NATURE AND ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

I N T R O D U C T I O N

This unit lays out the foundational knowledge for studying oral
communication. It features essential information including the definition and
nature of communication and the rudiments of communication across cultures.

1 FUNDAMENTALS OF C O M M U N ICATI O N

unit 1

MAGALLANES, E.B., SALAYA, T.L.D.

TABLE OF CONTENT

lesson
1 Fundamentals of Communication
Nature of Communication
1-5
3
Elements of Communication 4
Communication Process 4
lesson
2 Models of Communication 6-10
Shannon-Weaver Model 7
Transactional Model 8
Interactive Model 9
lesson
3 Features of Effective Communication 11-19
7Cs of Effective Communication 12-18
Barriers to Communication 19

lesson
4 Speech Context
Intrapersonal Communication
20-21
21
Interpersonal Communication 21
Public Communication 21
Mass Communication
lesson
5 Speech Style
Intimate, Casual, Consultative,
22-26
23
Formal, Frozen 24-26
lesson
6 Speech Act
Locutionary Act
27-32
28
Illocutionary Act 28-30
Perlocutionary Act 31

MAGALLANES, E.B., SALAYA, T.L.D.

lesson
Oral Communication in Context | for Senior High School
3
FEATURES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
240 minutes (2 hours per class session)

Instructional Objectives Materials

Cellphone/Tablet Activity Sheets
 explain why there is a breakdown of communica-
tion; Laptop/Desktop Videos
 apply strategies in overcoming communication Printer
breakdowns; Bond Paper
 practice effective communication skills;

 evaluate the effectiveness of an oral communica- Source

tion;
Balgos, A.R.G. & Sipacio, P.J.F, (2016). “Oral Com-
 reflect on your learning on the fundamentals of munication in Context for Senior High School” C&E
communication. Publishing, Inc. 839 EDSA, South Triangle, Quezon
City. pp 2-27.

Note to the student:

Alternative materials that may work in the learning tasks

can be used in lieu of the mentioned materials above.

Let’s Warm Up!

Direction: Choose the closest synonym of the following words from the box on the right side.
Completeness
Accuracy: ___________________ Thoughtfulness: ___________________
Conciseness

Concreteness
Politeness: ___________________ Specific: _________________________
Courtesy

Comprehensive: _________________ Brief :___________________________ Consideration

Clearness
Factual :___________________________
Correctness

MAGALLANES, E.B., SALAYA, T.L.D. 11

lesson
Oral Communication in Context | for Senior High School
3
7Cs OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
240 minutes (2 hours per class session)

In their pioneer book Effective Public Relations, Professors Broom, Cutlip, and Center (2012) list the 7
Cs of Effective Communication. The 7Cs of communication is a list of seven principles that you should try to
ensure all of your communications adhere to. Their purpose is to help ensure that the person you’re communi-

7s
C
cating with hears what you’re trying to say.

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.

Hi all,
Hi all,
Let us meet tomorrow at 11 AM at conference
Let us meet tomorrow to discuss the product room 3 to discuss the product launch event. We
launch event. Please be there on time. will have to decided the keynote speakers and
Thanks. complete the event invite draft tomorrow.
Please be there on times.
Cris
Thanks.
A Cris B
Direction: Identify which between the two examples above observes completeness and why? Put your answer on the
lines provided below.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

REMEMBER

When creating a message, it’s important to give the recipient all of the information they need to follow your
line of reasoning and to reach the same conclusions you have. This level of detail will be different in different situa-
tions and you should adjust your communications accordingly.
In addition, you should make things as easy as possible for the recipient. For example, if you are issuing “call
to action”, provide explicit guidelines on that action. Increasingly, it’s common to include things like hyperlinks in
written communications or to attach FAQs, both of which help audiences access a complete set of information while
also ensuring that core communication focuses on core messages.

Source: worldofwork.io

MAGALLANES, E.B., SALAYA, T.L.D. 12

lesson
Oral Communication in Context | for Senior High School
3
7Cs OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

7s
240 minutes (2 hours per class session)

C 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.

Hi Suzanne, Hi Suzanne,

I think we need to talk about the CSR cam-

paign, I mean the one which we need to do I need to discuss the quarterly CSR campaign
as a quarterly exercise. I think it is a great with you. Let us take the kids out this time to a
way of enhancing our brand image. Basical- nearby park or zoo instead of just visiting
ly, it would just be a visit to an orphanage but them. This will help enhance our brand image.
we can sort of do other things too. For in- We’ll talk in detail tomorrow.
stance, we could take the kids out for a short
trip to a nearby park or zoo. Let us sit and
talk tomorrow. Regards,
Jennifer

Regards, A B

Direction: Identify which between the two examples above observes completeness and why? Put your answer on the
lines provided below.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

REMEMBER

When communicating messages of this nature, it is important to stick to the point and keep your messages
short and simple. Do not use 10 words if you can use five. Do not repeat your messages.
The more you say, the more risk there is of confusion. Avoid that risk by focusing solely on the points you
need to deliver.

Source: worldofwork.io

MAGALLANES, E.B., SALAYA, T.L.D. 13

lesson
Oral Communication in Context | for Senior High School
3
7Cs OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

7s
240 minutes (2 hours per class session)

C CONSIDERATION Consideration implies “stepping into the shoes of others”. Effective

communication must take the audience into consideration, i.e, the
audience’s view points, background, mind-set, education level, etc.
Make an attempt to envisage your audience, their requirements,
emotions as well as problems. Ensure that the self-respect of the
audience is maintained and their emotions are not at harm. Modify your
words in message to suit the audience’s needs while making your
message complete.

Tim, Tim,

I was disappointed with how you made the I was surprised with the output that you gave
prezi presentation I requested from you the me for my prezi presentation request. It made
other day. You should have told me that you me realize that people from our department
don’t know how to maneuver the app so I should actually undergo more ICT trainings for
wouldn’t have made you do it. Don’t worry, I effective presentation. If you may, I would
won’t be giving you this type of task any appreciate it if you help me organize these
more. trainings. Thank you.

Max
A Max
B

Direction: Identify which between the two examples above observes completeness and why? Put your answer on the
lines provided below.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

REMEMBER
Features of considerate communication are as follows:

 Emphasize on “you” approach.

 Empathize with the audience and exhibit interest in the audience. This will stimulate a positive reaction from the
audience.

 Show optimism towards your audience. Emphasize on “what is possible” rather than “what is impossible”. Lay
stress on positive words such as jovial, committed, thanks, warm, healthy, help, etc Source: worldofwork.io

MAGALLANES, E.B., SALAYA, T.L.D. 14

lesson
Oral Communication in Context | for Senior High School
3
7Cs OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

7s
240 minutes (2 hours per class session)

C 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.

“Hilltop Resort is the jewel of the

western hills. Take a break from your “Hilltop Resort is the best resort. Do come
work. Escape from life’s chaos and to us on your next holiday!”
stress. Relax and rejuvenate yourself at
Hilltop. Go back fresh and energized!”

A B

Direction: Identify which between the two examples above observes completeness and why? Put your answer on the
lines provided below.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

REMEMBER

When shaping your communication you must ensure that you are specific and that the logic and messages that
you are using fit together, build on each other and support each other. Your arguments should be based on solid facts
and opinions from credible sources and you should share irrefutable data to support your argument.
It may be important to help bring the solid nature of what you have created to life for your audience through
examples that show the relevance of your messages for them as individuals.
Source: worldofwork.io

MAGALLANES, E.B., SALAYA, T.L.D. 15

lesson
Oral Communication in Context | for Senior High School
3
7Cs OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

7s
240 minutes (2 hours per class session)

C 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.

Hi Drew, Hi Drew,

I understand that the IT team is swamped I really do not appreciate how your IT team
with work and gets requests from every ignores the requests of my team alone. My
department in the organization. My team team is an important function in this organiza-
however is working on a high-priority project tion too and we have our own IT requirement.
and I would greatly appreciate if you could Can you ensure that your team responds
ask your team members to respond to my promptly to my team’s requests hereon?
team’s queries promptly and help us
complete this project on time. Please do let
me know if you need anything from me. Regards,

A Stanley
B

Direction: Identify which between the two examples above observes completeness and why? Put your answer on the
lines provided below.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

REMEMBER

You can increase the effectiveness of your communication by being polite and showing your audience that you
respect them. Your messages should be friendly, professional, considerate, respectful, open and honest.
To help ensure you are courteous, you should always use some empathy and consider your messages from the
point of view of the audience.

Source: worldofwork.io

MAGALLANES, E.B., SALAYA, T.L.D. 16

lesson
Oral Communication in Context | for Senior High School
3
7Cs OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

7s
240 minutes (2 hours per class session)

C CLEARNESS Clearness in communication implies the use of simple and specific

words to express ideas. It is also achieved when the speaker focuses
only on a single objective in his/her speech so as not to confuse the
audience.

Dear James, Dear James,

I would like to talk to you about the new As you may know we have signed up XYZ as
client’s project which the engineering team our new client. I had a meeting with the engi-
had discussed yesterday. I might need the neering team yesterday and had discussed the
help of John from your team. campaign requirements for this project. John
Redden from your team had done a pretty good
job last time doing the social media campaign
Regards, for ABC and so I would like him to work on
Kevin the XYZ campaign too. Would you be availa-
ble sometime tomorrow to discuss this further?
A B

Direction: Identify which between the two examples above observes completeness and why? Put your answer on the
lines provided below.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

REMEMBER

There are several stages to clarity. Firstly, it is important to be clear about the purpose of the message you’re
delivering. The recipient should be made aware of why they are receiving the message and what you’re trying to
achieve be delivering it. If there are multiple goals, each should be laid out separately.
Secondly, it is essential that the content of the communication is itself clear. You should avoid jargon, use sim-
ple language, use simple structures and focus on the core points of your message.
Source: worldofwork.io

MAGALLANES, E.B., SALAYA, T.L.D. 17

lesson
Oral Communication in Context | for Senior High School
3
7Cs OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

7s
240 minutes (2 hours per class session)

C CORRECTNESS Correctness in grammar eliminates negative impact on the audience

and increases the credibility and effectiveness of the message.

Dear David, Dear David,

Further to our conversation today, I am at- Further to our conservation today, I am attach-
taching the plan for the first stage of the pro- ing the plan for the first stage of the project.
ject. Hope the one week deadline is okay Hope the one weak deadline is okay with you
with you and your team. and your team.

Regards, Regards
Sally Sally

A B

Direction: Identify which between the two examples above observes completeness and why? Put your answer on the
lines provided below.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

REMEMBER

It is essential that both the factual information you are including in your communications and the language and
grammar you use are correct. If your audience spots errors in either, they will be distracted and your credibility will
be greatly reduced, limiting the effectiveness of your communication.

Source: worldofwork.io

MAGALLANES, E.B., SALAYA, T.L.D. 18

lesson
Oral Communication in Context | for Senior High School
3
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
240 minutes (2 hours per class session)

There are instances when miscommunication and misunderstanding occur because of certain barriers. To
become an effective communicator, you should recognize these barriers that hinder the communication process. This
will enable you to control the situation, reset conditions, and start anew.
If you can remember the models of communication presented in the previous lesson, barriers to
communication was labelled as noise. The following are the classifications of noise that may hamper the flow of
communication process.

1 PHYSICAL NOI SE
Physical noise is interference that is
2 PHYSI O LO G ICAL N OI SE
Physiological noise is created by barriers within the
external to both speaker and listener; sender or receiver.
it hampers the physical transmission
of the signal or message.

loud parties in the background articulation problems mumbling

honking of cars talking too fast talking too slow
barking of dogs forgetting to pause forgetting to breathe
irritating hum of aircon cleft palate

3 PSYC HO LO G ICAL N O I S E 4 S E MANTIC N O IS E

Psychological noise is mental interference in the Physical noise is interference created
speaker or listener. when the speaker and listener have
different meaning systems.

wandering thoughts jargons

preconceived ideas abstract ideas
sarcasm
daydreaming

Communication process is mostly interfered with noise. You can not get rid of the noise for every person who
listens to you but you can do something to reduce the amount of interferences.
Firstly, you can make your language more precise. Choose words that you know will be understood by your
listeners. Second, practice. Practice speaking, articulating. Always listen to the way you speak. Lastly, invite
feedback. Sometimes, listeners hesitate before they respond. So invite feedback often. Once you start hearing from
your listeners, you can begin to tweak your message so it becomes clearer and better understood.

MAGALLANES, E.B., SALAYA, T.L.D. 19

end | unit 1

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All rights reserved. 2020

MAGALLANES, E.B., SALAYA, T.L.D.