MODULE 1

LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

LESSON 1

Nature of
Language

Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, the students are
expected to:
1. define language, its roles, functions, & nature;
2. appreciate the significance of the language in human life; and,
3. apply the linguistic skills that can be used to view the central role of
language in human society.

Introduction

“Metamorphosis is inevitable.” This is indeed true in any fragment of the

globe. The world is changing very profligate especially now that we have entered
the 21st century era. New challenges and opportunities of globalization are plotted
on our way. As a dynamic human living on the planet, these changes should be
coped up, or else, the people will be in the midst of a maze. One of the keys to deal
with the metamorphosized stuff is learning the universal language, English. This is
the commonly used language in the world when it comes to any field: business,
education, medicine, technology and etc. it is quite essential to learn the English
language that serves as a surviving device to establish nuances and innovations to
keep abreast with the challenges of this fast- paced era. Further, people of various
cultures and nationalities meet, interact, trade, socialize with ease on a daily basis.
A knowledge of English is considered as necessary for activity, thought and
employment.

Connecting Concepts

Activity 1. Self- Introduction

Say interesting information about yourself (with your personal permission) in the
language you are most comfortable with. You are only given one minute due to time
constraints. Everything you say about yourself is legal and self-permissible.
Definition of Language

What is Language?
"Language, in its widest sense, means the sum total of such signs of our
thoughts and feelings as are capable of external perception and as could be
produced and repeated at will" (A. H. Gardiner).

• Language is derived from Latin “Lingua” which means “tongue”.

• In its broadest and most general sense, "language may be said to be any
means of expression or mental concepts by any living beings whatsoever
and of communicating them to, or receiving them from, other living
beings."
• It defines language as "a system of conventional, spoken or written
symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group
and participants in its culture, communicate".
• Language is called a social phenomenon, because it has relevance only
in a social setting. Language undergoes a continuous, though unnoticed,
process of growth and change. It becomes sharp, crisp, refined and
versatile with the passage of time. Pick up the historical background of
any language; you will be astonished to notice the major changes in
spellings, meaning, pronunciation and its connotation and denotation.
Hence, language is a living phenomenon.

Nature of Language

A language consists of words, idioms and syntax. It is through language that we

think, feel, judge and express. Hence language is one of the most important and
characteristic form of human behavior we use words and idioms as tool to perform
and share experience among a people possible.

1. Language is speech - Language is speech and is distinct from the signs,

gestures and sounds produced by animals or pets to convey a particular
feeling or emotion. It is distinct from the sign language even amongst the
 humans at any point of social and biological evolution. It restricts itself to
recognised expression and communication to or from human beings by
means of speech and hearing. This communication, therefore, has to be from
man to man, from a person to another person by means of speech, and
hearing. Speech, therefore, is language.

2. Living Language - As seen earlier, a language undergoes a continuous and

unnoticed change for its refinement and depth. It responds to the demands
and requirements of the group that it represents. As the human utterances
became complex and varied, a language to be living must move with the
group, must grow with the group, should be alive to their needs and
aspirations. In this process of change and growth, language acquires new
shape, new approach, new significance and new application.

3. Language and Society - "Language is one of the most important and

characteristic forms of human behaviour". With widening range and horizon
of human thought and action, the language has to keep in step with its social
calling. As "language is activity, a purposeful activity", it must help man to
express himself in a variety of new and different kinds of situations. It is the
society, that in its turn, bestows meaning towards and idioms by
conventionalizing them to mean what they mean today to a group or a
community, in a variety of complex contexts.

4. Operation of Language - As language has relevance only in social context, it

is necessary for its operation, that a social necessity or scenario exists.
There should be a corresponding situation for the language to operate upon.
It is a conventional arrangement between the speaker and the listener.

5. Sounds and Signals - Sounds produced by human beings differ from the
'signallike' sounds and actions of the animals. A lot of research is going on to
establish if the animals also have similar conventionalized arrangement in
their expression.
Characteristics of Language

1. Language is learned — The learning process may be natural or structured.

2. Language is a system—The complexity of the various facets of it are

organically inter-related, such as, sounds, words and structures in integrated
with one another and constitute the complex and organic whole which is
called language.

3. Language is a system of symbols —Its effectiveness consists in its usage

when the symbols are commonly shared and known to all those who are
sharing a common experience.

4. The system is arbitrary—There is no logical relation between the words and

the objects they stand for except for the Chinese and the other pictorial
languages. Here again, the characters, though pictorial, do have any
resemblance with the reality that they stand for. However, in sound
languages, it is necessary that the sounds have a specific meaning.

5. Language symbols are vocal—Language is primarily speech-Oriented. Its

graphical representation comes later. In many languages there is no
graphical expression at all. They are only spoken and are considered
adequate as they perform the basic function of communication.

6. Language is relevant in a social setting and has meaning in as far as it

expresses common cultural experiences. Languages, therefore, differ
because cultures differ.

Significance of Language in Human life

Language covers the entire expanse of life. It preserves the best human thoughts
and achievements which enriches life. The scope of language widens with the
enlargement of human activities : the larger the field of human functioning, the wider
the extent of a language.
1. Social Function - It has been said time and again that language is social' it
operates in a social setting; it acquires meaning and significance in a social
interaction. It is a means of communication between members of a
community, or between a community and community. It is "capable of
handling all references and meanings" (Sapir) of a given culture. It is a
means of expression.

2. Cultural Function - As a "language is a part of the culture of a people and the

chief means by which the members of a society communicate", it is wedded
to culture, is inseparable from it and, hence performs a cultural function. The
content of every culture is expressible in its language.

3. Language and the Individual - As a symbolic system, language either reports

to, refers to or substitutes for, direct experience. Whatever the case may be,
language cannot "stand apart from or run parallel to direct experience, but
completely interpenetrates with it."

4. The Expressive Function - Language is a great force of socialization.

"language is primarily a vocal actualization of the tendency to see realities
symbolically". There cannot be any meaningful social interaction without
language. The language binds the people into one large group called nation.
The national language socializes the behaviour of the whole nation, whereas,
 the regional languages help integrate regional groups. Language is the
greatest and most potent force of integration.

5. Aesthetic Aspect- Language helps store culture experiences in the form of

literature and other written records for the posterity. These cultural
experiences form the nexus of individual realization. It breathes life into our
poets and dramatists. Short of a language, such fine arts were not possible.
Aesthetic experiences are the treasure for the posterity to feel proud of it as a
national treasure-house.

Explaining Learned Concepts

Reflect on the essence of language in your daily life.

Activity: Instructions: Give your opinion about the topic below.

1. What is language?

2. What are the different functions of language?

3. Why is language said to be living?

Points to ponder

• Language is derived from Latin “Lingua” which means “tongue”.

• It defines language as "a system of conventional, spoken or written

symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group
and participants in its culture, communicate".
• The nature of language are the following: language is speech; language is
living; language and society; operation of language; sounds and signals.
• Language is learned; has a system; is arbitrary; vocal;
and, has social relevance.
• The functions of language are: social; cultural; individual; and, expressive.
 Assessment
Travelogue (Group Task)

People love to travel! In this activity, you are tasked

to make a poster featuring your chosen destination.
We all know that Philippines is a multilingual
country, every place
has a specific language. The task is to promote the language.

Mechanics of the activity:

• You will choose a place in the Philippines only;

• After choosing a place, you will show a picture;

• In making the picture, you should show the beauty of the place, culture,
and its people using the language in the place (Ex. Pampanga –
Kapampangan, Bicol-Bicolano,Cebu-Waray,etc…);and, the materials in
making this picture are: screen shot, power point, jpeg, etc…
 References:

GARDINER, Alan Henderson, EGYPTIAN GRAMMAR PUBLICATIONS,ISBN-

13:9780900416354;ISBN-10:0900416351

LANGUAGE: CONCEPT, ITS NATURE AND CHARACTERISTICS. (n.d.). retrieve

from http://www.bhojvirtualuniversity.com/slm/B.Ed_SLM/bedteb1u1.pdf
LESSON 2

Communication

Objectives:

At the end of this lesson, the students are expected to:

1. Define communication;

2. Identify the processes, principles; methods; and,ethics of

communication;and,
3. Apply the concepts learned from this module.

Connecting Concepts

The Meaning of Communication

The concept of communication has quite so many definitions. From the

etymological analysis of the word, communication is derived from the Latin

communicare‟ meaning “to share”, and from the French “communis” meaning,

common‟ (Alcalugo, 2003, in Andrew Asan Ate, National Open University of

Nigeria).

Thus, communication means, the sharing of meaning. The concept of

communication,

basically means, a meaning-making exercise. According to Millet, “Communication

is blood stream of an organization.”

Chappel and Read (1984) defined it as „any means by which a thought is

transferred from one person to another. Although, this definition focuses more on
channels of communication, the meaning of the concept has been highlighted in the
key words in the definition.
 Seema Hassan (2010) describes communication in the following words „the
process of communication includes transmission of information, ideas, emotions,
skills, knowledge, by using symbols, words, pictures, figures, graphs or illustrations.

Seema tried to project the idea of being communication a one-way process.

Contrarily, however, many contemporary scholars of communication emphasize the
fact that, for communication to be effective it must be a two-way process.

Succinctly, therefore, Solomon Anaeto, Olufemi Onabajo and James Osiyesi

(2012) posit that: „communication is an exchange of meaning, despite the economy
of its wordings, the definition has incorporated the most important gist of the concept
of communication.

‟ Each participant comes into the communication situation with his or her own
experience that he or she hopes to exchange with other participants. This fact has
been corroborated by Prof. Umar Pate and Dr. Sharafa Dauda 4 (2015) when they
expressedly said: „It is a social process that facilitates exchange of ideas and
feelings among and between individuals in societies.‟ They added that:
communication takes place at multiple levels and in different forms but all with the
goal of transferring meaning from a source to an intended receiver with a hope of a
feedback.‟ This definition of communication is all-encompassing, as it contains all
the essentials of communication process. It is more so as, it answers the questions
in Lasswell‟s (1948) analysis of communication process when he said: „who? Says
what? In which channel? To whom? With what effect?‟ (Anaeto, James of Olufemi,
2012).

Communication, therefore, involves more than one person.

Communication is a continuous and dynamic process involving more than one
person. It is a cyclic process denoting continuous flow of information. It essentially
involves sender, message and recipient. The sender conceives ideas and encodes
them into suitable medium (facts, figures, pictures), sends them through appropriate
channel (email, phone, speech) to the recipient. The recipient decodes the
message, understands it and encodes feedback and sends it to the sender.
Communication Process Paradigm

As the communication process model demonstrates, communication is more about the

need to minimize noise in the process and to try to ensure that the message decoded
by the receiver is as close as possible to the intended message that was given by the
person who sent the message. This all sounds technical, I know, but in essence, if you
reduce noise when communicating, then it should be easier for someone listening to
understand what you intend to say and mean. Much like trying to shout at the top of
your voice to be heard in a loud environment, people may mishear you, and interpret
your message in different ways, the same true is for general communication.

In the communication process model, noise can come from the following:

 Physiological noise is distraction caused by hunger,

fatigue, headaches, medication, and other factors that
affect how we feel and think.
 Physical noise is interference in our environments,
such as noises made by others, overly dim or bright
lights, spam and pop-up ads, extreme temperatures,
and crowded conditions.
  Psychological noise refers to qualities in us that affect
how we communicate and interpret others. For instance,
if you are preoccupied with a problem, you may be
inattentive at a team meeting. Likewise, prejudice and
defensive feelings can interfere with communication,
bringing you to an early biased conclusion that others
don’t agree with.
 Semantic noise exists when words themselves are not
mutually understood. Authors sometimes create
semantic noise by using jargon or unnecessarily
technical language.”
 Environmental noise

Models of Communication

Aristotle, a great philosopher initiative the earliest mass communication

model called “Aristotle’s Model of Communication”. He proposed model
before 300 B.C who found the importance of audience role in
communication chain in his communication model. This model is more
focused on public speaking than interpersonal communication. Aristotle
Model of Communication is formed with 5 basic elements

(i) Speaker, (ii) Speech, (iii) Occasion, (iv) Audience and (v) Effect.

Aristotle advises speakers to build speech for different audience on different

time (occasion) and for different effects.

Speaker plays an important role in Public speaking. The speaker must

prepare his speech and analysis audience needs before he enters into the
stage. His words should influence in audience mind and persuade their
thoughts towards him. https://www.communicationtheory.org/aristotle
%E2%80%99s-communication-model/

Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication

In 1948, Shannon was an American mathematician, Electronic engineer and

Weaver was an American scientist both of them join together to write an
article in “Bell System Technical Journal” called “A Mathematical Theory of
Communication” and also called as “Shannon-Weaver model of
communication”. This model is also known as “ the Mother of
Communication Models,”(wikipedia).

This model is specially designed to develop the effective communication

between sender and receiver. Also they find factors which affecting the
communication process called “Noise”. At first the model was developed to
improve the Technical communication. Later it’s widely applied in the field
of Communication.

The model deals with various concepts like Information source, transmitter,
Noise, channel, message, receiver, channel, information destination, encode
and decode.

Sender : The originator of message or the information source selects

desire message
Encoder : The transmitter which converts the message into signals
Note: The sender’s messages converted into signals like waves or Binary
data which is compactable to transmit the messages through cables or
satellites. For example: In telephone the voice is converted into wave
signals and it transmits through cables
Decoder : The reception place of the signal which converts signals into
message. A reverse process of encode
Note : The receiver converts those binary data or waves into message
which is comfortable and understandable for receiver. Otherwise receiver
can’t receive the exact message and it will affect the effective
communication between sender and receiver
Receiver : The destination of the message from sender
Note : Based on the decoded message the receiver gives their feed back to
sender. If the message distracted by noise it will affect the communication
flow between sender and receiver
Noise: The messages are transferred from encoder to decoder through
channel. During this process the messages may distracted or affected by
physical noise like horn sounds, thunder and crowd noise or encoded
signals may distract in the channel during the transmission process which
affect the communication flow or the receiver may not receive the correct
message
Note : The model clearly deals with external noises only which affect the
messages or signals from external sources. For example: If there is any
problems occur in network which directly affect the mobile phone
communication or distract the messages
https://www.communicationtheory.org/shannon-and-weaver-model-of-communication/
#:~:text=Practical%20Example%20of%20Shannon%2DWeaver%20model%20of%20communication
%20%3A&text=During%20his%20call%2C%20noise%20appeared,received%20%E2%80%9CI%20want
%E2%80%9D%20only.&text=Due%20to%20transmission%20error%20or,the%20communication%20flow
%20between%20them.
https://youtu.be/5a 9AQeSFI1Y

Importance of Communication in Society

All forms of society need communication to fulfill their ideals and

objectives. It behooves that communication is observed in the following:

1.It is communication that binds people and society together. It is

considered as a natural process.

2.Society moves on human interactions and exchange of ideas, thoughts,

and feelings. Relationship builds up through communication.

3.Lack of communication among the people in society will severely affect

social cohesion and cohabitation. Progress and prosperity will come to a standstill if
there is no effective communication.

4.Communication is a factor of building and maintaining good relations. It

enables people to understand each other.
 5.Communication is as important and meaningful in individual life as in
the society. Individuals make friends, builds up relationship and lead a true social
life through communicating effectively with the fellow beings.

Importance of Communication in an Organization

Communication is the lifeline of an organization. It is essential for realizing

the objectives of an organization.

According to Millet, “Communication is blood stream of an organization”.

Barnard viewed communication as the means by which people are linked

together in an organization to achieve a common purpose.16

The importance of communication can be assessed as follows :

1.Communication is needed to establish and

disseminate the goals of an organization.

2.Communication helps the organization in arriving at vital decisions.

3.It also helps a lot in planning and coordination.

4.It is a basic tool for motivation and an
increase in the morale of the communicators.

5.It is a means of bringing about maximum results at the lowest level by

maintaining good human relationship in the organization.

6.It works as an effective link between branches of the organization situated

at great distances.
7.It helps in publicizing goods and services.
8.It reduces rumors and ensures smooth running of the organization as a
whole.
Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills refer to the ability to communicate or interact well with

other people. In business lexicon, it means the set of abilities enabling a person to
interact positively and work effectively with others.

It is the process by which people exchange information, feelings, and

meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages: it is face-to-face communication.

In the absence of effective interpersonal communication among

employees themselves, between the management and the employees, a business
organization fails to ensure its smooth functioning and gradually runs away from
realizing its objectives.

Interpersonal communication skills are necessary prerequisites for

enhancing productivity and continuity of the workforce within an organization.
Employees with good interpersonal skills are likely to be more productive and
permanent than those with poor interpersonal skills because the former displays
propensity to project a positive attitude and look for solutions to problems.

Components of Interpersonal Skills

The following are the different components of interpersonal skills:

 Interpersonal communication is not just about what is actually said - the
language used - but how it is said and the non-verbal messages sent through tone
of voice, facial expressions, gestures and body language.

General Principles of Effective Communication

Communication is a two way process. It is important that you know the
principles to be observed to make it effective. For both oral or written
communication, you should be able to apply the following principles:

1. Know your purpose in communicating. Basically, we communicate

to inform, to entertain, to persuade or to whatever purpose our intentions
are. There would always be reasons on why we communicate.

2. Know your audience. In both oral or written communication, you

should know the nature of your audience. Consider the age, professional
and educational background, culture and other salient features of your
audience.
 3. Know your topic. Confidence in speaking or writing means you are
knowledgeable, well versed if not an expert on the topic. You are invited to
speak before an audience because you have something to share. You may
utilize multiple techniques and strategies to capture the attention of your
audience/readers.

4. Adjust your speech or writing to the context of the situation.

Consider the environment and the atmosphere to whom your are speaking
or writing.

5. Work on the feedback given to you.

Principles of Effective Oral Communication

1.Be clear with your purpose. Knowing your objective by heart is plus point
for you.

2.Be complete with the message you deliver. The information should be
supported by facts and legal bases.

3.Be concise. Why say it with 11 words when you can say it with 10 or less.
This means that we have to be straight to the point or even at times be
candid.

4.Be natural with your delivery. Emphasize your points clearly with gestures
and intonations. Confidence gives you that air of authority.

5.Be specific and timely with your feedback. Responses are effective when
given appropriately.

Principles of Effective Communication/7C’s

1. Clarity of the message leads the readers to quick comprehension of the

material.#10

2. Conciseness in writing means focusing on the salient features of the

material.#11
 3. Concreteness means substantiating the message with facts that are
supported with legal bases.#12

4. Correctness of the message means there is no room for inaccuracies or

inadequacies of information.#8

5. Coherence means the cohesiveness or binding together of facts and

issues undertaken in the writing endeavor.

6. Completeness means feeding the readers with relevant and

unquestionable data for them to contemplate and digest.#9

7. Courteousness is a keyword not to be missed in writing. Good manners

and right conduct should also be adopted in effective writing. These would
reveal the personality of the author/writer.

Methods of Effective Communication

We shall now deal with the different methods of effective communication:

1. Web-based communication/ Web conferencing software- allows
participants to conduct or attend meetings via the internet. Web
conferencing may be used as an umbrella term for various types of online
collaborative services including webinars (web seminars) or peer-level web
meetings.

2. Video- conferencing- this allows people in different locations to hold

interactive meetings or classes.

3. Reports- this is important in documenting the activities of any

organization.#14

4. Power-Point-Presentation- this is a powerful method of communication in

all types of organizations involving audiovisual materials in Microsoft Power
Point or Adobe Flash.
 5. Teleconferencing- is a conference with participants in different locations by
telecommunications devices.

6. Forum boards- is an online discussion site where people can hold

conversations in the form of posted messages.#13

7. Face-to-face meetings- allows for a better exchange of information since

both speaker and listener are able to see and interpret gestures and facial
expressions.

8. Social Media-refers to websites and applications that are designed to allow

people to share content quickly, efficiently, and in real
time.https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-social-media-2890301

Ethics of Communication

Communication ethics refers to the benchmark of moral practices that

affect the communication process. For instance, a bank manager involves himself
with money laundering. Later on, this money heist will eventually be discovered. As
compared to a bank manager who does his job diligently and honestly, which of the
two deserves a promotion? It is important to note that proper behavior entails moral
uprightness, honesty, integrity, truthfulness and loyalty. A code of ethics sets the
standards to be observed by a person or company to establish a good reputation or
positive image not only for the individual but also for the organization. The following
should be observed as ethics of communication:

1. Establish an effective value system that will pave the way for the
development of your integrity as a person. A person’s sound decision and
behavior will affect his/her relationship with others.

2. Provide complete and accurate information. It is deemed necessary to

provide correct and contextualized information at all times.
 3. Disclose vital information adequately and appropriately. Transparency is
the password nowadays. Try to reveal vital information.

Explaining Learned Concepts

As a college student, what is the role of effective communication in your life?
Activity
1. Give one definition of communication and explain why you have chosen the
definition.
2. What are the 7 C’s of effective communication?

3. What are the different methods of effective communication?

4. Give the 3 ethics of communication

Points to ponder
 Communication is the activity of conveying informationCommunication is usually
a two-way process. It is not just giving information or signaling someone; it also
involves the comprehension of the information or the signal by the receiver.

 Society moves on human interactions and exchange of ideas, thoughts, and

feelings. Relationship builds up through communication.

 According to Millet, “Communication is blood stream of an organization”.

 Communication is important to society.

 Communication is important in an organization

 Interpersonal skills refer to the ability to interact well with other people.

 Know your purpose; Know your audience; Know your topic; Adjust your speech;
and, work on the feedback given to you are the general principles of effective
communication
 There are principles of effective oral communication which are the following: be
clear; be complete; be concise; be natural; and, be specific.

 The 7C’s of effective communication are: clarity; conciseness; concreteness;

correctness; coherence; completeness; and, courteousness.

 The methods of effective communication are: web-based

communication/webconferencing;video-conferencing;reports;power-point-
presentation; teleconferencing; forum boards; face-to-face meeting; and, social
media.

 The ethics of communication includes: 1. establish an effective value system;2.

provide complete and accurate information;an,3. disclose vital information.

Assessment
Instructions
For each statement, please answer questions as you actually are (rather than how
you think you should be). Use the scale below to answer the statements.

SCALE:

NOT AT ALL
RARELY
SOMETIMES
OFTEN
VERY OFTEN

1I try to anticipate and predict

possible causes of confusion, and I
deal with them up front.

2When I write a memo, email, or other

document, I give all of the background
information and detail I can to make
sure that my message is understood.

3If I don't understand something, I

tend to keep this to myself and
figure it out later.

4I'm surprised to find that people haven't

understood what I've said.

5I can tend to say what I think,

without worrying about how the
other person perceives it. I assume
that we'll be able to work it out later.

6When people talk to me, I try to

see their perspectives.

7I use email to communicate complex

issues with people. It's quick and
efficient.

8When I finish writing a report, memo,

or email, I scan it quickly for typos and
so forth, and then send it off right
away.

9When talking to people, I pay

attention to their body language.

10I use diagrams and charts to help

express my ideas.

11Before I communicate, I think

about what the person needs to
know, and how best to convey it.

12When someone's talking to me, I

think about what I'm going to say
next to make sure I get my point
across correctly.

13Before I send a message, I think

about the best way to communicate
it (in person, over the phone, in a
newsletter, via memo, and so on).
 14I try to help people understand the
underlying concepts behind the
point I am discussing. This reduces
misconceptions and increases
understanding.

15I consider cultural barriers when

planning my communications.

References
Madrunio, M.,MArtin,I. (2018)Purposive Communication Using English in
Multilingual Contexts. C & E Publishing, Inc.
www.questjournals.org- Journal of research in Humanities and Social Sciences,

Vol.2issue 9(2014)p. 72-76.ISSN (online) 2321-9467/retrieved june 14, 2020.

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-social-media-2890301

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_99.htm
LESSON 3 Communication Styles and Types
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the students are expected to:
1. Identify the different styles and types of communication;

2. Analyze the value of each style and type;and,

3. Apply the concepts learned from the lesson.

Connecting Concepts

The Different Communication Styles

Communication style refers to the way in which the act of
communicating
is carried on. Styles of communication may differ from occasion to occasion. Each
style serves a different purpose.

The knowledge of communication style is required in order to

understand
which one best suits or which one to use on different occasions. It is also required to
know the effect of each communication style on normal social interactions.

Whatever style a communicator uses, you should solely aim at having

an
effective communication.

There are four major styles of communication which are discussed below.

1. Aggressive Communication Style

Let us now see what this aggressive communication style is all about :

In Aggressive style of communication, one always stands up for one’s

rights simultaneously overlooking others. Sometimes doing so may result in the
violation of the others’ rights. Aggressive communication style is presented rather in
a forceful and hostile manner and always involves the ‘I’ syndrome (I am right; my
points are more valuable than yours; I am superior, etc.) and is always based on
wrong premises that ‘you are not important; your needs don’t matter’. It alienates
messages by blaming others and accusing them of being wrong or at fault. Such
communicators give the impression of being superior in attitude, domineering and
self-important.

They may have a loud voice and articulate mostly in the second
person.Their non-verbal cues are narrow eyes, clenched fists, pointing
fingers, rigid posture and hard stares.These types of communicators often
face disrespect from others. They are the worst victims of low self-esteem.
As a consequence, they easily incur other people’s wrath and in the worst
case people avoid them out of fear.They give an impression that they have
something to contribute and others have little or nothing to contribute. The
aim of aggressive behavior is to win at any cost.

2. Passive Communication Style

Let us now see what this passive communication style is all about −
Passive communication style stands in contrast to aggressive style in
meaning and uses.The passive style of communication allows the
communicator to put others’ rights before his and thus reduce his own self-
 worth.Passive communicators always consider themselves to be inferior to
others. They negate their personal feelings, rendering themselves
unimportant.They fail to express their needs, wants, feelings, opinions and
beliefs and express them in an apologetic and self-effecting manner. They
have an overly soft voice with an apologetic demeanor.They create a
negative impression on others by their nonverbal signals. They shy away
from maintaining eye contact with people.Their downcast eyes, stooping
posture and excessive nodding of the heads may indicate lack of drive and
motivation.They suffer from poor self-esteem and are heavily dependent on
others for support and recognition. They are easily victimized and exploited
at the same time, as other people tend to disrespect them. The aim of
passive behavior is to avoid conflict and to please others.

3. Manipulative Communication Style

Let us now see what this manipulative communication style is all about −
People adopting the manipulative communication style are often scheming,
shrewd and calculating. They are at adept at influencing and controlling others for
their own benefits. They have a hidden message when they speak and many times
other persons are unaware of their hidden intention. They act cunningly and tactfully
and influence people in an insidious way such as sulking, shedding fake tears,
indirectly asking for their needs to be met. They sometimes become successful in
making people feel sorry or obliged to help them. However, their hidden motives are
exposed. They are shunned and ridiculed by other people.

4. Assertive Communication Style

Let us now see what this assertive communication style is all about −

Assertive communication style is regarded as the best communicating style. It

is more rational and proper than other styles of communication.15 This style
teaches one to stand up for one’s rights while having respect for others rights.
Those communicating with assertive communicating style give importance and
regard to others as well as to their own rights. They deal with people on equal
terms. They exude confidence in whatever they do and always own up responsibility
for their actions. Assertive communicators stand firmly on their foot and don’t buckle
under pressure. Talking straight on the face, looking directly, always at ease with
oneself and others, relaxed and smooth body movements are some of the strong
characteristics of any assertive communicator. Assertive communicators always
buzz with life and activity wherever they go. These people are positive with a high
self-esteem. As they give respect to all and they also get the same back in
abundance. The aim of assertive behavior is to satisfy the needs and wants of any
two parties in a given situation.

Among these three distinctive styles of communication, the Assertive style of

communication is the one to strive for. Depending on your personal circumstances,
you can make use of the other two styles as well. In a situation, where being
passive may drive home an important point or may resolve an issue it is better to
act passive. Likewise, aggressiveness also helps sometimes in turning a situation in
your favor, especially when you know you are not getting anywhere in that situation.

Case Study

Mr. Hontiveros is a sincere and hardworking teacher who does his job quietly
and does not like to argue much. He prefers to write notes and send written
messages instead of face-to-face interaction. He is being given the responsibility of
leading a team to handle a prestigious project. But before that he has to get the
project approved by the board of directors. Can you suggest what style of
communication he should use to make it a success? Discuss with your instructor.

Types of Communication

In this section, we will discuss the different types of communication. The

different types are as follows −
Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication
Formal and Informal Communication
Downward and Upward Communication

Communication is pivotal for any undertaking to be successful. Depending

upon the circumstances and needs, the type of communication varies.

Communication is usually based on the nature and characteristics of the

message and its context in which it is being sent. The choice of communication
channel and the style of communicating affect communication.

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication refers to the form of communication in which message is

transmitted verbally; where communication is carried out either by word of mouth or
by writing.

Components of Verbal Communication

Following are the different components of verbal communication :

1. Understandable Language

2. Word choice

3.Inflection (pattern of stress in oral speech)

4.Tone
5.Body language
6.Eye behavior (oculesics)
7.Visuals (pictures, maps, charts, graphs, colors, signs, etc.)
8.Auditory elements (sounds, tunes, whistles, etc.)

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Communication refers to communications made

through various wordless or unspoken mediums.
Formal and Informal Communication

There are two channels of communication that exist in an organization – formal

and informal.

Formal communications are those that are formal or ‘official’. These are a part
of the recognized communication system which is engaged in the operation of the
organization.

Informal communications grow out of social interactions among the people who
work together within an organization. These are based upon conventions, customs
and culture prevalent therein.

The following table shows the difference between formal

and informal communication.
Bases Formal communication Informal communication

Definitions In formal communication, the interchange In informal

of information is carried out by means of communication,
pre- defined and formal channels of the information spreads
organizational structure along the lines of through informal channels
authority. i.e. in the form of
grapevine (informal
person to person
communication; gossip). It
is built around the social
relationships of members
of the organization.
Doesn’t follow authority
lines.

Also Known Official Communication Grapevine Communication

as

Dependability More and well-acknowledged Comparatively less and

tend to be inaccurate
Speed Time-taking; hence, slow Faster

Authenticity As this type of communication is mostly Lack of documentary

carried out in written orders and documents evidence makes it
evidence and authenticity is present. distorted and hence,
inaccurate and unreliable.

Advantages
It acts as an efficient
It is more likely to be needed in businesses medium of expressing

as it is more evidential and dependable. certain information that

cannot be channeled via
It helps in the fixation of responsibility and official channel. It is
maintaining of the authority relationship in implicit, spontaneous,
an organization. multidimensional and
diverse.
No scope for creating and
spreading rumors. It satisfies the people
desires to identify what is
happening in the
organization and offers an
opportunity to express
dreads, worries and
complaints.

It is highly flexible and

flows freely to all
directions.
Disadvantages Generally time consuming,
cumbersome and sometimes
leads to good deal of
distortion.

It is expensive and less flexible.

Not officially
recognized
It can flow only upward
channels of
and downward direction.
communication.
It is obligatory to follow.
It has no role
in delegating
authority.

Greater scope of creating

and spreading rumors.
Message is often
distorted.

May create indiscipline in

the organization.

It has no
evidential
authenticity.

What is Grapevine?

Grapevine refers to an informal communication method in an organization. It is

a person-to-person method of disseminating information by informal conversion or
gossip.
It is found to be more efficient than the formal communication.

Types of Informal Communication

In this section, we will discuss the different types of informal communication.

Single-stranded Chain

In a single-stranded chain, information is passed by one person to another,

who in turn passes it to some other and the process continues.

Cluster Chain

In a cluster chain, information is passed by one person to his/her reliable

ones, and the latter passes it to their reliable friends and the communication
continues.

Probability Chain

In a probability chain, a person passes the information to a randomly chosen

person and the communication goes on.
Gossip Chain

In a gossip chain, a person passes the information to a group of people and

the members of the group passes it to some more people and the information
spreads.

Downward and Upward Communication(Directions of

Communication)
 Communication passes on in different directions – downward, upward, or
lateral in any organization. In this section, we will discuss the downward and upward
communication directions and the basic differences that exist between them.

Downward Communication

It is downward when communication flows or starts from people at higher

levels to those at lower levels in the organizational hierarchy.

1. Downward communication can be both oral and written.

2. The oral downward communication media are, for example, instructions,

speeches, meetings, telephonic talks, louder-speakers and also the grapevine.

3. The written downward communication media are, for example,

memoranda, letters, emails, handbooks, pamphlets, policy statement, procedures,
notices, and electronic news display.

4. Higher authority or Top level of organization takes the initiative to start

such communication.

5. Downward communication flows from the superior authority downward to

subordinates till the bottom level in the hierarchy. Responses to downward
communications move up along the same path.

6. Downward communication is called as instruction type communication

system.

7. It is suitable in an authoritarian environment.

Upward Communication

Upward communication flows from subordinates to superiors and continues up

the organizational hierarchy.
 1. It is known as subordinate-initiated communication as the process of
upward communication starts with the personnel at the bottom level of the
organization.

Unlike the downward communication, upward communication is non-directive in

nature.

2. It establishes a participatory work culture in the organization as under this

communication process employees feel free to communicate their grievances and
reservations upward.

3. It enables the top level management to get feedback from lower level
employees and thereby improve organizational progress and prosperity.

4. It yields mutual trust among the management and the employees and
bodes well for the growth of a strong interpersonal relationship in the organization
leading to overall organizational development.

5. With this communication process, employees can be instrumental in

forming new policies or changing those that are outdated.

6. Typical means of upward communication besides the chain of command

are suggestions, appeal and grievance procedures, complaint systems, counseling
sessions, the grapevine, group meetings etc.

7. Upward communication is also called consultative management.

Explaining Learned Concepts

How will you apply the different styles and types of communication in your
daily oral or written communication?

Points to ponder
Communication style refers to the way in which the act of communicating is carried
on. There are four major styles of communication

• Aggressive Communication Style

• Passive Communication Style

 • Manipulative Communication Style

• Assertive Communication Style

Aggressive communication style is presented rather in a forceful and hostile

manner and always involves the ‘I’ syndrome

The passive style of communication allows the communicator to put others’

rights before his and thus reduce his own self-worth.

People adopting the manipulative communication style are often scheming,

shrewd and calculating.

Assertive communication style is regarded as the best communicating style. It

is more rational and proper than other styles of communication.

Communication is sine qua non (siney-kwa-non-absolutely necessary)

in an organization.
The different types are as follows −
 Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

 Formal and Informal Communication

 Downward and Upward Communication

 Grapevine refers to an informal communication method in an organization.

Quiz: Answer the following briefly

1. What are the different styles in communication?

2. What is the most important point of variance between formal and informal
communication in your own perception?

3. Which do you prefer? Downward or Upward Communication? Explain

briefly.

References
Chase, R. & Shamo, S. (2013). Elements of Effective Communication, 4 th ed.
Washington, Utah: Plain and Precious Publishing
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/effective_communication/effective_communication_q
uick_guide.htm

EVELYN G. DAYRIT