Professional Documents
Culture Documents
What is communication?
According to Wood (2004), communication is a systematic process in which individuals interact with and through symbols to
create and interpret meanings.
Wood s defi itio suggests the qualities that are inherent in communication.
1. Communication is a PROCESS.
– It is reati e, o ti ui g o ditio of life, a pro ess that ha ges as the o u i ator s e iro e ts
and needs change.
– Many words have become obsolete, trite, or altered in their meanings while new words have evolved
2. Communication is SYSTEMATIC
– It occurs within systems of interrelated and interacting parts.
3. Communication is SYMBOLIC
– Symbols, verbal or non-verbal are the basis of language.
4. Communication involves MEANING.
– Meanings are assigned, given or invented, not received.
– It is the production of meaning rather than the production of messages that identifies communication.
1. The communication process is circular because each communicator takes on both roles of sender and receiver.
2. The sender encodes the a message, which is transmitted in the form of a signal to the receiver who decodes the message and
responds by encoding another signal even before the sender has completely sent the message.
3. Communication is therefore fluid since the sending and the receiving of messages are simultaneous
4. It o tai s fields of e perie e hi h is defi ed as life
experiences, attitudes, values and beliefs that each
communicator brings to an interaction and that shape how
messages are sent a d re ei ed M Cor a k, , p.
5. The o erlap of the se der s a d re ei er s fields of e perie e is
the shared area.
6. Since the model is based on the convergence or network
approach, various kinds of noise can possibly distort the
message at any point in the process till it reaches the receiver.
7. The feedback helps solve the problem.
Intermediary/Gatekeeper Model
– Frequently used in Mass Communication Focuses on the role of
intermediaries or gatekeepers in the communication process, giving
communication a two-step flow (Katz, 1957).
1. Intermediaries are editors of books, magazines, newspapers, or any other kind of publication; moderators of internet
discussion groups; reviewers of peer-reviewed publications, or aggregators of clipping services.
2. Intermediaries can decide any or all of the following: (a) what messages they want others to see, (b) in which context they
want the messages to be seen, and (c) when they want the messages to be seen.
3. They have the ability to alter the messages or to prevent them from reaching a particular audience.
4. Intermediaries sometimes act as gatekeepers or censors.
Verbal Communication
– Encompasses any form of communication involving words, spoken, written or signed.
– The most important aspect of verbal communication is the language.
– The perso s la guage ust e learl u derstood.
NonVerbal communication
– Includes an extensive scope of concepts we transmit without the use of words or speech
1. Body movements (gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, posture, touch)
2. Sound of Voice (tone, pitch, rate, volume, emphasis, intonation)
3. Physical appearance and characteristics (clothing, hairstyle, height, weight, skin, color, gender, smell)
Avoid interrupting
Set aside judgment or bias
Show your interest in what is being said;
Provide feedback.
Be aware of both individual and cultural differences Use nonverbal signals that match your words
In interpreting nonverbal language, you need to: In delivering nonverbal language, you need to:
Consider the nonverbal signals as a group, not as single Adjust your nonverbal signals to the context
cues. Use body language to convey positive feeling
piece of information
Intercultural Communication
Intercultural Blunders
Culture – is the total inherited ideas, beliefs, values and knowledge that constitute the shared bases of social action.
Intercultural Communication – exchange of messages between and among people with diverse cultures
– Requires both knowledge and skills
Gesture
1. Purposive movement of our fingers, hands, arms, head, 5. Head movement from left to right in the Middle East
shoulders, torso, legs or feet for nonverbal a d i Bulgaria ea s Yes .
communication. 6. I so e ou tries, the OK ea s zero a d is ot
2. The amount of gesturing varies from culture to culture. offensive.
3. In Middle East, nodding the head down indicates 7. Americans use their index finger to point; Germans use
agreement, and nodding it up is a sign of disagreement their little finger; the Japanese and Thais, their entire
4. In I dia, oddi g the head ea s No hile shaki g it hand
ea s Yes
Touch
– is culturally determined.
1. Asians do more touching than Americans.
2. I so e ultures, patti g a hild s head is affe tio ate or frie dl . While i ost Asia ou tries, it s i appropriate.
Posture
1. Slouching is rude in most of Northern Europe and even in some Asian countries.
2. Putting hands inside the pocket while standing is disrespectful in Turkey.
3. Sitting with legs crossed is offensive in Ghana.
4. In Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Saudi Arabia, showing the sole of the feet while sitting in formal gatherings is ofensive.
Time
1. In the US, time is gold. Time is monochromic (they do things one at a time).
2. In the East, time is endless and limitless. Time is polychromic (doing several tasks at the same time).
3. In Venezuela, being early or on time is being rude.
Physical Space
1. I the U“, people ge erall sta d at ar s le gth Smell
(about 30 inches) from a person when having a 1. Arabs consider natural body odor as normal.
conversation 2. Asians bathe frequently, but Americans and Europeans
2. In China, people love to stand a little bit closer criticize this practice
3. Europeans are accustomed to smaller personal space.
To be an effective public communicator, take into consideration the cultural values and customs of your audience, and consider the
following:
1. Avoid ethnocentrism, the belief that your group or culture is superior to all other groups or cultures (Lucas, 2000).
2. Treat all cultures and cultural groups as your equal.
3. Do not prejudge anyone by his physical appearance
Function of communication
Function – refers to the particular purpose for which a thing is used, something exists, or a person is fitted to meet his or her
so e od else s eeds or desires Padilla, Dagdag, ‘o as & Perez, 6.
1. To provide information
Communication provides data and information for effective completion of tasks, solution of problems, and elimination
of uncertainty.
The three flows of information are:
a) Downward flow
b) Upward flow
c) Horizontal flow
Through communication we get information on what is going on around us.
The amount of information we share with another person or others varies depending on the degree of our closeness
to each other to one another.
2. Motivation
is the e erg that i flue es a perso s eha ior i differe t a s in his pursuit of his goal or objective.
Communication fosters communication.
Communication helps us specific goals and gives us update or feedback on our progress, whether positive or
negative, toward the accomplishment of these goals.
3. Regulation or control
To control or regulate is to exercise or restraint or direction formally or informally.
Rules, regulations, policies, unspoken or unwritten rules.
4. Emotional expression
Communication makes it possible to release or unload emotions, resulting in catharsis.
Communication allows us to act and to react to the behavior of people around us. By revealing our thoughts and feelings,
5. Social interaction
Barriers of Communication
1. Perceptual and Language Differences
Perception is generally how each individual interprets the 5. Emotions
world around him. Emotional state at a particular time also affects
Linguistic differences also lead to communication communication.
breakdown.
Words may mean different to different individuals. 6. Complexity in Organizational Structure
Greater the hierarchy in an organization, more are the
2. Information overload chances of communication getting destroyed.
It is essential to control the formation flow to avoid
misinterpreting, forgetting or overlooking the information. 7. Poor retention
Human memory cannot function beyond a limit.
3. Time pressure
Sufficient time must be given for effective communication.
4. Distraction or Noise
Poor lighting
Uncomfortable sitting
Unhygienic room
Loud speakers
Types of speech
4. Process Speech
a) First type – To teach my listeners how to remove a stain from clothing
b) Second type – To explain to my listeners how surgeons perform bloodless operations with laser beams
Guidelines:
Use visual aids
Involve the audience in physical activity whenever possible
Proceed slowly
Give warning of difficult steps
To explain to the audience why some people keep dangerous exotic pets
5. Explanation speech
PERSUASIVE SPEECH
aims to convince the audience to change their views or beliefs
includes debates, legal proceedings, and sales talks
Descriptions
Use lowkey humor
Telling Jokes is risky
Use self-deprecating humor
SPEECH ACCORDING TO DELIVERY
Impromptu Speech
given when you are asked to speak on the spot, and you do not know ahead of time what you will be speaking before a
group
Do away with many concerns by doing the following suggestions:
predict when you may be called upon to speak.
keep up with the developments in your field.
have a few good stories and remarks ready
Extemporaneous Speech
gives the speaker an opportunity to prepare
deliver by occasionally referring to an outline or brief notes
do not write the whole speech or memorize it
Manuscript Speech
presented when an exact wording is required
presenting policies, contracts, and scientific reports
written out word for word and is delivered by reading the manuscript to the audience
Memorized Speech
requires the use of exact wording but reading from a manuscript is inappropriate
commits the speech to memory
Listening – is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process.
– Being aware of verbal and non-verbal messages.
– Psychological process that involves interpreting and giving meaning to what we often hear
– is considered a highly complex and interactive process by which aural language is translated to meaningful
utterances in mind.
Hearing – Merely receiving the sounds
– Physiological process that involves receiving of vibrations through the delicate structures within the ears.
Types of listening
1. Informative Listening – Occurs when the listener is primarily concerned with understanding the message
2. Emphatic Listening – Involves being able to blend into the world of the speaker by seeing, hearing, and feeling what the other is
experiencing.
3. Appreciative Listening – Includes listening to music for enjoyment and pleasure, appreciating the style and skills of a speaker, or making
choices of things that give entertainment, such as TV shows, etc.
4. Critical Listening – Relates to the ability of a person to both interpret and evaluate the message
5. Discriminative Listening – Most basic form of listening, which is developed at a very early age.
– Relies not on what the speaker says but on how the speaker says it in terms of his rate, volume, and other nonverbal cues
Supplying Transitions
Bridges
Internal summaries
Brief review of material covered in part of a speech
Signposts
Spotlights
Outlining
An aid for organizing
Why not write a word-for-word script and use it to deliver a speech?
Advantages of an outline
An outline helps you see structure and the relationship of ideas
An outline is streamlined
Follow three steps
1. Create an outline
2. Prepare speaking notes
3. Deliver the speech
Why not use an outline while speaking?
How is outline different from actual speech?
Guidelines
(When No Time Limit is Set, Speak Briefly) (Decide How You Will Reveal Your Sources)
Topic is some specific aspect of the subject. Gender
To brainstorm topics, bear in mind these principles: Education
Personal Inventory
Religion
Clustering
Internet Search
Culture
geographic uniqueness
group affiliation/membership
Statistics
Determine the best order for your speech
Time/Chronological Order
Testimony/Expert opinion Spatial Order
Anecdote and narratives Causal Order
Comparisons Problem-Solution Order
Quotations Logical Order
Definitions
Audiovisual Aids
Vocal Delivery Rate (number of words an Visual Delivery
Volume (intensity, loudness, individual utter in one is the nonverbal aspect of
softness of the voice) communication.
minute)
Articulation ( clarity and Pronunciation (combination
enunciation of the words, of vowels, consonants, Eye contact
phrases, sentences) syllables and accent used to Appearance
Pitch (highness or lowness of
emphasize a specific word) Gestures
sounds)
Pause (breaks or Facial Expressions
Quality (sound or timbre of
interruptions) Body position and movement
the voice eg. Hoarse, nasal, Emphasis and Phrasing
melodious)
Communicative Competence Strategies
in Various Speech Situations
Intrapersonal Interpersonal
This refers to communication that centers in one person This refers to communication between and among
where the speaker acts both as the sender and the people and establishes personal relationship between
receiver of message. and among them.
Takes place within a single person, often for the purpose Because of i terperso al o u i atio s i edia
of clarifying ideas or analyzing a situation. (it is taking place now) and primacy (it is taking place
Other times, intrapersonal communication is here), it is characterized by a strong feedback
undertaken in order to reflect upon or appreciate component.
something.
Highly private.
1. Intimate
Intimacy is the level of closeness or belongingness we have with a special person in our life.
It is a style among intimate members of a family or friends that do not need a complete language with clear articulation.
Enough to use short utterances.
Someti es refer to group la guage e ause the la guage used is er fa iliar ith those i ol ed.
2. Casual
Both the sender and the receiver are engaged in a structure they both agree.
There is an active participation and involvement of the participants
There is societal expectation. A high respect is given to the one giving the advice.
This level of communication uses language that barely and at no time changes.
5. Frozen
Speech Act
A speech act is a spoken word, phrase, or sentence that performs a function of a language.
It is an utterance that a speaker makes to achieve an intended effect
Actions performed via utterances
Requires not only knowledge of the meaning of the words but also the appropriate context given the culture in which they
Categories:
a) Assertive – the speaker commits to belief in a certain premise
b) Directive – meant for the hearer to take a specific action such as orders, requests, and advice)
c) Commissive – Speaker commits to a future action such as promises and oaths.
d) Expressive – Conveys the speaker attitudes and emotions towards someone or something such as
congratulations, thanks, and complaints.
e) Declarative – Performs an official function by their declaration such as pronouncing someone husband
and wife, pronouncing someone not guilty.
– Brings a change in external situation.
It is the resulting act of what is said. This effect is based on the particular context in which the speech act was mentioned.
It is the psychological impact of a given speech act
It can include persuading, convincing, scaring, enlightening, or inspiring.
Interview Tips
Know your interest and value. Let your body language speak well of you