MODULE 1: COMMUNICATION: An Introduction

In a residential or face-to-face class, students express their thoughts through recitation,

reaction on a classmate's idea, group discussions, brainstorming etc. to make learning
interactive and effective. In an online or correspondence-based mode, how do we make
learning an interactive one? What forms of communication activities shall you engage in to
have an interactive and effective learning? Concrete answers to these questions will be
presented as we go through this module. To start with, let us recall concepts and principles
of communication.

UNIT 1: Communication Concepts and Principles

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

1. apply the communication concepts and principles.

ENGAGE YOURSELF!

A. How many of the following statements about communication do you find true? Using a
pencil, check the items that you think are true.

_____1. Progress in national and local level requires effective communication among
people.
_____2. The sharing of knowledge across nations requires communication.
_____3. Knowledge is optimally consumed even without communication.
_____4. The advancement of all fields of specialization like Political Science needs effective
communication.
_____5. No nation has ever progressed without communication.
_____6. Good social relationships are impossible without effective communication.
_____7. Communication is impertinent to development.
_____8. There are many challenges in the attainment of effective communication.
_____9. One message can be delivered by different individuals with varying levels of
success.
_____10. My ability to communicate impacts my academic and professional
advancement.
_____ 11. Communication is a daily human activity.

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B. Answer the following questions in one sentence each.
1. What communication challenges or difficulties do you have?

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2. As engineers/ architects, of what use will effective communication skills be?

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EXPLORE (DIVE IN!): You are now ready to know more. But before that, express what
you already know.

The Components of Communication

Review: Match the numbered items with the options given. Write the word on the blanks
preceding each item.

_____ 1. He/she may be traffic enforcer using hand signals, a telephone caller, a
newscaster, an author, or anyone who crafts and sends messages.

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_____2. It is the intended meaning or idea in different forms such as song, speech, letter,
and many more.
_____3. It is the means by which the message is conveyed. The human voice, the
telephone, the microphone are few examples.
_____4. This refers to the individual or audience to whom the message was delivered.
_____5. This refers to the receiver’s confirmation of the message which is also considered a
message.
_____6. This is known as the atmosphere, the place, and the condition of communication.
_____7. This refers to the shared understanding and expectations of the communicators.
_____8. These are the challenges or barriers of communication.

To conclude, what is communication?

Communication is the process of meaning-making through a channel or a medium in a specific

context. It is very vital in any aspect of life. In an online or correspondence mode, for instance, a
teacher cannot understand what the students feel if they do not articulate themselves verbally
through leaving comments or questions in the google classroom (for on-line learners) or sending text
message or private message (for correspondence-based learners). Unlike in a residential or
face-to-face class, a teacher can see the non-verbal cues of the students. These non-verbal cues
will give the teacher an idea if the discussion is not clear to the students.

Etymologically, communication comes from the Latin word communicare, meaning to make
common. What do we make common? If you are thinking of the color blue, for example, the shade
of blue in your mind should be the same shade of blue in the mind of the person whom you are
talking to. How you make that happen depends on how you communicate the concept.
Communicating the concepts involves components of communication. These are the:

1. source or sender
2. message
3. channel
4. receiver
5. feedback
6. environment - the condition of the speaker and receiver; physical, emotional etc
7. context - interrelated conditions in which communication spring

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8. interference - communication barriers that may affect communication; psychological,
physical, linguistic and cultural (language and cultural environment), or mechanical
barriers (channels like tablet, cellphone)

Among the enumerated barriers, which one can you manage the most and why?

Answer: _____________________________________________________________________
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Principles of Effective Communication

For optimum communication results, Osborn (2009, cited in Wakat, et al 2018) posits that
the following principles should be applied.

1. Clarity
Clarity has to be observed in crafting and in delivering messages. Fuzzy language,
jargon, clichés, euphemisms, and similar others should be avoided when they interfere with
clarity. Clarity, especially in technical fields, should never be compromised.

2. Concreteness
Be specific. Messages are made more understandable with specific data. The use of
accurate words helps in achieving concreteness. A 50-kilometer drive is more specific than
a long drive. Likewise, a 100-square-meter 2-story house is much more specific than an
average-sized house.

3. Courtesy
Be courteous. Be polite in words and in manner. Courtesy builds goodwill and
sustains good human relationships.

4. Correctness
Strive to achieve grammatically correct sentences. Serious grammar and
pronunciation errors lead to meaning inaccuracies. Edit and proofread messages before
delivering them.

5. Consideration
Consider the receiver’s level of education, race, and other social orientations when
crafting and delivering a message. A simple word for you may not be that simple for others.
Also, in pointing other peoples’ mistakes, consider that no one commits mistake
intentionally. Hence, it is always good to approach the person with kindness.

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6. Creativity
Make your message interesting and captivating. Say for example, the message
“Follow the traffic rules” can be creatively expressed in different ways: “Drive safely and
get home to your loved ones” or it could be made to sound as a warning “You will get to
our jail when you drive fast.” Effective business taglines are good examples of how
creativity in communication achieves the desired impact.

7. Conciseness
Be direct and simple in your message. Make each word count – that is, no word
should be used that does not contribute to the meaning. Conciseness requires
communicators to choose accurate words to express intended meanings so that messages
are kept short. Conciseness, however, does not set a specific number of words used. It is
always relative to the nature of the message.

8. Cultural Sensitivity
Be attentive to people’s cultural differences. A joke in one culture might be an insult
to another.

Remember one of those instances when you were misunderstood or you misunderstood
someone. Narrate in three sentences how and why miscommunication happened.

Answer: ________________________________________________________________________
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Communication does not take place without conventions. As ethical communicators we

have to respect audience, consider the result of communication, value truth, use
information correctly and shall not falsify information (Wakat, et. al., 2018).

EXPLAIN (GET THE HANG OF IT!)

Let us now look at communication in the light of your Engineering career.

Have you ever questioned the relevance of communication skills to your future profession?
What exactly will you be doing in your field?

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Attached is a video that will help you understand why communication subjects are made
integral part of your curriculum (on-line mode learners) or check your OTG, click on Module
1 folder then the Module 1, Unit 1 first video (correspondence-based learners).

ELABORATE (ON MY OWN NOW)

Imagine that you are in your work field. Look at your clients and your colleagues, what
specific communication skills do you need? Why?
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EVALUATE: (GET TESTED!)

Prepared to engage in a more effective communication, you are now comfortable to do
the following:

Write an 8-12- word captivating and interesting campaign slogan intended to promote
your program (BSAC) to incoming college freshmen. This activity will help you in your next
task.