I.

NATURE AND ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

1. Definition

Communication has a symbolic nature and is an act of sharing one’s ideas,

emotions, attitudes, or perceptions with another person or group of persons through
words (spoken or written), gestures, signal, signs or other modes of transmitting
images.

2. The Process of Communication and Effective Communication Process

The process of communication refers to the transmission or passage of

information or messages from the sender through a selected channel to the receiver
overcoming barriers that affect its pace.
The process of communication is a cyclic one as it’s begins with the sender and
ends with the sender in the form of feedback. It takes place upward, downward and
laterally throughout the organization.
The process of communication as such must be continuous and dynamic
interaction, both affecting and being affected by many variables. Communication
process consists of certain steps where each step constitutes the essential of an
effective communication.

3. Communication Models

The sender decides the messages to be transmitted

The sender encodes the messages

The sender selects the appropriate channel of

communication

The receiver receives the message

The receiver decodes the message

The receiver provides the feedback to the sender

 The communication process, however is not as smooth or barrier-free as it seems.
From its transmission to receipt, the message may get interfered or disturbed with at
any stage by many factors which are known as barriers to effective communication.
One of the factors is poor choice of communication method. In addition to a poor
choice of communication method, other barriers to effective communication include
noise and other physical distractions, language problems, and failure to recognize
non-verbal signals.

4. Elements of Communication

1. Sender – the very foundation of communication process is laid by the person

who transmit or sends the message. He is the sender of the message which may
be a thought, idea, a picture, symbol, report or an order and postures and
gestures even a momentary smile.

2. Message – is referred to as the information conveyed by words as in speech and

write-ups, signs, pictures or symbols depending upon the situation and the
nature and importance of information desired to be sent. Message is the heart of
communication.

3. Encoding – is putting the targeted message into appropriate medium which

may be verbal or non-verbal depending upon the situation, time, space, and
nature of the message to be sent.

4. Channel – refers to the way or mode the message flows or is transmitted

through. The message is transmitted over a channel that links the sender with
the receiver.

5. Receiver – is the person or group whom the message is meant for, He may be a
listener, a reader or a viewer. Any negligence on the part of the receiver may
make the communication ineffective.

6. Decoding – refers to interpreting or converting the sent message into intelligible

language. It simply means comprehending the message.

7. Feedback – is the ultimate aspect of communication process. It refers to the

response of the receiver as to the message sent to him/her by the sender.
Feedback is necessary to ensure that the message has been effectively encoded,
sent, decoded and comprehended.

5. Barriers in Communication and Strategies to avoid Communication

Breakdown
 Barriers to effective Communication:
1. Dissatisfaction or disinterest with one’s job
2. Inability to listen others
3. Lack of transparency and trust
4. Communication styles (when they differ)
5. Conflicts in the workplace
6. Cultural differences & language

Strategies to avoid Communication Breakdown

1. Develop communication plan
2. Use the night communication tools
3. Use a collaborative project management tool
4. Develop a culture of communication
5. Be aware of communication weak points
6. Run better meetings
7. Practice ‘deliberate’ communication
F. Verbal & Non-Verbal Communication

Verbal Communication – is perhaps the most obvious and understood ,ode

of communication and it is certainly a powerful tool in communication toolbox.

Types of Verbal Communication:

1. Spoken communication can be a conversation, meeting or even a speech. It
allows for input from every part of the social communication.
2. Written communication.

Non-Verbal Communication – refers to nodding, facial expression, leaning

forward the speaker to show interest – all of those are forms of non-verbal
communication.

Types of non-verbal:
1. Facial expressions – refers happy, sad, angry
2. Gestures – gesture can make your message stronger motioning warmly
toward a person who deserves special recognition, making a fist to show
frustration or anger, such gestures help further engage your audience when
you speak.
3. Proximity – refers how close you are to show audience when you speak
sends a non-verbal message.
4. Touch – shaking an audience member’s hand, putting your hand on his
shoulder this are non-verbal aspect that can affect the success of your
message.
5. Eye contact – making & maintaining eye contact with an audience when
you’re verbally communicating or listening communicates to the other
party that you’re interested & engage in the conversation.
 6. Appearance – your clothing, hair & jewelry are also part of non-verbal
communication.

G. Intercultural Communication – is the study and application of knowledge on

“cultural perceptions and symbol system” of people belonging to different
cultures.
The intended meaning of any message differs when encoded by a person of a
certain culture and decoded by someone of the other. The different meanings of
symbols in different culture also vary making the interpretation difficult.

2 types of intercultural communication:

1. Verbal Communication – which consists of words used to communicate
messages.
2. Nom-Verbal – is gestures that give out messages.

II. FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION

A. Regulation/Control – as a function of communication means being able to use

language, gestures and emotions to manage individual or group activities. It is
also observed if we focus on the verbal & non-verbal cues used by the speaker
to achieve his/her purpose.

1. Verbal Cues – are the specific words chosen & used. The speaker and
listener, when using verbal cues, should be respectful to each other’s culture
as well as of their age, gender, social status & religion. The words are
usually directives, orders, requests, etc., meant to regulate and control other
people’s behavior.
2. Non-verbal Cues – include hand gestures, bodily action (including posture)
vocal tone (paralanguage), and eye contact. The speaker & listener when
exhibiting nonverbal cues should be respectful of each other’s culture as
well as their age, gender, social status & religion. The tone and the bodily
action that accompany the words are authorative and firm.

B. Social Interaction – used to produce social relationships, used to develop

bonds, intimacy, relations, used to express preferences, desires, needs, wants,
decisions, goals and strengths, used for giving information encouragement.

Social interaction takes place in societies all throughout the world. The most
common forms of social interaction are exchange, competition, conflict,
cooperation and accommodation.

C. Motivation – is the third function of communication. This is when the speaker’s

purpose is to persuade or try to persuade another person to change his/her
opinion, attitude or behavior.
 D. Information – communication provides the information individuals and
groups need to make decisions by transmitting the data needed to identify and
evaluate choices. Thus, communication helps to facilitate decision making.

E. Emotional Expression – communication is a fundamental mechanism by

which members of group shows their satisfactions. Communication, therefore
provides for the emotional expression of feelings and fulfillment of social
needs.

III. ORAL TEXT / COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES

Oral Communication – is the process of verbally transmitting information and

ideas from one individual or group to another. Oral communication can be either
formal or informal.

Example:
• Face to face conversations
• Telephone conversations
• Discussions that takes place at business

More formal types of Oral Communications include:

• Presentations at business meetings
• Classroom lectures
• Commencement speeches given at a graduation ceremony

Advantages

There are many situations in which it makes sense to choose oral over written
communication. Oral Communication is more personal and less formal than written.
There is also more flexibility in oral communication, you can discuss different aspects
of an issue and make decisions more quickly than you can in writing.

Disadvantages

Despite the many benefits of oral communications, there are times when
written communications is more effective. For example, you may want to exchange
important information that needs to be documented using written communication. A
lot of transaction in the business world require some type of written record, and you
will find that even strong verbal skills are not a substitute for putting things in writing.
Additionally, oral communication tends to be less detailed and more subject to
misunderstanding than written communication.
IV. COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE STRATEGIES IN VARIOUS
SPEECH SITUATIONS

A. Types of Speech Context

1. Intrapersonal – a type of communication that centers on one person where the

speaker act’s both as the sender and the receiver.

2. Interpersonal – a type of communication between and among people and

establishes personal relationship.

B. Type of Speech Style

1. Frozen Style – also known as fixed speech, it is the highest form of

communicative style which often used in respectful situations or formal
ceremonies like Shakespeareans plays, weddings, funeral, et.

2. Formal Style – uses formal words and expressions and is mostly seen in writing
rather than speaking.

3. Consultative Style – it is basically unplanned speech since the speaker uses

the participation and feedback of the listener.

4. Casual Style – also known as informal style, it is usually used between friends,
or even insiders who have things to share. It is free and easy participation of
both speaker and listener.

5. Intimate Style – used in talks between two very close individuals, described as
economy of words with high chance of nonverbal communication.

C. Type of Communicative Strategy

1. Nomination – presenting a particular topic clearly, truthfully, and saying only

what is relevant.

2. Restriction – constraining the response/reaction within a set of categories.

3. Turn-taking – recognizing when and how to speak because it is one’s turn.

4. Topic Control – keeping the interaction going by asking questions and eliciting
a response.
5. Topic Shifting – introducing a new topic followed by the continuation of that
topic.

6. Repair – overcoming communication breakdown to send more

comprehensible messages.

7. Termination – using verbal and non-verbal signals to end the interaction.

V. TYPES OF SPEECHES

A. According to Purpose

1. Expository / Informative Speech – this speech serves to provide interesting

and useful information to your audience.

Elements of Writing Informative Speech:

a. Knowledge – establish credibility by demonstrating expertise and
knowledge of the subject, conveying information, etc.

b. Key Points – repeat all the key points to ensure maximum knowledge
retention.

c. Interest – conveying the subject with enthusiasm and including unusual

facts or anecdotes about the subject.

2. Persuasive Speech - is written to persuade or convince the listeners of the

validity of the speaker’s argument.

Elements in Writing Persuasive Speech:

a. Credibility – presenting facts, statistics or quotes together with any
personal experiences to make the audience believe in what you are saying.

b. Passion – conveying the subject with enthusiasm, passion and conviction to

appeal to the emotions of the audience.

3. Entertainment Speech – is one whose sole purpose is to have the audience

enjoy the presentation. The purpose of the speech is not to educate, inform or
inspire, it is to make the audience smile, relax, enjoy and may be even laugh
their heads off.

B. According to Delivery
1. Reading from a manuscript – when the speakers writes down every word they
will speak during the speech. When they deliver the speech, they have each
word planned and in front of them on the page. The advantage of using a
manuscript is that the speaker has access to every word they’ve prepared in
advance.

2. Memorized Speech – is also fully prepared in advance and one in which the
speaker does not use any notes.

3. Impromptu Speech – is one for which there is little to no preparation. There is

often not a warning even that the person may be asked to speak. Even under
pressure, you can create a basic speech that follows the formula of an
introduction, body and conclusion.

4. Extemporaneous Speech – the last method of delivery we will look at is the

extemporaneous. When speaking extemporaneously, speakers prepare some
notes in advance that help trigger their memory of what they planned to say.
These notes are often placed on notecards. A 4”x6” notecard or 5”x7” size card
works well.

C. Principles of Effective Speech Writing

1. Choosing the topic – a speech is meant to impart a message to listeners. The

choice of topic may be up to the speaker but more often of not, the speaker is
given the topic because it is the central theme of a program, conference or
presentation. The topic should be timely, meaning in existence at the present
time (unless a historical event is the reason for the gathering). The topic should
be interesting to you (Speaker) so that you will be enthusiastic in preparing and
delivering the speech.

2. Analyzing the audience – before writing down anything about the speech, one
must engage in analyzing the audience. A speech for one occasion cannot
simply be used for another. The audience is one of the major factors that
determine the uniqueness of the speech.

3. Sourcing the information – this involves seeking out all the available means
for finding materials to support the speech. Good sources are newspapers,
magazines, books, journals or any reading materials full of useful information.
Search engines on the internet such as google or yahoo may also be used.

4. Outlining and Organizing the Speech Content – this makes sense of all the
researched conducted. With all the information gathered for the speech topic,
it is quite easy to be overwhelmed. The first step is to sort the information into
 categories: statistics, testimonies and opinions, historical facts, etc. Next is to
organize the speech itself.

Types pf outlines to organized speech:

1. Chronological Outline – a historical/time approach like from the past to
the present.

2. Spatial / Geographical Outline – going from one place to another, from one
direction to another.

3. Cause and effect Outline – involved a discussion of both cause and effect
of an issue.

4. Topical Outline – divides the topic into subtopics based on importance or

interest value or simply because the topic requires it, for topics that do not
fall under any of the previously mentioned outlines.
D. Principles of Effective Speech Delivery
1. Articulation – when the speaker’s words be cannot be understood because of
poor articulation, the speech might as well not have been delivered at all. Word
choice and grammatical correctness are necessary in writing the speech, but it
is articulateness in pronouncing the words and speaking with clear diction that
effectively transmits the message of the speaker.

2. Modulation – there are pleasant sounding voices, quite soothing to the ears,
just as there are unpleasant voices that sound flat, are high pitched, or
screeching. People like to listen to voices that are well-modulated, meaning the
capability to adjust or manipulate the resonance and timbre of the vocal tone.

3. Stage Presence – the ability to “own” the stage of the speaker being able to fill
the space and project his/her personality to the audience – that is stage
presence.

4. Facial Expressions, gestures and movement – the message of any speech is

reinforced, clarified, and complemented by non-verbal communication such as
facial expressions, gestures and movement. Facial expressions should change
with the content of the speech. Gestures should emphasize only certain points.
Movement should allow the speaker to carry the speech around, forward and
to the audience, metaphorically speaking.

5. Audience Rapport – establishing a connection with the listeners in an audience

analysis. One will know how to deliver the messages to the audience and
connect with them at a deeper level.