com·mu·ni·ca·tion

kəˌmyo͞onəˈkāSH(ə)n/
the imparting or exchanging of information
(from Latin commūnicāre,
meaning "to share” )

transmission, conveyance,
synonyms: discouse; broadcasting
"the communication of news"
Communication is a process consisting of sound
representations which involves speaking and
listening. Both are essential in the expression of
idea through the association with words.

Speaking and listening almost happen

simultaneously. The listener observes in the
speaker his voice quality, pitch, intonation,
stress and word junctures. This will be
supplemented by gestures and facial
expressions which are signs of feelings
experience and interests.
According to Nancy Buerkel-Rothfuss in
her book Communication Competencies
and Contexts (1985), communication is a
“reciprocal process through which people
create and share meaning.” Three words
require special attention in this definition:
reciprocal, process and meaning.
 Communication is a process because it keeps on
“evolving and changing.” The communication that is
currently happening is shaped by the communicators’ past
experiences and shall influence the future communicative
interactions. That is why experts describe communication
as dynamic. It is not static but rather keeps going and
going.

More so, the communication now will never be

repeated. No Communication will be the same “as exact
as it is” because each communicative situation is shaped
by its own context.
Elements of Communication
Communication is one of the most important
factors for the existence of our society today. In simple
words Communication is sending, receiving or
exchanging ideas, information, signals or messages
through an appropriate media. The importance of
effective communication is immeasurable in the world
of business and in personal life. Communication is,
therefore, a two way process. Each element plays an
important role in making the communication
effective and can be classified as follows:
Sender / Receiver
 
•When people start talking or sharing ideas, insights,
information, experiences, emotions or opinions, the
communication process begins. The first person to start
the conversation is the sender and the listener is the
receiver. It may be an alternate moves when the receiver
acts as the sender.

•For example, a mother tells her child to cook breakfast.

The mother is the sender and the child is the receiver.
When the child responds and answers her mother’s
request, the child at this point is the sender. In this
situation, the communication process is always two-way.
 

Message
 
This is the most vital element in communication. All ideas,
information, emotions, insights or experiences shared by
the communicator are his messages. These may be verbal
(using words) or non-verbal (using gestures ).
 
It is required that the words and gestures used by the
communicators should be clear enough to avoid confusion
or misunderstanding. Using abstract ideas may probably
cause some complications, especially with the specific
meanings to what a sender really means. Careful choice of
words is a must for clarity.
 
Channel
 
It is the route travelled by the message between
the sender to the receiver. In a face to face
communication, the primary channels are sound
and sight because the speakers listen and speak
at each other’s presence.
 
Channels deals with the use of phone, gadgets ,
listening over the radio, watching television,
recording ideas, reading newspaper and
magazines.
Feedback
 
It is the reaction observed in both the
sender and the receiver. It will determine
whether the message is understood or
not. They may come as simple gestures
like a nod, a smile, a frown, a body
movement. The best feedback is an oral
response so as to avoid misinterpretation .
Example:

The signal may take the form of a spoken

comment, a written message, a smile, rolling
of eyes, a sigh or some other action. No
response is also a form of feedback. Without
feedback, the sender cannot confirm that the
receiver has interpreted the message
correctly. 
Noise
It is the presence of a disturbing factor that may lead to a
misunderstanding of the message. Noise may vary.
 
There is physical noise which may come from loud sounds
that alter the transfer of message. For example, the load
shouting of people surrounding the communicators. It will
surely cause some differences in the real message.
 
There is the psychological noise, occurring in the minds of
both sender and receiver. A simple pain in the sender may
affect the accuracy of the message and the thing may
happen on the receiver who when in pain may not be able
to really grasp the uniqueness of the message.
 
i.e: Internal factor– Involves mental forces
within a receiver or sender that might
affect his or her ability to either encode or
decode a message correctly. 

Ex: Daydreaming, fatigue, exhaustion.

i.e: External factors- Anything around the

person that disturbs the communication
process. Ex: Sights, sounds, smell.
Settings
 
It is the venue of the communication. Formal
settings require decency in presentations, while
informal ones may not. They may vary from the
way a place is lighted to the colors of the
decoration. The furniture may also affect such
situation .
Communication
Models and
Cycles
The Aristotelian Model

(MESSAGE) (LISTENER)

Figure 1
 The Lasswell Model

WHO IN WHAT TO WITH

SAYS
CHANNEL WHOM WHAT
WHAT
Communicator Message Medium Receiver EFFECT

Figure 2
Shannon's Model
One of the earliest models of communication that introduced was Claude
Shannon's model. This was introduced in 1948.
This laid the foundation for the different communication models that we
have today, and has greatly helped and enhanced the communication
process in various fields. This model can be considered as the
granddaddy of many later communication models.
Following is a simple illustration of this model.
Berlo's Model
Another famous communication model is Berlo's model. In this model, he
stresses on the relationship between the person sending the message and
the receiver.
According to this model, for the message to be properly encoded and
decoded, the communication skills of both the source and the receiver should
be at best. The communication will be at its best only if the two points are
skilled.
Schramm's Model
Schramm on the other hand, emphasized in 1954 that both the sender and
the receiver take turns playing the role of the encoder and the decoder when
it comes to communication.
The following diagram illustrates the model proposed by Schramm.
The Dance Model
A Helica Model of Communiation
From Dance, 1967

Image is like a dancing Tornado

What about yours?