SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN THE APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES

Course/Year Level 12 NICK JOAQUIN- HUMSS
Lecturer MACATANGAY, ABBY JANE A.
Module Number & Title MODULE 10: The Discipline of Communication
LO1: Definitions of Communication
LO2: Goals of Communication
LO3: Basic Elements of the Communication
LO4: Levels of Communication
Duration Week 9 (OCT.19-24, 2020)
Lecture Materials and Format PRINTED LESSON

I. About the Module

People have been communicating since the beginning of time—long before the development of language. Early
humans communicated through hand gestures, body language, and objects before they learned to write or draw
pictures on cave walls. This module aims to teach you how to be an effective communicator by introducing the
fundamentals of communication.

II. Module Objectives

By the end of this module, you are expected to:
• identify the goals and scope of communication (HUMSS_DIASS12-Ih-28);
• demonstrate comprehension of the principles of communication (HUMSS_DIASS12-Ih-29);
• discuss the core values of communication (HUMSS_DIASS12-Ih-30); and
• describe the elements and levels of the communication processes (HUMSS_DIASS12-Ih-31).

III. LECTURE
LO1: Definitions of Communication

Communication has been called the most practical of the academic disciplines (Jones 2013). No matter the field
of expertise, we are all practitioners of communication. The fact that communication is an everyday practice can be
interpreted in two ways: one, that our everyday communication experience can be used in building our knowledge
and skills to make us effective and ethical communicators; and two, that this “ordinariness” of communication may
lead us to take it for granted.

The word “communication” was derived from the Latin word communis which means “common.” As the term
suggests, communication is concerned with establishing a commonness between the participants of communication,
that is, through the transmission of ideas and emotions. It is defined as the act by one or more persons, of sending and
receiving messages distorted by noise, within a context, with some effect, and with some opportunity for feedback.

Maslog (2014) defines communication as the fabric that holds society together. It is through communication
that a consensus among members of the society is formed.

There are three methods of communication: verbal, nonverbal, and written communication.

Verbal communication is communicating with spoken words. It is also referred to as oral communication.

Nonverbal communication, on the other hand, is a “process of generating meaning using behavior other than
words” (Jones 2013). It includes body language (gestures, facial expressions, eye contact) and paralanguage (pitch,
volume, speech rate, accent, etc.). Nonverbal communication is used to
complement verbal messages, emphasize verbal messages, replace verbal messages, and contradict verbal messages
(Verderber 1994).

Written communication is a method of communication that makes use of written symbols, such as a standard
script (e.g. English alphabet) and numbers. Examples of written communication include letters, e-mail, reports, and
memos, among others.

Characteristics of Communication
Communication can be better understood by identifying its characteristics such as the following:
• Communication is dynamic.
The everydayness of communication is contradicted by its dynamism. Communication is always evolving. It is
affected by the change in each of its elements as well as the interaction of these elements with each other. The
way we communicate evolves as we continually define our relationships, adjust our behavior and patterns of
interaction, and acquire communication experiences.
 • Communication is unrepeatable and irreversible.
Every communication encounter is unique. Each communication encounter affects and changes people. This
makes it impossible for communication encounters to be made in exactly the same way. This what also makes
communication irreversible—whatever has been said or done cannot be taken back for it has already affected
the communicators in some way, whether in the cognitive, affective, or behavioral aspect.
• Communication has no opposite.
We cannot not communicate. While it is true that we communicate with a purpose, we may also communicate
without any awareness of doing so. This means that even if we stayed silent, that silence still means something
to other people. This is what we mean when we say that communication has no opposite—we can never stop
communicating because everything about us, even our silence, sends a message.
• Communication is affected by culture.
Cultural factors—such as race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and age—influence how we encode and decode
messages. In the Philippines and in some Western cultures, when someone gives you a thumbs-up sign, you
interpret it as “okay” or “good to go,” but did you know that in Latin America, West Africa, Greece, Russia,
Sardinia, southern Italy, and West Asia, this symbol may land you in trouble as this hand gesture is considered
an insult to them? This example exhibits how culture affects how people attribute meanings.

• Communication is influenced by ethics.

Since communication has an effect, it requires that the participants of communication make judgments of
what is right and wrong. These judgements are based on ethics. Ethics are the
moral principles, values, and beliefs that the members of society use to guide behavior. A communicative act is
considered ethical if it is based on socially agreed upon standards of behavior. It is ethical, for example, that we
communicate with honesty, respect, and a sense of accountability.
• Communication is competence-based.
Being good in communication is something that we are not born or blessed with. Communication is a skill that
needs to be developed. No matter what field we wish to pursue, we can all benefit from developing our
communicating skills. This starts from recognizing our communication strengths and weaknesses and from
committing yourself to gaining knowledge and communication experiences.
• Communication is being transformed by media and technology.
Technology has become one of the defining elements in this generation. As societies continue to evolve, the
level of sophistication in the way we communicate also increases. Now it is possible to talk to a number of
people simultaneously even across great distances through communication technologies. Furthermore, the
extent of the evolution of such media as books, newspapers, radio, television, and film has also exerted a large
influence in the way we perceive and disseminate ideas and cultural values—which can either reinforce or
change existing stereotypes or provide a way of empowering the citizens.

LO2: Goals of Communication

.
There are many reasons why communication in different methods and levels take place. The following statements
explain some of the common goals of communication:
• To inform and be Informed
It is through communication that we seek and provide information. We use the information to make everyday
decisions. To find the location of a place, for example, we ask people for directions or surf the Internet for a
map. When someone asks us for directions, we could make gestures to show that person the way or draw a
rough map.
• To persuade and influence
Have you ever been persuaded into buying something you do not even need or want? Were you ever made to
change your opinion about a certain issue? Th ese show another function of communication: to persuade and
influence. We communicate because we want someone to do something or to agree with our point of view.
• To build and maintain relationships
It is through communication that people express love, anger, pain, and pleasure. Without communication, it is
not possible for us to reach out, make ourselves heard, establish meaningful relationships, and share our ideas
and emotions to the people around us. By communicating, we satisfy our social needs.
• To develop a career
In today’s competitive society, a college diploma is not enough to land you the job that you want. According to
a group of hiring managers, apart from multitasking and initiative, an applicant with good communication
skills has an edge when it comes to getting hired (Rosero 2013).

There are also specific industries or institutions that need people with a degree in communication. As communication is
a very broad field, there is a wide range of communication professions that you may choose from, including a career in
mass media, public relations, or corporate communications.

To achieve these goals, one should be guided by the following principles:

• Clarity
The message should be clear and understandable to minimize misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Factors
such as cultural differences should also be taken into consideration in crafting the message to help the receiver
understand it.
• Adequacy
An incomplete message can be confusing and counterproductive for the receivers. To make the communication
effective, the sender should make sure to include all necessary information in his or her message.
• Consistency
A message should be well-thought of and logically crafted to avoid confusion and misinformation.
• Feedback
The receiver’s response helps the sender determine if his or her message is properly understood. This also helps
the sender to make necessary clarifications in case of miscommunication.
LO3: Basic Elements of the Communication Process

To understand how communication works, let us look into the elements of communication. From Devito's definition, we
can extract the basic elements of the communication process: message, sender and receiver, context, noise, feedback,
and effect.
• Message
The message is the content of the communicative act. It is encoded into symbols and communicated through verbal
and nonverbal methods. For the message to be delivered and understood, the sender and receiver must share a
common system of symbols (e.g., language).
• Sender and Receiver
The sender decides what is to be communicated, encodes the ideas and feelings into verbal and nonverbal symbols,
and transmits the message through an understandable communication system. The sender is also known as the
encoder or source. The person who receives, interprets, and responds to the message through feedback is called the
receiver. The receiver is also known as the decoder or interpreter.
The role of sender and receiver does not belong exclusively to one participant of communication. These roles of
sender and receiver gets constantly reversed as messages are simultaneously sent and received during the process of
communication.
• Channel
All messages are transmitted through a channel. Channel refers to the medium by which the message is transmitted
from sender to receiver. The basic and natural channels of communication are the five senses: hearing, touching,
smelling, tasting, and seeing. With the evolution of technology, technical medium—including printing press, telephone,
radio, television, and the Internet—were developed to heighten the communication effect.
• Feedback
Feedback refers to the information or signal sent back to the sender by the receiver through verbal or nonverbal
means. A feedback may be as simple as a nod, a raised eyebrow, or a smile or as noticeable as clapping or shouting.
Feedback enables both the receiver and sender to adjust their communication to reach an understanding or meet
their common goal.
There are two kinds of feedback: positive and negative. A positive feedback encourages us to continue a behavior
in progress. A negative feedback, on the other hand, gives us a cue to correct or stop a behavior. Students leaning
forward to the teacher during the discussion, for example, may tell the teacher that they are listening intently in class
and encourages him to continue teaching as he does. When a teacher sees his class suppressing a yawn or sporting a
dazed look on their faces, however, he may crack a joke even in the middle of a serious discussion to gain the class's
attention and interest.
• Context
Context pertains to the setting or environment surrounding the communication transaction. This may be a place, a
time, an event, and even includes the social, cultural, and psychological condition of the communicators. Context is
made up of rules and roles that we have to abide to make the communication successful.
Rules are the guides to follow while communicating in different situations. We adjust our communication style and
behavior depending on the communication setting—the place, the participants, and the intention, content, and means
of communication, among others. For example, we are not allowed to raise our voice or laugh aloud when we are in
the library or in church. Roles, on the other hand, refer to the part each participant has to play in any communicative
event. For example, in a panel discussion, it is the moderator's role to facilitate the discussion between the members of
the panel.
• Noise
Noise is anything that can distort the message. It is also known as interference. This can be anything that serves to
distract the sender and receiver from achieving their intended communicative goal. The noise may have external or
internal causes. External noise refers to physical noise or interference from the environment, such as boisterous laughter,
cars honking, or bad odor. Internal noise, on the other hand, concerns the mind of communicators. If a student comes to
class hungry, for example, his hunger may distract him from concentrating in class.
While noise is always present, we can minimize its effect through various methods like using good grammar, clarity
of voice, simple language, or quality signal, among others.
• Effect
Each communication has its consequences. This consequence or result of communication, both positive and negative, is
referred to as effect. This effect may be classified as cognitive, affective, or behavioral.
Cognitive effects refer to the changes in the receiver’s intelligence as a result of communication. A student
learning during class discussion is an example of cognitive effect. Affective effects refer to the changes in the receiver’s
emotions as a result of communication. An example is a fan getting excited as she watches her idol perform on
television. Lastly, behavioral effects refer to the changes in the receiver’s actions as a result of communication. A person
buying an item from a persuasive salesperson is an example of behavioral effect.

LO4: Levels of Communication.

Communication takes place on different levels. It may be intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, public, mass, or
computer-mediated.
• Intrapersonal Communication
Internal dialogue or self-talk is referred to as intrapersonal communication. According to Jones (2013), intrapersonal
communication is “communication with oneself using internal vocalization or reflective thinking.” It is usually
unplanned and does not have clearly defined goals.
According to Dance and Larson (1976), intrapersonal communication has several social functions.
• It helps achieve or maintain social adjustment. This happens, for example, when a reserved teen
reminds herself to mingle during a friend's birthday party.
• It helps build and maintain a healthy self-concept. We self-talk to process how we think other people
see us based on how they communicate with us. How other people see us becomes part of how we see
 and define ourselves. In the earlier example, the teen appears aware that people see her as someone
reserved. She then makes an effort to adjust their perception of her.
• It helps let off steam, process emotions, think through something, or rehearse what we plan to say or do
in the future. Self-talk is a mechanism for facilitating social interactions and for enhancing well-being.
• Interpersonal Communication
When the communication takes place between people with an aim to build, maintain, or end relationships, it is
referred to as interpersonal communication. Unlike intrapersonal communication, this level of communication is more
goal-oriented, may be planned or unplanned, interactive, and fulfills social and instrumental needs. Since interpersonal
communication is interactive, it is usually more structured and influenced by ethical considerations. It also occurs in
different contexts and subfields of communication study, including group, multicultural, and computer-mediated
communication.
• Group Communication
Group communication is communication among three or more people that is usually more formal in nature and is
more oriented toward fulfilling a task or achieving a goal than interpersonal communication. As students, you usually
participate in group communication during group activities or projects.
• Public Communication
Another level of communication is public communication. It is a sender-focused communication that usually involves
one sender transmitting information to an audience. It is more formal, purposeful, and goal-oriented as compared to
interpersonal and group communication. Example of public communication are political campaign rallies.
• Mass Communication
In mass communication, message is transmitted to a potentially large audience across great distances with the use of a
technological medium. This medium may be print, such as magazines and newspapers, or electronic, such as television
and radio. There is a greater degree of intentionality in delivering a message in mass communication as it may involve
complex technologies (such as satellite digital networks), manpower, and money. Unlike in other forms of
communication, mass communication is usually one-way and the feedback is usually not immediate.

IV. OUTPUT
Write an essay that answers the question “How is intrapersonal communication important in our everyday
interactions? Cite specific personal experience as examples.
RUBRICS

CRITERIA 30 20 15 5
Focus/ Main Point The essay poorly addresses The essay is focused on The essay is focused on The essay is focused,
topic and includes topic and includes few the topic and includes purposeful, and reflects
25% irrelevant ideas loosely related ideas relevant ideas clear insight and ideas

Organization & Little or no organization of Some organization of Organizes ideas to build organizes ideas to build
Format (Paragraphs, ideas to build an ideas to build an an argument a logical, coherent
Transitions) 25% argument argument argument
Language Use, Style Little or no use of elements Appropriate use of Effective and creative
& Conventions of style Many errors in elements of style Uses use of elements of style
(Sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and Some use of elements of correct grammar, to enhance meaning
word choice, punctuation, makes style Contains frequent spelling, and Uses correct grammar,
grammar, spelling, reader’s comprehension errors in grammar, punctuation with few spelling, punctuation
punctuation) difficult spelling, and errors throughout with very
punctuation few errors
25%
Originality No experimentation nor Very little Sufficient Distinctive
(Expression of the enhancement of concepts experimentation to experimentation with experimentation with
theme in a creative No adherence to the enhance concepts Does language and usage to language and usage to
way) theme not exhibit creativity enhance concepts enhance concepts
Applies basic creative Applies higher order
25% skills to relay ideas thinking and creative
skills to relay complex
ideas

V. REMINDERS
Pass assessment on October 30, 2020, at Clarendon College Inc.

Prepared by: Approved by:

ELENOR FALLA AGUILA HAZEL P. PALAPUS, Meng.

Teacher Principal