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The communication process can be broken down into a series of eight essential components, each of which serves an integral function in the overall process:
1. Source
2. Message
3. Channel
4. Receiver
5. Feedback
6. Environment
7. Context
8. Interference
Source
The source imagines, creates, and sends the message. The source encodes the message by choosing just the right order or the best words to convey the intended meaning, and presents or sends the information to the audience (receiver). By watching for the audienceās reaction, the source perceives how well they received the message and responds with clarification or supporting information.
Message
āThe message is the stimulus or meaning produced by the source for the receiver or audienceā (McLean, 2005). The message brings together words to convey meaning, but is also about how itās conveyed — through nonverbal cues, organization, grammar, style, and other elements.
Channel
āThe channel is the way in which a message or messages travel between source and receiver.ā (McLean, 2005). Spoken channels include face-to-face conversations, speeches, phone conversations and voicemail messages, radio, public address systems, and Skype. Written channels include letters, memorandums, purchase orders, invoices, newspaper and magazine articles, blogs, email, text messages, tweets, and so forth.
Receiver
āThe receiver receives the message from the source, analyzing and interpreting the message in ways both intended and unintended by the sourceā (McLean, 2005).
Feedback
When you respond to the source, intentionally or unintentionally, you are giving feedback. Feedback is composed of messages the receiver sends back to the source. Verbal or nonverbal, all these feedback signals allow the source to see how well, how accurately (or how poorly and inaccurately) the message was received (Leavitt & Mueller, 1951).
Environment
āThe environment is the atmosphere, physical and psychological, where you send and receive messages” (McLean, 2005). Surroundings, people, animals, technology, can all influence your communication.
Context
āThe context of the communication interaction involves the setting, scene, and expectations of the individuals involvedā (McLean, 2005). A professional communication context may involve business suits (environmental cues) that directly or indirectly influence expectations of language and behaviour among the participants.
Interference
Interference, also called noise, can come from any source. āInterference is anything that blocks or changes the sourceās intended meaning of the messageā (McLean, 2005). This can be external or internal/psychological. Noise interferes with normal encoding and decoding of the message carried by the channel between source and receiver.