The nature of language and the way it is used often lead to misunderstandings. A classic example is the pilot who, wishing to make a go-around, calls for "takeoff power," and the copilot dutifully takes off power. As illustrated above, misunderstandings stem primarily from three barriers to effective communications.

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Confusion between the symbol and the object symbolized

The English language abounds in words which mean different things to different people. To a farmer, the word "tractor" means the machine that pulls the implements to cultivate the soil; to a trucker, it is the vehicle used to pull a semitrailer; in aviation, a tractor propeller is the opposite of a pusher propeller. Each technical field has its own vocabulary-words which mean something entirely different to a person outside that field, or perhaps mean nothing at all.

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Excessive use of Abstract terms.

Concrete words or terms refer to objects that human beings can experience directly. They specify an idea which can be perceived or a thing which can be visualized. Abstract words, on the other hand, stand for ideas that cannot be directly experienced, things that do not call forth mental images in the minds of the receivers. The word "aircraft" is an abstract word. It does not call to mind a specific aircraft in the imaginations of various students. One may visualize an airplane, another a helicopter, and still another may imagine a blimp. Although the word "airplane" is more specific, the imagination may call up anything from a Cessna 152 to a B747.

Whenever possible, the level of abstraction should be reduced by using concrete and specific terms as much as possible to narrow and gain better control of the image produced in the mind of the listener.
An awareness of the three basic elements of the communicative process-the source, the symbols, and the receiver-indicates the beginning of the understanding required of the successful communicator recognizing the various characteristics of each element and using this recognition as a basis for increased understanding can help an instructor overcome inherent barriers in transmitting ideas and feelings.