1. The Importance of Communication Skills

2. Humans are social animals. Whenever we are in the company of others, we are communicating... 

3. Why are communication skills important?  They improve relationships  Develops respect  Develops empathy for others  Allows us to function more effectively in social situations  Helps us to succeed in life (school, work, etc)

4. How do humans communicate? a) Verbal: Language &noise and sounds b) Non-verbal: Written word Body Language: Eye contact Haptics (touch) Proxemics (proximity to each other) Kinesics (all human behaviour except touch) Symbols Gestures & posture

5. Continued... Tone/pitch/tempo Posture: Eg. Tapping foot, slumped, upright Expression: crying, excited, fear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRZqRjxkHpk

6. Paul Ekman’s Experiment Humans everywhere use similar expressions to demonstrate 6 basic emotions Fear Anger Disgust Sadness Surprise Happiness

7. Overcoming Barriers to Communication

8. What are some of the barriers? Noise pollution People do not always share the same vocabulary/dialect/language Jargon, Slang, Acronyms, “Legal-eze” No feedback (one-way versus two-way) Interpretation of non-verbal communication Perception Fear: an inability to speak, or fear of repercussions

9. Humans do use symbols in much of their communications. Experts say that humans differ from animals because they learn based on a series of learned symbols/responses and not from instinct. However, 90% of human communication is non-verbal. Humans have their own series of learned signals which represent meaning to communicate to others. Feedback is essential to effective communication!!

10. “The Power of the Face” (Learn 360 clip, 5 mins)