ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT

LESSON 1: UNIVERSITY OF MAKATI

NATURE AND ELEMENTS OF HIGHER SCHOOL NG UMAK
COMMUNICATION

Time Started : ___________

Time Ended : ___________

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this lesson, the students must be able to:
• explain the functions and nature of communication;
• identify the different elements of communication and describe the process of communication; and
• evaluate the importance of communication.

INTRODUCTION
The word ‘communication’ originated from the Latin word
communis which means working together. It is a simple act that
involves transferring of information from one person to another,
often involving the processes of speaking and listening.
McCornack (2014) defined communication as “the process of
sharing and conveying messages or information from one
person to another within and across channels, contexts, media,
and cultures.”

It may sound simple but communication in actuality is a

complex process. According to the Oxford Dictionary, it is not just
simply the transmission of ideas and feelings but it must include
the element of success in imparting them.

There are many ways in which we practice communication such as having face-to-face interactions, telephone
conversations, and even online exchanges. It is also utilized in many different contexts like classroom discussions,
meetings, job interviews, etc. Therefore, learning about communication and how to effectively engage in it is
essential to our lives.

CORE CONTENT

Nature of Communication
Communication can be characterized by the following:

1. Communication is a dynamic process. It can be described as something that is ever-changing and ever-
moving. It is a process that is constantly changing as there are certain factors (people, situations, events,
language elements, etc.) that may affect its state.

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NATURE AND ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

2. Communication is systemic. It consists of parts and elements that make up its whole. All of these
elements interrelate with one another to make the system work.
3. Communication involves communicators. It involves the speaker and the listener. The speaker is
considered to be the initial source of the information, whereas the listener is the receiver of the message.
However, in a successful communication process, both the speaker and the listener receive and send
messages simultaneously.
4. Communication is irreversible. Its process progresses similar to time—always moving forward. If
something has already been communicated, communicators have no way but to go forward and move
from one moment to the next. And as how the famous adage goes, “you can’t take back words that you’ve
already said.”
5. Communication is proactive. Persons who engage in communication always bring a part of themselves in
the communicative situation. How we interact with one another is influenced by our own physical,
psychological, emotional, and mental makeup.
6. Communication is a symbolic interaction. As humans, we primarily use our language to interact with
one another. Language is made up of symbols which are assigned with many different meanings.
7. In communication, meaning is individually construed. Each and every one of us may interpret what we
see, read, or hear differently. How we assign these meanings is primarily influenced by our own past
experiences, beliefs, attitudes, values, and culture.

The Elements and Process of Communication

Communication is also made up of different parts. These are the different elements that interact with one
another during the communication process:

SPEAKER MESSAGE ENCODING CHANNEL DECODING

LISTENER FEEDBACK CONTEXT BARRIER

The speaker is considered to be the source of the information or the message. A message could be any
piece of information, ideas, thoughts, feelings, and emotions that is conveyed by the speaker. The message then
goes through the process of encoding in which the speaker converts the message into words, actions, or other forms
that the communicators understand. The encoded message is then conveyed through a medium or channel. Is it
going to be relayed through means such as personal or non-personal, verbal or non-verbal?

Once the speaker has decided on how to best transmit the message to the listener or the recipient of the
message, it will go through the process of decoding. The receiver of the message will interpret and make meaning
out of the message that has been relayed by the speaker. In return, the listener provides feedback. This could be
any reaction, response, or information that is supplied by the listener after decoding the message.

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NATURE AND ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

Another thing that we have to consider is the context— the environment or situation wherein communication
takes place. Different contexts require different approaches to communication. Communicators will behave and
respond differently to different communicative contexts.

There are instances, however, wherein communication does not or could not flow as smoothly as
communicators would want it to be. For example, phone conversations could be interrupted by a loss of signal.
Classroom discussions could be disrupted by noises from the outside of the classroom. These factors affecting the
flow of communication are what we refer to as barriers. Effective communication would require you to eventually
navigate through these barriers.

Figure 1. The Communication Process

ACTIVITY
Lights, Camera, TikTok!
Choose a scene from a movie or a television series that showcases the process
of communication. Recreate your chosen scene in a short video. You may use mobile
applications such as TikTok for this activity. Explain the scene by pointing out the
different elements of communication involved. Below is a list of sample videos from
Youtube for your reference.
• TikTok The Vampire Diaries
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfpBIqY7xKU)
• TikTok Rush Hour Video
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXX-h0CyPbY)
• Filipino Movie Lines TikTok Compilation (Drama and Comedy)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXYlyU6DAgA)

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NATURE AND ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

SELF-CHECK
Think of an experience you had wherein you have engaged in communication. Identify and specify the different
elements present in that communicative process by answering the questions below.

1. Who was the sender/speaker and the receiver/listener in that particular communicative situation?
2. What was the message to be communicated or delivered?
3. How did the sender/speaker transmit or deliver the message?
4. Did the receiver/listener understand the message? What evidence supports your answer?
5. Was there feedback from the receiver? How was it relayed to the sender/speaker?
6. Did the communicators experience any barriers during the communication process?

ASSIGNMENT
Why is communication important? Give examples of the significance of communication in our everyday lives.
Discuss your answer in a 3-paragraph essay.

REFERENCES
Bulan, C. T. (2002). Comm 3: Practical Speech Fundamentals (Experimental Edition). Quezon City: College of Arts
and Letters, University of the Philippines.
Oral Communication in Context. (2017). C&E Publishing, Inc.

Images courtesy of Google Image Search

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