The Basics of Communication
What are the two main people involved in the communication process?
Who are the sender and the receiver?
You tell your friend “I’m mad at you,” and they look confused. In this moment, who is the sender?
Who is you (the person speaking)?
What is the first part of an "I-feel" statement?
What is “I feel (emotion)”?
What does it mean to be an active listener?
What is listening carefully and showing you understand?
Fix this: “You never listen to me!”
What is: “I feel ignored when I’m not listened to because I want to feel heard. I would like more attention when I’m speaking.”
What is it called when the sender turns thoughts into words and delivers a...?
What is a message?
Your teacher explains something, and you write it down. Who is the receiver?
Who is you (the student)?
Fill in the blank: “I feel frustrated when people interrupt me because I can't finish my thoughts. I would like __________.”
What is “you to let me finish before responding”?
Name one way to show you’re actively listening.
What is eye contact, nodding, or asking follow-up questions?
Fix this: “Stop being so annoying during class!”
What is: “I feel distracted when there’s a lot of noise because I can’t concentrate. I would like a quieter environment.”
What is it called when the receiver interprets the message?
What is decoding?
If a message is misunderstood, who might need to adjust how they communicate?
Who is the sender?
Why are “I-feel” statements helpful in communication?
What is they reduce blame and clearly express feelings?
What should you avoid doing when someone is speaking to you?
What is interrupting or being distracted (like being on your phone)?
Fix this: “You're always late.”
What is: “I feel frustrated when you're late because it affects our plans. I would like you to be on time.”
What are the two types of communication?
What is verbal and nonverbal communication?
You’re decoding a message—what part of the communication process are you doing?
What is interpreting the message?
Create a full “I-feel” message for this situation: Your group member isn’t doing their part.
Example: “I feel overwhelmed when you don’t do your part of the group project because it adds extra work for me. I would like you to help with the next task.”
You repeat back what someone said in your own words. What’s this called?
What is paraphrasing?
Fix this: “You’re the worst partner ever!”
What is: “I feel disappointed when work isn’t shared equally because it puts pressure on me. I would like us to divide the work fairly.”
What do we call the response the receiver sends back to the sender?
What is feedback?
You give a thumbs up after your friend tells a joke. What is that an example of?
What is nonverbal feedback?
What's missing from this statement: “I feel upset when no one listens.”
What is “because (reason)” and “I would like (solution)”?
Why is active listening important in communication?
What is it helps avoid misunderstandings and builds trust?
Fix this: “No one cares about what I think.”
What is: “I feel unimportant when my ideas aren’t considered because I want to contribute. I would like others to listen when I speak.”