Code and Inferential Models of Communication

Abstract

Communication is the most important characteristic of human social interaction. Thus, two models of communication are discussed; code and inferential models. According to the code model, communication is achieved by encoding and decoding messages. Whereas according to the inferential model, communication is achieved by the communicator providing evidence. Thus, This study makes a comparison between Grice‘s and Sperber and Wilson‘s model of communication in terms of inferential model and context in order to arrive at a better understanding of the nature of human communication and find out which theory can enrich the research of pragmatics, and in the description of communication which term intention, inference, evidence, effect or relevance is more common sensational. The problem is that should the code model and inferential model be amalgamated and if so which inferential theory can be unified with the message model. Consequently, it is hypothesized that the code model and inferential model are not incompatible. They are complementary since they can account for interaction of linguistic meaning and contextual factors in utterance interpretation.