What is communication?

Communication is generally considered as the exchange of thoughts and emotions between people. 

It is a mutual, dynamic process of interaction based on the exchange of messages. Established  communication is the exchange of information, thoughts and emotions.  

Communication in general is an interaction process that provides mutual communication of emotions  and thoughts between individuals, groups, institutions and societies through symbols such as words,  scripts, images, hand gestures. The most general definition of communication is the ability to express oneself to others and to understand others. Communication is sharing.  

In this way, people can share their emotions, thoughts, knowledge and skills with others and reach an  agreement with them. Just sending or receiving a message is not enough for communication to occur.  Besides a two-way message exchange, the messages sent and received must also be related to each  other. 

3.2 Types of communication 

The art of Communication is one of the most important characteristics of human beings. As a meaning producing being, a human wants to share the meanings he creates with other people. It is possible by  using various tools while sharing personal wishes, emotions and thoughts.  

Communication types are classified in various ways. 

Types of communication include: 

 • In-One’s self 

 • Interpersonal  

 • Organizational 

 • Mass Communication 

The types of communication according to the vehicle are: 

 • Verbal 

 • Nonverbal 

 • Written 

Types of communication by Visual Context 

• In One’s Self Communication 

• In addition to communicating with others, a person establishes the main communication within  one’s self. In this type of communication, it is possible to have a similar communication of  interpersonal type, within the same person. This type of communication aims to comprehend  one’s self, own emotions and thoughts.  

Interpersonal Communication 

Interpersonal communication is a type of communication in which target and source are created by  people and all the components of communication take place in the process. In this type of  communication, there are all the fundamental components of communication: source (encoder),  receiver (decoder), encoding, decoding, vehicle, message, noise and feedback. Interpersonal  communication – with two or more people – is the most common interpersonal communication in daily life: it can be face-to-face as well as by phone or letter. It is essential for a healthy communication that  the “source” and the “receiver” have the same perception of symbols and understanding of meanings  that they attribute to the words. 

Organizational Communication 

A healthy communication in organizations is vitally important. A good communication and healthy  information flow – in the organization – ensures both the strength and the permanency of the institution. 

Mass Communication 

When it comes to convey a message – or group of messages – to the society, the audience, the countries,  the tools used for this are the so called “mass media”. 

“The term mass communication denotes institutionalized forms of production and distribution of messages  to the public: a broadly functioning mass communication involves a large division of labor and complex  media such as printing, film, tape recording and photography”. 

Communication Types by Means of Communication 

One of the criteria used to classify communication types is the used tool. The medium is an important  factor that determines the nature of communication. The technological devices used in the  communication process show which sense organ the communication is directed to. 

Verbal Communication 

Humans create and set value, produce and construct meaning and knowledge, but in addition they are  also speaking beings. Speech consists of sounds, while written language consists of letters that are  symbols of these sounds. When the common sounds in the spoken language pass into the written  language, they turn into common signs and symbols describing these sounds. The person who stores  the concepts related to the object, event and fact in his memory uses the corresponding vocal signs and  symbols.  

Verbal communication effectiveness depends on the extent of the vocabulary of people in  communication and the level of knowledge, skills and abilities related to spoken and written language. 

Nonverbal Communication 

Before developing oral agreement, people agreed with body language. 

Body language has been the first means of communication and the first language of people. With body  language, people shared their emotions, thoughts, wishes, needs and mental states with other people.  Non-verbal communication or body language communication is more effective than verbal  communication. Distance, body posture, facial expressions, eyes, hand gestures, physical contact,  clothes, tone of voice, accents, silences and the meanings attributed to them, few eye contacts during  communication, or to turn face away, makes more sense than many words. It is possible because body  language is much easier to understand than words. 

Literary Communication 

Written communication is the transmission of the message in a written form, again with symbols. To be  able to communicate, one must have the ability to read, write and understand what is written. This type  of communication may be interpersonal such as letter, card, invitation, telegram, fax, short message, e mail; there may also be in-house written communication forms required by business life. This kind of  communication is widely used in professional life and government institutions, institutionalized private  business life and non-governmental organizations. 

Visual Communication 

Visual communication constitutes an intensive and effective area of use in all dimensions of  communication. Although speech and writing have an important place in communication, human beings  have always focused more on what their eyes see. The eye has a very important place in human  communication. Saying cameras, video cameras, televisions and computers that can physically imitate  the eye, a great technological development process has been emerged over time in the field of visual  communication, and multimedia systems have been reached where the image is placed next to the  sound. From the simplest level of interpersonal communication to mass communication, from  international communication to global communication, visuality has become effective in every field. 

Visual Communication Tools Are Body Language, Clothing, Space, Art and Media. 

One of the most important sense organs of human is the eye. Thanks to vision, people can recognize  their environment better and more easily, and can penetrate into their environment and the world. The  world today, especially with the development of technology, is dominated by visual culture and visual  communication as the carrier of this culture.