Lesson 1: Communication Principles and Ethics Barriers in Communication

1. physical noise
Processes and Principles of Effective Communication 2. physiological issues
Effective communication is a key interpersonal skill and by 3. cultural difference
learning how you can improve your communication has many 4. levels of expectations and experiences
benefits. It sounds so simple: say what you mean. 5. difference in perspectives and communication styles
• You say one thing, the other person hears something else,
and misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts ensue. This Principles of Effective Communication
is very true especially in the absence of physical, face-to-face
communication. Clarity. This pertains to both the message and the purpose
why the message has to be sent. The message should be
What is Communication? clear by using appropriate language and communication
- putting words into thought and emotions channels, but equally important is that the reason for sending
- art of creating and sharing ideas for specific purpose and receiving the message must be understood by both
- process of transmitting information from one person to sender and receiver.
another 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. It should be devoid of trivial details
that would hinder communication.
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.
Organization. Effective communication is usually planned in
order to ensure the systematic flow of ideas and transition
from one point to another. There are instances, however,
when communication is impromptu, but this should not be
Forms of Communication an excuse for an organized presentation of ideas.
Empathy. The sender of the message should be sensitive to
Verbal communication, which includes the use of language, the needs and interests of the receiver. In case of face-to-
sounds, and tone of voice face communication, the speaker must always be conscious
Non-verbal communication, which includes body language of the reaction of the listener and adjust his/her
and facial expressions communication strategy accordingly.
Written communication, such as through journals, emails, Flexibility. Different people have different communication
blogs, and text messages styles, and consequently, different expectations. Effective
Visual communication, which involves signs, symbols, communicators know how to adapt to the varying needs and
pictures, graphics, and emojis expectations of their audience, and modify the message or
the way the message is sent to avoid misunderstanding or
Effective Communication is dependent on how rich those misinterpretation.
ideas are, and how much of those ideas are retained in
the process. COMMUNICATION AND GLOBALIZATION
Effective Communication is when you say what you mean Globalizationis the process of interaction and integration
and don’t change the context and content of the message. among people, companies and government worldwide where
there is an increased economic, political and cultural
We need skills depending on the: Situation, Content and integration and interdependence of diverse cultures.
Recipient • It is therefore imperative that WE learn to communicate
effectively with people regardless of age, gender, race, ability,
Key Element of Effective Communication religion, sexual orientation, income, marital status, or
ethnicity.
Audience Analysis - knowing the audience, understanding
their level and how they need to receive the information. • Communication in the modern world must be anchored on
Another Aspect the concept of diversity, since effective communication and
• identifying and trying to overcome possible communication the ability to understand cultural differences are skills that
barriers. have become requisites not only for a meaningful social life
but also for a successful professional career.
• Even professionals from the countries that are traditionally
known for sticking to their native tongue (e.g. Japan, Korea,
Vietnam) have started to learn English, as the internationally- Showing commitment and genuine interest
recognized lingua franca, with the concept that learning A key component of ethical communication is showing
English does not make them less Japanese, Koreans, or Viets. commitment in the communicative situation.
• Being committed means giving sufficient time and
-look at the examples- resources to any discussion or conversation, and being open
about any issue that may arise.
In communicating in a highly global environment, the
challenge that faces everyone is to learn to understand, “Naval Language” or The Belly Button Psyche (1930)
accept, and address cultural – and communication – It is clear that the two major elements affecting ethical
differences. communication are the use of words or language, and one’s
behavior or body language. The second element - body
ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION language - may be enhanced through the Belly Button Psyche
Communication is ethical only when it is genuine, open, or the belly button rule, which is believed to communicate
cooperative and sensitive to one’s cultural and social beliefs true interest while engaging in face-to-face communication.
and practices.
• If there is an intent to conceal the truth, or bring damage to Dr. Albert Mehrabian, professor of Psychology at UCLA said
any organization, group or individual person, communication that the belly button rule is the most important indicator of
is considered unethical. Even in situations when there is no reading a person’s intention.
intent to harm, but damage to a certain group is inevitable • The belly button rule means the direction of a person’s
because of the message or the channel used to relay the navel reflects their true interest. Here is a basic explanation
message, it is still considered unethical. of the rule:

How Past Experience and Prejudice Affect Communication When people are interested in you and what you have to say,
they will point their belly button squarely at you as you talk.
Reasons why people bring their past experiences into a That shows they are engaged and they are focused on what
communication situation you have to say.
- Because they learned in the past that adding information
makes the communication more successful. Respecting socio-cultural beliefs and practices of others
- When they do not contribute anything because of a possible Globalization also entails changing the way people
past experience when their inputs were not considered or communicate to others, especially those with different norms,
valued. cultures and belief systems. This involves all types of
- Because of certain expectations, and they behave or react communication, whether face-to-face, chatting via email, or
accordingly. using various forms of mass media
Ethical communication requires people to respect socio-
Past experiences inevitably affect people’s communication cultural beliefs and practices of others, while at the same
styles in the future. When their audience responded time avoiding all kinds of stereotypes.
positively to their message, chances of them repeating the
same style are relatively high. However, when they were • Each person has a unique style of communicating, which
turned down or given negative feedback, this will definitely may depend not only on his/her linguistic ability but also on
influence how they deliver the message next time. his/her cultural and social context.

Prejudice
- When people take their past experiences and make certain
assumptions that the same experience will happen with the
same people, given the same context.
- May be attributed to culture or personal preferences. Not
all prejudices have a negative characteristic, as a person
might consider all members of a group to be smart even
without meeting them individually.
- Happens when people isolate an experience with one “type”
of person or one group of people, then behave as if all
encounters with people of the same “type”, or at least with
the same characteristics, will lead to the same experience.
- There can be prejudice as regard to age, gender orientation,
religious belief, race, social-economic status, and physical
conditions.
Lesson 2: Local and Global Communication in Multicultural 3. Allow others to open personal matters before asking
Settings questions of that nature.
4. Respect your own opinion as you respect that of others’.
Communication Styles in Various Multicultural Context 5. Recognize that you don’t have to be friends with everyone,
Communication style refers to the choices people make and but you should treat others – and be treated – professionally.
the strategies they use in the process of communication.
Tips for People with a Direct Communication Style
The Communication Styles Matrix was developed by Dr. 1. Make an effort to listen carefully to others. Avoid
Eileen M. Russo, shows four different communication styles interrupting.
categorized further into two dimensions (level of 2. Allow time for ‘chatting’ at the beginning of a meeting.
assertiveness and level of expressiveness). 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
- People who are categorized within the assertive discussion or scope of the conversation so no time is wasted.
communication level tend to tell or instruct others what to 4. Politely ask other questions about themselves if you want
do and sometimes even how to do it, while the less assertive to build rapport.
styles usually tend to be on the receiving end, often asking 5. If you need to ask for more time to know, analyze or
for guidance, instructions or directions. discuss something, explain the benefit of the information you
- People who fall under the expressive level usually show need to know.
their real feelings and emotions through facial expressions,
tone of voice, or language use. The less expressive ones tend Varieties and Registers of Spoken and Written Language
to either hide their feelings or exert some effort for these
feelings not to show. Language Varieties
Also called “lects”, these refer to the different variants of a
Spirited = High Expressiveness + High Assertiveness language that can be sufficiently delimited from one another
Considerate = High Expressiveness + Low Assertiveness in terms of social, historical, or geo-spatial factors, thus
Direct = Low Expressiveness + High Assertiveness forming language clusters.
Systematic = Low Expressiveness + Low Assertiveness
Classifications of Language Varieties
Tips for People with a Spirited Communication Style a. Pidgin. It refers to a new language that develops into
1. Respect decisions and agenda that have been agreed upon, situations where speakers of different languages need to
as well as time limits during meetings or any communicative communicate but do not share a common language.
situation. b. Creole. It is a pidgin that becomes the first language of the
2. Try to limit your sharing of personal anecdotes that may children, or the mother tongue of a certain community.
take the discussion off-topic. c. Regional Dialect. It is not a language that is not distinct
3. Make sure you are allowing others to contribute their from a national language, but rather a variety of a language
ideas and suggestions – and that you are genuinely listening spoken in a particular area of a country.
to them. d. Minority Dialect. This is a variety used as a marker of
4. Be certain that any request you make is clear and that you identity, usually alongside a standard variety by the members
convey the reason for such request. of a particular minority ethnic group.
5. Communicate your appreciation for others’ work and input. e. Indigenized Varieties. These are spoken mainly as second
languages in former colonies with multilingual populations.
Tips for People with a Considerate Communication Style
1. Recognize that other people’s opinions about a topic are Language Registers
separate from their opinions about you. A language register is characterized by the way a speaker
2. Realize that not everyone is comfortable discussing uses language differently in different social circumstances.
personal topics with colleagues. These are determined by such factors as social atmosphere,
purpose of communication, audience, and the general Lesson 3: Evaluating Messages and Images of Different Text
context of the discourse. Types

Classifications of Language Registers Evaluating Messages and/or Images of Different Types of

a. Formal. These registers are used in professional, academic, Texts Reflecting Different Cultures
or legal settings where communication is expected to be
respectful, uninterrupted, and restrained to specific rules. World Englishes by Celce-Murcia (2014)
Examples: Research paper, government documents, business The regionally distinct varieties of English that have arisen in
letters, and in business presentations. parts of the world where there is a long and often colonial
b. Casual. These registers are used when communicating with history of English being used in education, commerce and
friends, close acquaintances, colleagues, and family members. government.
Examples: Birthday parties or family gatherings.
c. Intimate. Intimate language registers are reserved for • One major issue that has been raised with respect to these
special occasions, usually between only two people and often established varieties is that they are often not fully
in private. intelligible to users of other varieties of English.
Examples are an inside joke between two high school friends
or sweet nothings whispered to your “special someone.” For example, a Filipino ordering food in a restaurant in
d. Frozen. It refers to historic language that is intended to Singapore for the first time would be confused when he is
remain unchanged. asked, “Having here, or take away?” because in the
Examples are the registers used in the Philippine Constitution Philippines, they are more accustomed to “Dine in, or take
and the Holy Bible. out?”
e. Consultative. It is used in conversations when people are
speaking with someone who has specialized knowledge or is
offering advice. Tone is often respectful. Kirkpatrick (2007) proposes a scale with two extremes that
Examples are registers used in local television broadcast or in characterize this problem:
a conversation with a doctor during medical examination.
Extreme 1: The goal of national or regional identity. People
Language registers can also be classified as Formal, Informal, use a regional variety of English with its specific grammar,
or Neutral. structure and vocabulary to affirm their own national or
Formal language registers are appropriate for professional ethnic identity
situations, such as when speaking to a supervisor or writing Extreme 2: The goal of intelligibility. Users of a regional
an invitation letter. variety should ideally still be readily understood by users of
Informal language registers are conversational & appropriate English everywhere else in the world to fully participate in
when speaking or writing to a friend or to someone you know the use of English as an international language
quite well.
Example: Users of Filipino English have to understand that
Improving one’s Ability in Communicating in a Multicultural they have to use “bin” instead of “trash can” or “lift” instead
Setting of “elevator” when in a country using British English.
The following specific guidelines can enhance your ability to
handle situations involving intercultural communication, and Multimodality
better prepare yourself to meet the communication A text or output is considered multimodal if it uses two or
challenges in an increasingly global environment. more communication modes to make meaning. It shows
different ways of knowledge representations and meaning-
- Refrain from forming expectations based solely on your making, and investigates contributions of semiotic resources
culture. Knowing and accepting the validity of cultural (language, gestures, images) that are co-deployed across
differences are key in communicating with people having various modalities (visual, aural, somatic, etc.). Most
diverse communication styles. importantly, multimodality highlights the significance of
- Remove personal biases or any stereotype that may impede interaction and integration in constructing a coherent text
understanding. Determine how much your family, friends and
colleagues have ‘dictated’ how you view or feel about other Examples of multimodalality
people or other groups, and identify which among these pre- Paper (books, comics, posters, brochures)
judgments are stereotypes that can damage relationships. Digital (slide presentations, blogs, web pages, social media,
- Make a personal commitment to develop communication animation, film, video games)
skills appropriate in multicultural settings. Your ability to Live (performance or an event)
develop intercultural communication skills largely depends Transmedia (A story is told using multiple delivery channels
on how many – and how much – of these promises you are through a combination of platforms, such as comics, film, and
willing to make. video games all working as part of the same story with the
same message)
The following must be considered in creating a multimodal Responsible Use of Social Media
text: Social media has grown in popularity over the years, with
hundreds of options for sharing your thoughts, photos, and
Purpose, the creator of the text must be clear on the videos and for interacting with friends and family. The more
message and the reason(s) why the message has to be it grows, the more we discover about the do's and dont’s of
delivered. social media.
Audience, the nature, interests and sensitivities of the target • You may not agree with everything or everyone you
audience must be considered so the text will not be offensive encounter on social media networks, but treat each person
and hurt people’s sensibilities. with dignity and respect.
Context, the message should be clearly delivered through • Do not turn to social media as a way to harass, demean, or
various semiotic resources, and in consideration of the bully someone else.
various situations where and how the text will be read by • Regardless of your privacy settings, keep in mind that
different people having different cultural backgrounds. anything can possibly be seen by anyone at any time, even by
that person that you did not want to see it.
Lesson 4: The Rise of New Media and Technology Aids in • Whether you're concerned with maintaining good
Communication friendships or future job prospects, be responsible in what
you post and how it could affect your reputation.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND THE NEW MEDIA

New media refer to highly interactive digital technology.

These are very easily processed, stored, transformed,
retrieved, hyper-linked, searched for, and accessed.
Generally, these can be classified as: Blogs, Social media,
Online newspaper, Virtual reality and Computer games

Language in new media is sometimes referred to as

Computer-mediated communication (CMC).

This type of discourse or computer-mediated communication

can be described as:
- Vernacular
- Interpersonal
- Spontaneous
- Dialogical

CMC is Vernacular, which means it uses language that is

common to people regardless of age, social class, gender, or
race
Examples
- Acronyms
- Initialisms
- Emoticons/ Emojis
- Expressive Punctuations
- Misspellings / Respellings

CMC is Interpersonal. It is relationship-focused rather than

subject-oriented. This can be explained by the number of
Group Chats (GCs) a person has, and the number of
individuals and GCs a person engages simultaneously.

CMC is Spontaneous. It is usually unplanned, unstructured,

and sometimes impulsive. This spontaneity also gave rise to
In a 2017 report by the Global Web Index, around 42% of Net Neologisms through Lexical Creativity, such as the use of
people use social media platforms to stay in touch with what “f2f”, or such terms as meme, hashtag, and meh. These can
their friends are doing, while 39% said they want to stay up- be described as mediatized stylization and popular
to-date with news and current events. representation.
CMC is Dialogical. It carries expectation of continuous 5. Combine variety with coherence. If you use several images,
exchange. This is why most media platforms have a “Reply” vary the design to make them interesting, but keep them
or “Comment” option, while some have a “Leave a comment” aesthetically consistent.
button, to ensure continuous interaction. 6. Use large lettering. Use large text font sizes with minimal
use of serifs so the audience can read the text easily.
COMMUNICATION PLANNING
The communication planning process involves defining the
types of information you will deliver, who are the intended
recipients of that information, the format for communicating
it, and the timing of its release and distribution

The key goal is to make sure everybody gets the right

message at the right time. It serves various purposes:
1. To inform
2. To persuade
3. To prevent misunderstanding
4. To present a point of view or reduce barriers

Steps in Communication Planning

1. Research and analyze current situation.
2. Establish goals and objectives (short and long term).
3. Identify the target audience (what they know, what
influences them, communication impediments, etc.).
4. Conceptualize on key messages.
5. Strategize on communication styles and platform(s).
6. Evaluate and anticipate.

Communication Strategies in Tech-based Communication

Modern technology did not only usher in new forms of
language used in new media, but also paved the way on how
communication takes place and how messages are presented.
Part of communication planning is deciding on the platform
in which the message will be presented.

• Multimedia presentations often always require the use of

technology, and these, when used properly, can do wonders
for your presentation. They are visually-oriented and allow
multimodality and the use of such features as text, graphics,
photos, audio, anmations, and video.

Few factors to consider in using technology as an aid to

communication:

1. Keep it simple. Avoiding including too much information in

a graphic or in one slide. The message should be immediate
and clear. By keeping the visual material simple, you also
maintain maximum personal contact with your audience
2. Emphasize only on key ideas. When you call attention to
ideas with a graphic presentation, make sure the graphic
clearly illustrates your essential points and the important
supporting data.
3. Show what you can’t say. The best use of visual media is to
reveal material you can’t easily describe orally or with
written text. Graphics, photos, charts, and illustrations can
accomplish this objective.
4. Keep the number of images you present manageable. Eight
to ten images should be the maximum number for most
presentations.