LESSON 1: COMMUNICATION difference,
PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS expectations and experiences,
Effective Communication
- is a key interpersonal skill and
by learning how you can improve your
communication has many benefits.
- is dependent on how rich those
ideas are, and how much of those ideas
are retained in the process.
Communication
- is the art of creating and
sharing ideas for a specific purpose.
Verbal Communication
- which includes the use of
language, sounds, and tone of voice.
Non-Verbal Communication
- which includes body language
and facial expressions
Written Communication
- such as through journals,
emails, blogs, and text messages
Visual Communication
- which involves signs, symbols,
pictures, graphics, and emojis
Audience Analysis
- A key element in effective
communication.
- “Audience” here does not only
refer to the people listening to you in a
public speech.
- are extremely important in
“packaging” the message and sending it
across.
Communication Barriers
- are not confined to physical
noise (cars passing by, someone
pounding on the table) and
physiological issues (an upset stomach),
but could also include cultural
varying levels of
and
difference in perspectives and
communication styles.
Principles of Effective Communication
1. Clarity - pertains to both the message
and the purpose why the message has
to be sent.
2. Conciseness - The 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.
3. Completeness - Despite its
conciseness, the message should still be
complete and accurate. Whenever
necessary, background information
should be given to provide better
context; facts and observations may
also be helpful.
4. Organization - Effective
communication is usually planned in
order to ensure the systematic flow of
ideas and transition from one point to
another.
5. Empathy - The sender of the message
should be sensitive to the needs and
interests of the receiver.
6. Flexibility - Different people have
different communication styles, and
consequently, different expectations.
COMMUNICATION AND
GLOBALIZATION
Globalization
- has been regarded as the key
to the worldwide integration of
humanity, where there is an increased
economic, political and cultural
integration and interdependence of
diverse cultures.
 Communication in the modern
world must be anchored on the
concept of diversity, since effective
communication and the ability to
understand cultural differences are
skills that have become requisites
not only for a meaningful social life
but also for a successful
professional career.
 Digital technology has erased
territorial boundaries among
countries and among people with
varying cultures.
 There is a need to develop
graduates and professionals who
are 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.
ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION
 Effective communication is ethical
communication.
 Communication is ethical only
when it is genuine, open,
cooperative and sensitive to one’s
cultural and social beliefs and
practices.
How Past Experience and Prejudice
Affect Communication
 Past experiences inevitably affect
people’s communication styles in
the future. When their audience
responded positively to their
message, chances of them
repeating the same style are
relatively high.
 Prejudice, on the other hand, when
people take their past experiences
and make certain assumptions that
the same experience will happen
with the same people, given the
same context. Prejudices may be
attributed to culture or personal
preferences.
Showing commitment and genuine
interest
 Being committed means giving
sufficient time and resources to any
discussion or conversation, and
being open about any issue that
may arise.
 Commitment also 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
 Two major elements affecting
ethical communication
- use of words or language
- one’s behavior or body
language.
 The origin of this “rule” dates back
to the 1930s and since then,
numerous scientists and body
language experts have honed the
theory. Most notably, 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. Simply put, the
belly button rule means the
direction of a person’s navel
reflects his/her true interest.
 Respecting socio-cultural beliefs and
practices of others
 Globalization also entails changing
the way people communicate to
others, especially those with
different norms, cultures and belief
systems.
 Ethical communication requires
people to respect socio-cultural
beliefs and practices of others,
while at the same time avoiding all
kinds of stereotypes.
Lesson 2: Local and Global
Communication in Multicultural
Settings
COMMUNICATION STYLES IN VARIOUS
MULTICULTURAL CONTEXTS
- Communication style refers to
the choices people make and the
strategies or tools they use in the
process of communication.
 Each style has two dimensions: the
(1) assertiveness level and the (2)
emotiveness level
The Communication Styles Matrix
 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).
The combination of these levels result
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
Tips for People with a Spirited
Communication Style
1. Respect decisions and agenda
that have been agreed upon, as well as
time limits during meetings or any
communicative situation.
2. Try to limit your sharing of
personal anecdotes that may take the
discussion off-topic.
3. Make sure you are allowing
others to contribute their ideas and
suggestions – and that you are
genuinely listening to them.
4. Be certain that any request you
make is clear and that you convey the
reason for such request.
5. Communicate your appreciation
for others’ work and input.
Tips for People with a Considerate
Communication Style
1. Recognize that other people’s
opinions about a topic are separate
from their opinions about you.
2. Realize that not everyone is
comfortable discussing personal topics
with colleagues.
3. Allow others to open personal
matters before asking questions of that
nature.
4. Respect your own opinion as you
respect that of others’.
5. Recognize that you don’t have to be
friends with everyone, but you should
treat others – and be treated –
professionally.
Tips for People with a Direct
Communication Style
1. Make an effort to listen carefully to
others. Avoid interrupting.
2. Allow time for ‘chatting’ at the
beginning of a meeting.
3. Recognize that others may also feel
the need to express themselves.
4. Recognize that brainstorming can be
effective and is not a waste of time.
5. Take some time to show your
appreciation for others’ contributions.
Tips for People with a Systematic
Communication Style
1. Recognize that for good working
relationships, consideration for others’
feelings is important.
2. Learn to ask qualifying questions that
will help you get the information you
need.
3. Make sure you understand the
background of the discussion or scope
of the conversation so no time is
wasted.
4. Politely ask other questions about
themselves if you want to build rapport.
5. If you need to ask for more time to
know, analyze or discuss something,
explain the benefit of the information
you need to know.
VARIETIES AND REGISTERS OF SPOKEN
AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE
In a multicultural society, people
must use culturally-appropriate terms,
gestures, expressions and images in any
communicative situation.
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.
Classifications of Language Varieties
A. Pidgin
- refers to a new language that
develops into situations where speakers
of different languages need to
communicate but do not share a
common language. Examples are
Chavacano in the Philippines and
Bislama, a language spoken in Vanuatu.
B. Creole
- is a pidgin that becomes the
first language of the children, or the
mother tongue of a certain community.
Examples are the Gullah and the Patwa,
is a creole in Jamaica.
C. Regional Dialect
- is not a language that is not
distinct from a national language, but
D. rather a variety of a language spoken
in a particular area of a country.
Examples are as Cebuano, Waray,
Ilocano, and Hiligaynon in the
Philippines.
E. Minority Dialect
- is a variety used as a marker of
identity, usually alongside a standard
variety, by the members of a particular
minority ethnic group. Examples are the
Sinama of the Badjaos in the Philippines
and the London-Jamaican variety in
Britain.
F. Indigenized Varieties
- are spoken mainly as second
languages in former colonies with
multilingual populations. A classic
example is Singlish (or Singaporean
English).
Language Registers
- 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.
Language registers can be classified
A. Formal
- are used in professional,
academic, or legal settings where
communication is expected to be
respectful, uninterrupted, and
restrained to specific rules. Slang is
never used and contractions are rare.
Examples are registers used in research
paper, government documents,
business letters, and in business
presentations.
B. Casual
- are used when communicating
with friends, close acquaintances,
colleagues, and family members. These
are used in birthday parties or family
gatherings.
C. Intimate
- are reserved for special
occasions, usually between only two
people and often in private. Examples
are an inside joke between two high
school friends or sweet nothings
whispered to your “special someone.”
D. Frozen
- refers to historic language that
is intended to remain unchanged.
Examples are the registers used in the
Philippine Constitution and the Holy
Bible.
E. Consultative
- used in conversations when
people are speaking with someone who
has specialized knowledge or is offering
advice. Tone is often respectful, such as
the use of honorifics or courtesy titles,
but may be more casual if the
relationship between or among the
communicators is friendly. Examples are
registers used in local television
broadcast or in a conversation with a
doctor during medical examination.
 Language registers can also be
classified as Formal, Informal, or
Neutral. Formal language registers
are appropriate for professional
situations, such as when speaking
to a supervisor or writing an
invitation letter. Informal language
registers, on the other hand, 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. These are most
appropriate for research or
technical writing.
Lesson 3: Evaluating Messages and
Images of Different Text Types
 The challenge is to find a good
balance between the identity-
intelligibility extremes. Hence,
speakers of the English language
may resort to code-switching (i.e.,
using English and another language
in the same statement).
Multimodality
- is 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.). Most importantly,
multimodality highlights the
significance of interaction and
integration in constructing a
coherent text.
A multimodal text can either be one of
the following:
 - Paper (books, comics, posters,
brochures)
- Digital (slide presentations, blogs,
web pages, social media, animation,
film, video games
- Live (performance or an event)
- Transmedia (A story is told using
multiple delivery channels through a
combination of platforms, such as
comics, film, and video games all
working as part of the same story with
the same message.)

In creating a multimodal text, the

Purpose, Audience, Context must all be
considered.
 As to purpose, the creator of the
text must be clear on the message
and the reason(s) why the message
has to be delivered.
 As to audience, the nature,
interests and sensitivities of the
target audience must be considered
so the text will not be offensive and
hurt people’s sensibilities.
 As to context, the message should
be clearly delivered through various
semiotic resources, and in
consideration of the various
situations where and how the text
will be read by different people
having different cultural
backgrounds.