ELEMENTS OF

COMMUNICATION

1. THE SENDER – HE/SHE IS THE SOURCEOF

THE MESSAGE.
2. THE MESSAGE – A GOOD MESSAGE
SHOULD BE CLEAR FOR IT TO BE EASILY
UNDERSTOOD.
3. THE CHANNEL – A GOOD CHANNEL IS ONE
WHICH COULD TRANSMIT THE MESSAGE
CLEARLY, FAITHFULLY AND EFFICIENTLY.
4. THE RECEIVER – A GOOD RECEIVER IS
SOMEONE WHO IS GIVEN ON TIME.
5. THE FEEDBACK – RESPONSE TO THE
MESSAGE GIVEN BY THE RECEIVER.
6. ENCODING – THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE
MESSAGE IS TRANSLATED IN THE FORM OF
SYMBOLS THAT REPRESENT IDEAS OR
CONCEPTS.
7. DECODING – THE PART WHERE THE
RECEIVER INTERPRETS AND ANALYZES THE
MEANING OF THE SYMBOLS SENT BY THE
SENDER.
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER
OF PERSONS:

1. INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION – THIS

IS A COMMON WAY OF TALKING TO
YOURSELF.
2. INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION – THIS
IS DONE IN “PAIR” WHICH MEANS THE
INDIVIDUAL TALKS WITH ANOTHER
PERSON.
3. GROUP COMMUNICATION – THIS IS
COMPOSED OF THREE OR MORE.
4. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION – INVOLVES
MORE PEOPLE IN THE PROCESS.
5. MASS COMMUNICATION – HAPPENS IN
CASES THAT THE AUDIENCES WOULD NOT
BE GATHERED IN ONE PLACE.
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
ACCORDING TO MEDIUM
EMPLOYED:

VERBAL COMMUNICATION – THIS TYPE OF

COMMUNICATION MAKES USE OF WORDS
THAT MAY EITHER WRITTEN OR ORAL.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION – USES
SYMBOLS AND SIGNS IN WRITTEN FORMS
WHICH COULD BE PRINTED OR
HANDWRITTEN.
ORAL COMMUNICATION – YOUR MESSAGE
IS VERBALLY OR ORALLY TRANSMITTED TO
YOUR TARGET LISTENER/AUDIENCE.
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION – THIS
COMPRISES GESTURES, FACIAL EXPRESSIONS,
ACTIONS, OR EVEN UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOR
THAT MAY EITHER REINFORCE OR HAMPER
COMMUNICATION.
1. KINESICS. THIS INVOLVES YOUR BODY
MOVEMENT, SUCH AS YOUR EYE CONTACT,
YOUR GESTURES, HOW YOU SIT, HOW YOU
WALK, ETC.
2. HAPTICS. THIS INVOLVES
COMMUNICATING THROUGH THE USE OF
TOUCH. THIS INCLUDES NON-VERBAL
ACTIONS SUCH AS HUGS, KISS, TAPS ON THE
SHOULDER.
3. VOCALICS – THIS IS COMMUNICATING
THROUGH THE USE OF YOUR VOICE, SUCH
AS YOUR RATE OR SPEED OF TALKING, THE
VOLUME OF YOUR VOICE, THE RISING AND
THE FALLING OF YOUR INTONATION, ETC.
4. PROXEMICS. THIS INVOLVES SPACE AND ITS ROLE IN THE
COMMUNICATION PROCESS. PROXEMICS CAN BE CATEGORIZED INTO:
A. INTIMATE SPACE – WE SHARE THIS SPACE WITH OUR LOVED ONES
AND CLOSEST FRIENDS.
B. PERSONAL SPACE – WE SHARE THIS SPACE WITH OUR FRIENDS AND
ACQUAINTANCES.
C. SOCIAL SPACE – WE SHARE THIS SPACE WITH PEOPLE WE ARE
WITHIN SOCIAL EVENTS AND GATHERINGS.
D. PUBLIC SPACE – WE SHARE THIS SPACE WITH PEOPLE WHEN WE ARE
IN PUBLIC SPACES SUCH AS STREETS, MARKETS, AIRPORTS, ETC.
E. PERSONAL PRESENTATION AND ENVIRONMENT – OUR PRESENTATION
IS THE MANNER OF HOW YOU PRESENT YOURSELF, HOW YOU LOOK,
HOW YOU DRESS, AND YOUR CHARACTERISTICS.
1. HONESTY – THIS QUALITY IS VERY
IMPORTANT FOR COMMUNICATION TO
SUCCEED. CONDITION OF BEING TRUTHFUL.
2. OPENNESS TO OTHER VIEWS – YOUR
WILLINGNESS TO BE OPEN TO VIEWS,
WHICH DIFFER OR EVEN RUN AGAINST
YOUR IDEAS, IS ONE CRUCIAL FACTOR FOR
COMMUNICATION TO SUCCEED.
3. COMMITMENT – BEING BOUND
EMOTIONALLY/INTELLECTUALLY TO A
COURSE OF ACTION OR TO ANOTHER
PERSON.
4. BUILD CONSENCUS – A GENERAL
AGREEMENT AMONG THE MEMBERS OF A
GIVEN GROUP OF COMMUNITY.
 PRINCIPLES OF
COMMUNICATION
1. RELEVANCE – AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IN SENDING YOUR
MESSAGE IS THE VALUE OF YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUR RECEIVER.
2. BE POSITIVE – FORMULATE YOUR MESSAGE WITH AN OPEN AND
POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
3. CHOOSE THE BEST MEDIUM – MEANS THE SPEAKER OR A WRITER
USE, AS A CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION.
4. STUDY YOUR AUDIENCE – IT IS A MUST THAT A SPEAKER OR WRITER
KNOWS THE AUDIENCE OR READER.
5. BE ENTHUSIASTIC – DIVINE INSPIRATION OR FRENZY.
6. MAINTAIN INTENSE FOCUS – A SPEAKER OR WRITER SHOULD BE
FIRED WITH INTENSE FEELINGS OR BE PASSIONATE.
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