BUKIDNON STATE

UNIVERSITY
Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, 8700
Tel (088)-221-2237; Telefax (088)-813-2717
www.buksu.edu.ph

GE 106 – Purposive Communication

Lesson 1: Communication Processes, Principles, and Ethics

Learning Outcomes:
• Explain the principles and process of communication and the ethical
considerations in communication.
• Describe how communication skills help resolve problems, better understand
new concepts and aid in your profession.
• Frame a slogan about how the knowledge of the communication process aids
people in communicating effectively.

Engaging
Putting things in the right perspective.

1. Why do people communicate?

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2. What might happen to the world if communication does not exist?

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3. Why do miscommunications and misunderstandings happen?

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Initializing

Communication is inevitable. Our need for self-expression leads us to

communicate not only our thoughts but also our feelings. Communication may be
done verbally or non-verbally. A simple yawn from a member of the audience in a
public speaking engagement is a non-verbal message sent to the speaker. On the
other hand, a phone call inquiring about a certain product is an example of a
verbal message.

Concept Grounding

Communication is understood as the process of meaning-making through a

channel or a medium. It comes from the Latin word communicares, meaning to
share or to make ideas common. The connection that encompasses interaction
among partakers is at the center of your learning of communication.

The Components of the Communication Process

Understanding the communication process may help you become a better

communicator.

1. Source
The sender carefully crafts the message. The sender may be anyone:
an author of a book, a public speaker on a special occasion, or even a
traffic enforcer.

2. Message
The message is the reason behind any interaction. It is the meaning
shared between the sender and the receiver. Messages take many
forms. They could mean poems, songs, essays, news articles, road
signs, and even symbols.

3. Channel
The channel is the means by which a message is conveyed. When we
answer a phone call, the phone is the channel. On the other hand,
when parents receive notification of their absences from school, the
channel is a letter. It is the responsibility of both the sender and the
receiver to choose the best channel for the interaction.
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4. Receiver
The receiver is the person who receives the transmitted message. The
receiver may be a part of an audience in a public speaking event, a
reader of a letter, or a driver who reads road signs. The receiver is
expected to listen or read carefully, to be aware of different kinds of
senders, to jot down information when needed, to provide a response,
and to ask questions for clarification.

5. Feedback
In any communication scenario, feedback is essential to confirm the
recipient’s understanding. Feedback-like messages are expressed in
varied forms. A simple nod for a question of verification is considered
feedback. Thus, feedback may be written, spoken, or acted out.

6. Environment
The place, the feeling, the mood, the mindset, and the condition of
both sender and receiver are called the environment. The environment
may involve the physical set-up of a location where communication
takes place, the space occupied by both the sender and the receiver,
including the objects surrounding the sender and receiver.

7. Context
Context involves the expectations of the sender and the receiver and
the common or shared understanding through environmental signals.

It refers to the interrelated conditions of communications

• Physical Milieu (Environment)

• Social Milieu
• Psychological Milieu
• Cultural Milieu
• Historical Milieu

8. Interference
Interference is also known as barrier or block that prevents effective
communication to take place.

Kinds of Interference
a. Psychological Barriers

Communication barriers are physiologically tied to the limitations of

the human body and intellect like memory, attention, and
perception. Personal discomfort brought on by illness, poor vision, or
hearing issues might lead to physiological hurdles.

b. Physical Barriers

Physical barriers are environmental and natural circumstances that

prevent communication between sender and recipient. Physical
barriers include issues with the organizational setting or interior
workspace design, with technology, as well as noise.

c. Linguistic and Cultural Barriers

 When employees speak different native languages, barriers on the
basis of culture will arise. They could have trouble expressing
particular thoughts or understanding the complexities of languages
and linguistic cues. Even among speakers of the same native tongue,
minute variations in our speech patterns and modes of expression
might lead to miscommunication.

d. Mechanical Barriers

A malfunction in the equipment or instruments used to transmit the

message is what creates a mechanical communication barrier.
Mechanical barriers to communication include loud machinery or
tools, a shortage of tools, interruptions in the flow of information,
and power outages.

The Nine Principles of Effective Communication

Michael Osborn (2009) claims that communication must meet certain standards for
effective communication to take place.

1. Clarity

Clarity makes speeches understandable. Fuzzy language is absolutely

forbidden, as are jargons, cliché expressions, code words, and double speak
language.

2. Concreteness

3. Concreteness reduces
misunderstandings. Messages must
be supported by facts
4. such as research data, statistics
or figures. To achieve concreteness
abstract words must be avoided
5. Concreteness reduces
misunderstandings. Messages must
be supported by facts
6. such as research data, statistics
or figures. To achieve concreteness
abstract words must be avoided
7. Concreteness reduces
misunderstandings. Messages must
be supported by facts
8. such as research data, statistics
or figures. To achieve concreteness
abstract words must be avoided
9. Concreteness reduces
misunderstandings. Messages must
be supported by facts
10. such as research data, statistics
or figures. To achieve concreteness
abstract words must be avoided
11. Concreteness reduces
misunderstandings. Messages must
be supported by facts
12. such as research data, statistics
or figures. To achieve concreteness
abstract words must be avoided
Concreteness reduces misunderstandings. Messages must be supported by
 facts such as research data, statistics or figures. To achieve concreteness
abstract words must be avoided.

3. Courtesy

Courtesy builds goodwill. It involves being polite in terms of approach and

manner of addressing an individual.

4. Correctness

Glaring mistakes in grammar obscures the meaning of the sentence. Also, the
misuse of language can damage your credibility.
5. Consideration

Messages must be geared towards the

audience. The sender of the message
must
consider the recipient’s profession,
level of education, race, ethnicity,
hobbies, interests, passions,
advocacies, and age when drafting or
delivering a message.
Messages must be geared towards the
audience. The sender of the message
must
consider the recipient’s profession,
level of education, race, ethnicity,
hobbies, interests, passions,
advocacies, and age when drafting or
delivering a message.
 Messages must be geared towards the audience. The sender of the message
must consider the recipient’s profession, level of education, race, ethnicity,
hobbies, interests, passions, advocacies, and age when drafting or delivering a
message.
6. Creativity

Creativity in communication means having the ability to craft interesting

messages in terms of sentence structure and word choice.
7. Conciseness

Simplicity and directness help you to be concise. Avoid using lengthy

expressions and words that may confuse the recipient.
8. Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural sensitivity is becoming a crucial requirement for effective

communication due to the growing emphasis on empowering many cultures,
lifestyles, and ethnicities as well as the quest of gender equality.

9. Captivating

To get greater attention and a better response, you must work to make your
messaging engaging.
Types of Communication

1. Verbal Communication
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Types of Verbal Communication

1. Intrapersonal Communication
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2. Interpersonal Communication
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3. Public Communication
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4. Mass Communication
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2. Non-Verbal Communication
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Types of Non-Verbal Communication

1. Silence
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2. Body Language (gesture)

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3. Facial Expression
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4. Paralanguage or use of voice

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5. Touch (hug, kiss, handshake)

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6. Space and distance

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7. Clothes and personal appearance

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8. Symbols
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Five Theories of Non-Verbal Communication

 1. Semiotics (Sign Language)
2. Kinesics (Body Language)
3. Haptic (Touch)
4. Chronemics (Time)
5. Proxemics (Use of Space)

3. Formal Communication
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4. Informal Communication
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Ethical Considerations in Communication

What is Ethics?
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Ethical Communicators:
1. Respect the audience
2. Consider the results of communication
3. Value truth
4. Use information correctly
5. Do not falsely information

Activities

1. Illustrate the communication process through a diagram.

2. Identify possible communication blocks in the following
situations: a. A written letter of complaint
 b. Interaction between a nurse and a patient in pain
c. Songs with figurative language

Concretizing

1. List various channels through which personnel of your university connects

with you. Which channel(s) do you find most effective and why?

2. Through a slogan, state how the knowledge of the communication process

aids people in communicating effectively.

3. In this lesson, I learned that to be an effective and ethical communicator, I