Department of Education

11
National Capital Region
S CHOOLS DIVIS ION OFFICE
MARIK INA CITY

Oral Communication in Context

Quarter 1 – Module 3
Communication Barriers

Writer: Patricia R. Quine

Illustrator: Marexcza Z. Salinas
Layout Artist: Shiela Mae A. Cancino

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 What I Need to Know

As learners, you communicate with the use of words, actions and even with
the use of technology to different people throughout each day. You further develop
your relations with others through your communication skills, but not always that
you successfully convey your ideas to engage to your communication dealings.
Sometimes, there are some things or situations that hinder you from expressing
yourself clearly and from understanding others’ expressions too. These obstacles that
bother communicators are called communication barriers.

Despite the barriers of communication, you can still be an effective

communicator by understanding and applying the 7Cs of Effective Communication.

In this module, you will know the various types of communication barrier and
how they can affect you and another communicator from expressing thoughts and
feelings. Most importantly, you will realize the various strategies to avoid
communication breakdown.

The goal of this module is to help you use various strategies when you are
getting into trouble of expressing yourself or from listening from others.

After reading and studying this lesson, you are expected to demonstrate the
following skills to:

Content Standard
 Understand the nature and elements of oral communication in context.

Performance Standard
 Design and perform effective controlled and uncontrolled oral communication
activities based on context.

Learning Competency
 use various strategies in order avoid communication breakdown
(EN11/120C-Ia-6)

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 Moreover, in this lesson you will learn concepts and do practice activities that
will help you to do the following which are linked to the main lesson:

 identify the things that may hinder the communicators from understanding
each other and describe how these things serve as obstacles in the
communication;
 classify examples for each of the general types of communication barrier;
 identify the communication barriers that are present from the given
communicative settings;
 determine what is applicable from the 7Cs of effective communication to solve
certain communication barriers; and
 express the importance of applying the 7Cs of effective communication to
avoid communication barriers.

What I Know

You have learned important discussions about communication, which are

tackled from the previous modules. This time, you will focus more on the strategies
that will help you to avoid the factors that can block you from communicating your
thoughts or feelings and that can block you from getting the point of another
communicator.

Before you deal with the lesson in this module, answer the pre-assessment.
Identify the object/s that may hinder the communicators from understanding each
other and describe how these things serve as obstacles in the communication.

1.

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2.

3.

4.

5.

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 Lesson
Communication Barriers
1

What’s In

The previous module leads you to the different models of communication, and
how these models vary yet contain some common elements of communication. Can
you still remember the concepts of the three models of communication?

Choose the model of communication that best corresponds to each of the given
descriptions.

Shannon-Weaver Model Transaction Model Schramm Model

1. The proponent of this model emphasizes that the communication

is incomplete unless and until the sender receives a feedback
from the recipient.

2. This model features communication as a one-way process.

3. This model shows that a barrier, such as noise, may interfere with
the flow of communication.

4. This model is known as the mother of all communication models.

5. According to this model, encoding and decoding are two essential

processes of an effective communication.

What’s New

Observe carefully what each of the given pictures tells you about the barriers
that can occur in communication.

Cite the reasons that may hinder the individuals from expressing themselves and
suggest solutions that may lead them for a better communication.

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 reason/s solution/s

1.

reason/s solution/s

2.

reason/s solution/s

3.

reason/s solution/s

4.

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 What Is It

The following are the general types of communication barrier. Specific examples
are also given to help you to conceptualize each type of communication barriers.

1. Physical Barrier - The environmental and natural condition that prevent a

person from being heard and understood.

 Examples: geographic distance between the sender and the receiver,

defects in technology, distraction in environment, passing cars

2. Physiological Barrier - This barrier results from the performance

characteristics and limitations of the human body and the human mind.

 Examples: discomfort caused by ill-health, hearing difficulties, poor

retention due to memory problem

3. Attitudinal Barrier – The varied perceptions or behaviors that prevent people

from finding shared meanings and results.

 Examples: lack of motivation, own preferences, resistance to change

4. Emotional Barrier – The emotional state may influence one’s ability to be

understood and to understand others.

 Examples: withholding thoughts and feelings, angry people who limit their
ability to accept explanations

5. Language Barriers – The inability to converse in a language that is familiar or

known by the communicators.

 Examples: jargons, poorly explained messages, comprehension difficulties

6. Cultural Barriers – Similar words can mean different things to people from
diverse cultures, even they talk the same language.

 Examples: diverse cultural traditions, economic position, patterns of

customs and habits

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 Now that you have figured out some of the common communication barriers,
this time you will learn about the 7Cs of effective communication from the pioneer
book Effective Public Relations by Cutlip, Center and Broom (2012). These strategies
will help you avoid communication breakdown.

1. Completeness
 Complete communication is essential to the quality of the communication
process in general. Hence, communication should include everything that
the receiver needs to hear for him/ her to respond, react, or evaluate
properly.

2. Conciseness
 Conciseness does not mean keeping the message short, but making it
direct or straight to the point. Insignificant or redundant information
should be eliminated from the communication that will be sent to the
recipient.

3. Consideration
 To be effective, the speaker should always consider relevant information
about his/her receiver such as mood, background, race, preference,
education, status, and needs, among others. By doing so, he/she can
easily build rapport with the audience.

4. Concreteness
 Effective communication happens when the message is concrete and
supported by facts, figures, and real-life examples and situations. In this
case, the receiver is more connected to the message conveyed.

5. Courtesy
 The speaker shows courtesy in communication by respecting the culture,
values, and beliefs of his/her receivers. Being courteous at all times
creates a positive impact on the audience.

6. Clearness
 Clearness in communication implies the use of simple and specific words
to express ideas. It is also achieved when the speaker focuses only on a
single objective in his/her speech so as not to confuse the audience.

7. Correctness
 Correctness in grammar eliminates negative impact on the audience and
increases the credibility and effectiveness of the message.

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 What’s More

There are communication barriers that surround you. It is important that you
know various strategies and how to apply them appropriately to avoid breakdown in
communication.

To further reinforce your knowledge to the things that may hinder you from
expressing yourself or hinder you from understanding others, and to further guide
you to the strategies that you can use when you experience one of the communication
barriers, let the following activities help you.

Identify at least (3) three specific examples for each of the general types of
communication barrier.

Communication
Barriers Examples

Physical Barriers

Physiological Barriers

Attitudinal Barriers

Emotional Barriers

Language Barriers

Cultural Barriers

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 Identify the type of communication barrier of each of the given situations and
determine from the 7Cs the possible solution/s to each of the given situations. Note
that more than one from the 7cs can be answers to solve the breakdown in
communication. Explain your answers briefly.

Use the following rubrics as a guide while working on this activity.

Criteria Score Remarks

Type of communication
barrier is properly 10 pts
selected
Solution to the
communication
10 pts
breakdown is
appropriate.
Explanations are clear
and relevant to the 10 pts
context.

1. Your cousin who always have a call disconnection with you.

Communication barrier: ________________________________________________

Possible Solution from 7Cs: ________________________________________________

Explanation:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. Your friend who uses technical terms, jargon, or acronyms in medical field that
you do not understand.

Communication barrier: ________________________________________________

Possible Solution from 7Cs: ________________________________________________

Explanation:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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3. Your sibling who is upset or angry about his or her experience in sports, and not
in the mood to listen up to you.

Communication barrier: _________________________________________________

Possible Solution from 7Cs: _________________________________________________

Explanation:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

4. Your classmate who talks on his or her economic status that you cannot relate
about and cannot share common experience.

Communication barrier: ________________________________________________

Possible Solution from 7Cs: ________________________________________________

Explanation:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

5. Your friend who shares too much information about his or her personal
preferences that you find confusing.

Communication barrier: _________________________________________________

Possible Solution from 7Cs: _________________________________________________

Explanation:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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 Cite an example of a possible communication barrier in the given context and
provide a strategy to solve the possible breakdown in communication. Include the
general type of communication barrier, identify the specific communication barrier,
and determine and explain the strategy from the 7Cs that can be applied to avoid the
communication breakdown.

Use the following rubrics as a guide while working on this activity.

Criteria Score Remarks

Type of communication
barrier is applicable to 10 pts
the given situation.
Communicative situation
specifies a 10 pts
communication barrier
Strategy from the 7Cs is
applied appropriately in 10 pts
the situation.
Explanations are clear
10 pts
and relevant.

1. Classroom ctivity

General type of communication barrier:

Communicative situation that specifies a communication barrier:

Strategy from the 7Cs to avoid communication breakdown:

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2. Sports event

General type of communication barrier:

Communicative situation that specifies a communication barrier:

Strategy from the 7Cs to avoid communication breakdown:

3. Itinerary planning

General type of communication barrier:

Communicative situation that specifies a communication barrier:

Strategy from the 7Cs to avoid communication breakdown:

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 Cite an example of a communicative situation that corresponds each of the
given types of communication barrier. Apply one of the 7Cs of effective
communication to avoid the barrier that you cite as an example. Describe your
answer briefly. As your reference, an example on the table is done for you.

Use the following rubrics as a guide while working on this activity.

Criteria Score Remarks

Sample situation is
related to the given 10 pts
barrier.
Strategy from the 7Cs is
applied appropriately in 10 pts
the situation.
Explanations are clear
10 pts
and relevant.

Communication 7Cs of Effective Communicative Situations

Barriers Communication
Example: Someone talks to you while you
are browsing to your phone. You find it
Completeness difficult to pay attention to what he or she
is saying. If you want to hear him or her
carefully and respond well, try to pause
from using your cellphone and pay
Physical Barriers
attention to what he or she is telling you.

Concreteness

Consideration

Physiological
Barriers
Clearness

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 Completeness
Attitudinal
Barriers

Courtesy

Consideration
Emotional
Barriers

Courtesy

Conciseness
Language Barriers

Correctness

Completeness

Cultural Barriers

Clearness

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 What I Have Learned

The six common types of communication barriers are physical, physiological,

attitudinal, emotional, language and cultural.

There are 7Cs of effective communication from the pioneer book Effective
Public Relations. The 7Cs are Completeness, Conciseness, Consideration,
Concreteness, Courtesy, Clearness and Correctness.

You as a communicator can avoid the breakdown in communication if you are

aware of the possible things that may hinder you from expressing yourself clearly to
others and from paying attention on what other communicators are telling you. The
7Cs are your guide to become an effective communicator.

What I Can Do

Upon learning the various barriers of communication and how they can be
avoided with some strategies, it is time for you to realize how you can help other
communicators too.
Interview your friends or family members, ask them to specify common
communication barriers happening in the society or even at home. List down at least
(3) five communication barriers mentioned by them. Upon having the list of barriers,
your task is to suggest ways on how to avoid communication breakdown.

Use the following rubrics as a guide while working on this activity.

Criteria Score Remarks

Communication barriers
10 pts
are specified.
Suggestions to avoid
communication
breakdown are 10 pts
purposeful and
appropriate.
Independent thinking is
10 pts
evident.

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 communication barriers mentioned your suggestions to avoid the
by your friends or family members communication breakdown

1.

2.

3.

Assessment
Identify the general type of communication barrier that best corresponds to
each of the given examples.
Attitudinal Barrier Emotional Barrier Physical Barrier

Cultural Barriers Language Barrier Physiological Barrier

1. barking dogs
2. religious beliefs
3. temperature of a room
4. political views
5. poor eyesight
6. closed doors
7. jargons
8. levels of knowledge
9. fears
10. preferences
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Determine from the 7Cs, in which each of the given descriptions that best
corresponds.

Completeness Concreteness Clearness Courtesy

Conciseness Correctness Consideration

_________________ 1. It is achieved when the speaker focuses only on a single

objective in his/her speech so as not to confuse the audience.

_________________ 2. Insignificant or redundant information should be eliminated

from the communication that will be sent to the recipient.

_________________ 3. Communication should include everything that the receiver

needs to hear for him/ her to respond, react, or evaluate
properly.

_________________ 4. Effective communication happens when the message is

supported by facts, figures, and real-life examples and
situations.

_________________ 5. The speaker should always reflect on relevant information

about his/her receiver such as mood, background, race,
preference, education, status, and needs, among others.

Additional Activities

Choose one from the following tasks or think of your own task. Use your skill
or talent to showcase what you learn from this module. Express the importance of
applying the 7Cs of effective communication to avoid communication barriers using
the selected task. Do this on a separate sheet of paper.

Use the following rubrics as a guide while working on this activity.

Criteria Score Remarks

Output is relevant to the
10 pts
topic.
Output expresses the
importance of applying
the 7Cs of effective 10 pts
communication to avoid
communication barriers.
Effort on doing the
10 pts
output is evident.

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1. writing a poem
2. writing a short story
3. writing a script or dialogue
4. composing a song
5. making a poster
6. doing a blog or a vlog
7. forming a brochure
others: ____________________________

References

Sipacio, Philippe and Balgos, Anne. 2016. Oral communication in context for senior
high school. Quezon City: C & F Publishing, Inc

Cutlip, Scott, Center, Allen, and Broom, Glen. 2012. Effective public relations (11th
ed). NJ: Prentice–Hall, Inc

“Models of Communication,” Businesstopia, last modified February 4, 2018,

www.businestopia.net/communication
“Barriers to Effective Communication,” Skills You Need, accessed May 26, 2020,
https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/barriers-communication.html

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 Development Team of the Module

Writer: Patricia R. Quine, MAELT (SH-SEHS)

Language Editor: Jose M. Datugan, (MHS)
Reviewer: Remia L. Ricabar, (PSDS)
Internal Reviewer: Janet S. Cajuguiran (EPS-English)
Illustrator: Marexcza Z. Salinas (PHS)
Layout Artist: Shiela Mae A. Cancino (SRNHS)

Management Team:

Sheryll T. Gayola
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
OIC, Office of the Schools Division Superintendent

Elisa O. Cerveza
Chief, Curriculum Implementation Division
OIC, Office of the Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

Janet S. Cajuguiran
Education Program Supervisor-English

Ivy Coney A. Gamatero

EPS – LRMS

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Schools Division Office- Marikina City

191 Shoe Ave., Sta. Elena, Marikina City, 1800, Philippines

Telefax: (02) 682-2472 / 682-3989

Email Address: [email protected]

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