RIZAL COLLEGE OF TAAL

Taal, Batangas

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT

Quarter 1 – Module 3:
Strategies to Avoid Communication
Breakdown

SELF – LEARNING MODULE

Oral Communication in Context

Quarter 1- Module 3: Strategies to Avoid Communication Breakdown

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Subject Teachers: Mrs. Katherine A. Falible

Ms. Marjorie H. Atienza
Assistant Principal: Ms. Jerlyn V. Lopez
Principal: Mrs. Jacqueline T. Mortel, Ed.D
Office Address: Calle G. Marella, St. Taal,
Batangas

For the Learners

Welcome to the Oral Communication in Context Self-Learning Module (SLM) on

Strategies to Avoid Communication Breakdown.

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts:

Objectives: This will give you an idea of the skills or competencies you are expected to learn
in the module.

Motivation: This part includes an activity that aims to check what you already know about
the lesson to take. It also includes a brief drill or review to help you link the
current lesson with the previous one.

Instruction: This section provides a brief discussion of the lesson. This aims to help you
discover and understand new concepts and skills.

Practice: This comprises activities for independent practice to solidify your understanding
and skills of the topic.

Enrichment: In this portion, another activity will be given to you to enrich your knowledge or
skill of the lesson learned. This also tends retention of learned concepts.

Evaluation: This is a task which aims to evaluate your level of mastery in achieving the
learning competency.
 OBJECTIVES

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

1.Identify the barriers of communication.

2.Identify the different strategies to effective communication.
3. Explain the reasons behind communication breakdown.
4. Apply various strategies to solve a communication breakdown.

MOTIVATION“ Picture Analysis

Look at the image and answer the given questions.

1. What have you observed in the image?

2. Who is the speaker? Who is the receiver?

3. Do you think they have understood each other? Explain your answer.

4. What factors are present in the image that hinders the smooth flow of communication between the
sender and the receiver?
 INSTRUCTION
Strategies to Overcome Communication Barriers

Communication problems happen when we mix socially with others and even in organizations where
barriers of communication mostly experienced by the people involved in interpersonal communications. They
make mistakes as either they were not able to understand the facts or information is not properly conveyed to
them.

Effective communication becomes impossible or unattainable due to these communication barriers.

However, there are various strategies to avoid communication barriers. The strategies are intended to
promote active listening, or a type of listening with the goal to “develop a clear understanding of the speaker’s
concern and also to clearly communicate the listener’s interest in the speaker’s message.

Communication is never simple, even when it appears so. Even a simple word can often become
complex as there are many variables involved. There are different ways of communication which made it
complicated. Words do not necessarily have a built-in meaning. We ordinarily use them in certain ways, but no
two people use the same word exactly alike. That is why, it is important to express words as clearly as
possible. Communication is not just about exchanging information, but it is about understanding the
sentiment and purpose behind the information given.

Communication breakdown/barrier occurs if there is a wrong perception by the receiver. Let us now
be familiar with the following barriers to effective communication:

1.Emotional barriers are mental walls that keep you from openly communicating your thoughts and feelings
to others.

2. Cultural barriers are the cultural differences of the people that lead to misunderstanding of each other's
customs, resulting in inconveniences and difficulties.

3. Gender barriers are disagreements between men and women that affect many aspects of their relationship
and may take a long time to resolve.

4. Interpersonal barriers are challenges in interpersonal communication that result in people's desires to
participate within a conversation or explore ideas that are given within a conversation.

5. Language barriers are figurative phrases used primarily to refer to linguistic barriers to communication, i.e.
the difficulties in communication experienced by people or groups originally speaking different languages, or
even dialects in some cases.

6. Perceptual barriers are the mental blocks that we create because of the perceptions that we have of certain
people, situations or events around us.

7. Physical barriers are the environmental and natural condition that acts as a barrier in communication in
sending message from sender to receiver.
  Let us discuss some coping strategies in overcoming communication breakdown. How do we avoid
the communication breakdown? Let us consider the following strategies:

1. Plan your message. Try to state the idea in a clear, concise way using language that is
understandable. Stop once your point has been made and ask your listeners for the reactions to ensure
that they have understood you accurately.

2. Repetition. As a speaker, repeat what you say if you think the receiver shows confusion that reflects
into her facial expression.

3. Paraphrase. If you don’t have any specific questions to ask, you may choose to repeat back to the
speaker, in your own words, what you have taken away, in order to allow the speaker to clarify any
points.

4. Ask a question. Use questions to clarify your understanding, as well as to demonstrate interest in
what is being said.

5. Listening intently. Listen for the essence of the speaker’s thoughts: details, major ideas and their
meanings.

6. Eliminate distractions. Whether you’re communicating in person or via email, make sure you’re in a
quiet environment (without any music, external noise, your colleagues even!) to decipher the message
accurately and really listen to what the other party is trying to say.

7. Be considerate. Do not monopolize the conversation by giving others the chance to speak.

8. Be concise. Messages that are short and ‘to-the-point’ are comprehended more easily.

9. Pay attention to what is being said. Stay focus to what the speaker is saying.

10. Be empathetic. You need not be drawn into all of their problems or issues, as long as you
acknowledge what they are experiencing.

There are 7 C’s applicable for both oral and written communication. One should be aware of the 7 C’s
of effective communication in order to deliver and understand the message effectively.

7 C’s of Communication

1. Completeness
Complete communication is essential to the quality of the communication process in general. Hence,
communication should include everything that the receiver needs to hear for him/ her to respond, react, or
evaluate properly.

2. Conciseness
Conciseness does not mean keeping the message short, but making it direct or straight to the point.
Insignificant or redundant information should be eliminated from the communication that will be sent to the
recipient.
 3. Consideration
To be effective, the speaker should always consider relevant information about his/her receiver
such as mood, background, race, preference, education, status, and needs, among others. By doing so,
he/she can easily build rapport with the audience.

4. Concreteness
Effective communication happens when the message is concrete and supported by facts,
figures, and real-life examples and situations. In this case, the receiver is more connected to the
message conveyed.

5. Clarity
It implies emphasizing on a specific message or goal at a time.

6. Courtesy
The speaker shows courtesy in communication by respecting the culture, values, and beliefs of
his/her receivers. Being courteous at all times creates a positive impact on the audience.

7. Correctness
Correctness in grammar eliminates negative impact on the audience and increases the credibility and
effectiveness of the message.

Effective communication is a two-way channel. It is not only about how you deliver the message effectively
in order to be understood by someone, but it is also how you listen and understand the meaning of what is
being said to make the other person feel, heard and understood. If you failed to do so, this will create a real
blockage to understanding.

PRACTICE

Activity 1 Guess what!

Identify the strategies being described in each number.

_________________1. You do not monopolize the conversation by talking only about yourself.

_________________2. You find it hard to concentrate because of the noise coming from the other room. So,
you move to a more convenient place to talk.

_________________3. You take time to think about how others feel and be aware of the people around us
while still asserting our needs.

_________________4. Use open-ended questions to get others more involved in the conversation.

_________________5. You need to repeat what you say if you see the receiver’s facial expression shows a
little confusion.

A. Activity 2 True or false

 Write T before the number if the statement is true and F if the statement is False. Write your answer on
the space provided before the number.

____________1. Use simple words and phrases that are understood by everybody.

____________2. It is okay to interrupt the speaker once you have a question or clarification about what is
being tackled by the speaker.

____________3. Always pay undivided attention to the speaker while listening.

____________4. While listening, you can glance here and there as long as you are in front of the speaker.

____________5. Always ask for a clarification if you have failed to grasp others’ point of view.

____________6. Do not instantly react and mutter something in anger.

____________7. When you talk to others, you should not assume too quickly that they understand the
message that you convey.

____________8. You can freely use technical terms and terminologies to the majority of people.

____________9. When you communicate, choose what you want to say and how you want to say it.

____________10. Verbal communication is better than non-verbal communication.

ENRICHMENT Finding solution to the problem!

Read the given situations below. Identify the barriers to effective communication present in each
situation. Give also your solution to avoid such barrier.

Situation Barrier Solution

1. While you are having a class discussion with

your teacher inside the classroom, a group of
students yelled in the hallway.

2. Pedro is a SHS student with high vocabulary

and linguistic ability talks to Jose with low
ability. Jose could not understand the words
used by Pedro that leads to miscommunication
of whole message.

3. You could not concentrate in listening to your

teacher’s discussion because you are
disappointed with your score on the test.
 EVALUATION

Recall a misunderstanding, a quarrel, or a fight between you and another person

(friend, sibling, parent, or relative). Analyze why it happened. Then recall how the problem was resolved.

____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________.

Rubric for the written output:

CRITERIA Points
5 4 3 2
Content The The explanation is The explanation is The
explanation is substantial a little substantial explanation is
very not
substantial substantial

Use of language The words The words used The words used The words
used are very are suitable to the are a little used are not
suitable to the situations. suitable to the suitable to the
situations. situations. situations.

Achievement of There is a very There is a clear There is a vague There is a

purpose clear understanding and understanding confusion in
understanding application of the and application of understandin
and concept the concept g and
application of application of
the concept the concept

Total Rating

ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT

ANSWER SHEET
NAME:
STRAND & SECTION:
Rubric for the written output: