S1.02 - Communication Skills Instruction, Page 2
Step 2: Consider body language
Wehmeyer, Agran, & Hughes (1999) provide a short summary of basic nonverbal communication skills. Consider how eye-contact, facial expressions, gestures and body movements all influence communication. Each will be summarized below.
Eye-contact (Banbury & Hebert, 1992) can reflect many things. Eye-contact that is:
- Frequent indicates approval or acceptance,
- Averting, squinting, or glaring may mean disapproval, and
- Avoided or when the person is staring off into space can indicate indifference.
Facial expressions communicate emotions and might include:
- A smile of approval or happiness,
- A frown of disapproval or unhappiness, and
- A scowl of anger with clenched teeth and tightly closed teeth.
Body gestures or movements can be used to augment verbal communications. Gestures that are frequently seen and familiar include:
- A head nod that indicates approval;
- Body orientation towards a speaker that shows interest in a conversation;
- Shaking the head from side-to-side, folded arms, and physical distance all express disapproval or an unwillingness to consider alternatives;
- Pointing or shaking a finger at someone, thrusting out one’s chin, clinching a fist can indicate aggression; and
- Tapping feet or fingers and leaning away from a speaker suggests indifference or boredom.
While there are many more subtle and not so subtle gestures and expressions, these expressions are all familiar. Look at whether body language and words are consistent in meaning. Conflicts between words and body language could lead to confusion. Body language can also be used to emphasize verbal language.
Step 3: Listening skills
Listening skills are another important component of effective communication skills. Consumers may need assistance in identifying auditory communication and then understanding the meaning. Weymeyer, Agran, and Hughes (1999) provide a strategy that can be employed to enhance listening skills. This includes:
- Looking at the speaker so that the speaker knows you are interested and listening,
- Asking questions to clarify or confirm meaning,
- Not Interrupting the speaker, and
- Taking notes to remember what was said.
Step 4: Practice effective communication
Since every situation is different and there are so many ways to communicate, it is important that people get the chance to practice effective communication skills. Some ways to practice are:
- Role-play the various ways of communicating. This consists of identifying a problem, acting out a potential solution, and discussing the solution that was presented.
- Observe a mentor communicating in a variety of situations and settings.
- Share experiences in communication, noting the reactions to what was said or shown.
- Video-tape an interaction and evaluate the interactions with a checklist or rating sheet. Consider evaluating the interaction with and without an audio component and looking at the congruence between verbal language and body language.
- Examine body language in photographs and discuss what interpersonal and personal relationships are reflected.
Effective communication will enhance every aspect of a consumer’s career development including job attainment (e.g., advocating for a specific job during the interview process), job maintenance (e.g., requesting an increase in pay based upon a job well done), and job promotion (e.g., demonstrating and stating relevant skills).
Page updated 10/30/06
All instructional content © Copyright 2006 by Michael L. Wehmeyer, Ph.D. All rights reserved.
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Web Resources
Cross-cultural Communication Strategies. (1998). Retrieved July 30, 2004 from The University of Colorado, Conflict Research Consortium, International OnlineTraining Program on Intractable Conflict Website:http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/treatment/xcolcomm.htm
Cybercil: Independent Living Center on the World Wide Web. (n.d.). Communication: Styles & methods. Retrieved July 16, 2004 from http://www.cybercil.com/skills/comstyles.html
Cybercil: Independent Living Center on the World Wide Web. (n.d.). Communication skills. Retrieved July 17, 2004 from
http://www.cybercil.com/skills/com.html
Cybercil: Independent Living Center on the World Wide Web. (n.d.). Hearing/listening, - The other side of communication. Retrieved July 16, 2004 from http://www.cybercil.com/skills/listen.html
Superfund Community Involvement Toolkit. (February 20, 2004). Communication Strategies. Retrieved July 30, 2004 from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/tools/pdfs/3comstrats.pdf
Walters, J, S. 2004. Workplace communication essentials. In The CEO refresher: brain food for business. Retrieved July 19, 2004 from http://www.refresher.com/!jswessentials.html
References
Anderson, E. L., Dinas, P., & Seaton, K. (1995, September). Communication. In Fostering self-determination: A guide for educators. (pp. 7-8). Lawrence, KS: Full Citizenship, Inc.
Banbury, M. M., & Hebert, C. R. (1992). Do you see what I mean? Body language in classroom interactions. Teaching Exceptional Children, 25, 34-38.
Bolding, N. L., & Wehmeyer, M. L. (1999). Communicating effectively. In It's my future! Planning for what I want in my life: A self-directed planning process. Silver Spring, MD: The Arc of the United States.
Sands, D. J., & Wehmeyer, M. L. (1996). Self-determination across the life span: Independence and choice for people with disabilities. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Wehmeyer, M. L., Agran, M., Hughes, C. (1999). Teaching assertiveness and effective communication skills. In M. Wehmeyer, M. Agran & C. Hughes (Eds.), Teaching self-determination to students with disabilities: Basic skills for successful transition. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
