LESSON 3

COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY IN ENGLISH

LO 1 Analyze communication process

1. Communication Pathways
2. Elements of Communication
3. Barriers

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Communication brings people together, closer to each other. It is an important
management function closely associated with all other managerial functions. It bridges
the gap between individuals and groups through flow of information and understanding
between them.
This module is carefully designed to develop your communication skills in
English, both written and spoken media. Included in this module are lessons about
communication pathways, elements of communication, and barriers to communication.
Achievement of the objectives of this course will make you more marketable in the field
of Contact Center Services.
This module will help students like you develop the skill of effective communication
which is vital in the field of Contact Center Services.
To communicate using words, whether written or spoken, is the primary responsibility
of a Contact Center Service provider. It is part of his/her daily task, whether inbound or
outbound. The communication process is a two-way street that entails careful choice of
words, proper delivery, and an open mind.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Identify communication pathway available in accordance with the contact center
2 .Identify elements of communication in each pathway
3. Take appropriate action according to establish practices
4. Identify barriers to communication in a customer contact center
5. Take action in accordance with company policies

What I Know
(Pre – Test)
Let us first assess your entry level knowledge and skills regarding this lesson. It is
important to identify your strengths and weaknesses in communicating so that you know
where and what to improve. Answer the following tests honestly

SURVEY 1 Oral communication skills. This survey provides opportunities for you to
check areas of your oral communication skills. It is a guide to help you diagnose your
strengths and difficulties. On each of the item, rate yourself on the scale of 1-10, with 10
being the highest. Do this on a separate sheet of paper.

Elements of the Oral Parameter Rating

Communication
Consonants I do not have problems in
pronouncing any
consonants or clusters
Vowels I can pronounce vowel
sounds clearly and fluently
Syllables and/or I can clearly pronounce
grammatical endings syllables and grammatical
endings such as – d and –
ed.
Word stress My word stress falls on the
right syllables all the time
Rhythm in sentences I speak in a natural rhythm
that does not sound abrupt
or choppy.
Focus and special I use emphatic stress to
emphasis (Prominence) indicate key words,
contrasts (not only/all), etc.
Intonation/Pitch My tone rises and falls in
the appropriate parts of my
statement. I do not sound
monotonous.
 Thought groups and I pause at commas and
linking other appropriate parts of
the statement
Delivery (rate of speech, I am aware when to speak
loudness) loud, soft, fast, or slow.

II. SURVEY 2 Written communication skills For each item below, please rate your
abilities in a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest). Circle your choice. Do this on a
separate sheet of paper.
1=never or almost never true for me
2=usually not true for me
3=somewhat true for me
4=usually true for me
5=always or almost always true for me Goal
I can write a good paragraph 1 2 3 4 5
I can use appropriate vocabulary and word forms to 1 2 3 4 5
effectively communicate with the reader
I can use appropriate punctuations in my sentences 1 2 3 4 5
I know how to spell words, even unfamiliar ones 1 2 3 4 5
I can make self-corrections on my grammar 1 2 3 4 5
I can write quickly in English 1 2 3 4 5
I can edit my writing to improve the wording, grammar, 1 2 3 4 5
punctuation and spelling
I can arrange my ideas logically 1 2 3 4 5

ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Score Level Description
75 - 90 Exceptional Can vary intonation and place sentence stress
correctly in order to express finer shades of
meaning
61 - 75 Above- average Has a clear, natural pronunciation and intonation
46 - 60 Average Pronunciation is comprehensible even if accent is
not neutralized and occasional mispronunciations
occur
31 - 45 Weak Pronunciation is generally clear enough to be
understood despite a noticeable non – native
 English speaker accent, but conversational
partners will need to ask for repetition from time to
time
30 and Poor Pronunciation is sometimes difficult to understand
below by conversation partners especially native English
speakers because of limited knowledge of tone
stress and intonation

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
SCORE LEVEL DESCRIPTION
36 - 40 Exceptional Can write clear, smoothly flowing, complex
sentences in a logical structure which helps the
reader to easily find significant points.

31 - 35 Above - Average Can write clear, well-structured sentences about a

subject, stating reasons and relevant examples,
and making an appropriate conclusion
21 - 30 Average Can write connected texts about the same subject
by linking a series of shorter sentences into a
cohesive and coherent paragraph.
11 - 20 Weak Can write a series of simple phrases and
sentences linked with simple connectors.

10 AND Poor Can write simple isolated phrases and sentences.

BELOW

What’s In
(Review)
Branding is a marketing practice of creating a name, a symbol or design that
identifies and differentiates product or services from the rest. It is also a promise to your
customers. It tells them what they can expect from your product or service and it
differentiates your offerings from other competitors. Your brand is derived from who you
are, who you want to be and what people perceive you to be.
Branding is one of the most important aspects in any business. An effective brand
strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets.
A good product can: - deliver message clearly, - confirm credibility, - connect to target
prospect, - motivate buyers, and - concretize user loyalty.
Here are simple tips to publicize your brand:

 Develop a tagline. Write a statement that is meaningful, impressive, and easy to

remember to capture the essence of your brand.

 Design a logo. Create a logo symbolic of your business and consistent with your
tagline and displace it strategically.

 Write a brand message. Select a key message to communicate about your

brand.

 Sustain a brand quality. Deliver a promise of quality through your brand.

 Practice consistency. Be reliable and consistent to what your brand means in

your business

What’s New?
Communication Process

There are several ways to communicate and share information and message
nowadays. With the advent of technology, communication is not only limited to verbal
and written way. One may also send a message through electronic methods such as
e-mail, chat, and the like. In this part of the module, you will explore the different ways
to communicate and the different pathways of communication in the Contact Center
Service industry

Preliminary Activities

Answer the following questions in your notebook.

1. Imagine you are working as a Contact Center Service representative. List down the
different ways you communicate in the workplace.
2. Identify the people that you communicate with in the workplace.
 What is IT
Communication Pathways
More often than not, Contact Center Services providers communicate verbally. Verbal
communication in this industry may occur in phone or in person. In this type of
communication, the message is transmitted verbally. Hence, it is important to remember
the acronym KISS (Keep it short and simple).
For example:
A. I understand that you lost the receipt but we have to follow the standard procedure
regarding return of items without receipt. B. I understand your concern. However, we
have procedures to follow regarding the matter.
Statements A and B contain the same message. However, statement B transmits the
message in a simpler yet more concise way.
Verbal communication may either be oral or written. Written communication is
also a common form of communication. These are printed messages such as memos,
proposals, training manuals, company policies, and letters. Written
communication is asynchronous, which means that it occurs at different times. The
sender may write a message that the receiver may read anytime.
Oral communication occurs in telephone calls. Call handling skills are the skills that
you have to possess to be part of the Contact Center Service industry.
E-mails and other electronic methods of sending message can be classified under
written communication. An E-mail is the inter-office and inter-organization mail system.
It is a system of worldwide electronic communication in which a computer user can
compose a message at one terminal that can be regenerated at the recipient’s terminal.
E-mails are also asynchronous. Businesses nowadays rely on the use of e-mail as a
form of communication internally (within the company) and externally (outside the
company).
Let us compare the different types of communication. Look at table 2 below.
Table 2. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Different Ways to Communicate
Ways to Communicate Advantage Disadvantage
Oral communication  Brings quick feedback  Speaker is usually unable
to process message
before speaking
Written communication  Messages can be edited  Does not bring instant
before sending feedback
 Can be saved for later  Takes time to prepare
study and requires writing
ability
 Electronic communication  Disregards the aspect of  Relies on good internet
distance connection

It is also important to identify your communication pathways as a Contact Center

Services provider. In this industry your, primary communication pathway, is from you as
an agent to your customer. In this pathway you will be maximizing the use of oral
communication since most of your customers are located off-shore.
Nevertheless, you are not limited to this pathway. Communicating with the people
around you in the workplace is also a part of your job. You communicate, whether oral
or written, with your supervisors, peers, and subordinates.
Below are helpful tips for you to consider in establishing good communication among
your customers or anybody else in your workplace. You must be
 alert
 pleasant
 polite
 friendly
 fair
 thoughtful
 cooperative
 humble
 tolerant and considerate
 loyal
 sensitive
 honest
 show self-control
 flexible and adaptable
 punctual
 enthusiastic
 responsible

What’s More

Activity 1. CHOOSE THE BEST

Directions: Below are scenarios that you may encounter when you become a part of
the contact service industry. Imagine that you are already working as a contact center
agent. You may encounter the following situations. Identify the best type of
communication that should be used. Provide reasons for choosing it. Do this in a
separate sheet of paper.
 SITUATION TYPE OF REASON FOR
COMMUNICATION CHOOSING
1. You exceeded the
allowed number of minutes
for late in a month. You
received a written warning
asking you to provide an
explanation for your
tardiness.
2. Mrs. Smith requested to
be regularly updated with
the sale events and
promotions of the Yellow
Star, which is an online
store.
3. You were in the middle
of a call when all of a
sudden the line got
disconnected

Assessment 1
Modified True or False
Directions: Read the following statements about communication. Tell whether
the statement is true or false. Write TRUE if the statement is correct. Otherwise,
rewrite the statement to correct it. Do this on your notebook.

1. The fastest way to get a response is through written communication.

2. Written communication is synchronous.
3. Oral and written communication are both verbal communication.
4. The primary communication pathway used in the Contact Center Services
industry is from agent to supervisor.
5. The use of electronic communication disregards the aspect of distance.
6. It is important to be simple and concise when communicating.
7. E-mail and other electronic forms of messages can be classified as oral
communication.
8. Examples of written communication are memos, proposals, training manuals,
company policies, and phone calls.
9. Most industries and businesses rely on the use of email for internal and
external communication.
10. One advantage of oral communication is the lack of time for the speake
 Elements of Communication
Communication is a process that involves different elements which affect message
transmission and message quality. Before we begin the lesson, try to recall the last time
you communicated with another person. Below is an unlabeled illustration of the
communication process. Try to fill it in with your idea of the elements included in the
process.
Communication is a process where the message is packaged, channeled, and
conveyed by a sender to a receiver through a certain medium. It is a process in the
sense that steps have to be done in a particular order.

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

NOISE

SOURCE RECEIVER

ENCODE MEDIUM DECODE

MESSAGE MESSAGE

FEEDBACK

How many elements of communication process do you see?

The communication process has the following elements:

1. Message
Message is the most essential part of the communication process. A message
may come in different forms such as a letter, a phone call, a video presentation,
an email, or a face-to-face interaction. It is not what the sender intends it to be
but how the receiver understood the information he/she received. Therefore, the
sender should carefully craft his/her message using good grammar and proper
choice of words
Example:
 1. an order
2. your new schedule
3. a co-worker’s request
2. Sender
The sender initiates the communication. He/she decides what message to send
and in what medium the message will be sent. It is the job of the sender to
encode the message. In doing so, the sender should always keep in mind an
understanding of who the receiver is to make the information more relevant and
appropriate.
Example:
1. the client or customer placing an order
2. your supervisor giving a memo
3. your co-worker sending an email
3. Transmission medium
Transmission medium is the immediate form in which the message is being
communicated. Message may be communicated in the form of a letter, a voice
call, or an e-mail

Example:
1. a phone call
2. memo
3. an e-mail

4. Recipient
Recipient or the receiver is the party to whom the message is intended to.
He/she is the one who interprets the message. The recipient/receiver may not
necessarily be an individual person. A recipient may also be a group of people
such as an audience.
Example:
1. a customer sales representative
2. an employee
3. a fellow co-worker
5. Noise
Anything that interferes with the communication process between the sender and
the recipient is called noise. Noise, sometimes called interference, may change the
meaning of the message sent. Most of the time, message is not received exactly
the way the sender intends it to be. The presence of noise in all aspects of
communication makes it impossible. Noise can either be internal or external.
External noise refers to the physical environment which includes physiological
condition while internal noise includes psychological noise. An example of
psychological noise is a divided attention of a recipient.
 Example:
1. Loud music from the radio (external)
2. on-going construction outside the office (external)
3. An agent is hungry (external)
4. An agent is thinking of her sick puppy while on a call (internal)
5. An interviewee who has low self-esteem (internal)

6. Context
Context is the personal background of the communicators or the background
of a communicative situation that may affect the transmission of message
Example:
1. gender preference
2. race
3. religious beliefs
4. educational attainment
5. during a war
6. during a crisis

Activity 2
“POOL UP”

Directions: Identify the element of communication described in each number. Choose

your answer from the pool of words inside the box. Do this in a separate sheet of paper
1. It is the communication background that may affect the transmission of
message.
2. It is the person to whom the message is intended to.
3. It is the immediate form in which the message is transmitted.
4. It is how the receiver understood the information he received.
5. It is the person who initiates the communication.
6. It can be anything that interferes with the communication process

Sender message barrier

Recipient context feedback
Medium noise
 Assessment 2
ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

Directions: Below is a form of written communication. Identify the different elements in

the letter by accomplishing the table that follows. Do this in a separate sheet of paper.

Mr. Jack Hunt

Credit Department, Zassy Mall
2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 414
Arlington, VA 22201

RE: Refund for Receipt No. 2885

Dear Mr. Hunt:

I am writing this letter to follow up on the refund from my purchase last December
13, 2013. I already called the customer service, but no action was done. I was given
report number 321 if I want to check the status of my refund. I am hoping that by writing
your office, necessary actions will be taken. I attached a copy of my receipt that
contains my transaction number.
I am hoping for your appropriate response.

Sincerely,
Lisa Mcneil

ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION
Sender
Recipient
Message
Transmission
medium
 Barriers to Communication
Communication is not a one-way street. Barriers may come from both ends of
the communication line. They are always present. A person with good communication
skill can identify the presence of these barriers and take necessary actions to avoid, if
not to eliminate them. The most common and easiest to identify among the barriers to
communication is noise. It has been an indispensable in the communication process
which has already been discussed in the previous lesson. External noise, which may be
physical noise, can immediately affect the quality of communication. It may be a radio
turned up high, an ongoing construction outside your office building, or even your co-
worker next you tapping his hand on the desk. These kinds of noise make it difficult for
you to understand your caller and they also make it difficult for your caller to understand
you.
In order to resolve the problem caused by noise barriers, you can do the following:
1. If the problem is with your caller, it is acceptable if you inform them by saying, “Mr.
Mcneil, I am having trouble hearing you. Can you please (tell the caller what to do)?
2. If the problem is coming from your end, it is best to identify the source of the noise
and fix it immediately.
Time can also be a barrier to communication. It affects communication most
especially in written communication. Letters and memoranda not sent or received at the
right time may cause major misunderstanding between the communicators. If an
employee fails to provide a letter of explanation because he/she did not receive the
memorandum on time, he or she may get dismissed from work. In addition, time can
also affect the quality of verbal communication. Let us take the case of a customer in a
hurry. He is placing an order and he is getting frustrated with the slow procedure. This
may mean that the customer is no longer paying attention to the details you are telling
him.
The quality of message may also be a barrier to communication. Unclear
messages may result from vague and ambiguous sentences. For example, “He found a
bat in the room”. The word ‘bat’ has several meanings. It could either be a baseball bat
or a flying mammal.
Choice of words can also affect the quality of message. The use of jargon in statements
can also make messages unclear. Jargon is a language that is specific to a profession.
It is a specialized vocabulary of any profession or industry. These words are difficult to
understand by people who are not practitioners of that profession. Below are some
examples of jargons.
 Examples of Medical Jargons
ambu-bag handheld squeeze bag attached to a face mask
amp abbreviation for Ampule, which is a sealed plastic or glass
capsule containing a single dose of a drug in a sterile solution
for injection
ASA the abbreviation for acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin)
bagging manual respiration for a patient having trouble breathing that
uses a handheld squeeze bag attached to a face mask

bounceback a patient who returns to the ER with the same complaint

shortly after being released bradycardic
bradycardic a slowing of the heart rate to less than 50 beats per minute
c-section shorthand for cesarean section, which is surgical delivery of a
baby through the abdominal wall
cellulitis a skin infection
deep vein a blood clot in a deep vein
thrombosis
diplopia double vision
dyspnea shortness of breath

Examples of Business Jargons

Accounts Payable Indebtedness of a company to its
suppliers for goods or services purchased
and must be paid for within one year
(more typically paid within 30-90 days
Accounts Receivable Amount owed from a company by its
customers for goods or services supplied
to them which must be paid within one
year (more typically collected within 30-90
days). It is indicated as a current asset on
the company's balance sheet.
Book Value This is the net value, in accounting terms,
of a company based on actual costs and
asset values
Hyperinflation This refers to very rapid, out-of-control
inflation
Liquidated A company may be liquidated or
dissolved by selling all its assets and then
using the cash to meet any obligations to
creditors.

Barriers to communication can go as deep as the cultural level. The difference between
the culture of the sender and the receiver can greatly affect the communication process.
If the sender and receiver have different cultures, ethnocentrism may occur.
Ethnocentrism is the act of judging the culture of others on the basis of what is
acceptable in the culture of one communicator. It includes the idea that one culture is
superior of others.
Prejudgment can also be a barrier to communication. It is the act of judging what
someone has to say even before he/she speaks. You may also prejudge by dismissing
someone’s ideas because of the belief that you know what the other person has to say.
It is neither productive nor polite.

Activity 3
Let’s Get Updated!

1. Using a computer with Internet service, follow the given URL:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1481072/pdf/canv etj00071-0005.pdf

2. Read the editorial article entitled “Good Communication: How It Can Be Achieved”
written by Doug Hare.
3. Answer the following questions in your notebook as you read the article.
a. Why did the author say that we are veterinarians?
b. Cite at least three ingredients to good communication mentioned in the article.
c. What is the disadvantage of communicating on the telephone? How can this
disadvantage be resolved?
d. Give at least five pieces of advice provided in the article on how to achieve good
communication.
 Assessment 3
Matching Type Directions: Match the barriers to communication listed in Column A with
their definitions in Column B.
COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. noise a. unclear message due to vague and
ambiguous sentences
2. time b. anything that interferes with the
communication process between
the sender and the recipient
3. Quality of message c. Affects written communication
more than oral communication
4. Jargons d. A language that is specific to a
profession
5. ethnocentrism e. the act of judging what someone
has to say even before they speak
6. pre - judgment f. the act of judging the culture of
others on the basis of what is
acceptable in the culture of one
communication

What I Have Learned

Communication Pathways

1. verbal
2. written
3. email and other electronic methods
4. supervisors, peers and subordinates
5. agent to customer

Elements of Communication
1. message
2. sender
3. transmission medium
4. recipient
5. noise
6. context
 Barriers to Communication

1. noise
2. time
3. message quality
4. ethnocentrism
5. conflict of ideas
6. prejudgment
Helpful tips for you to consider in establishing good communication among your
customers or anybody else in your workplace. You must be
 alert
 pleasant
 polite
 friendly
 fair
 thoughtful
 cooperative
 humble
 tolerant and considerate
 loyal
 sensitive
 honest
 show self-control
 flexible and adaptable
 punctual
 enthusiastic
 responsible

What Can I Do

“In the Real World “

1. Form groups of five.
2. Arrange interviews with at least five call center agents (customer service
representatives, technical support representatives, or sales representatives), team
leaders, or supervisors in the call center industry.
3. Ask them about the common barriers to communication they encounter when taking
calls and how they resolve them.
4. Be ready to share your findings with the rest of the class.