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(Business communication)
TEST 1


Please note that
your BCN
1101/1001 test
will be written on
Monday 16 March
at 10: 25(350027)
Categories of
communication barriers
continue…
Five categories of barriers

1. Perceptual barriers
(Discussed in our previous
lecture)
2. Language barriers
3. Physical barriers
4. Physiological barriers
5. Psychological barriers
Language barriers

 Language and the way we use it

often results in barriers.
 DEFINITION: a set of symbols
shared by a community to
communicate meaning and
experience
 Language can be a barrier to
communication in the following
ways:
Meaning
 If the meaning understood by the audience differs from the
intended by the sender, miscommunication results
 For example, the instruction to a Grade 1 learner: “ sit here for
the present” could be understood by the child as “ sit here you
will receive a gift”, whereas the teacher meant ‘sit here for now’
 Another example: “ Bank vs Bank, Bill vs Bill and Live vs Live ”.
 Furthermore, dictionaries give the impression that words have
precise meanings. However, particularly with abstract words such
as trust or forgiveness, the meaning for different people differ,
depending on their experiences of the concept.
 The meaning of the word trust or forgiveness is that of
association, depending on your experiences
Jargon

 This is a field-specific choice of words

 When communicators use jargon-the specialised
language of a particular field or profession-they will most
likely cause a barrier
 For example, think of the legal language used in the
court room: ‘Prima facie’(referring to a situation where
someone looks guilty) ‘objection’ is also used to protect
when the opposing lawyer asks an inappropriate question.
 In business they use: The helicopter view for- an
overview of a job or project. Get our ducks in a row-Order
and organise everything efficiently and effectively
 The only time it’s acceptable to use jargon is when
communicating with others from the same field who are
familiar with the terms
Difficult words

 This is not jargon

 Using words that are too complex for the
intended audience may cause a barrier
 For example: insert the coins in the coin slot
and wait for the machine to disperse your drink
is not an appropriate choice of words for a six
year old standing in front of a vending machine.
 Who remembers the Idols when Gareth Cliff
asked one of the auditioning guys: “what do you
do for a living? And he replied “I sell fruits and
snacks in the streets” Gareth then said “ so are
you a vendor? Guy replied “ No, I’m a Zulu”
Insensitive use of
language
 The use of language that
discriminates against others, for
example, on gender or racial
grounds, leads to misunderstandings
and even resentment or anger
 For example, addressing your
female lecturer with a PhD as my girl
demeans her status as both a highly
qualified professional and a woman
Pronunciation

 Incorrect pronunciation confuses the audience who

might hear a different word to the one intended, or
be unable to recognise the word at all.
 For example, the English language does not
contain the click sounds that are common in Nguni
languages
 English speakers, therefore, when speaking, for
example isiXhosa, they often produce sounds that
barely resemble the clicks they are attempting to
utter. Think of an English speaker reading out
Xhosa surnames
 Mbeki-iMbeki
 Khoza for Xhosa
Incorrect grammar

 Incorrect grammar: As with

poor pronunciation,
communicators’ application
of grammar rules can
confuse or distract the
audience.
 Subject, verb, object- Sipho
kicks the ball
Long sentences

 When speaking and writing, some

communicators use long sentences
that are very difficult to decode and
usually result, in the case of written
messages, in the audience having to
go back to the beginning of the
sentence to start again, and in spoken
messages, the result is often total
confusion, as the option of revisiting
the beginning of the sentence is not
available.
Spelling and punctuation
errors
 Errors of spelling or punctuation in a
written document are distracting. To
see the difference that punctuation
can make to the meaning of the
sentence, consider the following
example, punctuated in two ways:
 Woman, without her man, is nothing.
 Woman: without her, man is
nothing.
Physical barriers

 Physical barriers are factors or elements

in the external environment that hamper
communication. Examples are:
 People talking in the corridor outside
your office
 The construction noise on the nearby
building sites
 The stuffy atmosphere in the classroom
 Hard, uncomfortable seats
Physiological barriers

 Physiological barriers are experienced

internally, in other words, within the body
of the sender or audience.
 Example, a bad headache, toothache and
etc. which make it difficult to concentrate
 These factors make communication to be
almost impossible
 Think of how difficult it is to concentrate in
the last lecture of the day, when the day’s
activities have taken their toll, or during a
long day when you have had nothing to eat
Psychological barriers

 Psychological barriers are experienced in

the mind. Boredom or a bad attitude to
the message hinders communication, as
does embarrassment about the subject
matter
 Stress and pressure are also
psychological barriers
 Think about how difficult it is to
concentrate when you are worrying about
finances or getting your assignments
completed on time
Closing on communication
barriers
 Communication barriers can arise from any part
of the communication process. Awareness of
these barriers will help to improve
communication.