IntroductionCommunication is simply known as an act of transferring of message from a particular source to another. According to Walklin “Communication is the process of successfully sharing meaningful information with people by means of an interchange of experience. The word “successfully” implied desired behaviour changes results when the receiver takes the message” (Walklin, 1993). The first major model for communication was introduced by Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver for Bell Laboratories in 1949. Often, communicators blame the audience for not accepting a message, but it is often that the sender, encoding process or channels chosen were not applied correctly. Communication TheoriesVygotsky stated that language as man’s greatest tool is a means for communicating with the outside world. Vygotsky says learning is a necessary and universal aspect in communication for developing cultural and psychological functions.
(Vygotsky, 1978).According to Jean Piaget theory, children enthusiastically partake in creating their own understanding. This is done by means of observation, physical activities such as games, both indoor and outdoor and interaction with other people. Piaget observed that cognitive development from baby to young adult occurs in four consecutive stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations.
Piaget propose the rate at which children pass through these cognitive stages may vary, but they eventually pass through all of them in the same order.Models of CommunicationModels of communication simplify the process by providing a visual representation of the various aspects of a communication encounter. Some models explain communication in more detail than others, but even the most complex model still doesn’t recreate what we experience in even a moment of a communication encounter. Wilbur Schramm’s communication model described communication as a process in which participants alternate positions as sender (encoder) and receiver (decoder) generate meaning by sending messages and receiving feedback within physical and psychological context. This invariably means that communication process actually starts somewhere and ends somewhere, (Schramm .W.
1954) Source: (Communication in the real world 2013)Shannon and Weaver communication modelThe model also known as information model is designed to develop an effective communication relationship between the sender and the receiver. The model involved the breaking down information system into sub-system which evaluates the efficiency of all the communication channels and codes. The major drawback of the model is that, communication is looked as one-way process, which is later remedied by the addition of feedback loop. He stated the factors which affects effective transmission of communication process is called ” Noise”. Source: (Mcquail and Windahl, 1993)Aristotle’s Communication ModelAristotle viewed communication is a means of persuasion to influence the other so that the desired effect is achieved. He pointed that the person at the end of the communication plays the key roles as whether or not communication has taken place. Source: cynthia ezemeIn conclusion, achieving two-way communications with pupils is not straightforward because barriers can often present themselves.
It is crucial that a tutor can identify barriers and help learners overcome them. With the diversity present in total classrooms, its important for teachers to be sensitive to their student’s cultural background and language and ensure that communication is effective, and the learners fully understood the message.
