ENHANCING COMPETENCE IN USING COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES

 People do not communicate in just one way, using one method.

 When communicating with other persons, people interact in different ways. People may joke
with one and be reserved with another. They might be casual with a best friend but formal with
their parents. Group discussion is different from Public Speaking
 A different COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGY that leads to effective communication is needed for
every situation.
 Each Speech Context requires an understanding of the Speech Act. With understanding comes
an adjustment of Speech Style to ensure the delivery of the Message.
 Although we interact with one another, we interact based on a specific Speech Context.
 Communication is divided into certain level based on the number of participants in the process.
 Each SPEECH STYLE (the way the language is used) varies with the purpose of communication
and the SPEECH CONTEXT (level of communication engaged in)

LEARNING THE TYPES OF SPEECH CONTEXT

INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION means communicating with oneself. It may be seen in

situations involving talking to or writing to oneself even thinking to oneself.

To clarify further, talking to oneself may mean repeating a song heard while looking in
the mirror, memorizing out loud a dialogue in a play or berating oneself in a mutter on the
way to school for forgetting one’s homework. A teenager may write in a diary or on a private
blog which nobody else is supposed to read. One also writes on Post-it notes to remind
oneself of things to be done. And of course, there is daydreaming, meditating, or mental
planning.

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION involves more than one person.

` a.Dyadic Communication- involves only two participants forming the dyad. One
speaker and one listener come together to exchange thoughts, ideas, opinions, and
information. The roles of Speaker and Listener are not fixed, they are interchangeable.
Conversation is an informal dyadic communication, while interview and dialogue are formal
dyadic communication.

Conversation is the most common, the most frequent, and the most popular of all dyadic
communication. Talking with others is one way people amuse themselves.
Dialogues happen during guidance counselling, consulting with a priest, or a heart-to-heart
talk with a trusted person.
Interviews almost always highly formal compared to conversation but not as in-depth as a
dialogue.
b. Small Group Communication- requires 3 to 15 people to study an issue, discuss a problem,
and come up with a solution or a plan. This is not a gathering of people with no goal in mind
but to pass the time. The group has an agenda, a leader, and an outcome to accomplish.
Everyone can be both Speaker and Listener in this setting; rules must be followed to facilitate
order. Order allows for a full discussion, which leads to a compromise and the hoped for
result: a solution or plan.
Study Groups such as panel discussion, symposia, roundtable.
Task-oriented Groups study an issue and come up with plans to resolve issues.

c. Public Communication- the Speaker addresses many Listeners, collectively known as

audience. There is no interchanging of the Speaker and Listener roles. Many Public
Communication events are formal. The speech is well-prepared, the Speaker is dressed
appropriately, and the Listeners are set to listen to the Message. There is usually a stage, a
lectern, and a microphone coupled with a sound system and sometimes, spotlight. Usually,
the programs are formally structured, with a MASTER OF CEREMONIES.

d. Mass Communication- is any human verbal interactions carried out with the aid of mass
media technology. Mass Communication includes Radio, Television, and Social Media.
Social Media cover videos that go viral on the internet as well as webcasts, podcasts
which reach millions more than radio or TV ever could.

e. Organizational Communication- interaction of members along the links in an organizational

structure.
Variations:
1. Formal Organizational Communication uses the proper channels graphically
illustrated by an organizational chart. Memos, announcements, and reports are passed along
to the members of the organization following the chain of command.
2. Informal Organizational Communication bypasses the links; skips forward or
backwards, or even goes sideways just to achieve the same goal

Both types of Organizational Communication are necessary for the organization to

survive.

f. Intercultural Communication- is the exchange of concepts, traditions, values, and practices

between and among the people of different nationalities and ways of life. It goes beyond
showcasing folk dances, local songs, and native delicacies.

Examples:
1. Roundtable discussion to exchange views about how we relate with our families can
show differences and similarities in Korean and Philippine cultures.
2. A lecture on the Chinese way of doing business might enlighten Filipino
businessmen.
 3. Chatting with a friend in Abu Dhabi might bring out the difficulties of a Catholic
Filipino migrant worker in a Muslim country.

All communication whatever the Speech Context has to have a purpose. Each context
that one may be engaged in is according to what best suits the purpose and how best to
accomplish it, but the Contexts are not mutually exclusive. Communication Strategies are also
based on different types of Speech Styles.