K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum

Senior High School –Academic Track

HUMSS Strand

Grade : 12
Subject Title: Disciplines and Ideas Applied Social Sciences
Topic: Communication Models and Techniques

Session Guide
Introduction
Communication means making oneself understood. It is the
exchange of ideas, thoughts, feelings or objects between two or
more persons. The person who wants to communicate something is
the SENDER and the person to whom the communication is
directed is the RECEIVER.
Communication and perception in a conflict under normal
circumstances, we see each other as individuals with strengths and
weaknesses, with both positive and negative aspects. In an
escalated conflict, we tend to see only our own good aspects and
only the negative aspects of the other person. We tend to
underestimate things we do to others. The same thing done to us,
however, appears much bigger and more serious and unfair.

Theory of Communication
Impact of Communication:15%Content: What was said.30%Verbal
Behavior: How you say it. 55%Nonverbal Behavior: Body
language(posture, gesture, facial expressions, eye movements etc.)
For a human being it is impossible not to communicate!
In its simplest form, communication consists of the following
steps:
1. The sender has a message (idea, thought, feeling, opinion,
etc.) that he/she wants to communicate

2. The sender must code his/her message. He/she must put his/her
thoughts or feelings into sounds, words, or written characters
(verbal communication) or into gestures, mime, body
position, etc. (non-verbal communication) which are
understandable by the receiver

3.The sender must now send the message in such a way that it can
be received by his/her communication partner.
4. The receiver receives the message over one or more of
his/her perception channels. If this takes place without any
omissions or distortions, the receiver then has an exact copy
of the transmitted message.

5. The receiver must decode and interpret, classify and adopt

the message in order to understand it correctly.

6. The receiver must now acknowledge receipt of the message, i

.e. he/she must let the sender know that he/she has received,
duplicated and understood the message.
 COMMUNICATION MODEL by Friedemann Schulz von
Thun
This description has been translated from Schulz von Thun’s
website. It can be accessed (in German) under http://www.schulz-
von-thun.de/mod-komquad.html.

The communication square is the most familiar, and by now the

most widespread, model by Friedemann Schulz von Thun. This
model also became known as the ‘four-ear-model’. The four levels
of communication are not just significant for private
companionship, but especially for the vocational domain – where
the professional and human are constantly interlocking.
When I, as a human, make a statement it has four different effects.
Each of my statements contains, whether I want it or not, four
messages simultaneously.
1. Factual information (which I am informing about) – blue.

2. A self-statement (what I show of myself) – green.

3. A relationship indicator (what I think of you and how I relate

to you) – yellow.

4. An appeal (what I want you to do) – red.

Therefore, Schulz von Thun represented the four sides of a

statement as a square and attributed four beaks to the sender and
four ears to the receiver.
From a psychological perspective, when we communicate 4 beaks
and 4 ears are participating on both sides; the quality of the
conversation depends on the manner in which these interact.
Factual information: On the factual level of the conversation, the
factual information stands in the foreground, here the focus is on
dates, facts, and factual content. For the factual level there are
three applicable criteria: the truth criteria of true or false
(correct/not correct), the criteria of relevance (are the listed facts
relevant/not relevant for the present issue, and the criteria of
sufficiency.

For the sender, it is therefore important to clearly and coherently

communicate the factual content. The receiver, who has opened his
factual ear, listens to the dates, facts, and circumstances and has
many opportunities to follow up according to the three criteria
mentioned above.
Self-statement: When somebody provides a statement, he/she also
provides a part of him/herself. Every statement also contains,
whether one wants it or not, a self statement, an indication of what
is going on inside of me, what I am feeling, what I stand for and
how I conceive my role. This can happen explicitly (‘me-
messages’) or implicitly. This circumstance turns every message
into a small tasting of one’s personality, which can be of some
concern to the sender, not just during examinations and encounters
with psychologists.
While the sender is using the self-statement beak, implicitly or
explicitly, to provide information about themselves, the recipient is
taking it all in with the self-statement ear: What does this tell me
about the other? What kind of person are they? What is their
disposition? Etc.
The relationship side: Whether I want to or not: when I address
somebody I also let them know (through formulation, intonation,
expression) what my relationship is towards them and what I think
of them—in any case in regard to the actual content of the
conversation. In every statement there is also a relationship
indicator, for which the recipient often has an especially (overly)
sensitive relationship ear. On the basis of this ear one decides:
‘How do I feel treated by the way in which the other is treating
me? What does the other think of me and how do they relate to
me?’
Appeal side: When somebody addresses another person, they
usually wish to have an effect, have an influence; not just reach the
other but to achieve something with them. Open or closed, this
level is about desires, appeals, advice, instructions, effects, etc.
Hence the appeal ear is especially open to the question: ‘What
should I do, think, or feel now?’

NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION (NVC) by Marshall B.

Rosenberg

Activity 1 Film showing about Non-Violent Communication)

Time Needed 5 minutes

Material NVC film

Let the participants watch the NVC film.

Procedures After the film showing, the facilitator will
discuss the NVC topic.
„When I hear, see, taste, touch,...
I feel...
because I need (value)...
would you be willing to...“
Activity 2 NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION (NVC)

Time Needed 5 minutes

Procedure 1. Ask volunteers among the participants to try
and apply the NVC communication or complete
message structure.
2. The trainer will process the participants’
application of the application of the correct usage
of the NVC communication.

Perception and Communication in Conflicts

(5 minutes)

When not in conflict we see each other as individuals with

strengths and weaknesses
In an escalated conflict we tend to see only our own good aspects -
only negative aspects of the other

We tend to underestimate things we do to others

The same things done to us appear much bigger and more serious
and unfair

CONVERSATION TECHNIQUES
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is a form of intense, active listening. It is a powerful
tool for a number of reasons:
• It communicates understanding to others.

• A good paraphrase often brings further more reflective responses

from others. It moves the conversation to a deeper level.

• It slows down the conversation between the parties and creates a

buffer between their statements (no ping-pong anymore).

• It can be used to 'soften' vicious or insulting statements so that

they are less inflammatory to the other party, while retaining
the essential points that were made.

• Guidelines for paraphrasing: • Repeat in your own words what

you understand someone else to be saying → keep focus of
the paraphrase on the speaker and not on yourself (listener).
„You feel that...“„The way you see it is...“

Communication in Conflict

„If I understand you correctly, you're saying that...“Do not say: „I

know exactly how you feel. I've been in situations like that myself“
• A paraphrase should be shorter than the speaker's own statement•
A paraphrase mirrors the meaning of the speaker's word, but does
not merely repeat the exact words of the speaker.• A paraphrase
does NOT judge or evaluate, it only describes empathically.
• „So your understanding is that...“• „The way you see it then...“•
„You were very unhappy when...“• „If I understand you correctly,
your perspective is that...“• Do not say: „That doesn't sound like a
very constructive attitude to me.“
• Small percentage of people prefer not to be paraphrased: observe
carefully the reaction of those you are paraphrasing and adjust your
use accordingly.
Activity 3 Paraphrasing

Time needed 5 minutes

1. Ask two volunteers from among the participants.

2. Person A tells person B something that has happened
recently to her/him.

3. Person B paraphrase from time to time

Summarizing
A summary is similar to a paraphrase, but it condenses the content
of several comments that may have been made over the course of
many minutes. It can be used to review all the key points that have
been made by one party about their views, thus communicating the
sense that they understand the entire situation being presented by
that person.
Summarizing can also be used to highlight commonalities. These
can be small concessions that are mentioned in the midst of a
heated argument. A facilitator should be alert for these and retrieve
them as a way of improving the atmosphere.
Activity 4 Summarizing
Time Needed 5 minutes

Ask three (3) volunteers from among the participants

Person A and person B discuss about an issue.
Person C listens carefully and summarizes from
time to time

Mirroring
Emotions are clarified in form of questions by the facilitator. The
speaker expresses acknowledgement by saying yes to what has
been mirrored by the facilitator.Mirroring is used to show
empathy, respect and acknowledgement of speaker's feeling. It
helps to change from the fact-level to the emotion-level and to
concretize.
Example:Speaker: „I resented it deeply when I found out that they
had gone behind my back to the director. Why didn't they just
come and talk with me, and give me a chance to sort things out
with them?“
Facilitator: „Do you feel hurt that they didn't come directly to you
to resolve things?“• If the answer is yes → continue.• If the answer
is „so so...“ or no → ask the speaker to clarify how he/she feeling.•
Never insist on your mirroring!
Activity 5- Mirroring
Procedures
1. Ask four (4) volunteers from among the participants.
2. Each volunteer get a slip of paper from the trainer which
contains an emotion or feeling written on it. The volunteers study
the emotion on her/his slip of paper e.g. angry, happy, sad, etc.
3. First Round : 1 person from among the volunteers visualizes a
story of himself/herself and shortly acts out a role based on the
emotions written on his/her slip.
4. The rest of the participants will mirror the emotion of the
volunteer and ask him/her if he/she feels ______ (the emotion)
because of _______ (something related to the story he/she just
shared)
5. 2nd until 4th rounds: the rest of the volunteers takes turns in the
role play.
Doubling
Doubling is a method to help the conflicting parties to understand
each other better. It stimulates dialogue, contributes to
clarifications and helps to shift the discussion from the factual
level to the emotional. The doubling technique is used in particular
when many issues are not clearly spoken out and parties make a lot
of subliminal comments. The facilitator does not merely
summarize the statements in a neutral way. Instead – taking the
role of the speaker – he/she repeats the statement in the first person
singular.
Important: Always ask for permission before doubling.

Activity 6 Doubling
Procedures
1. Asks three (3) volunteers from among the participants
2. Ask for permission to double A (here: father). Mr. A (father)
may I come to your side and tell something to B (son) from your
perspective and you then tell me if it was correct?”
3. Wait for the Answer.
If yes: Go to the side of the person you want to double
(father) and expand the factual level of what he has said.
4. Return to your seat.
5. Ask A (father) “Was this correct?”
If No, ask: “How would you formulate it?”
If Yes: : ask person B (son) What would you reply now to A
(father)
6. Make sure that you double the other person (here: son) as well at
some point during the discussion.

Circular questions
Circular questions are very helpful to initiate a change of
perspective and recognition of the truth and point of view of the
other. Circular questions open new ways of thinking to the parties.
It is very much solution-oriented.
Examples:
• „What did you understand from what Person B was just saying?“
• „What for you were the most important points in Person B's
statement?“
• „What is new/surprising/annoying/... in Person B's statement?“•
„Can you imagine that things happened this way in Person B's
perspective?“
• „How many percentages of what Person B's was just saying did
you understand?“
• „What would you need to understand some more percentages?“