CHAPTER 1.

UNDERSTANDING 21ST CENTURY COMMUNICATION

Lesson 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Language is method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of
words in a structured and conventional way

Views of language:

1. Language is a system of systems.

This means the “sounds of language are arranged in a fixed, and systematic order to
form meaningful units or words”.
2. Language is arbitrary. There is no inherent relationship between the word and its meaning.
3. Language is primarily vocal. This means “Language is primarily made up of vocal sounds.

Language Acquisition
- the process whereby children learn their native language subconsciously

Language Learning
- Learning a new language involves listening, speaking, reading, writing, sometimes even
a new alphabet and writing format

Language Contact
- occurs when speakers of two or more languages or varieties interact and influence each
other

Grammar

Phonology
Vocabulary

STRATEGIES FOR UNLCOKING VOCABULARY:

1. Do the structural analysis.
2. Find clue that makes the vocabulary word positive or negative. Then, rule out all the positive
or negative choices.
3. Find clues in the sentence that can be associated with the vocabulary word. Then, rule out all
the unrelated choices.
4. Rule out the answer choices that do NOT have the word classification or category of the
given vocabulary word.
5. Rule out the answer choices that are unfamiliar. Pick the answer from any of those unfamiliar
words once nothing from the remaining familiar answer choices will be synonymous to the given
vocabulary word.
6. Test your definition in place of the unfamiliar word (substitution).

Communication
- comes from the Latin word “communicare” “to share” or “to make common”
- the process of understanding and sharing meaning
- relational process of creating and interpreting messages that elicit a response

Communication is the exchange of information, ideas, thoughts, and feelings by one individual
to another
Nature of Communication
- It is much more than words.
- It is a process.
- It is between two or more people.

Models of Communication

1. Linear Model – one way process with no external feedback

A. Aristotle’s Model (300 B.C.) – It is a communication model which can be

used to develop public speaking skills or to create propaganda.

B. Lasswell’s Model (1948) – It is the “In which channel” as It describes an act

of communication by defining who said it, what was said, in what in what
channel it was said, to whom, it was said, and with what effect it was said.
C. Shannon and Weaver’s Model (1949) – It is also known as the
“Mathematical Theory of Communication” that argues that human
communication can be broken down into 6 key concepts.

D. Berlo’s SMCR Model (1960) – It represents the process of communication

according to Sender, Message, Channel, and Receiver.
2. Interactional Model – two-way process but more mechanical and has more delayed
feedback. It also deals with exchange of ideas and messages taking place both ways
from sender to receiver and vice versa.
A. Schramm’s Model (1949) – It views communication as a process wherein
the message is transmitted using a medium by a sender to a receiver. He
added the notion of field of experience in his theory. Field of experience
assimilates a mutual understanding of both the parties.

B. Osgood-Schramm’s Model (1954) – It is known as a circular model

because it indicates that messages can go in two directions. Also, the two
parties decodes, interprets, and encodes the message of each other.

3. Transactional Model – two-way process and more simultaneous as it has direct and
immediate feedback
A. White’s Model (1960) - There are eight stages of the oral communication
process: thinking, symbolizing, expressing, transmitting, receiving, decoding,
feedbacking, also monitoring. So, communication is a sequential interaction
process.

B. Dance’s Helical Model (1967) – It disagrees with the concept of linearity and
circularity individually, and introduces the concept of time and continuous
communication process.
 C. Barnlund’s Transactional Model (1970) – It emphasizes a multi-layered
feedback system for all parties involved and recognizes that anyone can be a
sender and receiver anytime. Shared field of experience is also its strength.

Types of Contexts

1. Physical context
The physical context is the environment where the communication takes place.

2. Psychological context
Psychological context includes the mental and emotional factors in a communication
encounter. Stress, anxiety, and emotions are just some examples of psychological influences
that can affect communication.

3. Relational context
The relational context is the relationship between the communicators that influences the
other aspects of communication. While not all communication may seem to have a relational
component involved, even a lack of relationship is part of the relational context and impacts the
way we will communicate.

4. Situational context
The situational context implies that a speaker and a listener share physically some
common knowledge in their present communication.

5. Cultural context
Cultural context is related to the society where individuals are raised in and at how the
culture affects behavior. It incorporates values that are learned and attitudes that are shared
among groups of people. It includes beliefs, meanings, customs, ideas, language, norms.

6. Social context
Social context is the the sociocultural forces that shape people's day-to-day experiences
and that directly and indirectly affect health and behavior (Pasick & Burke, 2008).
Components of the Communication Process
Technically, communication happens in a systematic process to achieve its success.
Communication process is important particularly among professionals because of the following
notable reasons according to Bhasin (2021):
• It develops coordination for people to understand the thoughts, and ideas of one another.
• Its function in an organization is elemental for the smooth and proper functioning of each
member of the organization.
• It contributes to effective and efficient decision making among people.
• It increases the managerial efficiency and leader potentials in organizations.
• It promotes the overall organizational peace and cooperation among all employees who
are holding different places in the hierarchy.
• It boosts the morale of all employees and promotes and healthy working environment in
the organization.

Elements of Communication
- Sender - one who crafts a message, idea, or information
- Encoding - process of converting idea or thoughts of the information into symbols
- Message - the information, idea, thought, etc. that the speaker wants to convey
- Channel - means of transmission or distribution of the message
- Interference - a hindrance that prevents effective communication
- Decoding - receiver’s mental processing of interpreting message into meaning
- Receiver - for whom the message was created and one who receives it
- Feedback - the receiver’s response or reaction to the sender’s message
- Environment - physical and psychological space where the communication happens
- Context - common and shared understanding of the situation, social norms, etc.

Types of Noise/Barrier/Interference

1. Psychological refers to thoughts that hamper the message to be interpreted correctly by the
receiver.

2. Physiological relates to person’s health and fitness.

3. Linguistic/Semantic refers to differences in word usage and meaning of words cause

confusion.

4. Cultural refers to misunderstanding of meaning, caused by cultural differences between

sender and receiver.

5. Physical refers to environmental factors that limit the sending and receiving of messages.

6. Mechanical flaw in the machinery, instruments, or channel used to convey the message.

7. Organizational occurs when you are unaware of, or you ignore expected communication
channels in your organization.

Classification of Communication
1. According to Mode
- Verbal (Oral and Written)
- Non-Verbal (Body Language, Hand Gestures, Facial Expressions)
- Visual (Illustrations, Charts, Photo, Drawings, Maps)
2. According to Context
- Intrapersonal – within an individual
- Interpersonal (Dyadic and Small Group)
- Extended Communication – with the use of technological tools
- Organizational Communication – business environments
- Intercultural Communication – among people of diverse cultures
- Mass Communication – to large audience through different modes

3. According to Purpose and Style

- Formal – it is carefully thought to selected audience to inform, persuade,
and entertain
- Informal – casual and takes place in ordinary conversation to socialize

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

1. Kinesics – body movement
2. Oculesics – eye movement
3. Haptics - touch
4. Proxemics - distance
5. Chronemics – time

KINESICS
Types of Gestures

1. Illustrators
Gestures which accompany words to illustrate a verbal message are known as
illustrators.
e.g., To say no, take your first two fingers and tap them with your thumb, resembling a
mouth saying no.

2. Emblems
Gestures that serve the same function as a word
e.g., the hand movement used when hitch-hiking.

3. Regulators
Gestures used to give feedback when conversing
e.g., head nods, short sounds such as 'uh-huh', 'mm-mm’

4. Adaptors
Gestures which satisfy some physical need.
e.g., scratching head, adjusting uncomfortable glasses, or biting fingernails (when
nervous)

PROXEMICS
Four kinds of distance
1. public distance 12 ft. – 25. Ft
2. social space 4 ft. – 12 ft.
3. personal space 1 ft. – 4 ft,
4. intimate space – less than 1 foot
HAPTICS
Dimensions of Touch
1. Intensity - how delicate or how strong the touch is
2. Duration- how short or prolonged the touch is
3. Location - the area where the person was touched
4. Frequency - the number of touches that happen
5. Instrument of Touch – the touch with other body parts like feet, lips, and other objects

Grapevine Communication (Organizational)

1. Single Strand Chain - passing information through a line of persons to the ultimate
recipient
2. Gossip Chain – only one person seeks and tells the information to everyone
3. Probability Chain - random process in which someone transmits the information
from person to person
4. Cluster Chain - a person tells the information to the selected people who will pass
the information to other selected people

Principles of Effective Communication, Kapur (2020):

1. Trustworthiness
2. Effective Speaking Skills
3. Active Listening
4. Good Writing Skills
5. Good Reading Skills
6. Objective Judgement
7. Value Difference
8. No Assumptions
9. Authenticity

Ethical Considerations in Communication

1. Respectful of their audiences.
2. Considerate of the consequences of their communication.
3. Truthful
4. Efficient in using information
5. Watchful on falsified information.
6. Respectful of the rights of others to information.

Communication Principles
1. Communication is integrated into all parts of our lives.
2. Communication meets our needs.
3. Communication is a process.
4. Communication is guided by culture and context.
5. Communication is learned.
6. Communication has ethical considerations.

Functions of Communication
1. Socio-Psychological Tradition
Communication as interpersonal interaction and influence
2. Cybernetic Tradition
Communication as a system of information processing
3. Rhetorical Tradition
Communication as artful address
 4. Semiotic Tradition
Communication as the Process of Sharing Meaning Through Signs
5. Socio-Cultural Tradition
Communication as the Creation and Enactment of Social Reality
6. Critical Tradition
Communication as a reflective challenge of unjust discourse

7 C’s of Communication

Aristotle’s Rhetorical triangle

Communication Ethics

1. Responsible Thinking
2. Decision Making
3. Development of Relationship