Holy Trinity College

Augustinian Recollect Sisters

Alangalang, Leyte

Week 1: Nature and Elements of Communication

Topic: Definition, Process, and Elements of Communication

In this lesson, you will:

• Define communication,
• Explain the nature and process of communication,
• Distinguish the various models of communication.

Let’s Explore
Before we begin this lesson, let’s have a short activity. This is called word map. Think of
a word that comes to your mind when you hear the word communication. You may write down
your answers within the box.

Communication

Now, let me ask you: was the activity a form of communication? How would you define
communication?

Let’s Firm Up
Communication is ‘a process by which information is exchanged between individuals
through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior’ (Merriam Webster, 2021). This means
that communication is a two-way process where information or a message is being shared from
one person to another through different systems, such as words, signs, and gestures. It is
considered as the activity or process of expressing ideas and feelings or of giving people
information. In other words, communication is all about exchanging information, expressing
feelings and observations, and making meanings among human beings.
Communication comes from the Latin word “communicare” which means to impart or
transmit. There are different kinds of communication but the oldest and most enduring of all is
oral communication. 200, 000 years have already passed since our early ancestors strived to
form communication among each other through cave paintings (Styles, 2015). From drawings
and human speech, we transitioned into writing which could be dated around 3200 B.C in Egypt
and 1500 B.C in China (Lambert, 2021). Fast forward to date, and through the advent of
technology, humans had been progressively inventing new forms of communications such as
televisions, telephones, mobile phones, etc.
Can you name some new forms of communication? Write your answers below.
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________

After defining communication, let’s discuss the nature of communication. Sipacio and
Balgos mentioned three natures of communication (2016).
• Communication as a process. Communication begins when there is a message. A
message comes from a sender and is delivered to a receiver. Therefore, there are
elements involved in order for the message to be transmitted from one end to
another. A great example of this is when a teacher is delivering a lesson to her
students. In this scenario, the teacher is the source, the message is the lesson,
and the receiver is the students
• Communication as an interaction. Communication binds people together. The
sender can take the place of a receiver and vice versa. Once the receiver/listener
receives the message, the receiver/listener decodes it and gives a response back
to the source of the message. Imagine confessing to someone you like. Your crush
will process what you will say and eventually will give you a response. Just take
note that the response could either be positive or negative.
• Communication can be expressed through written and spoken words, action, or
both at the same time. Communication comes in different ways and is not only
limited to speaking. Telling a joke to your friend, replying to a comment on your
Facebook post, and even raising your hand to recite in class are all forms of
communication. What is important is that both the sender and the receiver
understand the message and feedback is being given.

Now, do you think praying is a form of communication? Why or why not? You may share
your answer here:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

There are three main purposes of communication. These are to inform, to persuade, and
to entertain.
• To inform. Communication is meant to impart information, develop understanding,
and share meaningful information among communicators. A message comes from
a source and is delivered to a certain receiver or audience. An advertisement on
the dangers of vaping is an example of how communication is used to inform
people of the adverse effects of vaping.
 • To persuade. Persuasion is the act of presenting arguments to move, motivate, or
change your audience. In this sense, persuasive communication often aims to
stimulate interest, convince, and even call to action. When you choose a student
council president through the speech that he/she makes during the Mitin de
Avance, persuasive communication happens.
• To entertain. Communication aims to amuse or evoke a positive emotion from our
listeners. When we tell a joke, share anecdotes, or relate to a positive experience,
we are using communication to entertain. Of course, you have to be mindful of the
audience, the context of the event, and the speech style.

Which purpose of communication do you often use?

______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

The process of communication consists of five basic components: (1) a sender; (2) a
message; (3) a channel; (4) a receiver; and (5) the feedback.

Notice the cycle above. When the sender creates a message or an idea, that process is
called encoding. Upon encoding the message, the sender conveys it through a channel or a
medium through which the message is transmitted to the receiver. The receiver will then decode
the message by understanding what the sender meant. The receiver will now play the role of the
sender by encoding a response or feedback and sending it back to the original sender. As you
have noticed, a person could both play the role of a sender and a receiver, depending on the flow
of communication.
However, you have to take note that communication is a complex process that involves
several elements (Flores, 2016; Dapat, 2016).
a. The sender, also known as the speaker or source of the message, is the one who conveys
the message by crafting the message accordingly. The sender's goal is to ensure that their
message is actually communicated.
b. The receiver, also known as the listener, is the one who receives the message. The
listener decodes the conveyed message through filtering using the receiver's frame of
reference such as their level of knowledge, language proficiency, experiences, etc.
 c. The message is what needs to be delivered or imparted to the receiver. Messages are
the ideas and feelings that make up the communication process. It is central to the
process, because without the message, no communication will occur.
d. The channel is the means or medium through which the message is delivered. A message
is sent and received via the five senses. Channels could be verbal, non-verbal, or written,
depending entirely on the intended message of the sender.
e. The response is the reaction of the listener after receiving the message. The response is
based on how the message is interpreted by the listener. Thus, response could be positive
or negative.
f. Feedback refers to the verbal or non-verbal reactions to a message received by the
source. The speaker must closely look into this to know whether or not the message was
effectively delivered or not.
g. The noise, also known as interference, is any barrier to communication. Noises can be
physical, physiological, psychological, semantic, or cultural. In other words, noise is a
hindrance to effective communication.
h. The situation is the time and place in which communication occurs. The two components
of the communicative situation are the physical location (chosen for the purpose it will
serve) and psychological setting (depends on the participants).

Let’s Deepen
The QR code below will direct you to the Tiktok video you will use in this activity. You may
also click the link if you’re viewing this activity through your phone.
Using the Tiktok video, cite the elements of communication that you can observe. Justify
the presence or absence of each element in the said activity:
1. What is the communicative situation?
2. Who/What is the Speaker/Source of the Message?
3. What is the Message being sent?
4. Who is the intended Listener or Receiver?
5. Is "noise" present?
6. Is feedback possible?

https://www.tiktok.com/@vhernadettechua/video/7125673210342804762?is_from_webapp=1&s
ender_device=pc&web_id=7096006632899954177

Do an advanced study on the

different models of communication.