Topic 49 Face-to-face communication vs. Emails or phone calls

Since the beginning of time the most important method of communication has been the face-to-face communication. In fact for a long time, face-to-face communication was the only method used. As time progressed new methods came along with the use of letters, telephone calls, and emails. Even with these improvements in communication, nothing has been able to replace the face-to-face method.

One reason that face-to-face communication is better than newer methods is that it allows one person to see the facial expressions of another. When a person is talking about good news they usually smile and their eyes light up (загораются). Or when a person is having a serious conversation, their eyebrows are usually lower and they keep a straight face on while talking. Without these facial expressions it can be tricky to figure out (сложно понять) a person's meaning behind what he says.

Another reason why face-to-face communication is important is that you can tell whether the person is telling the truth or not. When people communicate over the phone or through an email it is impossible to tell when a person is lying. But when it comes to personal communication it is not as easy to get away with a lie. Many people in business prefer this face-to-face method because it helps them to figure out if the person speaking is honest enough to go into business with.

When it comes to face-to-face communication there is one more reason why it is better than other methods of communication. When a person is expressing feelings of love or sympathy, no other method of communication will express them perfectly. When a person is showing his/her love for someone, he/she must do it face-to-face so that the other party can see how much he/she mean what he/she says. Also when it comes to expressing sympathy for someone, using any other types of communication is just not enough. By calling someone or emailing him/her to express sympathy, it just shows that you do not have the time or care enough to go over (подойти) and say it in person.

For the reasons listed above, face-to-face communication will always be better than other types of communication. But while face-to-face communication is better, newer methods cannot be ignored. These methods have helped to carry communication over through long distances around the world; thereby expanding the world we live in and bring everyone closer together. Through the use of letters, telephone calls and emails, a person living in New York can now communicate with his/her loved one as far away as South Africa.

Topic 49 Face-to-face communication vs. Emails or phone calls

With the rapid growth of high technology, computer, telephone and other communication tools have become more and more important in our daily life, so what people have gradually (постепенно) ignored face-to-face communication.

If I were asked whether face-to-face communication is better than other forms of communications, such as email, phone calls or letters, I would choose email and phone calls. Here I am going to enumerate some (перечислить некоторые) reasons to support my choice.

The main reason is that communication by telephone or by e-mail is more convenient. There is no need to make appointment (условленная встреча, свидание) with friends before meetings; all you need is just to remember their phone numbers or email addresses. Wherever you are and whenever it will be, communication is as easy as face-toface talking. Moreover, it is more efficient for people to communicate.

Another important reason is that the way people connect by email can make more friends. I have many friends on the Internet and we communicate with each other regularly, so I have gained more information and knowledge in many other fields.

Last but not least, indirect communication such as emails and phone calls can avoid direct confrontation and embarrassment (неудобство, растерянность). Sometimes we may not feel comfortable to borrow something or ask for a favor from our friends, because we are afraid of being rejected. At this time, an email or a phone call can be more convenient and can avoid embarrassment.

Contemplate - рассматривать, обдумывать, предусматривать, собираться

If all these factors are contemplated, the advantages of communication through email or telephone carry more weight than those of face-to-face communication.