Encoding/decoding model of communication

Do you know how you talk to your friends? You use words to tell them what you're thinking or feeling, right? Well, that's kind of like what communication is all about.

When we talk about the encoding/decoding model of communication, we're talking about how information is sent from one person to another. Think of it like a secret message that you want to send to your friend.

First, you have to encode the message. That means you have to put it into words or symbols that your friend can understand. For example, if you want to tell your friend that you're hungry, you might say "I want to eat something" or draw a picture of a sandwich.

Once you've encoded the message, you send it to your friend. They receive the message and then they have to decode it. That means they have to figure out what you meant by the words or symbols you used. So, if you said "I want to eat something," your friend would understand that you're hungry and maybe suggest getting some food.

It's kind of like playing a game of telephone, where you whisper a message to someone and they have to pass it on to the next person. Each person has to encode and decode the message, and sometimes the message can get mixed up along the way.

But as long as we all use the same language and symbols, we can usually understand each other pretty well. And that's the basics of the encoding/decoding model of communication!