Lesson 2: Models of Communication

Pre-Activity
The Glitch
By Divina P. Maming
Dela Cruz family came together for breakfast. Each had his/her own story to tell about his/her experiences for
the week. This is the usual scenario every Sunday morning.

“Good morning kids!” greeted the mother who had just finished setting the table for five. Tonio and Maria could
not wait to reach for their chairs with a big grin on their faces as they said, “Good morning, nanay!”

Criselda walked out from her room, still sleepy, her hair unkempt, her sleepwear on but appeared equally
thrilled as her siblings shared the table with their mother.

“Nanay, I can smell the aroma of your best delicacy, adobo,” she remarked. “Yeah, I know. It is the favorite of
the family so adobo is what I prepared today,” she answered. Criselda replied, “I can’t wait to taste it!”

Mang Cardo, the man of the family, is a clerk in one of the rural banks in town. He was talking to somebody over
the phone; his voice echoed excitement but later on, his positive mood gradually vanished. As he turned towards the
table, he shrugged his shoulders for disappointment.

“Let’s eat!” mother exclaimed, wanting to turn the situation around. But everybody seemed to have been
overwhelmed by their father’s silence. It was the first time they saw him in a really low spirit. “What happened?” at last,
the wife asked.

“I may lose my job,” he said with a croaky voice.

“But why?” Aling Terie was surprised and so were the children. She quickly walked towards him and patted his
shoulder. “It’s okay. You can still find another job,” she said offering him a seat.

The children also let their father feel their support as they smilingly uttered, “Tatay, don’t worry, we are here to
help.”

“Yes, we will assist nanay in selling fish in the market after school hours,” Tonio said. “Maybe we can add
vegetables to sell too, for additional income,” Maria added. Criselda, on the other hand, volunteered to do the home
chores.

“Thank you, my dear children,” was all Aling Terie could say.

Mang Cardo was moved by his family’s gesture. He was not expecting for such an all-out support. He felt good
about it. He started asking his kids about their activities in school and how they fared in their subjects.

Each of them excitedly told his own story. Criselda declared, “I got highest score in Math, so my teacher
rewarded me with a bar of chocolate.” Tonio then mentioned about their project in Science which could eliminate foot
smell and everyone poked fun at it. They asked him whether they could try the product to see if it would really work.
Maria spoke about their field trip to the town’s historical heritage and talked about what she learned from it.

Exchanges of stories persisted until someone gave Mang Cardo a ring. The ringing lasted for some seconds and
finally, he stood up to answer the call.

As he returned to the table, he was smiling. He was informed that the retrenchment was not for him; it was a
mistake. Now, the glitch is fixed and he is to report to work the next day again.

All of them could not contain their happiness. And so, they sat down again to eat all together. “We will go to the
church after breakfast, as usual,” Mang Cardo sighed with relief.

Now, answer the following questions on a ½ crosswise sheet of yellow paper.

1. What are the different communication scenarios in the story?

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2. How did each communication scenario develop?
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3. Did a conflict arise in the story? What kind of conflict is it? Did it affect the communication process? Was it resolved?
How? How did the rest of the family members react to it?
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4. How can we establish a good communication?
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5. What is the importance of communication in our daily life?
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