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3 Ways To Be An Effective Communicator

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Excelling in school and beyond does not just entail possessing strong academic proficiencies; the way a student carries and expresses themselves plays an important role in their development. For instance, effective communication skills can help a student form better relationships with their peers in school, enhancing their academic experience in the process. Any self-respecting English tuition centre in Singapore will also tell you that effective communication skills are essential when it comes to oral examinations. These skills will also help your child thrive in their workplaces as well. How can your child develop effective communication skills, then? Here are 3 simple tips.

1. Listen Actively

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Often, it's easy to get carried away when you're having a conversation, and you're eager to get your point across, or if someone is in the midst of sharing something relatable and you wish to add on with a personal story. The best thing to do in these situations is to let the other person finish saying what they want to say and address what has just been said before contributing to the conversation. Show them you're invested in listening to them by asking questions about what they tell you, and recap what they've said in different words — this builds trust between yourself and the other person.

It's also important to refrain from passing judgement on what has been said, however strongly you may disagree with the other person. Instead, try helping them work through whatever it is that they're dealing with and suggest options objectively. Also, accept that the other person might not always agree with your perspectives; therefore, be open minded and learn to look at things from their point of view as well. Here at LK Academy's tuition centre in Singapore, we offer students ample opportunities to practise effective communication skills amongst themselves through educational drama and other interactive activities.

2. Communicate Assertively

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There are three main ways that people normally communicate — aggressively, which involves speaking forcefully and in a hostile manner that alienates the other person; passively, which is characterised by not expressing your thoughts or opinions at all; and assertively, which is essentially the middle ground between the previous two. Communicating assertively means clearly expressing what you think, how you feel, and what you want in a non-demanding manner. It allows you to also make reasonable requests of other people whilst respecting their right to decline; stand up for your own rights; and decline requests from others without feeling guilty. Being an assertive communicator empowers you to feel confident about yourself and what you believe in without appearing disrespectful to others. Here at our English tuition centre in Singapore, we recognise that English is more than just being good at the written word; students also need to master the art of speaking.

3. Be Aware of Your Body Language

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Communicating with others often requires an equal mix of words and non-verbal cues like body language, including gestures, facial expressions, voice tones, eye contact, posture, and even breathing. Will the way you're looking at the other person make them feel negatively; or is your tone coming off a little too sceptical? These are the little details that you'll need to learn to spot and be aware of, as you'll want to properly use them in order to send your intended message across as accurately as possible. Learning to read and use body language will help you establish better relationships more easily, as everyone wants to talk to a person who truly listens, cares, and understands.

As a general rule of thumb, adopt an open posture, calm voice, and relaxed body language when communicating with others. Here are some simple tips to accomplish that:

  1. Be relaxed and comfortable, and don't fidget
  2. Adopt an open posture whilst refraining from crossing your arms or looking stern
  3. Lean ever so slightly towards the person to show interest in what they're saying
  4. Maintain eye contact without staring
  5. Open your lips just a tiny bit when listening to subtly express interest
  6. Face the person squarely

To find out more about the various techniques that our tutors at LK Academy's tuition centre in Singapore employ to develop our students' communication skills, please visit our website.