Most of the people never think much about what communication really is. If you have thought about it, probably you have viewed communication as a very normal human activity. This assumption is far from correct.
Human communication- at least the verbal part of it – is far from being a natural function; that is, it is not the sort of thing we would do if left to nature’s devices, as we would many of our other activities. Our hands, for example, would perform their natural functions of picking up and handling things whether we grew up with jungle animal or with civilized people. Likewise, our mouth would take in food and our teeth and jaws would chew it in either event. And most of our other body parts would function naturally without instruction from other human beings. However, we cannot say the same about the major organs used in communication. Our vocal apparatus would not make words if we were not taught to make them. Neither would our brains know them nor do our hands write them without instruction. Clearly communication is a function that we must learn. it was organized by human beings, and it must be acquired from human beings.
THE COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT
Study of the communication preceded logically is preceded by an analysis of the environment in which communication occurs. This is the sensory environment, in which we find ourselves throughout every waking moment. it is made up of all the signs existing in the world of reality hat surrounds each of us. Your sensory environment is the real world surrounding you as you read these words. it consists of all the signs your senses can detect. More specifically, it is all you can see, taste, smell, hear, or fell in that part of the world surrounds you.
SIGN DETECTION
Our sensory receptors continuously pick up some of the infinite number of signs existing in our communication environment. Stated another way, the signs around us continuously produce responses within us through our receptors.
At this very moment, you are looking at this page. On it are words (signs) that your eyes are picking up. We hope that these are the primary signs you are receiving, but there are others. Probably you are picking some of them from time to time. Perhaps there are various noises around you – voices from another room, the ticking of a clock, a radio playing in the distance, someone’s movements and sounds. From time to time you may become aware of being hot or cold, or your back may itch, or your sitting position may become uncomfortable. Thus, as you read these pages your sensory receptors are continuously picking up signs from all these parts of the reality that surrounds you.
A MODEL OF THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
EXPLANATIONS:
1. This area represents our communication environment. It is all the signs that exist in the real world surrounding us.
2. Our sensory receptors pick up some of the signs and symbols.
3. Those signs that are picked up go through our nervous systems and into our mental filters.
4. Our mental filters give the signs meaning. The meanings received add to the filters’ content.
5. Sometimes the meanings we form trigger communication responses.
6. We form these responses through our mental filters.
7. We send our responses as word symbols (speaking, writing) and nonverbal symbols (gestures, facial expressions. etc.).
8. These symbols become part of others’ communication environments. Here they may be picked up by others’ sensory receptors, and another cycle begins.