This document discusses communication skills and their importance in business. It defines both verbal and non-verbal communication and examines key aspects of each. Specifically, it outlines the seven elements of the communication process, describes verbal skills like writing, speaking, reading and listening, and analyzes non-verbal communication including body language, facial expressions, eye contact and gestures. The document emphasizes that communication is essential for effective professional interactions and relationships.

1. UNIVERSITY OF PANAMA
CENTRO REGIONAL UNIVERSITARIO DE LOS SANTOS
SCHOOL OF ENGLISH
MAYOR IN HUMANITIES WITH EMPHASIS IN ENGLISH
ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATIONS 492
TOPIC
ROLE OF COMMUNICATION
PRESENTED BY:
FOURTH LEVEL
EVENING SHIFT
SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

2. Role of Communication in Business
Communication plays an important role in everything we do in life. However, being
able to communicate in a different language is even more important. Nowadays, business
English is the language of communication. Consequently, mastering this language is part of
the competence required to success in business communication.
Being able to express your ideas effectively in writing and speaking is the most
important skill to communicate.
Communication holds a fundamental role in the development of general relationships.
Using appropriate communication skills avoid misunderstandings. It does not make any
difference whether you are communicating with a member of your family or a partner at
work.
Without the proper communication, working in team could lead to a failure. When
working together, team members should be able to identify problems, look for alternatives,
and finding solutions to keep the company going and successful.
Attributes of Communication
In order to improve our communication skills, we have to take into account the
followings four attributes to develop effectively our language skills.
1- Communication is unintentional as well as intentional.
Sometimes when we are speaking to someone, we do not transmit the message
exactly as we want to. There are situations when the receiver does not understand
clearly, because we as speakers do not have the appropriate words. In addition, due
to our inefficiency to transmit words the receiver can interpret the idea in a different

3. way. We have to be aware of our behavior, expressions and tone of voice because
these aspects can affect the message we want to convey.
2- Communication is a dynamic process.
Communication never stops because is always changing. It tends to change
due to the causes, consequences, and characteristics of an act. For example when we
meet a new person we used to talk in a nice and formal way, but as the communication
process grows it evolves because we start to exchange information constantly and is
not going to be the same as the first day due to the fact that we start sharing our
experiences, feelings, thoughts, attitudes.
3- Communication is systemic.
Communication is influenced by the environment, the receiver, the goal, and
the nature of the message. We can say that these aspects affects the communication
process it could be for good or in a bad way , we can also add that if we are talking to
someone who is not interested or paying attention to what you are saying , the process
is going to be interrupted .
4- Communication is both interaction and transaction.
Communication is about exchanging ideas and information that influenced the
speaker and the receiver; in the process of communication, both the speaker and the
receiver share their ideas, thoughts and the meaning of some aspects they were
dealing with.

4. Definitions of Communication
When we refer to the term communication, we mean the act of transferring
information from one place, person or group to another. However, there are four different
definitions according to some important theorists. For example, Keith Davis said ¨
Communication is a process of passing information and understanding from one person to
another¨. It is also important to point out that The American Management Association said
that ´Communication is any behaviour that results in an exchange of meaning. On the other
hand, according to D. E. McFarland, ´´Communication may be broadly defined as the process
of meaningful interaction among human beings. More specifically, it is the process by which
meanings are perceived and understanding are reached among human beings¨. Peter Little
said ¨Communication is the process by which information is passed between individuals
and/or organizations by means of previously agreed symbols´´.
We live in a modern era where technology is the new conqueror of the world.
Technology transformed the communication, because we only need a computer or a cell
phone to talk and see people live far away. Days where people organize meetings and dinners
to share information and feelings is something of the past. Nowadays, everything has
changed; people get in touch through WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and many other social
media. It is important to conclude by saying that communication is a process that helps us
understand other people. For example, the use of symbols, signs, words or whatever people
use to send or give a message.
The Different Elements in the Process of Communication
The process of communication refers to the transmition or passage of information
from the sender to the receiver. It must be a continuous and dynamic interaction. It consists
of certain steps that constitutes the essential of a good communication.

5. In order to have a good communication people have to take into account that there
are seven elements that play an important role to have a meaningful and important
communication with other people.
Now, we will learn about the different factors in the process of communication:
 Sender: It is the person who transmits or sends the message to other people.
 Massage: It refers to the information conveyed by words, pictures, or any massage
that the receiver use to understand.
 Purpose: It is the reason that the sender has for communicating with other people.
 Channel: It refers to the way or mode the massage flows. It is the way that links the
sender with the receiver.
 Receiver: It is the person for whom the communication begin.
 Feedback: It refers to the response of the receiver as to the message sent to him/her
by the sender.
 Environment: It is the region where the communication take place.
The process of communication is simple, but this process has some different elements,
which are very important. We can say that these elements complete the process that the
message should convey to the receiver to complete the communication process and the
receiver should understand it. The process of communication becomes effective when it gives
an effect. Therefore, it´s very important to follow the seven steps of the process of
communication to conclude with the goal of this process.
Verbal Communication Skills
Communication is an essential part of human interaction. The benefits of effective
communication are many and obvious as they enhance all aspects of our personal and
professional lives. Ineffective or misunderstood communications in our personal lives may

6. give rise to problems or embarrassment but in our professional lives the results of
misunderstandings may have much more serious results.
Communication
So, what is communication? If it is so important, how do we ensure that when one
person talks to another, that the other person listens and understands? How do we know if
the message (or sign) has not only been heard (or read) but also understood? What can be
done to limit the opportunities for mistakes and to enhance the effectiveness of
communications?
It is a self-evident fact that people speak different languages can generally not
converse at all and even people speak their own language can misunderstand spoken
messages. Many will recall playing games where a message passed through a series of people
can become quite unrecognizable from the original message after being re-worded or
abbreviated by individuals passing a message one to the other. And the reason these
messages become garbled is probably because we probably have too many ways of passing
ideas one to another.
For effective communications, when the sender of a message communicates with the
intended recipient, there has to be a correlation between what the sender is thinking about
and what the receiver is thinking about. Text or words must therefore be used in a consistent
way, and the first requirement for communication is a set of messages that are used
consistently.
The skills of verbal communication are Writing and Speaking, Reading and Listening.

7. Most of our formal education focuses on writing and reading. However, a good
manager needs the skill of speaking and even more, the skill of listening. It has been found
by research studies that and an executive´s communication time is spent roughly in the
following proportion:
Writing 9% Reading 16%
Speaking 30% Listening 45%
Although listening is so important, most people are not good listeners; but fortunately,
listening skill can be improved by understanding the process and making a conscious effort.
Speaking requires practice. It takes time to build up confidence to speak spontaneously and
in response to another speaker in a dialogue.
Reading Skills
In addition, it can be developed by practice. A large amount of reading material
demands our attention every day. People at work need a technique to cope with the task of
reading quickly and understanding the important parts of the contents. Some things, like a
newspaper story or a light magazine, need only skimming, that is going over it rapidly to see
what it is about and whether it needs attention.
Speed-reading must be silent. The skill of silent reading is different from the skill of
reading aloud. In silent reading, time get wasted because of some poor reading habits like
these:

8.  Moving the lips.
 Making movements in the throat like reading aloud.
 Compulsively reading each word separately.
 Spelling out long words letter by letter.
 Going back, thinking that you have missed something.
Before beginning to read any material:
 Look at the heading, the sub-headings, any synopsis/summary, table of contents,
which give the general sense of the content and the train of thought.
 Be clear about your purpose in reading the material.
 Make sure that you keep your mouth shut so you do not keep mouthing what you
read.
 Watch your throat; try not to move any muscles of the mouth or throat while
reading.
 “Take in” familiar words at a glance.
 Make careful effort not to let the eyes regress, that is, go back a few words instead
of moving forward.
Writing Skills
Writing, like the other verbal skills, needs practice. Business writing requires
knowledge of the layout of the various documents, attention to detail and focus on the
reader´s needs. A good command of vocabulary and sentence structures can improve one´s
business writing.
Effective communications are an essential ingredient to safe and efficient methods.

9. Non-Verbal Communication
It is the communication that occurs through the use of signs. It is mainly characterized
by its lack of verbal syntactic structure, that is, they have no syntactic structure, and so
hierarchical constituent sequences cannot be analyzed.
Nonverbal communication is the process of communication by sending and receiving
messages without words. These messages can be communicated through gestures, body
language or posture, facial expression and eye contact, the communication of objects such as
clothing, hairstyles or even architecture, or symbols and infographics, as well as through an
aggregate of the above, such as the communication of behavior. Nonverbal communication
plays a key role in every day of every person.
Types of Non-Verbal Communication
Recent studies have also highlighted the existence of a range of interesting animal
communication forms, for example, bees, bird whistles, dolphins and whales. In any case,
from semiotics, for example, animal communication does not exist as such, because there is
only communication between human beings, due to the decision and interpretation capacity
that exists in them. In animals there is rather instinctive behavior, therefore, this behavior
could not be called communication, whose meaning is ultimately produced by the reflection
of human beings on their own ways of meaning.
Non-oral forms of communication between living beings include, lights, images,
sounds, gestures, colors and among human symbolic systems as well as signs, flags and other
visual technical means. These symbolic systems are created by men to communicate and for
this, they must agree on the meaning that they will attribute to each signal.

10. Characteristics of Non-Verbal Communication
Maintains a relationship with oral communication, as they are often used together.
On many occasions, it acts as a regulator of the communication process, contributing
to expand or reduce the meaning of the message.
Non-oral communication systems vary by culture.
Generally, it fulfills a greater number of functions than the oral one, as it accompanies,
completes, modifies or replaces it at times.
Body Language
Body language means the change that occurs in the body position and
movements that show the way person is feeling or thinking. Much of it is involuntary
and unconscious, most people are not aware of their body language, but it makes a
powerful impact on others.
Appearance
A person’s general appearance depends on several things. Two of the
important factors that contribute to appearance are grooming, and personal hygiene.
Posture
Posture is the way we hold ourselves, the way we stand or sit; it indicates
something about our feelings and thought, attitudes and health. Postures express

11. attitudes, feelings, and moods more clearly that briefer gestures of hands or head.
Slight movements and postures of the body wall are more basic, and more reliable as
cues; they are not so easy to manipulate or control consciously as other body
movements like fingers, hands, legs, and feet.
Facial expressions
The human face is extremely expressive, able to convey countless emotions
without saying a word. Moreover, unlike some forms of nonverbal communication,
facial expressions are universal. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger,
surprise, fear, and disgust are the same across cultures.
Eye contact
Eye contact is a very important communicative factor. Since the visual sense
is dominant for most people, eye contact is an especially important type of nonverbal
communication. Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of conversation
and for gauging the other person’s interest and response.
Gestures
A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication or non-vocal
communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages,
either in place of, or in conjunction with, speech. Gestures include movement of the
hands, face, or other parts of the body. Gestures differ from physical non-verbal
communication that does not communicate specific messages, such as purely
expressive displays, proxemics, or displays of joint attention.

12. Paralanguage
Paralanguage is the area of non-verbal communication that emphasizes body
language, as a way to express our thoughts and feelings, and may be used consciously or
unconsciously. Paralanguage is a component of meta-communication that may modify
meaning, give nuanced meaning, or convey emotion.
It includes posture, eye contact, hand gestures, tone of voice, and also some qualities
of the voice such as volume, intonation, etc. In other words, the way we use our voice, as
well as the sounds we make without uttering word
One of the most important competences in both personal and professional settings, is
the ability to interpret this kind of human communication correctly. It is possible to use
paralanguage effectively if we become aware of it and pay attention to one’s voice and
speech.
In our everyday communications, we absorb around 7 % of what people are saying
through the words they use and we derive 55% of the meaning from their body gestures and
postures, while the 38% comes from the tone and inflections of the words.
Paralanguage has some characteristics such as Volume Control of Conversation,
Strengthens the Stress, Intonation, and Silence. Volume Control of Conversation, the height
of volume has the function of decision significance of words, and may display the speaker’s
manner and the emotion.

13. Strengthens the Stress, the words significance is different if the stress is different.
Intonation, is a kind of complex pronunciation method of significance expression.
Where the communicators can transmit different information and significance using special
intonation in words. Silences or pauses are very effective in giving emphasis to words.
Paralanguage plays the role of make the words significance determined,
beautification, substitution and deepened. Paralanguage is an important component of our
natural communication that makes the language more accurate, vividly and full of expressive
force.