Grade 11 Oral Communication

1st Quarter

WEEK 1: LESSON 1: Nature and Elements of Communication

LESSON 2: Models of Communication

LEARNING COMPETENCIES
1. Explains the nature and process of communication. (EN11/12OC-la-2)
2. Differentiates the various models of communication. (EN11/12OC-la-3)

LESSON 1: Nature and Elements of Communication

DEFINITION OF COMMUNICATION

Etymological meaning of communication

The English term 'Communication' has been evolved from Latin language. 'Communis
and communicare' are two Latin words related to the word communication. Communis is noun
word, which means common, communiality or sharing. Similarly, communicare is a verb, which
means 'make something common'. Some scholars relate the term communication with an
English word community. Community members have something common to each other.
communities are {supposed to be} formed with the tie of communication. It is the foundation
of community. Hence, where there is no communication, there can't be a community (Nepali
2011).
Communication can be defined in many ways. It can be a process of expressing ideas or
exchanging information from one person to another. Communication is the act or process of
using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or ideas, thoughts,
feelings, etc., to someone else. It is a process of transmitting and receiving verbal and
nonverbal messages that produce a response. It is a two-way process through which two or
more persons come to exchange ideas and achieve common understanding
The following are examples of communication situations:

 A professor (source) delivering a lecture to his or her students (receiver)

 A coach (source) talking to his or her players (receiver)
 A parent (source giving advice to his or her child (receiver) over the phone (channel)
 A video blogger (source) sharing his or her opinion (message) to his or her subscribers
(receiver)
The communication is considered effective when it achieves the desired reaction or
response from the receiver. In order for communication to be successful, the sender and
receiver must have some signs, words or signals in common with each other so the sent
message can be understood.
ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION
Communication is divided into elements which help us better understand its mechanics or
process. These elements are the following:
1. Speaker – the source or communicator or sender of information or message. The
communicator initiates the process by having a thought or an idea that she/he
wishes to transmit to others.
2. Message – the information, ideas, or thoughts conveyed by the speaker in words (whether
written or spoken) or in actions (gestures or symbols)
3. Encoding – the process of converting the message into words, actions, or other forms that
the speaker understands. It is an act of translating ideas or thought by the
source into a language that may be perceived by the senses.
4. Channel – the medium or the means, such as personal or non-personal, verbal or
nonverbal, in which the encoded message is conveyed or transmitted. It also
refers to the means of transmission in which the message travels to the
receiver. Channel is synonymous to medium. For example, if you are writing a
letter to your distant friend; your letter is the medium.
 5. Decoding – the process of interpreting the encoded message of the speaker by the
receiver. It is to understand the meaning of a received information in your own
language.
6. Receiver – the recipient of the message, or someone who decodes the message
7. Feedback – the reactions, responses, or information provided by the receiver after
receiving the message.
8. Context – refers to the environment where communication takes place
9. Barrier – the factors that affect the flow of communication

LESSON 2: MODELS OF COMMUNICATION

The process of communication can be explained through the various models of

communication constructed by experts through the years.

Linear Model

The linear model presents a straight path of relaying information. It is one-directional,

which means that information from a source or sender is conveyed directly to the receiver.
Consider a speaker delivering a speech in front of an audience. The speaker is the source and he
or she conveys his or her message directly to the audience, which is the receiver of the message

The concept of a straight path of relaying information was first proposed by Aristotle and
later on expounded by various scientists and communication experts. Eventually, Claude
Shannon (a mathematician and an electronic engineer) and Warren Weaver (a scientist and a
mathematician) introduced an important concept in the linear model of communication – noise,
or physical disturbances, such as environment and people, that hinder the sending of the
message difficult; thus, it becomes barrier to effective communication.
The Shannon -Weaver model was primarily used in technical communication, or the
process of communication that conveys scientific, engineering, or other technical information.
This is one of the earliest models of communication that shows the linear movement of message
from a source to a destination.
Notice how the feedback is merely shown as an arrow and not necessarily detailing the
process, which makes the model still linear in nature.
Later on, a communications professor and author David Berlo developed another model that
indicate that a source encodes a message before sending it and the receiver decodes it before
receiving it. This model identifies four key elements of the communication process: source,
message, channel, and receiver. His model is called the SMCR model of communication, which is
shown in figure 2.

1. Source – The source or sender is the origin of the message. He or she is influenced by
knowledge, attitudes, communication skills, and the sociocultural system.
2. Message – The message is an idea, thought, or piece of information that the source aims
to express or make own. It comprises the following:
a. Content – what the message contains
b. Elements – the language, gestures, facial expressions, and body movements that
the source or communicator uses to send his or her message.
c. Treatment – how the source delivers the message (e.g., entertaining, funny,
authoritative, firm, among others)
d. Structure – the arrangement of the message for maximum effect depending on the
goals of the source.

he form in which the message

Code -

is sent (e.g., language, facial

expressions or
body language, dance, song,
among others
3. he form in which the
message is sent (e.g.,
language, facial expressions
or
4. body language, dance,
song, among others
 the form in which the
code -

message is sent (e.g., language,

facial expressions or
body language, dance, song,
among others)
e. Code – the form in which the message is sent (e.g., language, facial expressions or
body language, dance, song, among others)

3.Channel – The channel is the means by which the message is sent.

4. receiver – The receiver is the one who receives the message. The receiver’s interpretation and
reception of the message are influenced by the same factors that influence the source of the
message.

Mass media especially TV and radio, are good example of the linear model of
communication. The message that comes from a broadcast travels through airwaves in a straight
path going to the receiver, who is the person watching or listening. In this example, noise, such
as intermittent signals from the channel that transmits the airwaves, will adversely affect the
success of the transmission of the message.
Shannon and Weave emphasized the role of noise as a barrier in communication.
Meanwhile, Berlo introduced the idea that the knowledge, attitude, communication skills, and
sociocultural system of the source and the receiver affect how they respectively encode and
decode the message. These concepts were used by later models of communication to further
explain the nature of communication.

Interactive Model
The interactive model takes the feedback from the receiver into consideration. Thus, the
message in this model originates from two sources: the message from the source and the
feedback from the receiver. When the receiver gives feedback, he or she becomes the source.
Meanwhile, the original source becomes the receiver of the feedback. Your everyday
conversations with friends are good examples of the interactive model – one gives a message,
the other receives it, and then gives feedback accordingly.
Wilbur Schramm, an authority in mass communication, introduced the interactive model in
1954. This was groundbreaking at that time because it introduced the concept of the
communicators’ “fields of experience.” Field of experience refers to the cultural background
and other frames of reference that an individual may bring into the interaction. Schramm also
took context into account. Context refers to the setting in which the communication situation
takes place.
 Communicators bring their respective fields of experience to the interaction. Their
messages, as well as the way they send and interpret them, are influenced by their fields of
experience. In order to communicate, the communicators’ fields of communication must overlap
because this indicates they have common knowledge and experiences. The more they have in
common the more their fields of experience overlap. The bigger this overlapping field is, the
more easily they interact with each other. The more they interact, the more they know about
each other and the more experiences they share. Consequently, this enlarges their shared field
of experience.

Consider, the following situation. Your teacher asked you to pair off with a classmate and
come up with a performance or project for the school program. In this instance, the context of
the communication situation is a pair work for a school project. Given this context, you and your
partner will exchange ideas on how to accomplish the given task. You talk, he or she reacts, and
vice versa. The way you both speak and the ideas you both share reflect both of your cultural
backgrounds, knowledge, and experiences.

The interactive model shows communication as a take-give interaction. You speak and the
other person listens; in turn, the other person speaks and you listen. The path, therefore, is not
linear but circular.

Transaction Model

The transaction model was developed by communication experts such as Dean Barnlund
who considered the concept of noise and the characteristics of the source and receiver. This
model of communication is commonly observed interpersonal communication or where one
person communicates with one another.
For example, observe how a buyer haggles with a vendor for the price of fish in a wet
market. The buyers ask for the price, and the vendor responds. The buyer mentions a lower
price, and the vendor either accepts or declines. The negotiation continues until the vendor
accepts the buyer’s price or until the buyers either agrees to the final price set by the vendor or
decides to buy somewhere else.
In the proceeding example, the buyer and the vendor are both sources and receivers of
messages. They construct messages based on their respective background.

According to Barnlund, people do not simply send and receive messages and send them
back again. Instead they send and receive messages simultaneously and build shared meanings
during the interaction.
 In the transactional model, noise refers to more than just something that takes place in
the channel. Instead, it is found or it occurs at any part of or any point of the process.

WEEK 2: LESSON 3: COMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

LESSON 4: FUNCTIONS of COMMUNICATION

LEARNING COMPETENCIES
1. Uses various strategies in order to avoid communication breakdown. (EN11/12OC-la-6)
2. Examines sample oral communication activities

LESSON 3: Communication Breakdown and Noise

Breakdowns in the communication process occur from time to time. A breakdown in

communication occurs when the message or the feedback is not sent or received properly – at
least in the way that the source intends – or is not received by the concerned part altogether. An
example of communication breakdown is whne your phone conversation with someone is cut off
just as you are about to tell them the important details of your message. Another example of
communication breakdown is when you cannot clearly understand the salient points of your
teacher’s lecture because your seatmates are distracting you.
Many of these causes of communication breakdown can be classified as noise. Noise is
the technical terms used to refer to all of the possible barriers to effective communication. Noise
may be physical, psychological, or semantic.

Physical noise comes from the environment (e.g., extraneous noises, white noise or a
hissing background sound, unbearable weather, a distracting visual aid, among others).
Psychological noise originates from the emotional state, mental state, and psychological
makeup of a person (e.g., depression, anger, suspicion, paranoia, biases, among others).
Physiological noise pertains to bodily conditions that compromise the ability of a person to
send or receive messages (e.g., hunger, stomachache, among others).
Semantic noise refers to anything related to the meaning of words that distorts or masks a
message and confuses the listener (e.g., speaker’s use of a foreign language, a listener’s limited
vocabulary, differing interpretations of the meaning of a word among others)
Consider a classroom scenario in which you and your classmates are listening to a math
lecture. Physical noise may be the voices of your seatmates chatting with one another, while
psychological noise is the other things you think of while listening to the lecture such as your
quiz in your next subject. Physiological noise is the bodily condition you feel that makes you lose
concentration. This condition can be hunger, headache, body pain, and so on. Semantic noise
refers to the language and how well you understand it. If the mathematical jargons are
unfamiliar to you, it will be difficult for you to understand the lecture.

Cultural Sensitivity in Communication

Cultural Sensitivity is the awareness that people have varying cultures and that the
similarities and differences of these cultures affect the values, behavior, and learning of people.
Cultural sensitivity is something that helps people accept or tolerate one another despite varying
beliefs, moral codes, and points of view. It also helps people live together in relative peace.

The lack of cultural sensitivity (or cultural insensitivity), therefor, leads to a

misunderstanding or conflict. In communication, cultural sensitivity is a type of psychological
noise that interferes with or distorts messages and causes communication breakdown. Take for
instance a group discussion in which the participants have different nationalities and cultures. If
one or two members of the group are culturally insensitive, there is a high probability that the
participants will end up arguing against one another. In turn, this will lead to disagreements.

Verbal and Nonverbal Cues

Communication is carried out through verbal or nonverbal cues. Verbal cues refer to
spoken words that are used to share messages between persons. Meanwhile, nonverbal cues
are behavior and elements of speech that transmit meaning aside from the words themselves.
Nonverbal cues include pitch, speed, tone, and volume of voice; gestures and facial expressions;
posture and stance; proximity to the participants; eye movements and contact; and even
clothing and appearance. Both verbal and nonverbal cues contribute to how the message will be
interpreted by the receiver.
Observe two people having a conversation. How do you know if they are family, friends,
coworkers, or acquaintances? You can look for many clues to deduce the level of their
relationship. For instance, if they look very similar, they might be family. Friends would kiss each
other on the cheek or give each other on the cheek or give each other a high five or a fist bump.
Coworkers or classmates might be wearing office or school uniforms. Mere acquaintances
engage in a conversation while standing at an acceptable distance from each other. Deductions
formed by observing gestures, behaviors, and similarity in physical appearance may apply to
people in various types of relationships, so it is important that you can consider the verbal
exchange between those people in order to clearly establish their relationship.

For example, if you see a little girl kisses the hand or check of an adult woman, you may
think that the adult woman is the little girl’s mother. You can also use their physical resemblance
and apparent age difference as a basis for deducing their relationship. However, verbal cues or
the actual conversations between the adult woman and the little girl can confirm their true
relationship.

Consider two men having a conversation in a restaurant. Both are dressed in business
attire and friendly but not too familiar with each other. At one point, one of them shakes the
hand of the other, and they say their thanks and go their separate ways. You probably hear one
say, “So, it’s a deal. I look forward to doing this project.” You may conclude that a business
transaction has just occurred.

Consider an author writing a novel. He may smile, frown, or clench his teeth in anger. His
actions depend on his mood while typing his manuscript. Although he is alone, he gestures and
makes facial expressions to convey his emotions.

The given examples describe verbal and nonverbal cues that accompany intrapersonal
and interpersonal communications contexts. Depending on the situation, topic, activity, and
persons involved, appropriate verbal and nonverbal cues are used to make the interaction clear
and successful.

LESSON 4: FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATIONS

1. Regulation and Control

Communication serves a number of functions. Two of these functions are regulation and
control. Regulation, according to Oxford Dictionaries, is “a rule or directive made and maintained
by an authority.” It is also “the action or process of regulating or being regulated.” In other
words, communication is mainly used by persons in authority or those who represent authority
on order to regulate or direct their subordinates. However, regulation can also be performed by
members of a group who may not necessarily have authority but could assume leadership,
depending on established relationships within the group.
Meanwhile, Oxford Dictionaries defines control as “the power to influence or direct
people’s behavior or the course of events” or “a means of limiting something.” In other words,
another function of communication is to influence or direct people’s behavior or action in a
certain way.
While regulation is aimed at making sure people are following certain communication rules,
norms, or protocol, control is all about influencing people to behave based on the personal
motivation of an individual in authority.

Consider the following examples.

 The traffic aide in the middle of an intersection gestures traffic signals or blows his whistle
to direct the flow of vehicles and pedestrians. In doing so, he prevents vehicles from
crisscrossing without regard for other motorists and accidents from ensuing.
 Religions over the world have sets of laws that they prescribe to their faithful. These laws
are moral guides that direct the faithful on how to live and how to interact with other
people. In addition, certain people in a religious group are given the authority to preach
these moral guides.
 A town crier in kingdoms of old would go around villages reading edicts from monarchs to
their subject. These edicts were followed by the villages as a sign of loyalty and
obedience to the king or queen.
 Upon using a mobile app or an online service, you are given a set of terms and conditions
in order to regulate how you should use the app or the service.
 The school principal releases a memorandum to implement new rules. Sometimes, the
school would also release letters to parents to inform them of new rules or remind them
about existing ones. Announcements are also made during student assemblies to control
and disseminate information effectively.
 2. Social Interaction and Emotional Expression

According to the Handbook of Language and Social Interaction, social interaction is the
“spontaneous verbal exchanges occurring in natural settings that are typically familiar to the
interactants.” The day-to-day social interactions you engage in are made deeper by shared
emotions. The closer you are to the person you interact with, the deeper the emotions that you
share. How do you express your emotions to your parents and siblings? How does it differ from
the way you express your emotions to people outside of your family?
Certain protocols or rules should be observed for the success of social interactions,
especially if they are outside your immediate circles. In many instances, you have to interact
with people you barely know – acquaintances, coworkers, employers, and even virtual strangers.
Take for example, your future employer. Will you talk him or her in the same way you talk
to your parents or godparents? You will most likely talk to him or her and act in a more formal
manner considering his or her position. Even in cases where there is already a sense of
familiarity and camaraderie between you and your boss, you will likely be more measured and
careful when you speak and act, lest you overstep the boundaries of the boss-subordinate
dynamic.
Below are some examples of protocols of social interaction.
 Do not be overly familiar with your superior or any person of authority.
Address him or her appropriately and show respect at all times.
 Do not make inappropriate jokes or body contact.
 Always show respect and courtesy.
 In an argument, focus on the issue and do not resort to personal attacks.
 Do not use loaded words.

An emotional expression is a manifestation of one’s internal state. It is an important

social signal that conveys a variety of information regarding a person’s state of mind and his or
her intentions.

Emotional expression is another function of communication. Every day, you express

yourself emotionally through words and gestures. Generally, the closer the relationship or the
tighter and more familiar the circle you are in, the easier it is for you to communicate how you
feel. You show love or anger differently to different people depending on how close you are to
them. Similarly, the degree of emotion – grief or happiness, for example – that you express
varies depending on the type of relationship you have with the social circle you interact with.
The ways people express emotions also vary. Some people wear their emotions on their
sleeves, which means they openly express their feelings. Others, on the other hand, are more
reserved when they convey their emotions. In addition, some people express their emotions
either orally or in writing. In many respects, the ways people express emotions are largely
determined or influenced by their purpose for expressing such.

3. Motivation and Information

Motivation is a key communication function that aims to encourage people into action.
Simply saying “Go!” to a friend who expresses a desire to do something is already an attempt to
motivate him or her, so is giving a pep talk to a depressed classmate.
Words and gestures motivate people. For instance, offering kind and affirming words to
someone can encourage that person to follow his or her dreams. Nonverbal cues such as a
simple pat on the back and a reassuring nod can be inspiring. Thus, being able to motivate
others through words and gestures is a skill you should develop so that you can encourage and
inspire the people around you in various ways.

Information
In the various definitions of communication in the previous modules, the word information
is used prominently. Communication, in fact, is defined in its most basic sense as an “exchange
of information.” Exchanges of information, with you as either the source or receiver of
information, occur regularly in your everyday life, with the pieces of information ranging from the
relevant to the mundane. For instance, you exchange information with your friends when you
talk about the latest movies you have watched or when you compare your projects with those of
others.
One can give and receive information through various channels: through face-to-face
interaction, mass
media, the internet, among others.
 ANSWER SHEET IN ORAL COMMUNICATION

NAME & SECTION: ______________________________________________________________

Exercise 1: On the space provide, explain and illustrate the functions, nature and process of
communication.

EXERCISE 2: Based on your understanding, answer the questions below:

1. What makes communication difficult for you?

_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What are the ways through which people communicate nowadays? List down all the
communication processes you see around you and which you participate.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________

EXERCISE 3: Identify the element of communication under which the following.

_______________________ 1. A TV field reported assigned to cover the events in Mindanao.
_______________________ 2. Children watching a cartoon show.
_______________________ 3. A suitor’s harana or serenade.
_______________________ 4. The storm that causes bad signal on your cable or satellite TV.
_______________________ 5. The president delivering the State of the Nation Address.
_______________________ 6. A radio
_______________________ 7. Attendees of a conference
_______________________ 8. A professor’s keynote speech
_______________________ 9. A cell phone
_______________________ 10. A bilboard of a clothing line
EXERCISE 4: Differentiate the various models of communication through Venn Diagram.

1. What do you know about communication?

___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________.
2. What makes communication effective?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________.
3. What would our world and life be without communication?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________.

EXERCISE 6: ( 2 points each)

Label the missing part of the communication model.

Encoding

Noise

EXERCISE 7: Explain your idea. (5 points each)

1. How does a regulation help in achieving the goal of communication? Explain your answer.

2. Recall a time when you had a heated discussion with someone. What emotional
expressions can you remember from this interaction?
 3. Why are distinct protocols of social interaction observed in different communication
environment such as church or school?

4. Who motivates you to do better in school? What does that person say to motivate you?

EXERCISE 8: Reflect on this. (5 points each)

A. There are times when the participants of the communication process violate rules and
conventions of communication. When do you think are these violations acceptable? Give
an example.

B. What is the importance of control in communication?

EXERCISE 9

A. Recall a time when you were not understood by someone you were talking to. How did you
feel when it happened? What did you do in order for the person to comprehend what you
are saying?

B. What will you do in the following situations to make the communication successful?

1. You are an event organizer. The speaker for the event is in the middle of his discussion.
Due to a schedule adjustment, it is already past lunchtime. The audience is no longer
paying attention to the speaker

2. Today is the scheduled graded recitation of your class. In the middle of the class
discussion, you felt dizzy due to the afternoon. The teacher is about to call your name
next.

3. You are in line at a cafe’ counter. In front of you is a foreigner trying to explain her
order to a food attendant. However, they have different linguistic backgrounds.

EXERCISE 10: Classify the following examples of noise. Write your answers in the table
provided.

toothache your teacher’s highfalutin words

drum and lyre band practice excitement about the sepak takraw game
instructions written in Arabic wrong pronunciation of words
thirst blurry vision
 daydreaming people blocking your view
sleepiness anticipation of the next speaker
missing your mom people chatting beside you
speaker’s accent worrying about your homework
poor room ventilation cold temperature inside the classroom
l lack of interest in the topic stiff neck

Physical Noise Psychological Noise Physiological Noise Semantic Noise

PERFORMACE TASK FOR THE 1ST QUARTER WEEK 1 AND 2

Below are the situations wherein you are going to communicate the situations but you only have to choose one
situation. You have to consider the emotional expression of the chosen social interaction and then identify the social
protocols that you should follow. You may do this in a monologue style or direct assuming that you have the receiver
of your message or if you may, get someone who can participate with you.

1. You were called by the guidance counselor to explain and prove that you did not cheat in the final exam.

2. Your father who works overseas, calls and asks what you want him to buy for your birthday.

3. You are chatting with your friends who are excited to hear about your summer vacation.

SUBMIT YOUR RECORDED VIDEO ON OUR FACEBOOK GROUP. THE RECORDED VIDEO MUST NOT EXCEED IN
3-MINUTE.

EXERCISE III
Reflect on what you have learned after taking up this lesson by completing the chart below.

What new or additional

ideas did you learn after
taking up this lesson?