Communication

=== Channels ===
For communication to be successful, the message has to travel from the sender to the receiver. The ''channel'' is the way this is accomplished. It is not concerned with the meaning of the message but only with the technical means of how the meaning is conveyed.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Chandler|Munday|2011|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=nLuJz-ZB828C 44]|loc=channels}} | {{harvnb|Fiske|2011|pp=[https://www.routledge.com/Introduction-to-Communication-Studies/Fiske/p/book/9780415596497 17–18]|loc=1. Communication theory}} }}</ref> Channels are often understood in terms of the [[senses]] used to perceive the message, i.e. hearing, seeing, smelling, touching, and tasting.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Chandler|Munday|2011|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=nLuJz-ZB828C 44]|loc=channels}} | {{harvnb|Berlo|1960|pp=63–9}} | {{harvnb|Gill|Adams|1998|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=qhXZU39BVJYC&pg=PA35 35–36]}} }}</ref> But in the widest sense, channels encompass any form of transmission, including technological means like books, cables, radio waves, telephones, or television.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Chandler|Munday|2011|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=nLuJz-ZB828C 44]|loc=channels}} | {{harvnb|Danesi|2013|p=168}} }}</ref> Naturally transmitted messages usually fade rapidly whereas some messages using artificial channels have a much longer lifespan, as in the case of books or sculptures.<ref>{{harvnb|Danesi|2013|p=168}}</ref>

The physical characteristics of a channel have an impact on the code and cues that can be used to express information. For example, typical telephone calls are restricted to the use of verbal language and paralanguage but exclude facial expressions. It is often possible to translate messages from one code into another to make them available to a different channel. An example is writing down a spoken message or expressing it using sign language.<ref>{{harvnb|Fiske|2011|p=[https://www.routledge.com/Introduction-to-Communication-Studies/Fiske/p/book/9780415596497 20]}}</ref>

The transmission of information can occur through multiple channels at once. For example, face-to-face communication often combines the auditory channel to convey verbal information with the visual channel to transmit non-verbal information using gestures and facial expressions. Employing multiple channels can enhance the effectiveness of communication by helping the receiver better understand the subject matter.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Taylor|1962|pp=[https://www.jstor.org/stable/43093688 8–10]}} | {{harvnb|Turkington|Harris|2006|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=ePOh9jzjZqQC&pg=PA140 140]}} | {{harvnb|von Kriegstein|2011|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=pRV1XsOyAc8C&pg=PA683 683]}} }}</ref> The choice of channels often matters since the receiver's ability to understand may vary depending on the chosen channel. For instance, a teacher may decide to present some information orally and other information visually, depending on the content and the student's preferred learning style.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Berlo|1960|p=67}} | {{harvnb|Turkington|Harris|2006|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=ePOh9jzjZqQC&pg=PA140 140]}} }}</ref>