MODULE I: COMMUNICATION PROCESS AND

ITS COMPONENTS

By the end of the module, you will be able to:

1. Discuss the process of communication;
2. Identity the elements and components of communication;
3. Differentiate the types and and levels of communication;
4. Discuss communication ethics.

Lesson 1: The Communication Process and Its Components

A. The Communication Process
Communication is defined as the “systemic process in which people interact with
and through symbols to create and share meaning” (Wood, 2003; cited by Agustin, et al.,
2018). It can also be defined as the process of sharing meaning in any context (Agustin, et
al., 2018).

Basically, the communication process takes place once we send codes to convey a
certain message and we get feedback from anyone who receives it.

Figure 1. The communication process 1

Why is it called a process, then? Answer is it is because this happens with a

“procedure” through its components or elements. Communication cannot begin unless there
is a message sent from a sender. After encoding and sending the message, it then travels
through a channel to be decoded by the receiver, and the receiver in turn will encode
1
[Link]
Communication Process and Its Components
2
another message (called the feedback). The original sender now becomes the receiver of
the feedback and they decode the feedback as well; hence, it becomes a cycle as the
conversation goes on unless there is an external or internal factor (noise) that will hinder the
successful reception of the intended message.

B. Elements of communication

1. Context - this is the “setting in which the communication process takes place”
(Agustin, et al., 2018). The context may be any of the following:
● Physical context refers to the environment in which the communication takes
place. Temperature, lighting, and noise level are some factors that may affect
the flow of the conversation.

Ex. You and your friend are riding a jeepney in Quiapo, Manila. Since the
traffic jam is heavy in Quiapo and there are lots of honking horns from other
vehicles, you adjust the volume of your voice when talking in order for the two
of you to understand each other.

● Social Context is “the relationship that exists between and among

participants”2. The way that we communicate with a person close to us would
be different from the way we communicate with an acquaintance or a
stranger. In the same way, even with people close to us, the way we
communicate with our parents would be different with the way we
communicate with our friends.

● Historical Context has something to do with previous encounters that

somehow influence their current conversation.

Ex. *Your friend comes crying to you*

Friend: Friend, Patrick and I broke up and--
You: Oh come on! Spare me the empty promises. I know you two will be back
together again after a few days.

● Psychological Context has something to do with the mood and emotions

evoked by the interaction between and/or among the participants.

Ex. You can’t stop laughing because your friends always deliver the best
jokes and punchlines.

● Cultural context includes the beliefs in, values, and norms that are shared by
a large group of people (Lustig and Koester, 1993; cited in Agustin et al.,
2018).

2
Agustin, R.Q., Feranil, B.S., Hernandez, R.R, Jimenez, K.D., Manaig, R.A., Mendoza, L.D., & Mojica, C.R.
(2018). Communication Process and Its Components. In E.C hernandez, B.J. Ilagan, & A.R. Solis (Eds.),
Communication in Multicultural Contexts: Meanings and Purposes (pp. 1-8). Panday-Lahi Publishing House, Inc.

Warning: No part of this module shall be reproduced or redistributed in any form.

Communication Process and Its Components
3
Ex. In several Asian countries, you take off your footwear upon entering the
house of another person because wearing them inside the house would be
impolite.

2. Participants - the people exchanging the message and feedback-- the sender and
the receiver.

3. Messages - the code or information being sent to the receiver.

4. Channel - the medium in which the message travels through from the sender to the
receiver.

5. Noise - the factors that impede the successful transmission of the message and
cause communication breakdown. Noise may be external, internal, or semantic.
● External noises are those around the participants that may cause the sender
from being unable to encode the message or the receiver from being unable
to decode the message successfully.

Ex. You were not able to hear your mother’s call because you were listening
to music with your earphones.

● Internal noises may be emotions, thoughts, or state of being that may

interfere in the transmission of the message.

Ex. (emotions) You’re annoyed with the classmate who is discussing in front
that is why you did not want to listen to their topic.

(thoughts) You were not able to answer the teacher’s question because your
thoughts were flying to what you would eat for lunch during the discussion.

(state of being) Since you stayed up late on a Saturday night, you struggled to
stay awake and listen to the priest’s sermon.

● Semantic noises refer to the unintended meanings from certain messages

that prevent successful decoding from the receiver.

Ex. You got misunderstood by your classmate on your comment online that
read “SML” which originally meant “so much love” instead of “share mo lang?”

6. Feedback is the response of the receiver which reflects how the receiver decoded
the message.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Why is communication considered a process?

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Communication Process and Its Components
4
2. Given that the message was sent successfully but the receiver did not give any
feedback, is it still considered as communication?

Lesson 2: Levels of Communication

A. Forms of Communication
People use verbal and non-verbal codes to communicate. Verbal communication
refers to any form of communication that involves the use of words (oral or written). Sending
text messages and emails are examples of verbal communication.

Non-verbal communication, on the other hand, is the type of communication that

does not use words but may enhance or change the linguistic code. Below are the following
functions of nonverbal codes:

a. Repeating - strengthens the verbal message. (Ex. pointing your finger to the direction
that you are saying,)

b. Conflicting - this happens when the verbal message is opposite the nonverbal signals
that we give, (Ex. saying “It’s okay” even when your eyes twitch out of annoyance).

c. Complementing - using non-verbal signals to reinforce the general message of what

is being said. (Ex. When endorsing a certain food product, endorsers use a lively
tone accompanied by a grin or a wide smile to indicate their satisfaction on the
product).

d. Substituting - this is when non-verbal codes take the place of verbal messages but
with the same meaning and sometimes deliver a deeper message. (Ex. When our
mothers are angry--like really angry--they tend to get silent and give us “that stare” to
tell us that she has had enough).

e. Regulating - non-verbal codes may also be used sometimes as tools to regulate the
conversation. (Ex. Aside from holding your hand up with your palm facing the other
person, touching one’s arm during a conversation may also give a signal for them to
pause and give you room to speak).

f. Accenting/Moderating - this happens when someone uses nonverbal signals to

emphasize (accenting) or reduce attention to (moderating) verbal messages through
the use of touch, pitch, and other gestures.3
(Ex. Increasing volume at certain words during a speech to emphasize those words -
accenting).
(Ex. Speaking fast at some parts of the topic when reporting to avoid questions).

3
Changing Minds. (n.d.) Non-verbal functions. Retrieved September 7, 2020:
[Link]

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Communication Process and Its Components
5

Forms of non-verbal communication are the following:

a. Kinesics - a nonlinguistic element of communication that refers to the movement of
any body part to deliver a particular message.
i. Gestures - uses a body part in replacement of or along with a verbal
message.
ii. Facial expressions - movements of the face to indicate emotions or moods.
b. Proxemics - the use of space to convey a [Link] we are going to observe, we
can somehow determine the closeness of the people talking to each other by their
distance from each other. The farther they are from each other, the more distant their
relationship is.
c. Haptics - the use of touch to convey a message. (Ex. Slight tap on a member’s
shoulder to indicate delegation of task)
d. Oculesics - the use of eye movement to indicate a particular message. (Ex. Looking
away from the other person’s eyes may indicate lying)
e. Other paralinguistic elements such as the following:
i. Pitch - the highness and lowness of the voice may also show the emotions of
the speaker. When we are angry, our voice either gets dangerously low, or
ear-piercing high. Usually, one’s voice becomes high-pitched when happy.
ii. Tempo - the speed of saying a specific utterance also indicates the mood of
the speaker. When we are angry, we tend to speak faster than normal, that is
why we tend to stutter when angry.
iii. Voice intensity - this refers to how much our voice gets amplified at specific
parts when uttering certain statements. Refers to the volume of our voices.
iv. Juncture or pauses - helps create suspense and dramatic effect. Long pauses
usually put the audience at the edge of their seats.
f. Chronemics - use of time to convey a message

B. Levels of Communication
1. Intrapersonal - a level of communication that happens within oneself.
Thought-processing and decision-making are examples of intrapersonal level of
communication.4
2. Interpersonal - a level of communication that involves two to fifteen people (small
group). Gossip mongers sharing a rumor or gossip about someone else is an
example of interpersonal level of communication.
3. Public speaking - this level of communication involves a speaker and a crowd of
people (16 or more people) as its audience. Meeting de avance and research
congress are examples of public level of communication.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

4
Agutsin, R.Q., Feranil, B.S., Hernandez, R.R, Jimenez, K.D., Manaig, R.A., Mendoza, L.D., &
Mojica, C.R. (2018). Communication Process and Its Components. In E.C hernandez, B.J. Ilagan, &
A.R. Solis (Eds.), Communication in Multicultural Contexts: Meanings and Purposes (pp. 1-8).
Panday-Lahi Publishing House, Inc.

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Communication Process and Its Components
6

1. Do you agree with the saying that “what is being said is more important than how it is
being said”? Why or why not?
2. Would verbal communication be successful by itself without non-verbal
communication and vice versa or not? Why do you think so?

Lesson 3: Functions of Communication

Before we enumerate the functions of communication, let us remember that function
is synonymous to use and purpose. Hence, we can say that we use communication for
several purposes. Below are the six functions of communication in our lives:

a. We communicate to meet needs.

Whenever we need something, we need to communicate it to another person
in order for them to distinguish what we need. Even as a baby, our mothers knew that
we needed milk whenever we suckled our thumb, or that we were sleepy when we
became irritable and cried. At present, we just need to say what we need for it to be
provided like asking your classmate for a sheet of yellow paper for the activity.

b. We communicate to maintain or enhance our sense of self.

In this function, we communicate in order to discover something about
ourselves. For instance, It is through interaction (for interaction needs communicating
with the other person) that we discover that we do not like certain vegetables. It is
also through interaction that we discover that we prefer deep talks with a sensible
person rather than a meaningless conversation with a shallow person.

c. We communicate to fulfill social obligations.

As social beings, we humans have certain social obligations that we fulfill.
Greeting our friends and acquaintances on Facebook on their birthdays, participating
in those “leave a dot” games on Facebook, or greeting our instructors upon entering
the meeting room are some of the things we do to socially connect with other people.

d. We communicate to develop relationships.

Not only do we develop relationships when we communicate, but we may
also maintain or end them through communication. How do we make friends? We
talk to the first person we see in the class list from the portal especially if we do not
know anyone from the section. We also develop the relationship by constantly talking
to them starting at trivial things or things about class until the time that we already
share secrets and jokes that only we and our friends understand.

e. We communicate to exchange information.

We also communicate when we need to exchange ideas like how we
brainstorm when we need to pass a research topic to our research adviser back in
Senior High School. We also communicate when we exchange our understanding of
the instructions that our instructor gave us for the assignment or an upcoming activity.

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f. We communicate to influence others.

Have you ever noticed that you and your close friend share some common
behaviors, attitudes, likes and dislikes? It is because through the years of doing
things together and constantly communicating with each other, you have somehow
influenced each other into behaving like the other. The same also goes to tweets or
posts that you constantly see as you scroll through your feed. Reading a thread of
tweets with pieces of credible evidence somehow influences your way of thinking and
you somehow find yourself agreeing with the author’s argument.

Lesson 4: Principles of Communication

Aside from the functions of communication, of course there are still some guiding
principles in communication.

a. Communication is purposive.
Remember the functions of communication? We communicate because we
have a purpose for communicating. We communicate because there is an
underlying motive why we communicate. Whether it be to convey that we need
something, or developing relationships or influencing others, communication has a
purpose.

b. Communication is continuous.
Communication is non-stop. Even when you try it for a day, you will realize
that you are still communicating with others because communication takes place
verbally and non-verbally. So we better be conscious of the verbal and non-verbal
signals that we send instead because we won’t be able to stop communicating
anyway.

c. Communication messages vary in conscious encoding.

Messages may be encoded spontaneously (such as in conversations that we
have with friends) or from a script (such as in interviews where the questions are
pre-listed already with follow-up questions depending on the answers of the
interviewee).

d. Communication is relational,
When we communicate, not only do we share and create meanings, we also
create connections among the participants. Whether it be transactional, or relational,
there is a relationship created in communication. That is why communication is
involved in developing, maintaining, and dissolving relationships.5

5
Agustin, R.Q., Feranil, B.S., Hernandez, R.R, Jimenez, K.D., Manaig, R.A., Mendoza, L.D., & Mojica, C.R.
(2018). Communication Process and Its Components. In E.C hernandez, B.J. Ilagan, & A.R. Solis (Eds.),
Communication in Multicultural Contexts: Meanings and Purposes (pp. 1-8). Panday-Lahi Publishing House, Inc.

Warning: No part of this module shall be reproduced or redistributed in any form.

Communication Process and Its Components
8

e. Communication has ethical implications.

We must always remember that ethics is non-negotiable when it comes to
communicating with others. Why do we filter what we say when talking to others or
when posting in social media? It is because we cannot deny the fact that
communication has certain ethical standards and we must abide by them as ethical
communicators.

f. Communication is learned.
I think everyone will agree that everyone can talk but not everyone can
communicate. Communication does not only involve speaking, but also listening and
thought processing before constructing a response to the message. Also, it involves
different strategies to successfully get the message across to your intended receiver.
For instance, not everyone can get the full attention of a child, but some can
successfully communicate with them. Being able to communicate with people from
different age groups, gender, and culture is a skill that everyone can acquire through
constant practice. And how do we practice that? By communicating with everyone.

Lesson 5: Communication Ethics

Ethics is defined as the behavioral rules and standards set for people to follow. Ethics
deals with what is the proper thing to do and what is not, and in communication, there are
certain ethical standards that we need to consider.

According to Berko (1995; cited in Agustin et al., 2018), “a speaker who uses
language that degrades or injures human personalities by exaggeration, pseudo truths,
twisting of words, and name calling is clearly acting unethically”.

Let us take note that:

● Exaggeration - represent a matter or situation to be bigger or worse than it really is.

Ex. Your male friend accompanied you home to make sure you are safe and word
has spread in your community that different boys take you home every night just
because gossip mongers exaggerated your male friend’s concern for you.

How did this become an exaggeration? Witnessing something but giving it a

bigger meaning compared to what it really is and then spreading your own version of
what you saw is clearly exaggerating.

● Pseudo-truths - These are lies that appear to be the truth.

Ex. A circulating news online that Coronavirus is a bacterial infection curable by
antibiotics.

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Communication Process and Its Components
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How did this become a pseudo-truth? People believed that Coronavirus was
really curable by antibiotics because there have been “reported” cases in Italy that
patients were given antibiotics and recovered from the illness and who shared the
news on their timelines.

● Twisting of words - Spreading a word or a statement in a manner different from its

original and intended meaning.
Ex. Buknoy Glamurr posted Awra Briguela’s conversation with the former’s manager
about doing a collaboration with Buknoy and saying that Briguela’s posts were quite
different from what he told Buknoy’s manager in the screenshot. Then Briguela
clarified that that conversation happened way before the issue between them began.

How did this become twisting of words? Buknoy used Briguela’s own words in
a conversation that happened way before to somehow tell the people that Briguela’s
posts contradict his exchange of words with Buknoy’s manager.

● Name calling - tagging a person with other names.

Ex. Typical bullying scene where the bully calls the person names to insult or hurt the
other person.

Hence, in avoiding this, Berko (1995; cited in Agustin et al., 2018) listed some behaviors that
ethical communicators must have:

1. Speaks with sincerity.

As ethical communicators, we must always speak with sincerity. Yes, we
crack jokes. But not everything of course can be expressed through jokes, especially
matters that need to be taken seriously.

2. Does not knowingly expose an audience to falsehood or half-truths that can

cause significant harm.
As ethical communicators, we must always remember that we are
accountable for everything that we utter because it may cause harm, if not
inconvenience, to the people that will believe the half-truths that we utter.

3. Does not premeditatedly alter the truth.

I guess this is already self-explanatory. No one in their right mind would alter
a truth just for the sake of their own benefit. That is not just unethical, it is also cruel.

4. Presents the truth as they understand it.

Presenting the truth as we understand it is not enough. We must also seek
supporting evidence especially if we did not witness the truth that we heard about.

5. Raises the listeners’ level of understanding by supplying the necessary facts

It is also important to not leave your listeners uninformed and “in the dark”.
Whatever evidence we have gathered (or resibo as netizens call it), we have to make

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Communication Process and Its Components
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sure to show it as well to our audience/listeners. Keep them informed and educated
about certain and important matters. Everybody in this age of technology needs to
know the truth.

6. Employs a message that is free from mental as well as physical coercion

Blackmailing is the other term for this one, and blackmailing does not only
occur physically. As ethical communicators, we must not exercise manipulation of the
other person with the things we say. For instance, using your relationship with
someone for favors that you ask can be considered as manipulation and coercion,
especially if the other person does not want to do it.
Ex. Uy, ipaggawa mo naman ako ng essay sa Ethics… Sige na, ang damot naman
nito. Kung totoong kaibigan ka, ipaggagawa mo ‘ko...Bakit noong nagpapasa ka ng
assignment kay Ma’am, ginawa ko naman ah?

7. Does not invent or fabricate information.

This is a given. No one should ever fabricate stories about anything. We will
not gain anything from it anyway. It just destroys our credibility as a person once the
truth gets uncovered.

8. Gives credit to the source of information.

Citing your reference is a MUST. Never ever forget to cite the source of
information. It is already common knowledge to cite the source of our information.

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Communication Process and Its Components
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REFERENCES

Agustin, R.Q., Feranil, B.S., Hernandez, R.R, Jimenez, K.D., Manaig, R.A., Mendoza, L.D.,
& Mojica, C.R. (2018). Communication Process and Its Components. In E.C
hernandez, B.J. Ilagan, & A.R. Solis (Eds.), Communication in Multicultural Contexts:
Meanings and Purposes (pp. 1-8). Panday-Lahi Publishing House, Inc.

Changing Minds. (n.d.) Non-verbal functions. Retrieved September 7, 2020:

[Link]
[Link]

Figure 1. The communication process. From “The communication process model”, by

[Link], 2016,
[Link]
[Link]. © 2016 by [Link].

Warning: No part of this module shall be reproduced or redistributed in any form.