Why is Communication skill important?

"Why is Communication skill important" is one of very crucial questions in front us. Communication skill is a special skill regarded as a skill which enables one to reach millions of people, no matter what career we choose. But if you know how to communicate well, it is an advantage. It will lead us to a better way to communicate our thoughts to others.So it is very important skill.

Language is the most effective medium of communication, but we are living in a vicarious world. We have our own differences and experiences. Though we try to communicate the way we want yet there are some reasons which do not let ourselves to communicate the way of our choice.

How often do you feel worried about your communication skills? 

There are various reasons for our incompetence in terms of communicating. One essential aspect of living in our civilization is communication. It is the transmission of messages from the source to the receiver and the process in which people share thoughts, ideas and feelings with each other.

Communication is important for all living beings especially to humans in every aspect of life, in any situation and working environment. We always use it to communicate with a person regarding any business or event. 

There are many ways to communicate that can make our communication skills even more effective, but there are certain hindrances that occur for some reasons such as:

1. Cultural differences 

2. Languages differences 

3. Unfamiliar accents 

4. Rate of speech 

5. Semantic Barriers 

6. Lack of confidence

Cultural differences in communication

 

Cultural differences in communication begin with the fact that people differ in many ways. Some of these differences are due to our different cultures. Different cultures have a different lifestyle, behaviours, gesture, language, signs and symbols. Some knowledge of cultural customs can help us to avoid misunderstanding and enable us to communicate better. 

These differences usually occur when we don’t have enough knowledge of other cultures. Sometimes we even don’t try to attain that knowledge which will help us to know their culture in a better way. It is a fact that if we know the culture of other people then it can lead us to a very communication channel between us. Though there are some other methods too by which we can cover these differences to an extent.

Some of these methods are:

Research in advance 

Many cultures have their own specific set of etiquettes which let them communicate in their own way. Before meeting anyone or going to a particular place, try to research in advance regarding their culture, use of gestures by them, how they communicate, and their expressions.

Speak Slowly

English is the most common language that we’ve been using to communicate across the world. For Example, speaking at your normal speed among non-English speakers is not a good idea, unless you’re talking to a person who understands English very well. Even if you do the same, there are some instances when listener misunderstood you

When you speak at a faster pace, try to break your sentences into short ones, try to pronounce the words clearly as well as properly to give your listener enough time to think, translate and digest the words. But if you try to slow down too much while speaking, it might give your listener a feeling of boredom and he might interpret the thought differently. 

If the person you speak to is making the same mistake by speaking at a faster pace in his own language then it's your duty to ask him politely to slow down so that you could try to understand his thoughts. If there is an unfamiliar accent coming from him then try to understand the gestures for what he is referring to. In the end, the main thing is never hesitating in asking. 

Avoid using slang words 

Not all but there are some people who can relate to English slang words, idioms and other similar sayings. They may understand the word but not the literal meaning of the whole context. It may result in confusion among themselves or at worst even offending them. Although it is a well-known fact that using slang words is not at all as it doesn’t give a better outlook.

Don’t complicate 

Keep it simple, there’s no need to make it harder for you and your listener to understand each other by using difficult and complicated words. One or two syllables that are easy to understand are way better than those complicated words. 

Practice active listening 

Active Listening is a rare quality that a person can have in today’s expressive world. It is one of the main strategies for improving communication. Simply restate or summarise what the speaker has said, to ensure that you have understood what was spoken, ask them some frequent questions to make sure you have understood them correctly. This will help you to get a clear picture of their words and accent. 

Language Differences in communication

Have you ever felt embarrassed when you talk to someone and he can’t even understand a single word you are talking about? 

The medium of our language depends on the place where we belong; we have different languages pertaining to different areas such as Arabic, Swedish, German, Spanish, English and etc. The medium of our language is one of the main reasons to communicate with others in an effective manner.

If someone is not familiar with your medium of language then it can become an issue for you unless you both know English which is a common language around the world of some other common language. Even if you know how to communicate in English, there are some instances where we misunderstood some of the other things due to our differences in terms of interpretation.

 

These are some tips which will help you to understand other languages 

1) It is very important to understand the culture and custom of a particular area you are in. You should try to know the language they speak in that area so that you could at least try to figure out what they are gesturing.

2) Try to learn the language which is needed for your communication with the natives or try to use some words in your daily speaking habits to connect to others. Memorizing these words will not help as you have to apply these while talking to others which will help you to practice and express in your own way.

We should never hesitate in seeking help from someone who speaks the language well. Nowadays there are many Smartphone apps that will help people understand other languages in a very effective way.

3) Some people who love doing research can study the language as well. Studying a language is not an easy task as it can only be done if you are really interested in it. We all try to learn grammar and vocabulary and we know it will consume time and much effort is needed to master it. You have to be committed while learning these languages but for sure it will be a great experience once it starts coming your way. 

4) You can learn new languages with the help of multimedia such as watching movies and shows, reading novels, listening to music, and even writing in that language. 

Watching movies and shows is the easiest thing you can do as it will create interest inside you to keep going through the process of learning the language. You can do this by finding some shows or movies that can help you to become more efficient.

Also, try to grab a magazine a day and try to read it, you may need a dictionary here to look up when you read some new words, and write down notes about it. Listen up to podcasts or tune into the radio to learn as this will help you to figure out how to use the correct pronunciation of these commonly used words and phrases such as few greeting words of your chosen language to greet others.

Understanding Unfamiliar accents 

The accent is the distinctive style of the pronunciation of a person or a group pertaining to a particular area. We may use a different style of pronouncing a word; it usually depends on the area they belong to. There are many cases where people due to their self improvisation use accents which are not understandable to their close ones too.  

They may use unfamiliar accents which can cause problems to the listener while listening or thoughts may be misunderstood while conversing. We’re unique in our own way and it is very important to clarify the words if you don’t understand them, don’t be shy of clearing these words. 

These are some practices that may help you:

Learn PA (Phonetic Alphabet) 

Try to learn how letters in a particular language sound. Being aware of it, you'll be able to know how to differentiate between sounds that might seem similar while hearing. This can work especially in a case where you are learning by reading and writing.

Get familiarize 

Try to get familiarized with a language you’ve chosen as there’s always a way to understand an accent while listening to others to know how to pronounce it. You can listen to some background music while you’re doing your daily chores or duties, and repeat them the way they say it. We can also take help of lots of online apps and digital dictionaries.

Repeated Practice 

Repeated practice is the key to success in learning any accent as you know learning accent requires great patience and skills which can only develop if you work on it repeatedly. But you should know the fact that you don’t need to hurry for everything. 

Rate of Speech 

Sometimes the problem in communicating with others comes from inside us such as the rate of speech which means the speed in which we speak. This is one of the main hindrances while communicating as speaking is characterized by variations in velocity.

Slow speech projects some personality characteristics as calmness, acceptance of others, and formality. However, if the rate is too slow, it may project an image of dullness, listlessness, apathy, laziness, and sometimes even lack intelligence. 

Learn how to control the rate of your speech:

Speak using intonations 

It is very important to be aware of when to up and down our voices. You have to understand the language very well to do the same. You can take the help of music by listening to a song of your choice and from there you can understand how they hit the note. 

Listen to a piece of speech 

While listening to a speech you can figure out how they express their feelings, and how they express everything in a single word in a natural way. 

Record your voice 

You can take the help of recording your voice while reading any text. Every time you read, record your voice as doing this way you’ll figure out where to focus to develop your speech rate. Or you can choose some speech you’ll like and try to record your tone to compare with to check whether you say it properly or not. 

Semantic Barrier in communication

This semantic barrier in communication often creates problems for the speaker as well as for the receiver due to a lack of understanding of how to use words and symbols in the process of communication.

It can happen when the sender or recipient has very limited language proficiency or does not have a good understanding of the words used in a particular language. Unfamiliar expressions during communication using technical dermatology, unqualified assumption, faulty translation, denotation or connotation, use of words having multiple meanings can cause trouble for the listener. 

Choose the precise as well as the exact word that will carry a similar meaning for the receiver. Make some efforts to read as always, and don’t forget to take notes of those words you’re not familiar with and try to get the meaning. 

Lack of confidence 

I think this is the biggest hurdle while communicating thoughts to others.

Lack of confidence or low self-esteem may dispel you from many things, like socialization, trying new things and avoiding things that will challenge you. Confidence has something to do with our communication skills. It helps us to be more relaxed while speaking and take control of our feelings. It is not easy to have confidence all the time as the lack of confidence can give you some negative impacts. Always try to find a way to address yourself to a positive side, understand and learn to appreciate everything you did for yourself. 

These are some practices that can overcome your fear and negativity. 

Get surrounded by the right set of people 

When you feel low in confidence, there are some of our closed ones who help us in boosting our confidence. The same thing can be applied in the case of lack of confidence in speaking as surrounding yourself with positive and healthy people who reinforce your positive attributes and outlook will help you to grow the way you are. 

Take yourself as your best friend 

The first person who can appreciate you the way you are is yourself. Try to take some time off alone, discover your speciality, strength, and worth, which help you gain a better appreciation of yourself. 

Don’t compare yourself to anyone 

Comparisons can lead only to a negative self-image that causes low self-esteem, stress, and anxiety to the point where it tries to ruin who you really are and it is worse for physical and mental health. 

Find a way to develop yourself and where you need to change 

We all have flaws in us. However, if we don’t find a way to counter them, it can keep you stuck in a rut of poor self-esteem. Don’t try to run away because you can’t, instead seek a way for the better change and develop your competency. Be aware of your weaknesses and do some effort to change and develop it. 

Always try to be positive 

Negatives have been there always, but we have a choice to choose it as positive. Repeat some positive affirmations that you want to believe about yourself daily to get your back on the right track to a time you had a low-self-esteem.