Effective spoken communication

  These notes are developing as we prepare some disabled Turkish students to meet with disabled students from other EU countries: this will be part of a training  in the TIU EU project in June 2009. 

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We found that two of main barriers to communication were fear of making mistakes and lack of confidence.   The future participants need to understand their needs, and practice what they can do, with minimum threats.   This is why we developed this method, where the mind gets information (rational explanation), the heart gets experience that connects reality with the information in the mind, and the reflex gut reactions are controlled through very clear, very simple tasks.  

Here we present the beginings of the program.  The theory:

• In the first week we look at parts 1 and 2 of 'factors in spoken communication' and then participants have some simple practice. 
  
• In later weeks, we will discuss other factors that influence communication, and do different, more complex types of practice. 
  
• At every meeting participants spend some time reflecting and analysing some of their feelings about the activities, and identifying some progress in themselves and in others.

Understanding communication principles:

1.  When 2 people communicate by speaking there are 2 totally obvious parts

WORDS SPOKEN

and

 WORDS HEARD

2.  But there are a few more steps in the process:

Feelings

Thoughts

Seeking words

WORDS SPOKEN

and

 WORDS HEARD

Words understood

Action/ response

3. On reflection a few more less-obvious factors become apparent:

Perception of external triggers,

Feelings

Analysis and understanding

Thoughts

Seeking words

Who is the audience: what do they know,

Selecting the best words to express

WORDS SPOKEN

and

 WORDS HEARD

Words understood

Action/ response

Connected to original intended meaning:

through relevant cues.

Confirm with complementary input:

body language,

non-verbal communication,

tone of voice

A comment, an offer: all exist within a CONTEXT.   We need to understand the context – unmentioned, many unseen factors that frame and influence the words spoken/ heard.  Without context, we make assumptions.  Wrong assumptions lead to misunderstandings

4. Eventually it is possible to detect more subtle influences: to notice assumptions requires deeper awareness, finer sensitivity. 

Perception of external triggers,

Feelings

Analysis and understanding

Possible contexts

Thoughts

Seeking words

Who is the audience: what do they know,

What can they understand, what context do they need

Selecting the best words to express

WORDS SPOKEN

and

 WORDS HEARD

Words understood

Action/ response

Connected to original meaning: through relevant cues,

Confirm with complementary input:

body language,

non-verbal communication,

tone of voice

Implied meaning:

Serious / joke

Realistic – reliability / dream

By understanding the different steps and factors in the sequence of spoken communication, we can then begin to see where people might have difficulties: By understanding the nature of the blocks, the needs of ‘speakers-in-difficulty’ will be apparent, and activities will be designed to remove the barriers: fears, lack of skill/ practice/ confidence/ earlier stimulation, bad experiences, low social expectations (different cultural codes). 

Barriers can happen at different stages of spoken communication:

Hearing

Speaking

Perception

Understanding the question

Understanding the context

Focusing

Sequencing/ ordering

Organisation

Prioritising

…..