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Communication in Games and Games in Communication
Games and communication are two very important aspects of human life. Games are the means by which humans constructively give vent to their latent energy, while strengthening their physical being and also honing social skills like team work, decision making and leadership. Communication is the most important aspect of man's social behavior. The way man communicates with his fellow men improves or derogates his relationship with them and consequently his standing in a society. So communication plays a key role in the 'social skills' aspect of games. Various methods are prevalent in order to improve one's communication skills. However, the one method that can have deep impact on anyone from kids to adult, because of its fun factor, is games. In the following discussion, an attempt is made to probe in detail the role of communication in games. Also the benefits of games in communication are analyzed, and a few such games are described. Can anyone imagine a game of cricket where the players of a team do not communicate with each other? What would be the implication of that? Will the players be able to win if they don't communicate? In cricket, as in any other game or sport, and even in the very game of life, the importance of communication with our fellow players cannot be emphasized enough. Man is a social animal and so, he cannot survive as a standalone entity. In each and every phase of life, man needs to associate and share his views with his contemporaries. Communication is needed not only to express one's views, but also to imbibe the views and experiences of others, which is how man expands his knowledge. This communication needs to be precise, concise and palatable so as to be effective. Take the game of cricket again. The fielders would easily run out a batsman if he spends time calling out to the other batsman, “Hey come on run! We can take two runs in this ball!” If this communication had been precise and concise, the call would have just been, “Run!”. On the field, regular practices of communication do not always work. There is just a fraction of second for a player to decide his move and for his teammates to gather his intentions and act accordingly. A wink of the eye, a grunt or a yell is all that can pass between the teammates. But that still works because the players know their teammates, and how they will communicate. This knowledge comes with the hours of practice the players put in together, as a team. They devise their own secret codes and signs to communicate the game strategy right under the nose of the opponent. It is important to note here that communication is not just verbal. Body language, hand or leg signals are all different ways of communication in games. One may wonder where does palatability fit in here. How can communication be 'palatable'? By palatable, it is meant here that the information that is being communicated should be graspable and non-offensive to the receiver. Many a times, in the middle of a high tension game, the tempers are high, and the players tend to give vent to their feelings by using abusive language on their opponents. As a result, they end up being fined or suspended and regret their behavior later. Though it is very difficult to do so, if the players master the art of controlling their emotions, and communicate their objection in a non-offensive manner, not only would they avoid facing penalty, but also, they avoid unnecessary tension between the teams. So it can be concluded that in games, not just communication, but effective communication is essential. The precision, conciseness and palatability cannot be developed overnight. The age old adage that 'Practice makes a man perfect' stands true in the case of communication too. One of the most preferred ways of practicing communication is through games, because games are ways to have fun while one learns. Experts in communication skills industry would vouch for the benefits of the game technique for communication. The first and foremost advantage is that the lessons learnt stay in ones memory for a long time. That is because through a game, one plays, enjoys, and has fun while learning, and we all remember for a long time the fun we had. It is also easy to draw attention to the concepts when they are presented through games. Especially for kids, whose attention span is usually small, games are the sure shot way of ensuring that the they learn their communication skills fast and hold on to them. Here is the description of two communication games found on the internet. The first one is for adults and young adults, and it attempts to emphasize the importance of non verbal communication. From a group of people, four volunteers should be chosen. Of these three should be asked to wait outside the room. The rest of the group must be made to sit in a circle and the fourth volunteer should be asked to stand inside the circle. The trainer should ask the fourth volunteer to imitate the action of 'catching a chicken' inside the circle, with an instruction to the people present in the room to not communicate anything verbally to anyone. After a minute, each of the volunteers waiting outside should be asked to come in one by one and help the fourth volunteer in what he is doing. This would for sure give room to some very hilarious scenes. After each volunteer has 'helped' for a minute, they should be asked one by one what they thought the fourth volunteer was doing. The answers are sure to range from 'cleaning his room' to 'swatting a fly'! In the end ask the fourth volunteer to reveal his real task. Amidst the fun this game generates, the participants can be made to realize how people interpret one's behavior and respond to it rather than clarifying the communication (1). The second game is for kids who are just starting to communicate and have difficulty in framing sentences properly. A number of items like toys, books, hats etc could be placed inside a box, and the kids could be asked to reach inside and feel them. They would have to describe what they feel and guess by their own description what item it is that they are touching (2). The above two examples show how games can make the experience of developing communication skills an enjoyable one and how they provide a profound insight into the lessons to be learnt. Mother Theresa said, “Life is a game, play it”. Games and communication are two inseparable aspects of human life. Life without either game or communication would be like the altar or a temple without its residing deity. These are the two attributes that add color and flavor to life. And it is only proper that one is used in learning the other. Communication in games help us the play the game better, and games in communication help us to communicate better. “Most communication resembles a Ping-Pong game in which people are merely preparing to slam their next point across; but pausing to understand differing points of view and associated feelings can turn apparent opponents into true members of the same team.” - Cliff Durfee (3)
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