Carolyn Chan
HUC101.1219
3/20/06
Esseay1
QUIZ 1
Identify the eight essential components of communication; give examples of this model
in your life.
In real life basis, everyone, from one area to another, mainly uses communication
to interact with others. However, only few of them are aware that they are using the eight
essential components of communication. Yes, believe it or not, there are eight essential
components of communication, these are: source, message, interference, channel,
receiver, feedback, environment, and context. These eight components are connected to
each other that enhance people's personal, social and career relationships with others.
Hence, communication won't start by itself, there should be one person to start it
and be the source. Source is the creator of the message, and the one who gives out
information to others. However, being a source is not easy because, source plays four
different roles in communication: determining meanings or understanding the message,
encoding or translate the response in words or physical expression, sending message, and
perceiving and reacting to the message or interpreting the response. In the same manner,
receiver is the individual who analyzes and interprets the message. Moreover, receiver
also has several roles: to receive, attend, interpret and analyze, store and recall, and
response to the message. However, same as source, receiver can be a source, and viseversa. Meanwhile, feedback is the response to a message that the receiver sends to the
source and vise-versa. It determines whether the communication has been receive, and
understood. And also it serves as the control mechanism in the communication process.
For example, I start talking with my friends, whenever I met them in the atrium, and they
are my receiver, and my response and their response is the feedback of the
communication.
Undeniably, communication would not be communication without the other
component of communication. Message is the stimulus that is produced by the source and
the receiver. Words, grammar, organization of thoughts, physical appearance, body
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Carolyn Chan
HUC101.1219
3/20/06
Esseay1
movement, voice, aspects of the person's personality and self-concept, personal style,
environment, and noise help shape the message. Every message that is sending out is
unique, people may see same phrase from a magazine and comic books, but even though
they have the same exact words, the message would still be different. In the same
manner, interference is also important in communication. It is the things that change the
meaning of the intended message. It can be physical and external or internal and
psychological. In spite of having message and interference in the component of
communication, channel is also important. Channel is the route (such as sound waves or
light waves) by which messages flow between sources and receivers. Similarly, without
environment, communication will be dull and boring. Environment is the psychological
and physical surroundings in which communication occurs. It affects the nature and
quality of the communication. It gives attitude, feelings, perception, and relationships to
the communicators. Lastly, context is the circumstances or situation on which
communication occurs. And also it affects what we say and how we say it. For example,
every time I see my friends, we always start a never-ending conversation, talking about
school, and other stuff. However, people walking around and talking out loud often
interrupt our conversation but we never failed to understand and response to what has
been said. Having these eight essential components of communication is very useful for
people. For example, talking with other people some times does not give me any sense at
all, because even though I try to understand the message of what they are saying, but it
just does not make sense for me, plus, the environment is noisy, so it gives me discomfort
communicating with them.
To sum up, using communication gives people more knowledge and information
about other things and bond people from different cultures and perspective about things.
And also, using these eight essential components of communication is important to
everyday life. However, in order to be a good communicator, people should learn how to
apply these eight things every time they communicate with other people.
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