The Communication Process
Encoding refers to the process of putting your thoughts into words.
In the communication process, we have different models:
● Transmission Model
○ No feedback, and is a one-way model.
○ A sender gives a message and it stops there.
● Transactional Model
○ There’s feedback involved, with two parties creating meaning together.
○ There occurs an exchange of information.
Communication is compared to a game of catch using a lump of clay – easily moldable in the
shape of multiple factors involved with examples that include religion, cultural background,
etc.
We are given four tips on effective ways to communicate:
1) Passive hearing and active listening are different
a) Passive hearing is pretending to listen, letting sound go from one ear to the other.
b) Active listening is actively trying to decode information that is being shared.
2) Listen with your ears, eyes, and gut.
a) All of these factors in communicating a message.
b) We listen to the tone, we look at the facial expressions, and we observe body
language.
3) Take time to understand as you try to be understood.
a) We all have preconceived notions, and we should remind ourselves that these
affect our way of communication.
4) Be aware of your personal perceptual filters.
Factors of Communication
The Purpose, Audience, and Context
● Purpose
○ Goal/Objective in communicating
○ WHY
○ Shapes the content (what) and form (how) of your message.
● Audience
○ WHO the message is for
○ Their backgrounds, concerns, and interests may shape the way a message is
received.
● Context
○ Situation surrounding the communicating process
○ The circumstances in which the message or content of the communication is
delivered and received, as well as the sender's background and experiences may
shape the content and form of the message.
Example:
You’re traveling in another country, and you got lost. You need to ask for directions but the
person you found has limited English vocabulary.
Purpose: Maybe you can use Google Translate to communicate with other people in a
non-English speaking country.
Audience: Understand that the people you are communicating with aren’t adept in English.
Context: With the advancement of technology in current society we are able to use Google
Translate. However, if this were the case 20 years ago without the advancements, you could
use simple structured sentences to get the message across.
Effective Communication: Building Common Ground for
Understanding
1) Keep sentences short and simple;
2) Define jargon and other technical terms as they are used;
3) Provide concrete examples; and
4) Make use of the elements of non-verbal communication
In effective communication, perfect grammar is not always needed, jargon may be
used in contexts where you and the other person are in the same fields, make use of
body language, etc.
World Englishes
No single variety of English is “correct” or “good”
● Word choice, pronunciation, and even grammar rules vary on account of cultural and
linguistic differences
● As communicators; unlearn the unhealthy and unproductive stereotypes.
Multimodality and Multimodal Communication
● Mode
○ A mode is a semiotic system that serves as away to convey information
5 Modes of Communication
1) Linguistic
● Has to do with words
2) Spatial
● With the way we use space and what it means
● People close to each other are comfortable with sitting with each other
● The space can reveal their relationship
3) Aural
● Has to do with sound; we can reveal emotions or information through sound
● Sirens, PA system, volume of a person
4) Visual
● With the way we see
● Flags, symbols, colors, etc.
5) Gestural
● Waving - saying goodbye
Bowing - a sign of respect
Multimodal forms of communication are those that combine two or more modes of
communication.
Examples:
● Movies
● Editorial Cartoons
● Billboards
● Music
Viral PotCor ad looking for service crew
● Modes of communication are
loosely defined, not very effective
in their target goal; which is to
hire.
● Visual form is okay, but in
linguistics it lacks; very poor.
Lola Nena’s response
● Better compared to
Potato Corner’s
● Visual form shows
actual employees – may
seem as more inviting
● References all the
things PotCor used
○ Use of word
‘family’ – more
genuine
○ Criteria and
qualifications
