PEL201-Advanced English

Communication Skills
Lectures 7 & 8-
Identifying and overcoming barriers of Communication skills
Identify the meaning of “Can’t judge a book by its cover.”

(A) It is easier to read a book than to protect the pages.

(B) It is hard to tell how something is simply from its outward appearance.
(C) A book’s ending can’t always be guessed by how it begins.
(D) It takes a long time to really know someone.
Identify the meaning of “Can’t judge a book by its cover.”

(A) It is easier to read a book than to protect the pages.

(B) It is hard to tell how something is simply from its outward appearance.
(C) A book’s ending can’t always be guessed by how it begins.
(D) It takes a long time to really know someone.
Martin put a lot of his money into high-risk investments and suffered
considerable losses when some of them failed; still, if you play with fire,
…………..
a. You win
b. You get burnt
c. You get hurt
Martin put a lot of his money into high-risk investments and suffered
considerable losses when some of them failed; still, if you play with fire,
…………..
a. You win
b. You get burnt
c. You get hurt
 COMMUNICATION IS THE ART OF TRANSMITTING
KNOWLEDGE, IDEAS, INFORMATION AND THOUGHTS
FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER.

THE TRANSFER SHOULD BE SUCH THAT

THE RECIEVER UNDERSTANDS
THE MEANING AND THE INTENT OF THE
MESSAGE
AND GIVE PROPER FEEDBACK
 ★★★ IMPORTANCE ★★★

• Necessary for planning

• Understanding each
• other leadership
• Establishment of
• effective
• Increases Efficiency
Smooth Working of Enterprise
• Basis of Decision-making
Motivation
• Co-ordination
 Identifying barriers
Communication is about overcoming barriers.

State all the barriers

that you can think of
that impact on your
day-to-day
communication.
 YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ox5LhIJSBE&feature=emb_logo
1. A young woman whose face is veiled (we’ll call her Woman #1)
tries to talk to another young woman (Woman #2) at the subway
ticket machine. Woman #1 is ignored by Woman #2 despite trying to
get Woman #2’s attention.

Which type of barrier is it?

• BARRIER APPEARS TO BE ATTITUDINAL.
• Advice: Don’t jump to conclusions
2. When the Woman #2 purchases a ticket but does not respond to
Woman #1, Woman #1 says angrily, “Hey I’m a human being! If you
don’t want to help, at least say so!”
• THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE BARRIER IS AN ATTITUDE
PROBLEM COMES FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES THAT
PROVED THIS TO BE TRUE. WOMAN #1 BECAME ANGRY
QUICKLY LIKELY BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN IGNORED IN THE
PAST WHEN SHE APPROACHED OTHERS WHILE WEARING A
VEIL.
Advice: When people misjudge you, it can come from a history of
negative incidents from their personal experience. Instead of taking
these reactions personally, get curious and see if you can find out some
more information to help increase your understanding.
• 3. Woman #2 takes out a device that says, “Hello I am deaf, thank you
for your consideration.”
• IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT THE BARRIER IS PHYSIOLOGICAL
BECAUSE WOMAN #2 IS DEAF. THE ORIGINAL ASSUMPTION
WAS WRONG.
• Advice: Consider each experience as its own, separate incident. This
way people and their behaviour do not get all lumped into the same
category.
4. Woman #2 types into the device, “Usually I read lips to understand
people.” Woman #1 realizes that her veil is stopping Woman #2 from
reading her lips.
• PHYSICAL BARRIER OF THE VEIL STOPS THE HEARING
IMPAIRED WOMAN FROM USING HER USUAL
COMMUNICATION TOOLS.
Advice: Something you may be doing out of principle or belief could be
a barrier to others without you realizing it. Consider how to work
around it.
5. Woman #2 invites Woman #1 to type into the device so they can
communicate. Just then the train passes by and the device only records a
blurred sound.
• TOOL DOESN’T WORK IN NOISY ENVIRONMENTS – BARRIER IS
ENVIRONMENTAL.
Advice: Consider the environment for communication and make
adjustments where possible to improve communication options (ie.
Move to a quieter place?)
• 6. They try again – but the device is out of power
• SYSTEM PROBLEM.
Advice:Before starting your day, check your systems and devices so
they can sustain you throughout the journey.
• 7. Woman #1 tries to show Woman #2 where she wants to go on the
subway map, but Woman #1 is simply too short to reach it.
• ENVIRONMENTAL/PHYSICAL BARRIER.
Advice: When you notice something is not working with a system,
consider how it could be modified to be more accessible.
• 8. The two women use hand gestures to communicate, and Woman #1
is able to explain using gestures that she wants to go to Happy Valley.
• USE NON-VERBAL TECHNIQUES LIKE GESTURES AND
SIGNALS.
Advice: Be flexible in your communication with others. If one method
doesn’t work, try something different. Consider the role of non-verbal
communication.
9. It turns out that both women are going to Happy Valley. When
Woman #2 shows her ticket, both women shake hands because they
have just solved the problem.
• WHEN COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE,
NOTICE THE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
Advice: Taking a small moment to acknowledge that your
communication efforts have achieved a desirable outcome can help you
form a more positive overall view of communication AND of the people
you have been communicating with.
10. Just then the train both women need to take leaves without them.
• SYSTEM BARRIER.
Advice: Irony exists. Just because a solution seems to have been found,
that solution may not be an effective one. Avoid disappointment by
realizing that if one solution does not work out, another will come that
will work out, it just hasn’t come yet.
11. Woman #2 becomes frustrated and angry. Woman #1 feels bad about
it.
• ATTITUDINAL BARRIER.
Advice: Helping others may not always be beneficial to you. That isn’t
their problem and blaming others for your lack of benefit doesn’t help
either of you. Get over it and move on!
12. As if to add more stress to the situation, an announcement on the
subway speaker says, “Line four is delayed for one hour.”
• SYSTEM DESIGN/ENVIRONMENTAL BARRIER.
Advice: Chalk it up to your tuition fee for a life lesson on patience.
Move on.
You’re smarter than you think!
• Let’s recap. Can you name the barriers to communication? See how many you
remember.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
 BARRIERS
There are three levels at which communication takes place
1. Noticing is done with the senses, and is at the physical level
2. Understanding is at the level of intelligence
3. Acceptance is at the emotional level

Anything that hinders the process of communication at any of

these levels is a barrier to communication

Barriers to communication can be defined as the aspects or

conditions that interfere with effective exchange of ideas or
thoughts.
CLASSIFICATION OF BARRIERS

PHYSICAL BARRIERS

SEMANTIC AND LANGUAGE BARRIERS

SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS

ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS

CROSS-CULTURAL BARRIERS
PHYSICAL BARRIERS
 Faulty Organizational Structure

• Large working area

• Closed office doors
• Separate areas for people of different status
• It forbids team member from effective interaction
with each other.
 Noise

• Physical noise (outside disturbance)

• Psychological noise (inattentiveness)
• Written noise (bad handwriting/typing)
• Visual noise (late arrival of employees)
1. Which of these is the external sounds present in the channels of
communication?
a) Noise
b) Semantic problems
c) Cultural barriers
d) Over communication
1. Which of these is the external sounds present in the channels of
communication?
a) Noise
b) Semantic problems
c) Cultural barriers
d) Over communication
 Time and Distance

• Improper Time
• Defects in Medium of communication
• Network Facilities
• Mechanical Breakdowns
 Information Overload

• Piling up of tasks due to improper time management.

• Excess number of people assigned for same task
• Work overload/Information duplication.
SEMANTIC & LANGUAGE
BARRIERS

Those who speak do not know

Those who know do not speak
- Random Japanese Guy
 SEMANTICS

• What do you mean by SEMANTICS?

• Why is SEMANTICS required?

• When does SEMANTIC BARRIER arises?

 SIMILAR SOUNDING WORDS

These words are known as Homophones

Pronunciation
Spelling
Meaning
Examples:
• pale/pail
• alter/altar
• buy/bye/by
• rain/reign
 WORDS HAVE MULTIPLE
PRONUNCIATIONS
These words are known as Homographs
Spelling
Pronunciation
Meaning

Examples
• The bandage was wound around the wound.
• We must polish the Polish furniture.
• He could lead if he would get the lead
out.
 WORDS HAVE MULTIPLE MEANING

These Words are also known as homonyms

Spelling
Pronunciation
Meaning

Examples
• Never desert your friends in the desert.
• Close the window before the bee gets too
close
 DENOTATIONS AND CONNOTATIONS

• Denotation: The literal meaning of a word

• Connotaions: The emotions and associations connected to a
word
– Favourable Connotation: 'honest', 'noble', 'sincere’
– Unfavourable Connotation: 'cowardly', 'slow',
'incompetent‘

Examples:
They gave us cheap stuff.
At this shop, they sell things cheap
__________ are problems arising from expression.
a) Cultural barriers
b) Semantic problems
c) Wrong assumptions
d) Selecting perception
__________ are problems arising from expression.
a) Cultural barriers
b) Semantic problems
c) Wrong assumptions
d) Selecting perception
 LANGUAGE BARRIERS

• Different Languages

• No Clarity in Speech
 LANGUAGE BARRIERS

• Using Jargons

• Not being specific

1 CI0-PSYCHOLOGICAL
1

BARRIERS
 What is Pyschological
barrier?
Psychological barriers
can be described as the
cause of distorted
communication because
of human psychology
problems.
 Psychological barriers
• Attitude and
opinions:
• Emotions
• Filtering and
distortion of
message
• Status difference
• In attention
• Closed mind
• Fields of
experience
 Others include:
• Group identification
• Self-image
• Premature evaluation
• Distrust
• Poor retention
cC ROSS-CULTURAL BARRIER S
'+
 Cross Culture Communication

• Meaning of Cross Culture Communication

• Understanding different cultures facilitates

Cross Culture Communication

• Components of Cross Culture Communication

Different Cross Cultural Barrier

• Language

• Values
 Different Cross Cultural Barrier

• Social Relation

• Concept of time
 Different Cross Cultural Barrier

• Concept of space

• Gestures
ORGANISATIO NALL
BARRIERS
 Organizational barriers
Loss or distortion of messages as they pass from one level to another

Filtering of information according to one’s understanding/interpretation

Messages not read completely or not understood correctly

Deliberate withholding of information from peers perceived as rivals

Information gap if upper level does not know the true state of affairs
 ….cont

Lack of communication policy

Authoritarian attitude of management

Poorly Defined Authority and Responsibility

Too Many Levels in Organization Structure

Insufficient Communication Training

 Overcoming Communication Barriers
Individual Skills

 Active listening

 Select the appropriate channel for the message

 Make a special effort to understand each other's perspective

 Managers should practice MBWA.

 Overcoming Communication Barriers
Organizational Actions

 Create a climate of trust and openness

 Develop and use formal information channels in all directions

 Encourage the use of multiple channels including formal and informal

communications

 The organizational structure should fit communication needs.

 Ways To Overcome Barriers to
Communication-
• For Physical Barriers-
 Appropriate Seating Arrangement
 Ensure Visibility & Audibility
 Environmental Comfort
 Minimise Visual/Oral Distractions
For Semantic Barriers-
 Use of Simple Language
 Symbols & Charts
 Active Listening/ Constructive
feedback
 Contd..

• For Socio-Psychological Barriers-

Calling Attention & Motivation
Assistance & Sympathy

For Cross Cultural Barriers-

Understanding of & Customs
Traditions
Information of all Sides of Culture
 Contd..

• For Organisational Barriers-

Simple Organisational Structure
Avoiding Information Overload
Flexibility in Meeting Targets
When is the communication process complete?
a) When the sender transmits the message
b) When the message enters the channel
c) When the message leaves the channel
d) When the receiver understands the message.
When is the communication process complete?
a) When the sender transmits the message
b) When the message enters the channel
c) When the message leaves the channel
d) When the receiver understands the message.
Which of these must be avoided for effective communication?
a) Sharing of activity
b) Listening
c) Ambiguity
d) Politeness
Which of these must be avoided for effective communication?
a) Sharing of activity
b) Listening
c) Ambiguity
d) Politeness