodding shows you are listening, but rolling your eyes shows disrespect. Leaning forward shows interest, but slouching shows boredom. Open hands look honest, but crossed arms can look closed or defensive.

Now the third type. Visual communication uses images, signs, symbols and colours. Charts and graphs show numbers quickly, like a bar chart of class marks. Signs work across languages, so everyone understands a toilet sign, an exit sign or a no smoking sign. A good visual is simple and clearly labelled, with only a few colours.

Look around, and visuals are everywhere. A traffic signal uses red, amber and green to say stop, get ready and go. A pie chart in a report shows each part's share of a total. An emoji in a chat shows a feeling in one small picture. A map at a metro station shows the route without long sentences.

Pause and predict. A candidate says, I am very confident, but looks at the floor and speaks in a low voice. What will the panel believe? They will believe the body language, and think the candidate is nervous. So make your non verbal signals match your words.

Let us revise what we learned today. Verbal communication uses words, spoken or written. Non verbal communication uses the face, posture, gestures, eyes, space and tone of voice. Visual communication uses pictures, signs, charts and colours. And your body language should always match your words.