Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Tiniguiban Heights, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
SAN VICENTE CAMPUS
Purok Rosal, Brgy. Poblacion, San Vicente, Palawan
LPT Gilda Jo-An de Guzman-Bandin, MaEd
Faculty
MODULE 3 – LESSON 1
Purposive Communication: Rationalizing the Message
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Overview
Module 3 Lesson 1 talks about on rationalizing the message, the
importance of message in communication. The ways to clearly conveying
the message and explanation on other ways to present a message.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
Define and rationalize the real value of message in communication.
Identify and explain the three variables that make up a message.
Identify and explain the purpose of the message.
Know the ways of conveying the message clearly.
Identify the target audience.
Identify and explain the other ways of presenting the message.
Message as denotatively defined as pieces of information sent or given to someone.
Message is one of the most important components of communication for it refers to
ideas, feelings, thoughts or information that people send and receive when they
communicate with their audience. People use syntax and semantics to direct
messages back and forth but verbal message is not the only means to send
messages. For instance, when you share ideas with your listener, he is not only getting
the messages from what you have said but from your physical gestures and actuations
as well.
The three variables of Message:
1. Content – In communication context, content maybe classified as referential and
relational. The ideas contained in a message or the ideas the speakers says as he
thinks about something are referred to as referential, whereas when the speaker’s
ideas insinuate that there is a relationship between him and his listener, the content
of his message considered as relational. A typical example of which is when the
speaker talks to someone and he mentions his name and hints at his familiarity
with him in his talk.
2. Structure – In every communication situation, achieving clarity of the message or
information shared is deemed important. It is much needed that the speaker guides
or directs his listeners to the topics or arguments that he intends to bring and
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discuss with them. In this regard, coherent pattern of organization is indeed
significant. The message to be shared with the listeners should be structured or
organized. No matter how nervous the speaker is, it is necessary that he provides
patterns for the audiences to follow so as for them to be guided accordingly to the
ideas he hopes to share. A basic numerical form can be used, to wit: first…
second... next… finally… or as intricate as a full outline with points and sub-points.
3. Style – The third variable of spoken message is style. It is referred to the careful
manner of gathering and arranging the words to express the speaker’s message
which somehow reveals what kind of a person he is when speaking. Styles can be
personal or impersonal, literal or ironic, plain or elevated, philosophical or poetic.
The use of variations in sentence structures determines the speaker’s style in
expressing his spoken message.
What is the Purpose of the Message?
In communication, one of the utmost things to think about and consider will be the idea of
determining the purpose of the message. It is done in order to decide what to say and
how to say it or what to start and what to do end. It is necessary to select whether to
inform, persuade, or to offer goodwill. With that premise, the following purposes of the
message should be well-thought-out:
1. Informative Messages – Refers to pieces of information shared with someone for
the purpose of communicating different forms of routine, repeated daily tasks,
instructions, symbols, and codes, steps and procedures and the like in the
workplace. The messages should be very clear, direct and easy to understand.
The personnel officer of the company providing the newly hired employees about
their job functions during the orientation seminar, the school director explaining to
the teaching staff the directions of the university towards attainment of its
vision/mission and others are the basic examples of informative messages.
2. Persuasive Messages – This occurs when a person tries to influence an individual
or group to take certain detailed actions. Also, persuasive message tackles and
solves any doubts and objections. An example would be to ask for a request for
action in order to convince the employee to stay in the company.
3. Goodwill Messages – Are used in the workplace to demonstrate a sense of kind-
heartedness, benevolence, and responsiveness. Messages of appreciation,
congratulations or positive feedback are some of the examples of good. A goodwill
message should have a “you-attitude” with a pleasing introduction and use the
words “I” or “We” to begin the conversation.
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Ways to Convey Your Message More Clearly
(Nielsen,2015)
Understanding the essence of what someone says is sometimes difficult simply because
the message is not sent to you clearly. Remember that if you want to be understood, your
effort takes more work than just talking to your audience. There are some ways to convey
your message more clearly, they are as follows:
1. Provide an Example – When explaining or discussing ideas to your listeners,
provide them sensible examples. It is much easier to understand the ideas shared
if examples are given.
2. Refer to the Source – If you are discussing topics taken from different chapters
of the reading materials, articles, journals paper, videos, etc. provide your listeners
with the source to analyse. This guarantee you are on the same page.
3. Check for Understanding – If you want to be sure that your listeners understand
what you are talking about, ask them to explain the thought back to you for the
purpose of clarification.
4. Ask for Feedback – After you have shared the messages to the listeners, ask for
their reactions and responses for the possible feedback.
As You Know It
When you share thoughts and concepts with your
listener, he is not only receiving the messages from what
you have said but also from your looks and action as well.
Message is one of the most important components of
communication. Communication utilize syntax and
semantics to direct messages back and forth but verbal
message is not only means to send messages.
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Identifying the Target Audience
In communication, coming up with a comprehensive communication strategy is truly
needed to identify accurately the target audience. The target audience refers to the group
a communicator is trying to influence. Basically, the target audience or defined audience
is categorized into two, namely:
1. Primary Target Audience – This type of target audience refers to the group a
communicator is objectively trying to convince. There may be more than one
primary target audience for the communication tactic.
2. Secondary Target audience – This includes people or groups who are less
important and relevant to the communication efforts, but who need to be given the
opportunity to receive the message. They will also profit from hearing the
messages, and they may be able to stimulate the target audience now or in the
future. The following questions ca help the possible target audience:
What explicit action or behaviour needs to be changed to address the
objectives or solve the issue at hand? In many cases, the majority of
communication efforts should be targeted toward the audience most directly
able to change the situation.
Which audience best helps meet the specific strategy goals? Keep in mind
whose behaviour need to be changed with the communication strategy.
These are the people that should be the target audience.
Is the audience persuadable? It may be more effective to focus on key
influencers, such as community leaders, business leaders, or progressive
clergy who can “bring others with them” if their support is gained through
the communication strategy.
Can the target audience realistically to be reached with program resources?
Other Ways of Presenting the Message
Presenting the message to the defined or target audience is one of the main concerns of
the communicator in the transmission of ideas to the listeners. Aside from the usual
means that are commonly used in presenting the message, the following methods can
also be utilized; they are as follows:
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1. Print – Brochures, fliers, ads, catalogues, reports, memos, or letters are the typical
examples of print that are commonly used in presenting the ideas to the target
audience. With the increase in electronic communications, print materials pieces
are utilized less and don’t compete with documents on a work desk. Print media
have an advantage over electronic communication for you don’t have worry about
how the message looks on devices and computers with diverse display settings.
2. Face-to-Face – This meetings allows you to get more personal and peculiar
intimacy with the target audience for you can easily asses the body language of
your listeners, you can demonstrate what you are presenting and you can use
visual aids. Feedback is readily available after the face-to-face meeting.
3. Teleconference – If you cannot accommodate a big number in the same room,
teleconferencing is quite advisable for it gives you many of the same benefits of
face-to-face communications without sacrificing your time and your listeners’ time
too. You can have the schedule these meetings with your target audience on short
notice, in addition, even technophobes can learn how to utilize basic video
technology that often comes free with a smartphones or personal computer.
4. Visual Aids – Standing in front of a group and speaking for long periods while
holding notes in your hand can become monotonous. Using visual aids will better
engage the target audience and make your ideas clear to them. Charts and graphs
give visual importance and intellectual impact to the ideas you are presenting to
your defined audience. Learn to use programs such as PowerPoint to produce
informational graphics that shape your thoughts, help you highlight them and
emphasize key notions. Even a simple chalkboard or dry erase board can help you
make points more clearly.
-End of Lesson-
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Evaluation/Review Questions:
Instructions: Identify the words being referred to by the following statements:
____________________ 1. It is denotatively as information sent or given to someone.
_____________________ 2. It allows to get more personal and peculiar intimacy with the
target audience for you can easily assess the body language of your listeners.
____________________ 3. Brochures, fliers, ads, catalogues, reports, memos or letters
are the typical examples of this kind of media.
____________________ 4. This includes people or groups who are less important and
relevant to the communication efforts, but who need to be given the opportunity to receive
the message.
____________________ 5. This type of target audience refers to the group a
communicator is objectively trying to convince.
____________________ 6. It refers to the group a communicator is trying to influence.
____________________ 7. These are messages used in the workplace to demonstrate
a sense of kind heartedness, benevolence and responsiveness.
____________________ 8. These are messages that occur when a person tries to
influence an individual or group to take certain detailed actions.
____________________ 9. These are messages that refer to pieces of information
shared with someone for the purpose of communicating different forms of routine,
repeated daily tasks, instructions, symbols, and codes, steps and procedures and the like
in the workplace.
____________________ 10. It is one of the most important components of
communication for it refers to ideas, feelings, thoughts or information that people send
and receive when they communicate with their audience.
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Key to Corrections
Message 10.
Informative 9.
Persuasive 8.
Goodwill 7.
Target Audience 6.
Primary Target Audience 5.
Secondary Target Audience. 4.
Print 3.
Face to Face 2.
Messages 1.
References
Galizia, Leomar S. et al., (2018) “Purposive Communication”, ISBN:978-621-
8094-07-9, by Panday – Lahi, Publishing House, Inc., Blk. 26 Lot 9, Sampaguita
St., Dona Rosario Bayview Subdivision, Sucat, Muntinlupa City.
Mercado, Eunice D., Dr., et al. (2018) “Purposive Communication”, ISBN: 978-
621-8122-06-2, by Jimczyville Publications, #16 Concha St., Tinajeros, Malabon
City.
Prepared by:
LPT Gilda Jo-An de Guzman-Bandin, MaEd
gjbandin@[Link]