Oral communication is fluid and dynamic, and is shaped by both the speaker and the audience. Even in its simplest form, communication is a two-way process in which several things typically happen: 

• You send a message using your voice and nonverbal cues.
• The other person listens, interpreting and personalizing the message, and gives feedback verbally and nonverbally.
• Meanwhile, you are listening to the verbal feedback and attending to the nonverbal cues in order to gauge how your message was received and to understand the other person’s response.

The process is then repeated in the typical flow of conversation.

Communication is of course not limited to just oral communication, but includes, text messages, emails, body language.  The factors in the overall model still apply. This course will focus on the oral communication aspect of process.