Communication comes in many forms, but by and large, verbal and written are the most common. Unfortunately, most people don’t really enjoy the written aspect of communication, because it requires more complex and technical details than speaking. That said, the importance of writing skills in communication cannot be overstated. There have been many studies proving the value of better communication in general, and plenty of studies affirming the importance of writing literacy specifically.
Many technical details in the workplace are communicated in written form. When a proposal or idea must be presented, it is almost always accompanied by a written element. Teaching, learning, and training are often accomplished through written communication. Moreover, a great deal of communication is carried out in written form on the internet these days. Needless to say, being able to effectively communicate with others in writing is a crucial life skill that is important for anyone, not just students.
Why Communication Matters in the First Place
More than saying that written communication matters, communication in general matters. It’s just that a great deal of communication is carried out through writing. As for why communication skills matter in general, it’s quite simple: all interaction with humans is dependent on communication. An inability to communicate limits the ability to work together, to enjoy relationships, to pass on information, organize events, plan, and many other things.
No one in their right mind would say that communication isn’t valuable in and of itself. Yet many people feel that writing skills in communication aren’t that important, because they underestimate how often writing is needed and how frequently it is used to communicate, in both professional and casual settings.
How Written Communication Differs from Spoken Communication
Many people feel that communication is communication regardless of its form, but this simply isn’t true. Spoken communication includes external influences that change how information is perceived, including gestures, body language, and tone of voice. Written communication lacks those elements, and thus, it is easier to misinterpret written information if writing skills are lacking.
However, when conciseness, clear intent, and effective communication skills are employed in writing, it has many advantages over the spoken word. This includes:
- Permanence: the written word is more permanent than the spoken word. This is extremely useful for record-keeping and providing information that will need to be referred to later. The written word is often not as easily rescinded.
- Avoiding Translation Issues: if ten people were asked to relay information verbally, they would all do it a little differently, increasing the possibility of information being miscommunicated. The written word eliminates this variability and provides unchanging information.
- Precision: written communication is more precise and exact than spoken.
- Distribution: It is much easier to relay written information to many people than it is spoken information.
- Timing: The written word can be read at will, while the spoken word must be perceived as it is being spoken, in most cases.
Areas Where Written Communication is Superior to Verbal
It’s not that written communication is inherently better than verbal in every possible scenario. However, there are some places where it is absolutely mandatory. Business is one of the most noteworthy: from keeping records to providing instructions and organization that cannot be misinterpreted, there is no business on earth that functions without written communication.
It is also immensely valuable in technical fields, especially when it comes to research. Most research includes far too much data (and complicated data at that) to be properly communicated to others in words. Moreover, if there is a great deal of information, it’s unlikely that anyone is going to want to sit through it being spoken to them. In such scenarios, written communication is an efficient means of providing a great deal of technical information as accurately as possible, while also giving the person receiving the communication the ability to intake that information at their own discretion.
Finally, written communication is particularly important in debate and argument. One of the things about the spoken word is that people can rescind their words and pretend they never said it at all. In most cases, written communication is permanent. At the very least, it is often more difficult to change what was written than what was spoken. Effective writing communication skills provide a frame of reference for an argument, and an ability to look over all the communication that has taken place.
Whether you like writing, there are parts of life where you will have to either communicate in writing or take in the information provided to you in written form. Having effective writing communication skills is valuable in both cases. No one will ever ask you to communicate all of your most vital research findings verbally. If statistics are involved, that will often have to be communicated in the text as well.
In order to get your ideas across clearly and effectively, manage and organize large groups, and maintain records and points of reference, written communication skills are absolutely vital, and that’s a major reason why colleges have students write so many essays.
However, while mastering those skills is quite useful for everyone, there’s no denying that students may need help from time to time. Essay writing services like CustomWritings.com offer students professional writing help. As a top-rated writing services company, you can get cheap but professional academic writing help for nearly any type of paper. In fact, if you struggle with writing, seeing how experts from a professional paper writing service employ their skills is a great way to foster one’s own written communication skills.
Whether you rely on an online essay service for assistance, you should work on your written communication skills in order to greatly benefit you in later life. Even if you don’t go into business or a technical field, written communication is a valuable part of human interactions in all areas and should not be ignored.
