Chapter 1: Communicating Effectively in a Multicultural

World
Course Facilitator: LINE CLAR F. REAL
GE PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION!

Content Standard: Demonstrate familiarity with the nature, elements and functions of verbal and non-verbal
communication in various and multicultural contexts.

Unit Intended Learning Outcomes

1.1 Describe the elements of communication and the communication process through the different communication
models.
1.2 Apply ethical principles in the communication process.

Purposive Communication Overview

Introduction:

As we all know, human communication is vital for survival and it is one thing in life that we cannot avoid to do.
The word "communication" derived from the word "communis", which means common.
If we are going to describe communication, it would be an "act of transferring or exchanging information, messages, or opinions
from one person or large scale of people using any means or medium.
Below are concepts about communication from different perspectives of some famous authors.

"Communication is transfer of information from one person to another, whether or not it elicits confidence, But the
information transferred must be understandable to the receiver."
- G.G. Brown
"The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said."
- Peter Ducker
"Communication is a means of persuasion to influence other so that desired effect is achieved"
- Aristotle
"Communication is sharing ideas and feelings in a mood of mutuality"
- Edgar Dale
"Communication is a process of sharing experiences till it becomes a common possession. It modifies the dispositions
of both parties who partakes it.
- John Dewey

Three Simple Definitions

 Communication is the sharing of information
 Communication is the giving and receiving of messages
 Communication is the transfer of information from one or more people to one or more other people
The first of these three definitions is the simplest, and also the broadest. Because of those qualities, it is also a little nonspecific.
The second definition reminds us that information, here called a message, must be received, as well as sent, to complete the
process. For example, a message launched in a bottle might achieve communication, but it also might not.
None of the above definitions requires information to flow in more than one direction (though the first two do rather imply this).
Two-way communication is certainly more common, and is often preferable, but a one-way delivery of information, such as advice
or instructions, still constitutes communication.

The last definition above only applies to communication between people. Animals, plants and machines are also capable of
various sorts of communication, but they are not included in this definition. (They are not included in this book, either – though
machines do get a brief mention in Appendix 4.) This last definition is perfectly satisfactory for our purposes, though, as this is a
book about communication between people. That implies at least two people – one at each "end" of the process. It can, of course,
involve many more than two people

Element of Communication Process

Communication is composed of the following elements;
SENDER AND RECEIVER
A person could be both a sender and a receiver in an conversation. The person who intends to convey the message with
the intention of passing information and ideas to others is known as sender or communicator. Receiver is the person who receives
the message or for whom the message is meant for. It is the receiver who tries to understand the message in the best possible
manner in achieving the desired objectives.

MEDIUM (CHANNEL)
 The person who is interested in communicating has to choose the channel for sending the required information, ideas etc.
This information is transmitted to the receiver through certain channels which may be either formal or informal.

MESSAGE (CONTENT)
In rhetorical and communication studies, a message is defined as information conveyed by words (in speech or writing),
and/or other signs and symbols. A message (verbal or nonverbal, or both) is the content of the communication process.

FEEDBACK
Feedback is the process of ensuring that the receivers has received the message and understood in the same sense as
sender meant it.
Different Categories of Communication
Communication has different categories;
1. Verbal communication (spoken)
2. Non-verbal communication
3. Written communication

VERBAL COMMUNICATION
- Verbal communication is considered as the fastest mechanism of expressions.
Verbal communication is refers to the form of communication in which message is transmitted verbally

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
- Nonverbal communication is the transfer of information through the use of body language including
eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and more

TYPES OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

There are several types of nonverbal communications you should be aware of, including:

 KINESICS
- Body language: Body language is the way someone situates their body naturally depending
on the situation, the environment and how they are feeling. For example, someone might cross
their arms if they are feeling angry or nervous.

- Gestures: While gestures vary widely across communities, they are generally used both
intentionally and unintentionally to convey information to others. For example, someone in
the United States might display a “thumbs up” to communicate confirmation or that they feel
positively about something.

- Facial expressions: One of the most common forms of nonverbal communication is facial

expressions. Using the eyebrows, mouth, eyes and facial muscles to convey can be very
effective when communicating both emotion and information.

- Personal Appearance Adornment: Appearance can indicate our profession, it shows

someone's nature, interest, and taste. It can also point out our religious and cultural values.
  HAPTICS
- Touch:  Some people also use touch as a form of communication. Most commonly, it is used
to communicate support or comfort. This form of communication should be used sparingly
and only when you know how the receiving party feels about touch. It should never be used to
convey anger, frustration or any other negative emotions in the workplace.

Process of Oral Communication

1. Encoding - is everything that goes inside the brain of an individual.
- involves the sender who, grounded by communicative intentions and goals, decides on assigning codes.
- is a systematic arrangement of symbols used by individuals to create meaning.
2. Transmission - is the process by which the sender, having assigned codes to come up with thought
symbols (message) that are also comprehensible by the participant/s of the communication, transmits or
sends message to its recipient.
3. Receiving - Having been submitted through sound waves and light waves, the comes from the sender
then reaches the receiver. It is assumed that the receiver’s attention is focused on the communication at
hand to facilitate better understanding of the message transported by the sender.
4. Decoding - is the process by which the receiver interprets or assigns meanings to the codes transported
by the source. The receiver tries to give meanings to these symbols which maybe literal or may give
associations depending on knowledge and/or experience.
5. Responding - response is anticipated by the sender from the receiver. Feedback
(Please click the video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btj94IHVc6I to know more about the
process.

LESSON 1: Describing the Nature, Elements, and Functions of Verbal

and Non-verbal Communication in Multicultural Contexts
(The following information in this section is from the book; PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION IN
ENGLISH by C.A. Suarez, M.R.G. Perfecto, M.L.E.N. Canilao, & D.B.I. Paez)

Communication is one of the more essential human activities that enable us to make connections,
create meanings, and nurture understanding. It is an activity that we practice every day with the people
around us. When we communicate we send messages that are received and understood through the symbols
that are used. These symbols are shared in specific culture, they may be verbal or non verbal. Responding to
these symbols used in meaningful communication through various appropriate channels fulfills its purpose
of making connections. A channel of communication (see Pearson, et al 2008) such as airwaves or sound
waves shapes the way we responds to the message we received. More and more today, these channels have
altered the meanings of messages that are sent and received.

In any human interaction, spoken words are not the only way to communicate. We use Body
language, facial expressions, and the tone of one's voice to convey thoughts and emotions in a non-verbal
manner.
They play certain role in communicating effectively such as;
 Assets and/or hide one's identity
 Stress and/or dismiss the importance of an idea
 Evoke a certain emotions or feeling
 Demonstrate one's attitude
 Reveal one's values
 Allow and/or control participation

In multicultural contexts, you must pay special attention to what these non-verbal elements may convey.
Gestures, expressions, and tone of voice are not universal; neither are they absolute in their meanings. What
you wear, how you stand, the physical distance you maintain when talking to someone-- these are but some
ways of communicating messages, whether intentional or not.
 Similarly, a purposeful awareness of the effective use of verbal elements of communication in
multicultural settings may lead to more rewarding adventures. But lack of awareness for the importance of
verbal elements may result in complicated mishaps. Language use in terms of word choice is a significant
element in making meaningful connections and fostering harmonious understanding in a community.

A word in a certain community may vary in meaning through its denotative meaning (based in
definitions in a dictionary) and a connotative meaning (based on the fluid contexts of its uses.)

Word choice may also include or exclude certain groups of people in the process of verbal
communication. A specific group of the people who share a common interest may use a distinct kind of slang
or jargon. Slang with ease is a mark of belonging to a unique group who has similar preferences in hobbies,
sports, entertainment, and various lifestyles. Jargon, on the other hand, refers to technical language that is
used by professionals in a certain field. Finally, euphemism and double speak are choices in language use
that hide certain truths. The purpose of using a euphemism is to make a concept or idea more acceptable.
Interestingly, word choice as an essential verbal element in communication is made more fascinating when
we imagine people of different cultures engage in conversations.

Communication in Various Multicultural Contexts

English may not necessarily ensure smooth and easy exchanges since there is a concept, we so called
"World English". A certain phrases or words differ its meaning according to 'who says and 'whom you said.
For example;
 What time is dinner?
We Filipino think dinner is the food we eat at night or near afternoon, but in the British national, dinner
actually means lunch.

Word choice, pronunciation, and grammar rules vary in the Englishes that multilingual use around the world.
The world does not speak in English alone; neither does speak in one variety of English.

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