Week 1: Definition and Principles of Communication

Mark Twain - “The difference between a good word and the right word is the same as the
difference between a lightning bug and lightning.” (Dean Brenner, Marni Lane).

Communication - Latin word communicare – meaning to share, unite or join, the process by
which people share ideas or thoughts which can be understood by another through a chosen
medium. + These said mediums can either be verbal or non-verbal channels. In a nutshell, it is
to send and receive messages using a channel.

Principles of Communication:
1. Schemata-Driven
- makes you either the sender or receiver
- how we relate to ideas, concepts, and events based on past experiences
2. Interpretative Act
- communication is an interpretative act
- known only by the sender or speaker
- the sender has the absolute idea, the receiver can only interpret
3. Communication is active, forceful or powerful
- any message conveyed may have various interpretations because of cultural, ideological, and
environmental factors.
4. Communication is Symbolic
- verbal = signs, symbols, letters, graphs, pictures, etc.
- non-verbal = gestures, voice pitch, posture, facial expression, time, and space
5. Communication always result in something
- communication creates an effect on the involved parties
- it will elicit either a verbal or non-verbal response
6. Communication is Irreversible
- the moment you utter the words to convey your message already creates an impact to
listeners.
7. Communication is Contextual
- idea exchanges between the sender and the receiver involves communication setting like time,
occasion, purpose or manner of communication.
8. Communication is Progressive
- communication is a process you learn from birth and continues to evolve as time passes by.
9. Communication is a Process
- several stages of communication take place when people convey and exchange ideas with
one another.
10. Communication is Ethical
- expected to follow rules, values, and beliefs agreed upon by members of society
11. Communication is Influenced by technology and media
- characterized by the instant, real-time exchange of knowledge, messages, and services.
- the rapid speed of communication influences how people construct their messages and what
platform the use to send their messages.
Why we need to study Oral Communication
 - mandatory to the success of a person academically, professionally, and in their personal
lives
- poor listening skills lead to people being unable to absorb and understand instructions
- being able to articulate your ideas and opinions adds value to one’s self
- can also contribute to personal fulfillment

Glossary
• Communicare - to join, share, receive or divide with/out
• Contextual - Depending on or relating to circumstances that form a setting for an event, idea of
statement to clarify a meaning
• Ethical - Pertaining to morals; To what is right and wrong; conforms to imposed standards or
rules and regulations
• Process - A series of steps or activities that leads to a result
• Progressive - Continuous improvement
• Schemata - A mental framework of preconceived ideas that are based on experiences and
interactions which shape how the world is seen and understood
• Scrutinize - To examine, inspect thoroughly

Week 2: Kinds of Communication

Non-Verbal Communication
- transmits messages without relying on language or speech.
- uses audio signals or visual signals to communicate a message.
1. Kinesics
- the language of the body
 - body movements and facial expressions add visuals
2. Proxemics
- the language of space
- distance and space is used
- determined by observing the distance they maintain from each other
3. Haptics
- the language of touch
- reveals feelings and culture
4. Chronemics
- the language of time
- shows the interrelatedness of time and communication
- time perception plays a large role in the nonverbal communication process
5. Appearance
- the language of looks-appearance
- how you look reflects not only to you as a person but also to an institution or your social
group
6. Artifacts
- the language of objects
7. Paralanguage
- various nonverbal cues we can hear in our voice:
a. Vocal Quality - how pleasant or unpleasant a person’s voice sounds
b. Pitch - lowness or highness of tone
c. Tempo - how fast or slow
d. Volume - how loud or soft
e. Junctures - breaks or pauses applied at the end

Verbal Communication
- uses written or spoken language
Five Basic Features of Human Language:
1. Phonology
- the system of sound in language
- how sound is organized and structured to convey meaning
2. Semantics
- meaning of words, phrases, and sentences
3. Morphology
- the formation of words
- words can be divided into two categories: content words and function words
4. Syntax
- how words are put together
5. Pragmatics
- how language is used