A child's future success in communication is heavily influenced by interactions with family members in his formative years before age seven. Recent studies indicate that sounds heard in the womb will influence a baby's preferences after birth. A newborn will nuzzle for a food source, snuggle when content and wail piteously when in distress. Responses to these early efforts at communication help to influence how a child communicates. Interaction with teachers and friends further develop his informal communication skills as he gets older.
Every part of our personal lives outside the home requires communication. We must talk to landlords, financial institutions, utility companies, repairmen, sales people and neighbors. When traveling, we may need to ask for directions. Written directions on a gas pump are a form of communication, as is the screen on the automated teller at an ATM.
Good communication is vital in a working and business environment. Communication includes basic skills such as being able to receive, comprehend and follow directions; being able to put customers at ease, giving them directions and influencing their purchases. Supervisors must be able to give clear directions to employees. Committees, company meetings, and financial arrangements depend upon clear, appropriate communication.
Communication is essential to the democratic process. From the signs, written communiques, news conferences and speeches of a campaign to the day-to-day process of governing a body of people, political figures must be able to communicate. Many of the more unfortunate moments in recent history rest upon communication failures. Citizens need to be able to sift from the rhetoric of political presentations to the essential information needed to be informed voters. The act of voting is, in itself, a form of communication.
Peace and friendship between nations also rests upon on well governments and international agencies communicate with each other. Successful trade relations also rely on the ability of negotiators to work out and establish trade and other international agreements.