Introduction
GREETINGS! COMMUNICATION studies is often misconstrued as being ‘just another English course’, but it really entails so much more. Your journey through the exciting world of communication studies will have you exploring some historical facts and venturing into the world of sociology and geography. It promises to be a wonderful adventure. Keep calm and enjoy communication studies!
The CAPE communication studies syllabus is divided into three modules: I Module 1: Gathering and processing information
I Module 2: Language and community
I Module 3: Speaking and writing
These lessons will weave together the content of the modules in a seamless way that is easy to understand.
Let’s begin!
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
Although many definitions of communication abound, communication, quite simply, can be defined as the meaningful exchange of information or ideas from a sender to a receiver. It is a process which is dynamic, continuous, inevitable, irreversible and contextual. Communication is considered a process because it involves several different stages as we attempt to communicate with each other. It is dynamic because of the many different ways through which communication can take place.
Communication is always taking place – from when we sleep, through our dreams, to when we decide to withhold communicating with someone because we are hurt or frustrated with him or her. It cannot be avoided. Once a message has been sent out and received by the receiver, it cannot be undone. Evolutions in the world of social media allow for messages to be deleted after they have been sent to the recipient. The fact remains, however, that once the message has been received, it cannot be retrieved.
Communication takes place in a context. This context is what guides how we communicate. The context of communication includes the persons, the content/topic, the location, and even the very reason the communication activity is taking place.
WHY WE COMMUNICATE
As discussed above, it is impossible to not communicate with others. Humans are social beings and as we interact with each other, we communicate a variety of messages to each other. Through communication we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, of others, and of the world around us. The proper functioning of any society is dependent on effective communication among its members.
HOW WE COMMUNICATE
The communication process involves the transmission of information and ideas which are shared between the parties involved. The following elements are integral to the communication process: sender, receiver, message, channel, medium, feedback and context. How does it work? The process involves conceptualisation, encoding, selection of the appropriate channel/medium for the message, decoding, interpretation and feedback.
The sender, that is, the source or the person who is sending the message, must first conceptualise the message/idea, that is, think of what he or she wishes to communicate. Having done that, he/she must encode this idea into a message, that is, to format it in such a way that the receiver will understand it. While encoding the message, the sender must also select an appropriate medium/channel through which the message will be sent. So, the sender will decide if a written message will be sent and also how that written message will be sent, for example via WhatsApp, email, Post-It note, et cetera; or whether to send an auditory message, such as through a telephone call, voicenote and so on.
This is a very important stage in the communication process, as failure to select the right medium or channel can negatively affect how the message is received and interpreted. The receiver is the person who receives the message. Upon receipt of the message, the receiver must decode the message and interpret it; that is, he/she must derive meaning from that which has been sent. Having done this, the receiver will now become the sender of a response, known as feedback, which will be sent to the original sender (who will now be the receiver of this new message/feedback) ...and the cycle continues. The feedback received is what will indicate whether the message sent was interpreted the way it was intended.
The following diagram illustrates the process described above: