Exercise / ‘Understanding communication’ • Invite five participants to volunteer to prepare for a short play. • One of the volunteers has to talk continuously to himself or herself while a second volunteer simply has to sit with one hand on his or her cheek while putting on a sad face. A third volunteer has to strike a chair with a rod or any available item, while the remaining two volunteers must engage in a conversation during which the one talks and the other asks questions for clarification purposes, thus imitating a routine conversation that one would have with a peer. • Before the presentation starts, instruct the group to observe the scenes. For purposes of debriefing: • Ask the group members to say what they saw; and • Ask them to identify the various communication methods and to identify which act by a volunteer best describes communication. LEARNING POINT Communication is not a one-way process that involves sending a message, but is an exchange between speaker and receiver. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION (Discussion) There are two main types of communication, namely verbal and non-verbal. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but what is most important is to improve whichever way one communicates in order to create meaning that can be clearly understood. Verbal communication entails using the spoken word in order to relay a message, that is, talking. The way people relate and problems are solved is improved when there is good verbal communication. Nonverbal communication is the relaying of a message without using words to convey meaning. According to Grimsley (2003), there are six broad categories of non-verbal communication: 1. Tone and voice cues, i.e. tone, pitch, speed and volume; 2. Body movements and gestures; 3. Facial expressions; 4. Space; 5. Touch; and 6. Clothing and artefacts. Module 5: Communication in community healing 87 5