PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

WEEK 1: Communication, Elements of Communication, The Communication

Process, Types of Communication
OBJECTIVES:
1. Identify key words/phrases that make up the definition of communication;
2. Explain the roles of each of the elements of communication;
3. Draw and elaborate the communication cycle/process;
4. Exemplify the types of communication according to mode.

COMMUNICATION
– is the process of people reacting to the various attitudes and behaviors of other
individuals. It is a personal process taking into the feelings, attitudes, and ideas so that
their goals are met. It compels people to be aware that communication events are not
isolated but can be transmitted as simple to very complicated situations.
– It is an active process that keeps moving forward and changes constantly; it is
systematic where interrelated parts affect the other; it includes symbols that are abstract,
illogical and at times can be vague representations of other things; and lastly
communication embraces meanings and interpretations. , transmit
– And retain messages and information. It also plays with the context of what is being
conveyed so that interpretations can be made. Communication, therefore will bring
changes to the people and the environment.
ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION:
1. SOURCE
2. MESSAGE
3. CHANNEL
4. DESTINATION/RECEIVER
5. FEEDBACK

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS:

A. The Source/ Encoder- holds the fulcrum of the communication since this individual
determines whether the purpose of the message is to inform, persuade, or entertain. The
speaker begins by creating the message and then passes the message to the receiver
through the use of a channel whether personal or through mass media. The speaker
uses ideas from past experiences, thoughts perceptions and feelings.

B. The Message – is the second element of the communication process. The sender
encodes an idea and then decides whether or not to inform, persuade or entertain the
receiver. After evaluating what message will be conveyed, the sender will use symbols
on how to get the message across. The receiver then decodes and interprets the
message.
 C. The Channel- is a pathway or device wherein messages pass through from sender to
receiver using verbal and/or nonverbal means. The five senses are important in
transporting these messages to the receiver. Methods of sending messages may be
face-to-face, letter writing, through telephone or cellular phone, public address with an
audience, through address on television, radio or newspaper; through social media:
facebook, messenger, twitter, Instagram, etc.

D. The Receiver/Decoder- is the person/s involved in the communication process who

receives the message. The decoder receives the message and then interprets it. If the
message is simple or complex, the ability of the receiver to comprehend the message is
a big factor.

E. The Feedback – is the result of the interaction between the sender and the decoder. In
here, the decoder gives a response to the message conveyed. As the communication
process progresses, there is shift in roles wherein the decoder then becomes the
encoder and the encoder, the decoder. The feedback serves as an assessment on how
successful the communication process has been. It may be classified as:

1. Positive feedback – takes place when the receiver fully understands the
message, though he may not be fully agreeable to what the source has sent or
the message is not precisely interpreted.
2. Negative feedback – happens when there is lack of understanding as result of
some technical problems or outside factors.
3. Ambiguous feedback- only occurs when the message relayed is not very clear
thereby giving confusion to the receiver.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION:
A. VERBALCOMMUNICATION- includes the use of symbols that have universal meanings
and can be classified as SPOKEN or WRITTEN.

1. Intrapersonal communication – is communication expressed through self-talk.

This involves personal thoughts and emotions. Feedback goes back to you. “You can
tune in to one way that each of us communicates internally by listening to the little
voice that lives in your mind. This voice is the ‘sound” of your thinking.

2. Interpersonal communication- is communication between two people (dyadic) or a

small group of individuals. This type of communication allows speakers to discuss
topics that interest them or they may share a common bond with each other.

3. Public communication – is one person speaking in front of an audience. The

magnitude or size may be limited or numerous. The speaker delivers the message
in a formal setting, giving a topic that is thematic. Feedback from the audience may
be available or not.
 4. Mass communication – is communication that takes place through a technology
such as the social network/internet, television, radio, and newspaper. Through these
channels of communication, the message is replicated many times, resulting to a
multiplier effect to the receivers. Speakers must be very careful of the kind of
information being disseminated. The messages conveyed must be screened prior to
public dissemination.

a. Mass messages are aimed at a large audience without personal contact

between sender and receivers.
b. Most of the messages sent via mass communication channels are developed,
or at least financed by large organizations.
c. Mass communication is almost always controlled by many “gatekeepers” who
determine what messages will be delivered to consumers, how they are
constructed, and when they would be delivered.

B. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
– is communication without because written words are perceived as “verbal”
but there is lack of sound element attached to it. Non-verbal symbols consist
of gestures, eye movements, tone of voice, the use of space and touch.
Because these non-verbal cues are not shared universally, they may give a
different meaning to another culture and thus, considered as ambiguous.

– Non-verbal communication performs a third valuable social function;

conveying emotions that we may be unwilling or unable to express – or ones
we may not be aware of. In fact, nonverbal communication is much better
suited to expressing attitudes and feelings than ideas.

– Non-verbal communication is necessary to repeat and ascent the verbal

message by accompanying it with gestures. It also regulates interaction
since nonverbal action may indicate who will speak or not. It serves as a
substitute in the absence of words.

WEEK 1: Communication, Elements of Communication, The Communication

Process, Types of Communication
ACTIVITY 1:
1. Re-word the definition of communication using key words identified.
2. Give appropriate situations that exemplify the kinds of communication mode.
3. Explain why interpersonal communication is the most widely used type.
ACIVITY 2:
1. Draw the communication cycle involving the elements and explain the process in
paragraph form. Write the paragraph below the drawing.
WEEK 2: Types of Non-verbal Communication, Five Theories of Non-verbal
Communication
OBJECTIVES:
1. Illustrate the types of non-verbal communication;
2. Give examples of the different theories of communication based on the Filipino culture;
3. Act out any of the non-verbal cues used in communication;
4. Narrate real situations that reflect any of the nonverbal cues.
TYPES OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
A. Silence conveys meanings to spectators that can be seen in a person who is quiet yet
busy, a person who is contemplating, grieving, not to be disturbed, or being in a difficult
situation. In a conversation between individuals, a silent reply may signify the receiver
does not understand or may refuse to answer at all.
B. Body language (gestures) is employed in two ways: unconscious movement to tell the
state of emotion the person is undergoing such as walking around for being bored, biting
the fingernails for being nervous or other activities done unconsciously. On the other
hand, conscious movement entails individuals to render the designated action such as
saluting to the national flag, or appropriate actions to be rendered for specific activities.
C. Facial expression is manifested to evoke certain emotions such as happy, joyful, sad,
frustrated, and many other facial movements.
D. Paralanguage or use of voice is detected in loud, or faint sounds to provide authority or
emphasis to the volume of the words.
E. Touch (hug, kiss, handshake) in some cultures is a symbol of affection but may not be
allowed in certain communities.
F. Space and distance indicate the importance of a person. Distance signifies the intimacy
and personal acceptance, in some cultures and in others not.
G. Clothes and personal appearance provide a quick personal surveillance of the person:
age, interest, personality, work, sex, attitude social standing or religious affiliation.
H. Symbols are general graphical presentation so that people will be guided accordingly
such as traffic signs, medical, and other fields of specialty.
FIVE THEORIES OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
A. SEMIOTICS (Sign Language)- Sign languages are used in the absence of the spoken
words that have phonological, lexical, and even syntactic levels. Facial actions provide
relative clause, questions, and other related expressions to highlight the gestures.

There are two kinds of sign languages which alternate sign languages and primary sign
languages

1. Alternate sign language is a system of hand signals crated by individuals with

limited communication or used by the deaf community.
2. Primary sign language is the first language of a group of individuals who do not use
a spoken language with each other.
B. KINESICS (Body Language)

– Kinesics comes from the word kinesis which means movement. In nonverbal
communication, it is the study of the hand, arm, body and face movements.
Gestures are body movements that can be classified into:

1. Adaptors – pertain to the self, indicating internal states related to stress, anxiety or
when things are not in control of the surroundings. Adaptors are manifested through
unconscious movements such as clicking of pens, shaking of legs, and many others.
2. Emblems – are gestures to signify agreement such as raising a thumb for a hitch
hiker or an OK sign with thumb and index finger forming a circle but will vary from
culture to culture. Emblems are different from that of sign language.
3. Head movements and posture- among many cultures may provide various
meanings such as head nodding or a bow, a handshake. Human positions like
standing, sitting, squatting and lying down also provide different interpretations in
various societies.
4. Eye contact – sets interaction, relay information and link interpersonal relationship.
It is also to signify turn taking during conversations, signal cognitive activity, express
engagement, and express intimidation.
5. Facial expression – manifests happiness, sadness, fear, anger, and many other
emotions that will give information to the receivers from the person conveying it.

C. HAPTICS (Touch)

– Touch is essential for social development which can either be welcoming,

threatening, or persuasive. There are numerous kinds of touch such as:

1. Functional-professional level – is associated with professional routine such as

doctors, nurses, barbers, hairstylists, tattoo artists, security screeners. Their touch is
less threatening.
2. Social-polite level – includes a handshake, a pat on the arm or shoulder. A
handshake should actually be an abbreviated hand-holding gesture; a prolonged
hand-holding may be considered too intimate and therefore inappropriate at this
level.
3. Friendship-warmth level- is significant since it serves a relational continuance that
will foster closeness, adoration, attention, and concern. Friends, at times may
negotiate since being too touchy may send signals of being sexual or romantic or
less touch may signal detachment or disassociation.
4. Love-intimacy level – holding hands and full frontal hugging is more personal and
done with “significant others best friends, close family members and romantic
partners.
5. Sexual-arousal level- the love-intimate level spurs emotions of intimacy leading to
this sexual- arousal level.

D. CHRONEMICS (Time)
 – is the study of how time influences communication involving biological time,
personal time, physical time, and cultural time.

1. Biological time- is the rhythm of living things where the daily body cycle affects our
eating patterns, sleeping and waking moments. When the biological clock is
disturbed (jet lag), our communication proficiency and personal relationships will be
greatly affected.
2. Personal time – is associated to a person’s mood in a specific activity that defines
his/her experience time. People with past-time orientations may want to reminisce
about the past, reunite with old friends, and put considerable time and effort into
preserving memories and keepsakes in scrapbooks and photo albums. On the other
hand, People with future-time orientations may spend the same amount of time
making career and personal plans, writing out to-do lists, or researching future
vacations, potential retirement spots, or what book they’re going to read next.
3. Physical time- is the fixed cycles of days, weeks, months, years, and seasons that
affect people’s mood and psychological levels. Others are affected by a seasonal
disorder “from warm and bright to dark and cold” and so forth that result in
emotional tension and worry.
4. Cultural time – is how a large group of individuals look at time. Polychronic
individuals are flexible people who engage in many activities since they refuse to
look at time as a linear development that requires division into small units and the
need to plan in advance; while monochronic individuals prefer to schedule their time
strictly and do one task at a time.
E. PROXEMICS (Use of space) - is a theory of non-verbal communication introduced by
Edward T. Hall in the 1960’s to explain how people understand and use space to attain
communication purposes. Distances should be the preference of the individuals and not
forced closeness. However, the study of distance varies from culture to culture like for
instance the Americans prefer personal space of 18 inches. According to hall, following
the use of spce below will indicate the kind of relationship people have:

1. 0 – 18 inches – Intimate
2. 18 inches – 4 feet- Personal
3. 4 feet -10 feet – Social
4. Over 10 feet – Public
Proxemics does not only show relationships and objectives in communication but detail
other cultural undertakings like how the town is arranged and the living spaces therein.
It is believed that how things are arranged defines one’s region. Hence, territories are
planned to create comfort to homeowners and keep away intruders.
Types of Territories in Proxemics:
1. Body Territory – refers to the personal space the individual maintains with other
people.
2. Primary Territory – refers to the home, vehicle or other living spaces of the person
3. Secondary Territory – refers to school, office, or church where entry is reserved for
specific individuals and norms are expected and looked upon.
 4. Public Territory – refers to the open space where everyone visits such as the park,
market, shopping mall and many others.

WEEK 2: Types of Non-verbal Communication, Five Theories of Non-verbal

Communication
ACTIVITY 1:
1. How do you demonstrate the following nonverbal communication: silence, facial
expression, paralanguage?
2. What are other possible unconscious movements of people? Give the possible
meanings communicated.
3. Enumerate traffic symbols and tell what they mean.
4. Choose three of the theories, and based on Filipino culture, what are some cues used by
people? Tell what they possibly mean.

WEEK 3: Types of Communication According to Purpose and Style, According to

Context, Functions of Communication, Principles of Communication
OBJECTIVES:
1. Identify two parties communicating in each of the types of communicating according to
context;
2. Cite examples for each of the functions of communication;
3. Describe a good speaker/communicator based on the principles of communication.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION ACCORDING TO PURPOSE AND STYLE
Formal communication involves the use of public speaking or mass communication, a
combination of both verbal and nonverbal messages. In here, language is more precise and the
speaker is careful with grammar. A dress code, proper posture, and eye contact are being
taken into consideration.
Informal communication involves interpersonal and small group communication where people
can be at ease and be more comfortable. During the interaction, less attention is given to
nonverbal cues like clothing, posture and eye contact.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATIN ACCORDING TO CONTEXT
A. Intrapersonal communication – means talking to oneself (inner dialogue)
B. Interpersonal communication – interactive exchange takes place between, among,
and together with, people; usually it aims to deepen one’s relationship with others.
C. Extended communication– uses electronic media, not just the use of television and
radio; it may now be expanded as to include tele, audio, phone conferencing, video
conferencing, skype and other technological means.
D. Organizational communication - its focus is on the role that communication plays in
organizational contexts. There are two types of organizational structure: formal and
informal.
 1. Formal -allows communication to take place via designated channels of
message between positions in the organization: Downward, Upward,
Horizontal, Crosswise.
2. Informal – comes from unofficial channels of message flow. Also known as
“grapevine” messages coming from different levels of the organization are
transmitted.
E. Intercultural communication-is communication between or among people having
different linguistic, religious, ethnic, social, and professional backgrounds.
FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION
1. Informing and conveying the message to the receiver(s) through verbal and nonverbal
engagements
2. Persuading other people to agree with the ideas, opinions, and suggestions
3. Integrating divisions and departments by building a communication network to achieve
the goals and visions of the organization
4. Creating and establishing relationships within the group or outside of the group
5. Helping in decision making within the family, friends, and members of the organization
when a crisis or important matters arise
6. Reducing misunderstanding and solving troubles among people
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION
In communicating in a formal or informal speaking engagement, it is necessary to know the
following:

 Know your audience- It is necessary to know whom you are talking to because your
speech has to match the interest of the listeners. By gauging what they need, your
speech is tailored perfectly to the discussion.
 Know your purpose- It is likewise, important to know the reason why you are placed in
such speaking engagement. Knowing your purpose is essential since it will help you
outline what you are going to say.
 Know your topic-Knowing your topic is actually the key and heart of your discussion.
The topic knits all the information into a cohesive whole so that your speech will have
significance to the listeners. Speaking without preparation is like going to the war field
and so having a topic enables you not to go off tangent from the theme.
 Anticipate objections- Speaking is difficult to handle but in presenting an idea, it does
not necessarily assure you that listeners are ready to accept your idea. And so during
the open forum, be prepared to answer challenging questions. Try to ask possible
queries before presenting your speech to an audience and frame credible answers to the
list of questions.
 Achieve credibility to your audience- Credibility to your audience can be achieved by
giving information that are firs hand and authentic. Share personal inspiring stories that
will motivate the listeners and therefore provide a lasting impression on them.
 Present information in several ways- In storytelling, there are various techniques you
can use to make your narration very interesting to the listeners. You must be creative
and must not follow the linear way of telling your tale. Employ a variety of ways to deliver
your ideas to your listeners so you can sustain their interest.
WEEK 3: Types of Communication According to Purpose and Style, According to
Context, Functions of Communication, Principles of Communication
ACTIVITY 1:
1. Give two parties, possibly communicating in the following contexts: organizational
(downward formal, upward formal, horizontal formal), and intercultural ( people of
different linguistic background).
2. Classify the following communicators according to the function they are performing:
teacher, judge, priest, politician (before an election), class adviser, and a chairman of a
barangay.
3. Write a brief descriptive paragraph on a good speaker based on the principles of
communication.

WEEK 4- Principles of Effective Written Communication, Communication Ethics,

Ethical Principles
OBJECTIVES:
1. Write a letter of request, observing the principles of written communication;
2. Give an example for each of the ethical principles;
3. Cite real life instances where the ethical principles are observed or violated.
PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (7C’S)

 Be clear- Be clear with your message; be guided by your purpose.

 Be concise- Always stick to the point and do not beat or run around the bush; be brief
by focusing on your main point.
 Be concrete- Support your claims with enough facts; intelligent readers will easily know
whether you are bluffing or deceiving them because there is nothing to substantiate your
claims.
 Be correct- It is important that you observe grammatical correctness in your writing.
Always have time to revise and edit your work; even simple spelling errors may easily
distract your reader/s
 Be coherent- Your writing becomes coherent only when you convey a logical message;
ideas should be connected to each other and related to the topic. Make sure you
observe a sound structure that will present a smooth flow of your ideas. Use transitional
or cohesive devices so that the ideas cohere with one another.
 Be complete- Include all necessary and relevant information so that the audience will
not be left wanting of any more information. Always place yourself in the shoes of the
audience, who is always interested to receive new information.
 Be courteous- The tone of your writing should be friendly. Avoid any
overtone/undertone or insinuation to eliminate confusion and misinterpretation.
COMMUNICATION ETHICS

– Communication ethics takes place when behavior of a person or group is

subjected/directed by their morals. This affects the three types of communication:
interpersonal, mass (public), and digital communication. There should be balance in
speaking and listening, validity of emotional appeal, and the level between praise and
criticism. The imbalance of communication results in unfavorable circumstances
between two parties and so honesty on both sender and receiver must be maintained.

– Confucius and Aristotle deliberated on the significance of ethos (character) of honesty

and credibility in communication. Scholars define Ethics as the examination on personal
morals, values, and choices. Moral choices and consequent behaviors will result to
disagreement when individuals try to implement their ethical beliefs on others to the
point of vexing them.

ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

 The Golden Mean – Aristotle is believed to be the founder of communication discipline.

He knew that ethics is embedded in the character more than on overt behaviors. Morality
can be seen in moderation; people have moral virtues that become their choices or modes
of choices. A virtue is the mean, the pathway of two extremes (the excess and the
deficiency).

Examples:
1.) The virtue of temperance is the mean between eating/drinking too much and
eating/drinking too little.
2.) The virtue of courage lies at the center between overconfidence (excess) and fear
(deficiency).
3.) The virtue of truthfulness is the mean between boastfulness (excess) and false
modesty (deficiency).
4.) The virtue of justice lies between giving too much of something (excess) and giving
too little of that something (deficiency).
 The Categorical Imperative - (Immanuel Kant) Act according to the Universal Law.
Categorical imperative under certain circumstance may not be acceptable by others.

Example:
1.) Truth is essential and when people lie, there is a tendency to harm others. But
when somebody lies to protect the welfare of the individual, such action is bound
by the universal laws of morality, because the outcome of lying is more important
than the outcome of telling the truth. This principle is associated to religious
systems and writings like the Old Testament’s Ten Commandments

 Utilitarianism- Actions are right in proportion if they tend to promote happiness; they are
wrong if they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. According to Jeremy Bentham, the
degree of pleasure an action establishes is matched against the degree of pain it
 produces. According to John Stuart Mill, happiness means pleasure and the absence of
pain.

 Justice and the Veil of Ignorance- According to John Rawls, ethics is a principle of
justice rather than utility by allowing people to free themselves from bias and self-interest,
that social position, education and many others, known as ‘accidents of birth” allow people
to put behind a curtain of ignorance. Since people do not know their situations in society or
their natural assets, no individual in his or her status of ignorance should use it to his or her
benefit. People should make an ethical decision in which there is equality with no person or
group being favored.

 Lying and Interpretation- Telling a lie and making it as truth is dangerous for people in
providing information.

 Secrets, Disclosure, and Privacy-Issues on disclosure of information is a case to case

basis.
Examples:
1. Imagine yourself as a reporter for the school newspaper. As part of your job, you
interview a university official, and she gives you some controversial information
on the promise that you will not reveal her as the source. The information is “that
grades of several athletes have been altered to raise their academic averages.”
Later, a heated debate is stirred up by your article, and the dean of students
demands to know the source of your information.
2. In mass media, the ethical issue on the right to privacy is very important as
journalists are confronted with the issue that the public has the right to know
while their sources have the right to be protected and the right to privacy.

 Whistleblowing- This happens when someone from a group violates the group’s norm by
revealing an evidence or activity that is considered dishonest, unethical, forbidden within
the organization that can be private or public. It requires great courage since the
whistleblower speak out his or her status in a risk that it would compromise his or her
safety.

 Leaks – These are unknown information shared to others. It protects the source and
avoids confirmation of the truth.
Examples:
1.) Information disclosed to the press by a concealed identity who is a familiar source.
2.) In a university examination where the same material is used to several groups, some
of which, will take the exam on a later date. More likely, contents of the exam are
leaked out to later takers.
3.) A country was planning to invade another country. Before the invasion, the victim
country was able to know about the plan; its intelligence investigators learned from a
reliable source about it.
WEEK 4: Principles of Effective Written Communication, Communication Ethics,
Ethical Principles
ACTIVITY 1
1. Write a letter of request to the dean, on any of the following topics:
a.) You are dropping for the semester because of financial issues.
b.) You are transferring to another course; your sister from abroad advised you to
take a course which promises a more lucrative income.
2. Choose three of the ethical principles and give an example for each base on your
personal experiences.
3. Give areas where ethical principles are observed or violated.

WEEK 5- Communication and Globalization, Fundamental Assumptions in

Intercultural Communication
OBJECTIVES:
1. Relate observations on the immense changes that technology brought to
communication among people in the world;
2. Explain how culture affects communication in the advent of technology;
3. Refute the validity of an assumption in intercultural communication;
4. Identify the aspects in human existence that have been greatly affected by
globalization and the nature of communication today.

COMMUNICATION AND GLOBALIZATION

Because of technology, our world has transformed into a global village. Communication
becomes faster; in a split of a second, an event is shared to the entire world through the use of
social media. Today, individuals have to understand the dynamics of long-distance
collaboration, the outcome of non-verbal cues in different cultures, as well as the use of
technology in connecting people.

These developments require communication etiquette such as holding virtual meetings where
individuals from different places share their ideas- coming up with solutions and innovations for
the company.

A. (Neuliep, 2006) – “While the dream of a global village holds great promise, the reality is
that diverse people have diverse opinions, values, and beliefs that clash and too often
result in violence. It’s only through intercultural communication can such conflict be
managed and reduced.”
B. (Randy Kluver, 2006) – “There is the significance of cultural and technological forces
that changed our lives. That is why everyone should join in the new ‘international
information order’ so that cultural, social, economic and political conditions interrelate in
people’s interactions. As individuals delve into the elements of intercultural
communication, there, in effect, would be a phenomenal change. As societies and
economies re-orient themselves around technologies, there is inevitable consequences.”
GLOBALIZATION refers to the interconnectedness of economic relationships, political units as
well as digital networks. As such, technology and other social networks have transformed the
economic and social relationships breaking cultural barriers.

FUNDAMENTAL ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Assumption # 1- Messages relayed are not usually the messages received.

When two speakers from different cultures interact, their values, emotions, perceptions,
and behaviors greatly affect the interpretation of their messages. The speaker encodes his
message based on his own culture and the receiver, decodes the speaker’s message, based on
his own culture. More likely, these differences bring in significant differences, too, on the
message.

Assumption # 2 – A nonverbal act between two individuals have two different interpretations
according to each one’s own culture. Different sensory is shared by different cultures.
Regarding olfactics (smell), most cultures establish norms for acceptable and unacceptable
scents associated with the human body. When people fail to fit into the realm of olfactic cultural
acceptability, their odor signals others that something is wrong with their physical, emotional or
mental health. Americans are fixated on how to mask the smell of the human body since body
odor is considered unlikable. Several muslims think that hygiene of the body and purity of the
soul are correlated. After menstruation, Muslim women purify themselves.

Assumption #3 – Style is involved in communication among speakers. In some cultures,

communication gaps indicate whether the speaker should speak or not. Expressions of
intimacy in relationships are demonstrated without words according to the Japanese and some
native American tribes. They believe that putting one’s thoughts and emotions into words
somehow cheapens and discounts them. True understanding is implicit, coming not from words
but from actions in the environment where senders provide only hints or insinuation,

Assumption # 4 – A communicator who belongs to a group who have experienced common

phenomenon is likely to be understood by the character known about the group.
Communication is subject to the speaker’s background and knowledge. We do not see the
person, we see the groups to which the person belongs. During intercultural communication,
we have to be mindful that while the person with whom we are interacting is from a different
cultural, he/she is also an individual.

Assumption # 5 – Communication is a circuitous process of adaptation and stress. It is normal

to feel anxious, apprehensive, and uncertain when one mingles and speaks to another person
from a different culture. It is important to be flexible and adapt a communication style to be
abke to make the other individual comfortable. Being able to understand that people from
various cultures are different is really an advantage.
WEEK 5 – Communication and Globalization, Fundamental Assumptions in
Intercultural Communication

ACTIVITY 1
1. What observations do you have about changes in the manner of our communication
today?
2. Do you agree with this statement? “ Culture facilitates communication.” Elaborate on
your answer.
3. Take one assumption and prove/disprove whether it is true or not. Give examples to
support your side.
4. Which aspects of society have been greatly affected by globalization? Explain.

WEEK 6 - PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

Prepared by: Mrs. Remedios T. Ng