ST. ISIDORE ACADEMY OF TRINIDAD BOHOL, INC.

6324 Poblacion, Trinidad Bohol

Member: Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP)
Bohol Association of Catholic School (BACS)

ADAPTIVE TEACHING GUIDE IN ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT - 11

MET # Effective Communication Skills

Lesson # Strategies to Avoid Communication Breakdown
Prerequisite Content-knowledge:
a. Identify the nature and elements of communication.
b. Recollect concepts on Communication Arts and World Literature for Grade 10.

Prerequisite Skill:
a. Employ the elements of speech delivery in various contexts appropriately.

Prerequisites Assessment:
The following reflection questions are to be considered in leading the students to the key concepts of the topic. The said questions may be
elaborated based on the students’ responses, and items that may aid them into understanding the lesson.
Reflection Questions:
1. What factors should be considered to get engaged in effective oral communication practices?
2. Why is it necessary to demonstrate sensitivity to the sociocultural aspect of communication scenarios?
After providing the Reflection Questions, check students’ learning by letting students accomplish the pre-lesson remediation. Read the
categories for appropriate action.

Pre-lesson Remediation Activity:

The following categories are to be considered for appropriate measures to be accomplished.
1. For Students with Insufficient Level on Prerequisite Content-knowledge and/or Skill(s): Readings and explanations on effective
communication skills, focusing on strategies to avoid communication breakdown
2. For Students with Fairly Sufficient Level on Prerequisite Content-knowledge and/or Skill(s): Additional reading materials on effective
communication skills, and samples of strategies demonstrated in other sample dialogues to avoid communication breakdown
Introduction:
In this section, effective communication shall be well-defined and explained. Expectation among learners should be clarified, according to these
features.
1. The student is expected to finish lesson 1 in 1 week or five (5) hours and may extend depending on the need/s that may arise. The student
may contact the teacher via email or Learning Management System (LMS) if online, through text messaging or calls, through written feedback
indicated in the module or learning material, or scheduled face-to-face interaction while having consultation.

2. The student is expected to gain these from learning the topic/lesson:

Remember: what effective communication skill is, strategies to use to avoid communication breakdown
Understand: explanation of strategies that are applicable in a particular situation or linguistic circumstance
Apply: utilization of the concepts of effective communication skills focusing on avoiding communication breakdown in familiar situations

3. Context where the student is going to apply his/learning (In what PAA/EFAA and personal use?)
a. Situational analysis as indicated in the enabling assessment activities
b. Day-to-day conversations or linguistic encounters

4. Overview of the Lesson:

The subject focuses on the design and the performance of effective controlled and uncontrolled oral communication activities based on context.
Specifically, the Lesson permits effective communication skills to be better understood to avoid communication breakdown when
communicating. This lesson shall be used as a springboard in studying and understanding the next lessons, and shall not be lost as it serves as
the basic concept and rationale of other continuing and developing lessons.
After accomplishing the Overview of the Lesson, prepare the learners for the topic. Explain that this topic is the introductory part of the first
content of this subject which will eventually lead to the accomplishment of their EAA or PAA.

Student’s Experiential Learning: (Note: Use the Flexible Learning Activity Identified for the topic/lesson relative to the General Enabling
Teaching Strategy)
Examine dialogues via annotation.
To determine how effective communication transpires or is conducted, exhibited or even maximized, the nature and elements that contribute to
effective communication should be well-understood.
The question shall be raised to see its relationship to the point of the lesson.

Day 1: Nature and Elements of Communication

Formative Question: What considerations should be accounted for for effective communication to occur?
After accomplishing this Formative Question, prepare students to go over and study the key concepts to better understand the nature and
elements of communication, and later, accomplish the task prepared for them for the total understanding of the topic, and the reinforcement of
their skill. Ask them to read their notes below to validate their answers.
Flexible Learning Strategy: Recognize nature and elements of communication evident in short conversation clips (online), or image strips
(offline).
Learning Competencies
a. Explains why there is a breakdown of communication.
b. Uses various strategies in order to avoid communication breakdown.
c. Demonstrates sensitivity to the socio-cultural dimension of communication situation with focus on culture and gender.

1. COMMUNICATION DEFINITION
The English term 'Communication' has evolved from Latin language. 'Communis and communicare' are two Latin words related to the word
communication. Communis is a noun word, which means common, communiality or sharing. Similarly, communicare is a verb, which means
'make something common'.
Communication refers to the transmission of information (a ‘message’) between a source and receivers are interpreted in human terms, the
system involved is a language, and the notion of response to the message becomes of crucial importance. In theory, communication is said to
have taken place if the information received is the same as the sent.

COMMUNICATION PROCESS
 The sender converts his or her thoughts into signals such as words (usually using mouth).
 The sender sends the signals (speaks) through a channel (such as air).
 As the signals are sent through a channel, there is some noise (anything that reduces the quality of the signals such as when words
cannot be heard clearly).
 The receiver hears the signals using the ears.
 The receiver converts the signals into thoughts.
 The receiver sends feedback by becoming the sender.

2. PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

 Be clear with your purpose. You should know by heart your objective in communicating.
 Be complete with the message. Make sure that your claims are supported by facts and essential information.
 Be concise. You don’t need to be verbose or wordy with your statements.
 Be natural with your delivery. Punctuate important words with the appropriate gestures and movements. Exude a certain degree of
confidence even if you do not feel confident enough.
 Be insightful. Inputs are helpful when provided on time.

3. 7 Cs of EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Clear, Concise, Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete, Courteous)

4. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Perhaps the most important aspect of being competent at communication is the social aspect–relating well with people through words and even
actions.
Be more sensitive in communicating with people from a different cultural background. What may be acceptable in one culture may be impolite or
offensive in other cultures. For example, the use of sir and ma’am in addressing a colleague is considered polite in Filipino culture but awkward
even when addressing your boss in countries like the United States of America and Canada.
To put students’ understanding into practice, let students accomplish the Quick-Think activity by recognizing the nature and elements of
communication in short conversation clips (to be done for online modality), or image strips (to be done for offline modality).
Flexible Learning Strategy: Recognize nature and elements of communication evident in short conversation clips (online), or image strips
(offline).
Now that students have accomplished their flexible learning activity, it is expected that they have an increased understanding of the nature and
elements of communication. So, using these concepts, it is expected for them to find out what causes communication breakdown, including the
sources that initialize them.

Day 2: Causes and Sources of Communication Breakdown

Try letting students answer this question to guide them in this day’s objective. Later, let them revisit the same question to confirm or disconfirm
their ideas.
Formative Question: What affects effective communication?
After letting them answer this question, note the:
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS-REASONS FOR COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
(Source: https://www.managementstudyguide.com/communication_barriers.htm)

Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and passes it through some channel to the receiver who
decodes the message. Communication is fruitful if and only if the messages sent by the sender are interpreted with the same meaning by the
receiver. If any kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be destroyed. Due to such disturbances, managers in
an organization face severe problems. Thus, the managers must locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them.
There are several barriers that affect the flow of communication in an organization. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the
sender to the receiver, thus making communication ineffective. It is essential for managers to overcome these barriers. The main barriers of
communication are summarized below.
Following are the main communication barriers:
1. Perceptual and Language Differences: Perception is generally how each individual interprets the world around him. All generally want to
receive messages which are significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not accepted. The same event may be taken
differently by different individuals. For example: A person is on leave for a month due to personal reasons (family member being critical). The
HR Manager might be in confusion whether to retain that employee or not, the immediate manager might think of replacement because his
team's productivity is being hampered, the family members might take him as an emotional support.
The linguistic differences also lead to communication breakdown. Same word may mean different things to different individuals. For example:
consider the word “value”.
 What is the value of this Laptop?
 What is the value of our relationship?
 What is the value of learning technical skills?

2. “Value” means different in different sentences. Communication breakdown occurs if there is wrong perception by the receiver. Information
Overload: Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to control this information flow else the information is likely to be
misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result, communication is less effective.

3. Inattention: At times we just not listen, but only hear. For example a traveler may pay attention to one “NO PARKING” sign, but if such a sign
is put all over the city, he no longer listens to it. Thus, repetitive messages should be ignored for effective communication. Similarly if a superior
is engrossed in his paperwork and his subordinate explains his problem, the superior may not get what he is saying and it leads to
disappointment from the subordinate.

4. Time Pressures: Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified time period, the failure of which has adverse
consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines, the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i.e., not
completely transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective communication.

5. Distraction/Noise: Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions. Physical distractions are also there such as, poor lighting,
uncomfortable sitting, and unhygienic room also affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loudspeakers interferes with
communication.

6. Emotions: Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the receiver feels that the communicator is angry he
interprets that the information being sent is very bad. While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that case the
message is interpreted to be good and interesting).

7. Complexity in Organizational Structure: Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i.e. more the number of managerial levels), more is the
chances of communication getting destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at low level just have
knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other areas.

8. Poor retention: Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One cant always retain what is being told specially if he is not interested or not
attentive. This leads to communication breakdown.

Flexible Learning Strategy: Determine factors that cause communication breakdown.

At this point, the students are now ready to go back to the question shared earlier to confirm or disconfirm their thoughts.
From the previous discussion, it was mentioned that there are eight (8) main communication barriers: perceptual and language differences,
value, inattention, time pressure, distraction/noise, emotions, complexity in organizational structure, and poor retention. In this day’s lesson, you
are to realize that all these may be avoided through strategies that would allow us to catch up, sustain or appropriately terminate
communication. Let students find out how these strategies may be fully maximized.

Day 3: Strategies to Avoid Communication Breakdown

To gear students up, ask this question to the students:
Formative Question: How can communication breakdown be avoided?
After answering this question, students are prepared to determine how these breakdowns or barriers should be handled, controlled, regulated,
or even avoided. Students should get to know more about strategies that would allow every communicator converse or interact effectively
without having to worry of barriers or breakdowns. Besides the ones indicated at the beginning of this lesson, here are more tips that learners
can check on or visit to better assist them in fully comprehending what strategies are deemed appropriate for communication breakdowns or
barriers.
Source: https://graybox.co/knowledge/blog/5-tips-to-correct-your-communication-breakdown
Here are 5 tips to correct communication breakdowns when people are in the middle of them.
1. Own your mistakes. Nothing makes things worse like blame-shifting. If you communicate poorly, own it. If you misunderstood someone, let
them and everyone affected know. This does wonders to correct problems, and sometimes resolves communication breakdowns immediately.
2. Slow down. Probably the most popular response to communication breakdowns is rushing to resolve everything as fast as possible. What
needs to happen is a noticeable shift in pace towards moving more slowly. People aren't inclined to think something is important when we want
to rush it, it's when we slow down that everyone understands something is important enough to take time to figure out.
3. Focus on unity. Do everything possible to make sure people are coming together and not straying apart. Communication breakdowns will
tend to divide and destroy, and just by getting everyone involved in the same room, on the same page, focused on the same results will have a
correcting effect on many problems.
4. Win people, not arguments. Usually, a few key people are to blame for a communication breakdown. Make it clear that beating them up is not
the goal. Winning them is. If the person to blame is a staff person, winning them keeps them on the team. If it's a client, winning them keeps
their trust and their business. If you win the argument to prove who's wrong and you lose a person, you just lose. This is the worst case scenario
for a communication breakdown, and most of the time it does not need to happen.
5. Be patient. Communication breakdowns are frustrating, and leading out of them is hard. Without patience, it only gets worse. If you don't
believe me, just give it a try without patience. A lack of patience is usually what created the mess, so unless it gets added to the mix it will only
get worse. Students are, then, led to unearth the strategies that they may use or apply in day-to-day conversations. These direct them to the
point of this day’s coverage on the consideration of how one can avoid communication breakdown through various strategies.
Flexible Learning Strategy: Consider how one can avoid communication breakdown through various strategies.
The next day, students are expected to examine dialogues via annotation. These dialogues are purposefully selected for them to apply the
concepts that they have previously learned. Check the task below as students reach the conclusion of the first lesson.
Flexible Learning Strategy: Consider how one can avoid communication breakdown through various strategies.

Day 4: Examine dialogues via annotation. (This task leads to the accomplishment of the EAA or PAA).
1.
2. Sample Situations

Let students notice how these have been presented. Now, go back to the concepts of effective communication, barriers of communication, and
strategies to avoid communication breakdown to better provide an avenue for sharing of observations on the images and dialogues above. This
will be a practice task for their PAA or EAA next week, after the next lesson.
As students enter the last day of this lesson, let them understand how the subtopics contribute to the total understanding of the main topic.

Day 5: Conclusion of Lesson 1 in Preparation to Lesson 2 (where PAA/EAA is accomplished)

As students reach the conclusion or ending of this topic, they should be reminded about the nature and elements of communication that they
have to consider to be contributory to effective communication. For retention, ask them to answer the question below.
Ask students to re-read the previous materials for the reinforcement of knowledge, skills, and attitude. Using the questions below, let students
share and synthesize the key concepts in this lesson.
Formative Question: What may be culled out of the strategies to avoid barriers of communication?
Flexible Learning Strategy: Socratic Method
Synthesis
a. The students see the value of:
1. effective communication skills
2. avoiding communication breakdowns through strategies
b. The students accomplish the tasks successfully, and queries are responded to accordingly.

RUA of a Student’s Learning:

The student finds out what effective communication skill is. Specifically, it details strategies to be used to avoid communication breakdown.
Explanation of strategies for certain linguistic situations to be applied in familiar contexts is to be emphasized.
Remember: what effective communication skill is, strategies to use to avoid communication breakdown
Understand: explanation of strategies that are applicable in a particular situation or linguistic circumstance
Apply: utilization of the concepts of effective communication skills focusing on avoiding communication breakdown in familiar situations

Post-lesson Remediation Activity: Reinforce skills acquired and learned during the entire course of the lesson.

Prepared by: Checked by:

MS. MARGARETTE Q. BENTULAN MRS. EULALIA R. BAID

Subject Teacher Academic Coordinator
Approved by:

SR. MA. JOSEPHINE A. OBTENCIA, DST.

School Principal