1. Elements of Communication How do you communicate with your friends, family, teachers, and co-workers?

2. Introduction Human beings communicate with each other in a variety of ways. The most obvious method is communicating through speech, but we also communicate through body language and emotions. We are able to send many different messages using both verbal and non-verbal means of communication.

3. Verbal communication can be the most direct route for us to get our message to another person. However, it is interesting to note that verbal communication actually makes up only 7% of the communication that we do each day. We are far more likely to communicate messages with our emotions (tone of voice is used approximately 23% of the time) and with our body language (used approximately 70% of the time).

4. Elements in Communication Speaker: someone who wishes to communicate a message Listener: the receiver of a message. In most conversations, people act as both the speaker and the listener, in turn. Message: the content of the communication that is being sent and/or received Feedback: the signals from the listener to the speaker that indicate how the message is being received Noise: anything that interferes with the transmission of the message (e.g., sounds, sights, cultural differences, physical interference, psychological interference, emotions) Medium: the method or means through which communication takes place (speaking, writing, telephone, e- mail, etc.)

5. Communication Styles Passive Do you put other people's feelings before your own to avoid conflict? Do you hesitate before addressing an issue? Are you shy? Do you have difficulty making a decision? Do you say nothing instead of letting the person know what is bothering you? Aggressive Do you put your needs first and ignore other people's feelings in the process? Do you yell at people to get your point across? Do you blame others for your own mistakes? Are you sarcastic? Do you interrupt people? Assertive Do you express your own rights but take into consideration other people's feelings? Do you express your feelings and your rights clearly? Do you act in your own best interest but consider the needs and rights of others? Do you develop trust and equality in your relationships? Do you ask for help when you need it?

6. Active Listening Effective communication includes active listening, choosing our words carefully, and matching them with our body language. People need to feel that their concerns are heard. Occasionally when we are speaking, we may not be aware that the person to whom we are talking is not completely attentive to what we are saying. He/she may be simply hearing our words but not really listening for full understanding.

7. There is a difference between hearing and listening: Hearing is the physical ability to receive sound. Listening is a learned skill to be developed through practice. Very often people hear, but they do not listen to, what is being said. Not listening attentively can result in problems.

8. Active Listening involves: Paraphrasing content - restate basic ideas and facts in your own words. "What I hear you saying is that you weren't asked." "So, you weren't asked about this."

9. Reflecting Emotion - restate what you think the other person is feeling. "So, you are angry about what happened?"

10. Open Questioning - ask questions that begin with "what,""how,""when," and "where," and avoid questions that begin with "why.“ "What happened after you spoke with her?“ "How did that make you feel?"

11. Summarizing -restate the central ideas and feelings you have heard. "Let's see if I have this straight...“ "So basically what is most important to you is..."