In the United Kingdom if one to ask for a rubber, the individual would receive an erasure made of rubber. Across the Atlantic in the United States of America, if one were to ask for a rubber, the individual would receive a rubber condom. Exchange of the same information has produced different results. Hence for a better understanding of what communication stands for it needs to be defined as the process of managing messages with the intention of creating meaning.
Having understood the more realistic meaning of communication, communication competence has more to it then just the ability to exchange information clearly with another individual using a common system of symbols, signs or behaviour. There is an element of a goal in communication, which is sharing of meaning and this has a connection with the thoughts and feelings of another individual. The acceptance that communication is goal driven also suggests that communication is strategic. This understanding of communication provides us with the means for abetter understanding of communication competence, as now it suggests that communication competence is not just communicating with accuracy, clarity, comprehensibility, coherence, expertise, effectiveness and appropriately. Communication competence is better expressed as the situational ability to set attainable and appropriate goals for achievement and to maximise the achievement of these goals through employing strategies of the knowledge of self, others, context, and the elements of communication theory to bring about adaptive communication performances. As communication competence involves competence there is a need for measurement. Communication competence can be measured through the determination of whether the goals of interaction have been achieved and the extent to which they have been achieved. This in my view is the meaning of communication competence (Rueben, 1976).