Lecture 2: Notes

Channels of communication
2.0 Introduction
In the previous lecture, you have learnt about meaning of communication and the communication
process in relation to elements of communication. In this lecture, we will dwell much on forms
of communication which are important channels used in communication. We will explore the
differences and similarities of categories of communication and how they are used in
communication to ensure effective communication.

2.1 Objectives
Understanding similarities and differences of communication category
Uses of different forms of communication
Activity

How effective is your communication style? Are you giving away thoughts you don't mean to?

2.3 Body
2.3.1 forms of human communication
Humans communicate in a variety of ways, both verbally and non-verbally. Primates and other
animals have been communicating without the use of language since long before humans
invented verbal communication. Some scientists believe that even today, most communication
between humans is non-verbal. Both types of communication differ significantly between
genders and across cultures.

The communication in which the sender uses words, whether spoken or written, to transmit the
message to the receiver is known as Verbal Communication. It is the most effective form of
communication that leads to speedy interchange of information and feedback. There are less
chances of misunderstanding as the communication between parties is clear, i.e. the parties are
using words for saying anything.

Verbal communication makes the process of conveying thoughts easier and faster, and it remains
the most successful form of communication (Steinberg, 2007). Yet, this makes up only seven
percent of all human communication!
Verbal communication entails the use of words in delivering the intended message. The two
major forms of verbal communication include written and oral communication.

The communication can be done in two ways (i) Oral – like face to face communication,
lectures, phone calls, seminars, etc. (ii) Written – Letters, E- mail, SMS, etc.

2.3.1.1 Written communication

Written communication is the process of communication in which messages or information is
exchanged or communicated within sender and receiver through written form. It includes
traditional pen and paper letters and documents, typed electronic documents, e-mails, text chats,
SMS and anything else conveyed through written symbols such as language. This type of
communication is indispensable for formal business communications and issuing legal
instructions.

Communication forms that predominantly use written communication include handbooks,

brochures, contracts, memos, press releases, formal business proposals, and the like. The
effectiveness of written communication depends on the writing style, grammar, vocabulary, and
clarity

Written communication requires years of training and the development of basic writing skills.
Over time and with much practice one can attain confidence in a writing style that is clear and
easy to understand. Written communication is a slower process than just speaking what comes to
our mind. It is more professional. Psychology has proven that our human tendency is to believe
what is written more than the spoken word. The first steps to
learning written communication begin with the first, creative scribbles of a toddler. The
deliberate and not so well-formed letters of a kindergartener when he writes his name are
awkward and not so legible. As a child grows his writing skills grow also. Overtime, techniques
are developed to select a topic, with specific information in mind. A target audience is
determined. Keywords are carefully chosen. Sentence structure is evaluated

2.3.1.2 Oral Communication

The other form of verbal communication is the spoken word, either face-to-face or through
phone, voice chat, video conferencing or any other medium. Various forms of informal
communications such as the grapevine or informal rumor mill, and formal communications such
as lectures, conferences are forms of oral communication. Oral communication finds use in
discussions and causal and informal conversations. The effectiveness of oral conversations
depends on the clarity of speech, voice modulation, pitch, volume, speed, and even non-verbal
communications such as body language and visual cues.

Basically, oral communication is the process of communication in which messages or

information is exchanged or communicated within sender and receiver through the word of
mouth.

It is a fact that 75% percent or more of our actual exchange of words is found in oral
communication. It comes naturally without prompting, as anyone who has been around a
demanding baby can attest. There is a continual barrage of words that are communicated on a
daily basis. It is estimated that the average two year old already owns a vocabulary of sixty
words or more. By the time the child’s age doubles, his vocabulary has grown to 1,500 words.
Imagine a child trying to formulate sentences with pen and paper at that age. Effective written
communication would be impossible.

Oral communication is not concerned with the proper spelling of words. There is no need to
deliberate over the use of capital letters. Nor do we bother ourselves with which punctuation
mark to use at the end of a sentence. Words just fall from our lips, as quickly as they are
formulated with our thoughts, unless we have learned the art of thinking before we speak. Oral
communication is more personal and informal, with contractions and slang acceptable.

2.3.13 Non-verbal communication

Nonverbal communication is more immediate than verbal communication, but its meaning is
typically more ambiguous, notwithstanding the fact that certain forms of nonverbal
communication, such as the use of the eyes, can convey emotions more effectively than words
can. Some technological means of communication, such as film, can effectively convey many
forms of nonverbal communication.

Non-verbal communication is based on the understanding of the parties to communication, as the

transmission of messages from the sender to receiver is wordless i.e. the communication uses
signs. So, if the receiver understands the message completely and proper feedback is given
afterwards, then the communication succeeds.
It complements the verbal communication many times, to understand the mindset and the status
of the parties, which is not spoken by them, but it is an act of understanding. The types of Non-
verbal communication are as under:

Chronemics: The use of time in communication is chronemics, which speaks about the
personality of the sender / receiver like punctuality, speed of speech etc.
Vocalics: The volume, tone of voice and pitch used by the sender for communicating a message
to the receiver is known as vocalics or paralanguage.
Haptics: The use of touch in a communication is the expression of feelings and emotions.
Kinesics: It is the study of body language of a person, i.e., gestures, postures, facial expressions,
etc.
Proxemics: The distance maintained by a person while communicating with others,
communicates about the relationship of the person with others like intimate, personal, social and
public.
Artifacts: The appearance of a person speaks about his personality, i.e. by way of clothing,
carrying jewelry, lifestyle etc. This kind of communication is known as artifactual
communication.

2.3.1.4 Visual Communication

Visual communication is all around us. It is a survival skill that we tend to take for granted. We
do not have to visit an art gallery, read an art/design book to experience visual communication.
We use visual communication to navigate and understand the world (Tam, 2008). Packaging,
signs, logos, bills, receipts, leaflets, books, mobile phones, appliances, advertisements . . . , to
name but a few, are all examples of visual communication. A watch or clock is a classic example
of visual communication that we have grown used to depend on every day. Whether consciously
‘designed’ or not, they play an important part of shaping our very existence. Indeed, ‘noticing’ or
being aware of design is not an essential criteria for a piece of visual communication to fulfil its
function.

There are essential differences between ‘expression’ and ‘communication’. Expression appeals
to our emotions, engaging the audience in a deeper level, but it tends to be more ambiguous and
often less precise. The word ‘communication’ came from the Latin word communicatio meaning
‘to share’. There has to be a mutual agreement between the sender and the receiver of a message
in order for communication to function.
Visual communication is therefore similar to how verbal or written language works. We use
‘visual language’ to communicate to an audience. However, visual language might not be as
reliable or consistent as written language, which has a more formalized set of conventions and
rules.

When we talk about visual communication, we speak of a unification of content (the message)
and the form (how it looks). We as designers are ‘senders’ of the message. Through a medium,
we deliver the message to the receiver. This is not necessarily a one-way process; the receivers
could provide feedback to the sender and in turn the process is reversed. There are many ways in
which the meaning of the message is impaired during the process of delivery. This is called
‘noise’. Such situations happen when the receiver is unable to decode the visual language and
hence not able to gain the correct (intended) meaning of the message.

Ambiguity

Ambiguity means that a visual has multiple meanings. This is sometimes the intention of a
designer, but very often it is not. Clear communication attempts to avoid ambiguity as much as
possible, but never completely.

Viewing/reading; images/text (Multimodality)

When we talk about visual communication, we also talk about the use of text. Typography
(designing with text) gives visual form to written language. Typography is therefore an
extremely complex set of signs. Text communicates more precisely and accurately than visual
imagery, especially abstract ideas. Using a combination of images and text is therefore a
powerful way to communicate. An audience combines the acts of viewing and reading when they
are faced with a piece of visual communication. Such multiple communicative forms are well
explained by the term multimodality. Multimodality refers to the texts which use multiple forms
of visual and written texts within the same text to convey multiple meanings (Jewitt and Kress,
2003: 6). Stenglin and Iedema (2001: 194) state that

a multimodal text is one in which a number of different modes (words in headings and headlines;
images and the written texts themselves) are integrated to form a composite whole.

This means that any type of texts including written language texts reveals various modes within a
single text.
Appropriateness

The appropriateness of a piece of visual communication refers to the fitness of a visual form for
its intended purpose. An inappropriate use of visual language might get unexpected reactions
from the audience or user.

Conventions

Conventions are accepted ‘unwritten rules’ for understanding things that are learned. Visual
communication relies on conventions in order to function. Some examples of visual
communication are more governed by conventions, for example road signs. Others are less
reliant on conventions, for example a painting. In order for a piece of visual communication to
function as such, the use of conventions is unavoidable. Humans can only understand something
through connecting with something that they have previously learnt.

Semiotics

The term ‘semiotics’ refers to the study of signs, first used by Americam philosopher Charles
Morries in the 1930s. Morris believed that by analyzing visual and verbal signs, communication
could be improved. There are three aspects of semiotic theory namely syntactic, semantic and
pragmatic. All three aspects work together. The relationship between the signified (e.g. the
animal ‘dog’) and signifier (e.g. the word d-o-g and/or an image/icon of a dog) is arbitrary and is
learnt. A signified could be read on the denotative and connotative levels. For example, the
meaning of a sign such as the image of an apple is beyond the object ‘apple’ that it represents
(denotation). Connotatively it could mean the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge in the biblical
story in Genesis, which in turn can symbolize temptation or sin. It could also convey ‘health’ (as
in the saying, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’). Therefore, visual communication can
reflect two related features of signifier (form) and signified (the meaning).
Perception

Sensation is a lower-level function of our brain, referring to Reponses to simple properties of

stimuli such as warmth, colour, taste, etc. Perception, on the other hand, is a high-order function
that deals with more complex characteristics. We use prior knowledge and experience to
interpret, understand and create meaning from what we see, hear, etc. We have an innate ability
to establish order according to certain laws of perception, such as Gestalt psychology. We
constantly construct relationships and groupings between things in an organized way.