Elements of Communication

Communication is defined as the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs. The elements of communication are:

1. Sender-Receiver
2. Messages
3. Channels
4. Noise
5. Feedback
6. Setting or Environment

All of these elements are important to the communication process. We have used all of these many times throughout our lifetime and will probably do so again.The sender-receiver method of communication is one of the most important because it is the basic concept of a conversation. That basic concept is someone talks and another person listens. The sender is the person that is talking at the time and the receiver is the person that is listening. We use this element of communication every day. We have friends in the campus and we talk to them all the time and when we talk, we usually both have thoughts and opinions we wish to share with one another so we both are sending and receiving messages using the sender-receiver element of communication. The next element of communication is the message. The message is basically what the sender is saying. Messages do not have to be verbal. A message can be sent in all forms of communication: verbally, written, or using signs. We also send messages every day and in each of those forms as well. Every day we will find ourselves talking to someone, texting someone, or just nodding head at someone. So we’re basically sending messages to people all day and every day. Another element of communication is channels. The channel is basically how a message is received. We all use channels in communicating every day. For instance I use the channel of sight when I dress or the channel of touch when I shake someone’s hand. There is channel for every type of communication one can do. Not all elements of communication have to deal with the actual communication itself such as noise. Noise is the interference of communication. It can be anything that disrupts the communication process. Noise is another element of communicating I encounter on a regular  basis. For instance when I am in class and the teacher is trying to teach but some students are talking in the background I might not be able to properly hear what is being taught, this is a form of external noise. Noise can also be internal though. Many times you can find yourself not paying attention to what someone is saying to you because you start to daydream, sometimes it is because you’re having a problem that day, another example may be that you’re focused on something else at the moment. These are all examples of noise and how they can affect the communication process.Elements of communication can also be something that influences how a person might communicate such as a setting. A setting is where the communication takes place. The setting usually influences how the communication process will go. Monday through Friday I go to class and in each of those classes I speak proper English and avoid using slang because it is a learning environment and a more professional setting. I also eat in the cafeteria with my friends everyday and there I use slang and speak loudly without any kind of structure because it is a more casual setting. These are just some of the ways communication can be affected by setting.The final element of communication is feedback. Feedback is the reactions by the receiver of a sender’s message. All the time when I am with my friends I give them feedback. We are always playing around and telling jokes which cause us to laugh. Laughter is a form of feedback because it is a reaction by the receiver to a message by the sender.