COMMUNICATION PROCESSES, PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS 2. Message.

2. Message. This is the information you want to convey; without it, you have no
reason for communicating. The details of the information should be very clear
COMMUNICATION
to you before you communicate it.
 The word communication comes from commun which implies “something in
3. Encoding. This is the process of converting your idea or thoughts of the
common” and ication which suggests “understanding.”
information into verbal and/or nonverbal symbols that can be understood by
 So, communication means a common understanding of something.
the receiver of the message. Your symbols must be in the language that is
 “Communication is the simultaneous sharing and creating of meaning
not foreign to the receiver.
through human symbolic interaction.”
4. Channel. This is the manner in which your message or information is
 “It is a systematic process in which individuals interact with and through
conveyed. It may be done through face-to-face conversation, telephone call,
symbols to create and interpret meanings.
video conference, or written communication.
 “Communication is the process of creating and sharing meaning by using
5. Decoding. This is the receiver‟s mental processing of your message into the
verbal and nonverbal symbols in varied contexts.”
meaning suggested by the verbal and/or nonverbal symbols you use as
The Process of Communication
sender. To be able to do this, he needs to get an accurate picture of the
message.
6. Receiver. This is the person or group of people who will get your message.
7. Feedback. This is the receiver‟s response to your message. If you get your
desired result, the communication is successful; otherwise, the
communication fails. When this happens, you have to find out why it is
unsuccessful, learn from your mistakes, and strive to do better next time.
8. Context. This refers to the situation in which the communication takes place.
1. Source. This is you, the sender of the message. To be a good sender, you
It includes:
have to know exactly what information you want to communicate, why you
o environment (the location, time of the day, temperature)
have chosen that particular information, and what result you expect from that
o the relationship between the communicators
message.
o cultural backgrounds
o topic
Elements of Communication What makes communication even more complicated?
1. Sender (who the source is) You are actually communicating with at least six “people.”
2. Message (what the idea being communicated says)  The person whom you think you are.
3. Channel (through what medium the message is relayed)  The person whom you think the other person is.
4. Receiver (to whom it is directed)  The person whom you think the other person thinks you are.
5. Effect (what the desired result of the communication is)  The person whom you think the other person thinks he is.
 The person whom the other person thinks you think you are.
Key Principles of Communication  The person whom the other person thinks you think he is.
1. Interpersonal communication is inescapable.
 It is not possible for anyone not to communicate. Even one‟s poker 4. Interpersonal communication is contextual.
face as you listen to somebody means a lot.  Communication is affected by several factors:
a) Psychological contexts. (Your desire, values, beliefs, and
2. Interpersonal communication is irreversible. personality)
 “Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can never swallow it again.” b) Relational contexts. (Your reactions to other person based on
– Russian proverb your relationships- boss, colleague, friend, sibling.)
c) Situational context. It deals with the psycho-social “where” you
3. Interpersonal communication is complicated. are communicating. An interaction that takes place in a classroom,
 Whenever you communicate with anyone, you simultaneously interpret which is quite formal, will be very different from one that takes place
both his verbal and nonverbal language, and that is often both in a bar, which is very informal.
confounding and demanding. d) Environmental context. It refers to the physical “where” you are
communicating- objects in the room and their arrangement,
location, noise level, temperature, season, time of day.
e) Cultural context. It includes all the learned behaviors and rules
that affect the interaction. (bodily movement, facial expression,
gesture, distance, and eye contact vary in different cultures.)
ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION 7. Relative truth. As either sender or receiver of information, remember that your
 Morals are personal codes while ethics are societal. own point of view may not be shared by others and that your conclusions are
 Morals are our own set of rules, so others are neither expected nor required relative to your perspectives, so allow others to respectfully disagree or see it
to follow them. differently.
 Ethics, on the other hand, are rules accepted and approved by society, so 8. Ends vs. means. Be sure that the end goal of your communication and the
they are imposed upon everyone means of getting to that end are both ethical although no rule can be applied
without reservation to any situation.

Ten Ethics in Communication 9. Use of power. In situations where you have more power than others, you also
have the responsibility for the outcome.
1. Mutuality. Pay attention to the needs of others as well as yours.
10. Rights vs. responsibilities. Balance your rights against your responsibilities
2. Individual dignity. Do not cause other person embarrassment or a loss of
even if you live in a wonderful society where your rights are protected by law;
dignity.
not everything you have a right to do is ethical.
3. Accuracy. Ensure that others have accurate information. Tell them everything
they have a right and need to know, not just what is true.
4. Access to information. Never bolster the impact of your communication by
preventing people from communicating with one another or by hindering
access to the supporting information.
5. Accountability. Be responsible and accountable for the consequences of your
relationships and communication.
6. Audience. As audience or receiver of information, you also have ethical
responsibilities. A good rule is the “200% rule” where both the sender and the
receiver have full or 100% responsibility to ensure that the message is
understood and that ethics are followed.
COMMUNICATION AND GLOBALIZATION Characteristics of Culture
 Globalization – it is the process of bringing people together and making them 1. Cultures are learned, not innate. We think and act as Filipinos because our
interact and exchange ideas across traditional borders. (Nowaczyk, 2017) parents brought us up this way. We acquired knowledge and understanding
 Globalization is the increasing economic, political, and cultural integration and of our cultural norms from our parents, teachers, relatives and friends.
interdependence of diverse cultures. (Gamble and Gamble 2013) 2. Cultures are shared. We act as members of our own cultural group, not as
CULTURE individuals, because belong to a culture means following the norms of the
group. Fitting into a group means acceptance and fellowship, and it provides
 Culture is the learned and shared behavior of a community of interacting
us members with feelings of security and love.
human beings.
3. Cultures are multifaceted. We are surrounded by cultural norms that affect
 Culture is a learned set of shared interpretations about beliefs, values, and
language, religion, basic world view, education, technology, social
norms that affect the behaviors of a relatively large people.
organization, politics and law, all interacting with one another. Behaviors and
 The preceding definitions mean that we are all part of various “groups” and
things common to people who live together in social groups are considered
“subgroups” that can be characterized by:
cultural universals, but the performance of these activities and things differs
a) nationality
dramatically from culture to culture.
b) language
4. Cultures are dynamic. Cultures constantly change as cultural contact
c) gender
increases, new technologies emerge, and economic conditions vary.
d) age or generation
Globalization has greatly changed relationships of nations and governments.
e) ethnicity
Cell phones have drastically changed interpersonal communication, and the
f) religion
availability of the Internet has affected how people of varied cultures
g) social class
recognize and respect their differences.
h) region
5. Cultural identities are overlapping. We belong to multiple, overlapping
i) profession
cultures as we interact with one another. Some of these cultures work
together while others clash. We all belong to national, regional, social class,
ethnic, professional, religious, and gender cultures.
Adaptation to New Cultures  In a high power group leadership, the few in power formulate policy
1. Cultural integration is a form of cultural exchange in which one group and activity of the many.
assumes the beliefs, practices of another group without sacrificing the  Dictator
characteristics of its own culture.  Chief
2. Cultural assimilation occurs when members of one cultural group adopt the  Minister
language, practices, and beliefs of another group, often losing aspects of their  Judge
traditional culture in the process. 2. Work Productivity. A bipolar characteristic of being masculine or feminine
 Ex: Immigrants voluntarily adopt their new country‟s language. exists in the work force or a family organization.

 The counterpart of cultural assimilation is multiculturalism, in which  Masculine culture = aggressive, competitive, assertive
cultural diversity is encouraged and valued as beneficial to the society.  winning is rewarded with honor
 Multiculturalism is the belief that cultures, races, and ethnicities,  Feminine culture = gives importance to modesty, quality of life,
particularly those of minority groups, should be accorded special tenderness
acknowledgment of their differences within a dominant political culture.  rewards are given for work satisfaction
3. Cultural accommodation refers to the process by which individuals may  salaries are determined based on needs, not on production
take on values and beliefs of the host culture and accommodate them in the 3. Group allegiance. A bipolar characteristic of individual and group orientation
public sphere while maintaining the parent culture in the private sphere. exists. In an individual orientation (individualism), an individual can change
 Ex: Filipinos who migrate to another country speak their native the standards of culture.
language at home but outside, they use the language of the receiving  Mohandas Gandhi
country.  Martin Luther King
 Adolf Hitler
 Lee Kuan Yew
The Nature of Common Cultural Differences
 Ferdinand Marcos
1. Leadership. The key characteristic of leadership is power or influence – the
 Benigno Aquino
right to manipulate the outcome of health, welfare, and critical decisions of
protection.
  Group orientation (collectivism) puts emphasis on the group, and COMMUNICATION ACROSS CULTURES
sacrificing everything for the sake of the group can change the Communication within and across Cultures
future.
Kinds of Responses:
Example:
1. Avoiding. We refuse to comply or do business in cultures that operate
 Suicide terrorists. according to ethical principles that differ from ours.
 Individualistic culture focuses on the “I.” 2. Accommodating. We can accept the different ethical system and conform to
 Collectivist culture focuses on “we.” practices different from ours.
4. Task commitment. The focus is on elements controlling the group, such as 3. Forcing. We can insist on doing business in a way we believe is ethically
tradition and commitment to the group (high context culture) versus the proper.
individual (low-context culture). 4. Educating-Persuading. We can try to convince the people with whom we want
 High context culture resists change. to do business why our ethical principle is more appropriate.
 Low context culture work for the good of the cause, not the welfare 5. Negotiating – Compromising. We and the other party can each give up
of the group. something to negotiate a settlement.
6. Collaboration – Problem Solving. We can work with the other party to face the
problem directly and reach a mutually satisfying solution.
7. Collaboration – Problem Solving. We can work with the other party to face the
problem directly and reach a mutually satisfying solution.
Guidelines on Developing Intercultural Competence 8. Be sensitive and interpret cultural styles of communication. Develop the ability
1. Widen your field of experience by making new contacts. Getting to know to understand the communication symbols of the target culture-its verbal
people coming from your targeted group whose culture differs from yours language, signs, gestures, body language, and customs.
make you understand the group and their culture better.
2. Learn about the history and the experiences and aspirations of people from BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION
different cultures. Taking a course or reading books about people of diverse 1. Ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism refers to the belief that a person‟s culture (his
cultures makes you experience their cultures vicariously, allowing you to “in-group” culture), is much better than any other group‟s culture (“out-group”
understand and appreciate them more. culture), and the tendency is for that person to judge any “out-group culture
3. Examine yourself for possible stereotypes. Stereotypes and biases result by using the norms of his “in-group” culture.
from ignorance about the targeted group. Being fair-minded and unprejudiced  If our ethnocentricity is high, the effect is negative.
makes you realize the possibility that some of your judgments are unfair and  If it is low, the effect is positive. You are interested to interact with
wrong. those belonging to the “out-group.”
4. Look at the world from someone else‟s way of looking at and thinking about 2. Stereotypes and prejudices. Stereotyping and being prejudiced against
something, not just yours. Be emphatic; try to understand other‟s perspective- cultural groups are the main barriers to intercultural communication. The
how they make sense of their world-and try to experience what and how they negative characteristics attributed to one group can cause beliefs and feelings
feel. that lead to biases and discrimination against that group. The discriminated
5. Work on becoming more self-confident. The better we feel about ourselves, group often suffers from being rejected and avoided in cross-cultural
the more likely we are to feel good about others, too, and the more able we interactions.
are not only to understand them but also to learn from them. 3. Stereotypes are often generalized negative traits assigned to a group of
people (e.g. race, nationality, social class, sexual orientation, age, gender)
6. Appreciate cultural similarities and differences. Use cultural resources to do
even if these traits may only reflect a selected few of the group. Simply said, a
this. It allows you to understand the members of different cultural groups and
stereotype is a generalization of a group of people based on a small sample
helps you establish better intercultural relationships and interactions.
of these people. Stereotyping or classifying an entire group of people or
7. Acknowledge the essential equality and value of all cultures. Never feel
culture with defining characteristics, which are usually unfair and untrue, is
superior to people belonging to any other cultural group, even a minority one.
 much easier than explaining the complexities of the uniqueness of specific IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON COMMUNICATION
situations and the individual differences essential in each event. 1. Technology provides us with unlimited information. Internet provides
4. Prejudice, an offshoot of stereotypes, is an unfair thought, belief, or feeling of convenient and fast means of getting information.
dislike for a person or group because of race, nationality, gender, sexual
2. It creates opportunities for meeting new people. Many online applications
orientation, age, religion, and so on. It is a negative preconceived opinion
enable us to meet new people anytime anywhere in the world.
held by one group toward members of another group that biases perception
3. It helps us keep in touch with family and friends anywhere in the world.
and provides a reason for discrimination.
Computers, smartphones, iPads, and email allow us to communicate quickly
5. Assumed similarities. An assumption of similarity is a baseless,
and easily.
unreasonable refusal to see cultural differences where they exist. This
4. It brings new diversity to our culture and our lives. The pace of change
hapens when members of one group assume that all groups behave the
caused by technology is simply amazing. Google recipes, and you can put
same way that what is true to their culture is also true to all other cultures.
sumptuous meals on the dining table. Your cellphone, with its digital camera,
This results in insensitivity to cultural differences.
has replaced the film camera.
6. Anxiety. Intercultural communication anxiety is the fear or apprehension
5. It fosters better cooperation among different cultural groups. New
associated with either real or anticipated communication with people from
technologies help companies extend participation on a project to an ever
another cultural group. The fear is often caused by differences in language
greater number of people, allowing firms to tap into a wide body of knowledge
ability, verbal and nonverbal communication styles, and expression of
and expertise.
emotions. Both “in-group” and “out-group” cultures may experience feelings of
6. It isolates us. Cellphones take us away from the people we love.
impatience, frustration, and suspicion, while communicating or even in
anticipation of the interaction, which can then increase anxiety in both parties. 7. It can make us create second lives. Millions of people find solace in virtual
communities where they have found a second life. You might have heard of
Sim City, Farmville, and Cities Skylines. In these social networking sites,
users create or choose avatars to interact with other users in anywhere in the
world.
LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNICATION IN MULTICULTURAL SETTINGS The Inner Circle covers the native English-

Culturally Appropriate Terms, Expressions, Images speaking countries such as:

“Every country has its own way of saying things. The important thing is that  England Australia

which lies behind people’s words.”(Freya Stark, n.d.)  USA New Zealand
 Canada
 Cultural differences result in misunderstanding, and “language, more than
anything else, is at the heart of culture.” The Outer Circle comprises the former

 The previous statement implies that being proficient in English does not colonies such as:

guarantee our being able to understand what another speaker of English is  India Malaysia
trying to communicate unless we become fully aware of how that speaker  Africa Singapore
uses English based on his own culture.  Nigeria Philippines
 Differences are also found along:  Pakistan Bangladesh
o Pronunciation The Expanding Circle consists of countries
o Spelling such as:
 China Saudi Arabia
WORLD ENGLISHES AND ENGLISH AS INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE  Japan Korea

In the present era of high technology, the issue on culture and use of English  Germany Taiwan

has become more complicated than what it seems because of the emergence of the  Turkey Israel

now recognized “World Englishes.” These varieties of English are used by three  Egypt

identified “concentric circles” of societies.

 When turning to other circles, the question of what counts as a language and  The interlanguage results from a several language-learning processes, such
what may be considered a variety of English is somewhat intricate. Pidgins as borrowing patterns from the mother tongue, extending patterns from the
and Creoles belong to this issue. target language, and expressing meanings using the words and grammar that
 Pidgins are used as lingua franca for trade or any other practical are already known.
interaction.  In India English, the meaning of the tag in tag questions is its social meaning
o A pidgin uses words from the languages of communicators to not the meaning of the main proposition (or the independent clause) as
understand each other, but it is not the language of either expected in American or British English.
communicator. The pidgin is a “little more than strings of nouns,  In standard American or British English, tag questions are formed by using
verbs and adjectives, often arranged to place old, shared the subject of the independent clause and an appropriate modal auxiliary.
information first and new information later in the sentence.”  Indian culture on grammatical rules is also evident in the use of “may” in
 The language providing vocabulary is called lexifier, and the language that Indian English.
provides the syntactic structure is call the substrate. After an extended  Indian English: “These mistakes may please be corrected.”
period of using a pidgin in a community, when the pidgin becomes more fully  Standard English: “These mistakes must be corrected.”
developed and serves as the language community, it becomes a “creole.”
 Example of Hawaian Creole Bible text.
 Day Numba One
 “Den God say, „I like the light shine!‟ an the light start to shine. God
see how good da light. Den he put the light on one side, and da
dark on da odda side. Da light time, he give um da name „Day
time.‟ Da dark time, he give um da name „Nite time.‟ So, had da nite
time and day time, az day numba one.
 In the process of learning English as either a second language or a foreign
language, people from the outer and expanding circles develop an
interlanguage, a “learner language” that deviates from the norms of the
target language. This is a transitional linguistic system at all levels
(phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics).
LINGUISTIC PREFERENCES AND NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR DIFFERENCES IN NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR
 Variations in the way different cultures use language – like linguistic  Australia: Thumbs up means obscene
preferences and nonverbal behaviors – also cause miscommunication. V sign with palm facing toward the
Nuances in linguistic preferences provide hints about behavior, manners, and speaker is the obscene “up yours” insult.
thinking as a cultural group.  France: Your hands should be visible at all times even when seated at a table.
o Examples:  Germany: It is impolite to put your hands in your pockets.
 Spaniards and Italians prefer eloquence and expressiveness Show respect; be punctual.
to exactness, tend to be flowery with their language.  Hong Kong: Maintain a two-arm‟s-length distance with the person.
 The English are very polite, use understatement to avoid Touching and patting are taboo. When you are seated, your feet should be
confrontation, hence, sometimes end up being ambiguous facing the ground; the soles of your shoes should not be shown.
 Asians, including the Japanese and Chinese, consider harmony  Indonesia: When you are in a private home or mosque, be sure to remove
an important virtue, so to avoid confrontation, they often say your shoes. Position them by pointing them toward the door from which you
“yes” to many things with the understanding of “Yes, I hear you” entered.
or “Yes, I understand,” and not necessarily “Yes, I agree.  Japan: The bow is still the tradition in greetings. Bend your body a 30-degree
 People in Latin America, and Southern Europe are not angle from the waist. For men: Palms should be face up, toward the knee. For
comfortable with ambiguity because they are conditioned to women: Hands should be folded in front of you as you bow.
expect absolute truths.  Saudi Arabia: Expect greeting to be very emotional. They consist of a
 Scandinavians tend to be reserved; they are completely “salaam alaykum” (“May God be with you”) followed by a handshake and then
focused, dedicated listeners. a “keef halak” (“How are you?”). *
 Germans, on the other hand, are very logical in both manner  Singapore: Gesture with your entire hand in conversation. Pointing with one
and words. or two fingers is rude. Avoid showing the soles of your shoes. Your feet should
 Edward T. Hall called nonverbal behaviors “the silent language.” be used for walking – nothing else. *
 Nonverbal behaviors are expressive human attributes that impart feelings,  South Korea: When meeting someone, slight bow is appropriate. It is
attitudes, reactions, and judgment which need to be given continued attention considered good manners to acknowledge an older person by standing when
because they are acquired mainly through acculturation. the person enters the room.*
  United Kingdom: When meeting someone, respect space by maintaining a  Texts using chronological or time order:
two arm‟s length distance. Men should wait for a British woman to extend her o Narration
hand before shaking hands. * o Process
 Texts using spatial or space order:
o Description
EVALUATING MESSAGES AND/OR TEXT
 Language is the means by which the information is expressed verbally and/or
 Message is the information conveyed in the communication process. It
nonverbally.
comprises verbal and/or nonverbal content, which may be spoken, written or
 Ideas may be conveyed using any of the five language registers:
manual (for sign language).
o very formal
 Message refers to any recorded message such as writing, audio recording,
o formal
audio and video recording that is physically independent of its sender or
o neutral
receiver
o informal, or
 Medium includes such broad categories as speech and writing or print and
o very informal.
broadcasting, or relate to specific technical forms with the mass media (radio,
 The formality of vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics needed are dictated by
television, newspapers, magazines, photographs, films and records).
the register you are to use.
 In order to produce quality text, you need to consider the following:
 Presentation covers the layout, format, length, oral delivery (voice, body
o Text type
language, timing) and any other conventions, such as spelling and
o Purpose
referencing.
o Audience
 These factors have implications for structure, language, and
presentation SEMIOTIC AND TEXT ANALYSIS

 Structure refers to how the information is organized. You may use text  Semiotics is concerned with “everything that can be taken as a sign.” It
genres (kinds of texts based on its development): texts using logical order involves the study not only of what we refer to as “signs” in everyday
such as exposition – ex: cause and effect, comparison, analogy, definition, speech, but of anything which stands for something else; in a sense, signs
classification, problem-solution, persuasion. take the form of words, images, sounds, gestures, and objects.
  Signs consist of signifiers (sounds and images) and signifieds (concepts).
The sign is the whole that results from the association of the signifier with
the signified.
 The relationship between the signifier and the signified is referred to as
signification. For example, if you hear the sounds represented by the
letters “b-o-y” or a picture of a boy (the signifier), you think of a concept
“male child” (the signified) Together, the sounds of the word (or the
picture) and the concept created by the sounds form a sign. 1. Linguistic or textual system, comprising aspects, such as vocabulary,
 Semiosis, a term borrowed from Charles Sanders Peirce, is the process generic structure, and the grammar of oral and written language.
by which a culture produces signs and/or assigns meaning to signs. 2. Visual system, consisting of aspects, such as color, vectors, and viewpoint in
 Semiotics can be understood as the “mental concept it represents, which still and moving images.
is common to all members of the same culture, who share the same 3. Audio system, with aspects, such as volume, pitch, and rhythm of music and
language.” sound effect.
 Semiotics, therefore refers to a kind of social interaction among 4. Gestural system, including aspects, such as movement, speed, and stillness
individuals who try to make sense out of the different interpretation in facial expression and body language.
possibilities of the sign. 5. Spatial system, covering aspects, such as proximity, direction, position of
 Language, as a sign, creates misunderstanding when used by second layout, and organization of objects in space.
language users. Errors are often seen in translation.

 Examples of multimodal texts which be delivered via different media or

MASS MEDIA AND MULTIMODAL TEXTS technologies:

 Mass media refers to the type of communication that uses technology to 1. Picture book, in which the textual and visual elements are arranged

simultaneously reach a wide audience. on individual pages that contribute to an overall set of bound pages

 A text is multimodal when it combines two or more of the five semiotic 2. Web page, in which elements, such as sound effects, oral language,

system. written language, music, and still or moving images are combined.
3. Live ballet performance, in which gesture, music, and space are the
main elements.