A Refresher on the Communication Process

📺 Watch the video below to refresh your definition of Communication in a historical timeline with Doctor Alex Lyon.

As we have seen in the first part of the course C4S, communication is an important skill for your professional, academic, and personal success. There are different models that have been developed to address the needs of communicators, and up until now, the most prominent model is the one we previously looked at in the first part of this course, the Transactional Model.

The Transactional Model of Communication recognizes communication as more than sending and receiving messages like computers and alternating between sender and receiver roles. Instead, the model perceives communicators as constantly generating social realities within a social and cultural context. It goes beyond merely communicating to using communication to create relationships, form alliances, and share self-concepts.

We have also previously learned about the different components of the communication process, as presented in the graph below:

📝 Complete the following quiz to refresh your memory on the different key terms composing a communication process:

At Kibo, one of our core beliefs is that learning should be connected as much as possible to daily experiences. This next section will explore how communication is relevant in your academic, professional, and personal aspects of life.

Academic

Having good communication skills can help you in doing well in school and beyond. Improving your communication skills can lead to better grades and confidence in your ability to communicate and make it less likely for you to quit school. According to a study by Zabava & Wolvin (1993), taking a communication class can improve your talking, body language, and interaction with others.

Professional

Employers highly value good communication skills. In fact, the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that good communication skills are the most desired quality in college graduates (National Association of Colleges and Employers, 2010). Different careers may require different communication skills, but introductory communication courses can provide important skills for entry-level jobs. These skills include listening, writing, motivating/persuading, interpersonal skills, informational interviewing, and small-group problem-solving (DiSalvo, 1980). Employers also look for good interpersonal communication skills, which consistently rank in the top ten in national surveys (National Association of Colleges and Employers, 2010). On the other hand, poor listening skills, lack of conciseness, and inability to give constructive feedback can be potential communication challenges in professional contexts. Employers appreciate good listening skills and the ability to communicate concisely because efficiency and clarity are often directly tied to productivity and success.

Personal

Communication plays a huge role in forming, maintaining, and ending our interpersonal relationships. While many students have personal experiences with communication and may have seen it discussed on television talk shows and in self-help books, they may not fully understand the extent to which communication impacts their lives. Becoming familiar with specific vocabulary and developing foundational knowledge of communication concepts and theories can give us the tools we need to make sense of our experiences. Having a vocabulary to name communication phenomena increases our ability to consciously alter our communication to achieve our goals, avoid miscommunication, and learn from our mistakes.

We also previously made an agreement over the ultimate goal of communication as accurately getting the thoughts in the sender's head into the receiver's head.

Throughout this course, we will focus on the spoken form of communication and how it relates to the different aspects of your life. But you might ask, what is the difference between Written and Spoken forms of Communication? and how do I connect my learning from the previous class to the current one?

The chart below compares both forms of communication using 9 different variables.

Comparison Chart: Written Vs Spoken Communication

Communication, whether spoken or written, is crucial for survival in our social world. It is a means of bringing people together and fostering closer relationships between them. To that end, it is important to improve the quality of both spoken and written communication. Written communication is often used in business or official matters since it is considered a more reliable way to communicate. It provides a record of the conversation and can be referred back to at any time.

However, spoken communication is still very important in personal dealings. It allows for a more personal touch and enables us to convey our emotions and intentions more effectively. A spoken conversation can also offer immediate feedback and clarification. Therefore, it is essential to be proficient in both written and spoken communication in order to navigate our social world effectively.

Moreover, effective communication is not just about the words we use, but also about non-verbal cues. Body language, tone, and facial expressions can all convey meaning and emotion. Being aware of these cues and utilizing them effectively can greatly enhance our communication skills.

Discuss

💬 Reflect on your experience using both forms of communication (spoken and written), and share in the Padlet below in what social contexts you use each of them.

It can also be important to know when to use either or both forms of communication to create an effective exchange of information.

📺 Watch the video below to get a better understanding of the impact of the form of communication you chose on the effectiveness of your communication.

In conclusion, communication is a vital aspect of our social world, and improving its quality is essential for building strong relationships. Both written and spoken communication are important in different contexts, and mastering them can help us navigate through our personal and professional lives with ease.