ASSH2001

The Process and Elements of Communication

Communication
• Communication is any process in which people, through the use of symbols, verbally and/or
nonverbally, consciously or not consciously, intentionally or unintentionally, generate
meanings (information, ideas, feelings, and perceptions) within and across various contexts,
Cultures, channels, and media. (Hybels & Weaver II, 2009).
• Communication is a systematic process in which people interact with and through symbols to
create and interpret meanings. (Wood, 2009).
• Communication is a process by which verbal and nonverbal symbols are sent, received, and
give meaning. (Seiler, 1988).
• Communication is “the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or
exchange information or for expressing your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else.”
It is “the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or
behavior.” (Merriam Webster, 1898)

Elements of Communication
For communication to take place, there must be five (5) factors involved:
1. Sender is the speaker or the communicator who has his/her own purpose, knowledge, interests,
attitudes, skills, and credibility.
2. Message is the idea being transmitted by the sender to the listener. It includes the three (3)
aspects of content, structure, and style.
3. Channel is the medium or vehicle through which the message is sent. It may be verbal or
visual. The latter is often supplemented with the pictorial and aural channels.
4. Receiver is the target of the communication. S/He is the destination of the message, the listener,
with his/her own purposes, knowledge and interest levels, attitudes, and listening skills.
5. Feedback is the reaction given by the listener to the sender of the message. It is what completes
the communication process.

The Communication Process

According to Menoy (2010), communication is a process, and, as such, it comes in stages. It starts with
the encoding and ends with the decoding. The encoder is more popularly known as the sender of the
message. They transmit the message (for example, an idea) to the receiver, a more popular term for
the decoder of the message. The recipient tries to understand the message, and if they do,
communication takes place. They may then give their feedback. If there is a continuous exchange of
messages between the sender and the receiver, particularly in an oral discourse, communication takes
the form of a cycle. (See Figure 1.)

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 ASSH2001

Figure 1. The Communication Process

Menoy (2010) adds that in cases where there is a channel (medium or instrument used in the
transmission of the message, for example, a telephone) of communication, it forms part of the diagram
above.
Sender & Receiver • People engaged in the communication process
• Also known as the communicators
Message • Any idea or feeling that the communicators share
Channel • A medium through which communication is transmitted from one
person to the receiver
• May be categorized as oral or written
• May be classified as formal or informal
• Common channels include the telephone and a variety of written
forms such as memos, letters, and reports
• May also be the paper on which words are written, or the Internet
acting in the client–server model that allows reading information
Feedback • May be verbal and nonverbal that the recipient of the message
exhibits as a response to the message sent by the source/sender

References:
Menoy, J. Z. (2010). Oral communication and public speaking. Mandaluyong City, Manila. Books Atbp.
Publishing Corp.
Effective communication. (n.d.). In HelpGuide.org. http://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships/effective-
communication.htm last February 20, 2015

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