SAINT MICHAEL COLLEGE OF HINDANG, LEYTE INC.

A Bonifacio St., Poblacion II, Hindang Leyte

Website: smchindang.edu.ph
E-mail: smchindang@gmail.com

Material : Handouts
Semester : First Semester
School Year : 2021
Course : Purposive Communication
Department : Business Department
Instructor : Remedios Abiera Bianes

INFORMATIVE, PERSUASIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE COMMUNICATION

Communication is made for numerous purposes. The way messages are crafted depends highly on the intention of
the sender.
In a supermarket, a sales agent makes sure that the way a product is promoted gets consumers buying. A news
anchor delivers information in such a way that all the facts are clearly stated doing away with words that may cause
confusion. On the other hand, a criminal lawyer must design his arguments supported by facts to convince the judge
and the jury.

Informative Communication involves giving than asking. As an informative communicator, you want your receivers
to pay attention and understand, but not to change their behavior. By sharing information, ignorance is reduced, or
better yet, eliminated. The informative value of a message is measured by how novel and relevant the information is
or the kind of understanding it provides the receivers.

Osborn (2009) purports that informative communication arises out of three deep impulses:
a. We seek to expand our awareness of the world around us.
b. We seek to become more competent.
c. We have an abiding curiosity about how things work and how they are made.

When preparing for an informative exchange, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is my topic noteworthy to be considered informative?
2. What do my recipients already know about my topic?
3. What more do they have to know?
4. Am I knowledgeable enough of my topic to help my receivers understand it?

Persuasive Communication is an art of gaining fair and favorable considerations for our point of view. It:
a. Provides a choice among options.
b. Advocates something through a speaker.
c. Uses supporting material to justify advice.
d. Turns the audience into agents of change.
 e. Asks for string audience commitment.
f. Gives importance to the speaker’s credibility.
g. Appeal to feelings.
h. Has higher ethical obligation.

Argumentative Communication relies heavily on sound proof and reasoning. The nature of proof has been studied
since the Golden Age of Greece and has been improved though time. According to Aristotle, logos ethos and pathos
are the three primary forms of proof. In or time, whoever, many scholars have confirmed the presence of a fourth
dimension of proof, mythos, which suggests that we respond to appeals to the traditions and values of our culture
and to the legends and folktales that embody them.

Lucas (2007) claims that to avoid defective argumentation, the following must be avoided:
1. Defective evidence
o Misuse of facts
o Statistical fallacies
o Defective testimony
o Inappropriate evidence

2. Defective patterns of reasoning

o Evidential fallacies
 Slippery slope
 Confusing facts with opinion
 Red herring
 Myth of the mean
o Flawed proofs
o Defective arguments

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Public speaking is a process of speaking in a structured, deliberate manner to inform, influence or entertain an
audience.

Speech is the term used to refer to the body of spoken expressions of information and ideas. A speech may be
delivered in any of the following modes: read from a manuscript, memorized and delivered extemporaneous or
impromptu. The choice of mode of speech delivery is determined by factors such as length of preparation,
complexity of message, purpose and occasion.

Reading from a Manuscript is appropriate when the speech is long and when details are complicated and essential
such as that they need to be given completely. Reading is also appropriate when one is asked to deliver a prepared
speech on behalf of another speaker. Reading may pose the least challenge in public speaking but the speaker may
be tricked into thinking that no preparation is needed. When a message is delivered through reading, the force,
naturalness, and eye contact may be diminished because the eyes have to travel from page to the audience and vice
versa.
Memorized speech requires a speaker to commit everything to memory. This method is excellent for short
messages although it is also used for long pieces in oratorical, declamation and other literary contests. Just like a
read speech, a memorized speech also poses challenge in naturalness. The worst experience one could have in
delivering a memorized speech is to forget the lines and fail to shift smoothly to another mode of delivery.

Extemporaneous speaking may have a short or a long preparation. The speaker may use an outline to guide him
through his speech to achieve better organization and to avoid leaving out details. But unlike reading,
extemporaneous speaking necessitates the speaker to formulate his sentences while he is speaking.
Extemporaneous is a method that most lecturers and teachers use. A good extemporaneous speaker must be
spontaneous.

Impromptu means speaking at the spur of the moment. Since there is very minimal or no time for preparation given
for the impromptu, the content and organization may suffer. Impromptu may not deliver the best thought in the
best way but it brings out the most natural thing to say at the moment.

MAKING INQUIRIES

Both obtaining and giving information are a part of our daily activities. Information provides individual
basis for actions, plans and decisions. An individual’s skill in finding information helps him save time and
make well- informed decisions and actions. Likewise, giving information effectively is of great help to
others.

An inquiry letter is written when a person needs more information about products, services, internships,
scholarships or job vacancies offered by companies, associations or individuals. Often, inquiry letters are
sent when a person has specific questions that are not addressed by the general information available
provided by brochures, websites, advertisements, classified ads, etc.

An inquiry may also be in the form of telephone or personal interview.

Depending on the immediacy and specificity of the need, one of these modes may prove more
responsive to your need.

Both interview and letter require correct and appropriate language use. Both require correctness,
conciseness, clarity of language and courtesy. While letters require correctness of spelling, punctuations,
capitalizations, indentions, margins, etc., interviews require clarity of words, correct pronunciation,
intonation and pauses, spontaneity, pleasing personality and confidence.

CONTENT AND ORGANIZATION OF LETTER OF INQUIRY

BASIC PARTS
a. Heading or Letterhead
b. Inside Address
c. Salutation
d. Body of the Letter
FIRST PARAGRAPH: It provides a background of your inquiry such as how, where and when you first
learned of the information. State your purpose in one or two sentences.

MIDDLE PARAGRAPH: This section should specify the information you are seeking.

FINAL PARAGRAPH: Express your expectation from your addressee and thank him in advance for his
favorable action.

e. Complimentary Close
f. Signature

FORMAT
Can follow any of the following:
 Pure block
 Semi- block
 Modified block

Emails
More frequently used now in inquiry are emails. Emails gained popularity because of speed and convenience.

Generally, email messages are less formal than letters, although there are still expectations for appropriate and
effective email communication. The formality is determined by the sender’s familiarity and relationship to the
receiver, the classification and objective of the message to be sent and other factors that shape the context of
communication. In academic emails, for example, it is more appropriate to sound formal and professional. The use
of ‘wanna’, ‘gonna’ and abbreviations such as ‘tnx’ and ‘gbu’ and emoticons are inappropriate. In other informal
contexts, however, abbreviations and emoticons may be effective. In academic and other more formal emails,
correctness and other qualities that apply to business letters should be observed.

For more effective email communications, remember the following:

1. Be courteous. Courtesy does not only mean greeting, thanking or using polite expressions. It
a. also means considering the feelings of the receiver; thus, the writer needs to use the
b. appropriate or positive tone.
2. Keep messages as concise and clear as possible.
3. Proofread and spellcheck before sending.
4. Provide a short but descriptive subject line. The subject line will help the receiver readily identify
c. the content type and the urgency of the message.
5. Although some parts of the email are optional, it is enabling to know all the other parts.

PARTS OF AN EMAIL
From: Name of the person sending the email
Sent: Date and Time
To: Name of the person receiving the email
Cc: Other person receiving the email
Bcc: Another person receiving the email without the other recipient knowing
Subject: Content (title of the email)
Attachment: Document sent separately, not included in the email (but attached)
Salutation: Greeting or Opening
Body of the Email: Message
Closing: Ending
Name (email signature): Name and title
(Below the name of the sender, the following information may be included: company and address,
telephone number, URL or website address and social media link)

INTERVIEW is a special type of purposive conversation. Interviews are classified into different types according to
purpose, but basic to all types of interview is to obtain desired information.

Interview requires real time for both the interviewee and interviewer.

Whatever your specific purpose is, it is always advantageous to consider the following tips in conducting
an interview.

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

1. Make appointments with your interviewee at their most convenient time.
2. Prepare the list of questions.

DURING THE INTERVIEW

1. Be punctual
2. Wear appropriate attire
3. Observe good manners
4. Speak clearly and be attentive
5. If you have follow- up questions, ask politely. Ask the interviewee to validate your notes.
6. Allow the interviewee to sufficient time to answer.
7. Rephrase questions to clarify vague points.
8. Acknowledge answers of the interviewee to assure him of your attention.
9. Graciously thank the interviewee for his time.

PARTS OF THE INTERVIEW

OPENING includes the initial contact of the interviewer and the interviewee.
BODY includes several questions to achieve your specific objectives.
CONCLUSION includes expressing gratitude and hope of meeting the interviewee again in the future.
 SAINT MICHAEL COLLEGE OF HINDANG, LEYTE INC.
A Bonifacio St., Poblacion II, Hindang Leyte
Website: smchindang.edu.ph
E-mail: smchindang@gmail.com

Material : Activity
Due : October 26, 2021
Means of Submission : E- mail (rbianes@smchindang.edu.ph)

 Through a video, create a public service announcement regarding environmental disaster preparedness. Employ the
concepts learned about informative, argumentative and persuasive communication.