Chapter 1: Understanding 21st Century Communication

Lesson 1: Communication Process, Principles, and Ethics

Initializing:

Communication is inevitable. Our need for self-expression leads us to

communicate not only our thoughts but also our feelings. Communications may be done
verbally or non-verbally. A simple yawn from a member of the audience in a public
speaking engagement is non-verbal message sent to the speaker. On the other hand a
phone call inquiring about certain product is an example of a verbal message

Concept Grounding:

Communications is understood as the process of meaning-making through a

channel or a medium. It comes from the Latin communicares, meaning to share or to
make ideas common. The connection that encompasses interaction among partakers is
the center of your learning of communication

The Components of the Communication Process

Understanding the communication process may help you became a better

communicator.

1. Source
The sender carefully crafts the message, the sender may be anyone: an
author of the book, a public speaker in a special occasion or even a traffic
enforcer
2. Message
The message is the reason behind any interaction. It is the meaning
shared between the sender and the receiver messages take many forms.
They could mean poems, songs, essays, news articles, road signs and
even symbols.
3. Channel
The channel is the means by which a message is conveyed. When we
answer a phone call, the phone is the channel. On the other hand, when
your parents receive a notification of your absences from school, the
channel is a letter is a letter. It is the responsibility of both the sender and
the receiver to choose the best channel for interaction.
4. Receiver
 The receiver is the person who receives the transmitted message. The
receiver may be a part of a audience in a public speaking event, a reader
of a letter or a driver who reads road signs the receiver is expected to
listen or read carefully, to be aware of different kinds of sender to jot
down information when needed, to provide response and to ask question
for clarification
5. Feedback
In any communication scenario, a feedback is essential to confirm
recipient understanding. Feedbacks, like messages, are expressed in
varied forms. A simple nod for a question of verification is considered a
feedback. Thus, feedbacks may be written, spoken or acted out.
6. Environment
The place, the feeling, the mood, the mind set and the condition of both
sender and receiver are called environment. The environment may involve
the physical set-up of a location where communication takes place, the
space occupied by both the send and the receiver, including the objects
surrounding the sender and receiver.
7. Context
Context involves the expectations of the sender and the receiver and the
common or shared understanding through the environment signal.
8. Interference
Interference is also known as barrier of block that prevents effective
communication to take place.

Kinds of Interference
a. Psychological barriers are thoughts that hamper the message to be
interpreted correctly by the receiver.
b. Physical barriers include competing stimulus, weather and climate,
health and ignorance of medium.
c. Linguistic and cultural barriers pertain to be language and its
cultural environment. Words may mean another in different
cultures.
d. Mechanical barriers are those raised by the channels employed for
interpersonal, group or mass communication these include
cellphones, laptop and other gadgets used in communications

The Nine Principles of Effective Communication

 Michael Osborn (2009) claims that communication must meet certain standards
for effective communication to take place.

1. Clarity
Clarity makes speeches understandable. Fuzzy language is absolutely
forbidden, as are jargons, cliché expression, euphemisms and
doublespeak language.
2. Concreteness
Concreteness reduces misunderstanding. Messages must be supported by
facts such as research data, statistics or figures. To achieve concreteness,
abstract words must be avoided
3. Courtesy
Courtesy builds goodwill. It involves being polite in terms of approach and
manner of addressing an individual.
4. Correctness
Glaring mistakes in grammar obscures the meaning of a sentence. Also,
the misuse of language can damage your credibility.
5. Consideration
Messages must be geared towards the audience. The sender of a
message must be consider the receipt’s profession, level of education,
race, ethnicity, hobbies, interest, passions, advocacies, and age when
drafting or delivering a message.
6. Creativity
Creativity in communication means having ability to craft interesting
messages in terms of sentence structure and word choice.
7. Conciseness
Simplicity and directness help you to be concise. Avoid using lengthy
expression and words that may confuse the receipt.
8. Cultural Sensitivity
Today, with the increasing emphasis on empowering diverse culture,
lifestyles, and races and the pursuit for gender equality, cultural sensitivity
becomes an important standard for effective communication.
9. Captivating
You must strive to make messages interesting to command more
attention and better responses.

Ethical Consideration in Communication

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that focuses on issues of right and wrong in

human affairs.
 Ethical Communicators:

1. Respect audience.
2. Consider the result of communication.
3. Value truth
4. Use information correctly.
5. Do not falsify information.