COMMUNICATION MODES

Communication mode refers to the channel through which one expresses his/ her
communicative intent. It is the medium through which one conveys his/ her thoughts. Views or
feelings can be communicated through face-to-face interaction, video, or audio. The mode may also
text-based.

The most common of all these modes is the face-to-face interaction. It is an informal or casual
conversations to establish relationships or maintain them. It is one way gaining new acquaintances or
friends. How to speak, what to speak, when to speak, and to whom one is speaking are all important
considerations in building relationships.

One advantage of face-to-face interaction is that aside directly hearing the message being
conveyed, you are able to note visual cues through facial expressions, gestures, movements, or even
objects or realia from the person/s you are communicating with.

Dau Voire suggests : " Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters." This simply means
that even if the people surrounding you in a social event are strangers to you, you need to be
confident enough to meet new faces and initiate an interesting conversation. But what kind of topics
are matter to strangers you are meeting for the first time? In a social gathering like a wedding, for
instance, you do not dwell on topics that are never- ending in nature. You do not discuss politics and
religions as these are sensitive issues that may impinge on one's beliefs and practices. Instead, start a
conversation focusing on what you experience at the moment-- ambience or atmosphere of the
wedding reception, music, food, relationship to the bride or groom. These are topics sufficient until
the reception ends. Note that one topic may lead to another. You should be able to hold a
conversation at a social event without offending the other party. In other words, topic initiation
should be followed by topic maintenance, topic change or shift, and finally, topic closure.

Margaret J. Wheatley states : " All social change begins with a conversation." Indeed, this is so
especially if that one single and simple conversation blossoms into a deeper contact. Eventually, you
and your newfound friend may find yourselves enjoying each other's company,sharing the same
interests, and deciding to work on some significant projects. Later on, all of these will result in
changes that yield profound social consequences.

As Diana Wheatley aptly put it:

" Meaning is made in conversation,

Reality is created in communication

And knowledge is generated through social interaction...

Language is the vehicle through which we create our understanding of the world."
 Another mode of communication is video. Web cameras are used so that two or more people
who cannot interact face-to-face can communicate. If there are no technical glitches encountered, this
could be very effective mode of communication especially for people separated by distance. For
example, you may engage in a conversation via Skype with your loved ones especially during
significant, meaninngful or memorable occasions. You are able to hear clearly the voice and see up
close the face of your beloved. Other electronic applications that allow video calls are Viber,
WhatsApp, Apple FaceTime and Facebook Messenger, among others. In more formal settings, people
can also engage in video- conferencing. While this is convenient communication mode for people who
want to reach out to each other despite distance, a disadvantage is the time zone difference between
countries. In this case, one of them should make the necessary adjustments to pave the way for a
successful communication.

The third mode of communication is audio. Audio means transmitted sound. Thus, in this mode
of communication, only the voice of the speaker is heard. Ordinarily, someone's voice is heard
through the telephone or an answering machine when the other party is not able to answer a call. In
skype, when a person cannot be contacted or is not online, a voice message or voice mail can be sent.
An obvious downside of this mode is not being able to see the body language or cues of the person
you are talking to.

The audio communication mode is quite different especially if you are listening to people with
different accents. For instance, in relation to the World Englishes paradigm, other speakers of English
apart from those who speak it as a native language may find it peculiar listening to the accent of
Filipinos. Some Filipinos are not able to distinguish the sound of /I/ and /i/ in English words as in the
examples sin and seen. Some are not able to produce the sound of hard and soft /th/ and simply
substitute /d/ as in the examples those and dos and thing and ting. Some also interchange /v/ with
/b/ and /f/ with /p/.

The fourth and last mode is text-based communication such as e-mail, facsimile, text messaging,
instant messaging. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and instagram likewise offer
text- based interaction. While text- based communication mode does not originally provide video and
audio benefits, it has a wider reach and can disseminate information to a bigger audience quickly.

The last three modes are all vital in nature. Those engaged in communication are able to hear
and /or see each other in real time simulating the actual physical setting.

Reference:

Madrunio, M.R., Martin, I.P., Purposive Communication Using English in Mutilingual Contexts
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

Check your understanding of the input by answering the following questions:

1.) What are the difference type of communication mode and how do they differ from each other?

2.) What are the other forms of modes of communication that have not been discussed and which
have recently become part of virtual communication technology?

3.) Explain Diana Wheatley's quote and give one illustration:

" Meaning is made in conversation,

Reality is created in communication,

And knowledge is generated through social interaction...

Language is the vehicle through which we create our understanding of the World."