Communication skills

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
Communication is derived from the Latin word communicare , which means "to make common". This can be taken to mean 'to share'. Communication is therefore generally defined as the process of understanding and sharing meaning. Communication is considered a process because it is an activity, an exchange or a set of behaviours - not an unchanging product.
Communication is a complicated process. It is variable, active and dynamic . It starts long before the words begin to flow and can last long after the words stop.
Communication is a process that requires
understanding - perceiving, interpreting, and comprehending the meaning of the verbal and nonverbal behaviour of others. Understanding the meaning of another person's message does not occur unless the two communicators can elicit common meanings for words, phrases and non-verbal codes.
In addition to understanding, communication involves sharing and interaction between people in order to exchange meaning. Regardless of the context, communication involves sharing.
The Components of Communication
1. The source Sender
The source (sender) is the component that initiates a message
2. Receiver (Audience)
The receiver is the intended target of the message.
NOTE:
Individuals do not perform these two roles independently. Instead, they are the source and receiver of messages simultaneously or continually. People do not respond uniformly to all messages, nor do they provide the same messages in exactly the same way. Individual characteristics of people, including their race, gender, age, culture, values and attitudes affect both their sending and receiving qualities.
3. The message (idea)
The message is the verbal and non-verbal form of the idea, thought, or feeling that one person (source) wishes to communicate to another person or group of persons (the receiver/s). It is the content of the interaction. The message includes the symbols (words and phrases) we use to communicate our ideas as well as our facial expressions, bodily movements, gestures, touch, tone of voice and other nonverbal codes. The message may be relatively brief and easy to understand or long and complex. Messages can be intentional or accidental
4. The Channel
The channel provides the mode by which a message moves from the source to the receiver of the message. Examples include the spoken mode,
written mode, diagrams , charts etc.
5. Feedback
Feedback is the receiver's verbal and nonverbal response to the source's message. Feedback is part of the any communication situation. High-quality communication occurs when the sources is sensitive to feedback and respond appropriately to verbal and non-verbal messages sent by the receiver or audience.
6. Code
We use codes to share our ideas with others. A code is a systematic arrangement or comprehensive collection of symbols, letters, or words that have arbitrary meanings and are used for communication. Two major types of codes are used in communication: Verbal codes and nonverbal codes. Non verbal codes consist of all symbols that are not spoken words, including our bodily movements, our use of space and time, our clothing and other adornments, and sounds other than words. Non verbal codes should not be confused with non-oral codes. All non-oral codes such as bodily movement - are non verbal. Nonverbal codes also include oral codes, such as pitch, duration, and rate of speech as well as sounds like eh and ah .
The Communication Process
The process of communication can be viewed as one of encoding and decoding. Encoding is defined as the act of putting an idea or a thought into a code. Decoding is assigning meaning to that idea or thought. The figure below shows a summary of the communication process.
SENDER CHANNEL RECEIVER
(Encoding) (Decoding)
FEEDBACK
Barriers in Communication
A barrier in the communication process is any interference in the encoding and
the decoding processes that reduce the clarity of a message. It can be physical, psychological, cultural, or language retained.
i. Physical barriers: Examples include loud sounds, distracting sights, unusual behaviour, physical appearance etc.
ii. Psychological barriers: Examples include worries, uncertainties or any other attitudinal or emotional factors.
iii. Cultural barriers: Examples are cultural differences relating to beliefs and values.
iv, Language barriers: e.g. mother tongue interference, inadequate vocabulary, inappropriate register, diction, etc.
Sir Almasi