Preliminaries

Module Title: Chapter 1 – The Nature And Process Of

Communication

Course Title: SPEECH AND ORA COMMUNICATION

Course Number: GEE 101

Total Learning Time:3 hours / 4 weeks

Pre-requisites: None

Overview:

The course is designed to develop the students’ oral communication skills for
effective personal, group, and Public Communication in the various
disciplines. It also provides for the improvement of skills in oral interchange
between and among people. It includes the study of the mechanics of oral
communication, the various forms of speech. Models for analysis are also
included. Emphasis is given to the development of the learner’s skill in
making and delivering original speeches on different occasions.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Use accurate, meaningful, and appropriate language in oral

discourse
2. Better understand the peculiarities of the English language
3. Correctly articulate English sounds
4. Apply efficient and critical listening
5. Do effective oral reading of English texts
6. Successfully conduct interview and small-group communication
7. Have successful speech preparation and speech delivery

Indicative Content:

Module 1: The Nature And Process Of Communication

1.1 Defining Communication

1.2 Types of communication
1.3 The process of communication
1.4 Encoding and decoding messages

Module 2: Listening And The Symbol System

2.1 What is listening

2.2 Listening and hearing
 2.3 Types of listening
2.4 Tips for effective listening
2.5 Speech sounds
2.6 The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
2.7 The SCHWA sound
2.8 Dipthongs

Module 3: Intrapersonal And Interpersonal Communication

3.1 Intrapersonal Communication

3.2 Interpersonal Communication
3.3 Types of intrapersonal and interpersonal communication
3.4 Tips for effective communication

Module 4: Public Speaking

4.1 What is public speaking

4.2 Organizing a speech
4.3 Tips in delivering a speech

What is Communication?
See also: Interpersonal Communication Skills
Communication is simply the act of transferring information
from one place, person or group to another.

Every communication involves (at least) one sender, a message

and a recipient. This may sound simple, but communication is
actually a very complex subject.

The transmission of the message from sender to recipient can be

affected by a huge range of things. These include our emotions,
the cultural situation, the medium used to communicate, and
even our location. The complexity is why good communication
skills are considered so desirable by employers around the
world: accurate, effective and unambiguous communication is
actually extremely hard.
This page explains more about what we mean by ‘communication’.

Defining Communication
communication, n. The imparting or exchanging of information by
speaking, writing, or using some other medium. …The successful conveying
or sharing of ideas and feelings.

Oxford English Dictionary

As this definition makes clear, communication is more than simply the transmission
of information. The term requires an element of success in transmitting or imparting a
message, whether information, ideas, or emotions.

A communication therefore has three parts: the sender, the message,

and the recipient.
The sender ‘encodes’ the message, usually in a mixture of words and non-verbal
communication. It is transmitted in some way (for example, in speech or writing), and
the recipient ‘decodes’ it.

Of course, there may be more than one recipient, and the complexity of
communication means that each one may receive a slightly different message. Two
people may read very different things into the choice of words and/or body language.
It is also possible that neither of them will have quite the same understanding as the
sender.
 In face-to-face communication, the roles of the sender and recipient are not distinct.
The two roles will pass back and forwards between two people talking. Both parties
communicate with each other, even if in very subtle ways such as through eye-contact
(or lack of) and general body language. In written communication, however, the
sender and recipient are more distinct.

Categories of Communication
There are a wide range of ways in which we communicate and more
than one may be occurring at any given time.
The different categories of communication include:

● Spoken or Verbal Communication, which includes face-to-face, telephone, radio or

television and other media.

● Non-Verbal Communication, covering body language, gestures, how we dress or

act, where we stand, and even our scent. There are many subtle ways that we
communicate (perhaps even unintentionally) with others. For example, the tone of
voice can give clues to mood or emotional state, whilst hand signals or gestures can
add to a spoken message.

● Written Communication: which includes letters, e-mails, social media, books,

magazines, the Internet and other media. Until recent times, a relatively small number
of writers and publishers were very powerful when it came to communicating the
written word. Today, we can all write and publish our ideas online, which has led to
an explosion of information and communication possibilities.

● Visualizations: graphs and charts, maps, logos and other visualizations can all
communicate messages.

The desired outcome or goal of any communication process is

mutual understanding.

The process of interpersonal communication cannot be regarded as a phenomena

which simply 'happens'. Instead, it must be seen as a process that involves participants
who negotiate their roles with each other, whether consciously or unconsciously.

A message or communication is sent by the sender through a communication

channel to one or more recipients.

The sender must encode the message (the information being conveyed) into a form
that is appropriate to the communication channel, and the recipient then decodes the
message to understand its meaning and significance.

Misunderstanding can occur at any stage of the communication process.

Effective communication involves minimising potential misunderstanding and
overcoming any barriers to communication at each stage in the communication
process.

See our page: Barriers to Effective Communication for more information.

An effective communicator understands their audience, chooses an appropriate

communication channel, hones their message for this particular channel and encodes
the message effectively to reduce misunderstanding by the recipient(s).

They will also seek out feedback from the recipient(s) to ensure that the message is
understood and attempt to correct any misunderstanding or confusion as soon as
possible.

Receivers can use techniques such as Clarification and Reflection as effective ways to

ensure that the message sent has been understood correctly.

The Communication Process

A message or communication is sent by the sender through a
communication channel to a receiver, or to multiple receivers.
The sender must encode the message (the information being conveyed) into a form
that is appropriate to the communication channel, and the receiver(s) then decodes the
message to understand its meaning and significance.

Misunderstanding can occur at any stage of the communication process.

Effective communication involves minimising potential misunderstanding and

overcoming any barriers to communication at each stage in the communication
process.

See our page: Barriers to Effective Communication for more information.

An effective communicator understands their audience, chooses an appropriate

communication channel, hones their message to this channel and encodes the message
to reduce misunderstanding by the receiver(s). 

They will also seek out feedback from the receiver(s) as to how the message is
understood and attempt to correct any misunderstanding or confusion as soon as
possible.

Receivers can use techniques such as Clarification and Reflection as effective ways

to ensure that the message sent has been understood correctly.
Communication Channels
Communication channels is the term given to the way in which
we communicate. It is therefore the method used to transmit our
message to a recipient, or to receive a message from someone
else.
There are multiple communication channels available to us today. These include face-
to-face conversations, telephone calls, text messages, email, the Internet (including
social media such as Facebook and Twitter), radio and TV, written letters, brochures
and reports.

Choosing an appropriate communication channel is vital for effective

communication. Each communication channel has different strengths and
weaknesses.

For example, broadcasting news of an upcoming event via a written letter might
convey the message clearly to one or two individuals. It will not, however, be a time-
or cost-effective way to broadcast the message to a large number of people.  On the
other hand, conveying complex, technical information is easier via a printed
document than a spoken message. The recipients are able to assimilate the
information at their own pace and revisit anything that they do not fully understand.

Written communication is also useful as a way of recording what has been said, for
example by taking minutes in a meeting.

See our pages: Note Taking and How to Conduct a Meeting for more.

Encoding Messages
All messages must be encoded into a form that can be conveyed by the
communication channel chosen for the message.
We all do this every day when transferring abstract thoughts into spoken words or a
written form. However, other communication channels require different forms of
encoding, e.g. text written for a report will not work well if broadcast via a radio
programme, and the short, abbreviated text used in text messages would be
inappropriate in a letter or in speech.

Complex data may be best communicated using a graph, chart or other visualisation.

Effective communicators encode their messages so that they fit both the channel and
the intended audience. They  use appropriate language, conveying the information
simply and clearly. They also anticipate and eliminate likely causes of confusion and
misunderstanding. They are generally aware of the recipients’ experience in decoding
similar communications.

Successful encoding of messages for the audience and channel is a vital skill in
effective communication.

You may find our page The Importance of Plain English helpful.

Decoding Messages
Once received, the recipient needs to decode the message. Successful
decoding is also a vital communication skill.
People will decode and understand messages in different ways.

This will depend on their experience and understanding of the context of the message,
how well they know the sender, their psychological state and how they feel, and the
time and place of receipt. They may also be affected by any Barriers to
Communication which might be present.

There are therefore a wide range of factors that will affect decoding and
understanding.

Successful communicators understand how the message will be decoded, and

anticipate and remove as many as possible of the potential sources of
misunderstanding.

Feedback
The final part of a communication is feedback: the recipient lets the
sender know that they have received and understood the message.
Recipients of messages are likely to provide feedback on how they have understood
the messages through both verbal and non-verbal reactions. Effective communicators
pay close attention to this feedback as it is the only way to assess whether the message
has been understood as intended, and it allows any confusion to be corrected.

Bear in mind that the extent and form of feedback will vary with the communication
channel. Feedback during a face-to-face or telephone conversation will be immediate
and direct, whilst feedback to messages conveyed via TV or radio will be indirect and
may be delayed, or even conveyed through other media such as the Internet.

Effective communicators pay close attention to this feedback as it is the only way to
assess whether the message has been understood as intended, and it allows any
confusion to be corrected.

You can always ask!

You may be unsure if a message has been successfully received and

decoded, especially if you do not get much feedback from the recipient. If
so, you can always ask!
A quick question is a good start, for example:
“Is that OK?” or “Are you clear about that?”
If you want more detailed feedback or to check that the recipient has really
understood, you might say something like:
“So, let’s just run over that one more time. I think I am going to do x, and
you are going to do y. Is that your understanding too?”
 

Bear in mind that the extent and form of feedback will vary with the communication
channel. Feedback during a face-to-face or telephone conversation will be immediate
and direct, whilst feedback to messages conveyed via TV or radio will be indirect and
may be delayed, or even conveyed through other media such as the Internet.

More on feedback: see our pages on Reflection, Clarification and Giving and Receiving

Feedback

Being able to communicate effectively is the most important

of all life skills.
Understanding is the first step to improvement
Understanding more about communication and how it works is the first
step to improving your communication skills. A good understanding of
the process, and how it operates, will help you to ensure that you
become better at encoding and decoding messages.

Task: Answer the following questions. Submit your answers through our
Learning Management System (LMS) 20pts

1. What is the importance of communication in your course and

profession?
- Communication is a critical part of living it will help me
converse and make a decent conversation both professionally
and unprofessionally to show respect, care, and emotion.
It is important for my course because it would help me
understand what to say and response and further improve our
discussion in class. It will also help me find a job that fits my
profession because it could help me in a way where i can
answer a decent answer when taking applications or interviews.

2. How do you communicate with people around you nowadays?

- In these modern day i communicate with everyone with respect
and the right attitude but we can also agree that using some
vulgar and inappropriate words sometimes can be also
wholesome in some way.

3. Is it necessary to learn the communication process? Why?

- Yes because as a Computer Science student we always stumble
on the logic of coding and decoding our outcomes.
Understanding the flow or algorithm of a code.

4. Why is effective communication the most important life skill?

- For me Effective Communication is important in a way that it serves us the
power to communicate thoroughly and fluently. To express what we really
mean, to show what we really feel, to tell them what our opinions are and
most importantly to show the respect each other and its not only about what
we should show but also to understand others in a good manner..
REFERENCES:
Speech and Oral Communication.C.DT. Geron, J.C. Estioco, N.C. Gabelo, A.M. Guia, P.C.
Panganiban, A.M.V. Rivera, E.DC. Rodriguez, M.S. Santos, E.E. Sepillo, A.E Serano, C.M.
Valero