Comm 01
Lesson 1
Nature Of
Communication
What is
Communication?
| According to Megginson,
“Communication is the process of
transmitting meanings, ideas and
understanding of a person or a group to
another person or group.”
| According to Newstrom & Keith Davis,
“Communication is the transfer of
information form one person to
another. It is a way of reaching others
by transmitting ideas, feelings,
thoughts, facts and values.”
| According to Theo Haiman,
“Communication means the process of
passing information and understanding
from one person to another.”
| Behind Brown:
“Communication is the transmission
and interchange of facts, ideas, feelings
or course of action.”
| Theo Haiemann:
“Communication is the process of passing
information and understanding from one
person to another. It is the process of
imparting ideas and making oneself
understand by others.”
| G.G. Brown:
“Communication is transfer of
information from one person to another,
whether or not it elicits confidence. But
the information transferred must be
understandable to the receiver.”
Elements of
Communication
SENDER/ENCODER
• The sender also known as the encoder
decides on the message to be sent, the
best/most effective way that it can be sent.
• All of this is done bearing the receiver in
mind. In a word, it is his/her job to
conceptualize.
MEDIUM
• The medium is the immediate form which a
message takes.
• For example, a message may be
communicated in the form of a letter, in the
form of an email or face to face in the form
of a speech.
CHANNEL
• The channel is that which is responsible for
the delivery of the chosen message form.
• For example post office, internet, radio.
RECEIVER
• The receiver or the decoder is responsible
for extracting/decoding meaning from the
message.
• The receiver is also responsible for providing
feedback to the sender. In a word, it is
his/her job to INTERPRET.
FEEDBACK
• It determines whether or not the decoder
grasped the intended meaning and whether
communication was successful.
• It is the receiver’s response; it enables to
evaluate the effectiveness of the message.
FEEDBACK
• Verbal
Anything that is associated with,
relating to or pertaining to, words.
Verbal Communication
Makes use of words in the process of
sending and receiving messages.
Modes of verbal communication:
• Oral Communication
• Written communication
Nonverbal Communication
It is the sending and receiving
messages without the use of words;
instead, nonverbal language is used
such as facial expression and body
movements, among others.
Communication as a human activity
always serves as a function. Functions of
communication refer to how humans use
language for different purposes.
Functions of
Communication
| Functions of Communication
Motivation
Information
Regulation/Control
Social Interaction
Expressing
Motivation
• Motivation as function of
communication refers to a person using
a language to express desires, needs,
wants, likes and dislikes, inclinations,
choices and aspirations.
• People communicate to entice and
direct people to act and reach their
objectives or goals in life.
Informative
• Communication can be used for giving
and getting information.
• Giving information usually comes in the
form of statements of facts.
• For example, in social organizations,
information is shared to guide people on
the processes and procedures necessary
to operate efficiently and effectively.
Regulation/Control
• It can be used to control the behavior and
attitudes of human beings.
• It can be used to regulate the nature and
amount of activities where humans
engage in.
Social Interaction
• Communication can be used to produce
social interaction.
• Communication helps us start, maintain,
regulate, or even end relationships with
other people.
• In the daily course of living, human beings
develop and maintain bonds, intimacy,
relations and associations.
The Special Case of Expressing:
• Opinions
• Emotional Expression
Opinions
• The function to which expressing an
opinion belongs depends on the purpose
and setting in which it is done
• Expressing an opinion broad functions
covering every category of
communication functions.
Emotional Expression
• Human always need to express their
emotions verbally and nonverbally.
• Emotions are a central part of who people
are. Beyond thinking about the things and
people in the world
