Sometimes we need to ask others the way, or tell others how to get to one place. But do you know how to ask and show the way clearly (清晰地)?

【小题1】. You can say “Excuse me” and “Thank you” to the person (人) you ask. He or she can be very happy to help you. Asking the right person is also important (重要的) 【小题2】. At last, be sure the person knows what you’re saying. Tell the person clearly where you want to go, so he or she can show you the right way.

【小题3】. First，using simple words (简单的表达). You can say “go along” or “on your left or right” to the person who needs help. 【小题4】.You can tell the person “there’s a river near the place.” You can draw a map, too. 【小题5】. When you don’t know the way, just say “Sorry, I don’t know” It’s OK.

Earlier, only face-to-face communication was possible, but with the development of technology, we now have the phone, email, video calls and so on. It has become easier and much cheaper to communicate or have a conversation. We can easily communicate with our loved ones, whether they’re close or far away.

Face-to-face communication includes direct personal interaction (互动). Both parties can see each other’s body language and facial expressions, and understand them easily, leading to more effective communication. A study has shown that in our day-to-day life when we interact with someone face to face, we have a nonverbal (非言语的) communication of about 93%. In addition, face-to-face communication is more effective in building trust and making deeper connections.

But considering the long distance (距离) and time cost, face-to-face communication may not be the best choice. So there, telephone, email, etc. are preferred. Without telephone conversation, some work may be difficult to get done in time. The conversation varies depending on what relationship you have with the caller. For example, it will be informal (非正式的) if you talk to your close friends or relatives. But if you are having a professional telephone conversation, then it will be formal. You must have a lot of practice and confidence to interact with the caller.

Telephone conversations have no nonverbal cues (暗示), but they offer the convenience of communicating from a distance and at any time. Also, as they cannot see each other, both parties can speak without being under pressure.

So, which do you prefer?

The most basic and powerful way to connect with another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our full attention.

When people are talking, there is no need to do anything but listen to their words. Just take them in. Listen to what they are saying. Care about it. Caring is even more important than understanding. It has taken me a long time to believe in the importance of saying “I’m so sorry” when someone is in trouble.

One of my friends told me that when she tried to tell her story, people often broke into tell her that something similar happened to them. For some reason or other, her trouble became a story about them. In the end, she stopped talking to most people. She was just too lonely. We connect through listening. When we interrupt(打断) someone to let them know that we understand, we move attention to ourselves. When we listen, they know we care.

It’s not that easy to learn to listen. It certainly went against everything that I was taught. I thought people listened only because they were too shy to speak or did not know the answer. A loving silence often has more importance to help and to connect than the kindest words.