Teen Communication Skills Workbook

Interpersonal communication is the process of sending and receiving messages with another person. It sounds easy, but it is not. For teens, communicating effectively can be a very difficult process. The reason is that successful communication involves a very complex set of skills, as complex as those necessary for driving a car or reading a map. Part of the reason for this complexity is that messages can be communicated and received in a variety of ways, i.e. listening, speaking, signing, touch, eye contact. Teens need adequate communication skills in order to survive and thrive in our challenging society. Effective communication skills are critical in many walks of life including:

– Developing and maintaining friendships
– Participating in the community
– Doing well in school
– Functioning successfully in a group or family
– Maintaining and succeeding on a job
– Relating well with siblings
– Maintaining close relationships

Teens these days do not have adequate practice at communicating with others because of the use of texting, social networking, email and instant messaging. Teens rely on impersonal communication means and often lack the skills to engage in face-to-face communication. They may also lack an ability to read verbal and non-verbal cues and to understand tone. The better the communication skills, the more prepared and successful teens will be. The good news is that communication skills can be taught, learned and improved through practice

Over the last century, many different workbooks, workshops, and self-help systems have been developed to help people explore communication issues. In the past twenty years, many research studies have focused on the value of self-reflection and journaling as a way of exploring personal characteristics, identifying weak behaviours, and examining thoughts and feelings that lead to ineffective behaviours. This book is unique because it combines both powerful psychological tools designed to enhance communication skills: self-assessment and journaling.

The Teen Communication Skills Workbook contains five separate sections. In each, participants will learn more about themselves as well as the impact of skillful and non-skillful communicating:

– Active Listening Scale helps individuals determine how well they listen when communicating.

– Nonverbal Communications Scale helps individuals examine how their body language is affecting their interpersonal communications.

– Communications Skills Scale helps individuals measure how accomplished they are at using communication skills to initiate, build and maintain interpersonal relationships.

– Cross-Cultural Communication Scale helps individuals explore how well they communicate with people who are culturally different.

-Negotiation Skills Scale helps individuals explore how well they negotiate to get what they want without manipulating or alienating other people.