What is a verbal exchange between two or more people who have different opinions on a give subject called?

Written Communication, on the other hand, is a formal means of communication, wherein message is carefully drafted and formulated in written form. It is kept as a source of reference or legal record. In this article, we’ve presented all the important differences between oral and written communication in tabular form.

Content: Oral Communication Vs Written Communication

1. Comparison Chart
2. Definition
3. Key Differences
4. Video
5. Conclusion

Comparison Chart

Definition of Oral Communication

Oral Communication is the process of conveying or receiving messages with the use of spoken words. This mode of communication is highly used across the world because of rapid transmission of information and prompt reply.

Oral communication can either be in the form of direct conversation between two or more persons like face to face communication, lectures, meetings, seminars, group discussion, conferences, etc. or indirect conversation, i.e. the form of communication in which a medium is used for interchange of information like telephonic conversation, video call, voice call, etc.

The best thing about this mode of communication is that the parties to communication, i.e. sender or receiver, can notice nonverbal cues like the body language, facial expression, tone of voice and pitch, etc. This makes the communication between the parties more effective. However, this mode is backed with some limitation like the words once spoken can never be taken back.

Definition of Written Communication

The communication in which the message is transmitted in written or printed form is known as Written Communication. It is the most reliable mode of communication, and it is highly preferred in the business world because of its formal and sophisticated nature. The various channels of written communication are letters, e-mails, journals, magazines, newspapers, text messages, reports, etc. There are a number of advantages of written communication which are as under:

• Referring the message in the future will be easy.
• Before transmitting the message, one can revise or rewrite it in an organised way.
• The chances of misinterpretation of message are very less because the words are carefully chosen.
• The communication is planned.
• Legal evidence is available due to the safekeeping of records.

But as we all know that everything has two aspects, same is the case with written communication as the communication is a time consuming one. Moreover, the sender will never know that the receiver has read the message or not. The sender has to wait for the responses of the receiver. A lot of paperwork is there, in this mode of communication.

The following are the major differences between oral communication and written communication:

1. The type of communication in which the sender transmits information to the receiver through verbally speaking the message. The communication mode, which uses written or printed text for exchanging the information is known as Written Communication.
2. The pre-condition in written communication is that the participants must be literate whereas there is no such condition in case of oral communication.
3. Proper records are there in Written Communication, which is just opposite in the case of Oral Communication.
4. Oral Communication is faster than Written Communication.
5. The words once uttered cannot be reversed in the case of Oral Communication. On the other hand, editing of the original message is possible in Written Communication.
6. Misinterpretation of the message is possible in Oral Communication but not in Written Communication.
7. In oral communication, instant feedback is received from the recipient which is not possible in Written Communication.

Video: Oral Vs Written Communication

Conclusion

Oral Communication is an informal one which is normally used in personal conversations, group talks, etc. Written Communication is formal communication, which is used in schools, colleges, business world, etc. Choosing between the two communication mode is a tough task because both are good at their places. People normally use the oral mode of communication because it is convenient and less time-consuming. However, people normally believe in the written text more than what they hear that is why written communication is considered as the reliable method of communication.

We, humans, are social animals, and we always need someone to talk or share our opinions, news, and even feelings. Communication is a substantial part of our life, whether we say something or not, it automatically conveys a message to the persons surrounding us, because it is inescapable. It can be intrapersonal communication or interpersonal communication. The major difference between intrapersonal and interpersonal communication is that the former is invisible, as it goes in our mind, the latter is visible as it takes place between several parties.

Content: Intrapersonal Communication Vs Interpersonal Communication

1. Comparison Chart
2. Definition
3. Key Differences
4. Conclusion

Comparison Chart

Definition of Intrapersonal Communication

The communication with oneself is intrapersonal communication. It involves thinking, analysing, interpreting, assessing, contemplating, feeling, etc. It is to reflect the individual self, with a view to clarifying something.

It is an activity that takes place in our mind; wherein a person is involved in a conversation with himself/herself, commonly known as ‘self-talk’ or ‘inner speech’. The activity can be a monologue or internal dialogue, i.e. when you imagine a conversation, in your mind with the absent other. So, it is quite obvious that the sender and receiver are the same person.

Internal discourse, Solo-vocal communication and Solo written communication are the three levels of intrapersonal communication. The three aspects that govern the intrapersonal communication are:

• Self-Concept: Self-concept ascertains the way an individual takes himself/herself, oriented towards others. The three factors in self-concept are:
• Perception: It is what the mind receives and grasp from the outside world.
• Expectation: An individual’s future-oriented projection, that something might happen.

Definition of Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal Communication is the one to one communication between two or more persons, wherein exchange of ideas, information or messages takes place through a channel. It can be a face to face communication between parties, communication over mail, telephone and the like.

In Interpersonal Communication, the way something is said is as important as what is being said. So, here, the tone of voice, body language, gestures, facial expressions, have a great impact on the recipient. The features of interpersonal communication are as under:

• Inescapable: Whenever we try not to say anything to anyone at all, it says something about our mood, attitude or nature, i.e. not by words but through the non-verbal signals.
• Irreversible or Unrepeatable: Once something is being said, it cannot be taken back, so neither it is reversible nor repeatable.
• Complex: Due to some variables involved in communication, it is a complex process. The words used in the process of communication may not have the same meaning for both sender and receiver, and this complicates the process.
• Contextual: Context plays a significant role in the communication process, as in there is psychological, environmental, situational and relational context.

The difference between intrapersonal and interpersonal communication, can be drawn clearly on the following grounds:

1. The communication that we have with ourselves, i.e. the communication that occurs in our mind, is known as intrapersonal communication. The communication between two or more person, through verbal or non-verbal messages, is called interpersonal communication.
2. The intrapersonal communication is the communication with oneself, and so only one person is involved in it. On the contrary, interpersonal communication is always between two or more persons.
3. Intrapersonal communication occurs continuously because it is the human tendency to think, analyse and interpret things. Conversely, Interpersonal Communication occurs regularly on a personal and professional level.
4. In intrapersonal communication, only an individual’s internal senses are involved. As against this, interpersonal communication requires media, i.e. to pass on the message to the other party.
5. In intrapersonal communication, is based on the thinking and analysis while interpersonal communication is concerned with the exchange of ideas, information, opinions, feelings and so on.

Conclusion

Intrapersonal communication is the base of interpersonal communication because it is our experience on which our perception relies and our perception influences our interaction with the other persons. In intrapersonal communication the information is always kept in a person’s mind, however, in an interpersonal communication, the information flows from one person to another.