1. Life Skills Training Lesson 6
Communication Skills
Life Skills Training
Lesson 6

2. Unit Goals and Objectives
Am I able to give messages that are clear and specific?
Am I consistent in my verbal and nonverbal messages?
Am I a good listener?
What are the verbal and nonverbal cues that show when someone is actively listening?
Am I able to put into my own words what someone is telling me?

3. Vocabulary: Partner activity—Match the term with the definition.
communication
a. Using words
verbal
b. The act of expressing oneself in such a way that one is readily and clearly understood.
nonverbal
c. A failure to interpret a message correctly
ambiguous
d. Restatement of a message to clarify its meaning
misunderstanding
e. Uncertain or obscure
paraphrase
f. Body language and facial expression

4. Answers to Vocabulary partner challenge
Communication
b. the act of expressing oneself in such a way that one is readily and clearly understood
Verbal
a. Using words
Nonverbal
f. Body language and facial expression
Ambiguous
e. Uncertain or obscure
Misunderstanding
c. A failure to interpret a message clearly
Paraphrase
d. Restatement of a message to clarify its meaning
communication
a. Using words

5. Verbal vs. Nonverbal communication
Verbal communication refers to the specific words that we use and our voice inflections (tone).
Nonverbal communication refers to body language and facial expressions.
Examples of verbal communication
Examples of nonverbal communication

6. Communication
Verbal communication includes speech, music, writing, texting, online chatting, and audiovisual material.
Nonverbal communication includes mannerisms, facial expressions, body positions, and hand gestures.
The majority of our communication (60-65%) is nonverbal.

7. The Two Components of Effective Communication—Sending and receiving messages
Sending Skills: How to send a message clearly and accurately to someone else. Receiving Skills: How to hear and correctly understand a message someone is sending us. Example: John’s friend texted him an angry message but ended it with a “haha.” John was confused by this mixed message and didn’t know whether his friend was mad at him or not. What are some additional examples of mixed (ambiguous) messages that you have received or sent?

8. Exercise #1 Instructions Note: Be as specific as possible when sending a message.
Take out a piece of paper.
Place your pen near the paper.
Fold the paper into equal parts.
Write your name on the paper.
Number the page 1 through 8.
Indicate when you have finished the assignment.

9. Receiving Skills
What kinds of communication don’t use nonverbal communication? (for example, text message, online chat, phone conversation)
How do you think that affects your reception of the message?
Communication problems can occur if the message being sent isn’t properly received.
Can you think of a time when you were talking to someone and they felt that they weren’t being listened to? How did you know that you were not being listened to?

10. Exercise #2 Verbal/Nonverbal Cues
Work in pairs, one student is “A”, while the other is “B”.
“A”’s will tell the “B”’s for one minute about a movie they recently saw.
The “B”’s will demonstrate to the “A”’s that they are NOT listening in any way they can. “B”’s, however, should not leave.
After 1 minute, have the “A”’s tell the “B”’s the same thing, but this time tell the “B”’s to demonstrate active listening. Reverse roles and repeat the experiment.

11. What verbal and nonverbal cues did your partner give to indicate actively listening and not listening?
VERBAL
NONVERBAL

12. Effective Communication
Effective communication involves feedback. The person sending a message looks and listens for feedback while talking to tell whether the message is getting through in a clear and undistorted way.

13. Avoiding Misunderstandings
A misunderstanding is a failure in communication that results when the receiver understands the meaning of a message differently from what was intended by the sender.

14. The telephone game How to Play the Telephone Game
Getting Started. Players must sit in a circle or stand in a straight line. They need to be close enough that whispering is possible, but not so close that players can hear each other whisper.
Begin the Game. The first person in the line or circle whispers a word or phrase into the ear of the person sitting or standing to their right.
The Game Continues. Players whisper the phrase to their neighbors until it reaches the last player in line.
The Conclusion. The last player says the word or phrase out loud so everyone can hear how much it has changed from the first whisper at the beginning of the circle or line.

15. Skills for Avoiding Misunderstandings
Send the same message verbally and nonverbally.
Be specific (on the part of the sender– e.g., instead of saying “late,” specify a time).
Ask questions (on the part of the sender, “Do you understand what I mean?” or on the part of the receiver, “By that do you mean…?”
Paraphrase the message back to the speaker or restate in your own words what you think the sender means.

16. Misunderstandings
Misunderstandings occur when we do not communicate clearly. Both the sender and the receiver have a responsibility to clarify messages to avoid misunderstanding.

17. Exercise #3: Paraphrasing practice
One student will give directions or instructions to another student, using one of the practice situations below.
The student sending will deliberately give ambiguous directions so that the student who is receiving will have the opportunity to paraphrase to clarify the directions.
Practice situations
Directions to pick up books at the school library
Instructions on how to throw a baseball or shoot a basketball without demonstrating it.
Instructions on how to do a jumping jack without demonstrating it.
Instructions on how to make a sandwich.

18. Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is especially useful when you are giving directions or instructions to someone and you want to make sure that person understands you. Paraphrasing is also useful in making sure that you understand what someone tells you.

19. Improving Communication
Think of an example of a situation at school, at home, or with friends in which you have experienced a difficulty in communication.
What are some communication skills (such as paraphrasing, nonverbal skills) might have helped to improve the situation?
How will you apply the skills you learned today to your own life?
Look at page 45 in your text. Discuss this action plan with a partner.

20. Summary
To avoid misunderstandings or unclear communication, the sender should be specific and send the same message both verbally and nonverbally.
Use active listening skills to let the other person know that you are paying attention.
Paraphrasing, or repeating a message back in different words, is another way of improving the clarity and effectiveness of communication.
Communication skills involve both sending and receiving skills.
Effective communication exists between two people when the sender and receiver of a message interpret it in the same way.
There are several ways to attempt to clarify an ambiguous or contradictory message (e.g. asking questions, being specific, paraphrasing).