ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT MODULE 4

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Oral Communication in Context

Quarter 1 – Module 4
ORAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Department of Education ● Filamer Christian University

INTRODUCTION

1
 ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT MODULE 4

This module will introduce to you the different oral communication activities and
will help you appreciate and simulate the various ways a speaker can communicate to
his/her audience effectively. It will also give you the different verbal and non-verbal
cues and their meaning to help you understand other people better.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the module, the learners are expected to:
1. Compare dynamic and flat oral communication.
2. Appreciate effective oral texts employed by speakers, and
3. Recognize verbal and non-verbal cues used to effectively convey a message.

LEARNING CONTENT

Lesson 1: Oral Communication Strategies

Verbal and Non-verbal Cues

Communication involves verbal and non-verbal cues. Verbal cues include

auditory language like sound and words in order to deliver or exchange information. It
is the superficial part of communication because it is more obvious than non- verbal
cues. Non-verbal cues are your total presentation and self-expression apart from
spoken words. You will miss some non-verbal cues when you are not in a face- to face
interaction like on the phone or using the Messenger.

How do verbal and non-verbal cues impact our communication? Imagine the following
scenarios:
1. Your superior enters the office with an angry look.
2. The Schools Division Superintendent arrives and surprises everybody
in school.
3. Your best friend avoids you the whole day.
4. Pinned down for a 3-hour university orientation. Which among the
above scenarios will elicit the most reactions?

Darlene Price, author of Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get
Results, said that verbal cues are more impactful especially when it involves attitudes and

behavior. She further explained that when verbal and non-verbal cues disagree, you ought
to believe the non-verbal cues.

2
 ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT MODULE 4

A good communicator, whether talking to a child, in front of an audience, or

behind the desk, has to be only keen to verbal and non-verbal cues. More importantly,
his expressions and words have to agree.

Why does nonverbal communication matter?

Your nonverbal communication cues—the way you listen, look, move, and
react— tell the person you’re communicating with whether or not you care, if you’re
being truthful, and how well you’re listening. When your nonverbal signals match up
with the words you’re saying, they increase trust, clarity, and rapport. When they don’t,
they can generate tension, mistrust, and confusion.
If you want to become a better communicator, it’s important to become more
sensitive not only to the body language and nonverbal cues of others, but also to your
own.

Nonverbal communication can play five roles:

• Repetition: It repeats and often strengthens the message you’re making
verbally.

• Contradiction: It can contradict the message you’re trying to convey, thus

indicating to your listener that you may not be telling the truth.

• Substitution: It can substitute for a verbal message. For example, your

facial expression often conveys a far more vivid message than words ever
can.

• Complementing: It may add to or complement your verbal message. As a

boss, if you pat an employee on the back in addition to giving praise, it can
increase the impact of your message.

• Accenting: It may accent or underline a verbal message. Pounding the

table, for example, can underline the importance of your message.

Source: The Importance of Effective Communication, Edward G. Wertheim, Ph.D.

Types of nonverbal communication

The many different types of nonverbal communication or body language include:
1. Facial expressions. The human face is extremely expressive, able to convey
countless emotions without saying a word. And unlike some forms of nonverbal
communication, facial expressions are universal. The facial expressions for
happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust are the same across
cultures.

2. Body movement and posture. Consider how your perceptions of people are
affected by the way they sit, walk, stand, or hold their head. The way you move
and carry yourself communicates a wealth of information to the world. This type

3
 ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT MODULE 4

of nonverbal communication includes your posture, bearing, stance, and the

subtle movements you make.

3. Gestures. Gestures are woven into the fabric of our daily lives. You may wave,
point, beckon, or use your hands when arguing or speaking animatedly, often
expressing yourself with gestures without thinking. However, the meaning of
some gestures can be very different across cultures. While the OK sign made
with the hand, for example, conveys a positive message in Englishspeaking
countries, it’s consider offensive in countries such as Germany, Russia, and
Brazil. So, it’s important to be careful of how you use gestures to avoid
misinterpretation.

4. Eye contact. Since the visual sense is dominant for most people, eye contact
is an especially important type of nonverbal communication. The way you look
at someone can communicate many things, including interest, affection,
hostility, or attraction. Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of
conversation and for gauging the other person’s interest and response.

5. Touch. We communicate a great deal through touch. Think about the very
different messages given by a weak handshake, a warm bear hug, a patronizing
pat on the head, or a controlling grip on the arm, for example.

6. Space. Have you ever felt uncomfortable during a conversation because the
other person was standing too close and invading your space? We all have a
need for physical space, although that need differs depending on the culture,
the situation, and the closeness of the relationship. You can use physical space
to communicate many different nonverbal messages, including signals of
intimacy and affection, aggression or dominance.

7. Voice. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. When you speak, other
people ―read‖ your voice in addition to listening to your words. Things they pay
attention to include your timing and pace, how loud you speak, your tone and
inflection, and sounds that convey understanding, such as ―ahh‖ and ―uh-
huh.‖ Think about how your tone of voice can indicate sarcasm, anger, affection,
or confidence.
Here is a graph that summarizes both verbal and non-verbal cues.

VERBAL NON-VERBAL
SOUNDS WORDS EMOTIONS
● Volume Word choice shows Tone of voice, pitch, volume, inflection,
● Pitch qualities such as pacing, pause
● Voice intellectual capacity,
Silence
quality intensity or urgency of

4
 ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT MODULE 4

● Tone the message and Body language

● Inflection confidence and values Gestures Eye contact
like modesty or
● Pacing superiority. Facial expression Touching
● Pausing Posture Proximity
Grooming Confidence

Communication Activities
People love to listen to stories in the form of oral poetry, songs or plain
storytelling. These oral communication activities, all packed with emotions, differ in
oral delivery. They communicate a lot of truth regarding relevant issues of today and
yesterday, skillfully incorporating a variety of language features. What important role
do these activities foster?
Oral poetry contains most of the elements found in written poetry. Aside from
rhythm, it also uses figurative language. The difference is, it is delivered or performed
to a live audience, hence, the body language and emotions are better expressed,
creating a higher degree of response among the listeners. Some features of oral
poetry are tone, meter, repetition, inflection, mood and it perfects imagery.
Songs do not differ much from oral poetry. Songs play a huge role in
communication. It has religious, social and political functions. It has similar features to
poetry added the lyrical element. A special musical feature found in many different
genre of music is syncopation, an artistic play of rhythm, deviating from the natural
flow. Rap is a popular style of popular music that magnifies the use of syncopation.
It’s grooving effect appeals mostly to young people.
Storytelling is roughly defined as the sharing of events and experiences that is
meant to entertain, inform, as well as to teach morals. By stories, we may avoid
communication barriers by passing morals to children and young adults indirectly.
Everyone loves a good gossip or story. It is a safe and brilliant way to keep the children
at home.

LEARNING ACTIVITY
Listen to Helly Shah ft Samuel skillfully perform her oral poetry entitled, ―Dear
Breasts‖ at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyzjHx7R1es&list=PLaLzUhqqwV13hfsj93WV- gQ_-
WhZgvPAG&index=2.

Answer the question of this video by writing the letter on the space provided.

5
 ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT MODULE 4

1. Helly most likely performed for a group of .

a. primary students b. female adolescents
c. feminists d. general public
2. Her main objective was to .

a. entertain b. inform and persuade

c. advise d. examine
3. Her talk was most relevant to .
a. primary students b. adolescents
c. all women d. business audience
4. She effectively sends her message by __.
a. being assertive on the rights of femininity
b. giving descriptive evidence and specific example events
c. talking about an important issue to the right audience
d. all a,b and c

Watch the recorded song of Yoyoy Villame entitled, Magellan. Then briefly
discuss the questions about his song. Open at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUl3Yyxyjy8. Write your answer on the space
provided.
1. How does this piece of literature convey a specific event in the Philippine history?
2. What quality or language features do you think made this piece interesting?
3. What important information has this piece given you?

ASSESSMENT

Performance Task:

Choose any of the following exercises.

Exercise 1. Tell a story about communication barriers at home. Film yourself and showcase
and submit it to your teacher. You may choose your own topic of interest.

6
 ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT MODULE 4

Exercise 2. Make a musical production with original lyrics and film yourself with the
help of your family or friends. You can talk about someone or something worth
acknowledging. You may choose any musical genre.

Exercise 3. Produce an oral poetry that comments on a relevant

issue. Submit a soft copy of your performance.

Exercise 4. With the help of family or friends, make a

drama presentation of how social media affects
relationships.

Exercise 5. Make a vlog promoting the beautiful spots

in your place.

7
 ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT MODULE 4

REFERENCES:

―Oral Communication in Contest for the Senior High School Teacher’s

Manual,‖ C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City, 2016.

Philippe John Fresnillo Sipacio, Anna Richie Garcia Balgos. Oral

Communication in Context textbook for Senior High School. C & E
Publishing Inc. Quezon City, 2016.

Online Resources:

Inuk Lee, ―Difference Between Verbal and Nonverbal

Communication,‖ eNotes Editorial, 31, July, 2015.

https://www.enotes.com

Jacquelyn Smith, ―10 Nonverbal Cues That Convey Confidence At Work,‖ March 11,

2013. https://www.forbes.com

Macfarlane Moleli, ―Oral Poetry,‖ The D.G. Murray Trust, May 10, 2014.

YouTube Video, 10:18.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwZD

d77GLc

Macfarlane Moleli, ―Oral Forms,‖ The D.G. Murray Trust, May 11, 2014.

YouTube Video, 14:17.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

UdEwI8ZYWn8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwjAAgGi90&fbclid=IwAR37XIJAgpojE
Gme 7D4 LhRo4TkJic5OwWXAyDTADR0sbtRS9RF-cImwSF_4
http://.www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLQ4v2-R3KM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wff_nwa-

8
 ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT MODULE 4

E8g&t=116s&fbclid=IwAR1Lhoi3z-
UAyXIK9MCZEY153OmlTADQ-I7rgwZANdvfTKU_DILY8Bhujdk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJOwpXhIAM4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyzjHx7R1es&list=PLaLzUhqqwV13hfsj93W
V- gQ_- WhZgvPAG&index=2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUl3Yyxy

jy8.
32
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationshipscommunication/no
nverbal- communication.htm