ORAL COMMUNICATION 11

STRATEGIES TO AVOID COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

(WEEK 4)
QUARTER 1 MODULE 4
Name of learner:___________________________________________________________________
Grade &Section:_______________________________________________Date:________________

General Reminder: Use this activity sheet with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the activity
sheet. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises. Read the directions carefully
before doing each task. Return this activity sheet to your teacher once you are through with

OBJECTIVES:

After going through with this module, you are expected to:
 define the concept of communication breakdown;
 identify the different kinds of barriers to effective communication;
 explain why there is a breakdown of communication; and
 apply strategies to avoid communication breakdowns.

Effective communication requires messages to be conveyed clearly between communicators, but

along the way there are many communication barriers that lead to communication breakdowns. To
become an effective communicator, you should recognize these barriers that hinder the
communication process.
 Physical barrier is the environmental and natural condition that act as a barrier in
communication in sending message from sender to receiver.

When messages are sent by the sender, physical barriers like doors, walls, distance, etc. do not
let the communication become effective. The barriers are less if the proximity of the sender and the
receiver is high and less technologies are required.

Disturbance in hearing due to thunders, telephone call disconnection, problems in television

reception, message not being sent in chat, etc. are some examples of physical barriers of
communication.

Linguistic barrier arises due to differences in languages, words meaning or

pronunciation.

The following are some of the examples of linguistic barriers.

 Different languages or lack of common language can create obstacles in
communication. A person who does not understand the native language or

cannot even communicate well of a certain language can become a very difficult situation.
 Multiplicity of words - word power is gift to human beings but with the multiple meanings or
spellings of the words, it can create problems in communication.
 Words with similar pronunciation but different meaning [homophones] also create problems in
communication. For example, except-accept, fair-fare, council-counsel, principal-principle, etc.
 Jargons refer to the technical words used by professionals such as engineers/doctors or any other
professionals. Many times, jargon words are used unintentionally, but common people or those
who do not understand the meaning of these words face problems.
 By-passed instructions which means using many short cuts while passing the messages. For
example, a manager ordered the newly appointed secretary to go and burn the C.D. She literally
burned it. He meant to copy the C.D.
 Cultural barrier refers to the way a person responds in a communication situation affected
by personal norms and traditions.

Culture is way of life, values or principles. Due to globalization and liberalized policies in
business, people around the world are travelling and working in multinational corporates or
companies. This led to mixing or intermingling between people that may result to communication
failure.

The following are some examples of cultural barriers.

 Concept of Time: Time is not perceived similarly across cultures. In Western culture, time
is important. In Asian culture, time is taken leisurely. The concept of punctuality differs in
cultures.
 Etiquettes and Mannerisms: In every society or culture, different types of mannerisms are
observed. This includes rule of behaviors or how to follow certain code of conduct.
Different forms of address and salutation or different methods of dressing [formal or
informal wearing] are observed. This can be confusing sometimes.
 Food preparation method or serving methods are not the same. There are certain expected
norms of eating food in meeting. These are called dining etiquettes.
 Body Language [non-verbal behavior] methods around the world are not the same. There
can be misunderstandings because of this.
 Proximity [concept of space] differs from culture to culture. In some culture, close
distance between people is not approved. In some culture, close distance is accepted.
 Value system is not the same across cultures.

Psychological barrier of communication is the influence of psychological state of the

communicators (sender and receiver) which creates an obstacle for effective communication.

Communication is highly influenced by the mental condition that the communicators are in
and is disturbed by mental disturbance. If the people involved in communication are not
emotionally well, they will not be able to communicate properly.

The following are some examples of psychological barriers.

Lack of Attention

When a person’s mind is distracted or preoccupied with other things, the person is not able to
form proper message, listen to what others tell him/her, interpret the message as required and
give proper feedback. The communication will face problems and becomes ineffective. A person
in tragedy, for instance, does not want to listen to other people giving advice.

A person might be preoccupied by the problems of his/her professional life or personal life,
which affects both.
Distrust and Defensiveness

Communication is successful when the communicators trust each other. Lack of trust makes
them derive negative meaning of the message and they ignore the message. When a person tries
to force his/her own ideas and opinions, then receiver does not listen. If the receiver does not
agree to the message provided or thinks of it as a threat, he/she will not listen to it.

Similarly, when the message is not transferred across to the receiver, the communication
fails. For example, I don’t trust a friend, I will only give the details, of what is happening in my
personal life which I think are harmless.

Perception, Viewpoint, Attitudes and Opinions

Perception is the mindset using which people judge, understand and interpret everything.
Each person has his/he own perception of reality which is shaped from mental and sensory
experiences.

Likewise, viewpoint is also a mindset to look at the world. Sender might have a particular
viewpoint that is not shared by the receiver. The sender does not explain the viewpoint but takes
the viewpoint as granted. The message is not understood by the receiver as must have been
understood, creating a barrier to effective com- munication.

Attitude is the established way in which we think and feel about things and ideas which also
creates a psychological communication barrier.

For example, a person takes females to be weak which is the person’s percep- tion. He/she
tells that to someone who does not think so. This causes a misunder- standing between the two.
Everything they communicate after that becomes unsuc- cessful that the view of the person is
already set.

Emotions

Anyone who is not in a good mood is likely to talk less or talk negatively. A preoccupied
mind is not good at communicating. For example, when a person is angry, he/she might say
things they regret later. Even when listening to someone else speak, an angry person might easily
misinterpret the message.

Various other emotions like fear, nervousness, confusion, mistrust and jealousy affect
communication process. For example, a person having extreme moods of happiness will laugh at
anything at all said to him/her. The same person when sad will cry or get angry at insignificant
situations.

Closed Mind and Filtering

Man is selfish by nature and put his own needs and problems above all else. This sometimes
 leads people to filter information that someone is trying to convey to them. This might be due to
mistrust, competition, jealousy, or the view that the message is insignificant.

For example, a senior in a company does not want the junior to do better at work, the person
filters the information and does not provide crucial information that could help the junior. The
junior therefore will not be able to complete the work properly and progress in ranks. Similarly,
when a person is close minded, the person will have fixed opinions on many things which the
person believes resolutely. The person will interpret any information in a negative way.

For example, a sexist person does not accept the suggestions of a female col- league in a
meeting that affects the communication flow in the meeting. It is difficult to argue with such
close-minded people and give proper information.

Premature Evaluation

Some people are always in a hurry by habit. These kinds of people most likely make quick
judgments and jump into conclusions. They do not consider all aspects of the information such as
social, cultural, economic, etc. and often end up taking quick and wrong decisions.

It is important to hear the whole message to make proper judgments because they are not changed easily
after they are once made.

For example, a person is in a hurry and talks on the phone, the person does not listen to half the message
and makes the decision which is wrong in the situation.

Psychological barriers affect communication more as information is formed in the brain and is sent by
people with various psychological condition which differs from one moment to another. Information is as
effective as the people involved make it.

Similarly, the psychological condition of the receiver also has as much im- portance as the sender.
Communication is ineffective if psychological aspects of communication acts as a barrier to communication.

Communication happens every day. There are instances that barriers to communication can
cause communication breakdown. This communication breakdown can be avoided if
communicators follow some strategies put forward by experts in the field. By following the 7 Cs
proposed by Broom, Cutlip, and Center (2012) in their book Effective Public Relations, we may
achieve successful communication.
 1. Completeness

Complete communication is essential to the quality of the communication process in

general. Hence, communication should include everything that the receiver needs to hear
for him/ her to respond, react, or evaluate properly.

2. Conciseness

Conciseness does not mean keeping the message short, but making it direct or
straight to the point. Insignificant or redundant information should be eliminated from the
communication that will be sent to the recipient.

3. Consideration

To be effective, the speaker should always consider relevant information about his/her
receiver such as mood, background, race, preference, education, status, and

needs, among others. By doing so, he/she can easily build rapport with the audience.

4. Concreteness

Effective communication happens when the message is concrete and supported by facts,
figures, and real-life examples and situations. In this case, the receiver is more connected to the
message conveyed.

5. Courtesy

The speaker shows courtesy in communication by respecting the culture, values, and beliefs
of his/her receivers. Being courteous at all times creates a positive impact on the audience.

6. Clearness

Clearness in communication implies the use of simple and specific words to express ideas. It
is also achieved when the speaker focuses only on a single objective in his/her speech so as not to
confuse the audience.

7. Correctness

Correctness in grammar eliminates negative impact on the audience and increases the credibility and
effectiveness of the message

ACTIVITY 1:

A. Directions: Read and analyze each item below and identify the kind of communication barrier
 exemplified by each description. Tell whether it is Physical, Psychological, Cultural, or Linguistic
Barrier. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. different family orientation

2. use of metaphorical language
3. cognitive overload
4. shyness
5. fear and trauma
____________ 6. poor acoustics
7. blaring of bus horns
8. lack of attention and interest
9. defective translation
10. use of slangs

B. Directions: Match the following features of an effective communication with their

corresponding description. Write only the letter of the correct answer.

1. Conciseness a. the use of facts, figures, and real-life examples

2. Courtesy and situations to support your message
3. Concreteness b. the use of simple and specific words to express
4. Clearness ideas
5. Consideration c. a message that is direct and straight to the point
d. an act of respecting the culture, values and beliefs of the receiver
e. message that shows insensitivity
f. a message that is keen to the relevant information of the
receiver such as the mood, need, preference, status and among others

ACTIVITY 2:
 A. Directions: Do the tasks that follow.

1. Define communication breakdown in your own words.

2. Make a graphic organizer of the different barriers to communication.

3. Come up with 5 Dos and 5 Don’ts to avoid communication breakdown.

Prepared by:
Stephanie Arias
Teacher