Page 58 - Effective Communication Soft Skills Strategies For Success by Nitin Bhatnagar, Mamta Bhatnagar

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Postural Communication
Posture functions to define the nature of relationships that may endure
for a considerable period of time. Posture often functions symbolically to
communicate what one sees as the type of relationship with other persons
that is expected or even demanded because of one’s position.
The sociologists introduced several constructs to identify nonverbal
communication. They first distinguished emblems, which are gestures that
replace words and are encoded arbitrarily and with intent (for example, the
hand signals of a football coach or a cricket umpire). Next they identified
different types of gestures that are used in conjunction with speech:
(a) batons—movements that accent a particular word or phrase;
(b) ideographs—movements that trace the flow of an idea;
(c) deistic gesture—movements that point to available referents;

(d) spatial gestures—movements that portray relationships in space; and
(e) kinetographs—movements that depict a bodily action.

Nonverbal Communication and Intent
Verbal messages can be controlled better than our nonverbal messages.
The greater the awareness of one’s messages, the greater is the likelihood of
precise communication. Nonverbal communication is not always uninten-
tional. Many communicators are able to skillfully reinforce or even com-
bine their verbal messages with their nonverbal messages, combinations
of the verbal and the nonverbal may be employed not only to enlighten
but also to obscure the issues involved, especially in politics, business,
and advertising. Indeed, in every walk of life, words may be used to con-
ceal forthcoming actions; and contradictory expressions are constantly
used to create confusions in communication. The principles on which
verbal language are based are very different from those of the nonverbal.
Words enable us to express abstractions. A single word can denote a single
idea or event, but to be more specific, one has to use a string of words.
Nonverbal language is analogic and continuous, but not as versatile as
verbal language.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Language is called the ‘vehicle of expression’. There are three known forms
of language—the sign (pictorial) language, vocal (spoken) language, and the
symbolic (written) language.

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