Professional Documents
Culture Documents
INTRODUCTION TO
COMMUNICATION
Submitted to : Submitted
by:
Kanchana
Arandhara
M.Sc. Electronic
Media
1st Semester
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
BETWEEN THE CONCEPTION
AND THE CREATION,
BETWEEN THE EMOTION
AND THE RESPONSE,
BETWEEN THE HARD WORK
AND THE RESULT,
LIES MY THANKS TO YOU.
KANCHANA ARANDHARA
Table of Contents
➢ What is communication?
➢ Importance of communication
➢ Types of communication
➢ Models of communication
➢ Theories of Communication
➢ Elements of Communication
➢ Communication Process
➢ Barriers of Communication
➢ Tools of Communication
➢ Conclusion
➢ Bibliography
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
The word communication is derived from the Latin noun
‘communis’ and the Latin verb ‘communicate’ that means ‘to
make common’. Communication is a process of transferring
information from one entity to another. Communication
processes are sign-mediated interactions between at least two
agents which share a repertoire of signs and semiotic rules.
Communication is commonly defined as "the imparting or
interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech,
writing, or signs". Although there is such a thing as one-way
communication, communication can be perceived better as a
two-way process in which there is an exchange and
progression of thoughts, feelings or ideas (energy) towards a
mutually accepted goal or direction (information).
Communication is a process whereby information is enclosed
in a package and is channeled and imparted by a sender to a
receiver via some medium. The receiver then decodes the
message and gives the sender a feedback. All forms of
communication require a sender, a message, and a receiver.
Communication requires that all parties have an area of
communicative commonality. There are auditory means, such
as speech, song, and tone of voice, and there are nonverbal
means, such as body language, sign language, paralanguage,
touch, eye contact, and writing.
IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION
Communication is important for both for an individual and also
for the society. A person’s need for communication is as strong
and as basic as the need to eat, sleep and love.
Communication is the requirement of social existence and a
resource in order to engage in the sharing of experiences,
through ‘symbol mediated interaction’. Isolation is in fact the
severest punishment for human being.
The basic human need for communication can perhaps be
traced to the process of mankind’s evolution from lower
species. Animals, for instance, have to be in sensory
communication with their physical and biological surroundings
to find food, protect themselves and reproduce their species. A
loss of sensation-the inability to hear a predator for instance
can mean loss of life.
Essentially, the primary function of communication is to inform,
educate, entertain and persuade people. Following are the
basic functions of communications:
• Education and Instruction – This function of education
starts early in life, at home and in school and continues
throughout life. Communication provides knowledge,
expertise, and skills for smooth functioning by people in the
society. It creates awareness and gives opportunity to
people to actively participate in public life.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
Communication of information, messages, opinions, speech
and thoughts can be done via different forms of modern
communication media, like, e-mail, telephone and mobile.
Some of the basic ways of communication are by speaking,
singing, sign language, body language, touch and eye contact.
These basic ways of communication are used to transfer
information from one entity to other. There are many different
types of communication but they can be classified into six
basic types of communication. These six types of
communication are as follows:
Verbal Communication
Verbal communication includes sounds, words, language and
speaking. Language is said to have originated from sounds and
gestures. There are many languages spoken in the world. The
bases of language formation are: gender, class, profession,
geographical area, age group and other social elements.
Speaking is an effective way of communicating and is again
classified into two types viz. interpersonal communication and
public speaking.
Non-Verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication involves physical ways of
communication, like, tone of the voice, touch, smell and body
motion. Creative and aesthetic non-verbal communication
includes singing, music, dancing and sculpturing. Symbols and
sign language are also included in non-verbal communication.
Body language is a non-verbal way of communication. Body
posture and physical contact convey a lot of information. Body
posture matters a lot when you are communicating verbally to
someone. Folded arms and crossed legs are some of the
signals conveyed by a body posture. Physical contact, like,
shaking hands, pushing, patting and touching expresses the
feeling of intimacy. Facial expressions, gestures and eye
contact are all different ways of communication. Reading facial
expressions can help you know a person better.
Written Communication
Written communication is writing the words which you want to
communicate. Good written communication is essential for
business purposes. Written communication is practiced in
many different languages. E-mails, reports, articles and memos
are some of the ways of using written communication in
business. The written communication can be edited and
amended many times before it is communicated to the second
party to whom the communication is intended. This is one of
the main advantages of using writing as the major means of
communication in business activity. Written communication is
used not only in business but also for informal communication
purposes. Mobile SMS is an example of informal written
communication.
Visual communication
The last type of communication out of the four types of
communication, is the visual communication. Visual
communication is visual display of information, like,
topography, photography, signs, symbols and designs.
Television and video clips are the electronic form of visual
communication.
Intra-personal communication
This implies individual reflection, contemplation and
meditation. One example of this is transcendental mediation.
According to the experts this type of communication
encompasses communicating with the divine and with spirits in
the form of prayers and rites and rituals.
Interpersonal communication
This is direct, face-to-face communication that occurs between
two persons. It is essentially a dialogue or a conversation
between two or more people.
It is personal, direct, as well as intimate and permits maximum
interaction through words and gestures. Interpersonal
communications maybe:
Focused Interactions : This primarily results from an actual
encounter between two persons. This implies that the two
persons involved are completely aware of the communication
happening between them.
MODELS OF COMMUNICATION
• Shannon and Weaver's Model of
Communication
SMCR MODEL
This is the basic communications model, identified in 1949 by
Shannon and Weaver, that distinguishes something of what
happens between the person speaking (/writing, etc.) and the
person listening (/watching, etc.).
Sequence
The basic sequence of the model is Source => Message =>
Channel => Receiver
Source
The source is the start of the communication, the person who
encodes the message and transmits it to the receiver.
Message
The message is the package or packages of meaning that
contain the intent from the source. The message is what the
source wants the receiver to hear and understand in a
particular way.
As we cannot connect minds together, we have to translate the
intent of the source into an encoded message that (it is hoped)
the receiver can translate with reasonable accuracy.
Channel
The channel is the medium through which the message is
transmitted. This may be some form of controlled media such
as television adverts or newspaper articles. It may also be a
more direct channel, such as telephone or face-to-face.
The channel can have several parts, for example where I ask
someone to communicate something, who then emails a friend
who tells the receiver the message.
The channel must plug into the receiver's sensory system, and
hence may use sight, sound, touch, taste or smell.
Receiver
The receiver is the person who is at the other end of the
communication. They may be actively seeking to receive the
message or may be surprised by it. They may be the intended
target or just someone who is within receiving range. They will
decode the message and create their own meaning.
Laswell Model
THEORIES OF COMMUNICATIONS
I) CLASSICAL THEORIES
Authoritarian Theory
The underlying fact behind the genesis of this theory was that
there can be no development without communication. Under
the four classical theories, capitalism was legitimized, but
under the Development communication theory, or
Development Support Communication as it is otherwise called,
the media undertook the role of carrying out positive
developmental programmes, accepting restrictions and
instructions from the State. The media subordinated
themselves to political, economic, social and cultural needs.
Hence the stress on "development communication" and
"development journalism". There was tacit support from the
UNESCO for this theory. The weakness of this theory is that
"development" is often equated with government propaganda.
Before the first World War, there was no separate field of study
on Communication, but knowledge about mass communication
was accumulating. An outcome of World War I propaganda
efforts, the Magic Bullet or Hypodermic Needle Theory came
into existence. It propounded the view that the mass media
had a powerful influence on the mass audience and could
deliberately alter or control peoples' behaviour.
This was based on the idea that there are a number of relays in
the communication flow from a source to a large audience.
This theory puts forth the ability of the media to influence the
significance of events in the public's mind. The media set the
agenda for the audience's discussion and mentally order and
organize their world. The theory is consistent with a "use and
gratification" approach. McCombs and Shaw assert that the
agenda-setting function of the media causes the correlation
between the media and public ordering of priorities. The
people most affected by the media agenda are those who have
a high need for orientation
ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION
The various elements of the communication process are :
• Input – The sender has an intention to communicate with
another person. This intention makes up the content of the
message.
• Sender – The sender encodes the message, e.g. the idea of
‘piece of furniture to sit on’ Thus he gives expression to the
content.
• Channel – The message is sent via a channel, which can be
made of a variety of materials. In acoustic communication it
consists of air, in written communication of paper or other
writing materials.
• Noise – The channel is subjected to various sources of noise.
• Receiver – The receiver decodes the incoming message, or
expression. He “translates” it and thus receives the output.
• Output – This is the content decoded by the receiver.
• Code – In the process, the relevance of a code becomes
obvious. The codes of the sender and receiver must have at
least a certain set in common in order to make communication
work.
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
There are seven of communication process:
• Source idea
• Message
• Encoding
• Channel
• Receiver
• Decoding
• Feedback
BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION
Planning, preparation and practice of communication will be
incomplete and unsuccessful unless one identifies and
understands the barriers of communication. These barriers are
physical, sociological and psychological obstacles that interfere
with the planning, organization, transmission and undertaking
of the message. These are a number of such obstacles that can
occur in the process of communication. The natural result of
such obstacles or interfering factors is the misunderstanding of
the message.
1. Physical barriers
Physical barriers in the workplace include:
• marked out territories, empires and fiefdoms into which
strangers are not allowed
• closed office doors, barrier screens, separate areas for
people of different status
• large working areas or working in one unit that is physically
separate from others.
Research shows that one of the most important factors in
building cohesive teams is proximity. As long as people still
have a personal space that they can call their own, nearness to
others aids communication because it helps us get to know
one another.
2. Perceptual barriers
The problem with communicating with others is that we all see
the world differently. If we didn't, we would have no need to
communicate: something like extrasensory perception would
take its place.
3. Emotional barriers
One of the chief barriers to open and free communications is
the emotional barrier. It is comprised mainly of fear, mistrust
and suspicion. The roots of our emotional mistrust of others lie
in our childhood and infancy when we were taught to be
careful what we said to others.
"Mind your P's and Q's"; "Don't speak until you're spoken to";
"Children should be seen and not heard". As a result many
people hold back from communicating their thoughts and
feelings to others.
4. Cultural barriers
When we join a group and wish to remain in it, sooner or later
we need to adopt the behaviour patterns of the group. These
are the behaviours that the group accept as signs of belonging.
The group rewards such behaviour through acts of recognition,
approval and inclusion. In groups which are happy to accept
you, and where you are happy to conform, there is a mutuality
of interest and a high level of win-win contact.
5. Language barriers
Language that describes what we want to say in our terms
may present barriers to others who are not familiar with our
expressions, buzz-words and jargon. When we couch our
communication in such language, it is a way of excluding
others. In a global market place the greatest compliment we
can pay another person is to talk in their language.
6. Gender barriers
There are distinct differences between the speech patterns in a
man and those in a woman. A woman speaks between 22,000
and 25,000 words a day whereas a man speaks between 7,000
and 10,000. In childhood, girls speak earlier than boys and at
the age of three, have a vocabulary twice that of boys.
The reason for this lies in the wiring of a man's and woman's
brains. When a man talks, his speech is located in the left side
of the brain but in no specific area. When a woman talks, the
speech is located in both hemispheres and in two specific
locations.
7. Interpersonal barriers
There are six levels at which people can distance themselves
from one another:
1. Withdrawal is an absence of interpersonal contact. It is
both refusal to be in touch and time alone.
2. Rituals are meaningless, repetitive routines devoid of real
contact.
3. Pastimes fill up time with others in social but superficial
activities.
4. Working activities are those tasks which follow the rules
and procedures of contact but no more.
5. Games are subtle, manipulative interactions which are
about winning and losing. They include "rackets" and
"stamps".
6. Closeness is the aim of interpersonal contact where there
is a high level of honesty and acceptance of yourself and
others.
Working on improving our communications is a broad-brush
activity. We have to change your thoughts, your feelings,
and your physical connections.
That way, one can break down the barriers that get in your
way and start building relationships that really work.
TOOLS OF COMMUNICATION
In tools of communication one experiences the components of
effective communication. They are reflective listening,
identifying non verbal cues, and responding with
understanding and using effective problem solving techniques.
Thus, these techniques of communication are useful to
increase our personal effectiveness at home, at work, in the
community, in relationship, and with yourself. Opening up
yourself to your feelings of others requires practice.
All forms of life upon the planet earth were granted one great
and wondrous gift: the gift of communication. Instead of being
forced to exist in solitude, this gift allows interaction, a sharing
of feelings.
Diction:
– The extent of vocabulary and choice of appropriate words
– Colloquial and slag words
– Efficacy of word
Sentence:
Paragraph:
1. Clarity
2. Completeness
3. Coherence
4. Conciseness
5. Credibility
6. Correctness
7. Continuity
1. Introduction to Communication
– Study Material (PTU)
1. Business Communication
– By – Meenakshi Raman & Prakash Singh
– Published by – Oxford University Press
1. Wikipedia.com
2. Google.com
3. Worlstrans.org
4. Pirate.shu.edu
5. Communicationskills.co.in
6. Community4me.com
7. Blurtit.com
8. Buzzle.com