M1 Lit Communicational Skills

Lecture 1 Communication , Definition, Processes, and Channels

1-Defining Communication
Sikandar (2008) provides a definition to communication as the transmission of an idea or
feeling so that the sender and receiver share the same understanding. He puts farther that
communication is not a mysterious process. It takes place when the ideas from your mind are
transferred to another’s and arrive intact, complete, and coherent. Communication (from
Latin commūnicāre, meaning "to share") is the act of conveying meanings from
one entity or group to another through the use of mutually
understood signs and semiotic rules.
The main steps inherent to all communication are:

1. The formation of communicative motivation or reason.

2. Message composition ( elaboration of what exactly to express).
3. Message encoding (for example, into digital data, written
text, speech, pictures, gestures and so on).
4. Transmission of the encoded message as a sequence of signals using a
specific channel or medium.
5. Reception of signals and reassembling of the encoded message from a sequence of
received signals.
6. Decoding of the reassembled encoded message.
7. Interpretation and making sense of the presumed original message.

The scientific study of communication can be divided into:

 Information theory which studies the quantification, storage, and communication of

information in general;
 Communication studies which concerns human communication;
 Biosemiotics which examines communication in and between living organisms in general.
The academic discipline that deals with processes of human communication is communication
studies. The discipline encompasses a range of topics, from face-to-face conversation to mass
media outlets such as television broadcasting. Communication studies also examine how
messages are interpreted through the political, cultural, economic, semiotic, and social
dimensions of their contexts.
The channel of communication can be visual, auditory, tactile (such as in Braille). Human
communication is unique for its extensive use of abstract language. Development
of civilization has been closely linked with progress in telecommunication.

1
-Different categories of communication:
-Spoken or verbal communication,e.g: face-to-face , telephone, radio, TV and other media.
-Non-verbal communication: body language, gestures, how we dress and act.
-Written communication; letters; emails, books, magazines and other media.
- Visualization: graphs and charts; maps logos and others.

Passage:

Suppose you are stranded on an island and you want to get a message to the mainland. You
write a few sentences onto some paper. You look around the island and find a bottle. You put
your message in the bottle and throw it in the ocean. Have you communicated? You did your
part. You sent out the bottle. But have you really communicated? No. What you' have done is
you've "issued a communication." In that phrase, "issued a communication" the meaning of
the word "communicate" is altered by the word "a" preceding it. "Communication" is a
process. "Communicate" is an action. "A communication" is a message. Sending a message,
as I pointed out previously, is not the same as communicating. You could say that by
throwing the bottle in the ocean you have initiated communication. It could even be said that
you are in the act of communicating. But until someone picks up that bottle, opens it, reads
your message, and understands your words--until all of that happens--you have only
attempted communication. As long as your bottle is floating around in the sea, the
communication attempt is still in progress. When the bottle dashes against a reef and the ink
fades away in the salt water--we can officially declare the process as a failed communication.
(WilliamVicars,8/12/01)

 Communication in general has been defined as the imparting of information

(Webster's, 2001). Another definition of communication is, "The exchange of
thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behavior,"
(American Heritage, 2000).
 So let's review and clarify, communication can be successful or unsuccessful.
Successful communication requires a recipient who understands your message.
Unsuccessful communication can consist of either a message that was sent but did not
reach its target, or it can be a message that reached its target but was not understood. A
message sent and received, but not understood is a "failed communication."

- Communication Encoding, Transfer, and Media

People are going to continue needing other methods of getting ideas out of their heads and
into the heads of other people. Transferring one's thoughts to the world outside his head is
generally accomplished through an encoding process such as speaking, writing, typing, or
signing. We encode our thoughts onto or into media. Most people think of media or "the
media" as newspapers, television, magazines, and other popular methods of disseminating
information and entertainment. A medium is simply that which carries your message to the
recipient. We encode our thoughts into signs which become alterations in light rays that travel
through the air to the eyes of our recipient. We encode our thoughts into spoken words which
vibrate their way through the air to someone's ears.

2
 We type our thoughts into our computers which then changes them into tiny pulses of
electricity which are converted to light and travel over fiber optics to reach our recipient's
monitor. Ways of communicating include but are not limited to: Talking, signing, writing,
gesturing, using facial expressions, drawing pictures, proximity, wearing perfume, assuming
certain postures, and many other ways.

2-Communication Process
A message or communication is sent by the sender through a communication channel to the
receiver, or to multiple receivers. The sender must encode the message (the information being
conveyed) into a form that is appropriate to the communication channel; the receiver then
decodes the message, understands its meaning and significance. The process of
communication is as follows:
Sender (encodes)
Receiver (decodes)
Medium
Feedback/ Response

3-Communication Channels
Communication theory states that communication involves a sender and a receiver conveying
information through a communication channel. Communication channels is the term given to
the way in which we communicate. There are multiple communication channels available to
3
us today, for example face-to-face conversations, telephone calls, text messages, emails, the
internet (including the social media such as Facebook and Twitter). Choosing an appropriate
communication channel is vital for effective communication as each channel has different
strengths and weaknesses. For example, broadcasting news of an upcoming event via written
letter might convey the message clearly to one or two individuals but will not be a time or
cost effective way to broadcast the message to a large number of people. On the other hand,
conveying complex technical information is better done via a printed document than via
spoken message since the receiver is able to assimilate the information at their own pace and
revisit items that they do not fully understand.
a- Encoding Messages
All messages must be encoded into a form that can be conveyed by the communication
channel chosen for the message. We all do this every day when transferring abstract thoughts
into spoken words or a written form. However, other communication channels require
different forms of encoding, e.g: text written for a report will not work well if broadcast via a
radio,and the short, abbreviated text used in the text message would be inappropriate if sent
via a letter. Complex data may be best communicated using a graph or chart or other
visualization.
Effective communicators encode their messages with their intended audience in mind. This
involves an appropriate use of language, conveying the information simply and clearly,
eliminating what causes confusion and misunderstanding, and knowing the receivers’
experience in decoding other similar communications. Successful encoding of messages is a
vital skill in effective communication.
b-Decoding Messages
Once received, the receiver needs to decode the message. Successful decoding is also a vital
communication skill. People will decode and understand messages in different ways. This is
based on their experience in the context,their psychological state, and time and place of
receipt, as well as, many other factors.
c-Feedback
Receivers of messages are likely to provide feedback on how they have understood the
messages through both verbal and non-verbal reactions. Effective communicators pay close
attention to this feedback as it is the only way to assess whether the message has been
understood as intended, and it allows any confusion to be corrected. Bear in mind that the
extent and the form of feedback will vary according to the communication channel used, for
example feedback during face-to-face or telephone conversation will be immediate and direct,
while feedback to messages conveyed via TV or radio will be indirect and may be delayed, or
even conveyed through other media such as the Internet.