Notes by AMC

CHAPTER 1

1.1 Nature & Elements of Communication

Communication

• The process of transmitting information and common understanding from one person to another
• Pertains to the exchange of information between two or more people
• An interdependent process of (1) sending, (2) receiving, and (3) understanding messages
• “If you remember that communication is a process, you will communicate more effectively because you
will be aware of many factors involved in any given communication event. You will be likely less to
assume, less likely to rush judgment. You will be more likely to tailor your message to your audience
correctly and you will more likely to correctly encode and decode other’s message.”

ELEMENTS OF COMMUNATION: (7) SMRC FIC

1. Sender
o Encoder or the source of the message
2. Message
o Refers to the ideas and feelings that he or she encodes
o May be in verbal or non-verbal
3. Receiver
o Decider of the recipient of the message
o The one who interprets the message
4. Channel or Medium
o Vehicle used in conveying the message
5. Feedback
o The verbal or nonverbal response to the sender’s encoded signals
o Gives information on how the message is interpreted
6. Interference or Noise
o Serves as a barrier to communication
o Related to the factors that hinder the recipient’s ability to send or receive messages
o It can be:
▪ External: one’s physical environment (e.g. loud party)
▪ Internal: one’s mental or psychological interference, physiological or semantic
7. Context
o The situation and environment in which communication occur
Notes by AMC
1.2 Verbal and nonverbal communication
1. VERBAL COMMUNICATION
o Use of sounds and words to impart one’s thoughts or feelings
FUNCTIONS OF VERBAL COMM (5) RSMIE
• Regulation
o Used to control one’s or other
people’s behavior or activities
• Social Interaction
o To create relationships from
associations, develop intimacy and
maintain bonds and connections
with other people
2. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
o Conveyance of meaning through body language (e.g., gestures, facial expression, eye contact,
posture) or paralanguage (e.g., pitch, volume, speaking rate)
FUNCTIONS OF NONVERBAL COMM (7) RRC CARD
• To replace
o Actions can replace or substitute speech
• To repeat
o Gestures duplicate and reinforce one’s
message
o Can occur simultaneously with the
verbal; AT ALL TIMES, it follows and
repeats the words said
o It is important then to ensure that the
gestures and the spoken idea have the
same denotation for the communication
• To complement
o Body language enhances and adds
nuance to the meaning of a verbal
message
• Motivation
o Concerns expressing one’s desires,
goals, inclinations, choices,
preferences, likes and dislikes, and
needs and wants
• Information
o Obtain and give information by
asking and sharing ideas orally
• Emotional Expression
o Orally to show one’s feelings and
emotions
o Gestures that aim to complement
cannot be used alone or else they be
misinterpreted
• To accent
o To emphasize certain parts of the verbal
intent or the utterance
• To regulate
o Controlling the flow of conversations
• To contradict
o Verbal and nonverbal messages
contradict each other
• To deceive
o Utilized to misled the listener
Notes by AMC

ALBERT MEHRABIAN

• Psychologist known for his pioneering work on nonverbal communication

• “When words and body language contradict, one is inclined to believe the latter (body language)”
o Movements or gestures may become barriers to a successful exchange of ideas -> harmony
between the verbal and the nonverbal is crucial in facilitating effective communication

1.3 & 1.4 Ethical and Mediated Communication

Ethics 4. Commit yourself to the courageous

− Set of principles or rules for correct conduct
as to what is right or wrong and what make
something right or wrong
Basic principles of Ethical communication
(first 5 are from the National Communication
Association (NCA) & and the 6th principle is by
Julia Wood)
1. Strive to understand and respect other’s
communications before evaluating and
responding to their messages
2. Help promote communication climates of
caring and mutual understanding that
protect the unique needs and
characteristics of individual
communicators
3. Condemn communication that degrades
individuals and humanity through
distortions, intolerance, intimidation,
coercion, hatred and violence.
expression of your personal convictions in
pursuit of fairness and justice
5. Accept responsibility for the short and
long-term consequences of you own
communication and expect the same from
others
6. Avoid plagiarism- the presentation of the
work of another person in such a way as
to give the impression that the others
work is your own
7. Promote honesty, truthfulness and
accuracy as essentials to the integrity of
communication.
1. These principles promote (1) respect, (2)
harmony, and (3) overall positive well-
being or one’s relationships with others
and the society in general
2. Unethical communication impedes,
destroys, and offends persons and even
communities

Mediated Communication

• Interaction carried out by using information communication technology

• This current means of sending and receiving messages can be:
o Synchronous (happening at the same time)
o Asynchronous (not occurring at the same time)
• Technology has made communication for personal and business reasons (1) instant, (2) speedy, (4)
convenient and (5) far-reaching.
Notes by AMC

• Drawbacks of Mediated communications

1. Gestures, voice tone, and other nonverbal signals that reinforce one’s message are lost,
making the meaning susceptible to misinterpretation
2. Issues on confidentiality and trust surface
3. Bullying and ridiculing people through online messages and posts
4. Not all information and images communicated virtually are true

Technology is only an aid to communication and not a replacement for it. There is no substitute for real and
face-to-face interaction.

CHAPTER 2

2.1 Communication in the Multicultural Setting

− Globalization act as they may do may run the risk of being

o The increasing economic, political and
cultural integration and interdependence of
diverse cultures.
o Requires people to pay attention to a related
concept called diversity
− Diversity
o The recognition and valuing of difference
encompassing different factors, (e.g., age,
gender, race, ethnicity, ability, religion,
education, marital status, sexual orientation
and income)
− Digital Technology has helped in erasing the
notion of territorial boundaries between
countries.
− Communicators who fail to realize that people
from different cultures may not look, think or
judged as insensitive, ignorant, or
culturally confused.
− Cultural misunderstandings often lead to
lost opportunities
− When society is being more culturally diverse,
it is undeniable that people and institutions
could contribute to harsh and undesirable
realities of cultural diversity. Even two parties
who use the same language to communicate
may still have miscommunication or
misunderstanding because of their different
ethnical and cultural backgrounds
− Understanding the impact of globalization on
Cross-cultural communication is imperative
for the organizations that aim to have a
competitive advantage in the global market.

2.2 Cultures and Co-Cultures

Culture DIFFERENT STRATEGIES USED BY CO-

− The system of knowledge, beliefs, values,
customs, behaviors, and artifacts that are
acquired, shared and used by its members
in daily living
Co-culture (Within a culture)
− Composed of members of the same general
culture who differ in certain ethnic or
sociological ways from the parent culture
CULTURAL GRP MEMBERS
− CULTURAL ASSIMILATION
− Attempt to fit in or join in with the
members of the dominant culture
− CULTURAL ACCOMMODATION
− Maintain their cultural identity even while
they try to establish relationships with
the members of the dominant culture
− RESISTANCE OR SEPARATION
− Co-culture resist interacting with
members of the dominant group
Notes by AMC

− No matter what culture people are part of, one thing is for certain: it is subject to changes
− Cristina De Rossi: “Culture appears to have become a key in our interconnected world, which is made up
of so many ethnically diverse societies, but also ridiculed by conflicts associated with religion, ethnicity,
ethical belief, and essentially the elements which make up culture

2.3 Intercultural Communication 2.4 Cultural Diversity

− It is whenever cultural variability influences the
nature and effects of communication
− It is concerned with the process of interpreting
and sharing meanings with individuals from
different cultures
− The existence of various cultural or ethnic
groups with in a society
− The term used for discussing the importance of
respecting others people’s culture

SEVERAL FORMS OF INTERCULTURAL 2.5 Reducing the Strangeness of Strangers

COMMUNICATION
− BEING STRANGE
Interracial Interactants are of
• When people feel the sense of not
Communication different races
belonging, of being out of place or not
fitting in
Interethnic Interactants are of
• This feeling occurs when a person
Communication different ethnic origins
interacts with a stranger
− Intercultural communication is unavoidable, it is
International Persons representing effective and successful for others. The reason
Communication political structures of this is clear: not everyone tries hard to
understand or to be understood by the
Communication among people from different cultures
Intercultural members of the same − HOW TO RESUCE THE STRANENESS:
Communication racial, ethnic, or other co- • by acquiring more knowledge on cultural
cultural groups diversity
• by learning to cope with uncertainty
• by developing an appreciation on how
Tendency to see one’s
Ethnocentrism own culture as superior to increasing one’s cultural sensitively
other cultures positively affects one’s communication
competence
− No culture should be claimed as superior to any
Attempts to understand other culture
the behavior of the other
group based on the
Cultural
context in which the
Relativism
behavior occurs rather
than from own frame of
reference
Notes by AMC

2.6 Exploring Cultural Dialects

Variables used to distinguish cultures:

INDIVIDUALISM VS COLLECTIVISM

Individualism Stress individual goals

Collectivism Give precedence to group goals

HIGH CONTEXT VS LOW CONTEXT

High Context Tradition-bound; their cultural traditions shape their behavior and lifestyle

Low Context Exhibit a more direct communication style

HIGH POWER DISTANCE VS LOW POWER DISTANCE
Power Distance – the extent at which people are willing to accept power differences
High Power Distance View power as a fact of life and are to stress its coercive or referent nature
Power should be used only when it is legitimate; they are apt to employ expert or
Low Power Distance
legitimate power
MASCULINE VS FEMININE CULTURE

Masculine Value male aggressiveness, strength, and material symbols of success

Feminine Value relationships, tenderness in members of both sexes and a high quality of life

2.7 Identifying the Impact of Stereotypes and Prejudice

Stereotypes
− are people’s perceived mental images or representations that they associate with others.
− They serve as “shortcuts”, whether positive or negative, that guide one’s dealings with and judgment on
others.
− Stereotypes of people belonging to different cultures generate unrealistic pictures that are solely based on
their cultural background, preventing one from distinguishing individuals from their group
Racial Profiling
− Using one’s race as grounds for suspecting a person of behaving unethically of committing any wrongdoing
Prejudice
− Can be a positive prejudgment; however negative implications arise when opinions are biased and hurtful
and when people perceive their own culture as superior to others and feel threatened by another race.
Notes by AMC

CHAPTER 3
3.1 Varieties of English
Braj Kachru (Indian linguist) – developed the three concentric circles that group the varieties of English in the
world

Inner 1. Inner Circle

Circle − English used as the mother tongue or first language
Outer − US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
Circle
2. Outer Circle
Expanding − English used as a second language
Circle
− Singapore, Malaysia, India, and South Africa
3. Expanding Circle
− English used as a foreign language
− Japan, China, Russia, Brazil

3.2 Vocabulary, Spelling, Pronunciation and Grammar

VOCABULARY. David Crystal (British linguist) – emphasized that the more the students are aware that
variations of languages existed, the better.

AmE BrE AmE BE AuE BrE

Dummies Pacifiers White man Buckra Booze Alcohol
Nappies Diapers To carry Tote Berko Angry
Prams Baby Carriages Peanut Goober Dunny Toilet
Boots Trunks Sweet potato Yam Chalkie Teacher
Pants Trousers Close Friends Homies Pom English person
Closet Cupboard Blacks Bloods Dill Idiot
Poor southern
Baggage Luggage Rednecks Neddies Horses
whites
Line Queue White people whities Tea Evening meal
Trailer Caravan White man Buckra Piffle Nonsense
Elevator Lift To carry Tote Plonk Cheap wine
Movie Film
Check Bill
Drapes Curtain
Flashlight Torch
Subway Underground
Fall Autumn
Vacation Holiday

Variations of English: large section of middle-class African

Americans
1. American English (AmE)
4. Australian English (AuE)
2. British English (BrE)
− Known for aboriginal, abbreviations and
3. Black English (BE)
diminutive words
− Also called as Negro English, used for
5. Philippine English (PE)
informal and casual conversation by a
 Notes by AMC

Filipinism or Pinoy English SPELLING.

− A set of “adopted” or “borrowed” English words and AmE BrE AmE BrE
phrases poorly translated from common Tagalog
Airplane Aeroplane Eon Aeon
expression
Check Cheque Anemia Anaemia
Pajamas Pyjamas Dialog Dialogue
Tire Tyre Mold Mould
Traveler Traveller whiskey Whisky
Notes by AMC

PRONUNCIATION.

− Different in vowels, consonants, stress, and intonation

How do the variations of English differ?
Vocabulary
Grammar
Pronunciation
Spelling
3.3 Registers in Spoken and Written Language
Robert MacNeil (American journalist)

− Draws an analogy between the manner of conversing and the types of clothing
REGISTERS

− Refer to the level and style of speaking and writing appropriate for different
situation
− Refer to the way a person uses language, spoken or written, in different
situations
− Determined by social occasion, relationships, context, purpose, and audience:
(5) SCRAP
(1) Social Occasion – events or functions
(2) Relationship – connection that exists
(3) Context – situation or topics discussed
(4) Purpose – goal of communication
(5) Audience – receiver of the message
Notes by AMC

Michael Halliday (British linguist) – proposed three situation variables that aid in analyzing the situation: (3)
FTM
(1) Field – identifies the subject matter in which language is used
(2) Tenor – the role relationships between the interlocutors
(3) Mode – the way language is used in speech interaction, spoken or written
REGISTERS FROM FORMAL TO INFORMAL (5) FFCCI
(1) Frozen or Static – the language never changes
(2) Formal – language use is evident in school, speeches etc.
(3) Consultative – less formal compared to formal register (employee-employer relationship)
(4) Casual – language is conversational
(5) Intimate – language used by close friends, lovers, and family