But there are specific listening skills that a healthcare professional (and others that work closely with people) needs to acquire. Author Phil Burnard lists three important listening skills: "linguistic aspects" (the words and phrases uses); "Paralinguistic aspects" (timing, pitch, accent, fluency, volume, "ums and ers"); and "Non-Verbal aspects" (facial expressions, gestures, touch, body position, body movement and eye contact) (Burnard, 1997, p
For example, first impressions are not always correct and judging people based on a first impression -- using another person's nonverbal communication that was shown at the first glance -- can be short-sighted. The meaning of nonverbal communication must be judged "…from the total context" (Fielding, 2006, p
Nonverbal / Demonstrative Communication Nonverbal Communication The functions of nonverbal communication, according to Professor Mark Frank, include: a) nonverbal communication actually defines communication by "providing the backdrop for communication" (for example, a dimly lit room means communication should be subdued but a brightly lit room with cheerful colors offers a chance for loud talking, laughter and even frivolity); b) nonverbal communication can "regulate" how verbal communication takes place (when the listener nods that he has understood what the speaker has said, it is a cue for the speaker to continue talking); c) nonverbal communication "can be the message itself" because a simple smile indicates acceptance or happiness; a wave means goodbye; raising an index finger suggests "we're number one" and raising a finger to lips means please be quiet (Frank, 2012, pp
Speaking in front of others with sloppy attire makes it difficult for that person "…to be taken seriously," according to Krizan, et al. Meanwhile when a student is in front of a class but doesn't use any gestures (just stands stiffly, arms at the side or shuffling papers), "…may be perceived as boring, uncomfortable or nervous," and this is ineffective use of nonverbal communication (Krizan, 2010, p
On the other hand, demonstrative communication has the capacity to yield negative, unsuccessful results, should the sender and receiver of these cues not have the same tone or silent understanding of one another. Demonstrative communication "lacks the complexity that a verbal language has to offer," but has the capacity to speak much more on a guttural level (Sutton, 2011, pp