Communication Barrier

Barriers to Communication can be defined as the aspects or conditions that interfere with effective
exchange of ideas or thoughts.

4 Categories of Communication Barriers

1. Physical Barriers

These are the natural or environmental conditions that act as barriers in communication whenever we
are sending our message.

Example:

People talk loudly

Noise from the construction site is too loud

2. Psychological Barriers

They are mental barriers that refer to the social and personal issues of a speaker towards
communicating with others.

Example:

Trauma depression

Shyness stage fright

Lack of confidence

3. Cultural Barriers

These are communication problems encountered by people due to their own personal values, beliefs
and traditions which are in conflict with others.

Example:

Races age

Religion gender

Reminder: what is true to you may not be true to me or to others.

4. Linguistic Barriers

Words and delivery of statements have different meanings, especially in different places. Hence, they
may cause confusion and misunderstanding among communicators.

Example:

Differences in language

Kumusta ka? how are you? Ogen ki desu ka? Apa kabar
Other factors that we should take in consideration are:

Accent and dialect speech defects

Use of jargon and slang language impairments

However, VERDEBER (1991) gives similar idea of barrier when he classified noise in three kinds

1. External Noise
Sight, sound and other stimuli that draw people’s attention away from the intended meaning.
Basically, external noises are Physical Barrier.
2. Internal Noise

These are thoughts and feelings that interfere with meaning. This refer to a Psychological and
Cultural Barriers.

3. Semantic Noise
A word, phrase or statement may have another meaning in the mind of the receiver. This maybe
due to incorrect grammar, use of jargon, or use of idiomatic expressions.