Categories of Communication

There are a wide range of ways in which we communicate and more than one may be occurring at any given time.

The different categories of communication include:

• Spoken or Verbal Communication, which includes face-to-face, telephone, radio or television and other media.

• Non-Verbal Communication, covering body language, gestures, how we dress or act, where we stand, and even our scent. There are many subtle ways that we communicate (perhaps even unintentionally) with others. For example, the tone of voice can give clues to mood or emotional state, whilst hand signals or gestures can add to a spoken message.

• Written Communication: which includes letters, e-mails, social media, books, magazines, the Internet and other media. Until recent times, a relatively small number of writers and publishers were very powerful when it came to communicating the written word. Today, we can all write and publish our ideas online, which has led to an explosion of information and communication possibilities.

• Visualizations: graphs and charts, maps, logos and other visualizations can all communicate messages.