Decoding Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Verbal and Nonverbal Communication and Listening Skills
Dee Arrival
Quaint Southern Meal
Dee’s Conflict
Conclusion
References

Introduction

A brief alteration in someone’s expression or body language can indicate a wide range of emotions. Evans (2020) states that verbal and nonverbal communication is essential for establishing and maintaining rapport in interpersonal encounters. Nonverbal information, such as paralanguage, haptics, and facial expressions, is utilized to reflect communicative emotions toward others when people use spoken language to transmit information about events and situations (Evans, 2020). One reason for the expressive potency of paralanguage and kinesics is that communicating emotional information through nonverbal cues is less face-threatening (Evans, 2020). Another characteristic is that it is challenging for humans to suppress nonverbal emotional reactions. Moreover, body language is constant, enduring during uncomfortable silences and providing consistent information. Nonverbal communication and listening skills include hearing with one’s ears and listening with one’s emotions and entire body (Nonverbal communication, 2019). Thus, individuals should go beyond the uttered words to comprehend the big picture and understand what others are saying. The paper will address verbal and nonverbal communication and listening skills by examining secondary sources and analyzing video clips from “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker.

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication and Listening Skills

Nonverbal communication accounts for a sizable percentage of human communication. Cherry (2022) acknowledges that nonverbal communication contributes about four times as much as verbal communication, with eighty percent of what people communicate, including movements and gestures, versus only twenty percent being transmitted via words. The most straightforward and well-understood communication is verbal communication, including speaking and writing (Verbal and nonverbal communication, n.d.). On the contrary, Nonverbal communication is the process of communicating information through facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, touch (haptics), bodily movements (kinesics), posture, body decorations (clothing, jewelry, haircut), and even the tone, timbre, and loudness of a person’s voice (Wilson, 2021; Hall et al., 2018). Examples of body language as a form of nonverbal communication are demonstrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Body language

Language communication occurs through both verbal and nonverbal channels in multimodal language communication. Nonverbal listening skills involve paying close attention to the speaker and being aware of nonverbal cues (Windle & Warren, n.d.). In comparison, verbal listening skills include focusing on the words and emotions presented and employing reflective listening methods such as asking. Wang et al. (2019) argue that the verbal channel expresses ideas through words and sentences, whereas the nonverbal channel employs gestures and vocal intonation patterns. Nevertheless, the meaning of the speaker’s words and phrases frequently alters dynamically in diverse nonverbal circumstances (Wang et al., 2019). As a result, while modeling human language, it is critical to account for the literal meaning of the words and the nonverbal situations in which they emerge. Emblems, for instance, tend to be culturally distinctive; these are motions used in response to certain words or phrases. Another example of nonverbal communication is proxemics, or the use of spatial signals to communicate, such as interpersonal distance, territoriality, and other space interactions.

Dee Arrival

Maggie, Dee’s sister, and her mother are waiting for her with bated breath. Dee’s mother is overjoyed because she has not seen her daughter in a long time. As the car approaches, the mother becomes delighted and yells her daughter’s name. Posture and movement can reveal much information as concrete illustrations of nonverbal communication (Cherry, 2022; Segerstrale & Molnár, 2018). For instance, Dee’s sister conveyed her contradictive sentiments by turning to walk away. Her nonverbal communication indicated that she did not desire to be disturbed, but Momma stopped her as the car halted, and Dee exited with a friend. Dee paused in front of the automobile as she approached her mother and sister to straighten up her dress, which was considerably more costly than what they were wearing. Objects can also be utilized to communicate non-verbally. People spend a significant amount of effort constructing a particular image and surrounding themselves with objects that convey information about their lifestyle and values (Evans, 2020). Dee thought the car and clothing revealed her socioeconomic level and enhanced her self-presentation.

Still maintaining social distance in front of the automobile, she greets them with ‘Wa-Su-Tean-o, Mama,’ knowing they will not comprehend. Her mother glances at her confusingly but continues to demonstrate her happiness by laughing and welcoming her. Dee smiles as she walks around the car, snapping photographs of her mother and sister in front of the worn-down farmhouse where she grew up, and she demands them to smile. Dee seeks to establish her worth by showing that she is no longer a part of the family because she is more educated and has achieved prosperity and wealth. Maggie continues to sit back further behind her mother as the photographs are being shot, indicating that she is irritated and uncomfortable. Based on Dee and Maggie’s nonverbal and verbal communication, Maggie is a shy and traditional child who inherits her mother’s culture. She never expresses herself compared to Dee, who is presented as an egoistic and selfish individual with just a cursory awareness of her ancestry and culture.

When Dee arrives, a few words are exchanged before she declares that she no longer wants to be addressed as Dee; she prefers to be addressed as Wangero. The daughter alters her name to symbolize a foreign culture that is not closely related to her family, ostensibly to represent her African heritage. Dee’s refusal to accept a family name marks the beginning of her continuous ignorance of her family’s history. She is uninterested in learning about her true lineage, merely African culture. Dee disrespects her mother and sister, alienating herself from the culture she should be attempting to cherish.

Dee’s mother is relieved to see her after a long absence, but she is surprised when Dee says she has adopted the name ‘Wangero LeeWanka Kemanjo,’ turning to and sharing a nonverbal message with her friend. Her mother, astonished and upset, informs Dee that she was called after her aunt, but the daughter says the name is oppressive. Dee is making it clear that she is shedding her past personality and assuming a more sophisticated persona. Dee raises an eyebrow in return, and this nonverbal behavior indicates her dissatisfaction with the slave heritage. To interrupt the tension, Dee’s friend extends his hand over his heart, which is an emblem, emphasizing how vital he is or believes he is. Assuming that the greeting is his name, the mother argues that it is too difficult for her to pronounce, prompting Dee to giggle and reply that he is saying hello. The man makes a joke and then claims they may call him Hakim. Dee’s mother tries to pronounce the name Dee has chosen but eventually gives up and lets the guests into their house.

Quaint Southern Meal

The following scenario begins with everyone seated at the dinner table. The mother is serving the food on the table, demonstrating that it is her responsibility to feed her family. Both Dee and Hakim comment on how nice the food looks and smells. The mother thanked them before saying a prayer. Dee looks at Hakim with a worried expression before grabbing his hand. The eyes play a vital role in nonverbal communication, including crucial indications such as glancing, staring, and blinking (Evans, 2020). Thus, Dee’s gaze symbolizes a feeling of sympathy and concern that even though Hakim is a Muslim, he should listen to gratitude to Christ. After the mother says amen, there is a brief period of silence before the mother offers Hakim food, to which he responds that he does not eat pork because it is unclean. The mother’s eye drops to the plate, indicating she is upset and considers him rude for rejecting her food. Dee breaks the silence by remarking that the sweet potatoes are delicious, to which Hakim agrees, and Maggie stares for a moment.

Dee’s Conflict

Dee remarks on how wonderful everything is as she explains how their parents made the bench they are sitting on when they can not buy chairs. Maggie and her mother communicated non-verbally. Dee catches Hakim glancing at the burns on Maggie’s arm without saying anything as if he is asking what happened. Maggie does not respond, so Dee changes the tone by asking Maggie what she has been doing, to which she responds bashfully, dropping her head and saying nothing. Maggie’s mother responds, stating that she is engaged to John Thomas. Dee bursts out laughing and exclaims congrats, while Maggie thanks her with her head still down. Maggie nodded happily, demonstrating how vital this marriage was to her, as her mother stated that John would be buying the ring shortly. Dee then commented on the directions her mother provided her. Her mother answered that it was not difficult to discover and that she had only received two letters in six years. Dee mentioned how stressful things were with education and the movement. Dee sighs as her mother continues to say the same thing, claiming she has been busy.

Dee utilizes an ego-defensive function to explain why she has been neglecting her mother, to which her mother nods while answering ‘mm-hmm’ while maintaining eye contact. Hakim now fanned his shirt, claiming it was hot; Dee looked at Maggie and asked Hakim if he was thirsty. Dee recommends she fetch him something to drink; here, Dee attempts to demonstrate her superiority over Maggie and establish social control. Their disappointed mother instructs Maggie to stay seated, mocking Hakim’s name by addressing him as Mr. Barber. Dee declares that she has to use the bathroom and inquires about its location. Her mother responds that it is outside with a disgusted expression, probably thinking that her daughter is trying to be different. Before stepping outside, Dee chuckles and says that is right, as she immediately remembers.

Maggie, Hakim, and the mother exchanged a silent glance before the mother inquired about his connection with her daughter. He describes how they met up north, battling for their cause, to which the mother scoffs. The mother is expressing her disinterest in their mission, and her reaction is an example of paralinguistics, which refers to voice communication that is distinct from actual language. The tone of voice, intensity, intonation, and pitch are illustrations of nonverbal communication (Cherry, 2022). The tone of voice may significantly impact a phrase’s meaning (Cherry, 2022). Listeners may take a statement as approbation and excitement when spoken loudly. When the exact words are said hesitantly, they might imply disdain and a lack of curiosity.

Conclusion

To conclude, nonverbal communication in humans accounts for approximately four times as much as verbal communication. The verbal channel uses words and phrases to communicate concepts, whereas the nonverbal channel uses gestures, facial expressions, bodily movements, and voice intonation patterns. Nevertheless, the meaning of the speaker’s words and sentences constantly changes dynamically in various nonverbal situations. As a result, it is necessary to analyze both the literal meaning of the words and the nonverbal contexts in which they appear to understand a person’s thoughts and emotions.

Because the majority of information received by humans is visual, nonverbal communication plays a crucial role in information sharing and allows effective personal self-expression. This film is a fantastic example of observation regarding comprehension and interpretation of nonverbal and nonverbal clues. The integration of verbal and nonverbal communication systems facilitates efficient communication. Understanding the central characters and their behavior is aided through verbal and nonverbal communication. Dee, for instance, is a well-educated, attractive young lady obsessed with style and fashion but has no concept of family or heritage. Maggie is a humble, traumatized young woman who appreciates the importance of family and tradition.

One of the most significant non-verbal behaviors is Maggie’s attempt to run back inside the home as Dee’s car appears; it indicates that she was not looking forward to this visit. The interactions between family members, including gestures, facial expressions, and adaptors, depict how separate Dee is from her family and how much she tries to forget her roots. Although Dee visits her family, she seems unconcerned about her mother and sister. She expresses her superiority through verbal and nonverbal cues; she looks down from above on their house, lifestyle, and everything associated with them. Nonverbal communicative signals indicate emotions, attitudes toward the recipient and others, and opinions about the message being transmitted. Listening skills also signify an individual’s interest during a conversation.

References

Cherry, K. (2022). Types of nonverbal communication. VeryWellMind. Web.

Evans, V. (2020). How does communication work? Psychology Today. Web.

Hall, J. A., Horgan, T. G., & Murphy, N. A. (2018). Nonverbal communication. Annual Review of Psychology, 70(1). 271-294. Web.

Nonverbal communication – How to listen to what is not being said? (2019). Deploy Yourself. Web.

Segerstrale, U., & Molnár, P. (2018). Nonverbal communication: Where nature meets culture. Routledge.

Van Edwards, V. (n.d.). 16 essential body language examples and their meanings. Science of People. Web.

Verbal and nonverbal communication (n.d.). Lumen. Web.

Wang, Y., Shen, Y., Liu, Z., Liang, P. P., Zadeh, A., & Morency, L.-P. (2019). Words can shift: Dynamically adjusting word representations using nonverbal behaviors. Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 33(1), 7216–7223. Web.

Wilson, C. R. (2021). Nonverbal communication skills: 19 theories & findings. Positive Psychology. Web.

Windle, R., & Warren, S. (n.d.). Communication skills. Cadre. Web.

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