LESSON 1: COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS
Communication
- art of creating and sharing ideas for a
specific purpose
- beyond simply putting words into
thoughts and emotions
- done effectively only when
information is transmitted without
changing both the content and the
context of the message
FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
Verbal Communication
- includes the use of language, sounds,
and tone of voice
Non-Verbal Communication
- includes body language and facial
expressions
Written Communication
- through journals, emails, blogs, and
text messages
Visual Communication
- involves signs, symbols, pictures,
graphics, and emojis
Effective Communication
- dependent on how rich those ideas
are, and how much of those ideas are
retained in the process
Audience Analysis
- key element in effective
communication
- knowing the audience, understanding
their level and how they need to
receive the information
- imperative that you find out who the
audience is – who will receive your
‘message’ – and what they need to
know
- Only in doing so can you properly
adjust all the other elements of
communication, such as your words or
registers, your tone, and your
expressions
- “Audience” here does not only refer to
the people listening to you in a public
speech. Rather, it refers to anyone
who is expected to receive the
message you are sending
- Another aspect that needs
consideration in analyzing the
audience is identifying and trying to
overcome possible communication
barriers
Communication Barriers
- not confined to physical noise (cars
passing by, someone pounding on the
table) and physiological issues (an
upset stomach)
- include cultural difference, varying
levels of expectations and
experiences, and difference in
perspectives and communication
styles
principles of effective communication
Clarity
- pertains to both the message and the
purpose why the message has to be
sent
- message should be clear by using
appropriate language and
communication channels, but equally
important is that the reason for
sending and receiving the message
must be understood by both sender
and receiver
Conciseness
- message should be as brief as may be
required depending on one’s purpose,
especially in most modern contexts in
the business and academic fields
where time is of the essence
- devoid of trivial details that would
hinder communication
Completeness
- despite its conciseness, the message
should still be complete and accurate
- background information should be
given to provide better context; facts
and observations may also be helpful
Organization
- effective communication is usually
planned in order to ensure the
systematic flow of ideas and transition
from one point to another
- impromptu speech should not be an
excuse for an organized presentation
of ideas
Empathy
- sender of the message should be
sensitive to the needs and interests of
the receiver
- speaker must always be conscious of
the reaction of the listener and adjust
his/her communication strategy
accordingly
Flexibility
- Effective communicators know how to
adapt to the varying needs and
 expectations of their audience, and
modify the message or the way the
message is sent to avoid
misunderstanding or misinterpretation
Communication and globalization
Globalization
- the key to the worldwide integration of
humanity, where there is an increased
economic, political and cultural
integration and interdependence of
diverse cultures
Internationally-recognized lingua franca
(English)
- the concept that learning English does
not make them less Japanese,
Koreans, or Vietnamese
Digital technology
- erased territorial boundaries among
countries and among people with
varying cultures.
Multiculturalists
- those who are engaged with and
respectful of people with different
cultures
The cost of cultural insensitivity in global
communication
- can be felt in everyday
communication, as cultural
misunderstandings often lead to
misinterpretation and unnecessary
tension between people
Sensitivity
- key to any successful communicative
situation
ethics in communication
“Effective communication is ethical
communication.”
Ethical Communication
- when it is genuine, open, cooperative
and sensitive to one’s cultural and
social beliefs and practices
Unethical Communication
- If there is an intent to conceal the
truth, or bring damage to any
organization, group or individual
person
- Even in situations when there is no
intent to harm, but damage to a
certain group is inevitable because of
the message or the channel used to
relay the message, it is still considered
unethical
How Past Experience and Prejudice
Affect Communication
Past experiences
- inevitably affect people’s
communication styles in the future
Prejudice
- when people take their past
experiences and make certain
assumptions that the same experience
will happen with the same people,
given the same context.
- effective communicators should avoid
prejudice because it influences the
communication process even before it
begins.
Showing commitment and genuine
interest
Being committed
- giving sufficient time and resources to
any discussion or conversation and
being open about any issue that may
arise.
Commitment
- Involves volunteering important
information, even if it puts a person’s
own short-term interests at risk, as long
as it is for the benefit of the majority
especially in the long run.
“Naval Language” or The Belly Button Psyche
- believed to communicate true interest
while engaging in face-to-face
communication
- Dr. Albert Mehrabian, professor of
Psychology at UCLA said that the belly
button rule is the most important
indicator of reading a person’s
intention
- the belly button rule means the
direction of a person’s navel reflects
his/her true interest
 LESSON 2: LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNICATION IN
MULTICULTURAL SETTINGS
Communication style
- refers to the choices people make
and the strategies or tools they use in
the process of communication
- A style may sometimes depend on the
demands of the communicative
situation, as well as on the needs and
requirements of the target recipients of
the information
Communication Styles Matrix
- The model, developed by Dr. Eileen M.
Russo, shows four different
communication styles (direct, spirited,
systematic and considerate),
categorized further into two different
dimensions (level of assertiveness and
level of expressiveness)
Assertive communication level
- tend to tell or instruct others what to
do and sometimes even how to do it
Less assertive styles
- usually tend to be on the receiving
end, often asking for guidance,
instructions or directions
Expressive level
- usually show their real feelings and
emotions through facial expressions,
tone of voice, or language use
Less expressive
- tend to either hide their feelings or
exert some effort for these feelings not to
show.
The combination of these levels results
to the basic communication styles:
Spirited
- High Expressiveness + High
Assertiveness
Considerate
- High Expressiveness + Low
Assertiveness
Direct
- Low Expressiveness + High
Assertiveness
Systematic
- Low Expressiveness + Low
Assertiveness
Language Varieties
- Also called “lects”, these refer to the
different variants of a language that
can be sufficiently delimited from one
another in terms of social, historical, or
geo-spatial factors, thus forming
language clusters.
Pidgin
- It refers to a new language that
develops into situations where
speakers of different languages need
to communicate but do not share a
common language.
Creole
- It is a pidgin that becomes the first
language of the children, or the
mother tongue of a certain
community.
Regional Dialect
- It is not a language that is not distinct
from a national language, but rather a
variety of a language spoken in a
particular area of a country.
Minority Dialect
- This is a variety used as a marker of
identity, usually alongside a standard
variety, by the members of a particular
minority ethnic group.
Indigenized Varieties
- These are spoken mainly as second
languages in former colonies with
multilingual populations.
Language register
- is characterized by the way a speaker
uses language differently in different
social circumstances.
- These are determined by such factors
as social atmosphere, purpose of
communication, audience, and the
general context of the discourse.
Formal
- These registers are used in professional,
academic, or legal settings where
communication is expected to be
respectful, uninterrupted, and
restrained to specific rules.
Casual
- These registers are used when
communicating with friends, close
acquaintances, colleagues, and
family members.
 Intimate
- language registers reserved for special
occasions, usually between only two
people and often in private.
Consultative
- It is used in conversations when people
are speaking with someone who has
specialized knowledge or is offering
advice.

Classifications of language registers

Formal language registers
- registers are appropriate for
professional situations, such as when
speaking to a supervisor or writing an
invitation letter.
Informal language registers
- are conversational and appropriate
when speaking or writing to a friend or
to someone you know quite well.
Neutral language registers
- are non-emotional and laden with
facts.

Improving one’s Ability in Communicating in a

Multicultural Setting
- Refrain from forming expectations
based solely on your culture.
- Remove personal biases or any
stereotype that may impede
understanding.
- Make a personal commitment to
develop communication skills
appropriate in multicultural settings.
LESSON 3: EVALUATING MESSAGES AND IMAGES OF DIFFERENT
TEXT TYPES
World Englishes - Highlights the significance of
- defined by Celce- Murcia (2014), the interaction and integration in
regionally distinct varieties of English constructing a coherent text.
that have arisen in parts of the world Transmedia
where there is a long and often - A story is told using multiple delivery
colonial history of English being used in channels through a combination of
education, commerce and platforms, such as comics, film, and
government. video games all working as part of the
same story with the same message
Kirkpatrick (2007) proposes a scale with two
extremes that characterize this problem:
Extreme 1: The goal of national or regional
identity
- People use a regional variety of English
with its specific grammar, structure
and vocabulary to affirm their own
national or ethnic identity.
Extreme 2: The goal of intelligibility
- Users of a regional variety should
ideally still be readily understood by
users of English everywhere else in the
world to fully participate in the use of
English as an international language

Code-Switching
- using English and another language in
the same statement

Multimodal presentation
- sends a relatively vivid and powerful
message not just through the use of a
careful juxtaposition of text and
illustration, but also because of the
other semiotics or elements such as
color combinations.
Multimodality
- A fairly new concept in the general
academic setting, but can be a very
powerful tool in light of digital and
multicultural communication.
- A text or output is considered
multimodal if it uses two or more
communication modes to make
meaning.
- It shows different ways of knowledge
representations and meaning-making,
and investigates contributions of
semiotic resources (language,
gestures, images) that are co-
deployed across various modalities
(visual, aural, somatic, etc.).
LESSON 4: THE RISE OF NEW MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY AIDS IN
COMMUNICATION
Social Media Use
The Rise of Social Media
- a unique manifestation of how
quickly and drastically patterns of
social behaviors change.
New media
- refer to highly interactive digital
technology.
- These are very easily processed,
stored, transformed, retrieved,
hyper-linked, searched for, and
accessed.
Internet
- is the largest area of language
development we have seen in our
lifetimes.
- Crystal (2011) said that only two
things are certain: it is not going to
go away, and it is going to get
larger.
Digital Discourse
- illuminates social and cultural
processes, which is under the
domain of sociocultural linguistics.
Type of discourse or computer-mediated
communication
Vernacular
- it uses language that is common to
people regardless of age, social class,
gender, or race
Misspellings / Respellings
- a resource whose use is subject to a
variety of factors, including users’
‘technoliteracy’, their considerations
of audience and purpose, and
physical constraints of message
production (for economy and text
entry reduction).
- These increase insecurities in spelling,
but also tolerance towards
typographical “errors”, which are
reinterpreted as outcomes of speedy
text production rather than indices of
lacking competence.
Interpersonal
- It is relationship-focused rather than
subject-oriented.
Spontaneous
- It is usually unplanned, unstructured,
and sometimes impulsive.
- This spontaneity also gave rise to Net
Neologisms through Lexical Creativity
- These can be described as mediatized
stylization and popular representation.
Dialogical
- It carries expectation of continuous
exchange.
- This is why most media platforms have
a “Reply” or “Comment” option, while
some have a “Leave a comment”
button, to ensure continuous
interaction.
English language in the new media is:
Brevity
- length and on the time it would take
for them to read an article in the net
Multimodality
- This refers to the layering of different
digital media.
Ideologically-motivated
- New media is inherently ideological,
especially in terms of their political-
economies of access and control.
Language use
- not simply a way of communicating,
but a powerful resource for
representing (or manipulating) its users,
especially the young people – so-
called “digital natives”
Communication planning
- process involves defining the types of
information you will deliver, who are
the intended recipients of that
information, the format for
communicating it, and the timing of its
release and distribution.
- deciding on the platform in which the
message will be presented.
Communication Strategies in Tech-based

Communication
Multimedia presentations
- often always require the use of
technology, and these, when used
properly, can do wonders for your
presentation.
Factors that you need to bear in mind in

using technology as an aid to

communication:
Keep it simple
– The message should be immediate
and clear.
Emphasize only on key ideas
– When you call attention to ideas with
a graphic presentation, make sure the
graphic clearly illustrates your essential
points and the important supporting
data.
Show what you can’t say
– The best use of visual media is to
reveal material you can’t easily
describe orally or with written text.
Keep the number of images you present
manageable
– Too many images will tire your
audience (so will too much text).
Combine variety with coherence
– If you use several images, vary the
design to make them interesting, but
keep them aesthetically consistent.
Use large lettering
– Use large text font sizes with minimal
use of serifs so the audience can read
the text easily. In addition, do not flood
your presentation with text.