Communication is the process of sharing our ideas, thoughts, and feelings with other people and having those

ideas, thoughts, and feelings understood by the people we are talking with. When we communicate we speak, listen, and observe. The way we communicate is a learned style. As children we learn from watching our parents and other adults communicate. As an adult we can learn to improve the way we communicate by observing others who communicate effectively, learning new skills, and practicing those skills. Communication is the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behavior. Derived from the Latin word "communis", meaning to share. Communication requires a sender, a message, and a recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast distances in time and space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the receiver has understood the message of the sender.

Human Communication
Human spoken and pictoral languages can be described as a system of symbols (sometimes known as lexemes) and the grammars by which the symbols are manipulated. The word "language" also refers to common properties of languages. Language learning normally occurs most intensively during human childhood. Most of the thousands of human languages use patterns of sound or gesture for symbols which enable communication with others around them. Languages seem to share certain properties although many of these include exceptions. There is no defined line between a language and a dialect.

Non-verbal communication
Nonverbal communication describes the process of conveying meaning in the form of non-word messages. Research shows that the majority of our communication is non verbal, also known as body language. Some of non verbal communication includes chronemics, haptics, gesture, body language orposture; facial expression and eye contact, object communication such

as clothing, hairstyles, architecture, symbols infographics, and tone of voice as well as through an aggregate of the above.

Oral communication
Oral communication, while primarily referring to spoken verbal communication, can also employ visual aids and non-verbal elements to support the conveyance of meaning. Oral communication includes speeches, presentations, discussions, and aspects of interpersonal communication. As a type of face-to-face communication, body language and choice tonality play a significant role, and may have a greater impact upon the listener than informational content. This type of communication also garners immediate feedback.

Written communication
Communication is thus a process by which meaning is assigned and conveyed in an attempt to create shared understanding. This process, which requires a vast repertoire of skills in interpersonal processing, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analyzing, gestures, and evaluating enables collaboration and cooperation. Misunderstandings can be anticipated and solved through formulations, questions and answers, paraphrasing, examples, and stories of strategic talk. Written communication can be clear by planning follow-up talk on critical written communication as part of the normal way of doing business. Minutes spent talking now will save time later having to clear up misunderstandings later on. Then, take what was heard and reiterate in your own words, and ask them if thats what they meant.

Effective Communication
All communications, intentional or unintentional, have some effect. This effect may not be always in communicator's favor or as desired by him or her. Communication that produces the desired effect or result is effective communication. It results in what the communicator wants. Effective communication generates the desired effect, maintains effect & increases effect. Effective communication serves its purpose for which it was planned or designed. The purpose could be to generate action, inform, create understanding or communicate a certain idea/point etc. Effective communication also ensures that message distortion does not take place during the communication process.

Barriers to effective communication

Communication is the key factor in the success of any organization. When it comes to effective communication, there are certain barriers that every organization faces. People often feel that communication is as easy and simple as it sounds. No doubt, but what makes it complex, difficult and frustrating are the barriers that come in its way. Some of these barriers are mentioned below. There also can be a lack of determining "knowledge appropriate" communication, as when someone uses ambiguous legal words, or medical jargon, when speaking with another person that lacks understanding in these areas. Effective communication can be achieved only when the words used are brought to a common level of understanding for both parties. These are as followsPhysical barriers, System design, Attitudinal barriers, Ambiguity of words/phrases, Physiological barriers, Presentation of information etc.

Communication Process
The communication process is a simple model that demonstrates all the factors that can affect communication. Communication is effective if the message that is received is the same one that is sent. A. Sender The communicator or sender is the person who is sending the message. There are two factors that will determine how effective the communicator will be. The first factor is the communicators attitude. It must be positive. The second factor is the communicators selection of meaningful symbols, or selecting the right symbols depending on your audience and the right environment. B. Message A communication in writing, in speech, or by signals. C. Encoding D. Channel/ Medium It is the way used to express or send the message.

E. Receiver The receiver is simply the person receiving the message, making sense of it, or understanding and translating it into meaning. Now think about this for a moment: the receiver is also a communicator. How can that be? (When receiver responds, he is then the communicator.) Communication is only successful when the reaction of the receiver is that which the communicator intended. Effective communication takes place with shared meaning and understanding. F. Decoding G. Feedback Feedback is that reaction I just mentioned. It can be a verbal or nonverbal reaction or response. It can be external feedback (something we see) or internal feedback (something we cant see), like self-examination. Its the feedback that allows the communicator to adjust his message and be more effective. Without feedback, there would be no way of knowing if meaning had been shared or if understanding had taken place. Discuss that communication is a two-way process. The information goes out to a person on the other end. There is a sender and a receiver. Simply put, effective communication is getting your message across to the receiver. It is the senders responsibility to make sure that the receiver gets the message and that the message received is the one sent. Communicating is not an isolated series of one skill, it involves several skills. For example, speaking involves not only getting your message across but also being able to listen and understand what others are saying (active listening) and observing the verbal and nonverbal clues in order to monitor the effectiveness of your message.