The Levels of

Communication

Adapted from Mastering Public Speaking,

by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner

To Communicate . . .
The

Latin verb communicare means to

make common to many, share, impart,
divide.

Simply stated . . .
When

you communicate you share, or

make common, your knowledge and
ideas with someone else.
Communication, then, is the sharing of
meaning by
sending
and receiving
symbolic cues.

Charles Ogen & I. A. Richards

Triangle of Meaning

The interpreter
The person who is communicating, with words
or symbols

The symbol
Anything to which people attach or assign a
meaning

The referent
The object or idea for which the symbol stands

The Triangle of Meaning

Interpreter
(Speaker or Listener)

Symbol

Referent

Five Levels of Public Speaking:

Five Levels of Public Speaking:

1)

intrapersonal

Intrapersonal Communication
The

type of communication a person

has with himself, thus the prefix intra-
which means within.

As

soon as a human being awakens, he

begins an internal thought process and
dialogue, almost always silent, but
sometimes aloud.

Five Levels of Public Speaking:

2)

interpersonal

Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal

communication takes
place between two people.

This

type of communication varies

depending on the relationship between
the two individuals.

Five Levels of Public Speaking:

3)

group

Group Communication
Group

communication occurs when

three or more individuals, who have a
common goal, interact either formally or
informally.

Five Levels of Public Speaking:

4)

public

Public Communication
Public

communication takes place when

one or more individuals communicate
with a large group in a more onedirectional approach.

Five Levels of Public Speaking:

5)

mass communication

Mass Communication
Mass

communication occurs when

extremely large groups receive
information, like a television audience
watching a news broadcast, as well as
the intermittent commercial advertising.

Five Levels of Public Speaking:

1)

intrapersonal
2) interpersonal
3) group
4) public
5) mass communication

Linear Model of Communication

Linear Model of Communication

The

speakerthe sender, the encoder,

or source of the message.

The
Speaker

Linear Model of Communication

Encodingthe

process of putting ideas

into symbols to carry a message.
The Speech
Text

The
Speaker

Linear Model of Communication

Messageideas

communicated
verbally and nonverbally.

The Message
The
Speaker

A speaker sends a message to a listener.

Linear Model of Communication

Listenerthe

receiver or decoder of

the message

The Message
The
Speaker

A speaker sends a message to a listener.

Linear Model of Communication

Decodingthe

process of attaching
meanings to symbols received.
Decoding

The Message
The
Speaker

A speaker sends a message to a listener.

Linear Model of Communication

The speakerthe sender, the encoder, or

source of the message.
Encodingthe process of putting ideas into
symbols to carry a message.
Messageideas communicated verbally and
nonverbally.
Listenerthe receiver or decoder of the
message
Decodingthe process of attaching meanings
to symbols received.

Linear Model of Communication

The
Speaker

The Message
A speaker sends a message to a listener.

The
Listener

Problems with Linear Model

of Communication
#1The

assumption that a person is

either the sender or a receiver of
messages.
Actually, we perform both of these roles
simultaneously.

Problems with Linear Model

of Communication
#2The

suggestion that
communication involves only one
message.
Actually, there are as many messages
as there are communicators involved,
and the message the sender intends is
never identical to the one received.

Interactive Model of Communication

When

scholars began to see the

limitations of the linear model of
communication, they added other
components to the speaker, message,
and listener making a total of 7
components:
channel, feedback, environment, and
noise

Interactive Model of Communication

Channelthe

medium, or the way the

message is sent.

Interactive Model of Communication

Feedbackincludes

all messages,
verbal and nonverbal, sent by listeners
to speakers.

Interactive Model of Communication

Environmentthe

physical setting and

the occasion for communication.

Interactive Model of Communication

Noiseanything

that distracts from

effective communication; some form of
noise is always present.

Interactive Model of Communication

Channelthe medium, or the way the

message is sent.
Feedbackincludes all messages, verbal
and nonverbal, sent by listeners to speakers.
Environmentthe physical setting and the
occasion for communication.
Noiseanything that distracts from effective
communication; some form of noise is always
present.

Noise
Physical

noisedistractions
originating in the communication
environment.

Noise
Physiological

noisedistractions
originating in the bodies of
communicatorscold, headache,
hunger, fatigue.

Noise
Psychological

noisedistractions
originating in the thoughts of
communicatorsanxiety, daydreaming,
worry.

Noise

Physical noisedistractions originating in

the communication environment.
Physiological noisedistractions originating
in the bodies of communicatorscold,
headache, hunger, fatigue.
Psychological noisedistractions
originating in the thoughts of communicators
anxiety, daydreaming, worry.

CHANNEL
Message

Decoder

Noise

ise
o
N

Environment

Encoder

LISTENER
Environment

SPEAKER

Decoder
No

is e

Encoder

Feedback

CHANNEL

Interactive Model of
Communication

The Levels of
Communication

Adapted from Mastering Public Speaking,

by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner