PURPOSIVE

COMMUNICATION
THE RISE OF NEW MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY – AIDS IN
COMMUNICATION
• Social media has undoubtedly altered the world operates.
• SOCIAL MEDIA – is internet based formed of communication by using applications.
• There are minor social media platforms available since the 90’s.
• The social media that we know today – the one with millions of active and interactive
users – started with MySpace in 2004, when it reached a million active users.
• MySpace – like a Facebook and it is first launched networking site.
• Some media platforms have been so popular that the number of users rise at such an
exponential rate.
• However, not all social media platforms last like:
- Hi5
- MySpace
- Friendster
• Interestingly, the social media platforms that survived did so because of their continuous
evolution and response to the needs and interests of its users.
• For example, Twitter used to disallow the uploading of videos or images, because of the
high demand and the stiff competition, this feature was allowed in 2011.
• The exponential rise in the use of social media can be partly attributed to the emergence
of technologies that enable modern communication (that is FAST, CONVENIENT,
INTERACTIVE communication)
• Available gadgets are: Computer, Laptops, and Smartphones
• SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS ON SOCIAL MEDIA USE:
- Here are a few interesting statistics on social media use. All data are extracted from
statista.com as of July 2020.
• GLOBAL DIGITAL POPULATION:
- Active internet users – 4.57 billion
- Unique mobile internet users – 4.17 billion
- Active social media users – 3.96 billion
- Active mobile social media users – 3.91 billion
• MOST POPULAR SOCIAL NETWORK WORLDWIDE, RANKED BY NUMBER
OF ACTIVE USERS:
1. Facebook – 2.6 billion
2. YouTube – 2.0 billion
3. WhatsApp – 2.0 billion
4. Facebook messenger – 1.3 billion
5. Weixin / WeChat – 1.2 billion
6. Instagram – 1.1 billion
7. TikTok - 800 million (as of this year the users of TikTok reached of a billion)
• MOST POPULAR SOCIAL NETWORKS WORLDWIDE, RANKED BY
REACHED / ACTIVE USAGE PENETRATION:
1. Facebook – 63%
2. YouTube – 61%
3. WhatsApp – 48%
4. Facebook messenger – 38%
5. Instagram – 36%
6. Twitter – 23%
7. Snapchat – 13%
• COUNTRIES WITH MOST NUMBER OF FACEBOOK USERS:
1. India – 290 million
2. United States – 190 million
3. Indonesia – 140 million
 4. Brazil – 130 million
5. Mexico – 89 million
6. Philippines – 76 million
7. Vietnam – 64 million
8. Thailand – 50 million
9. Egypt – 42 million
10. Bangladesh – 38 million
• REASONS IN USING SOCIAL MEDIA:
- To stay in touch with what friends are doing
- To study up-to-date with news and current events
- Filling up spare time
- General networking with other people
- Looking for entertaining content
- Sharing photos and videos
- Sharing one’s opinion
- Meeting new people

• “WE ALL HAVE A SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY”

• RULES:
- You are 100% responsible for everything that appears on your social media accounts
from your status updates and comments to pictures, videos, and links you share.
- You may not agree with everything or everyone you encounter on social media
networks, but treat each person with dignity and respect. The Golden Rule of treating
others how you want to be treated is a good practice. (“Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you.”)
- Do not turn to social media as a way to harass, demean, or bully someone else. Sitting
in front of a computer screen does not give you license to embarrass, intimidate, or
spread hurtful rumors about others.
- Regardless of your privacy settings, keep in mind that anything can possibly be seen
by anyone at any time, even by that person that you did not want to see it. Pause
before you post, think before you click.
 - Whether you're concerned with maintaining good friendships or future job prospects,
be responsible in what you post and how it could affect your reputation. Many
employers now check up on job candidates' social media accounts for evidence of bad
behavior.
• NEW MEDIA - refer to highly interactive digital technology. These are very easily
processed, stored, transformed, retrieved, hyper-linked, searched for, and accessed. It also
refers to any media that are delivered digitally.
• Generally, these can be classified as:
- Blogs
- Social media
- Online newspaper
- Virtual reality
- Computer games
- E-library
- E-books
• COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION (CMC) - Language in new media.
It may also be called any of the following:
- Netspeak
- Computer-mediated discourse
- Digital discourse
- Electronic discourse
- e-communication
- Digitally mediated communication
- Keyboard-to-screen communication
• The Internet is the largest area of language development we have seen in our
lifetimes. Crystal (2011) said that only two things are certain: it is not going to go away,
and it is going to get larger. Hence, we must be prepared for its inevitable expansion.
• Digital discourse illuminates social and cultural processes, which is under the domain of
sociocultural linguistics.
• The primary concern is not with abstract, grammatical linguistics, but rather the
everyday functions and uses of language.
• This type of discourse or computer-mediated communication can be described as:
- Vernacular
- Interpersonal
- Spontaneous
- Dialogical
• CMC IS VERNACULAR - which means it uses language that is common to people
regardless of age, social class, gender, or race. Examples are:
- Acronyms (Lol, yolo, fomo, bae)
- Initialisms (atm, rotfl, brb, btw, hbd, idk, jk, af, nvm, tmi, tldr, ftw, g!)
- Emoticons/ Emojis
- Expressive Punctuations (Hello? VS Hello?!? | No. VS No? VS No!!! | <3 ; </3 |
:-) ;) )
• MISSPELLINGS / RESPECLLINGS - Respelling is a resource whose use is subject to
a variety of factors, including users’ ‘techno literacy’, their considerations of audience
and purpose, and physical constraints of message production (for economy and text entry
reduction). Example like: ( cu, 2nyt, tom/2mrw, abt, y? )
• These increase insecurities in spelling, but also tolerance towards typographical
“errors”, which are reinterpreted as outcomes of speedy text production rather than
indices of lacking competence.
• CMC IS INTERPERSONAL - It is relationship-focused rather than subject-oriented.
This can be explained by the number of Group Chats (GCs) a person has, and the number
of individuals and GCs a person engages simultaneously.
• The interpersonal nature of CMC is characterized by the following:
- Turn-taking
- Topic development
- Back-channels
- Repairs
• CMC IS SPONTANEOUS - It is usually unplanned, unstructured, and sometimes
impulsive. This spontaneity also gave rise to Net Neologisms through Lexical Creativity,
 such as the use of “b4n” and “f2f”, or such terms as trolls, meme, hashtag, and meh.
These can be described as mediatized stylization and popular representation.
• CMC IS DIALOGICAL - It carries expectation of continuous exchange. This is why
most media platforms have a “Reply” or “Comment” option, while some have a “Leave a
comment” button, to ensure continuous interaction.
• The English language in the New Media is:
- Brief
- Multimodal
- Ideological
• BREVITY - is shortness in duration and/or conciseness of expression in a speech or a
written text.
• WATTPAD - is relatively popular reading platform for the youth.
- This means that most readers of Wattpad (the youth, generally) can accommodate less
than 1,000 words per chapter. That’s around four (4) pages or less of bond paper.
Anything beyond that is considered very long already by most young readers.
• MULTIMODALITY - refers to the layering of different digital media. We all know that
words are only ever part of the picture. All texts, all communicative events, are always
achieved by means of multiple semiotic resources, even text-based new media like
instant- and text-messaging
• IDEOLOGICALLLY – MOTIVATED - New media is inherently ideological,
especially in terms of their political-economies of access and control.
- They are used to control people, and they are used to resist control. This is quite
apparent, most especially through the symbolic power of the news and broadcast
media.
- Language use is not simply a way of communicating, but a powerful resource for
representing (or manipulating) its users, especially the young people – so-called
“digital natives”. None of this is especially new; every generation likes to “complain”
about the next generation’s communication practices.
- This is an important context in which language can be seen taking place in and around
new media, and how it continues to evolve with every new technological revolution
taking place.
• COMMUNICATION PLANNING - The communication planning process involves
defining the types of information you will deliver, who are the intended recipients of that
information, the format for communicating it, and the timing of its release and
distribution.
• The key goal is to make sure everybody gets the right message at the right time. It serves
various purposes:
- To inform
- To persuade
- To prevent misunderstanding
- To present a point of view or reduce barriers
• STEPS IN COMMUNICATION PLANNING:
1. Research and analyze current situation.
2. Establish goals and objectives (short and long term).
3. Identify the target audience (what they know, what influences them, communication
impediments, etc.).
4. Conceptualize on key messages.
5. Strategize on communication styles and platform(s).
6. Evaluate and anticipate.
• COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES IN TECH-BASED COMMUNICATION
- Modern technology did not only usher in new forms of language used in new media,
but also paved the way on how communication takes place and how messages are
presented. Part of communication planning is deciding on the platform in which the
message will be presented. In some cases, the use of technology will do wonders for
your presentation.
- Examples like: Visme, ZOHO, Prezi, POWTOON
- Multimedia presentations often always require the use of technology, and these, when
used properly, can do wonders for your presentation. They are visually-oriented and
allow multimodality and the use of such features as text, graphics, photos, audio,
animations, and video.
- There are a wide array of presentation software and tools to choose from, some of
which are free and very user-friendly, that is, you do not need training to be able to
utilize the software and maximize its features. Regardless of the software or
technological tool that you use, there are a few factors that you need to bear in mind
in using technology as an aid to communication:

1. Keep it simple. Avoiding including too much information in a graphic or in one

slide. The message should be immediate and clear. By keeping the visual material
simple, you also maintain maximum personal contact with your audience.
2. Emphasize only on key ideas. When you call attention to ideas with a graphic
presentation, make sure the graphic clearly illustrates your essential points and the
important supporting data.
3. Show what you can’t say. The best use of visual media is to reveal material you
can’t easily describe orally or with written text. Graphics, photos, charts, and
illustrations can accomplish this objective.
4. Keep the number of images you present manageable. Too many images will
tire your audience (so will too much text). Eight to ten images should be the
maximum number for most presentations.
5. Combine variety with coherence. If you use several images, vary the design to
make them interesting, but keep them aesthetically consistent.
6. Use large lettering. Use large text font sizes with minimal use of serifs so the
audience can read the text easily. In addition, do not flood your presentation with
text.
COMMUNICATION FOR WORK PURPOSES
• Your activity in the company or organization that you will be part of in the future
involves a lot of oral communication.
• Communication plays a vital role in uniting the employees, as well as achieving the
society’s objectives.
• WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
- It is the process of exchanging information and ideas, both verbal and non-verbal,
within an organization.
• ORAL COMMUNICATION
- It is the exchange of information and ideas through spoken word.
- It can be directly in person in a face-to-face interaction or through an electronic
device such as a phone or radio.
- Oral communication is important for learning and understanding those in your
environment.
- Good communication skill is important because it helps you and your company meet
desired goals for personal and business productivity.
- Everybody in business needs oral communication skill to communicate details of
information, discuss strategies, map out plans, close business agreements, work in
teams, and deal with managers, employees, business partners, guests or clients.
- To improve yourself, you also need communication skill to help you initiate personal
plans, lead project undertakings, and solve pressing problems.
- Executives and managers need good communication skills to demonstrate effective
leadership, efficient transaction, quality performance, and excellent productivity.
• PRESSING CHALLENGES IN WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
- Communication has always been essential in any business’ growth and development.
- Poor communication skills create business problems.
- Team communication issues and problems among people at work.
✓ losing trust with others,
✓ poor cooperation among team members
✓ the disapproval or disrespect
✓ from colleagues or immediate superior.
• COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES
- The terms refer to the problem when the manager does not provide feedback or
coaching.
- If there is no feedback, it means there is no communication.
- To avoid or solve the issue, Branham suggested:
✓ improving coaching and feedback especially among the new recruits;
✓ setting up mentoring programs with experienced employees; and
✓ requiring managers to provide feedback.
• TOP COMMUNICATION ISSUES
1. Failure to Listen.
- Ineffective listening is a big problem in communication. Good communication fails
when one doesn’t pay much attention or plan what to say before one ends his
statement.
2. Culture Differences.
- The diversity of backgrounds and cultural customs create communication issues
among team members and leaders.
3. Locale or Distance to Office.
- The office location or its distance to its employees or contributors entails problem in
the communication.
4. Ego and Attitude.
- Self-image or ego often affects team’s effort to execute plans.
5. Authority or Hierarchy Problems.
- The authority that the team leader or manger demonstrates more often creates
intimidation or gap with team members.
6. Poorly Written Communication.
- Poor content of written documents, substandard organization, fractured grammar,
among other flaws in written interoffice materials.
7. Gender Bias.
- The choice of which gender makes a more effective leader in the department is an
issue of gender bias.
 8. Focus or Listening Problems.
- Inability of employees to focus on the issue is equivalent to listening problems.
9. Inadequate Knowledge.
- Little knowledge is dangerous.
10. Cliques, Groups and Friendships.
- Group membership or group affiliation or exclusive grouping of team members can
sometimes create segregation.
• PREPARING THE COVER / APPLICATION LETTER
- Before you land in any job, one of the first steps that you have to do is prepare a
cover or application letter.
- A cover letter is extremely important as your resumé or curriculum vitae (CV).
- A letter of application, also known as a cover letter, is a document sent with your
resume to provide additional information on your skills and experience.
- A letter of application typically provides detailed information on why are you are
qualified for the job you are applying for.
- Effective application letters explain the reasons for your interest in the specific
organization and identify your most relevant skills or experiences.
- The purpose of the cover letter is to persuade your reader to consider reading your
resumé.
- This contains little information of the job which you are applying, as well as your
strongest qualities and qualifications.
- A job application letter or a cover letter is like a sales letter in which you sell your
knowledge and competence.
- Your final goal is to get an interview.
- When you are writing the application letter, bear in mind to achieve the four
important tasks:
✓ Catch the reader’s attention purposively.
✓ Tailor it to the company, to the employer, and to the job.
✓ Persuade the reader that you are a qualified applicant for the job.
✓ Request an interview.
 - After writing the application letter, use the checklist below to make sure your letter
has already met the needed information.
✓ The title of the job, source of your information and the statement of your
objective have to be clear.
✓ There should be a summary of your qualification for the job. This includes
work experience, educational background, and summary of relevant skills
such as leadership skills, organizational skills, and intercultural
communication skills.
✓ Indicate that you enclosed your CV or resumé.
✓ Request for an interview. This includes place and time you will be available
and the contact information such as phone numbers and email addresses.
✓ Identify the job. Include any information that is not included in your CV or
resumé.
- Before submitting your application letter, proofread it carefully. Free it from
grammatical mistakes and organizational inconsistencies. Check also for correct
punctuations, margins, spacing, and right letter format.
- General guidelines for the overall structure of your cover letter:
✓ Format your cover letter for post, mail or email. It should consist of one page
only.
✓ Include your complete address, email address, phone numbers.
✓ Use the title of the person when you address him/her in the letter. If you can’t
find a name, write ‘Dear Sir/ Madamme.
✓ Use standard, easy-to-read font. Make it readable. Times New Roman or Arial
is preferred; it should be no smaller than 11 for readability on screen.
• THE CONTENT OF THE COVER LETTER
1. The Introductory Paragraph.
- Your first paragraph must be very convincing.
- It tells your reader that you are the best person for the job.
- It also emphasizes that you have the set of skills and experience that make you the
ideal candidate for the post.
 2. The Main Section.
- The main section of your cover letter should show the summary of your qualification,
organized around the job description and person specification.
- Describe in this section what you have accomplished, your expertise, and your special
skills needed for the job.
3. The Closing Paragraph.
- Your closing paragraph should be written concisely and neatly. It should make clear
what action the reader will be taking after reading your cover letter. But don’t sound
arrogant.
- For a letter, end it with “Yours sincerely” if you have addressed it to someone by
name, and “Yours faithfully” if you started it with “Dear Sir/Madam”.

PREPARING THE COVER / APPLICATION LETTER

- A cover letter is extremely important as your resumé or curriculum vitae (CV).
- The purpose of the cover letter is to persuade your reader to consider reading your
resumé.
- This contains little information of the job which you are applying. as well as your
strongest qualities and qualifications.
• JOB APPLICATION LETTER
- Or a cover letter is like a sales letter in which you sell your knowledge and
competence.
- It is the most essential part of the application as this is far more than just a note saying
'Please find enclosed my CV'.
- This is the part of your application that really sells you to your potential employer.
Without a good cover letter, your résumé is unlikely to be read.
• IT’S IMPORTANT TO ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING TASKS:
- Catch the reader's attention purposively
- Tailor it to the company, to the employer, and to the job
- Persuade the reader that you are a qualified applicant for the job. request an interview
• CHECKLISTS THE NEEDED INFORMATION
✓ The title of the job, source of your information and the statement of your
objective have to be clear.
✓ There should be a summary of your qualification for the job (work experience,
educational background, and summary of relevant skills such as leadership skills,
skills, organizational skills, and intercultural communication skills)
✓ Indicate that you enclosed your CV or resumé.
✓ Request for an interview. This includes place and time you will be available and
the contact information such as phone numbers and email addresses.
✓ Identify the job. Include any information that is not included in your CV or
resumé.
• GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE OVERALL STRUCTURE OF YOUR
COVER LETTER
- Format your cover letter for post, mail or email. It should consist of one page only.
- Include your complete address, email address, phone numbers.
- Use the tile of the person when you address him/her in the letter. If you can't find a
name, write 'Dear Sir/ Madamme.'
- Use standard, easy-to-read font. Make it readable. Times New Roman or Arial is
preferred; it should be no smaller than 11 for readability on screen.
• THE CONTENT OF THE COVER LETTER
1. THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
- First paragraph; must be very convincing
- Tells your reader that you are the best person for the job
- Emphasizes that you have the set of skills and experience that make you the ideal
candidate for the post.
2. THE MAIN SECTION
- Should show the summary of your qualification, organized around the job description
and person specification
- Describe what you have accomplished, your expertise, and your special skills needed
for the job.
 - Present how you performed your duty and demonstrated the requirement of your
previous job
- Specific work of action and its effective results should also be indicated to show that
you did it successfully. In short, you have to show the clear description of the
situation and more on
- What you did as proof of results or outcomes. Can be structured to show the sub-
section or sub-headings. The sub- section guides the human resource manager how
each requirement is met.
- You may want to structure the main section of your cover letter into sub-sections,
with headings, to make it easier for the recruiter to see how you meet each
requirement.
3. THE CLOSING PARAGRAPH
- Should be written concisely and neatly
- It should make clear what action the reader will be taking after reading your cover
letter. But don't sound arrogant.
• DESIGNING THE CURRICULUM VITAE
- Your CV or resumé describes your education, competence, and experience. It defines
what kind of applicant you are for the job. It determines if you are the right person for
the job.
• BASIC RULES OF CV WRITING
❖ WRITE WITH THE RECRUITER OR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER
IN MIND.
- Assume that you are the recruiter. Think about what he needs to know about you.
Consider the job description.
❖ PRESENT YOUR CV OR RESUMÉ TO INFORM
- Them well about what they need to know. Show it in a way that it reveals very
professional and credible information.
❖ AWELL-WRITTEN CV OR RESUMÉ LIMITS THE CHANCE OF NOT
SELECTING YOU.
- It easily puts you in the shortlist.
 ❖ CV OR RESUMÉS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
NEEDED IN JOB SCREENING.
- They provide the highlights of your qualifications, work experiences, competence,
professional and educational history.
❖ IN SOME ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS. THE CV OR RESUMÉ IS THE
STANDARD FOR JOB APPLICATIONS
- The objective of both CV and resumé remain. However, the appearance of the
document is noticeably different.
• RESUME VS CURRICULUM VITAE
- The Length
- The Purpose
- The Layout
• GUIDELINE IN CREATING RESUME AND CV
❖ IN RESUME
- Brief summary of skills over one or two pages
- Short with no particular format rule and highly customizable
- The goal is to make an individual stand out from the competition.
- Does not have to be ordered chronologically; it does not have to cover the whole
career.
- Contains three simple sections: name and contact information, education, and work
experience
❖ IN CV
- Is more detailed and can be more than two pages
- Covers your entire career history.
- Has a clear chronological order listing the whole career of the individual.
- In writing your CV, you have to consider the following information:
✓ Areas of interest.
✓ Education.
✓ Grants, honors and awards
✓ Publications and presentations.
✓ Employment and experience.
 ✓ Academic memberships.
✓ Character references.
- Include your contact details at the top.
- Decide whether you want to start with a personal statement or career objective.
- Include sections on Key Skills, Knowledge and Achievements, Work Experience, and
Education.
- When discussing achievements, focus on what you have actually done and the end
result achieved.
- Include everything relevant in the 'Work Experience' and "Education' sections.
- Make sure that your spelling and grammar are all correct.
- Work on your presentation.
• CV MISTAKES AND PITFALLS TO AVOID
- Do not be tempted to lie just to 'look good'.
- Avoid leaving gaps in your career history.
- Do not start your CV with the dull bits.
- Do not include your hobbies and interests.
- Don't make your CV too long.
- Do not use an unprofessional email address.
• ONLINE INTERVIEWS
- Online interviews require technology which has become mainstream in business.
- The use of computers and other gadgets makes communication between the
interviewer and candidates simple and effective.
- Job hunters find online interview easy at the comfort of their home. It is time-saving
and less stressful.
- Online job interviews may vary depending on the company where one is applying.
- Familiarity of these types of line job interviews may help job seekers achieve their
goal of landing a desired job.
- One of the most typical online interviews is the webcam job interview. In this
interview, the interviewer will simply arrange the interview through video.
- Webcam interview requires a camera, which is very convenient nowadays, as most of
the laptops have built-in webcams.
• POPULAR VIDEO CONFERENCING APPLICATIONS
- Skype
- Zoom Cloud
- Google Meet
• TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL ONLINE INTERVIEWS
✓ Download the software required by the company ahead of time so that you’ll have
the opportunity to get used to it.
✓ Create a professional username, such as a variation on your real name, as it
appears on your resume, if it’s available.
✓ Dress professionally even if you are sitting down. Wear nice pants and shoes, as
you never know when you will have to stand up. Plus, dressing the part will help
you get your head in the game.
✓ Clear your workspace and any clutter that is behind you so that it doesn't show up
on the screen. You don’t want your interviewer to be distracted by visual noise in
the room or to assume that your disorganized space is a sign of how you’d
perform as a worker.
✓ Make sure that you are in a quiet room where you will not be disturbed by people,
pets, etc.
✓ Turn off your ringer, any alarms, and electronics that are likely to interrupt.
✓ Have a piece of paper and a pen ready so that you are not scrambling to find them
later.
✓ Have a copy of your resume in your sightline in case you have to refer to dates,
job titles, or numbers.
✓ Smile and focus as much as possible and try to behave as if you’re in a regular, in-
person interview. Look into the camera, listen attentively, and engage with your
interviewer. Don’t just wait for your turn to speak.
✓ Practice using your webcam equipment before the interview, so you
• PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL MEETINGS
- Business meetings and contract deals have been eased by the use of computers and
smart phones.
- More often, these meeting are now conducted virtually.
 - Workmates can meet over telephone conference using cellphone features and state-of-
the-art software applications, which are commonly known now as Apps.
- Businessmen, investors, entrepreneurs, sales agents and clients can do more business
transactions over video conferencing. However, there are some business enterprises
that still use face to face meetings because they believe they are still effective.
• VIRTUAL MEETING AND ITS BENEFITS
- Virtual meetings can be done using technological innovations like computers and
software applications.
- The meeting can be held over the phone or computer using virtual meeting software
like Google Meet, Zoom Cloud, and Skype.
- With these applications, virtual meetings can be done any time, hence the distance is
no longer a problem.
- Virtual meetings save time and energy.
- Virtual meetings are also inexpensive.
- Everybody only needs a computer, laptop, or smart phone, a good internet
connection, and a professional virtual meeting software.
- A good environment adds favor to effective meeting.
• FACE TO FACE MEETING AND ITS BENEFITS
- Face to face meetings are the usual meetings that are conducted by people in the same
venue and in person.
- The place can be in the office, at a restaurant, a conference room, or at the coffee
shop.
- Meeting people face to face is freer than it is held online.
- People can express their thoughts and feelings using their body language, hand
gestures, and facial expressions. Hence, they can communicate better and
misunderstandings are less likely to happen.
- When meeting face to face, people have to be at the particular venue at the given
time.
- They will be attending the meeting and nobody should waste their time.
- All should observe professionalism and should not be distracted by other things like
phone calls, messages, or other personal or family concerns.
 - They must observe discipline and keep a serious environment to be able to give the
best for the meeting.
- Feedback is an important aspect of face-to-face meeting. Getting feedback from the
attendees provides input in the development of something that requires cooperation
and teamwork.
- Face to face is the best for brainstorming and planning.
- It can establish stronger relationship and create better teamwork; people can
understand each other very well.
• FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION (BY RONEL M. SAPUNGAN)
- In in its instructional manual, IT & Business Process Association Philippines (IBAP)
presents two definitions of face-to-face communication:
✓ Face-to-face communication is the exchanging of information, thoughts, and
feelings between the sender and the recipient.
✓ Face-to-face communication takes place during one-on-one discussions,
informal groups, meetings, and more.
- IBPAP quoted Thill and Bovee’s definition stating that "face to face communication
is the richest medium because it is personal, it provides immediate feedback, it
transmits information from both verbal and non-verbal case, and it conveys the
emotion behind the message."
• FACE-TO-FACE EXPERIENCE
- Because face-to-face communication is the richest medium, it offers better
understanding of the meaning of information.
- It also develops the confidence you need to convey the message during one-on-one
discussions, informal meetings, and many more.
- You can easily provide feedback because face-to-face communication involves the
elements of effective communication such as the spoken words, tone of voice, and
body language.
- The idea has been validated by the research conducted by Emeritus Albert Mehrabian,
a UCLA psychology Professor who revealed the following findings: That when we
converse;
 ✓ 7% of meaning is conveyed through the spoken words;
✓ 38% of communication is credited to how one speaks like tone of voice;
✓ 55% of communication occurs through facial expression.
- Thus, face-to-face communication is highly recommended as vital medium of
communication in business because oral communication is enriched by non-verbal
communication.
- Effective communicators in the organization or department have to know the
elements of good face-to-face communication.
- They also have to consider the face-to-face communication in the digital age.
• FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
- The way communicate at work has changed dramatically in this modern-day digital
era.
- Though digital communication and telecommuting have limitations, it still offers rich
advantages for the company and its people.
- Like many other soft skills, digital communication and telecommuting can’t be
underestimated in organizations.
- Large or multinational companies have now invested on communication facilities for
more efficient business outcomes.
- Megan Baker and Jelena Milutinovic of the Australian Institute of Business suggest
the top benefits of face-to-face communication, and scenarios where digital should be
the last choice:
❖ Stronger working relationships.
- Your presence at the workplace signifies your interest and cooperation with
your fellow employees. The more familiarity and exposure you have with
your co-workers ensure better interaction. It establishes trust among
yourselves and better working relationship. You also promote a sense
community or belongingness. However, in your absence, you can choose
email or teleconferencing to communicate. Phone calls or video calls will
keep the connection stronger.
❖ Perception of thoughts and feelings.
- Through face-to-face communication you will be able to express exactly
your personal thoughts and feelings. Non-verbal cues or body language are
equally important as the words you say. Effectiveness of hand gestures and
facial expressions can easily reinforce the message you wish to convey.
Everything from non-verbal communication contributes to your attentiveness,
engagement, and understanding of your perceptions through face-to-face
communication.
❖ Engagement and innovation.
- Face-to-face communication enriches the sense of belongingness and
collaboration. It creates a healthy environment that inspires and motivates
employees to be more innovative and productive. Innovations and
productivity are important for employee’s promotion and self-actualization.
The environment that promotes engagement and innovation contributes to
company growth and culture.
❖ Addressing sensitive issues.
- Face-to-face communication is necessary when discussing pressing issues or
addressing sensitive concerns in the company. When it occurs, you should
keep your phone, stop working on your computer, and make effort to engage
with the persons. While communicating through technology is effective, face-
to-face communication is much preferred more importantly when you are
dealing with pressing problems that need urgent solutions.
❖ Clear and concise communication.
- Miscommunication or misunderstanding is often minimized when you do
face-to-face communication. You may be giving incorrect information, but
you can immediately correct it for better understanding. In face-to-face
interactions, you can easily persuade your thoughts and perceptions than
writing emails.
COMMUNICATION FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES
• ACADEMIC WRITING
- Academic writing refers to a style of expression that researchers use to define the
intellectual boundaries of their disciplines and specific areas of expertise.
- It is designed to convey agreed meaning about complex ideas or concepts for a group
of scholarly experts.
- Academic writing is defined as a process that starts with posing a question,
problematizing a concept, valuating an opinion, and ends in answering the question or
questions posed, clarifying then problem and arguing for a stand.
- Academic writing uses formal language.
- This means that Standard English Language is used in writing academic text.
- Academic writing is the formal writing style used in colleges and universities.
- It’s what students are expected to produce for classes and what professors and
academic researchers use to write scholarly materials.
• STYLISTIC ELEMENTS OF GOOD ACADEMIC WRITING
❖ The Overall View.
- Unlike journalistic or fiction writing, the overall structure of academic writing is
formal and logical.
- Thus, it is important to take note of the following points:
✓ The paper must be cohesive and possess a logically organized flow of ideas --
this suggests that the various parts are connected to form a unified whole.
✓ There should be transitional devices or narrative links between sentences and
paragraphs so that the reader will be able to follow your argument.
✓ The introduction should include an explanation of how the rest of the paper is
organized and all sources are properly cited throughout the paper.
❖ Language.
- The analysis of research problems in diverse disciplines is often complex and multi-
dimensional.
- Hence, it is significant that you use language that fits your audience and matches your
purpose.
- Inappropriate language uses can undermine your argument, damage your credibility,
or alienate your audience.
- Here are some points to remember:
✓ The key to successful writing focuses on the levels of formality and
conciseness that underscores writing in a style that your audience expects and
that fits your purpose.
✓ Use clear topic sentences and well-structured paragraphs to enable readers to
follow your line of thinking without difficulty.
✓ Avoid using in-group jargons or specialized language used by groups of like-
minded individuals.
✓ You have to bear in mind that you only use in-group jargon when you are
writing for members of that group.
✓ You should never use jargon for a general audience without first explaining it.
✓ Avoid using slang or idiomatic expressions in general academic writing.
✓ Avoid using euphemisms or words that veil the truth and other deceitful
language.
✓ Avoid using biased language including language with a racial, ethnic, group,
or gender bias or language that is stereotypical.
❖ Academic Tone.
- The overall tone refers to the writer's voice in a written work.
- It is what the readers might perceive as the writer's attitude, bias, or personality.
- When writing in an academic tone, you must take into consideration the following
points:
✓ Present the arguments of others objectively and with an appropriate narrative
tone.
✓ Describe these arguments accurately and without biased or loaded language
whenever you present an argument or a position that you disagree with.
✓ Investigate the research problem from an authoritative perspective.
✓ State the strong points of your arguments confidently by using language that is
neutral, not dismissive or confrontational.
 ✓ Avoid making broad generalizations, using over-sweeping adjectives, adverbs,
qualifiers, emotional language and inflammatory language.
❖ Academic Diction.
- Academic diction refers to the linguistic choices a writer makes to effectively convey
an idea or a standpoint.
- When writing in an academic diction, you must take note of the following points:
✓ Awareness of the words you use is vital because words that have almost the
same denotation or dictionary definition can have very different connotations
or implied meanings.
✓ Use concrete and specific words that convey precise meaning.
✓ Explain what you mean within the context of how that word or phrase is used
within a discipline.
✓ Be consistent with your labels.
✓ Call people what they want to be called.
✓ Use gender inclusive language.
✓ Avoid placing gender identifiers in front of nouns.
- Avoid the use of the following:
 slang expressions (very informal language that is usually spoken rather than
written, used especially by particular groups of people);
 cliché phrases (ideas or expressions that have been used too often and is often
considered a sign of bad writing or old-fashioned thinking);
 metaphors or figures of speech (words or phrases used in a non-literal sense
for rhetorical or vivid effect);
 colloquialisms (common words or phrases used in a nontraditional and
informal way);
 jargons (special words or expressions used by a particular profession or group
and are difficult for others to understand);
 big words (difficult words or phrases used for the sake of sounding
scholarly);
 meaningless words (words or phrases that hold little meaning when you
consider the potentially diverse backgrounds of your reading audience);
  platitudes (clichés that also pretend to offer advice, lesson, or moral
guidance);
 pejoratives (words or phrases that express the bias of the author);
 contractions (words made by shortening and combining two words), and text-
messages or short message service (SMS) spellings
 These casual expressions may be appropriate in informal or personal
messages, but they are inappropriate in academic research papers.
- Use personal pronouns carefully. Generally, you also want to avoid using the personal
"I" in an academic paper unless you are writing a reflection paper or a reaction paper.
- Writing from the third-person point of view is important in academic research writing
because it makes your paper sounds more assertive, more professional and credible.
❖ Punctuation.
- To establish the narrative tone of their work, scholars rely on precise words and
language.
- Thus, punctuation marks are used very deliberately.
✓ Semi-colons represent a pause that is longer than a comma, but shorter than a
period in a sentence. In general, there are four grammatical uses of semi-
colons:
- when a second clause expands or explains the first clause;
- to describe a sequence of actions or different aspects of the same topic;
- placed before clauses which begin with “for instance”, “even so”,
"nevertheless", and "therefore"; and
- to mark off a series of phrases or clauses which contain commas. If you are
not confident about when to use semi-colons, rewrite using shorter sentences
or revise the paragraph.
✓ Colons should be limited to introducing, announcing or directing attention to
a list, a noun or noun phrase, a quotation, or an example/explanation; joining
sentences; and expressing time, in titles, and as part of other writing
conventions.
✓ Hyphens should be limited to connecting prefixes to words like “multi-
disciplinary” or when forming compound words or phrases like “on-site” and
“right-of-way.”
✓ Dashes should be limited to the insertion of an explanatory comment in a
sentence.
✓ Exclamation points are rarely used to express a heightened tone because it
can come across as unsophisticated or over-excited.