Communication Training Exercises

Tap to Read ➤ Mukta Gaikwad

Most of us have the ability to talk with a fairly rich vocabulary, but rarely do we understand the meaning of effective communication. You can easily turn mundane activities into rewarding communication training exercises.

Communication is defined as, 'a process of transferring information from one entity to another'. It bridges the gap between two people by helping them share information. Communication branches out into two divisions namely, verbal and non verbal communication.

Communication is an art which is developed by being an active listener and improving vocabulary. The latter includes signs, pictures, eye contact, and various other forms of expression. Most of these remain abstract and are subject to a viewer's perception.

However, it is verbal communication which plays an important role in our day-to-day lives by challenging the most fundamental ability of communication.

Fun Communication Training Exercises

Toy Story

Children learn to construct sentences around the age of two. By the time they reach school going age, many remain unsure about what communication is. Which is why they often face problems in making friends or even talking to teachers.

Communication in essence, is your ability to convey a message to another person and making sure that it is understood. A simple exercise can save your child a lifetime's trouble. Ask your toddler to pick up his favorite toy.

Make him stand in front of you and make him talk a few lines about it. It is easier to talk about your favorite things, as we often share an emotional bond with them. The sentences can be incorrect, but as long as your child can convey the idea in his mind, then consider this communication idea a success!

Creative Writing

By the time children reach the age of 5-8, they begin to write paragraphs only as a part of homework.

Use this newly gained ability to train your child to learn the art of communication with a playful perspective. Make your child write about his weekend, a dream he had, a song he learned, and other mundane activities.

Writing makes one think about every detail that occurred during the incident. This improves recapitulation, analysis of the same and synthesis of how it happened and what it resulted into. Begin with essays of just 10 lines so that the charm of instant gratification is not lost.

Help your child to learn new words, in order to supplement his stories and imagination. After all communication uses language as a medium, which makes honing of language skills a very important part of communication training as well.

Group Discussions

Teenagers have strong view points which can be cleverly used during family group discussions to sharpen your child's communication skills. Communication includes assertive placement of opinions and taking stands, which has to be learned at a young age. Allow your child to actively participate in family discussions and decisions.

Treat your child like an adult and point his mistakes such as raising his voice to seek attention, incorrect usage of words, and tangential viewpoints which make the discussions useless. However, you also need to appreciate your child's effort to convey the idea and reward it by being accommodative.

Keen Observer

The power of observation helps us see intricate details which are often missed out by others. By the time your child reaches 15-16 years of age, teach him to be a keen observer of things around him which create a situation wherein communication is required.

For instance, taking up odd jobs and interacting with clients will teach your child the need for observation, patience and communication. Thus, encourage your child to pick up small jobs as a part of training him for impeccable communication skills.

You don't really have to go out of your way to look for communication training exercises because they exist all around you, and can be found in simple interactions with friends and family. Focus on conveying your idea in the most simplest way to the other person, to see the finer nuances of effective communication.