Communication:

Introduction,
Definition, and
Elements

ANN BEVERLY CORONA-VERBOSIDAD, MAEd Eng

College of Teacher Education
Negros Oriental State University Bayawan-Sta. Catalina Campus
Introduction to Communication:

– verbal and nonverbal methods

– intentional and unintentional communication

– communication breakdown
The Nature of Language

– symbolic

– “Meanings are in people, not in words.”

– rule-governed
The Nature of Language
User

“The spoken word belongs

half to the one who speaks it
and half to the one
who hears.”
- French Proverb

Word Thing
(Symbol) (Referrent)
The Nature of Language
– rule-governed
Examples:
Sounds - rendezvous, soul, able,
vision, mission
Syntax - k go, ru ok?, brb, uli ka?, ali hr,
hr nko, hr na u?
Semantics -
Panda mating fails, Veterinarian takes over
Police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers
The Nature of Language

Examples:
Superior views employees as family
Employee depends on superior’s goodwill
for promotion

Boss is concerned on appearance –

should be/look smart and sexy
Employee is sensitive to sexual harassment
Communication

– from the Latin word communicatus,

past participle of communicare to impart,
participate; from communis common

– a process by which information is

exchanged between individuals through a
common system of symbols, signs,
or behavior
Communication
– human, a process, symbolic

COMMUNICATION
is a
PROCESS OF HUMAN BEINGS
responding to the
SYMBOLIC BEHAVIOR
of other persons.
Communication

– a human act of sending (verbal or

nonverbal; online or offline) and receiving
of messages where interpretations are
normally constructed in the process
Communication

All human beings are wired for

communication activities in one’s lifetime;
therefore, studying communication enables
us to have a good grasp of this unavoidable
human activity and hopefully makes us good
and responsible participants.
Communication

By being good participants means that

there is common understanding leading to
successful communication in the sides of
both the senders and receivers.
Purposive Communication

– an intentional communication that

happens within the bounds of
specific contexts
Purposive Communication

Context communication:
– settings or environment (family, school,
workplace, religious communities)
– social relations (friends, husband and wife,
parent and child, colleagues/boss-subordinate
– scenes involving place, time, and occasion
(business meeting, job interview, social gathering
like parties, weddings, etc.)
– culture (history, tradition, beliefs, norms,
values)
Purposive Communication

Context communication:
– vital considerations in our
communication acts since they affect the
process of sending and receiving of
messages, semantics or meanings, choice of
channels, words, and methods of delivery

Therefore, communication must be suitable to

the specific context—intentional or purposive.
Purposive Communication
– a communication applied in a specific
setting, environment, scene, social relations,
and culture

• Review Oral Communication (SHS)

communication principles: elements (sender,
receiver, message, barriers/noise, channels,
feedback), models (linear, interactional and
transactional), functions (social interaction,
information, emotional expression,
motivation, and regulation) of communication.
Communication as a Process
– a process whereby people create and
transmit meaning through the exchange
of verbal and nonverbal messages in a
particular context
– something continuous (like an
argument extending to years, exchange of
messages between colleagues or
officemates); but can be terminated when
the goal or purpose of communicating is
lost in the participants
Communication as a Process
– even when ones does not take
conscious effort to converse or interact
with the other person, this is still an act
of communication sending the
message “I don’t want to associate with
you anymore…” or, “There is no more
reason for us to be communicating”

– communication may not have a definite

end
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication
“Many can argue—not many can converse.”
A. Bronson Alcot

Sender – a highly important element being

the source of the idea
– is expected to possess the skills
required to transmit messages
which includes the ability to use
a language that the receiver
understands (English or Visayan?)
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication
Sender – uses the appropriate language and
the application of linguistic features such as
grammar, phonetics for spoken messages,
choice of words or jargons for an appropriate
audience, sentence construction, and discourse
competence
– has to have credibility as people will more
likely reject an unreliable message—the message
will only be good and valid as its source
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Delivery – A: “Galit ka ba?”

B: “Hindi, nagpapaliwanag lang.”
– is an equally important skill that a sender
should be able to exhibit
– includes good voice projection, use of
appropriate eye contact, proper articulation of
words, and emphasis on important words in
oral communication
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Delivery – includes using the appropriate

intonation to avoid misunderstanding or conflict
between the interlocutors
– high-pitched, or low-pitched?
– overly emphatic tone? (can be offensive to
the listener)
– the speaker should be mindful of the
delivery
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Receiver – must have good listening and

comprehension skills
– good listening: requires focus
on what is conveyed and
eliminate as much as possible
all possible distractions or noises (physical,
environmental, psychological, emotional)
that would hinder understanding
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Receiver – prejudice can affect one’s

receptiveness towards a
message; for example, when the
receiver dislikes the sender,
the former is more likely to
be skeptical towards whatever
message is being relayed
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Receiver – must listen/read objectively

and set aside biases to avoid
misinterpretation/erroneous
interpretations

Message – what is being conveyed

– follow the Cs in communication
for messages to be accurately understood and
positively
received
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

The Cs for Message:

Courtesy. Use polite words to show
respect to the receiver
of the message.
Tact and diplomacy in
communication is always
appreciated and normally begets a
positive reply.
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Courtesy. The “we” attitude,

using of positive words rather than
negative, being considerate of
the receiver’s feelings, selecting
gender-free terms, and responding
promptly, are examples.
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Clarity. Messages which are unclear

oftentimes do not achieve
the desired effect.
This may involve correct word
usage, grammar, pronunciation,
sentence construction, and
delivery.
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Conciseness. Lengthy messages may

equate to information
overload and may be
overwhelming. Say what
needs to be done in as few
words as possible. Avoid
unnecessary words like
flowery words.
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Conciseness. Communicate, not impress

with lengthy discourse.

Concreteness. Be specific. Provide examples

whenever necessary to make
message/s more
comprehensible.
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Completeness. Avoid ambiguity by

not leaving out important
details that a receiver expects
to know such as answers to
the Wh- questions.
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication
Feedback – the receiver’s response to the
message wherein the effect on
the receiver can be positive or
negative depending on the kind of
message relayed, how it is
communicated, and how it is
interpreted
– important to know in order from
the audience (listener/reader) to
make the necessary clarifications and
revisions of our messages
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication
Channel/s – method of conveying
the message; medium
– 21st century/popular channels
are communication technologies
such as smartphones, tablets,
computers; older forms are
traditional telephone, radio,
television, and printed text
(books, newspapers, magazines,
journals, posters, etc.)
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Channel/s – choice of channel is dependent

on availability, practicality, and
its impact on the receiver
– face-to-face or technology-mediated?

Case in point 1:
* Which are deemed practical and convenient
when communicating with our loved ones abroad?
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Case in point 2:
* What channel can be used for those places
without internet connection?
Case in point 3:
* How about in the acquisition of information?
Case in point 4:
* In the case of entertainment in the city and in
the provinces?
Review on the Basic Principles of Communication

Noise – barrier, hindrance

– internal, external: anything
that interferes with the
communication process

* In the transactional model, environment

is an element.
References

Business Processing Association of the Philippines. (2013).

Service Management Specialization Session 1 - Business
communication: elements of communication.
Business Processing Association of the Philippines. (2013).
Service Management Specialization Session 3 - Business
communication: the what and why of communication.
Communicate. (2020). In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communicate
Magan, R.G., Nano, M.C.B., and Turano, C.T. (2018). Purposive
communication in the 21st century. Manila: Mindshapers Co., Inc.