UNIT 1 THE NATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION

Lesson 1
Communication Define Explained

Communication
- is very essential to human life.
- is a process that involves the exchange and development of ideas to achieve
a particular goal or purpose
- refers to the transmission of information between a source and a receiver
using a signaling system

Origin of the Term

Communication

- communicare “to share” or “to be in relation with”

- communication “sharing” or “imparting”

Different Ways of Understanding Communication

Three viewpoints to the significance of communication in human life:

1. Communication may be seen as synonymous to behaviour.

2. Communication may be seen as a flow of interaction.
3. Communication may be seen as synonymous to interaction.

Enrichment Questions:
1. How can communication help in building good relationship and rapport with
people?
2. Why is the behavior of an individual considered synonymous to communication?

Lesson 2
Communication Process

Elements of Communication

1. Sender – this is the person who initiates the process.

2. Receiver– this is the person who hears the signals and converts the symbols into
their thoughts
3. Message– this is the idea encoded by the sender
4. Channels– this is the medium through which the message is delivered
5. Feedback – this is the response to the message
Communication Barriers

Kaul (2000) classifies two types of communication barriers: sender-oriented and

receiver-oriented barriers.

A. Sender-Oriented Barriers
1. Poor structure of message
- This happens when the sender fails to organize properly the ideas in his or
her message. The receiver then becomes confused as to the sender’s true
content or intent.
2. Noise
- In the context of oral communication, this refers to sounds that impede the
transmission of ideas. In the context of nonverbal communication, noise may
also refer to facial expressions or bodily gestures that distract the receiver
from understanding the message.
3. Faulty choice of words
- This occurs when the sender uses terms that are suggestive or ambiguous in
meaning. This blurs the true content of the sender’s message. Also, the
sender may use terms that understate of exaggerate the idea. Or the terms
may be too difficult for the receiver.
4. Inappropriate quantity of information
- Here, the sender reveals too little of too much information. In case of the
former, the receiver will struggle to fill in the gaps of the message. In the case
of the latter, the receiver will not be able to process the ideas efficiently.

B. Receiver-Oriented Barriers
1. Poor retention of ideas
- This happens when the receiver fails to remember points form the sender’s
message. If the sender does not retain the ideas well, he or she will get lost in
the flow of the sender’s ideas.
2. Inattentive Listening
- This happens when the receiver pays little or no attention to the sender’s
message. This may be because the receiver is not interested in what the
sender is saying, or the receiver is thinking of other things while the sender is
speaking. Inattentive listening maybe caused by resistance to change or
difference in position.
3. Tendency to Evaluate
- Here, the receiver judges the validity of the sender’s message even before
the sender finishes communicating. In this case, the receiver does not pay
attention to the rest of the sender’s message because the receiver has
 already rendered judgment. Hasty evaluation maybe caused by the receiver’s
attitudes, prejudice or knowledge that is in conflict with the sender’s message.

HOW TO AVOID COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

Butterfield (2009) has given the following suggestions so as to avoid barriers or

hindrances while communicating.

1. Use appropriate language.

2. Make the delivery of your message clear.
3. Send consistent signals.
4. Reduce physical distractions.

9 C’s to Effective Oral Communication

1. Clarity
2. Confidence
3. Correctness of Grammar
4. Conciseness
5. Coherence
6. Contact
7. Composure
8. Controlled Voice
9. Credibility

Lesson 3
Communication Models

Communication Models
A. Linear Model
B. Interactive Model
C. Transactional Model
D. Gatekeeper Model
E. Ecological Model

A. Models- there are two types of linear models, one introduced by Laswell (1948),
and another one modeled by Shanon and Weaver (1948).

 Laswell’s Model
It was developed bycommunication theorist, Harold D. Laswell which
suggested that information flows sequentially during the communication process.
 From Laswell’s perspective, communication is a one-way process in which only
the communicator is the active participant.

 Shannon and Weaver’s Model

Both employees of the Bell Telephone Laboratory, Claude Shannon and
Warren Weaver came up with a model that resembled the transmission of a
telephone message.

While the “Information Source” and “Destination” represent humans, the

“Transmitter” and “Receiver” stand for devices or instruments with the
“Signals”ranging from elctronic signals to radio waves to gestures. Shannon and
Weaver’s model also introduces the idea of noise- secondary signals that hinder
the transmission of the message. It is also considered as the mother of all the
models.

B. The Interactive Model

The Father of Communication, Wilbert Schramm came up with an Interactive
Model which explains communication as a dynamics exchange. For Schramm
(1954), the communicator and the recipient take turns to speak andto listen to each
other. The key element in Schramm’s interactive model is feedback: the reaction to
the message. Through feedback, the communicator and the recipient can clarify and
develop the ideas in their conversation.
 C. The Transactional Model
The Transactional Model presented by Wood (2009), show that the elements
in communication are interdependent. Each person in the communication act is both
a speaker and a listener, and can be simultaneously sending and receiving
messages.

There are three implicatons in this communication model:

1. This implies that communication is on-going, and it involves also a continuing
changing process.
2. Each element of the transactional process exists in relation to the other
elements.There can be no source without a receiver, and no message without a source.
3. Individual backgroung experiences, attitudes, and cultural beliefs, self-esteem
and other realted factors play important roles in the communication process.

D. The Gatekeeper Model

This fourth model can represent mass communication- that is, how the
audience (on a loacl or national scale) receives infromation from teh mdeia, the
intermediaries of information. It is assumed that the key players, of mass media
(newspapers, TV, radio, Internet) have access to information and, more
importantly, have control over what is disseminated to the public. Therefore,
media takes the role of the “gatekeeper”, who essentially has the capacity to
control what the audience will know (but not necessarily how they will interpret).

E. The Ecological Model

Perhaps the most complex of these communication models is the
ecological model proposed by Foulger (2004). This model expounds on the role
of the mass media, as well as the indiviuals and group that control thses outlets
of information (such individuals and groups are called “Creators”). Moreover, the
model considers messages to be embedded in language (another factor that cn
aid or hinder the exchange of ideas), which is subsumed within the context of
media. Note also teh various roles taht “Creators” and “Consumers” play in this
model.In this model, there are roles taht are productive (“creative”, “interpret”)
and receptive (“observe”, “learn”).