UNIT 1 – BASIC PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION (Bohol, 2020)

What is communication?
There are a number of scholarly ways to define communication— some 126 published
definitions to be exact (Dance & Larson, 1976). For the purpose of this course, we will define
communication, according to Jones (2016), as “the process of generating meaning by sending and
receiving verbal and nonverbal symbols and signs that are influenced by multiple contexts”, which
according to Gamble and Gamble (2009) can also be a “deliberate or accidental transfer of meaning”.

With respect to its etymology, communication is a derived terminology from the Latin words
communis, a noun which means “common” or “sharing”, and communicare a verb which means “to
share” or “to impart”; hence, the words commune, community, communion, and the like. Literally
speaking though, the derivation provides only one-third of the meaning of the word; that is sharing.
The other two-thirds have to do with information and meaning.

To communicate is a need that’s embedded in every individual’s culture. Like everyone’s

culture, it is what we do from the moment we wake up in the morning until we lie down to sleep at
night, without even bothering to think what we have done, sometimes. It is understood that for as long
as our conscious mind is at work, we are in the process of communication. This makes every living
individual a communicator. Whether the process is deliberate or unintentional, it is communication all
the same.

So, how does communication actually occur? What essential elements constitute its
occurrence? What principles define a communication situation? Various scholars have defined
communication in different words. Below are some of the common finds.

Communication: Defined

“Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions, or emotions by two or more persons.”

- W. H. Newman and C. F. Summer

“Communication is the exchange of information at least between two persons with a view to create an
understanding in the mind of the other, whether or not it gives rise to conflict.”
- (Koontz and O’Donnel, 1980)

“Communication is the vehicle which allows humans to recall the past, think in the present, and plan for
the future.”
- (Berko, 2011)

“Communication is the sum of all things a person does when he wants to create an understanding in the
mind of another.”
- (Allen, 2013)

“It is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another. It is essentially a
bridge of meaning between people. By using this bridge of meaning, a person can safely cross the river of
misunderstanding that separates all the people.”
- Keith Davis

In a simple definition, communication is primarily a meaningful exchange of information.

However, as you become more actively involved in the study of communication, it is hoped that you
will appreciate its complexity as a process defined by its essential elements and core principles.

PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL

English 6: Effective Communication for Pre-University Students II
 UNIT 1 – BASIC PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION (Bohol, 2020)

General Principles of Communication

Gamble and Gamble (2009) identified seven core principles that generally define how
communication serves a number of essential functions in our lives and how communication itself, as a
process, is transformed by human interactions and discoveries. Being mindful of the core principles,
according to Gamble and Gamble (2009), can help improve your communication skills. Below is an
excerpt.

7 Core Communication Principles (Gamble and Gamble, 2009)

1. Communication is dynamic. When we call communication a dynamic process, we mean that all its elements
constantly interact with and affect each other.7 Since all people are interconnected, whatever happens to one person
determines in part what happens to others [in a communication situation].
2. Communication is unrepeatable and irreversible. Every human contact you experience is unique. It has never
happened before, and never again will it happen in just the same way. Our interpretation of the adage “You can
never step into the same river twice” is that the experience changes both you and the river forever. Similarly, a
communication encounter affects and changes people so that the encounter can never happen in exactly the same
way again. Thus, communication is both unrepeatable and irreversible.
3. Communication has no opposite. People often assume that communication is purposeful and that we
communicate only because we want to communicate. While this is sometimes true, it is also true that sometimes
we communicate without any awareness of doing so—and just as often even without wanting to. Whenever we are
involved in an interaction, we respond in some way. Even if we choose not to respond verbally, even if we maintain
absolute silence and attempt not to move a muscle, our lack of response is itself a response, constitutes a message,
influences others, and communicates.
4. Communication is affected by culture. […] How we formulate and interpret messages depends on our culture.
Cultural diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender, and age, influences the meanings we attribute to
communication. When …[cultural differences] are ignored or unknown, we are likely to misinterpret the meaning
of messages received and miscalculate the impact of messages sent.
5. Communication is influenced by ethics. Every time we communicate, we decide implicitly or explicitly whether
we will do so ethically. Ethics are the moral principles, values, and beliefs that the members of society use to guide
behavior. Since communication has consequences, it involves judgments of right and wrong. When the agreed-
upon standards of behavior are violated, the behavior is judged unethical.
6. Communication is competence-based. […] If communication can fail, it will.8 The problem we face is
determining how we can prevent communication from failing. One solution is to make wise choices. In certain
situations, some messages are appropriate and okay to say to particular receivers while others are not.

7. Communication is being transformed by media and technology. […] Different channels of communication
affect the way a sender encodes a message and the way a receiver responds to a message. The same words delivered
face-to-face, on paper, or via radio or television do not constitute the same message. The channel of communication
changes things.

7
See, for example, Alan, E. Ivey and James C. Hurse, “Communication as Adaptation,” Journal of Communication, 21 (1971), pp.
199-207. Ivey and Hurse reaffirm that communication is adaptive, like biological evolution—not an end in itself, but a process.
Also see J. F. Nussbaum, ed., Life-Span Communication: Normative Processes. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989.
8
O. Wiio, Wiio’s Laws and Some Others. Espoo, Finland: Welin Goos, 1978.

To apply your understanding of the seven core principles of communication, proceed to engage
in the discussions on the following modules. By accomplishing the communicative tasks in each
module, you will eventually encounter the very concepts of these communication principles. You must
also understand that the principles of communication are not mutually exclusive; that is, some
communication situations can be attributed to one or several communication principles.

References:
Allen, A. (2013). Management and organization: McGraw-Hill Series in Management. Literary Licensing, LLC.
Berko, R., Wolvin, A., Wolvin, D. R., & Aitken, J. E. (2011). Communicating: A social, career, and cultural focus (12th ed.). Routledge.
Dance, F. E. X., & Larson, C. E. (1976). The Functions of Human Communication. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Gamble, T., & Gamble, M. (2009). Communication works (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.
Jones, R. G. (2016) Communication in the real world: An introduction to communication studies. University of Minnesota
Koontz, H., O’Donnell, C., & Weihrich, H. (1980). Management: A systems and contingency analysis of the managerial functions (Management)
(Internat.2r.e. ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL

English 6: Effective Communication for Pre-University Students II