PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
Module 3
Lesson 4: Types of Communication
INTRODUCTION
Types of communication are usually distinguished by the number of people involved, by the purpose of
communication, and by the degree of formality in which it occurs. Each type of communication involves appropriate
verbal and nonverbal behaviors.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module, the students will:
Know the different types of communication
Use the different types of communication with ease and confidence; and
Apply the different guides to improve communication.
CONTENT
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
Intrapersonal Communication
Interpersonal Communication
Mass Communication
INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
To communicate with others, you must first understand how you communicate with yourself. This process of
understanding information within oneself is called personal communication.
Intrapersonal communication also occurs anytime you evaluate or attempt to understand the interaction
that occurs between you and anything that communicates messages to you. You are involved in intrapersonal
communication as you receive, attend to, interpret and analyze, store and recall, or respond in some fashion to any
message.
Intrapersonal communication includes diverse internal activities such as thinking, problem solving, conflict
resolution, planning, evaluation, and relationship development. All communication takes place within you and you
react to communication cues. Intrapersonal communication may occur without the presence of any other type of
communication, but all other types of communication cannot occur without it. In fact, intrapersonal communication is
occurring almost always, yet you don’t think about it as a type of communication.
Since there is no receiver in an intrapersonal communication, YOU are both the sender-receiver. You
process what you hear, read, or see. The message of things around you id processed by the brain. The reaction is
reflected in your manner of projecting yourself.
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Interpersonal communication is creating and sharing meaning between persons (two or more) who are in
a relationship. It involves both verbal and nonverbal communication channels. This type of communication
establishes how personal to impersonal our relationship with the receiver/s is. How a relationship is weighed depends
on the form of interpersonal communication one engages in.
Different Forms of Interpersonal Communication
Dyadic Communication
Small Group
Public Communication
1. Dyadic Communication
This occurs when two people communicate either face to face or through other mediums like the cellphone
or text messages. Topics may range from common ideas, views, standards, etc.
Forms of Dyadic Communication
Conversation—this is characterized by adaptability, enthusiasm, tact, and sensitivity. This the
most informal type of interpersonal communication since it can happen any time, any place, and
there are no rules to be observed nor prepared topics to be discussed.
Interview—this is the most formal type of interpersonal communication because both the
interviewer and interviewee have a definite place and time. The three common types of interview
are: job interview, information interview, character interview.
2. Small Group Communication
This occurs when three or more individuals, connected with mutual objectives, purpose, or identity, are
communicating. The task of small group communication is primarily to accomplish a goal.
Common Types of Small Group Communication
Brainstorming—this is usually used prior to decision making. Members are gathered together to
get ideas or probable solutions to the problem/s.
Buzz group—this used if there is a large number of people involved. This usually happens in
seminars when the facilitator would like a large group of people to participate.
Panel discussion—several experts are present to discuss questions among themselves with the
audience are listening in. There is a moderator, panelist/s, and audience in this type of
communication.
Round table/the Arthurian type—this is usually used in companies and academic institutions.
The arrangement is Round table because the leader and the members face each other; the leader
is unidentifiable. This is democratic set-up since each member can interact with the supposed
leader and the other members freely.
Symposium—several people, usually three or five, give short speeches, each presenting a
different point of view or each treating a different fact of a subject. This is common at large
conventions or conferences, where are a number of experts speak on the specific aspects of a
problem. This usually followed by an open forum involving the speakers and the audience.
Lecture forum—here, there is an expert, invited from an outside group, who speaks on a topic and
is then questioned by the audience. The questioning may develop into regular group discussion,
with free expressions of opinion by members of the group.
3. Public Communication
This the type of communication that occurs when a person delivers a speech in a public setting. The speech
delivered has preset intentions of either to entertain, to inform, or to persuade that usually affects the
audience. Here, the speaker is the sender while the audience is the receiver and although the audience
cannot directly interact with the speaker, their non-lexical reactions to the speech are considered feedback.
MASS COMMUNICATION
Mass communication is also called the “one is to many” type of communication. It uses media as its
medium to communicate to mass audience. Mediums for mass media can be classified into two: old media and new
media. Old media include books, newspapers, magazines, and other forms of printed media, radio, television, and
film. New media, on the other hand, include computer and its technologies.
VARIETIES AND REGISTERS OF SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE
In oral communication, it is easier to construe what the speakers means in his message by paying attention
to his/her facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice. In the written communication, the sender needs to use
certain features of discourse to make the receiver understand or interpret correctly what the message is. The receiver
must be able to identify the level of formality and the tone of the writing.
Frozen Register
This is the most formal register. Formal ceremonies
The language used is fixed or constant. It does not Prose or poetry
change in time.
National Anthem
The nature of the language does not require any
feedback. School Creeds
The Lord’s Prayer
Pledge of Allegiance to country
Preamble to the constitution
Religious services
Formal Register
The language requires formal English because it is Professional writing
used in official and ceremonial settings.
Business correspondence
The language used is of a standard variety and has an
agreed upon vocabulary that is well-documented. Essays
The language is written without emotion. Reports
Official speeches
Announcements
Court proceedings
Business meeting
Swearing in ceremony
An interview
Consultative Register
The language used is specifically for the purpose of Superior and subordinate conversation
soliciting aid, support, or intervention.
Client and doctor consultation
In the setting, one person is deemed an expert and the
other person is the receiver or such expertise. Client and lawyer consultation
Teacher and student conversation
Employer and employee conversation
Informal Register (Casual)
The language is laidback and conversational. Writing to friends
The language is focused on gaining information. Family conversations
The language uses slangs, jargons, and contractions. Chats with people you know very well
Personal e-mails
Phone texts
Short notes
Friendly letters
Most blogs
Diaries and journals
Informal Register (Intimate)
The language is casual and personal. Lovers
The language uses terms of endearments, slangs, Mothers giving pet names to their children based on
and/or terms understandable only to the persons. some character traits.
The setting is between persons who share close Best friends formulating slangs based on some shared
relationships or bonds. experince
REFERENCES:
Book(s):
Zoleta, Ma. Antonieta G. et. al. 2018. Purposive Communicationion. RM 108, Intramuros Corporate Bldg.,
Recoletos St., Manila: MINDSHAPERS CO., INC.
Sebastian, Evelyn L. 2019. Purposive Communication. RM 108, Intramuros Corporate Bldg., Recoletos St.,
Manila: MINDSHAPERS CO., INC.