Core Elements of Communication and Language Functions

Essential Elements of the Communication Process

Source: Also known as an encoder, source, or sender, this is the entity that creates the message or takes the initiative to send it. This can be an individual or a collective group.

Receiver: Also known as the decoder, the receiver gets the message and can subsequently become a sender by responding. This can be an individual or collective, such as a listener or reader.

Message: This is the content of the information transmitted. More specifically, it is the set of signs—whether well-organized or not, clear or unclear—that the sender transmits to the receiver.

Code: This is the verbal or nonverbal language used. It is a set of signs and rules for combining those signs, which both the sender and receiver must know well to communicate effectively.

Channel: This is the concrete medium that enables the transmission of the message.

• Visual channel: Drawings, still or animated images, writing, etc.
• Sound channel: Speech, music, noise, etc.

Referent (Context): This is the context, the situation, and the objects to which the message refers. It is the concrete situation or the actual realization of the message.

Understanding Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct Speech

The character speaks directly without the interference of the narrator; i.e., there is a full record of the character's speech. This speech is marked by the first person and can be presented in two ways: using colons and dashes (on a new line) or colons and quotation marks (on the same line).

Indirect Speech

The speech of the character is registered through the narrator. In this mode, the narrator talks about the character, and the character's way of speaking is filtered through the narrator since there are no linguistic variations. In this type of discourse, the character is subordinated to the narrator, and the speech is marked by the third person.

The Six Functions of Language

• Emotive or Expressive Function: Centered on the sender and the first person. Example: "How happy I am today!"
• Conative or Appealing Function: Centered on the receiver and the second person (you). Examples: "Drink Coca-Cola" or "If I were you, I would wear Havaianas."
• Poetic Function: Centered on the message itself, focusing on its form and aesthetic.
• Metalinguistic Function: Focused on the code. Example: "What does the word 'television' mean? This is a hybrid word because..."
• Phatic Function: Centered on the channel or simply on maintaining contact. Example: "Hello, hello, Martian, here is the speaker from Earth."
• Referential or Informative Function: Centered on the subject or referent. Example: "The Sun is the center of our planetary system."