The American Heritage Dictionary defines communication as: the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, or behavior. For the purpose of this article, I will condense communication into two types: verbal and non-verbal. We as Humans use each of these in everyday conversations, and we seem to communicate better when both are used together. Barring an accident, injury, or disease, all humans are fully capable of mastering both forms.
Verbal communication is, of course, speech. Not every sound that comes out of your mouth constitutes speech, however. Speech is the faculty or act of expressing or describing thoughts, feeling, or perceptions by the articulation of words. Because language is unique to human beings, and words being associated with language, I conclude that humans are the only creatures on Earth capable of verbal communication. I am aware, of course, that dogs bark and cats meow and cows moo, and that they use these sounds to communicate. My point is simple. These sounds are not part of a language, so they are non-verbal communication.
Non-verbal communication covers every aspect of communication except speech. For the purpose of this article I will limit this to gestures, posture, and facial expressions. My field notes that I used for this article are labeled accordingly. Written letters and informational essays such as the one you are reading right now are included in verbal communication, because it is written in such a way as I would talk to you if you were standing in front of me. Writing is a form of verbal communication. Literature and poetry are forms of art, and are not included in communication. I am choosing to ignore this fact in this article for the simple fact that my subjects that I studied and researched for this article do not yet know how to write well enough to communicate in this manner.
My ethnographical research for this article consisted of three visits to the Consumnes River College Child Development Center for 40, 50, and 60 minutes.