Week 2 DQ COMM

Verbal and Nonverbal Messages 

When it comes to communication, you can send a clear message not just through your words and your voice, but also through your actions and gestures. Both verbal and nonverbal communication play a prominent role when you interact with the people around you.

In this week’s Discussion, you will explore how verbal and nonverbal communications are used in face-to-face environments.

Remember, the “To prepare” section helps you connect your course reading with the assignment and helps prepare your thinking for the assignment below.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review the basic models of communication from Week 1, focusing on messages and context.
• Read Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 in Communication in a Changing World.
• View the video “Verbal and Nonverbal Communication: First Date.” This is located in the Week 2 Resources.
• Review the Week 2 WLDN 1000 Resources and Discussion. As you write your answer to this Discussion, remember to practice what you learned in WLDN 1000 about appropriate discussion posts and responses to classmates.
• Review the document Week 2 Discussion Rubric. This will help you make sure you have included all requirements in your discussion assignment.
• Review the document How to Apply Terms, Module 1.

With these thoughts in mind, your assignment is to:

Post by Day 3 a 200- to 300-word discussion. In this post you should:

1. Describe a face-to-face interaction from your own life where the verbal and nonverbal communication was effective.
2. Describe a face-to-face interaction from your own life where the verbal and nonverbal communication was ineffective.
3. Choose one of the interactions you wrote about and analyze your own verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors. Tell us how your communication behaviors affected the interaction.
   • As you analyze your own communication, be sure to apply a minimum of one term from the verbal list below and one term from the nonverbal list below in this section of your post. All the terms come from the Communication in a Changing World textbook. The “verbal” terms can be found in chapter 5 and the “nonverbal” terms are in chapter 6. Use the “How to Apply Terms, Module 1” document located in the weekly resources for help. 

     Verbal: ambiguous, concrete, abstract, euphemism, jargon, connotation, denotation, doublespeak, inclusive language, cultural sensitivity 

     Nonverbal: intrinsic, accent, complement, contradict, leakage, vocalics, illustrators, adaptors, regulate, emblems

Be sure to support your ideas by connecting them to the week’s Learning Resources, or something you have read, heard, seen, or experienced.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 5 to at least two of your colleagues’ postings in two or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.
• Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Validate an idea with your own experience.
• Make a suggestion.
• Expand on your colleagues’ postings.

Note: A good response usually has at least 50 words and does more than just compliment a fellow student on his or her post.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made