LESSON 2

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. name the 4c’s of the 21st century skills;

2. infer the essence of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication
in the interconnected world;
3. comprehend the learning outcomes expected from the course;
4. create a vision/mission statement toward the goal of achieving competence in
communication.

ERCEIVE
The 4c’s of the 21st Century Skills

In this digitally interconnected

world, students need to learn the essential
21st century skills. These skills not only
provide a framework for successful learning
but ensure them of chance that they can
thrive tremendously in a world where change
is constant and learning never stops.

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 The framework for the 21st century learning emphasizes the 4c’s. these four skills
are universally recognized as essential for any career.

Critical Thinking involves logical thinking and reasoning. It is the practice of solving
problems and the ability to discover the truth in assertions, especially when it comes to separating
facts from opinion.

Creativity is the practice of thinking outside the box. The point is encouraging students to
try new approaches to get things done.

Collaboration is the practice of working together to achieve a common goal. As the world
becomes more interconnected, collaboration becomes a more and more essential skill than it
already is.

Communication is the practice of engaging in constructive and critical conversations,

listening for and sharing thoughts, questions and ideas in diverse environments high-valued
today’s students should be empowered with these skills because they are the building blocks that
set them up for success in the future.

NDERSTAND
The Learning Outcomes of the Course

When it comes to the 21st century skills, communication tops the list of desired skills. While
the generation today is technologically savvy, studies have shown that students are having dearth
in articulating their thoughts effectively using different forms of communication in a variety of
context.

Thus, the role to be played by the course Purposive Communication (GEED 10063) is
significantly trailblazing. The subject is attuned to the goals of the 21st century learning paradigm.
Basically, the course develops the students’ communicative competence and enhances their
cultural and intercultural awareness through multimodal tasks to provide them opportunities for
communicating effectively and appropriately to multi-cultural audience in local or global context
with focus on the effective use of English language, the worlds’ lingua franca. It equips students
with tools from critical evaluation of variety of texts and focuses on the power of language and the
impact of images to emphasize the importance of conveying messages responsibly. The
knowledge, skills and insights that students gain from this course may be used in their other

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academic endeavors, their chosen disciplines and their future careers as they compose and
produce relevant oral, written, audio-visual and/or web-based output for various purposes. It also
aims to familiarize learners on the varieties of English and lexicons from different English-
speaking countries for effective global communication.

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 LESSON 3

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. identify the principles, processes and ethics of communication;

2. describe the elements of verbal and non-verbal communication in various multi-
cultural context;
3. practice effective communication skill;
4. evaluate communication skills;
5. reflect on a learning experience.

ERCEIVE
COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES

• Communication is a process of exchanging verbal and/or non-verbal information between

two or more people who can be either the speaker or the receiver of messages.
• Communication is used to meet the purpose of a person. The purpose could be to inform,
to persuade, or to entertain.
• Communication can be in the form of written, verbal, non-verbal, and visuals.

» Written communication involves texts or words encoded and transmitted through

memos, letters, reports, on-line chat, short message service or SMS, electronic mail or e-
mail, journals and other written documents.

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 » Verbal communication involves an exchange of information through face-to-face, audio
and/or video call or conferencing, lectures, meetings, radio, and television.

» Non-verbal communication involves the use of the following to convey or emphasize a

message of information.

▪ Voice — this includes tone, speech rate, pitch, pauses and volume.
▪ Body language — this includes facial expressions, gestures, postures, and eye contact.
▪ Personal space or distance — this refers to an area of space and distance that a person
from a different culture, personality, age, sex, and status adopts and puts for another
person.
▪ Personal appearance — this refers to how a person presents himself/herself to a
particular situation, whether formal or informal.

» Visuals involve the use of images, graphs, charts, logos, and maps.

• Communication can be intended or unintended.

» Intended communication refers to planning what and how you communicate your ideas
to other people who are older than you are or who occupy a higher social or professional
position such as your parents, teachers, and supervisors among others.

» Unintended communication, on the other hand, happens when you unintentionally send
non-verbal messages to people you are communicating with, or when you suddenly make
negative remarks out of frustration or anger.

• Communication is a complex process that requires you to

» know your audience,

» determine your purpose,

» identify your topic,

» expect objections,

» establish credibility with your target audience,

» present information clearly and objectively, and

» develop a practical, useful way to seek for feedback.

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COMMUNICATION PROCESSES
The communication process involves elements such as source, message, encoding,
channel, decoding, receiver, feedback, context, and barrier.

• Source — the speaker or sender of a message

• Message — the message, information, or ideas from the source or speaker
• Encoding — the process of transferring the message
• Channel — the means to deliver a message such as face-to-face conversations,
telephone calls, e-mails, and memos, among others.
• Decoding — the process of interpreting an encoded message
• Receiver — the recipient of the message
• Feedback — the reactions or responses of the receiver to the message from the sender
• Context — the situation or environment in which communication takes place
• Barriers — the factors which may affect the communication process.

Examples of barriers to communication:

» Culture

» Individual differences

» Language use

» Noise

» Past Experiences

» Status

Communication can be a one-

way or two-way process.
Communication as a one-way
process is best illustrated in the
model of Shannon-Weaver (1949)
as shown in Figure 1. In this
model, the sender is active while
the receiver is passive during the
communication process.
Figure 1. Shannon-Weaver Model of Communication

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 On the other hand, communication as a two-way process is exemplified by a transactional
model as shown in Figure 2. In this model, the messages, information, or ideas are sent and
received at the same time. Hence, the sender and the receiver become active during the process,
and both serve as communicators.

Figure 2. Transactional Model of Communication

COMMUNICATION ETHICS

Effective communicators observe ethics. This means that they deal with values,
righteousness, and behavior appropriate for human communication particularly in a multicultural
situation. Below are some of the ethical considerations.

• Uphold integrity. Be truthful with your opinion and be accurate with your judgment.
• Respect diversity of perspective and privacy. Show compassion and consideration
with the beliefs, status, affiliations, and privacy of others.
• Observe freedom of expression effectively. Be careful of what and how you say your
words depending on the type of people you are communicating with.
• Promote access to communication. Give others an opportunity to express what they
feel and think about the message being communicated.

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 • Be open-minded. Accept that others have different views or opinions, which
may conflict with yours. So, listen and process the views of other people, and
learn how to reconcile their opinions with your own.
• Develop your sense of accountability. Acknowledge responsibility for all
your actions, good or bad.

GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Effective communication plays a crucial role in your personal and professional

success.
Below are some guidelines for effective communication:

• Be clear with your purpose. As a sender, you must have a specific purpose
in mind. This can help you convey your message effectively to your target
audience or receivers in written, verbal, non-verbal, or visual form.
• Support your message with facts. When you provide an incomplete or
vague information, you can cause confusion or misunderstanding in your
audience. Hence, you should be well-prepared with your supporting ideas
through examples, experiences, or observations when you deliver a
message.
• Be concise. There is always a sense to this cliché, "keep it short and simple."
Avoid irrelevant or unnecessary details in your message and keep it concise.
• Provide specific information in your feedback. Give feedback that is
timely, constructive, and specific to the topic being discussed.
• Adjust to the needs, interests, values, and beliefs of your audience.
Every person has different needs and comes from different cultural
background. Your role as an effective communicator is to adjust to those
needs, interests, values, and beliefs of your audience. Essentially, use
language or vocabulary which is appropriate to your audience. Avoid
technical terms and jargons because they can be barriers to communication.
• Observe communication ethics. Some ethical practices in communication
have been mentioned. Observing ethics in a communication process will
help you build your credibility and make you more professional.
• Be your natural self and appear very confident. Have the right attitude
and happy disposition in life; control your emotions, and think well before you
speak.

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