All the channels, mediums or sources through which we can send or get information or our messages called Communication Means. Communication process is classified in two major types as Verbal Communication and Non-Verbal Communication.
Each communication mean also falls in one of these categories according to its nature, so communication means can also be divided into these basic types as:
1. Verbal Communication Means
2. Non-Verbal Communication Means
1. Verbal Communication Means:
The word Verbal refers to written or spoken words. There are several means that we could use to communicate verbally.
• Electronic Means:
A. Internet
Internet is a short form of International Network. This is the today's most popular and widely accepted mean. It requires a computer system, a dial-up connection, a web browser, a modulator and demodulator device called modem and a connectivity media like telephone connection.
You connect to internet by dialing an ISP (Internet Services Provider) using your dial-up connection which is a software and it usually included with your operating system already. If you are connected with your ISP then there are several software or internet based applications that your could use to get your desired data or information in the form of text, images, animations, video media clips, or sounds streams, or you could upload or share your own data or information to persons with you would like to communicate.
There are some major features of internet:
i. E-Mail: E-Mail is a short form of Electronic Mail. It is used to send or receive almost any kind of data in computer own specific formats. Many international domains offer this facility like http://www.hotmail.com and http://www.yahoo.com are the most popular e-mail servers.
ii. Internet Chat: This is a real time facility in which two or a group of computer users can be talk in written or spoken words. It also allows you to look each other by the usage of a digital camera attached with your computer. It can be done on a website or on your messenger. MSN Messenger is an example of chatting soft wares.
iii. URLs (Websites): URL stands for Universal Resource Location and it is also known as a website. A URL is a name or address of a domain on the internet which you specify in the address bar of your internet browser. A website is a collection of pages. Page is a document in the computer form that can be display on computer screen. Actually you calls pages of a specific location to get information, and each web page has a different URL address. These pages consist of images, animations, sounds. Websites can be globally accessible, and also very useful to get information or data at any time or from any place.
B. Phone
Both the Telephones and Cellular Phones (Mobile) fall in this category. With the help of a telephone you could communicate in an oral way world widely. We just dial the number of the person or place where we want to communicate.
C. Fax
Using Fax machines we can send or receive messages and information in the form of hard copies or printed pages. Fax machines require a telephone line to attach.
D. Television
Television is a widely adopted device.
F. Radio
Radio is a classical and useful way of communication. Radio used for entertainments, news, current affairs, advertisement, weather situations, documentaries and sports information. It is single side communication way, because the listeners of the radio can not feed back from their radio sets.
• Non-Electronic Means:
G. Newspaper
Newspapers are also a classic mean of communication.
H. Mail
I. Courier
J. Notice Board
2. Non-Verbal Communication Means:
Non-Verbal is a communication type in which the words are not used. Followings are the types that can communicate non-verbally.
Appearance
Appearance has two types to describe it in more detail.
A. Personal Appearance: The factors that can effect on your personal appearance are might be clothing, hairstyle, jewelry, and cosmetics. They can convey your age, occupation, social status and economical status.
B. Surrounding Appearance: Aspects of surroundings include room size, location, furnishing, machines, architecture, wall decoration, floor, lighting, windows, view, and other related features wherever people communicate orally.
• Facial Expressions
• Gesture, Posture and Movement
• Smell and Touch
• Voice and Sounds
• Silence
• Time
• Space
• Pause