TYPES OF

COMMUNICATIVE
STRATEGIES
OBJECTIVES:

• Identify the different types of communication strategies.

• Use the different communication strategies in a dialogue.

• Advocate respect when using different communication strategies in any

communication situations.
COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES
These are plans/ways/means of sharing information which are
adopted to achieve a particular social, political, psychological, or linguistic
purpose.
A. NOMINATION
 This is presenting a particular topic clearly, truthfully, and
saying only what is relevant.
 It refers to the act of the speaker wherein he or she opens
and establishes a topic in the conversation or discussion.
EXAMPLES:

What do you think about the resignation of the company’s president?

Hey Jasmine, may I talk to you about our science project?

B. RESTRICTION
 This is constraining the response/reaction within a set of
categories.
 The Listener is forced to respond only within a set of categories
that is made by the Speaker.
 It is the act of limiting what the participants can contribute to
the conversation or discussion.
EXAMPLES:

In one or two sentences, tell me what you think about the issue.

If you had to choose just three words to describe yourself, what would
those three words be?
 GUIDELINES FOR NOMINATION AND
RESTRICTION

1. The main speaker should state the topic that will be

discussed. This can be done by explicitly stating the topic or
by asking questions regarding the subject matter.

•Hey, guys. Have any of you been to Coron?

•Today’s lesson is going to be about environmental awareness.
2.When nominating a topic, it should be said clearly, and
only relevant details should be included. If there are details
that the listeners should know in order for them to
understand the topic even more, the main speaker should
include those details as well while nominating.

• Today, we are going to watch a film called Life Is Beautiful. It

is a 1997 Italian comedy-drama. Is anyone here familiar with
this movie?
• I think that, before anything else, we should consult Ms.
Reyes about our plans for the project. What do you think?
3. When restricting what participants can contribute to the
discussion, lay down specific instructions or parameters
regarding what they can say or how they can say it.

•I’msorry, but the line is choppy. Can you please repeat the last line
you said?
•That’s a good point, but can you please elaborate more about why
you think the movie isn’t an accurate portrayal of how life was
during the 1990s?
C. TURN-TAKING
 This is recognizing when and how to speak because it is one’s turn.
 Knowing when to talk depends on watching out for the verbal and
nonverbal cues that signal the next speaker that the previous speaker
has finished.
 It also means that others should be given the opportunity to take a turn.
 This uses either an informal approach (just jump in and start talking) or
a formal approach (permission to speak is requested)
THERE ARE THREE TURN-TAKING ACTS: KEEP-
TURN,
RELEASE-TURN, AND TAKE-TURN.
a. Keep-turn suggests that a speaker must not stop until he fulfills his purpose in a
conversation.

b. Release-turn suggests that a speaker is finished talking and is ready to yield the
floor to another person to take his or her turn. He or she may use signals or pauses
in a conversation.

c. Take-turn suggests that another participant can take the role of the speaker.
 INDICATIVE SIGNS FOR KEEPING, YIELDING, OR
TAKING A TURN
1. Intonation may signal when a speaker intends to keep or yield his or her turn. Falling intonation indicates that a speaker is about to end his or her turn,
while rising intonation implies that a speaker is about to reach the climax of his or her point, asking the participants for clarification and confirmation, or
sometimes to express disbelief.

Verbal
2. cues may suggest that a speaker wants to yield or to keep his or her turn.

Nonverbal
3. cues or gestures show that a participant wants to take the floor or speak. Also, when a speaker points to or fixes his or her gaze on a
participant, it may mean that he or she wants that participant to speak.
D. TOPIC CONTROL
 This is keeping the interaction going by asking questions and eliciting a
response.
 This is simply a question-answer formula that moves the discussion
forward.
 This allows the Listener or the other participants to take turns,
contribute ideas, and continue the discussion.
This occurs when the main or assigned speaker manipulates the
discussion in order to maintain its flow without moving away from or
changing the topic. Participants should be mindful of verbal cues as the
main speaker uses statements such as “Let’s focus on . . .” or “Let’s
discuss . . .” to set the topic of the conversation, or “As I was
saying . . .” or “Going back to . . .” to sustain or return to the original
topic.
Topic control is a communication strategy that helps the
speaker keep the conversation focused on one central
idea. This is also beneficial for the receiver of the speaker’s
message since he/she is more guided in what and how to
respond, as the topic is controlled.

Example :
That’s a good question, but it’s no longer connected to our topic. Let’s
discuss this first, and I can answer that question later.
E. TOPIC SHIFTING
 This is introducing a new topic followed by the continuation of that topic.
 This strategy works best when there is follow-through so that a new topic continues to
be discussed.
 Topic shifting occurs when one intentionally or unintentionally changes the direction
of the flow of ideas in a conversation.
 A speaker usually introduces a new topic when there is silence, when the current topic
is unfamiliar to him or her, when he or she is not interested in the topic being talked
about, or when he or she associates certain subjects or ideas to the current topic and
wants to talk about those subjects or ideas instead.
 It occurs when one intentionally or unintentionally changes the direction of the flow
of ideas in a conversation.
Topic shifting is usually done in the following situations:

•when there is silence

•when the current topic is unfamiliar to him or her,
•when the speaker is not interested in the topic being talked
about
•when the speaker associates certain subjects or ideas to the
current topic and wants to talk about those subjects or ideas
instead
Ways to Shift a Topic
Speaking topically occurs when the listener concentrates on
some phrases from the last statement mentioned by the speaker.
The idea develops and sticks within the context of the situation.

Speaking on the topic occurs when the listener concentrates on

a word, but the newly introduced idea may not be related to the
context of the topic.
E X A MP L E S :

Ryan: Were you able to watch the basketball game on television last night?
Ruel: Yes. It was a really good game. It made me miss playing basketball. Would
you like to play a game over the weekend? I’ll invite some of our classmates too.

Some cues:

Well, in the other news…

By the way…
Before I forget…
Let me take the opportunity to say…
Maybe we can continue that discussion some other time… In the meantime, let’s talk
about…
F. REPAIR
 This is overcoming communication breakdown to send more
comprehensible messages.
 This includes requesting clarification, not acknowledging, topic shifting,
not responding, repeating, recasting, and adding.
 Clarification – is done when one ask questions; usage of eyebrows,
eyes, head, or shoulders to show that the message could not be
understood.
 By not acknowledging the new situation, the situation already in
progress will continue.
 Topic shifting can help direct the discussion to another topic or divert the
attention of the listener from the topic that has become problematic.
 Repeating is a good way of correcting oneself and gives the speaker time
to do just that.
 Recasting means changing the form of a message that could not be
understood. It allows the speaker to say the message in another way so
that the listener can understand what was originally incomprehensible.
 Examples: “Let me clarify that…”
“I’m sorry, I take that back…”
The meeting is going to be on the 25th . . .
oh I mean on the 24th of May.
G. TERMINATION
 This is using verbal and nonverbal signals to end the interaction.
 Sometimes this is short and quick yet sometimes it is prolonged by
clarifications, further questions, or the continuation of the topic already
discussed but the point of the language and body movement is to end
the communication.
Examples: “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. Let’s not talk about it
anymore.”
“I wish I could stay and talk more, but I have to go.”