Module 1

Nature of Communication

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

1. define and understand the importance of communication in society;
2. identify the elements of communication; and
3. explain and apply communication models and processes.

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Questions to ponder

1. How would you describe effective communication?

2. How important is listening in communication?
3. What is the role of non-verbal gestures in communication?
4. What happens when one element is absent in a communication process?
5. How did technology change or influence communication?

Fundamentals of Communication

The word ‘communication’ is derived from the Latin word “communis”, which
means common or to share. Communication is a process of making connections with
people through verbal and nonverbal approaches. It is one of the more essential human
activities that enable us to make connections, create meanings, and nurture
understanding. It is an activity that we practice every day with the people around us.
When we communicate, we send messages that are received and understood through
the symbols that are used. These symbols are shared in a specific culture; they may be
verbal, such as spoken or written words, or non-verbal, such as gestures, facial
expressions, and appearances. Responding to these symbols used in meaningful
communication through various appropriate channels fulfills its purpose of making
connections. A channel of communication such as airwaves or sound waves shapes the
way we respond to the message we received.

To communicate is to express thoughts and emotions through verbal and non-

verbal platforms. Communication develops and changes according to its context. Body
language, facial expressions, and the tone of one’s voice all contribute to convey
thoughts and emotions in a non-verbal manner. Often, these non-verbal elements stress
and enhance what one wishes to communicate. Appreciating and understanding these
elements may help you initiate and sustain more effective communication for various
purposes. For example, when you fold your hands in front of your chest as you explain
your opinion on taking public transportation, how do you think this kind of body
language facilitates your message? Does your body feel at ease as you stress a point?
Or are your shoulders raised and hunched? You may be feeling tight and tense as you
fold your arms in front of you. What about your face? Is your forehead relaxed? Or do
your eyebrows try to meet, creating a wrinkle between them? In addition, with your arms
folded in front of you, your shoulders hunched, and your face in a frown, what is the
tone you use? Is it the kind of tone you would use to tell a funny story? Or is it a tone
that is low and serious? How do you think the person across you will react to what you
are trying to explain with your folded hands, hunched shoulders, frowning face, and
serious tone? You may not be aware that your body can signal certain messages
without you having to use any words.

Your facial expression, tone of voice, and appearance are non-verbal elements
that contribute to effective communication. They may: 

 assert and/or hide one’s identity;

 stress and/or dismiss the importance of an idea;
 evoke a certain emotion or feeling;
 demonstrate one’s attitude;
 reveal one’s values; or
  allow and/or control participation.

It is a mistake to believe that communication is a simple process. Although

people communicate with one another every day, the real question is whether the ideas
one has expressed are truly understood by another. communication breakdowns
happen in every part of the globe, and these have led to a plethora of problems.
Ineffective communication can breach peace, spark revolutions, and affect change in
the government. To communicate properly, one cannot simply strive to express oneself
and leave understanding to fate; one must also learn how to organize one’s thoughts,
control one’s emotions, use one’s words to articulate concepts and arguments, and
express oneself in the best way possible.

Today, more than ever, we find ourselves navigating through different

communities sharing common spaces. communication has never been so fascinating
yet so complex as in today’s multicultural world.

Connecting with people has become instant in this advanced age also known as
Digital Age due to the availability of different technologies around us. through the
Internet, communicating with another human being is just a second away but cultivating
a good relationship is another thing. placing a good job and making oneself competitive
and at par with others internationally entail hard work and competence in the use of
communication.

Elements of Communication

The communication process involves multiple parts, stages, and elements.

These are:
1. Source/Sender
A sender/source is the one who encodes a message or information to the
receiver who accepts it. You, as a sender, need to be clear about the message you
want to convey. You must know what exactly it is that you want to communicate. You’ll
also want to be sure of your objective and of the result that you expect. Not knowing
these will make the communication process that you started a failure. Also, you must
encode the information into a form that is suitable for the communication channel.

2. Message
The message is simply the information that you want to transmit. Without the
message, there is no reason for communicating.

3. Encoding
Encoding is the process of taking your message and transmitting it into a format
that can be shared with another party. It is sort of like how messages are sent via a
mobile phone. The information that will be shown on the screen has to be encoded or
typed before sending it to the receiver. The message must be sent in a form that is
possible for the receiver to decode or the message will not be conveyed.

To send or encode a message properly, you must know and understand your
target audience/receiver. You must take into consideration what they know and what
they need to know.

4. Channel
The channel is the method/s that you use to convey your message. the type of
message you have will help to determine the channel that you should use. Channels
include face-to-face conversations, telephone calls or videoconferences, and written
communication like emails and memos. The use of language in conveying the
information should be taken into consideration. It is important that you transfer the
message clearly to eliminate likely causes of confusion and misunderstanding. Your
receiver will decode and understand messages in different ways based upon any
barriers to communication that might be present.
5. Decoding
Decoding occurs when you receive the message that has been sent. The
communication skills required to decode a message successfully include the ability to
read and comprehend, listen actively, or ask clarifying questions when needed.

6. Receiver
The receiver/decoder is the person to whom you send your message. This
person will also be the one to do the decoding of that message. The receiver will
interpret the message that you will send through his/her expectations, opinions, and
perspectives. His/her personal experiences will greatly affect how your message is
received.

7. Feedback

Your decoder/receiver is expected to give a response on how he/she has

understood the information sent either through verbal or non-verbal communication. It is
essential to pay attention to this feedback to assess whether the message has been
clearly transferred and understood as intended or in case there is a confusion, it can be
corrected.

8. Noise

Communication is not always smooth because of the barrier that interferes with
the communication process. This barrier is called noise. There are two kinds of noise.
These are internal and external noise. Internal noise happens when something is
bothering you. In the classroom, you may be looking at your professor who is discussing
but your mind is somewhere else. You might be thinking about a problem at home or
you might be hungry at the moment and you are thinking of what food to eat. External
noise, on the other hand, is the noise or interference in the surroundings. This can be a
distracting sound of an electric fan, siren or shouting of students along the corridor.

9. Context
This refers to the situation or setting in which communication takes place. There
are two types of contexts: the physical and temporal. Physical context refers to the
setting itself which includes location, time, weather, or noise level. Temporal, on the
other hand, are what people expect from a given situation based on experience.

Models of Communication

Conceptual models are used to explain the human communication process with
the basic concept of sending and receiving messages or conveying information from
sender to receiver.

Communication models explain the framework on how communication takes

place. The lesson covers the importance of the elements in the communication process
and how effective communication can be achieved. It also discusses how barriers affect
communication.

1. Aristotle’s Linear Model

 Photo source: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjM1YnXvt7jAhWF-2EKHUwcBW4QjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F
%2Fwww.businesstopia.net%2Fcommunication%2Faristotles-model-communication&psig=AOvVaw2Hx-2SLVxKmmSKNof84RJm&ust=1564639538002662

Aristotle’s Linear Model was proposed before 300 B.C. and was the first
communication model. In this model, the speaker has the most vital role and is the only
active in it which made it known as “the speaker-centered model”. The speaker has the
role to the audience which makes them passive and influenced by the speech. This
communication model also shows a one-way process from the speaker to the receiver.
Speech must be organized by the speaker beforehand in accordance to his/her target
audience and occasion. The speech serves to persuade and influence the audiences
therefore it must be clear as the speaker must have a decent non-verbal communication
with the spectators, like eye contact.

2. Shannon and Weaver’s Model

Photo source: https://www.communicationtheory.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/shannon_weaver_model.jpg

Shannon and Weaver’s model demonstrates the message encoded by the

sender and transferred to the receiver through an industrial channel, such as telephone
and telegraph. The message is converted by the sender into codes that are sent
through a medium. Decoding of messages is done by the receiver before understanding
and interpreting it. In some cases, a receptor machine can act as a decoder although
the channel can have noise and the receiver might not have the capacity to decode
which might cause some difficulties in the process.
3. Osgood and Schramm’s Model

Photo source: https://www.communicationtheory.org/osgood-schramm-model-of-communication/

In 1954, Wilbur Schramm (1907-1987) created a model showing that both the
sender and the receiver can transmit and receive the message, making it a cycle of
communication. It involves encoding where the sender translates the message and
decoding where the receiver creates meaning out of the sent message.

Photo source: http://vgmcu.blogspot.com/2014/06/schramms-model-of-communication.html

The idea was adapted by another theorist, Charles Egerton Osgood (1916-1991);
thus, the theory was termed Schramm and Osgood model of communication. The linear
model of communication was replaced by Osgood as circular, while Schramm added
the field of experience. The field of experience refers to the background, values, beliefs
and attitude that the person has that affects his/her way of communicating.

Learning Activity
Identify the underlined element of communication in each item.

sender message channe receiver feedback

l

____________ 1. Alona reports in class.

____________ 2. The newscaster gives an update on the typhoon.
____________ 3. The state of the nation address is viewed online.
____________ 4. A quiet response has been witnessed.
____________ 5. She answers the phone.
____________ 6. Charlene smiled back.
____________ 7. The university president announced a new policy.
____________ 8. She used broadcast and social media to advertise.
____________ 9. The manager will implement a strict penalty to violators.
____________ 10. An OFW cries on national TV.

Key Points

1. Communication is the art and process of creating and sharing ideas. Effective
communication depends on the richness of those ideas.

2. The communication process is composed of several stages, each of which

offers potential barriers to successful communication.

3. Sender encodes a message to be sent. He/she formulates ideas, thoughts,

opinions, or feelings in his/her mind.
4. Message is the information to be sent by means of a channel or medium.

5. Encoding is the process of taking your message and transmitting it into the
proper format for sharing it with your receiver. It requires knowing your
receiver/audience and ensuring that your message provides all of the information
that the receiver/audience needs.

6. Channel refers to the medium where the sender sends his/her message.

7. Decoding is the process of receiving the message accurately and requires that
your audience has the means to understand the information you are sharing.

8. Receiver is the person who decodes/receives the message. He/she gives

feedback to the sender.

9. Feedback is the effect/impact of the communication activity. Listener’s response

can be verbal, non-verbal or in written form.

10. Noise is the barrier or interference in the communication process.

11. Context refers to the situation or setting where the communication is taking
place.

12. Communication models are frameworks that explain how communication

works.

13. Aristotle’s Linear model mainly focuses on the speaker and speech and
broadly divides Speaker, Speech, Occasion, Audience and Effect.
 14. Shannon and Weaver’s model shows that the receiver plays the passive role in
the communication process as sender plays the primary role that sends
messages.

15. Osgood and Schramm’s model is an improved version of communication

model that shows both sender and receiver can be the source of information and
can be both receivers of information.

YouTube Videos to Watch

1. EasyExplaining. (September 24, 2016). What is communication. Let’s

discuss! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdbL7jJb3JE

2. Alanis Business Academy. (August 2, 2012). How the communication

process works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6u0AVn-NUM

3. Ted-Ed. (February 22, 2016). How miscommunication happens (and how

to avoid it) - Katherine Hampsten. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=gCfzeONu3Mo

4. Weishaar, J. (May 26, 2015). If you aren’t listening, you aren’t

communicating. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7LCTueQyKk

References

Aquino, E.C. & Ycong, M.C.A. (2018). Purposive communication. Mutya Publishing
House, Inc.

Suarez, C.A., Perfecto, M.R.G., Canilao, M.L.E.N. & Paez, D.B.I. (2018). Purposive
communication in English. Ateneo de Manila University Press.

Uychoco, M.T.A. & Santos, M.L. (2018). Communication for society: Purposive
communication. REX Book Store.
________. (2010). Effective communication skills. MTD Training & Ventus Publishing
ApS