COLLADO, SHARMAINE GRACE E.

12B

Nature and Elements of Communication

A. DEFINITION OF COMMUNICATION
Communication is the act of conveying meanings from one entity or group to another through
the use of mutually understood signs, symbols, and semiotic rules. Communication is the
discriminatory response of an organism to a stimulus. This definition says that communication
occurs when some environmental disturbance (stimulus) impinges on an organism and the
organism does something about it (makes a discriminatory response). If the stimulus is ignored
by the organism then there is no communication. Communication is also the imparting or
exchanging of information or news and/or can be means of sending or receiving information, such
as telephone lines or computers.

B. PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION
The process of communication refers to the transmission or passage of information or message
from the sender through a selected channel to the receiver overcoming barriers that affect its
pace. The process of communication is a cyclic one as it begins with the sender and ends with
the sender in the form of feedback. Components of the communication process include a
sender, encoding of a message, selecting of a channel of communication, receipt of the message
by the receiver and decoding of the message. Sometimes, the receiver will send a message back
to the original sender, which is called feedback.

C.COMMUNICATION MODELS
Models of communication are conceptual models used to explain the human communication
process. The first major model for communication was developed in 1948 by Claude
Shannon and published with an introduction by Warren Weaver for Bell
LaboratoriesCommunication major dimensions scheme.
  Communication code scheme.
 Linear Communication Model.
 Interactional Model of Communication.
 Berlo's Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver Model of Communication.
 Transactional Model of Communication.
 The Interactive Model.
 Aristotle Model of Communication.

 Berlo's Model of Communication.
 Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication.
 Schramm's Model of Communication.
 Helical Model of Communication.

D. FIVE ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

The basic elements of communication process include communicator, communicatee, message,
channel and feedback. - Communicator is the sender, speaker, issuer or writer, who intends to
express or send out a message.

E. VERBAL AND NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Verbal communication involves the use of words or speech or auditory language to
express emotions or thoughts or exchange information. Non-verbal
communication involves the use of visual or non-verbal cues such as facial
expressions, eye or body movements, gestures, and many more without speaking.

F. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS

1. Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your emotions so as to

communicate effectively, avoid stress, overcome challenges and empathise with others. It’s a
skill which is learned over time rather than obtained.

There are four main strands to emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social
awareness and relationship management.
 Each of these strands is important in its own way and allows you to communicate confidently
with a variety of people.

2. Cohesion and Clarity

Good communication is much more than saying the right thing; it is about communicating
messages clearly and concisely.

Before you start a conversation, type an email or begin a discussion, have in mind what the
purpose of the communication is and what information you hope to obtain as a result.

Lack of clarity and cohesion can result in poor decisions and confusion.

3. Friendliness

In any type of communication, make sure that you set the right tone. A friendly tone will
encourage others to communicate with you.

Always try to personalise messages, particularly when working with partners or fellow
colleagues.

Wishing the recipient a good weekend, for example, is a great way to personalise your message.

4. Confidence

In all interactions, confidence (but not over-confidence) is crucial. Demonstrating confidence

will give customers faith in your abilities to deliver what they need, and that you will follow
through with what you have promised.

Conveying confidence can be something as simple as maintaining eye contact during a

conversation, or using a firm but friendly tone when speaking with people over the phone.

Be careful not to come across as aggressive, since this will have the opposite effect of what you
are hoping to achieve.

5. Empathy

Within a busy work environment, everyone will have their own ideas about how things should be
done. Even if you have disagreements with your colleagues or partners, their point of view
should be considered and respected.

Empathy is also beneficial when speaking with customers in certain types of customer-facing
role.

The goal here is to understand where the other person is coming from – and respect their views
even if they are very different from your own.
 6. Respect

Empathy leads into the next communication skill, respect.

If you respect the ideas and opinions of others, they will be more likely to communicate with
you. Active listening or simply using the name of the person you are speaking to can both be
effective.

Make sure that when you type emails, you don’t sound insincere or write in a way that is
insincere.

7. Listening

Good communication is all about listening effectively. Take the time to listen to what the other
person is saying and practice active listening.

Pay attention to what the other person is saying, ask questions and clarify points, and rephrase
what they have said so that you know you have understood correctly.

8. Open-Mindedness

Try to enter into communications without having an agenda.

Strong communications require an open mind and a commitment to understanding other people’s
points of view. If you disagree with the people you are speaking to, try to reach a middle ground
that benefits all parties.

Approaching a discussion with an open mind is more likely to result in a successful outcome.

9. Tone of Voice

The tone of your voice can set the whole mood of the conversation. If you start the discussion in
an aggressive or unhelpful manner, the recipient will be more inclined to respond in a similar
way.

The tone of your voice will include the level of emotion that you use, the volume you use and the
level of communication you choose.

The same sentence can have a very different meaning depending on which words are emphasised
and the tone of your voice.

In a customer complaint scenario, for example, your tone of voice should be as calm as possible,
since an unfriendly tone of voice will only serve to worsen the situation.

10. Asking Good Questions

Good questions can help conversations flow and improve the outcome.
During a conversation, always aim to ask open-ended questions. These are questions with
prompts which encourage the recipient to speak about certain points and they require more
detailed responses.

G. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Intercultural communication is a discipline that studies communication across different

cultures and social groups, or how culture affects communication. The primary purpose of
intercultural communication is to increase understanding of culturally
mediated communication phenomena. Within this goal, there are three distinct research
avenues: culture specific, culture general and intercultural interaction.