Communication

Communication works by exchanging information or messages. In very basic terms

1. The sender makes a message, from an idea. This is usually called encoding
2. The sender transmits the message through the medium.
3. The recipient receives the message and decodes it.

Besides the content of the message, there are other things that are important. These are not part of the message itself, but rather of its context

• Who is communicating, and what status does the communicator have?
• Communication messages usually do not come alone, but are accompanied by other messages. These are also interpreted.

For a message exchange to be successful, the sender and the recipient must have agreed on a vocabulary that avoids ambiguity. For example, the word hedge can mean completely different things based on the context. In botany a hedge is a row of shrubs or trees that make a barrier or form a border. In finance, a hedge is an investment made to reduce the risk of another investment. In linguistics a hedge is a word or set of words that make other words less important. Without information it is therefore very difficult to know which hedge is really meant by the speaker.

Key elements of effective communication include clarity, correctness, conciseness, active listening, empathy, feedback, and the appropriate choice of medium or channel.^[1]

• Communication protocol
• Cross-cultural communication
• Dialogue
• Language
• Sign language