Barriers of Verbal Communication - Essay Example

Neil Cavuto’s interview with the former governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty presents some of the barriers of verbal communication like cultural barriers, generalization, and static evaluation. This interview regarding the union protest in Wisconsin has shown that even a great, well-versed speaker, author, and politician is not exemption from the barriers to effective verbal communication. There are so many factors affecting this situation and nobody is spared of these factors, however, these can be avoided and minimized as a speaker learns to be aware of what he says. Thinking and analyzing are important tasks an individual should embrace as a discipline to apply in speaking to effectively express one’s ideas.

In the case of the aforementioned interview, the former governor was talking in a general term, speaking about his ideas based on his political views and affiliation. On the first question of Cavuto about the senators who fled to Illinois to block the Wisconsin controversial bill, the governor answered in a general term embracing his opinion of what America should do. He encouraged America to stand with Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, and to stand with the state where this controversy is being ironed out. This statement of Pawlenty not only depicts the generalization of views but also mirrors an interpersonal barrier presenting the political ideas of the interviewee. He showed the tendency of thinking that his listeners have the same beliefs as he did by seemingly assuming that standing with the Wisconsin governor is the answer to restructuring the government.

Static evaluation is evident in the words of Pawlenty about President Obama when he was asked if the Republicans might be reconsidering him to be unbeatable when the issue about the 2012 election was brought out. The governor stated that he thinks Obama is not unbeatable which could have been a good answer because he was just simply stating his opinion which is undeniably possible. However, his next sentence made it all wrong saying, ‘I think he should be beaten’, showing his desire for Barack Obama. This gives the message to the listener or viewer that his emotions are strong enough against the president for him to say those words, especially the ones that came after that. ‘I think he’s not done a very good job as president and he doesn’t deserve re-election’ are the personal views of the governor which show static evaluation. He has expressed a statement that is biased and quite judgmental, revealing his discernment to be a general truth and unchangeable. ‘Let’s not just talk about cutting… but let’s talk about growth as well and we’ve got a president who understands none of that’ are the final statements of the governor in his interview. This statement again, shows judgments that are static, speaking about a president who is nearing the end of his term. Rephrasing the announcement of the governor, I think it would be better to say, ‘I think he (Obama) could be beaten’ rather than using the word should because it expresses a strong personal feeling against the president making the speaker look like he is against him.

As a listener, these words are understood as pretty much affected by the interviewee’s emotions and political background, and beliefs, supporting the governor of Wisconsin and criticizing the president who earlier expressed his disapproval over the Wisconsin union rights controversy saying Governor Walker is going beyond what he is supposed to do. The governor could improve his verbal communication skills if he takes time to think for a moment before giving his answers and avoid being carried away by his political views and emotions.