Communicating is a vital action for human beings; in all the types of interactions we have with other people. types of interaction we have with other people and with our and with our environment throughout the day, we are communicating, because there is an exchange of information.
What happens is that this action of exchange of information is not only done verbally or in writing as some might think; in reality, communication is a more complex process that takes many other forms beyond the verbal, so that we can talk about different types of communication.
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What do we mean when we talk about communication?
Let’s start by understanding how the exchange of information happens before telling you about the types of communication that exist. The simplest way to explain it is to take as an example the interaction between two people.
One of them will be the transmitter, that is, the person who is transmitting the information to the other person. transmitting the information to the other person through a set of signs and meanings (language) that the two share. The other person is the receiver, who receives the information from the transmitter and interprets it.
Behind a simple “hello” from one person to another are all the steps to communicate: we intend to communicate something, then we compose the message using codes that we both know, we transmit the signal and the receiving person receives that signal, decodes it and finally interprets the message.
Why is the way we communicate important?
When you are aware of the steps involved in getting the message from one side to the other you realize how important it is to have effective communication. how important it is to have an effective communicationIn this way, the message you want to convey is clear so that the person receiving it interprets it the way you are expressing it.
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When you are a good communicator in your personal relationships, we could say that personal and professional success is almost assured.
Fortunately, communication is not something we learn once, but we can work on improving our communication skills. we can work on improving our communication skills, such as empathy such as empathy, active listening, verbal and non-verbal language, emotional validation, among others, to achieve more effective interactions in all areas.
Below we explain the different types of communication so that you can take advantage of them.
The different types of communication
As I mentioned, communication is much more complex than we think and takes on certain forms depending on who is the transmitter, the type of message or the channel through the message is transmitted, as well as the different receivers.
The types of communication presented below cover different criteria so that you can get to know them all and are grouped into different categories.
Verbal and non-verbal communication
One of the most widely used classifications is the one that differentiates whether the message is conveyed verbally or nonverbally.. That is to say, whether we verbalize it explicitly or rather express it without words.
Verbal communication
The main characteristic of this type of communication is that we use language. we use language, in this case words, to convey the message we want to convey to the receiver. the message we want to convey to the receiver. These words can be expressed in two ways:
- Oral communication: when we transmit the signs in a spoken form. These are words, but also those oral “gestures” such as laughing, crying, shouting and other sounds we make when we speak. In this case hatred and active listening are very important.
- Written communication: when we transmit the message in written form through alphabets, hieroglyphics, characters, icons and even logos. This is one of the types of communication that we have started to use more since we have been using new technologies such as mobile messaging and it has had several evolutions due to this.
Keep in mind that verbal communication, although it is the most obvious and explicit oneis most often accompanied by other types of communication such as non-verbal to reinforce the message and make it more effective.
2. Non-verbal communication
This is the way in which we express ourselves we express ourselves without the use of wordsIt is the way in which we express ourselves without using words, through body movements such as gestures, posture, looks, the way we walk, sit, how we move our hands, among others.
What happens with this way of communicating is that we usually do it involuntarily, unconsciously, especially when it is accompanied by verbal types of communication. If you go back in time to the earliest civilizations, you can realize how important this form of communication was, since they lacked a learned language.
In any case, when we transmit messages through our corporate language, the interpretation of these messages is usually ambiguous.l, the interpretation of these messages is usually ambiguous and has a lot to do with what the receiver perceives, even if it is not the meaning we are giving it, since we do not have conceived and learned rules, as in the case of verbal language.
Communication according to the number of participants
The following types of communication are established according to the number of people who are participating in the interaction.
3. Individual communication
By individual communication we refer to the type of interactions that take place between only two peoplefrom one to the other. These are the interactions that we have in a more private way without necessarily being with the people closest to us, but also of a more general nature.
4. Intrapersonal Communication
This is the type of communication we have with no one but ourselves. It occurs when we think, reflect or have discussions and conversations with ourselves.
5. Interpersonal or interindividual communication
This type of communication is a little more intimate, as it occurs when two people close to each other It occurs when two close people express feelings through verbal and non-verbal communication.
6. Group communication
This refers to the transmission of messages between two or more people who belong to the same group, so there are several senders and several receivers.
7. Intergroup communication
This includes the interaction that takes place between two groups of people.. For example, communication between two teams in a competition.
8. Collective communication
It occurs when the interaction is between more than two people, for example when we meet with our group of friends. In this type of communication you may be addressing one person but all those who are present also receive the message.
9. Mass communication
It is carried out when we are in front of a larger audience; in this case there is usually a single sender of the message that is addressed to one person. a single sender of the message to a large audience, so there are multiple receivers. so there are multiple receivers. This is the type of communication we see, for example, in a political speech or in a conference.
Forms of communication according to the sensory channel
These are the types of communication determined by the sense used to transmit and receive the message.
10. Visual communication
Consists of those ways of delivering a message by visual means.We decode it mainly by sight, for example a magazine advertisement.
11. Auditory communication
In this case, hearing is the main sense we use to receive the message. The clearest example of this type of communication is when we listen to music, because despite the distance between the artist and the listener, there is an interaction between two people and a message is being delivered.
12. Tactile communication
For example, Braille. In this form of communication the message is decoded through touch..
13. Olfactory communication
Aromas or smells also deliver information to those who perceive them through the sense of smell, which is why it is a type of communication. In this case we cannot always locate who is transmitting the message.
14. Taste communication
This is another type of communication that makes use of the senses to transmit and decode the message.in this case, taste.