Lesson 1: Nature and Elements of Communication | Oral Communication in Context

Summary

This lesson delves into the nature and elements of communication, defining it as a dynamic, systemic, and proactive process of sharing information between individuals. Key features highlighted include its irreversibility and the potential for individual interpretation. The script outlines the components of communication, such as the speaker, message, encoding, channel, decoding, receiver, feedback, context, and barriers, illustrating the process from sender to receiver with the aim of effective understanding and interaction.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ Communication is defined as the process of sharing and conveying messages or information from one person to another within and across channels, context, media, and cultures.
• 🔍 The root of the word 'communication' comes from 'communis' in Latin, which means working together, emphasizing the collaborative aspect of communication.
• 🔄 Communication is a dynamic process that is always changing and is not static, reflecting its evolution over time and across different situations.
• 👥 It involves communicators, including a speaker and a receiver or listener, who play distinct roles in the communication process.
• 🔁 Communication is systemic, following a step-by-step process that includes encoding, transmitting, decoding, and feedback.
• ⏳ It is irreversible, meaning once a message is sent and received, it cannot be taken back, highlighting the importance of careful wording.
• 🎯 Proactive communicators engage with a goal in mind, anticipating responses and navigating the communication process with intention.
• 🤝 Communication is a symbolic interaction, where the intent or outcome is often implied rather than explicitly stated.
• 🌐 Meanings in communication can be individually construed, varying among listeners and influenced by factors such as cultural background and socio-economic status.
• 🔑 The elements of communication include the speaker, message, encoding, channel, decoding, receiver, feedback, context, and barriers.
• 🚫 Barriers or noise in communication can disrupt the process, preventing effective transmission or reception of messages.

Q & A

What is the root word of 'communication' and what does it imply about the concept?

The root word of 'communication' is 'communis' from Latin, which means working together. It implies that communication involves collaboration and interaction with others.

According to McCornack in 2014, how is communication defined?

McCornack defined communication as a process of sharing and conveying messages or information from one person to another within and across channels, context, media, and cultures.

How is communication characterized in terms of its nature?

Communication is characterized as a dynamic process that is always changing and involves communicators. It is systemic, irreversible, proactive, and involves symbolic interaction.

What are the two main roles that communicators can play in the communication process?

The two main roles that communicators can play are that of the speaker and the receiver or listener.

Why is it important to be careful with what we say during communication?

It is important to be careful with what we say because communication is irreversible; once a message is delivered, it cannot be taken back, and it may be received by unintended audiences.

What does it mean for communication to be described as 'proactive'?

Being proactive in communication means that communicators engage with a goal in mind, anticipating responses and outcomes, and navigating the communication process with intention.

Can you explain the concept of 'encoding' in the context of communication?

Encoding is a sub-process that occurs with the speaker before delivering the message. It involves analyzing and formulating the message, considering the most effective way to convey it to the intended recipients.

What is the role of the 'channel' or 'medium' in communication?

The channel or medium in communication refers to the method by which the message is delivered, such as verbal expression, written text, body language, or multimedia presentations.

What is 'decoding' and how does it differ from encoding?

Decoding is the process by which the receiver or listener processes and interprets the message they have received. Unlike encoding, which occurs in the mind of the speaker, decoding happens in the mind of the receiver.

What is the significance of 'feedback' in the communication process?

Feedback is significant as it is the response from the receiver to the sender's message. It informs the sender that the message has been received and can indicate understanding or misunderstanding, thus playing a crucial role in effective communication.

Why is 'context' important in communication?

Context is important in communication as it includes the setting, situation, time, and background of the recipients, which can all influence how a message is interpreted and the overall success of the communication.

What are 'barriers' or 'noise' in communication and how can they affect the process?

Barriers or noise in communication refer to any disruptions or hindrances that can interrupt or negatively affect the communication process. These can be external factors like loud noises or internal misunderstandings that prevent effective message transmission and reception.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Introduction to Communication

The script begins with an introduction to the concept of communication, highlighting its dynamic and ever-changing nature. It defines communication as a process of sharing information between individuals, drawing from the Latin root 'communis', implying working together. The speaker emphasizes communication's features, such as being a dynamic process, involving communicators in roles of speaker and receiver, and being systemic and irreversible. The proactive nature of communication is also discussed, where communicators have goals and anticipate responses.

05:02

🔠 Characteristics and Elements of Communication

This paragraph delves deeper into the characteristics of communication, describing it as proactive and symbolic, where the meaning conveyed can vary among individuals. The speaker introduces the elements of communication, including the speaker, message, encoding, channel, decoding, receiver, feedback, and context. Each element's role in the communication process is explained, from the origination of the message to its reception and the response it elicits.

10:02

📚 The Communication Process

The script outlines the communication process, starting with the sender or source who encodes the message, considering various factors that might influence its delivery. The message is then transmitted through a chosen channel, and the receiver decodes it, attempting to understand the sender's intent. Feedback from the receiver is crucial, as it confirms message reception and understanding, and can take various forms, including verbal responses or body language.

15:03

🚧 Barriers in Communication

The fourth paragraph addresses the barriers or noise that can disrupt the communication process. These barriers can be external factors that hinder the sender's ability to transmit the message or the receiver's ability to understand it. The paragraph provides an example of a teacher lecturing with external noise impeding the students' comprehension, illustrating how noise can negatively impact communication.

20:05

🔄 Feedback and Context in Communication

The final paragraph reiterates the importance of feedback in communication, as it indicates that the message has been received and understood. The context of communication is also highlighted as a critical factor that can influence how a message is interpreted. The script concludes by emphasizing the complexity of the communication process and the need to consider various elements to ensure effective communication.

Keywords

💡Communication

Communication is the central theme of the video, defined as the process of sharing and conveying messages or information from one person to another. It is described as a dynamic and systemic process involving various elements and participants. In the script, communication is exemplified through people talking to one another or using a cell phone, emphasizing its ever-changing nature and importance in human interaction.

💡Dynamic Process

The term 'dynamic process' is used to describe communication as something that is not static but always changing. This concept highlights that the way we understand and practice communication evolves over time and can differ across various situations. The script illustrates this by discussing how communication has been viewed and described differently in the past compared to the present.

💡Communicators

Communicators refer to the individuals involved in the act of communication, which includes both the speaker and the receiver or listener. The script explains that communicators play a crucial role in the process, either by conveying a message or by receiving and interpreting it. This term is integral to understanding the interactive nature of communication.

💡Systemic

Communication is characterized as 'systemic,' meaning it follows a particular system or step-by-step process. This keyword emphasizes the structured nature of communication, where each step is essential for effective message exchange. The script mentions this to underline the organized process that communicators follow when engaging in dialogue.

💡Irreversible

The script describes communication as 'irreversible,' indicating that once a message is sent and received, it cannot be taken back. This concept cautions speakers to be mindful of their words, as they may have lasting effects. The example given in the script about being careful with what one says to avoid misunderstandings illustrates this point.

💡Proactive

In the context of communication, 'proactive' refers to the idea that communicators engage with a goal in mind and anticipate responses from their audience. The script explains that proactive communicators are aware of potential outcomes and navigate the communication process with intention. This keyword is key to understanding the purposeful aspect of communication.

💡Symbolic Interaction

Symbolic interaction is a concept that highlights the non-verbal and implied meanings behind communication. The script uses the example of initiating a conversation with a crush to demonstrate how communication can convey interest or intentions without explicitly stating them. This keyword helps to understand the deeper, often unspoken, aspects of communication.

💡Individually Construed

The term 'individually construed' refers to the idea that different people may interpret the same message differently. The script points out that meaning can vary from person to person, emphasizing the importance of effective communication to ensure the intended message is understood. This concept is crucial for understanding potential misunderstandings in dialogue.

💡Encoding

Encoding is a subprocess within communication where the sender formulates and translates their thoughts into a message. The script describes this as the internal process of deciding how to effectively convey a message before it is sent. Encoding is a critical step in ensuring that the intended meaning is clear to the receiver.

💡Channel/Medium

The channel or medium refers to the means through which a message is delivered in communication. The script mentions various channels such as speaking, writing, or using multimedia presentations. Understanding the channel is important as it can influence how a message is received and interpreted by the receiver.

💡Decoding

Decoding is the subprocess where the receiver interprets and makes sense of the message received. The script explains that this occurs in the mind of the receiver, who must process and understand the sender's intended meaning. Decoding is essential for effective communication as it is the stage where the message's meaning is constructed by the listener.

💡Feedback

Feedback in communication is the response or reaction from the receiver to the sender's message. The script describes feedback as crucial for understanding whether the message has been received and understood as intended. Examples in the script include verbal replies or body language, which serve as indicators of the receiver's interpretation and reaction to the message.

💡Context

Context is the setting or situation in which communication takes place, including factors like time, background of the participants, and the environment. The script emphasizes its importance as it can greatly influence how a message is perceived. The context is vital for effective communication as it provides the backdrop against which messages are interpreted.

💡Barriers/Noise

Barriers or noise in the script refer to any disruptions or interferences that can hinder the communication process. These can be physical, like loud noises, or conceptual, such as cultural differences. The script uses the example of a loud noise disrupting a lecture to illustrate how barriers can prevent effective message transmission and reception.

Highlights

Communication is defined as a process of sharing and conveying messages or information between individuals within and across channels, context, media, and cultures.

The root of 'communication' comes from the Latin word 'communis', implying a sense of working together.

Communication is characterized as a dynamic process, ever-changing and not static.

Involves communicators, who can be either speakers or receivers/listeners in the process.

Systemic nature of communication suggests it follows a step-by-step process.

Irreversible communication implies that once a message is delivered, it cannot be taken back.

Proactive communicators engage with a goal in mind and anticipate responses.

Communication is a symbolic interaction, often conveying intentions without explicitly stating them.

Meaning in communication can be individually construed, varying between listeners.

Cultural backgrounds and socio-economic status can influence the interpretation of communicated messages.

The speaker is the source of the message in the communication process.

The message is the idea, concept, or emotion being conveyed in communication.

Encoding is the subprocess where the speaker formulates and plans the delivery of the message.

The channel or medium is the method used to deliver the message in communication.

Decoding is the subprocess where the receiver interprets and understands the message.

The receiver is the individual who receives and listens to the message.

Feedback is the response from the receiver after decoding the message.

Context is crucial in communication, encompassing the situation, time, and background of the participants.

Barriers or noise are disruptions that can hinder or interrupt the communication process.

The communication process begins with the sender encoding the message, considering various factors that might influence its delivery.

Transmission is the act of delivering the encoded message from the sender to the receiver.

Decoding by the receiver is essential to understanding the sender's intended meaning.

Feedback is vital as it indicates to the sender that the message has been received and understood.

Transcripts

[Music]

good day everyone welcome to our

communication and context for our first

lesson we will be discussing the nature

and elements of communication for

today's lesson the first thing that we

have to uncover of course is the

definition of communication we will also

be discussing the nature of

communication as well as the different

process and elements involved before we

begin let us take a look at these

pictures

what can you see

what are the people doing

you would notice that these people are

talking to one another to another person

or with one's cell this process is often

referred to as communication

so how do we really define communication

what is communication all about the

first thing that you have to know about

communication is its root word it

actually came from the latin word

communist which means working together

so basically whenever you communicate

they believe that you are working with

someone else you are working with other

people

in fact mccornack in 2014 described it

as a process of sharing and conveying

messages or information from one person

to another within and across channels

context media and cultures so basically

you are giving

something to other people and in return

you are getting something from them as

well so how are we going to characterize

or describe communication what are its

features what are its characteristics

number one we can describe communication

as a dynamic process so there are two

keywords in here dynamic and process

let's focus first on the first keyword

which is dynamic when we see dynamic

it's not static it is always changing so

the way that we have viewed

communication right now or the way that

we are viewing communication right now

it might change in the future same way

that the others from before from a long

long time ago viewed communication and

described communication was different

from how we are describing it right now

so the process itself is ever changing

it doesn't remain the same all

throughout time or in different

situations it might be different as well

communication can also be described as a

process that involves communicators

so basically we refer to people involved

in communication or people who are

communicating with one another as

communicators now communicators they

could be two

types so we have our speaker and we have

our receiver or listener all right so we

will be talking about it later on so for

example if we are involved in

communication it's either we play the

speaker role

or the receiver or the listener role

communication can also be described as a

process that is systemic so

when we say systemic it follows a

particular system and if it follows a

particular system therefore it follows a

step-by-step process

another key feature of communication is

that it is something that is

irreversible and when we say

irreversible you cannot take back

whatever has been said whatever has been

relayed once it has reached its intended

receiver or its intended listener then

you cannot take that back anymore that

is also the reason why we have the

saying be careful with what you say or

be careful with how you use your words

because you will never know who is

listening or who is receiving those

messages and remember that once you have

said it out loud you cannot take it back

anymore so that is also the reason why

we have that particular saying another

thing that you have to learn about

communication is that it is described as

a process that is also proactive or even

the communicators themselves are

considered to be proactive so how do we

mean or what do we mean by that when we

say proactive you engage in

communication with a goal in mind you

already know what's going to happen you

are already anticipating responses for

example from the

from your listeners or from the

receivers of your messages it is

something wherein people who are

involved in that process are already

aware of what might happen so the way

that they are involved

or the way that they engage in that

particular act or process they are

already anticipating the outcomes of it

so they are aware of how to

navigate during the communication

process we can also describe

communication as a symbolic interaction

we engage in communication because we

want to

do something or we want to produce

something there is always an outcome to

it take for example when you talk to

your crush when you initiate a

conversation with someone that you like

you engage in that particular process or

you engage in communication with them

because you want to get to know them

better you want to develop a

relationship with them so it's something

that is symbolic in a way it means that

you are interested it means that you

want to get to know them better without

even explicitly saying what you actually

really intend to do that's what makes

communication a very symbolic

interaction however one thing that you

have to remember when it comes to

communication is that whenever you

communicate the meaning that you are

relaying to your listeners or to the

receivers of your message may be

individually construed

so what do we mean by that when we say

individually construed

different people might make different

meanings out of what you have just said

so take for example as i lecture to you

guys what i'm saying

how another people or how another

student is understanding it might be

different from how another student is

understanding it as well so it might be

different from each and every one of my

listeners that is why it is very

important that we practice effective

communication for us to be able to of

course relay our intended meaning our

intentions because people might take it

differently especially for example if

you are talking to people of different

cultural backgrounds okay or

just in general when you are talking to

people of different ages different

socio-economic status so the meaning of

what you are saying might be taken

differently by those people as well now

let's move on to the next part of our

discussion what are the different

elements of communication when we say

elements these are the aspects

that are present or these are the things

that are involved in the process of

communication the first element in

communication which is actually very

important is the speaker this is one of

the communicators

all right so this is one of the people

involved in the communication process

and when we say speaker

this is where the message

is coming from all right so he or she

the speaker is the one relaying the

information giving the information or he

or she is the source of the idea

the concept and so on and so forth

the next element is what we call the

message message is very simple it is the

idea the concept or anything the emotion

it could be an emotion that you want to

be relayed so take for example if you

are the speaker you are responsible for

the message of the communication process

all right so what is your idea

what is the information that you want to

present that could be your message

another element involved in the process

of communication is encoding it is

actually a sub process all right so when

we say encoding this occurs with the

speaker or speakers all right before he

or she could even deliver the message

this process happens in the mind of the

speaker all right so what happens in

that particular sub process what happens

is that the speaker is analyzing

formulating the message analyzing how

is he or she going to deliver that

message thinking about

how or what is the most effective way of

sending that particular message to their

intended recipients all right so that

occurs for example when you are talking

to your crush before you could even

relay say to your crush for example that

you like him or her

you think about it first now that

thinking process is what we call

encoding since you want your crush to

understand your intended meaning you

have to really think carefully about how

you're going to say

if you like him or her or how you're

going to say that you like him or her

all right so that process that's

happening in your mind whenever you want

to say something that is what we call

encoding the next element in

communication is what we refer to as the

channel some some other books some other

textbooks might refer to it as the

medium okay the medium of communication

but basically when we say channel it is

the way

that we deliver the message how did you

deliver it in the first place did you

write it

did you express it using words did you

express it using just source and so on

and so forth did you use um did you use

multimedia presentation that you use a

microphone there are many channels there

are many ways on how you can express

yourself how you can deliver a message

and how you can sustain the process of

communication another sub process that

happens when we whenever we engage in

the process of communication is decoding

however this time this does not occur in

the mind of the speaker but rather it

occurs in the mind of your intended

receiver or intended listener all right

so when we say decoding it is the

process by which your listeners or your

intended receivers recipients of the

message

are trying to process what they are or

what they have listened to

what they have heard

for example whenever you say to your

crush or if you said to your crush that

you like him or her your crush will then

try to figure out what exactly is it

that you mean

do you like him or her as a friend do

you like him or her as some

something romantic or

another in other forms of um liking

someone so that person is thinking about

what you are saying they're processing

it in their mind so what did he mean by

it or what did she mean by it all right

so same thing goes in every process of

communication that we engage in or in

every conversation that we engage in of

course now that we have talked about the

coding the another element that you have

to remember

and very important as well because it's

one of the communicators in the process

of communication is the receiver so the

receiver will be the one receiving your

message they are the recipients of your

message they are listeners okay they

will be the one listening to you as you

speak as you deliver your message next

of course we have our feedback the

feedback is basically what you get after

or what you get rather from your

listeners or from your recipients after

they have decoded

the conversation itself or the message

itself all right so once they have the

code then the message that you have sent

to them

it's gonna create or trigger something

in them that might give them or might

allow them to give feedback so when we

say feedback it's their response to what

you have just said

okay so take for example when you said

that you like your crush or when you

yeah when you said that you like your

crush and then he responded i'm sorry

okay meaning that the way that he

decoded it all right the way that he

decoded it maybe he doesn't like you so

he said sorry because he doesn't want to

hurt you he doesn't want to hurt your

feelings so he said sorry and that's

that story is the feedback that you have

received from your receiver another

important element that you have to

always consider in terms of engaging in

conversations or engaging in the process

of communication is the context okay

when we say context it doesn't simply

refer to the place

where the conversation or where the

communication process took place

it could also mean the situation itself

the time

the different factors involve for

example the background of your

recipients okay the context basically

the surrounding okay

where the

the conversation or the process of

communication took place it is very

important because um one person might uh

might process it differently in

different

the last element in the process of

communication is the barrier we cannot

help it that whenever we engage in

conversation or whenever we talk to

someone we involve ourselves in the

process of communication

their instances were in

something is stopping us or something is

disrupting

okay disrupting the process of

communication now those disruptions are

what we refer to as barriers which we

will also be discussing in the coming

uh lessons however for now let's just

define it as something that hinders that

interrupts that disrupts the

communication process moving on now let

us discuss the process of communication

how does the communication process

happen what occurs during the process of

communication the process of

communication always begins with the

sender or what we call the source of the

message okay so the sender will be

going through the process of encoding

first meaning he or she will think about

first how to deliver the message he will

be considering all the different factors

that might affect that my tender that

might disrupt or might um just influence

the process of communication how am i

going to deliver this message how am i

going to say it i'm sure that whenever

you converse with someone you think

about those things as well now once it

has been decided once the sender has

already decided on the message on how he

or she is going to deliver the message

now what's going to happen is that the

sender has to transmit that message

deliver that message and part of

encoding is thinking of how is he or she

gonna do it okay is it gonna be out loud

is he gonna call is he gonna text is he

gonna just post a message on facebook or

is he gonna ask to meet up and so on and

so forth so there are many ways in which

you can deliver a message

after transmission of course it's gonna

go through the coding now the decoding

process happens

with the receiver once the receiver have

received the message that you have

encoded and then transmitted as a sender

the receiver will now have to decode

figure out what was it that you just

said

what was it that he or she

had just heard all right so he will try

to figure out the meaning what's your

intention okay what's what what could it

be what does it mean all right so the

receiver will now think of those things

once the receiver have thought of it

more often than not the receiver will

give you feedback all right so when we

say feedback it's their response to what

they have just heard what they have just

gotten from you as a sender now the

feedback will once again go back to you

of course um it could be in any form it

could be in the form of a reply a verbal

reply a text message okay and so on and

so forth there are also many ways on

providing feedback like what i have just

mentioned earlier feedback could also be

in many different forms it could be in

the form of a verbal reply it could be

in the form of a nod a dress short a

body a body gesture or body language all

right so it could be in many different

forms same as how you also delivered

your message but more often than not it

tells the sender feedback is very

essential because it tells the sender

that the receiver has received the

message and more often than not when

feedback is provided

there is an understanding among the

involved communicators

if you're going to look at it right now

if it seems as if the communication

process is such an easy pc task okay

it's something that could be done so

easily however there are of course

instances like what i have mentioned

earlier wherein the communication

process is disrupted or something is

stopping the sender from delivering the

message or sometimes

there is something blocking the way

between the sender and the receiver

sometimes the receiver was not able to

receive the message even if the sender

was able to transmit it okay so the

reasons for this is because we have this

thing called noise or other textbooks

will also refer to this as barriers okay

so when we say noise these are just

barriers that interrupt this rock hinder

the communication process okay these

could also be things that could

influence

affect the process of communication okay

and more often than not it affects it in

a bad way okay so take for example if a

teacher is lecturing in class the

teacher already knows how to teach okay

there therefore it's already easy for

the students to understand the message

or the information that is being

delivered by the teacher however

suddenly there was a noise outside the

school and it was too loud that even if

the teacher knows how to deliver what he

or she is saying

knows how to deliver the information

because of the noise because of that

particular barrier okay

the receiver or the students in this

case the students were not able to

understand what the teacher was saying

because it was too loud so instances

like that could the syrup contender

could influence and affect the

communication process heavily to

understand the communication process

better let us take a look at this

example

[Music]

here are my sources and references for

this particular lesson see you all again