NATURE AND PROCESS

OF COMMUNICATION
Lesson 1
 COMMUNICATION

• Webster defines communication as a process by which information is exchanged between

individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior.
• Communication is a process of sharing and conveying messages or information from one
person to another using different means, medium, context, media, and cultures.
• There are different ways and terms in which communication can be manifested. It can be
through face-to-face, a phone conversation, a group discussion, a meeting or interview, a
letter correspondence, a class recitation, and many others. In other words, the basic
functions of communication are to achieve understanding or shared meaning and to
persuade, inform, entertain and manage relationships.
 AXIOMS OF COMMUNICATION 

1. Communication is a process. Communication as a process means it is a step by step activity

and it is essentially a two-way process that involves the active participation of both the
sender and receiver.
It is the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange
information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else.
Communication is a dynamic process which is influenced by the communicator’s mood
and thinking.
It is a complex process too. By complex process, it means, one message may be
interpreted in many ways by different people. In the sample image, a teacher explains a
lesson in a class of 20 students. There may also be 20 different understanding of the lesson.
That is why there is a need to seek for clarification called feedback.
2. Communication is much more of an art than a science.
There is no right or wrong way to communicate – no set of
absolute rules to be followed but there are underlying principles
to guide us into effective communication.
3. Communication has a sender and receiver. Communication occurs
between two or more people acting as the speaker or the receiver of the
message. In other words, it is a two-way process of reaching mutual
understanding, in which participants do not only exchange (encode-
decode) information, news, ideas and feelings but also create and share
meaning. In general, communication is a means of connecting people or
places.
• 
4. Communication is verbal or non-verbal. Communication
can be expressed through written or spoken words (verbal) or
actions (non-verbal) of both spoken words and nonverbal actions
at the same time. Communication is not all about sending or
receiving facts in words. It does involve ideas and emotions that
are expressed through signs, symbols and gestures.
5. Communication is inevitable. Inevitability means
communication is taking place even when someone does not
want or intend to communicate. This “does not want to
communicate” feeling of someone actually does communicate
something. What does this mean? It simply means that you
cannot avoid communicating.
6. Communication is irreversible. This means that what you have said can never be
unsaid. Irreversibility happens the very minute you click the “OK” button for a
comment or post on your social media and that it would be too late to take it back
when a lot of people have already reacted, and commented to it. The same thing when
you perhaps throw a hurting or offensive word to your enemy because of your anger.
This characteristic of communication implies that as senders of message, we must be
careful and choose the appropriate words to say before saying them.
7. Communication is Unrepeatable. Unrepeatability means that an act of
communication can never be duplicated. We may say the same thing over and over again
but the effect of what you said the second or third or fourth time will not be the same as
the first time you said it.
Even if we intend to say the same thing again which is possible but the ideas here is, the
outer world has changed by the second utterance. The listeners may be different, our
mood may be different, or our relationship might be in a different place. You don’t get a
second chance to make a first impression.
One of the best examples is at home when you hear your mother or sister rants about your
laziness. The first time you heard it, your reaction would have been bad. You probably
cried or stayed in your bedroom for the whole day. But when you heard it the second time
or the third, there is that different effect. You probably wouldn’t react to it at all, or
perhaps just laugh it out!
DIAGRAM 1
DIAGRAM 2
 ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION
1. Sender
The sender is also known as the source of the message or information. The sender is responsible
for making putting meaning into his/her message. A sender is also known as the speaker or encoder.
2. Receiver
The receiver acts as the recipient of the message, or someone who decodes the message. Again, all
those present in the class are considered receivers of the message.
3. Message
The message is the information, ideas, or thoughts conveyed by the speaker in words or in actions.
As in the illustration above, the message is all about communication which is lesson of the day. The
message by the way is an important element that is being shared by the sender and the receiver.
•
4. Feedback
Feedbacks are the reactions, responses, or information provided by the receiver. It could
come in many forms. It could be through words, gestures, or actions. If you look at the
illustration, there are implicit or not direct feedbacks such as one student is jokingly courting his
seatmate. The misbehavior of the student while the discussion is going on is already a feedback.
It suggests that the student’s attention was not on the teacher but on his seatmate.
5. Channel
The channel is the medium or the means, such as personal or non personal, verbal or
nonverbal, wherein the encoded message is conveyed. In the example, the channel or the
medium of communication or how the message was conveyed is through personal or face-to-face
communication using verbal language. Other channels of communication will be discussed in
the succeeding modules.
6. Barrier
Barriers are also called noise in communication. These are factors that affect the flow of
communication. Students’ talking to one another while the class discussion is going may distract the
attention of other students, or someone who has a toothache may not be able to concentrate at the
meeting. In the illustration above, one student is not attentive to the class as she was instead bothered by
the thought of someone she hates.
7. Context
The context is the environment where communication takes place. It is a communication situation.
If we are to look again at the illustration, we can say at once that the setting is in the classroom which is
true. Why, the presence of the teacher, the students, the discussion are taking place in a classroom
setting. Without context, communication cannot take place. There has to be a context for
communication to happen. In a picnic, a wedding, in the church or dinner, at a basketball game or a bus
ride are just a few of the many contexts where communication can take place.