Introduction
Communication is a purposeful and systematic way of sharing information between speaker and listener. It is done with the help of signs, symbols and gestures. By using some medium, one can exchange his/her ideas with the next very effectively. All the creatures in the world have their own ways of communication. For example, human beings birds, animals, insects, etc. have different communication systems suitable to them. However, human being has been using communication extensively for centuries then any other creatures in the world. we know that communication is the root cause to socialize human being. NO person can live in isolation; human civilization is the result of systematic communication; without which, humans would have been somewhere in the caves as they were in the Stone age.
Origin of the word
The English term 'Communication' has been evolved from Latin language. 'Communis and communicare' are two Latin words related to the word communication. Communis is noun word, which means common, communiality or sharing. Similarly, communicare is a verb, which means 'make something common'. Some scholars relate the term communication with an English word community. Community members have something common to each other. communities are {supposed to be} formed with the tie of communication. It is the foundation of community. Hence, where there is no communication, there can't be a community.
Definitions
Communication is a vague and complex term. Defining communication in concret words is not easy. Different scholars have different opinions regarding the term. We can find hundreds of explicit and implicit definitions of communication . Few of them are as follows:
1. Define simply, communication is the process of sharing information. – Ahuja and Chhabra
2. Communication is the transfer of information from a sender to receiver with the information being understood by the receiver. – Kuntzand Weihrich
3. Communication is the process of exchanging information usually via a common system of symbols. – Answers. Com
Meaning
Communication means "the activity or process of expressing ideas and feelings or of giving people information, or methods of sending information, especially via telephones, radio, compters, etc".
Why do we communicate? The answer is simple. We communicate to express our ideas, feelings, attitudes, Purposes, etc. By means of communication, we describe events and objects in the world and beyond it. Communication is used to express our feelings, emotions, ideas and thoughts with others. Human civilization is successfully advancing due to the communication benefits. Today, communication is a habit and a compulsion rather than the matter of interest
to human world.
Process & Elements of communication
Process
Communication is an information sharing process, which is well defined and systematic. Sender and Receiver are the two inevitable entities for a successful communication process. In absence of one the process remains incomplete. People envolved in this process must have common understanding and cooperation. Besides, message sender must have common understandable to the receiver. The message should be delivered via appropriate channel. Receiver decodes the message into his/her language and tries to understand. Receiver realizes the meaning of the message the meaning of the message into his/her language and tries to understand. Receiver realizes the meaning of the message and responses the message sender
Communication is like a game played side by side. In communication process too, sender and receiver change their roles side by side: sender become receiver and receiver becomes sender turn by turn.
Elements
There are several elements in communication process. Aristotle identified five elements – speaker, speech, audience, effect and occasion. Similarly, Lasswell modified Aristotalian concept a bit and presented five elements. He said – "Who"…..Says what"….. to whom……….."in which channel"………."with what effect"? IN the same way, many communication experts have suggested several elements that are important in a successful communication process. Eeight elements are taken here as the fundamental ones. They are Source, encoding, message, channel, decoding, receiver, feedback feedback and interference.
Source/Speaker/Sender/communicator
Source, here, means the speaker or communicator or sender of the information. The information. The communicator initiates the process by having a though or an idea that she wises to transmit to some other entity. Communicator can be primary or the secondary source of message {Uma Narula}. The source may or may not have knowledge about the receiver of the message. But, for effective communication, the source must have good knowledge about two things: i) content and ii) audience. If the communicator has adequate knowledge of audience {their education level, socio cultural background, wants and problems}. That will help in designing effective message. Source can be one or many; individual or institutional.
b) Encoding
Encoding is an act of translating ideas or thought by the source into a language from that may be perceived by the senses. This is an art of expression. Some people are better encoders than others. Different communicator encodeing capacity. The communicator encodes the idea or thought in code (language). Codes are symbols that are organized in a code, for a successful communication, both the source (speaker) and the receiver (listener )must understand the code while communicating, If source is speaking in English and the listener does not understand it, the communication is not successful.
c) Message
Message is a written or spoken piece of information, etc that you (communicator) send to somebody (receiver). Message is the information, which is coded in spoken or printed words, gestures, musical or mathematical symbols, semaphore or smoke signals. Message originates from the source, travels using some when you write a letter, when yo host a programme in radio or television, when you write article in some newspaper, or when you write letter, when you host a programe in radio or show some singals to make other understand, these are messages. Messages can be simple and complex; they can be cheap or very expensive to produce, and can be directed to an individual or many audiences. Whether you greet a person or teach him for years, you are sending message.
d) Channel
Channel is a method or system that people use to get information, to communicate, or to sent something somewhere. Channel, here, refers to the means of transmission in which the message travels to the receiver. Channel is synonymous to medium. A message originates from its source and travels to reach the receive. Unless there is a channel or medium, the message can't travel to the receiver. In every communication system, situation, channel is required. For example in face-to face communication, telephone is the channel; if you are writing a letter to your distant friend; your letter is the medium. If you wirte an article and publish in paper, the paper is the medium telephone, radio, television, magazines, books, papers, internet, hoarding boards, etc. work as channels in communication.
e) Decoding
Decoding is to understand the meaning of something in your own language. If somebody is communicating with you in English, and you are not very much used to with it, you convert the message into your mother tongue to understand properly. This is decoding process. Besides, your language means the way you understand something because every individual has his/her own way of understanding things. Decoding, opposite of ecoding, is an active process to find the original message by recersing the coding process. Like human being, machine also can be a decoder. Computer is a better example of this decoding process. If messages are sent from worng channels, or if the receiver is not capbble, messae can't be decoded. For example, a newspaper will have no meaning for a person who is illiterate or bling. Similarly, someone with impaired hearing may not decode a telephone call.
F) Receiver
In communication, source is the originator of the message and receiver is the consumer of the message. Either a single person or a group or a large mass of people can be the receiver at the same time. By the help of channel or medium source and receiver are connected to each other. A television watcher, a newspaper reader, a radio listener, an internet surfer all are receivers of information. They are collectively known as audience. In face – to face communication situation, speaker and audience can recognize each receiver may not recognize the source. The audience's can recognize each other. But if mass media are used as communication channels, the receiver may not recognize the source. The audience's characteristics, their background, past experience, learning receptiveness to the messages conveyed as well as effectiveness of the messages,' says Uma Narula in her ' Mass communication : Theory and practice book.
g) Feedback
Feedback is an advice, reaction or information abot how good or useful someody's communication is. Feedback refers to the responses of the receiver after receiving the message. It shapes and alters the subsequent messages of the source. Feedback represents a reversal of the flow of communication. Since communication is like a game (played turn by tur), the original source becomes the receiver; the original receiver becomes the new source. Feedback is both positive and negative. Positive feedback from the receiver usually encourages the communication behavior, and negative feedback usually attempts to change or even terminate communication behavior Feedback can be immediate or delayed. Immediate feedback with clear message is more effective. In face to face communication situation, feedback is instant; but while mass media are used as communication channels, the feedback is often delayed. Grater amount of feedback help make communicator's message effective and accurate.
