Unit One

Introduction to Communication and Its Types

What is communication?
Communication is the process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, facts,
feelings, emotions and experience between people.
Communication is the social process because human beings keep in
touch with one another through it.
It is the art of transmitting or exchanging information, ideas and
attitudes between two participants.
Communication is the process of organizing and transmitting
information to the audience or receivers through a channel.

Various scholars have defined communication in various

ways. Some of the definitions given by various scholars
are as follows:
Communication refers to the transmission and reception
of information (messages) between a source and a
receiver using a signaling system.
(Crystal)
Communication is a social process, and countless ways in
which human beings keep in touch with one another.
(Niraula)
To sum up, communication is the process of organizing
and transmitting information to the audience or receiver
through a channel.

1.1.2 Verbal and Non-verbal Communication

On the basis of ways of communication, there are two
types of communication. They are verbal communication
and non verbal communication.
1. Verbal communication: Communication which is
carried out with language or speech as a tool. In this
type of communication message is sent through code
(language).
2. Non verbal communication: Communication that takes
place through non verbal tools like gestures, postures,
facial expression, touch, smell etc is known as non
verbal communication.

1.1.3 Sensory Modes

Communication
There are mainly five sensory modes of communication.
Sensory modes communication takes place through the eye, ear,
nose, tongue and skin.
Therefore, there are visual, aural, olfactory, gustatory and tactile
modes of communication.
1.1.4 Process of Communication
Communication is the process or act of exchanging information or
messages between the participants.
Therefore, the participants have to understand each other while
communication is going on.
There are five basic elements in the process of communication.
They are: Source, message, channel, receiver and the effects of the
messages.

1.1.5 Elements of Communication/ Ingredients

1. Source (Who).
.Source is the communicator who sends the message to
the receiver.
.The communicator can have the primary or secondary
source of message.
.Communicator has to communicate it to the people in
the form they can understand easily.
.He must have a good knowledge of audience, their sociocultural background, their needs, their problems and
their level of comprehension.
.Sources can be single individual, group/groups and even
organization.

2. Message (What)
Message is the information that the sender wants to pass on to
the receiver.
The message may include information, ideas, appeals etc.
The message is directed to the audience.
The message has a set of codes (verbal & written), the content
and style.
3. Channel (by what means)
Channel is the way along which the message travels to the
receivers.
It is the means through which the information is transmitted.
It is the medium to carry the message from the source to the
audience.

 Channels can be of two types:

1. Personal communication channel
2. Non-personal communication channel
In personal communication channel two or more people
communicate directly.
Face-to-face communication, telephone communication,
mail and internet communication are the examples of
personal communication channel.
The sender and receiver are in a personal contact in
personal communication channel.
It can be both verbal and non verbal.

 But the communication channels that carry the

message from the source to the audience without
personal contact are known as non-personal
communication channels.
Print media, display media, broadcast media and online
media are the examples of non-personal channels.
4. Receiver (to whom?)
The receivers of the message are its consumers.
They are the audience who receive the message sent by
the sender.
The communicator must have a good knowledge of
audience: Their socio-cultural background, their needs,
their problems, their limitations, and their levels of
comprehension.

5. Effect:
Effects refers to the impact the audience can get from the
message received.
The communicator aims at producing impact on the audience to
make his communication effective.
The communicator can see the impact of his message on the
audience from their reactions, expressions, actions and comments.
Other elements
1. The objective 4. Situation
2. Encoding 5. Noise (Thing that interferes the delivery of message)
3. Decoding 6. Feedback

1.1.6 Characteristics/Features of Communication

1.1.7 Categories of Communication.
On the basis of participation, communication can be classified as:
1. Intrapersonal Communication
2. Interpersonal Communication
3. Transpersonal Communication
4. Group Communication
5. Public Communication
6. Organizational Communication
7. Folk Communication
8. Mediated Communication
9. Mass Communication

1. Intrapersonal Communication:
An individual communicates within himself or herself in monologues, private
thoughts, imagination.
It often takes place in our heads.
Intrapersonal communication takes place consciously and unconsciously in
our heads.
Our thoughts are processed in our brain. Therefore, the channel of this type
of communication is the neurological device.
It has nothing to do with mass communication.
2. Interpersonal Communication:
It is the communication between individuals.
Can take place without the aid of any mechanical devices or may be a
machine assisted communication.
If it takes place without the aid of any mechanical devices, the communicator
are in face-to-face communication and the sender and the receivers are
physically present.

3. Transpersonal Communication:
It is the communication with divine .
Conducted through the channels of prayers and meditations.
Exists in religious places.
4. Group Communication:
Extended form of interpersonal communication.
Takes place in group.
The numbers of receivers can be limited like a lecture in
class, public speech in a certain gathering.
The communication involves one to few.
The communicators may be known to each other.

5. Public Communication:
The sender delivers speech to a group of people as the
audience.
It involves one to many
For example, a leader delivering a speech in a large
group of people.
6. Organizational Communication:
This communication takes place in organizational set
up.
The communicators are related by organization.
For example, the communication between the employee
of a company on a formal matters.

7. Folk Communication:
Communication that takes place through folk channels like songs,
dance, theatres, religious discourse.
It is also called traditional or popular media.
8. Mediated Communication:
Technology is used as the medium.
9. Mass Communication:
A large and scattered number of the audiences are
communicated.
Usually assisted by machines as the tools.
Involves the use of print or electronic media.
The audiences or receivers are located and scattered all over the
country or world.