Mary Claire B.

Garcia (2013-44033)

DEVC101 (Section Y)

T U T O R I A L C O M M E N TAR Y # 1
Importance of studying communication theory in Development Communication
Youre probably expecting me to go on and on about how studying
communication theory can help you in the future and that you will be able to apply them
too even after you graduate. But theories dont really literally help you. Theories are just
representations of chosen parts of reality. They dont show or explain everything and
theres no single theory that could explain everything even if theres only one topic the
theories were going to study about communication. I wont tell you that youll be able
to apply these communication theories in your life after you graduate or after learning
them. Because to be frank, thats up to you. Theories are there to show you and make
you realize things youve never taken too much time to think about before. Theyre not
to be worshipped and theyre not to be criticized. Theories are like colored sunglasses.
Pick a rose colored one and youll see the world in red. Pick a black one and youll see
the world in darkness. Isnt it interesting to see the world in different ways?
Were going to be studying about the different traditions of communication theory.
Have you ever stopped to think how others see and think of you when youre trying to
communicate with them? How does your way of speaking with your crush differ from the
way you talk with your close friends? Is it still called communication if what youve said
has been misunderstood? These are just tidbits of things well be analyzing about in
communication theory. So why are these things important to study when youre a
devcom student? As a devcom student, you should be aware of the theories that
surround communication because communication is also the tool that we use in our field
of study. Communication theory is the study of the taken for granted. The way we
communicate, the things we communicate about, the signs we use to communicate are
just some of the stuff that shape our reality and as a development communicator, you
should be seeing those things.
An interesting tradition
Im not very good at expressing my feelings out loud. Often times, I would just
stay silent and hope that the person Im communicating with would understand my
nonverbal cues. Ive also had my fair share of experiences wherein messages
exchanged via texting have been misunderstood and becomes cause of

misunderstandings leading to hurt feelings. There is one tradition that studies the verbal
and nonverbal signs in society that can be interpreted for something else and how their
interpretations impact our lives the Semiotic Tradition.
Signs are also within the words we choose when we communicate. The words
you use when talking to your parents or aunts and uncles differ from the words you use
with your close friends. Saying I think I like him and I really like him may convey two
different meanings. The first example used the word think which meant that the
speaker is still unsure while the second example that used the word really meant that
the speaker is sure that he/she really liked him. Signs are everywhere and even
something as simple as waving at someone you know while walking mean something.
Isnt it interesting to study about signs be it in nonverbal cues or in the words you use?
Practical metadiscourse
Craig, a communication professor from the University of Colorado, called
communication a practical metadiscourse. Meta means transcending while
discourse means the use of words to exchange thoughts and ideas. From these
meanings you could come up on your own that metadiscourse might mean that its the
use of words to exchange thoughts and ideas but in a higher state. Its exact meaning is
metadiscourse is a discourse about a discourse.
To make things simpler, lets use the word communication as a substitute for
discourse. When Craig said that communication is a practical metadiscourse he meant
that were communicating about communication. He meant that what were
communicating about is communication itself. My professor in DEVC101, Introduction to
Communication Theory, told us, That thing that we are theorizing about is the exact
same phenomenon that we use to theorize about itself. In our practical discipline, what
we use to study communication is communication itself. We communicate to understand
communication and thats the meaning of practical metadiscourse.