Why Effective Communication Is Important Essay Example for Free

Why Effective Communication Is Important Essay 1.1 Explain why effective communication is important in developing positive relationships with children, young people and adults. Communication is simply defined as the process of conveying information from one person to another. It can be verbal, no verbal, visual or written. Effective communication involves the ability to use these different methods of communication not just to pass on information but to also receive feedback or learn the other persons viewpoint. Therefore the goal of any communication is understanding. Hence, It is a social skill that is crucial for any relationship to succeed. Unfortunately, as easy as the definition of communication sounds, it is often the root cause of many problems in relationships. This is because effective communication involves much more than just talking to someone. It involves listening not just to what is said, but a whole lot of what is unsaid. Misunderstanding can occur when barriers to communication are not recognised and dealt with. Barriers, such as; Language differences Speech impairments Cultural differences Emotional state and attitude Prejudice Sensory impairments. In the area of supporting teaching and learning in schools, effective communication is vital as communication styles differ across the various kinds of individuals that one would have to develop relationships with in Schools. Children for instance think in black and white terms, young adults are starting to think more in grey terms and may have more emotional barriers to deal with. Adults on the other hand are more susceptible to cultural differences and sometimes prejudice. To use the same approach in communicating with these different types of individuals would result in misunderstanding and conflict.