Communication is the transmission of thoughts in the form of information from one person to another, using common symbols, signs or behaviours (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2009). The most common form of communication is verbal communication which is basically the translation of thoughts to words which can be understood and translated into meaning by both parties (Recanatti, 2004). Words are translated differently by different people depending on their different cultures and languages which can be a communication barrier between communicators of different origins. This basically means that for messages to get across from sender to receiver and be decoded accurately the language and signs used should be common to both or the process of communication will be interrupted and then result in ineffective verbal communication. This essay will attempt to discuss vagueness as a form of ineffective communication and how it can be interpreted to a different meaning affecting comprehension by the receiver because of ambiguity, illogical flow and abstract language.
1. VAGUENESS
In communication vagueness is when someone sends an unclear message with a different concept in mind (thinking or communicating in an unfocused or imprecise way). This inability to communicate accurately then results in ineffective communication because the receiver is then forced to make up his or her own concept which is usually not the one the sender had in mind. However in everyday speech vagueness is mostly inevitable (Barnlund, 2008). For example, a father is busy putting together his very important presentation that is due the next day then walks in his son asking if he could go out to a friend’s party the following Friday and he just says “no”. Disappointed and upset his son stomps out of the room. In his mind he wasn’t saying “no he can’t go”. He knew he was taking his wife out for the weekend so there would be no one to look after his little sister and had no time to explain