LINGUISTIC LANGUAGE -is a way for disempowered people to make
-The thing that you can see is that you do a visible mark, to disrupt the landscape that is
not necessarily need words to express a thought.
-These may come in the form of billboards,
signage, street names, traffic regulations, or graffiti.
These materials are unnoticed most of the time.
Advertisements, flyers, and written notices are part
of our everyday lives. Memes, troll posts, and
tweets are prevalent online.
Signs - can usually be identified based on the form
of the signage or symbol.
Official signs - are produced with a top-down
discourse, while signs produced by an individual or
a group but not officially recognized, have bottom-
up discourse.
Geosemiotics
-It is a mode of analyzing the study of the
social meaning of the material placement of signs
in the world.
Kinds Of Signs
 Regulatory - is a kind of sign that indicates
authority and is official or legal prohibitions
 Infrastructural - is a kind of sign that labels
things or directs for the maintenance of a
building or any infrastructure.
 Commercial - is a kind of sign which
advertises or promotes a product, an event,
or a service in commerce.
 Transgressive - is a kind of sign that violates
conventional semiotics or is in the wrong
place. Example is graffiti or illegal writings
on the wall.
Graffiti
-an unsanctioned urban text
-conveys power and control to the person
or group behind the production of graffiti.
increasingly occupied by the increasingly powerful.
ONLINE LANDSCAPES
Netizens
-People who go online
-an abstraction of the words “internet” and
“citizens.”
-metaphorically considered as the “citizens
of the virtual world.”
Virtual space – is also a language landscape.
Three media in this landscape are: (1) YouTube; (2)
Twitter; and (3) Memes.
YouTube.
-Although YouTube videos cannot
specifically be considered as signs or symbols,
YouTube video producers use symbols and signs,
generally inclusive in the language used, to convey
the message they want to express
-As such, YouTube videos are language
landscapes that can be analyzed in its context and
features.
Television tends to be “centered,” while YouTube
videos may be “decentered.”
Television has a “hierarchy of discourse” However,
YouTube is not hierarchical. While content is
searchable and ordered so that viewers can find
material, none of it is presented by the platform as
more prestigious than anything else.
Twitter.
-Twitter provides opportunities and
resources for making choices on how we create a
personalized and linguistic and semiotic landscape.
Memes. One of the things that the World Wide
Web makes possible is the quick circulation of
memes.
-is a term given to any posts, language or
photo that has an uptake to a social, moral, or
political idea that most of the time seems funny.
-contagious patterns of cultural information
that get passed from mind to mind and directly
generate and shape the mindsets and significant
forms of behavior and actions of a social group.
-People who create memes tend to
carefully consider: (1) the photo that will be used;
(2) the relevance of the message it wants to
convey; (3) the relationship of the photo; (4) the
symbols used; and (5) the font style and size used.
The problem with memes is that there are some
memes with blundered grammar and erroneous
spelling and punctuations. Some memes are even
culturally insensitive, gender insensitive, class
insensitive, and politically incorrect. Yet, people
“like” and “share” them. Remember that memes
like that should never be patronized.
******
KINDS OF COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
Communication Strategy
-is the blueprint or plan.
-maps the “how’s” to conveying a message.
-designed to help people to communicate
effectively and accomplish individual or
organizational objectives.
-choice of the most useful objectives of
communication, and recognition of a particular
brand and its strategies in terms of attitude.
-can be verbal, non-verbal, or visual.
3 types of strategy
Verbal Communication Strategy
-can be broken down into two categories of
written and oral communication.
 Written communication
-comprises emails, chat, fax messages and
text messages.
 Oral communication
-comprises phone calls, video chats and
face-to-face conversation.
Non-verbal Communication Strategy
-more on visual cues such as facial
reactions, body language, voice tones, and the
physical distance between people.
-can also be used with verbal
communication.
Visual Communication Strategy
-provides documentation in school and in
the workplace.
-comprises signages, memorandum,
illustrations, webpages and graphic designs.
Factors To Consider in Developing a
Communication Strategy
-Communication strategy may be designed
for a specific project. It should establish Objectives,
Target Audiences, Intended Messages, Tools and
Activities, Resources and Timescale, and Evaluation.
Objectives. Communication strategy should be
aligned closely to your plan.
two classifications of objectives
 General objective - broad indication of
what you are trying to accomplish.
- It is informative.
-It aims to expand the
listeners’ knowledge or help them acquire
a skill.
 Specific objective - describes the outcome
you are seeking.
-It identifies the “who,
what, when, where” of your goal.
Target Audiences. Identify your target audiences
whom you need to communicate with to achieve
your objectives.
Intended Messages. Keep in your mind that
communication is all about storytelling. Always use
an interesting narrative, human interest stories and
imagery. Develop a thesis statement. It is the
central idea or the key idea. It is a single sentence
that summarizes your message.
Tools and Activities. Identify the most appropriate
tools and activities to be used in communicating
the messages to the audience.
Resources and Timescale. Ensure the availability of
the resources and set an expected timescale for
your communication strategy.
Evaluation. Assess the effectiveness of your
strategy by asking your audience. Ask them if your
objectives were achieved.
******
WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
-discipline of its own that is unlike
academic or scholastic writing.
-Workplace writing serves specific purposes
for individuals, groups, organizations, or
departments.
Communicating in the workplace, there are three
things that you need to consider.
-purpose, audience, and tone.
Purpose. According to George Searles, author of
“Workplace Communication: The Basics,” nearly all
workplace writing is done for at least one of these
three purposes: (1) to recreate a record; (2) to
request or provide information; (3) to persuade. So,
before attempting to compose a letter, you must
first do some thinking to identify which of the three
purposes applies.
Audience. “Who will read what I have written?”
That is the next logical question. By answering
these questions, you will be able to state the
purpose of your communication, provide necessary
details, cite meaningful examples, achieve the
correct level of formality, and avoid possible
misunderstandings, thereby achieving the outcome
that you desire.
Tone. After determining your target audience and
what you want to say, you now must identify the
tone in your discourse. The tone will set how your
target audience will accept what you are trying to
say. Ideally, you have to set a climate of formality in
your communication style.
Business Letters
Business writing/ Business communication and
professional writing
-refers to memorandums, reports,
proposals, emails, and other forms of writing used
in organizations to communicate with internal or
external audiences.
- a type of professional communication.
-writing business correspondence like
letters and memos is a skill or potential that must
be developed by a person regardless of his work,
profession, or specialization.
Skill in business writing
-is considered as one of the important
elements for success in any field of endeavor like
business, profession, or specialization.
-Obtaining skills in making an effective
business letter is a requirement to making a strong
connection to any linkages in any kind of
transaction.
-foundation of business.
Business letters have these six basic parts: (1)
heading; (2) inside address or recipient’s address;
(3) salutation; (4) body of the letter; (5)
complimentary closing; (6) signature block.
  Heading, you can see here the return
address and the date on the last line.
Sometimes, the date is seen on the right
side depending on the format that will be
used.
 Recipient’s address contains the name to
which the letter is written and addressed. It
could be a person, a company or an
organization’s name.
 Salutation is the greeting part that is
written in a polite and courteous manner
followed by a comma or a colon.
 Body of the letter contains the main
purpose of the letter or the very reason for
writing. It should be written in a
straightforward, simple, and coherent
manner.
 Complimentary closing is the polite yet
business-like ending of the letter. This ends
with a comma.
 Signature block, the name of the sender is
written on the first line, then his/her
position on the next line. It is expected that
the sender will put his/her signature above
his/her name.
 Enclosure
 Writer's Identification
7 C's
•Concise
•Courteous
•Consideration
•Correct
•Clear
•Conversational
•Convincing
Three formats of a business letter are: (1) block;
(2) modified block; and (3) semi-block.
 Block is the format that positions all the
parts of the letter to the left, single space,
and justified. Double space is used only
when starting a new paragraph.
 Modified block is the format wherein all
the parts of the letter are tabbed on the
left, single space and justified. But the
heading and the closing are tabbed in the
center.
 Semi-block format, the paragraphs are
indented instead of placing them all on the
left. Heading is on the center. The date can
be placed in the right side three spaces
after the heading. The recipient’s address is
on the left, and the closing on the right.
Most frequently written business letters are: (1)
letter of request; (2) letter of inquiry; (3) letter of
order; (4) letter of acknowledgement; (5) letter of
complaint; (6) letter of adjustment.
 Letter of Request.
-written to make someone do something or
consider something.
-letter requesting an interview is an
example of this.
-application letter could be the most
popular example of this
 Letter of Inquiry/ everyday letters.
-among those regularly received by
business firms.
-such letters must be answered promptly
because they could clinch a business deal
or build public relations for the company.
-done when something concerning the
business must be clarified.
 -done to get information about products,
services, price list, mode of payment, mode
of delivery, and other matters.
 Letter of Order.
-done when a company formally wants to
avail themselves of the service or product
of their partner company.
 Letter of Acknowledgement.
-done by the company when orders or
remittances are finally received by them.
 Letter of Complaint.
-letter to make when the delivered
products do not match the order that was
made prior to the delivery.
 Letter of Adjustment.
-done when there is a request for the
modification of the product or to explain
about the delivered product.
Memorandum
-memo was a vehicle for internal or
intramural communication – a message from
someone at Company X to someone else at
Company X.
-often-used written communication in the
workplace:
-good memo would focus sharply, zooming
in on what the reader needed to know.
Depending on the subject, a memo would make its
point in three or four short paragraphs:
 a concise introduction
 a middle paragraph or two conveying the
details.
 perhaps a brief conclusion.
Although minor variations did exist, practically all
memos shared certain standard format features:
 The word “Memo” or “Memorandum” or
some equivalent term at or near the top of
the page.
 The “TO” line, enabling the memo to be
“addressed,” and the “FROM” line, enabling
it to be “signed.”
 The “DATE” line.
 The “SUBJECT” line, identifying the topic -
would orient and prepare the reader for
what was to follow.
 Of course, the message or content of the
memo.
******
INCIDENT REPORT
Incident Report
-a formal document that details the facts
related to an incident at the workplace.
-usually relates to an accident injury that
has occurred on the worksite, but it can also
pertain to any unusual worksite occurrences such
as near misses, security lapses, property and
equipment damage, and health and safety issues.
-importance of an Incident Report Incident
reports indicate that there have been lapses in the
workplace's safety protocols - very important to
identify the risks, failures and hazards that led to
the incident.
Any incident that involves worker safety should be
recorded, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
An investigation of what happened should be
undertaken as soon as possible after the incident
occurs and after any injured persons have been
taken care of.
Analyzing these reports can help organizations
implement necessary changes, improvements, and
corrective actions to prevent future incidents.
Incident report will help:
 Prevent more serious accidents
 Improve existing health and safety practices
 Save time and resources
  Protect the company from financial losses
and bad reputation
 Instill a sense of confidence in the
employees
Four main types of incidents
 Unexpected Event:
-unexpected incidents or accidents that
result in fatal, non-fatal physical injury,
or serious psychological injury to
workers.
 Near Misses:
-incidents or accidents that had the
potential to cause harm but did not do
so.
 Adverse Events:
-related to adverse reactions to
medicine, vaccines, or medical devices
used for treating a medical condition or
situation.
 Awareness Events:
-reporting any risks of potential
incidents or accidents that can take
place in the line of duty. The risks could
be faulty or malfunctioning equipment,
or the lack of safety equipment,
training, and controls.
In addition to a description of the incident, the
report should include:
 Type of incident
 The location of the incident including date
and time
 Details of the injured person
 A list of witnesses to the incident or injury
 Detailed description and severity of the
injury
 A description of the immediate measures
taken in response to the incident
 Detailed description of the treatment after
the incident
 Any anomalies that might have contributed
to the incident
 Photo or video documentation of the event
or its aftermath can also be included in an
incident report
 Analysis of the incident In the workplace,
both executives and rank-and-file
employees may be required to submit
various kinds of reports like a progress
report and accomplishment report.
When describing the incident, always provide
complete details:
 Names and job titles of all persons
involved, including onlookers;
 Step-by-step narrative description of the
incident;
 Exact location of the incident;
 Date and exact time of each major
development;
 Clear identification of any equipment or
machinery involved;
 Detailed description of any medical
intervention required, including names of
ambulance services and personnel, nurses,
physicians, hospitals or clinics;
 Reliable statements, quotations and
paraphrases from persons involved;
 Outcome of the incident.” “In fact, an
incident report works as the most
important document to investigate the
issues that arise at workplaces that value
the health, well-being and safety of the
employees.”
What are the key benefits of reporting incidents?
 Instant measures to the problem
 Raise awareness against possible threats
 Improve the process continuously
How to write an effective incident report?
 Precise details
 Facts
  Complete picture of the incident
 Supporting Evidence
 Validation

Resolving and closing an incident is taken as a

collective effort and involves multiple steps:
 The first step involves setting a severity
rating for the incident. This is a matrix
based on the severity of the incident and
the likelihood of it reoccurring.
 The severity parameters include Very low,
Minor, Serious, Fatal and Major
hazard/calamity.
 The likelihood parameters include Almost
certain/cyclic, Frequent/repetitive,
Likely/intermittent, Unlikely/rare.
 No matter how safe your work
environment is, accidents or incidents are
prone to happen and are often difficult to
avoid. But having the right preventive
measures can become the cornerstone of
preserving a healthy and happy working
environment. In fact, incident reports will
not only help you to list comprehensive
information about the issue but will also
help in preventing mishaps in future or
even to inspire new changes.
 Similarly, the recommendations section of
an incident report should not seek to assign
blame or highlight incompetence but to
encourage the adoption of measures that
will decrease the likelihood of repeated
problems.