The document discusses theories of communication. It defines communication as the transmission and reception of ideas, feelings, and attitudes between individuals. It states that all living beings communicate, though the methods differ between species. Communication theory proposes that communication occurs through various means like sounds, movements, or visible changes. The document also outlines different frameworks for viewing communication, including mechanistic, psychological, social, systemic, and critical perspectives.

1. Theory of Communication

2.  Imagine a world without communication! You
have a brilliant idea with you but don’t possess the power
of communication. You have a strong desire for
something, but cannot express your desires. Life would
be dull, blank and the world would not be worth living.
Such is the power of communication.
 Communication is the essence of life. It is a
necessity. To express themselves, human beings need to
communicate. An individual has to communicate to
express his feelings, pass on information to the other
human beings and share his thoughts and feelings.
 Do only Human Beings Communicate ?

3.  Plants communicate their need to be taken care of and
watered immediately through visible changes in the
colour of the leaves, and the falling of leaves and flowers.
 Animals communicate by sounds, several movements to
indicate that they are hungry or unwell or need medical
attention.
 Thus the universal law of communication theory says
that all living beings whether they are plants, animals,
human beings communicate through sound, speech,
visible changes, body movements, gestures or in the best
possible way to make the others aware of their thoughts,
feelings, problems, happiness or any other information.

4.  Communication theory was proposed by S. F.
Scudder in the year 1980. It states that all living
beings existing on the planet
communicate although the way of communication
is different.
 In other words communication can be defined as the
transmission and reception of ideas, feelings and
attitudes – verbal and non-verbal – that produce a
response.

5. Communication theory is a theory that deals with
the technology of the transmission of information (as
through the written word or a computer) between
people, people and machines, or machines and
machines.

6. Communication Theory Framework
Let us examine communication and communication theory
through the following viewpoints:
 Mechanistic - The mechanistic view point says that
communication is simply the transmission of
information from the first party to the second party. The
first party being the sender and the second party being
the receiver.
 Psychological - According to the psychological view
point, communication is simply not the flow of
information from the sender to the receiver but actually
the thoughts, feelings of the sender which he tries to
share with the recepients. It also includes the reactions,
feelings of the receiver after he decodes the information.

7.  Social - The social view point considers communication
as a result of interaction between the sender and the
receiver. It simply says that communication is directly
dependent on the content of the speech. “How one
communicates” is the basis of the social view point.
 Systemic - The systemic view point says that
communication is actually a new and a different message
which is created when various individuals interpret it in
their own way and then reinterpret it and draw their own
conclusion.
 Critical - The critical view point says that
communication is simply a way with the help of which an
individual expresses his power and authority among
other individuals.

9.  Listening
Being a good listener is one of the best ways to be a good
communicator. No one likes communicating with someone
who cares only about putting in her two cents and does not
take the time to listen to the other person. If you're not a
good listener, it's going to be hard to comprehend what
you're being asked to do.
 Nonverbal Communication
Your body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and tone
of voice all color the message you are trying to convey. A
relaxed, open stance (arms open, legs relaxed), and a
friendly tone will make you appear approachable and will
encourage others to speak openly with you.

10.  3. Clarity and Concision
Good verbal communication means saying just
enough—don’t talk too much or too little. Try to
convey your message in as few words as possible. Say
what you want clearly and directly, whether you're
speaking to someone in person, on the phone, or via
email. If you ramble on, your listener will either tune
you out or will be unsure of exactly what you want.

11.  Friendliness
 Through a friendly tone, a personal question, or simply a
smile, you will encourage your co-workers to engage in
open and honest communication with you. It's important
to be polite in all your workplace communications.
 This is important in both face-to-face and written
communication. When you can, personalize your emails
to co-workers and/or employees – a quick "I hope you all
had a good weekend" at the start of an email can
personalize a message and make the recipient feel more
appreciated.

12. Confidence
 It is important to be confident in your interactions
with others. Confidence shows your co-workers that
you believe in what you’re saying and will follow
through.
 Exuding confidence can be as simple as making eye
contact or using a firm but friendly tone. Avoid
making statements sound like questions. Of course,
be careful not to sound arrogant or aggressive. Be
sure you are always listening to and empathizing
with the other person.

13.  Empathy
Using phrases as simple as "I understand where you are
coming from" demonstrate that you have been listening to
the other person and respect their opinions. Even when
you disagree with an employer, co-worker, or employee, it
is important for you to understand and respect their point
of view.
Open-Mindedness
 A good communicator should enter into any conversation
with a flexible, open mind. Be open to listening to and
understanding the other person's point of view, rather
than simply getting your message across.
 By being willing to enter into a dialogue, even with
people with whom you disagree, you will be able to have
more honest, productive conversations.

14. Respect
 People will be more open to communicating with you if
you convey respect for them and their ideas. Simple
actions like using a person's name, making eye contact,
and actively listening when a person speaks will make the
person feel appreciated. On the phone, avoid distractions
and stay focused on the conversation.
 Convey respect through email by taking the time to edit
your message. If you send a sloppily written, confusing
email, the recipient will think that you do not respect her
enough to think through your communication with her.

15.  Feedback
 Being able to give and receive feedback appropriately
is an important communication skill. Managers and
supervisors should continuously look for ways to
provide employees with constructive feedback, be it
through email, phone calls, or weekly status updates.
 Similarly, you should be able to accept and even
encourage feedback from others. Listen to the
feedback you are given, ask clarifying questions if
you are unsure of the issue, and make efforts to
implement the feedback.

16. Picking the Right Medium
 An important communication skill is to simply know
what form of communication to use. For example, some
serious conversations (layoffs, resignation, changes in
salary, etc.) are almost always best done in person.
 You should also think about the person with whom you
wish to speak, if they are a very busy person (such as
your boss, perhaps), you might want to convey
your message through email. People will appreciate your
thoughtful means of communication and will be more
likely to respond positively to you.

17. MODE OF COMMUNICATION
 Mode is a term used to describe the way something is
done or experienced. When we use the phrase mode
of communication, we are describing the way
communication is expressed. In other words, we are
discussing the method of communication. There are
three modes of communication:
 Interpersonal communication
 Interpretive communication
 Presentational communication

20. Interpersonal Communication
 Interpersonal communication is a two-way
means of communication that allows the participants
to evaluate and respond to each other. For example,
two people who are speaking and listening to each
other, either in a face-to-face conversation or over
the phone, are participating in interpersonal
communication.

21.  When people converse with each other through
letters, email, text messages, or conversations on
social media, they are also using the interpersonal
mode of communication.

22.  The key characteristic of interpersonal
communication is that it involves a spontaneous
exchange of information: One participant states
information or expresses feelings, and the other
participant listens to what is said and responds
accordingly. Consider an example. Jess expressed
her nervousness about the speech to her classmate.
The classmate listened to what Jess said and then
responded with an encouraging statement.

23.  Interpretive Communication one comprehend
written, oral, or visual communication on a variety of
topics without any active negotiation of meaning. It
engage in this mode by listening to stories, reading
brief text excerpts and viewing images in various
activities, and reading instructions for portfolio act
 One-way communication with no recourse to the
active negotiation of meaning with the writer,
speaker, or producer ivities.

24.  Reader, listener or viewer interprets what the author,
speaker, or producer wants the receiver of the
message to understand
 Interpretation differs from comprehension and
translation in that it implies the ability to read, listen
or view “between the lines,” including understanding
from within the cultural mindset or perspective.

25.  Reading of authentic texts (websites, stories and
other literature, articles, signs)
 Listening to authentic texts (speeches, messages,
songs, radio news, ads)
 Viewing of authentic materials (videos, movies,
presentations, TV shows, commercials, news, plays)

26. Presentational
 One-way communication intended for an audience of
readers, listeners, or viewers
 Presentation of information; not exchange
 No direct opportunity for the active negotiation of
meaning exists
 To ensure the intended audience is successful in its
interpretation, the “presenter” needs knowledge of
the audience’s language and culture

27.  Writing (messages, articles, advertisements, flyers,
brochures, short stories, reports, scripts, Power Point
presentations);
 Speaking (telling a story, giving a speech, TV or
radio news, drama presentations including skits,
presentation to jury)
