Verbal Communication

There are many ways to communicate, but verbal communication is a key skill that affects our daily lives. It involves using spoken language to express our thoughts, emotions, and ideas. Whether we’re speaking in person, on the phone, or through virtual calls, verbal communication plays a crucial role in how we connect and collaborate with others.

Effective verbal communication is clear, purposeful, and audience specific. It not only involves speaking, but also actively listening and responding to others’ questions, ideas, and concerns. Strong verbal communication skills are valuable across many professions, including sales, teaching, and law, where clear and responsive interaction is essential.

Course-Based Approaches

Here are some ways to encourage verbal communication skills in your course:

Assign oral presentations where students practice summarizing, arguing, responding, or explaining discipline-specific content to help students learn how to tailor their message to different listeners.
Use student-led discussions to encourage students to express ideas clearly, ask thoughtful questions, and share meaningful insights.
Use role-playing exercises to simulate real-world verbal interactions common in your field, giving students hands-on communication practice.
Schedule one-on-one conferences to model and support effective interpersonal communication while deepening student understanding.

Programmatic Approaches

Go further by encouraging verbal communication at the program or department level with these ideas:

Student Conference or Symposium

Organize student conferences or symposiums where participants present their work and receive constructive feedback to refine their ideas and communication. NIU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences features multiple student-focused conferences that give students an opportunity to connect and communicate with others.

Student Showcase

Host showcases to allow students to deliver oral presentations on their research, projects, or accomplishments to an audience of peers, faculty, or professionals. NIU’s English Department hosts a Showcase of Student Writing to let students share their work with audiences from across the university and the wider community.

Mentorship Program

Develop mentorship programs to connect students with professionals in the field, giving them opportunities to practice professional communication while deepening their understanding of the discipline. Villanova University uses a mentorship program to encourage students to connect and communicate with more experienced individuals connected to the university.

Resources

Addressing Undergraduate Skill Gaps in Higher Education: Revisiting Communication in the Major Course Outcomes — This article in the Journal of Education for Business explores changes in employer perceptions of graduates' communication skills.
Communication — This list of career readiness skills from NACE provides examples of what effective communication skills look like.
The Importance of Communication in the Workplace — This video from Study Hall introduces important communication skills to have in the workplace and explains the importance of communication in the workplace, regardless of the field.
The Oral Communication VALUE Rubric — This page from the American Association of Colleges and Universities includes a rubric to help evaluate whether assessments are meeting student learning outcome standards for oral communication.
Oral and Written Communication — This resource from the University of Minnesota includes videos about the importance of communication, which include insights from alumni.