TOPIC ONE - FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION

Introduction

Student, in this unit, we shall examine the field of communication to serve as a foundation
to what follows in the course. Principally, we shall define communication; outline its
elements, principles and its importance in academic and life in general. We shall also
briefly examine the various types of communication. This unit is further intended to
enhance effective communication by imparting concepts, principles and elements of
human communicative behavior to you through formal and informal interaction contexts
with emphasis on critical appreciation of communication skills/ techniques.

What is Communication?

The term communication comes from a Latin word ‘communicare’ which means to make
common or share. This is similar to the definition of communication by the Webster's
Dictionary as "sending, giving, or exchanging information and ideas," which is often
expressed nonverbally and verbally. Now student, let us examine how other scholars
have defined communication.

➢ Wilkinson (1974) defines communication as the process by which information is

exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs
and behavior.

➢ Payne (1988) defines communication as negotiation of shared meaning

➢ Gamble and Gamble (1993) define communication as the desirable or

undesirable transfer of meaning
 ➢ Barker (2000) defines communication as the process of creating shared
understanding.

Now student, google up more definitions of communication and write at least

two in your notebook. This will help to shape your understanding of
communication.

Implications of the Definitions

Student, from the definitions we have gathered and the ones above, we can be able to
understand the following:
a) Communication is a process. It is an activity that involves more than one element
each of them playing a role in enhancing effective communication.
b) Communication is an exchange of meaning that is dynamic. Communication is
therefore, not static. Communication as a process is a concept whose critical
element is the changing nature of its occurrence.
c) Communication results in shared understanding of message between the
sender and the receiver. The understanding of the meaning of another person’s
message only occurs when you elicit common meanings for words, phrases, and
non-verbal messages.
d) Communication involves a system of symbols, signs and behavior. The system
may be in form of language, gesture, demeanor, facial expressions, etc.
e) Communication involves individuals.

Objectives of Communication

Whether you are speaking, writing, persuading, informing, entertaining, explaining or

convincing, you always have four general objectives:

• To be received (heard or read).

• To be understood.

• To be accepted.
 • To get action (change behavior or attitude).

Therefore, communication skills are the tools, techniques or special abilities that one
acquires through learning and practice and which facilitate effective and efficient
communication

Significance of Studying Communication Skills

Communication is central to human life. You cannot avoid communication and you will
engage in communication nearly every minute of every day in your life. In addition,
communication plays a major role in every aspect of your life. Effective communication
therefore both enhances your daily life and at the same time solves problems in your
professional and personal life. Communication experts believe that poor communication
is at the root of many of our problems.

Therefore, there are various reasons why studying communication is important:

a) Studying communication and using it effectively can lead to more positive

feelings of ourselves. Effective communication can improve our self-worth by
enabling us to positively project ourselves in what is called image management.

b) Studying communication can increase our knowledge about human

relationships because studying communication includes learning about how
people relate with one another and about what communication is appropriate for
a given situation.

c) Studying communication can teach us important life skills. For instance, it can
help us acquire problem solving skills, decision making skills, public speaking
etc. All these skills are important in academic and career development.

d) Studying communication can help us succeed professionally. Employers regard

highly written, oral and other communication competencies. The ability to listen
and analyze messages is usually considered an essential professional skill.
 Entrepreneurs too regard communication skills as top priority skills for success.
Indeed, communication is key to employers understanding employees and vice
versa, leading to greater efficiency in service.

e) Poor communication may lead to misunderstanding, frustration, being ignored by

others, unsuccessful careers, among many other negative consequences.

Elements of Communication
Elements of communication are the components that constitute the communication
process. These are:

a) People

These are the participants in the communication process. People are involved in
communication in two roles. They are sources and receivers of messages. Sources
initiate/compose the intended message. S/he encodes the message, while receivers are
the intended target of messages, i.e. a receiver is the person who receives, decodes,
comprehends and attaches meaning to the message sent. The participants’ knowledge,
interest and emotional state will affect how the message is sent or received. In the
communication process, people are sources and receivers of a message simultaneously
and continually.

b) Message

This is the verbal or non-verbal form of idea, thought or feeling that one person (source)
wishes to communicate to a group of people (receivers). The message, therefore, is the
content of interaction. A message may be easy to understand or long and complex, it may
also be intentional or un-intentional.

c) Channel

This is the means by which a message moves from a source to a receiver. It is also called
the medium of transmission. The medium may be in form of sound waves (in oral-
auditory messages) or as light waves (in visual communication such as written
communication).

d) Feedback

This is the receiver’s verbal, non-verbal or written response to the message from the
source. Feedback is part of any communication situation such that even non-response is
feedback.

e) Encoding and decoding processes

These are processes that unconsciously happen during communication. Before the source
sends out their message, they decide on the best channel, the best words and even the
message to deliver in consideration of the state of the receiver. This is called encoding.
The receiver on the other side, after getting the message, plans on how to respond and
organizes the message in the best way possible to be understood by the source. This is
called decoding.

1.8 Principles of Communication

There are important properties of communication that you need to keep in mind as you
study and employ communication. The properties constitute the invaluable attributes of
communication:

a) Communication is inescapable: Communication is always occurring(false) in

human life at various levels, for instance, at the intra-personal level, when you
are thinking, planning, meditating, as well as when you are observing, gathering
information and making conclusions. It also occurs at the interpersonal level as
you interact with one another.

b) Communication is irreversible: You cannot take back something once, it is

 communicated. Even if you can, what has been communicated cannot entirely be
erased. Traces of the effect of the communication will always remain.

c) Communication is dynamic: All elements in communication (i.e. setting,

participants, their knowledge, their roles etc.) affect each other as communication
progresses.

d) Every communication interaction has a content dimension and relationship

dimension: Content dimension is the information or message that a source
desires to communicate, which has to be packaged in a strategic manner to elicit
a desired reaction. The relationship dimension of communication constitutes
the elements in the communication that seek to signal and acknowledge the state
of the social relation between the communicating parties. The relationship
dimension oils the attainment of communication goals. For instance, if your
lecturer entered into the lecturer room with an unzipped trousers and you
wanted to alert him to this fact, you will not just blurt out to him the content of
what you want to say to him! You will need to do a lot of damage control about
the awkward situation, while at the same time, recognizing his superior position
in relation to you as a student. Just think of the exact kind of language you would
use and point out the content and relationship dimension of what you will say.

e) Communication is contextual: communication does not occur in a vacuum. It

involves various aspects of context of communication. The context of
communication is the environment in which communication takes place. The
context of communication involves:

i) Psychological context: that is the needs, desires, values, personality, and so on that
people communicate and bring to the communication activity.

ii) Situational context: this involves the place and time of communication, which affects
what and how we communicate.

iii) Environmental context: this involves the physical features of the communication
setting, such as, noise level, cultural context, objects available in setting e.t.c.
f) Communication is complicated: Communication is complicated in several respects. For
instance:

i) It involves choice about multiple aspects of message i.e. we have to make verbal and
code choices, as well as non-verbal behavioral aspects to be used in communication.
We also have to make choices of channel, and all these aspects must be combined
strategically in order to pass across a unified message.

ii) Communication is also complicated because of our differing perception of the same
object that we may wish to communicate about.

Student, scholars have established what they call the 7 Cs of communication.

These are;

1. Clarity – which implies that communication must be clear and not vague. The
speaker/writer should check the words used, the commonality of language
between the source and the receiver, choice of words to avoid technical terms that
may be unfamiliar to the receiver etc
2. Completeness – which means that information relayed must have enough details
that the receiver does not ask for more information. It involves asking oneself if
the communication has given all the details, covered all that one planned to share
and answered all the receiver’s questions.
3. Conciseness – requires one to avoid unnecessary words that could interfere with
the communication. This is done by avoiding unnecessary repetition, organizing
the message well, avoiding unnecessary words etc.
4. Correctness – this involves ensuring that the message is accurate in terms of the
facts, the numbers, the spelling, grammar and punctuations, the timing of the
message and use of the correct channel for communication etc
5. Consideration – while encoding the message, the source should have the
receiver’s emotion, desires, problems and their reaction in mind. This can be
through use of positive expressions, pleasant statements and integrity in the
 message.
6. Courtesy – the message should be friendly in order to build goodwill in the
receiver. This is by using expressions that show respect, that are gender sensitive
and appreciative.
7. Consistency – this is the uniformity in the message, the facts and sequence of
information.