Types of Oral Communication
Chapter Sixty-Three
Syllabus topic 3.2.2, "Types of Oral Communication - Verbal Communication - Formal Speech (Oral & Written)"
Pages 309 to 312 of 406
In one line
Oral communication is classified by whether words are used, by how formal it is, by how many people are involved, and by which way it flows, and a formal speech may be delivered orally or written out first.
Verbal and non-verbal
Verbal communication is communication in words. It divides into oral, that is, spoken, and written.
Non-verbal communication is everything conveyed without words, and it accompanies almost all speech.
| Kind of non-verbal signal | What it covers | Why a lawyer should care |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesics | Gesture, posture, movement | A witness's manner is read by a court whether or not it should be |
| Facial expression | The face, especially the eyes | The first thing a client reads on an adviser's face is whether the case is hopeless |
| Eye contact | Looking and not looking | Its meaning varies sharply between cultures, so it proves less than people think |
| Proxemics | The distance kept between people | The layout of a courtroom is proxemics made permanent |
| Haptics | Touch, such as a handshake | Governed by strong professional conventions |
| Paralanguage | Tone, pitch, pace, volume, pauses | The same sentence is a question, a threat or an apology depending on it |
| Appearance | Dress and grooming | The reason courts have dress rules at all |
| Chronemics | The use of time | Being late is a message, and it is received |
The trap. Paralanguage is often called vocal but non-verbal, because it travels with speech without being words. If an examiner asks whether tone is verbal or non-verbal, the answer is that the words are verbal and the tone is not.
The proposition to be careful with. Textbooks often say that a fixed percentage of communication is non-verbal. Those figures come from experiments about feelings and attitudes and do not apply to ordinary informational speech. Say instead that non-verbal signals strongly affect how a message is received, especially where feelings are involved, and avoid quoting a percentage you cannot defend.
Classification by formality
Formal oral communication follows a recognised structure, occurs in an official setting and is usually planned. Examples: an address to a court, a lecture, a formal interview, a presentation, a speech at a college function, proceedings at a meeting conducted under rules.
Informal oral communication is unplanned and unstructured, and follows relationships rather than positions. Examples: conversation between colleagues, discussion over tea, a telephone call to a friend.
The grapevine. The informal network by which news travels through an organisation. It is fast, it is often right, and it cannot be abolished, so it is better used than fought.
Classification by number of participants
Intrapersonal. Communication within one person: thinking, rehearsing an argument, talking to yourself while drafting. It is included because preparation for speaking begins here.
Interpersonal or dyadic. Between two people. The client interview, the telephone call, the conference with a senior, the cross-examination of one witness.
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