L1: THE BASICS OF COMMUNICATION 3.

Symbol — Another common terms among the

definitions is symbols. Wood explicitly used this term in
Definition of Communication:
her definition. In Palta’s definition, symbol is
Communication is the process of using messages to represented by language and in Ober and Newman’s,
generate meaning. it is indicated by spoken or written words and facial
Communication is the process of sending and receiving expressions, gestures, and voice qualities. For others,
messages sometimes through spoken or written words, and it is embedded in the term message.
sometimes non-verbally through facial expressions, gestures, All these suggest the use of symbols. In
and voice qualities. communication. When people communicate, they rely
Broadly speaking, Communication is a process of on symbols concrete representation of something
sharing opinions and information, ideas, and feelings. abstract. The use of symbols allows to people to
Communication is the process of sending information to perceive abstract, arbitrary, and ambiguous
oneself or another entity, usually via a language. representation of things using senses.
In its simplest form. Communication is the transmission 4. Meanings — At the heart of communication is
of a message from a source to a receiver.
meaning. It can be viewed as an “end” in itself. This
means that when people communicate, they attach
There are four key terms that should defined to fully
understand communication: Process, Systems, Symbols, and meaning to the symbols they use (either verbal or non-
Meanings. verbal) with the intent that the person/s they are
communicating, with share the meanings as intended.
1. Process — Process implies continuity, In the context In other words, the goal is to generate common
of communication, one never stops from meanings through messages provided or received.
communicating as it is an ongoing activity.
Communication is considered as a process because it Communication has two levels of meaning: Content
is an activity itself. It is not an object that you can just level and relationship level.
simply perceive using one of your senses, but it is an
1. Content Level — refers to the literal
activity in which you participate.
meaning of the message. It is parallel to the
2. System — System is a interrelated parts that affect
denotative meaning of the message.
one another. It is a collection not of random parts but Example: If someone asks, “May you attend the
of organized wholes. meeting?” the content-level meaning is that the
Communication is likewise affected by the larger person is simply requesting your presence in the
system within which it operates, meeting.
2. Relationship Level — expresses
How a Person Learns to Communicate relationship between communicators. This
can be the connotative meaning of a
The ability to message.
To study of the To study of
sounds of a produce Example: However, it same question is asked by
the meaning your boss, you might interpret the relationship-level
language and spoken
how they are
of words, meaning as delegating the task to you being the top
language
combined to phrases, and performer or someone who can be trusted in your
smoothly and
form words. sentences. team.
effortlessly.
To study of
how Putting the concepts and other definitions together,
language is communication can be defined as a continuous activity
The ability to (proves) that operates within a certain context (system) in which
To study of the used in
actively
structure of context, people exchange words, gestures, and other verbal and non-
receive and The ability to
words and considering produce spoken verbal (symbols) behavior to create and understand. Information
how they are understand
factors like language or messages (meaning).
formed spoken
purpose, smoothly and
language.
audience, effortlessly. Elements of Communication:
and social
cues

To know rules The ability to

The
that govern the express
collection of
arrangement oneself
words that an
of words and effectively
phrases to individual
through
form knows and
written
sentences can use.
language.

Taught by our Societal

parents (familial factor, Personality Cultural, habitual
system), or learnt depends also
in schools to
or behavioral practices,
(educational geographical factor manners
system) locations
 Pearson et al. (2011) provided more comprehensive
components of communications which include people,
messages, codes, channels, feedback, encoding and decoding,
and noise or barrier.

1. People — assumes two roles both as sources and

receivers of the message. The source initiates the
message, and the receiver is the intended target of the
message.
2. Message — this is the verbal and non-verbal form of 2. Interactive Model — this model is in contrast with
the idea, thought, or feeling that one intends to the linear one which considers communication as
communicate to another person or group of people. flowing only in one direction, from a sender to a
Verbal message pertains to the language one utters. receiver (Gronbeck, 1999). In this model,
Non - verbal message refers. To gestures, body communication is a two-way process which involves an
movements, sign languages, and facial expressions exchange or an interaction between the sender and the
that carry with them their own meaning. receiver. The message that is delivered back to the
sender is called feedback which is depicted by Wilbur
3. Channel — refers to the means with which the
Schramm (1955) as the second form of message in his
message is delivered.
model. In this model, the personal fields of experience,
4. Feedback — It is the receiver’s verbal and non- whether shared or not by the communicators, are very
verbal response to the source’s message. important.
5. Code — a systematic arrangement of symbols used
to create meanings in the mind of another person/s.
6. Encoding And Decoding — Encoding is defined
as the process of translating an idea or a thought into
a code. On the other hand, Decoding is the process of
assigning meaning to an idea or a thought.
7. Noise or Barrier — in the context of
communication. Noise refers to any interference in the
encoding and decoding process which affect the clarity
and understanding of a message.

The Communication Process

The definition of communication and its elements can also be 3. Transactional Model —Transactional Model this
further understood in the light of a framework or model to see model was adapted from Wood (1997) in response to
their interrelatedness. The common models of communication the failure of the interactive model to portray the
that have been utilized over the years are as follows. dynamism of human communication.
1. Linear Model — also called as transmission
model, a linear model is based on the assumption that
communication is transmitted in a straightforward
manner from sender to a receiver. This clearly.
Reflects that communication is a one way process.
a. Laswell’s Verbal Model as mentioned
earlier in the lesson, communication can be
understood by answering the five questions.
Laswell’s verbal model appears to be the
simplest model of communication.

Key Features of Transactional:

: It has a time element which influences how people
communicate.
: It depicts communication as varying (not constant)
and dynamic (not static)
b. Shannon and Weaver's Model — In : The outer lines in the model indicate that
1949, Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver communication occurs within systems that influence
modified Lowell’s verbal model by adding what and how people communicate. This system. May
noise as a component. include culture, context, and family background.
: The model does not label one as the sender and the
other one as the receiver. Instead, are communicators
who actively, equally, and simultaneously participate in
the communication process.
 In the sum, transactional model is a model which 4. Ethical communicators are just and fair — To
people interact with and through symbols overtime to be just and fair is to be impartial and objective.
share and create meaning.

Principles of Communication
L2: COMMUNICATION IN
1. Communication is transactional — It is a two- MULTICULTURAL SETTINGS
way process which involves an exchange. When a Communication Contexts — Human interaction does not
message is sent, a reply is expected. exist in a vacuum. It operates within certain a Communication
2. Communication is inevitable — It is impossible context pertains context. To the personal, physical, social,
not to communicate. It is an indispensable part of daily psychological and cultural circumstances, among others in
life. which communication occurs.
3. Communication is goal-oriented — When you
communicate, you have goals in mind. You do not just 1. Physical context — pertains environment to
say something or write a message on a piece of paper communication place. It the where takes involves
for no reason at all. To persuade; to entertain; to tangible factors which can be easily perceived by the
inform; to express one’s feeling, ideas, or emotions; to senses, such as temperature, humidity, odor, lighting,
build and maintain. Relationship; and to influence and noise level, among others.
others. 2. Personal context — involves the background of
4. Communication has various levels — There both the sender and the receiver of the message. It
are various levels of communication; intrapersonal, includes their education, religion, socio- economic
interpersonal, small group, and public or mass. The status, marital status, and beliefs that greatly influence
intrapersonal level refers to the communication that what and how they communicate.
occurs when we do “self-talk” or engage in self- 3. Social context — refers to the kind of relationship
reflection. The interpersonal level refers involves two that exists between the sender and the receiver.
persons who interact with each other usually based. 4. Psychological context — includes the emotions
On common communication goals. The small group
and feelings of the participants in the communication
level involves three or twenty people while the public
involves process. It their opinions, judgments,
level involves more than twenty people as in the case
prejudices, attitudes and perception towards each
of a public official delivering a speech to an audience.
other, which can play part in the transmission of
5. Communication is complex — It is complex as it messages.
entails a lot of processes, which one occur 5. Cultural context — is one of the vital
simultaneously or successively.
considerations in communication. It includes the sets
6. Communication can be learned — Despite the of beliefs, value systems, guiding principles, and
complexity of communication, it is a skill which can be assumptions based on one’s race, ethnicity, age,
learned. gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and religion
7. Communication is relational — In any within which communication happens.
communication setting, aside from sharing meaning,
the process how meaning is created also echoes two Communication and Culture
vital aspects of the relationships of the communicators: A more holistic understanding of communication
immediacy and control. necessitates knowledge of culture and diversities. Appreciating
8. Communication is guided by culture — cultural diversity. As defined, culture is a set of unique and
Culture may be defined as a system of knowledge shared beliefs, values, and norms that guide a certain group of
shared by a relatively large group of people. The people on how to think, behave, and act
system includes shared beliefs, values, symbols, and Communication and culture are intertwined. In fact, they are
behaviors. inseparable. Culture influences, what and how you
communicate.
Ethics in Communication
1. Ethical communicators are honest — In Cultural Dimensions in Communication
communicating your thoughts, ideas and feelings, you 1. Collectivist and Individualistic
have to be truthful. Collectivist culture values teamwork and
2. Ethical communicators are well aware of
collaboration while Individualistic culture puts
the consequences of their thoughts and premium on the self and personal fulfillment.
actions — You need to think before you 2. High and Low
communicate whether it is in the spoken or written High-context culture uses subtle non-verbal
form.
behaviors and implicit information to convey meaning
3. Ethical communicators value diversity and
while Low-context culture views explicit words as
respect other’s opinions — Respect means way to convey messages.
showing regard or consideration for others and their
ideas even if you do not agree with them.
3. Chronemics L3: COMMUNICATION THROUGH
Pertains to the concept of time among cultures. It
includes monochronic and polychronic cultures. VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL
a. Monochronic cultures advocates MESSAGES
punctuality, timely completion of tasks, and
accomplishment of one task at a time. Communication is not just confined to speaking. It is possible to
b. A Polychronic culture has a more fluid be communicating without talking or uttering even a single word.
and flexible concept of time. Thus, communication can either be verbal or non-verbal.
4. Uncertainty Avoidance Verbal Communication uses spoken or written words to
Uncertainty avoidance which refers to the need to communicate a message. Alongside speaking, listening is an
foresee what is going to happen. equally important skill for this type of communication to be
a. Low uncertainty avoidance culture successful.
a unpredictable avoidance tolerant of and Non-Verbal Communication use the body language,
uncontrollable situations. It usually maintains few rules gestures, facial expressions, and even posture to communicate.
as possible and allows for the spontaneity of responses Non-Verbal communication sets the tone of a conversation and
to situations. can seriously undermine the message contained in your words
b. High-uncertainty avoidance culture if you are not careful to control it.
High-uncertainty avoidance culture values precision
and always attempts to anticipate risks to possibly Language Communication: Language Variety and
reduce them. Register
5. Power distance Language is a set of arbitrary symbols which create possible
The fifth cultural dimension to be considered when combination utterances used of primarily for communication. It
communicating is the extent to how the equality or is arbitrary not because a symbol and the object or represents
inequality of power is expected or accepted. This is one-to-one idea it have correspondence.
referred to as power distance.
a. High-power distance culture
recognizes that unequal distribution of power
is normal. This type of culture is evident in
countries in the Middle East, and in Malaysia,
Guatemala, Venezuela DISTANCE and
Singapore.
b. Low-power distance culture values
equal distribution of power. This is observed
in the cultures of Austria, Finland, Denmark, Language register refers to the level and style of spoken
Norway and USA. Though power exists, and written discourse depending on the context you are in. It
people from these culture value democracy determines the vocabulary, tone, and structure of your
and egalitarian behavior. language.
6. Gender masculinity or femininity
a. Masculine cultures advocate for strict There are three types of language registers: formal,
adherence to conventional gender roles and informal, and neutral. These types can be applied to both
behaviors. In this culture, masculine roles are spoken and written language.
more valued than feminine roles.
b. Feminine cultures are based on the Three Types of Language Registers
premise that men and women assume Formal – This type of register is used in a professional context.
varieties of roles and thus, are both valued It is highly structured, impersonal, and more serious in its tone,
regardless of their sex and gender. vocabulary, and grammar. It is common in the workplace,
7. Long term or short-term orientation academe, business, trade and other industries. Formal
refers to how patience is valued in waiting for the language is usually employed when interacting with a boss,
outcomes of actions. facilitating a meeting, or attending formal gatherings such as
a. Short-term orientation culture is conferences, seminars and the like.
characterized by being very performance-
driven. It emphasizes quick results, fulfillment
of social obligations, revenue and efficient
generation. Therefore, it values rewards in the
here and now.
b. Long-term orientation culture is more
laid back that it has more patience in waiting
for the outcomes of an action. It values
perseverance towards the achievement of
goals.
Informal – Informal language is casual, personal, and more • rate of your speech – refers to how fast or
intimate in its tone, sentence structure, and choice of words. slow a person speaks and can lead others to
Thus is appropriate when communicating with people you know form impressions about our emotional state,
very well such as your family, relatives and friends. Informal credibility, and intelligence.
register is used during informal gatherings such as family • pronunciation – is the act of making the
dinners, parties and other informal encounters. correct sounds that create the a word and
correctly. Saying the word CORRECTLY.
• enunciation – is the act of saying a word
concisely and clearly, so the correct sounds
and the whole word can be understood.
Saying the word CLEARLY.
Variety refers to your pitch, force and pauses. If
you vary these aspects of your voice, you can
avoid monotony.
Stress is the emphasis put on a certain syllable
or word/s. Putting too much stress might be
considered rude for some cultures; thus, it should
be used judiciously and sparingly.
Neutral – This is a more factual and non- emotional type of
3. Proxemics: Use of Space
language register. This is mostly used in highly business-
The technical term used to study how space and
oriented and technical contexts.
distance communicate is proxemics (Hall, 1968).
There are three types: Personal space, territorial
space and acoustic space.

As noted by John Stoker, a higher percentage (93%) of

communication is manifested through non-verbal behaviors. a) Personal Space – This is the consciously
This means that messages are still conveyed even when people
maintains when interacting with others. The
are not actually speaking.
more intimate your relationship with another
Non-verbal messages refer to the cues that are sent through
person, the more that you allow him or her to
body language, posture, gesture, movements, facial
be near your personal space. However, when
expressions and appearance that are used in place of or
it’s a stranger that talks to you, you would
simultaneously with verbal messages.
keep your distance.
b) Territorial Space – This is the physical
Kinds of Non-Verbal Communication
space which implies your sense of authority
Non-verbal messages are grouped into four: kinesics, and ownership.
paralanguage, proxemics, and chronemics. Three main divisions for territory:
1. Kinesics: Use of Body ➢ Primary territories because
The technical name for the interpretation that they are marked or understood to be
comes along with motions when someone exclusively ours and under our
communicate is kinesics. control.
The includes gestures, movements, posture, eye ➢ Secondary territories don’t
contact, facial expressions, and touch.
belong to us and aren’t exclusively
2. Paralanguage: Use of Voice under our control, but they are
The voice should intelligibility, have variety and associated with us, which may lead
understandable patterns. us to assume that the space will be
Intelligibility pertains to the loudness of your open and available to us when we
voice, rate of your speech, pronunciation, and need it without us taking any further
enunciation. steps to reserve it.
Intelligibility pertains to the ➢ Public territories are open to all
• loudness of your voice – volume helps people. People are allowed to mark
communicate intensity. public territory and use it for a limited
period of time, but space is often up
 for grabs, which makes public space
difficult to manage for some people
and can lead to conflict.
c) Acoustic Space – This is the area where
the voice of the speaker is either heard or not.
Competent speakers take this into account
and accordingly adjust their volume and rate
of speech to match the space or make their
voice audible.
4. Chronemics: Use of Time
In a monochronic culture, “time is of the essence.”
Thus, when you see people start looking at their watch,
it may mean that the class may already be running over
time. It can also be a sign of lack of interest.
However, in a polychronic culture, people usually
consider the “luxury of time”, so waiting is not an issue.
In both cases, participants have to be sensitive and
mindful of others’ schedule or use of time.