Communication
Definition: Two
way process of exchanging ideas, feelings, and information. Communication and
learning are interwoven, communication can enhance learning.
The ultimate goal
of all communication is to bring about a change in the desired direction of the
person who receives the communication. This may be at the cognitive level in
terms of increase in knowledge, it may be effective in terms of changing
existing pattern of attitudes and behavior and it may be psychomotor in terms
of acquiring new skills.
Communication is
part of our normal relationship with other people. Our ability to influence
others and understanding them depend on our communication skills, e.g.
speaking, writing, listening and reading.
It is said that
without communication an individual could never become a human being, without
mass communication he could never become a part from modern society.
The
Communication Process
Communication,
which is the basis of human interaction, is a complex process, it has the
following main components:
Communication process
Sender = Source
Receiver = Audience
Message = Content
Channel = Medium
Feed
Back = Effect
The Sender (communicator):
The sender is the originator of the
message. The effective communicator must know the following:
1. Clearly defined the objectives.
2. His audience: their interest and needs.
3. His message.
4. Channels of communication.
The Receiver:
All communication must have an audience,
this may be a single person of group of people. The audience may be controlled
or uncontrolled. The more homogenous the audience is, the greater are the
chances of an effective communication.
The Message:
Is the information which the communicator
transmit to his audience to receive, understand, accept and act upon it, it may
be in the form of word, picture, etc.
A good message must be:
· In the line of objectives.
· Meaningful.
· Clear and understandable.
· Specific and accurate.
· Interesting and socially appropriate.
Channels of communication:
It is the physical bridge or the media of
communication between the sender & receiver. The total communication effort
is based on 3 media:
1. Interpersonal communication (face-to-face
communication).
2. Mass media (written & visual media).
3. Traditional media (religious meeting).
Every channel of communication has its advantages
and limitations.
Feedback:
It is the flow of information from the
audience to the sender, it is the reaction of the audience to the message, if
it is not clear or acceptable the audience may reject it. The feedback thus
provides an opportunity to the sender to modify his message and render it
acceptable. In mass communication it takes some time to get feedback.
Types of
Communication
1. One-way
communication (Didactic method):
The flow of
communication is "one way" from the sender to the receiver. The
familiar example is the lecture method in the classroom. The drawbacks of this
method are:
· Knowledge is imposed.
· Learning is authoritative.
· Little audience participation.
· No feedback.
· Does not influence human behavior.
2. Two-Way
communication (Socratic method):
In this method
the communicator and the audience take part and the process of learning is
active and democratic. It is more likely to influence behavior than one-way
communication.
3. Verbal
communication:
The traditional
way of communication has been by word of mouth.
4. Non-verbal
communication:
Communication can
occur even without words. It includes a whole range of bodily movements,
posture, gestures, facial expressions (e.g. smile, raised eyebrows, staring,
etc). Silence is non-verbal communication, it can speak louder than words.
5. Formal and
informal communication:
Formal
communication follows lines of authorities and informal (grape-vine)
communication.
6. Visual
communication:
The visual forms
of communications comprise charts, graphs, maps, tables, posters, etc..
7. Telecommunication
and internet:
Communication
over distance using electromagnetic instruments designed for this purpose.
Radio, TV and Internet are mass communication while telephone, telex and
telegraph are know as point-to-point telecommunication systems.
Barriers
of Communication:
Health education
may often fail due to communication barriers between the educator and the
community, these may be:
1. Physiological: difficulty in hearing.
2. Psychological: emotion disturbance, neurosis, level of
intelligence, language difficulties.
3. Environmental: noise, invisibility.
4. Cultural: illiteracy, level of knowledge, beliefs,
language variation, and cultural difficulties between urban education and rural
education.
The Art
of Listening
Communication
depends of the receiver being able to interpret accurately what the sender of a
message says.
To be an effective listener you have to
do the following:
1. Stop talking (mental silent) then let the
speaker finish.
2. Put the speaker at ease by showing that
you are listening. The good listener does not look over someone s shoulder or
write while the speaker is talking. If you must take notes, explain what you
are doing. Take care, because we are all rely on other person s facial
expression while we are speaking to them. The speaker will be put off if you
look away or concentrate on your notes instead of nodding reassuringly.
3. Remember that your aim is to understand
what the speaker is saying not to win an argument.
4. Be aware of your personal prejudices and
make a conscious effort to stop them influencing your judgment.
5. Be alert to what the speaker is not
saying, as wall as what they are. Very often, what is missing is more than what
is there.
6. Ask questions. This shows that you have
been listening and encourages the speaker to develop the points you have raised
and it is an active process.