Effective Communication Flashcards

A complete vocabulary flashcard set covering spoken/written/multimodal texts, communication elements, tone, structure, audience types, biases, and conversation management strategies from Lessons 2 through 6.

Text

Any form of written or spoken material that communicates meaning, including words, symbols, or signs used to convey ideas, information, emotions, or messages.

Spoken Text

Any message or information that is expressed through speaking or oral communication, which is heard rather than read.

Written Text

Any message or information that is expressed through writing using letters, words, or symbols, which is read rather than heard.

Visual or Multimodal Text

A type of text that uses two or more modes (ways) to communicate meaning, such as written words, spoken language, images, sounds, movement, gestures, music, or video.

Communication

The process of sharing information, ideas, thoughts, or feelings between two or more people, involving a sender, message, medium, and receiver.

Sender

The person who creates and sends the message in communication.

Message

The information or idea being communicated.

Medium/Channel

How the message is sent, such as through spoken, written, or nonverbal means.

Receiver

The person who receives and interprets the message in communication.

Feedback

The response from the receiver that shows understanding or misunderstanding of the message.

Context

The situation or environment in which communication happens.

Verbal Communication

Communication that uses spoken or written words to convey messages.

Nonverbal Communication

Sending messages without words, using facial expressions, body language, posture, eye contact, gestures, tone of voice, or appearance.

Visual Communication

Using images or visual aids—such as photos, charts, diagrams, graphs, signs, symbols, or videos—to communicate.

Personal Communication

Private, casual, and emotional communication among friends or family.

Interpersonal Communication

Communication that occurs between two or more people, which can be formal or informal and may involve body language, tone, and emotion.

Content

The literal message representing what is being said.

Intent

The reason why something is being said, representing the purpose behind communication such as to inform, persuade, request, or apologize.

Language

Word choice used in communication, including formal or informal styles, slang, contractions, colloquialisms, or jargon.

Tone

The attitude or feeling conveyed in a message, such as being respectful, friendly, emotional, or assertive.

Structure

How a message is organized, including elements like greetings, body paragraphs, and closings.

Slang

Informal, often playful or trendy expressions used in communication.

Contractions

Shortened forms of words, such as 'don't' for 'do not' or 'it's' for 'it is'.

Colloquialisms

Everyday language or regional expressions used in informal communication, such as 'gonna' or 'y'all'.

Jargon

Specialized terms used within a specific profession or group, such as 'coding' in tech or 'stat' in medicine.

Formal Audience

People you do not know well or who hold authority, such as a principal, boss, customer, or government official.

Informal Audience

An audience made up of friends, family, or peers.

Professional Audience

Experts or professionals in a specific field, such as doctors, teachers, engineers, or scholars.

Main Message

The central idea or core takeaway that the communicator wants the audience to understand.

Implied Meaning

An idea that is suggested by the text, clues, or context, but not directly or explicitly stated.

Bias

A tendency to present information in a way that favors one opinion, perspective, group, or idea over another.

Selection Bias

A systematic error that occurs when a study's participants or data are chosen improperly, meaning the sample does not accurately represent the target population.

Language Bias

The unfair, exclusive, or prejudiced use of language, including linguistic bias and exclusionary terms related to gender, race, or ability.

Cultural Bias

The tendency to judge, interpret, or evaluate other people's experiences, behaviors, and norms strictly through the lens of one's own cultural background.

Emotional Bias

The distortion of decision-making and judgment caused by spontaneous personal feelings, moods, and impulses at the time a choice is made.

Visual Bias

The tendency for images, data presentations, and visual perception to skew reality.

Politeness Markers

Words or expressions used to show courtesy and respect during communication, such as 'please', 'thank you', or 'excuse me'.

Topic Nomination

A conversation management strategy that involves introducing a new topic into a discussion.

Topic Shift

A conversation management strategy that involves changing the conversation topic smoothly.

Turn-Taking

A conversation management strategy that allows each speaker an opportunity to talk without interruption.

Back-Channeling

Showing active listening during a conversation without interrupting the speaker, using expressions such as 'I see', 'right', or 'uh-huh'.

Feedback-Giving

Responding constructively to another person's ideas during a conversation.

Topic Termination

A conversation management strategy used to end a conversation politely.