“Communicative strategies” (5-th course)
Examination questions
Definition of communication. Elements of human communication.
Communication occurs when one person (or more) sends and receives messages that are distorted by noise, occur within a context, have some effect, and provide some opportunity for feedback. This introductory unit explains the various parts of this definition and identifies the purposes and types of human communication. Throughout this explanation and, in fact, throughout this book the text makes reference to both face-to-face and electronic communication. No matter how sophisticated, electronic communication is still very similar to ordinary face-to-face interactions. For example, electronic communication allows for the same types of communication as does face-to-face interaction, whether interpersonal, small group, or public. In Internet communication you put your thoughts into words that you type on your keyboard and send via modem or cable; similarly, in speech you put your thoughts into spoken words and send your sounds through the air.
Two-person, or interpersonal, communication can occur face-to-face or on the phone or through e-mail or snail mail. Similarly, you engage in interpersonal communication in chat groups when you "whisper" or single out just one person to receive your message instead of the entire group. In chat groups you can talk with a small group of others in ways similar to the way you'd talk around a table in the cafeteria or in a business organization or in a telephone or video conference. In newsgroups posting a message for members to read is in many ways similar to the way you express your thoughts in delivering a public speech to an audience. Of course, there are also differences between face-to-face and electronic communications, which we'll discuss as we consider the various forms of human communication throughout the text.
The elements present in all communication acts, whether intra-personal, interpersonal, small group, public speaking, or mass communication
or whether face-to-face, by telephone, or over the Internet are: (1) context (2) sources-receivers, (3) messages, (4) channels, (5) noise, (6) effects, and (7) ethics.
Types of communication context.
All communication takes place in a context that has at least four dimensions: (I) physical, (2) social-psychological, (3) temporal, and (4) cultural. The physical context is the tangible or concrete environment in which communication takes place the room or hallway or park.
The social-psychological context includes, for example, the status relationships among the participants, the roles and the games that people play, and the cultural rules of the society in which people are communicating.
The temporal (or time) context includes the time of day as well as the time in history in which the communication takes place. For many people, the morning is not a time for communication. For others, the morning is ideal.
The cultural context has to do with your (and others') culture: the beliefs, values, and ways of behaving that are shared by a group of people and passed down from one generation to the next. Cultural factors affect every interaction and influence what you say and how you say it.
These dimensions of context interact with one another.