ORAL COMMUNICATION

LESSON 1: FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication

- a process of sharing and conveying messages or information from one person to another
within and across channels, contexts, media, and cultures.

- occurs between two or more people ( the speaker and the receiver )

- can be expressed through words ( verbal ), actions ( nonverbal ), or both at the same time.

- it can be a face-to-face interaction, a phone conversation, a group discussion, a meeting or

interview, a class recitation, and many others.

Elements of Communication

1. Speaker

- the source of information or message.

2. Message

- the information, ideas, or thoughts conveyed by the speaker in words or in actions.

3. Encoding

- the process of converting the message into words or actions.

4. Channel

- the medium or the means, such as personal or non-personal, verbal or nonverbal, in which the
encoded message is conveyed.

5. Decoding

- the process of interpreting the encoded message of the speaker by the receiver.

6. Receiver

- the recipent of the message, or someone who decodes the message

7. Feedback
 - the reactions, responses, or information provided by the receiver.

8. Context

- the environment where communication takes place.

9. Barrier

- the factors that affect the flow of communication.

Process of Communication

The speaker generates an idea.

The speaker encodes an idea or converts the idea into words or actions.

The speaker transmits or sends out a message.

The receiver gets the message.

The receiver decodes the message or interprets the message based on the context.

The receiver sends or provides feedback.

Models of Communication

1. Shannon-Weaver Model

- it is a one-way process without feedback

2. Transaction Model
 - it is a two-way process with the inclusion of feedback as one element.

- it is more interactive. There is collaborative exchange of messages between comunicators with

the aim of understanding each other.

Functions of Communication

1. Control

- communication functions to control behavior.

2. Social Interaction

- communication allows individuals to interact with others.

3. Motivation

- communication motivates or encourages people to live better.

4. Emotional Expression

- communication facilitates people’s expression of their feelings and emotions.

5. Information Dissemination

- communication functions to convey information.

Features of an Effective Communication

1. Completeness

- it should include everything that the receiver needs to hear for him/her to understand and respond
properly.

2. Conciseness

- making it direct or straight to the point.

3. Consideration
 - the speaker should always consider relevant information about the receiver.

4. Concreteness

- the message should be concrete and supported by facts, figures, and real-life examples and
situations.

5. Courtesy

- by respecting the culture, values, and beliefs of his/her receivers.

6. Clearness

- it implies the use of simple and specific words to express ideas.

7. Correctness

- it eliminates the negative impact on the audience and increases the credibility and effectiveness
of the message.

Barriers to Communication

1. Emotional Barriers

- you are having a bad day or you feel frustated.

- you sit in a meeting or class where you think the speaker is boring.

2. Use of Jargon

- you are a scientist discussing a certain weather phenomenon with your neighbor who does not
know much about the topic.

3. Lack of Confidence

- you are asked to share something about your day or weekend, but you are hesitant because you
are shy.

4. Noisy Environment

- you are having a conversation with some friends when a song was played loudly.

5. Physiological Noise

- the noise coming from within yourself.

 Verbal Communication

- refers to an interaction in which words are used to relay a message or express ideas in which can
be easily understood by the person you are talking to.

1. Appropriateness

- the language you used should be appropriate to the environment or occasion.

2. Brevity

- by being more direct to your words and avoid fillers and expressions which do not add to the
message.

3. Clarity

- by clearly state your message and express your ideas and feelings.

4. Ethics

- it should be carefully chosen in consideration of the gender, roles, ethnicity, preferences, and
status of the person or people you are talking to.

5. Vividness

- you are encouraged to find ways to charm your audience through the use of vivid words in which
it usually adds color and spice to the communication.

Nonverbal Communication

- refers to an interaction without using words to convey and represent meanings.

- sign language, gestures, body language, and facial expressions.

Intercultural Communication

- communication between individuals or groups of different culture.

The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

 - offers a structure that explores how people experience cultural differences.

Stage 1: Denial

- the individual does not recognize cultural differences.

Stage 2: Defense

- the individual starts to recognize cultural differences and is intimidated by them, resulting in a
superior view on own culture.

Stage 3: Minimization

- although individuals see cultural diferences, they tend to seek only for the similarities rather than
the differences.

Stage 4: Acceptance

- the individual begins to appreciate important cultural differences in behaviors and values.

Stage 5: Adaptation

- the individual is very open to world views when accepting new perspective.

Stage 6: Integration

- individuals start to go beyond their own cultures and see themselves and their actions based on
multi-cultural viewpoints.

Types of Speech Context

1. Intrapersonal

- refers to communication with one’s self, and that may include self-talk, acts of imagination and
visualization, and even recall a memory.

Examples:

You spent the night thinking and analyzing why a student from the other class talked to you on
the way home and you decided it probably meant nothing.

You felt happy while thinking about how your teacher appreciated you for submitting your
project before the due date and you reflected on why this was so.
2. Interpersonal

- refers to communication between and among people and establishes personal relationship
between and among them.

Types of Interpersonal Contexts

1. Dyad Communication

- communication between two friends.

Examples:

A conversation between two friends.

An exchange of letters or mails.

A private professional conversation.

2. Small Group

- communication that involves at least three but not more than ten people who are related to each
other by some common purpose.

Examples:

You are participating in a meeting which aims to address the concerns of your fellow students.

You are having a discussion with your group mates on how to finish the assigned tasks.

3. Public

- refers to communication that requires you to deliver or send messages before or in front of many
people.

Examples:

Delivering a graduation speech to your batch.

Participating in a declamation or debate contest watched by a number of people.

4. Mass Communication
 - refers to communication that takes place through television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books,
billboards, internet, and other types of media.

Examples:

Advertising

Journalism

Public Relations

Types of Speech Styles

1. Intimate

- This style is private, which occurs between or among close family members or intimate
individuals.

2. Causal

- This style is common among peers and friends.

- Jargon, slang, street language, gay language or vulgar words are used.

3. Consultative

- This style is the standard one.

- Professional language is a must in this style.

4. Formal

- This style is used in formal settings and it is a one-way nature.

5. Frozen

- This style of communication rarely or never changes, it is frozen in time and content.

Speech Act

- An utterance that a speaker makes to achieve an intended effect.

- It might just contain one word or several words or sentences.

 3 Types of Speech Act

1. Locutionary Act

- the actual act of uttering.

2. Illocutionary Act

- the social function of what is said.

3. Perlocutionary Act

- the resulting act of what is said.

Classification of Illocutionary Acts

1. Assertive

- the speaker expresses belief about the truth of a proposition.

- suggesting, putting forward, swearing, boasting, and concluding

2. Directive

- the speaker tries to make the addressee perform an action.

- asking, ordering, requesting, inviting, advising, and begging.

3. Commissive

- the speaker is commited to do something in the future.

- promising, planning, vowing and betting.

4. Expressive

- the speaker expresses his/her feelings or emotional reactions.

- thanking, apologizing, welcoming, and deploring.

5. Declaration

- the speaker brings changes in the external situation.

- blessing, firing, baptizing, bidding, passing a sentence, and excommunicating.

6. Question

Types of Communicative Strategies

1. Nomination

- the speaker tries to open a topic with the people you are talking to.

2. Restriction

- refers to limitations the speaker may have.

3. Turn-taking

- refers to the process of when and how to speak.

4. Topic Control

- refers to the controling and preventing unnecessary interuptions and topic shifts in a
conversation.

5. Topic Shifting

- it involves moving from one topic to another.

6. Repair

- refers to how speakers address the problems in speaking, listening, and comprehending that they
may encounter in a conversation.

7. Termination

- it uses verbal and nonverbal languages to end a certain topic or interaction.