The Fundamentals of Professional Communication Unit 2 Chapter

The Fundamentals of Professional Communication Unit 2 Chapter 4 Projects in Professional Communication

Definition of Communication n A process for exchanging ideas and creating meaning. n n Social importance: connecting with others. Meeting, making friends, working together, falling in love. Personal connections = happiness. Academic importance: virtually every aspect of school depends on communication. Professional importance: the better communicator you are, the better you will do your job. Civic importance: freedom and democracy depend on the open exchange of ideas. First Amendment.

Universal Grammar Linguist Noam Chomsky developed a theory that all human brains come equipped at birth with a “universal grammar” which allows a child to understand his or her native language simply by being exposed to it. The human brain appears to be hard-wired with a “language acquisition device” (LAD). When the LAD is short-circuited early on for a long time, the child’s ability to fully communicate can be damaged for life.

Standards for Communication Decisions n Each time you communicate you make four kinds of choices related to your: n Intent – What am I trying to say, and how can I say it most appropriately? n Audience – How is the listener responding to me, and how can I adjust to get a better response? n Situation – Often the best guide for knowing how and what to communicate is where and when it’s taking place. What is the occasion, and what is my role? n Purpose – How can I best communicate in order to accomplish what needs to be done?

Definition of Metacommunication n Communication about communication. n n When you say “just kidding” after saying something you don’t really mean you are commenting on your communication. Metacommunication allows you to think about and discuss communication strategies as you communicate.

A Model of the Communication Process n n n Message: something you want to communicate. Receiver: one for whom a message is intended. Sender: one who communicates a message. Encoding: the process of turning ideas into messages. Decoding: the process of translating communication into meaning. Feedback: the receiver’s response to the sender.

A Model of the Communication Process, continued n n Context: time and place, or situation where the communication occurs. Channel: the means used to transmit a message from the sender to receiver. Examples: television, radio, newspaper, advertisements, social media, school announcements over the P. A. system, emails, phone calls, text messages, and face-to-face conversation. Interference: anything that distorts or creates barriers to communication. Barrier: an obstacle or hindrance to communication.

A Visual Model of the Communication Process Sender Channel Encoding Message Interference Feedback Decoding Barrier Channel Receiver

Example of a Model of the Communication Process Ms. Manning Phone Call Phone signal cuts out for a few seconds. “Hey Mom, the printer needs colored ink so I can print out pictures for my project tonight. ” ~ Oh crap, I forgot my project is due tomorrow… what do I need? ? ? ~ ~ Kira needs to finish her project, that is due tomorrow, when she gets home from school. ~ “Do you have everything you need to finish your English project that is due tomorrow? ” Kira’s phone battery is dead. Kira Text Message

Adapting Language n To try and avoid interference, adapt your language to suit your: n n Audience: Doctor to Doctor vs Doctor to Patient Purpose: Say hello vs warn someone to quickly move before they get hit by something Situation: At a party with friends vs at a party with friends and all of your parents Intent: Being supportive vs correcting mistakes

Characteristics of Communication never stops: Even when you stop talking, you continue communicating with your silence. You can sit in a meeting and say nothing, but you are still communicating. You’re creating meaning as someone interprets your silence as boredom or someone else thinks you’re acting snobbish. Everywhere you turn, meaning is created within you, and you create meaning in others. Communication always changes: It is constantly moving from one thought or topic to another, and it cannot be duplicated. Communication varies: It is a complex process with many elements. Changing just one part of the process changes the communication itself.

Levels of Communication n Intrapersonal communication is communication within ourselves. n Our inner thoughts include words and images. We use our thoughts to create the meaning we want to transfer with our message and to interpret the messages we receive from others. n Other examples are when you make any kind of decision – what to eat or wear. When you think about something – what you want to do on the weekend, when you think about another person or when you write in a private journal. You also communicate with yourself when you dream at night.

Levels of Communication, cont. n Interpersonal communication is communication in which (two or more) people exchange messages. n n Examples include: A conversation between friends. A teacher and student discussing an assignment. A patient and doctor discussing a treatment. A manager and potential employee during an interview. Also occurs in small group discussions and meetings. The largest group that allows for effective interpersonal communication is about 10 - 14 people.

Levels of Communication, cont. n Person-to-group communication is communication in which a speaker addresses a group as one receiver. n Usually called public speaking, examples include: lectures, project reports and speeches.

Levels of Communication, cont. n Mass media is technology that brings a message to many people. n n n Print media such as books and newspapers allow large numbers of people to read the same message. Electronic media, such as radio and TV, send audio and visual messages to millions of people at the same time. The Internet allows a vast audience to not only see a given message but also interact through online forums, web logs (blogs) and videoconferencing.