8.2: Verbal Communication
- Page ID
- 69196
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Verbal communication is the use of spoken or written words to convey information, ideas, and emotions. It includes everyday conversations, speeches, presentations, and written messages such as emails or reports. Effective verbal communication depends on clarity, tone, vocabulary, and organization of thoughts, allowing the sender to express meaning accurately and the receiver to understand it as intended. Tone of voice, word choice, and speaking style can influence how a message is perceived, making it important to match language to the audience and situation. Overall, verbal communication is essential for sharing knowledge, building relationships, and coordinating actions in both personal and professional settings.35
Types of Verbal Communication
There are essentially two types of categories of verbal skills. Interpersonal and Leadership types. These two main categories can be divided into four sub-categories;
Intrapersonal – intrapersonal communication is a communicator’s internal use of language or thought. It can be useful to envision intrapersonal communication occurring in the mind of the individual in a model which contains a sender, receiver, and feedback loop.
Interpersonal – interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages: it is face-to-face communication. It is here where we see the proper application of using questions to seek clarity as well as the acting of switching. Switching can be broken down into two components. The first is referred to as conversational switching, where a speaker’s attitude toward the topic is conveyed to the recipient. The second is referred to as situational switching where the speaker’s attitude towards the audience is communicated.
Public – public communication happens when individuals and groups engage in dialogue in the public sphere in order to deliver a message to a specific audience. Public speaking events, newspaper editorials, and billboard advertisements are a few forms of public communication.
Leadership – is defined as inspiring and encouraging an individual or a group by systematic and meaningful sharing of information. It is here where we find elements of persuasion and negotiation being used by the speaker. Another form can be described as group talk. Group talk sees the speaker exchanging words like ‘we’ or ‘us’ for the singular forms ‘I’, ‘you’. Employing this kind of communication is designed to make the group effective by being more inclusive and focused on the group’s actions rather than upon particular individuals.
35Cartwright, G. (2026)