Lesson 1 Nature and Process of Communication

All human beings communicate. It is part of our

ways to survive. In communicating, we can
understand other people around us. We can
know what their feelings are. We can also let
others know how we feel through
communication by sharing our ideas and
opinions. Communication is what connects us to
others. Without it, it may result to
misunderstanding or conflict. That is why, it is
important to understand how communication
takes place.
 speaker message listener

Communication takes place when the speaker sends a message to the listener. In
our case, let’s say we are the speaker. As a speaker, we send message to the
person we are talking to. The message is what we are trying to transfer to other
people. The message that we send will be received by our listener. The listener
will then process it and as a result, he will be able to understand us. Therefore, for
communication to take place, we need the three elements namely: the speaker, the
message, and the listener. Without one of it, communication will not take place.
 Process of Communication
Communication does not simply consist of the three elements mentioned
earlier. It also entails other elements of communication that we will study
later on. The process of communication happens when the sender or the
speaker transmits the information or message to the listener or receiver. It
becomes possible through a channel.

speaker message listener

The channel is the way or mode in order for the message to be transmitted
from one person to another. In the illustration above, the speaker used the
telephone as his channel to transmit the message. The message will be carried
along by the channel used and the receiver will also use another channel to
receive the message. Without the channel, the message will not be transferred.
 Another element of communication present in the process of
communication is the feedback. It is the ultimate aspect of
communication process. The speaker will be able to know if he
successfully sent the message if the listener responds to the message
which in turn will become the feedback that the speaker will interpret.

speaker message listener

feedback
The Different Elements in the Communication
Process
Sender
The sender is the source of the message which makes her
one of the most important element of communication.
Without the sender, there will be no source of the message
needed to be transmitted for a communication to take
place. She is the sender of the message. Therefore, she is
the initiator of the message. After thinking of the message,
she needs to send the message in such a way that the
receiver can easily understand.
Message
Message is referred to as the information
conveyed by words as in speech and
write-ups, signs, pictures or symbols
depending upon the situation and the
nature and importance of information
desired to be sent. Message is the heart of
communication. It is the content the
sender wants to covey to the receiver. It
can be verbal both written and spoken; or
non-verbal i.e. pictorial or symbolic, etc.
Channel
Channel(s) refers to the way or mode
the message flows or is transmitted
through. The message is transmitted
over a channel that links the sender
with the receiver. The message may
be oral or written and it may be
transmitted through a memorandum,
a computer, telephone, cell phone,
apps or televisions.
Receiver
Receiver is the person or group who the
message is meant for. He may be a
listener, a reader or a viewer. Any
negligence on the part of the receiver
may make the communication
ineffective. The receiver needs to
comprehend the message sent in the best
possible manner such that the true intent
of the communication is attained. The
extent to which the receiver decodes the
message depends on his/her knowledge
of the subject matter of the message,
experience, trust and relationship with
the sender.
Feedback
Feedback is the ultimate aspect of
communication process. It refers to the response
of the receiver as to the message sent to him/her
by the sender. Feedback is necessary to ensure
that the message has been effectively encoded,
sent, decoded and comprehended.

It is the final step of the communication process

and establishes that the receiver has received the
message in its letter and spirit. In other words, the
receiver has correctly interpreted the message as
it was intended by the sender. It is instrumental to
make communication effective and purposeful.