Barriers to Communication

Communication Barriers

Communication Barrier (Language, Spoken) –

The language that the presenter is using can result in a communication barrier for the audience. If the presenter is using language that is too big in a sense for the listeners then the presenter may come across as being patronizing, or they will look like they have not researched their audience well enough which is unprofessional. Due to this barrier the listener may feel like the presenter is boring them or offending them due to their use of technical terms that they do not understand. This could also make the listener lose motivation and interest. Culture is another problem within language when talking. If you have not fully researched your audience and have written something like a speech that contains things that someone of a certain culture could get offended by then this could lead to problems. You might not be communicating your message very clearly to the audience when speaking due to problems with your volume levels, tone of voice etc. In order to communicate effectively when speaking you need to make sure that the audience can hear you, but also that you are changing the pitch and tone of your voice when saying certain words to provide emphasis and make the audience pay more attention to you.

Communication Barrier (Body Language, Interpersonal) –

Body language can and should be used in interpersonal communication. However, if you or the listener is using the wrong body language then the conversation may be interpreted differently from how it was intended to be. If anyone in the conversation uses aggressive, bored or nervous body language without realising it then the rest of the people in the conversation may be left feeling like they have said something to offend you, not given you the right information etc. It is best to try and use neutral body language such as using your arms to emphasise words etc. Also be aware what facial expression you are using as you may be frowning etc. without even realising it. Another thing to be aware about in regards to your arms is how you are using them, if you keep your arms down by your side you will seem like you are bored of the presentation and the audience may become bored also. Folding your arms is another mistake as this can be taken as a sign of rudeness or aggressiveness.

Communication Barrier (Document, Written) –

The structure of a written document may affect how the audience reads it. If you have not laid out the document well with relevant headings, sub headings, text formatting etc. then the user may find the document hard to read as things may be all over the place or they may take the information differently than how it was meant to be read originally. If the layout of the document is inconsistent (things are all over the place and the words are hard to follow) then this gives off a bad and unprofessional impression to the user and may lead them to ignore the document altogether since the writer could not be bothered to use the correct layouts etc. Also, the writer of the document will need to ensure that they have used all of the proper spelling, grammar and punctuation as the reader may have difficulty deciding what some parts of the document means if it is not written correctly. It is also unprofessional to not have taken the time to ensure that you have typed or written something correctly.