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UNIT I : Functions, Nature and Process of

Communication

ACTIVITY TIME! THINK-PAIR-SHARE

Directions: Fill out the graphic organizer
below by writing down briefly what you know
about communication. You may limit your
answer to 3-5 sentences only for each question.

When does communication

happen?

In which aspects of your life

COMMUNICATION you need communication
most?

How do you communicate?

Why communication is
significant in your daily life?
Do you think communication is
a one-way or a two-way
process?
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What is COMMUNICATION?
Communication is a process of sharing and conveying messages or information from
one person to another within and across channels, contexts, media and cultures (McCornack,
2014).
The root of the word “communication” in Latin is communicare, which means to
share, or to make common. Communication is defined as the process of understanding and
sharing meaning. (Pearson and Nelson, 2000).

NATURE OF COMMUNICATION
The Nature of Communication according to (Sipacio and Balgos, 2016) are as follows:
 Communication is a process.
 Communication occurs between two or more people.
 Communication can be expressed through words, actions, or both at the same time.

On the other hand, (Bautista and Ibanez, 2017) stated that the Nature of Communication are:
 Communication is systemic.
 Communication is irreversible.
 Communication is proactive.
 Communication is symbolic.
 Meaning in communication is individually construed

COMMUNICATION IS SYSTEMIC

Communication happens within various systems. System is an organization

interdependent elements or component parts that form a complex whole and achieve certain
purpose. In the same way, Society is comprised of systems. Each system has its own patterns
of communication, language and vocabulary use, and rules that depend on elements such as
the behavior and shared experiences of its members.
A change in any part or element of a system affects the system of communication as
a whole. And because each unique individual is a part of a system, we could say that no to
systems are exactly alike.

EXAMPLE:
In a family reunion, Mark overheard his aunt utter the statement, “we’ll talk later,”
to her son. She said this in a firm but gentle manner, though in the presence of other guest.
Mark understood this as his aunt’s way of reprimanding her son for being too noisy and
disruptive. Mark’s own mother used to say this to him as a warning before a scolding. This,
however, did not daunt his cousin from running around and making noise.

The social setting, the physical environment, the physical location of each member
or communicator, and the time of day during which communication takes place are also some
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of the elements of a communication system. A system may also be part of a larger system,
such as CULTURE of the society in which organization is part of.

COMMUNICATION IS IRREVERSIBLE

Since communication is a continuous process, it is impossible for one to actually

take back what was said. Once an utterance has left someone’s mouth, the consequences of
that statement being uttered has already left an impression of the listener. Thoughts when
put into words become significant representation of experience; and words said in haste or
anger may influence possible communication in the future or even destroy relationships.

COMMUNICATION IS PROACTIVE

When people receive information, they actively EVALUATE THE CONTENT and
PURPOSE of the message and the CREDIBILITY of the speaker, even when they seem to be
listening passively.
MEANING rests not only in the person who conveys the message. The RECEIVER is
also involved in the ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION OF MEANING.

COMMUNICATION IS SYMBOLIC

Symbols are representation used to communicate and interpret one’s thoughts and
feelings. Symbols are arbitrary, which means that any symbol can be used to represent a
concept, that is, as long as the meaning is shared by a group of people.

Question:
Can two people who do not speak the same language communicate with each other?

MEANING IN COMMUNICATION IS INDIVIDUALLY CONSTRUED.

Individuals involved in communication play a significant role in meaning

construction, which means that they actively create meaning taken from experiences or
phenomena through symbolic representation.
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ELEMENTS of COMMUNICATION

Communication is divided in to nine (9) elements which help us better understand its
mechanics or process. These elements are the following:

1. Speaker 6. Receiver
2. Message 7. Feedback
3. Encoding 8. Context
4. Channel 9. Barriers
5. Decoding

1. Speaker – the source of information or message.

2. Message – the information, ideas, or thoughts conveyed by the speaker in words or in
actions.
3. Encoding – the process of converting the message into words, actions, or other forms
that he speaker understands.
4. Channel – the medium or the means , such as personal or non-personal, verbal or non-
verbal , in which the encoded message is conveyed.
5. Decoding – the process of interpreting the encoded message of the speaker by the
receiver.
6. Receiver – the recipient of the message, or someone who decodes the message.
7. Feedback – the reactions, responses, or information provided by the receiver.
8. Context – the environment where communication takes place
9. Barrier – the factors that affect the flow of communication
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PROCESS of COMMUNICATION

The process of communication refers to the transmission or passage of information or

message from the sender through a selected channel to the receiver overcoming barriers that
affect its pace. (www.turorialspoint.com, 2020).

PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION EXAMPLE PROCESS OF

COMMUNICATION
The SPEAKER generates idea
Daphne loves Rico as a friend

The speaker ENCODES an idea converts

the idea into words or actions.
She thinks of how to tell him using their
native language

The speaker TRANSMITS or sends out a

message. She tells him, “Rico, mahal kita bilang
kaibigan.”

The RECEIVER gets the message. Rico hears what Daphne says..

He tries to analyze what she means, and

The receiver DECODES or interprets the he is heartbroken.
message based on the context.

He frowns and does not say something,

because he is in pain.
The receiver sends or provides FEEDBACK
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FUNCTIONS of COMMUNICATION

According to (www.oralcom.wordpress.com, 2016), communication functions refer to

how people use language for different purposes also refers how language is affected by
different time, place, and situation used to control the behaviour of people used to regulate
the nature and amount of activities people engage in.

The most basic functions of communication in an organization are to regulate/to

control, to inform, to interact socially, to express and to motivate.

FIVE FUNCTIONS of COMMUNICATION

 REGULATE/CONTROL – communication functions to control behavior.

E.g. (Doctors’ Prescription) “Take your medicine 3 times a day.”
(Parents’ Instruction to their child) “Wash the dishes now, or else I won’t allow
you to go to the party later.”
 SOCIAL INTERACTION- communication allows individuals to interact with others.
E.g. (Inviting a friend) “Would you like some coffee, tea, or me?”
 MOTIVATION- communication motivates or encourages people to live better.
E.g. (The Priest giving motivation speech during a mass) “Let us remember that
no matter what you’re going through, God is with us”
 EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION- communication facilitates people’s expression of their
feelings and emotions
E.g. (Expressing one’s ambition) “I want to finish up my studies with good grades
to be accepted in a good university.”
 INFORMATION DISSEMINATION- communication functions to convey information
E.g. (Giving information) “Did you know that there’s a secret apartment at the
top of the Eiffel tower?”
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Let’s try this!

Directions : Identify the function of communication in each of the following

situations. Write your answers on the space provided.

_________ 1. The teacher reads and discusses classroom policies to her students.

_________ 2. Juvy greets Princess, and then they start talking about their crushes.

_________ 3. Ann shares her insights on how to live peacefully despite a complicated life.

_________ 4. Monica shares her personal frustrations with King.

_________ 5. The geometry teacher lectures about mathematical concepts.

_________ 6. Sheila delivers her valedictory speech.

_________ 7. The president delivers his last State of the Nation Address.

_________ 8. Liza Soberano thanks her supportive fans during interview.

_________ 9. The mayor candidate presents his plans during the Meeting de Avance.

_________ 10. A tourist guide orients a group of tourists about a heritage site.

_________11. “Everyone, please keep quiet”! Mrs. Catedrilla yelled.

_________12. “Let’s go out to have some ice cream”! Bob excitingly asked his friends.

_________13. Cindy advised Daniel to trim down his weight for his girlfriend.

_________14. “You can find the bathroom right next to this door” said the Janitor.

_________15. The girl angrily shouted : “Please leave me alone”!

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MODELS of COMMUNICATION

Communication models are systematic representations of the process which helps in

understanding how communication works can be done. Models show the process
metaphorically and in symbols. They form general perspectives on communication by
breaking communication from complex to simple and keep the components in order.
(www.businesstopia.net/communication, 2020)

SHANNON-WEAVER MODEL

TRANSACTION MODEL
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The Seven (7) C’s of an Effective Communication

How often you communicate with people during your day? How clear is your
communication? These are some of the questions that arise when we want to know how
effective our communication skills are.
You write emails, facilitate meetings, participate in conference calls in your company,
create reports, present some presentations, debate with your colleagues. . .the list goes on.
We can spend almost our entire day communicating. So, how can we provide a huge boost to
our productivity? We can make sure that we communicate in the clearest, most effective way
possible.
This is why the seven (7) C’s of communication provide a checklist for making sure that
your meeting, emails, conference calls, report and presentations are well-constructed and
clear – so your audience gets your message. Here the 7 C’s of Effective Communication:

1. Completeness – the message must be complete. It should convey all the facts required
by the audience. The sender of the message must take into consideration the receiver
and should communicate all the facts and figures related to the message.
2. Clarity – it implies emphasizing on a specific message or goal at a time, rather than
trying to achieve so much at once. Clear message makes use of exact, appropriate and
concrete words. Clarity in communication has following features:
• It makes understanding easier
• Complete clarity of thoughts and ideas enhances the meaning of message
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3. Conciseness – it means communicating what you want to convey in least possible

words. Conciseness is a necessity for effective communication. It has following features:
• It is both time-saving as well as cost-saving
• It underlines and highlights the main message
• It provides short and essential message in limited words to the audience
• Concise message is more appealing and comprehensible to the audience
4. Concreteness – it implies being particular and clear rather than fuzzy and general. It
strengthens the confidence and its messages are not misinterpreted. Concrete message
has following features:
• It is supported with specific facts and figures
• It makes sure of words that are clear and that build the reputation

5. Correctness – it implies that

there are no grammatical
errors in communication. It
has following features:
• The message
is exact,
correct and
well-timed.
• If the

communication is correct, it boosts up the confidence level

• Correct message has greater impact on the audience/readers.
• It checks for the precision and accurateness of facts and figures used in
the message
• It makes use of appropriate and correct language in the message
6. Consideration – it implies “stepping into the shoes of others”. Effective communication
must take the audience’s view, points, background, mind-set, education level, etc. Make
an attempt to envisage your audience, their requirements, emotions as well as
problems. Ensure that the self-respect of the audience is maintained and their emotions
are not harmed.
7. Courtesy – courtesy in message implies the message should show the sender’s
expression as well as should respect the receiver. The sender of the message should be
sincerely polite, judicious, reflective and enthusiastic. It has following features:
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• It implies taking into consideration both viewpoints as well as feelings of

the receiver of the message
• Courteous message is positive and focused at the audience
• It makes use of terms showing respect for the receiver of the message

UNIT 1 EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES

I. Nature and Process of Communication(30 points)
Directions : Complete the semantic web below with a word or group of words
relevant to communication.

4 Barriers 2 Models and Explain

5 Functions each
. 1.
1. 1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
4.
4.

5. 2.
COMMUNICATION

9 Elements of
Communication

3 Natures of
1. 7 C’s of Communication
Communication
2.
1.
3. 1.
2.
4.
3.
5. 2.
4.
6.
5.
7. 3.
6.
8.
7.
9.
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II. Group Activity

Directions : With a member or members of your family, perform a 3-minute presentation of

your favorite scene from an English movie, TV series, or musical or non- musical stage play. The
chosen scene should show how one or more barriers to communication lead to
miscommunication. Video it and post or send in the messenger. Mention your name and
section in the video.

III. Group Activity

Directions : Based on your presentation, discuss the following: Write your answer as briefly
as you can.

 Was there a lack of communication or miscommunication within your group

when you organized and performed your tasks? What are these?
 Why do you think this happened?
 What are the barriers to communication that occurred?
 What strategies did you use to avoid the barriers and miscommunication?

Note : Make sure that each member gives his/her answer. Overall, you have ten minutes to
exchange ideas. Afterwards, assign one person, preferably the shyest member in your group, to
share with the class the highlights or the most important points of the discussion.

Reinforcement/Enrichment Activity

Directions : Imagine that you are addressing a group of students, parents

and teachers in a symposium on understanding your generation known as the
“Generation Z or Gen Z”.

 Prepare a two-minute speech that communicates your ideas about the topic.
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 Your speech should highlight who the Generation Z babies are and how they
are different from other generations.

Below is the rubric for scoring

Rubric for Evaluating Speech Presentation

CRITERIA VGE GE SE LE N
(5) (4) (3) (2) (1)

1. The ideas in the presentation are organized.

2. The message is expressed clearly.

3. There are sufficient supporting ideas.

4. The choice of words is appropriate for the audience.

5. Biases are avoided.

6. Speech is free from grammatical mistakes.

7. Ideas are communicated vividly and meaningfully.

TOTAL

GRAND TOTAL __/35

Legend: VGE- To a very great extent; GE – To a great extent; SE – To some extent; LE – To a little
Extent; N – Not at all.
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Scoring: VGE – 29-35; GE- 22-28; SE- 15-21; LE- 8-14; N- 7 and below

COMMENTS
The good points of the presentation are . . . The areas that need to be improved are . . .

(Sipacio and Balgos, 2016, p13)

My Reflection

Reflect on what you have learned after taking up this lesson

by completing the chart below.

What were your

thoughts or ideas about
the functions, nature I thought . . . . . .
and process of
communication prior to
the discussion of this
lesson?

What new or additional I learned that . . . .

ideas did you learn after
taking up this lesson?
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How and where can you

I can apply it by . . . .
apply the lessons that
you have learned after
taking up this lesson?