Oral Communication

in Context
Quarter 1 – Module 2:
Communication Models
 What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
master the different models of communication. It will lead you to understanding
how communication works among people to foster mutual understanding and good
relationship. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many different
learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of
students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the course.
But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with the
textbook you are now using.

This module consists of one lesson:

• Communication Models

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. differentiate the various models of communication;
2. explain the process of communication through the elements involved; and
3. recognize the importance of the models in understanding the
communication process as applied in everyday life.
 Lesson
Communication
1 Models

What’s In

Communicating with others takes us to a new experience. We are either the

ones starting the conversation process or the ones receiving it. As the exchange of
information progresses, both the source and the recipient go through favorable or
unfavorable experiences. The two or more individuals involved may end up
satisfied or discontented with the result. At some random instances, conflicts may
incidentally arise. But still, the end goal of communication is always for building
better human relationships.

In the previous lesson, we talked about the functions, nature and process
of communication. Let us recall some key terms that you encountered in the
discussion.
 What Is New

How often do you and your family eat all together? What do you normally
talk about? Read the anecdote and extract the different communication situations
that you will find in the story.

The Glitch

By Divina P. Maming

Dela Cruz family came

together for breakfast. Each had
his/her own story to tell about
his/her experiences for the week.
This is the usual scenario every
Sunday morning.

“Good morning kids!” greeted

the mother who had just finished
setting the table for five. Tonio and
Maria could not wait to reach for their chairs with a big grin on their faces as they
said, “Good morning, nanay!”

Criselda walked out from her room, still sleepy, her hair unkempt, her
sleepwear on but appeared equally thrilled as her siblings shared the table with
their mother.

“Nanay, I can smell the aroma of your best delicacy, adobo,” she remarked.
“Yeah, I know. It is the favorite of the family so adobo is what I prepared today,”
she answered. Criselda replied, “I can’t wait to taste it!”

Mang Cardo, the man of the family, is a clerk in one of the rural banks in
town. He was talking to somebody over the phone; his voice echoed excitement but
later on, his positive mood gradually vanished. As he turned towards the table, he
shrugged his shoulders for disappointment.

“Let’s eat!” mother exclaimed, wanting to turn the situation around. But
everybody seemed to have been overwhelmed by their father’s silence. It was the
first time they saw him in a really low spirit. “What happened?” at last, the wife
asked.

“I may lose my job,” he said with a croaky voice.

“But why?” Aling Terie was surprised and so were the children. She quickly
walked towards him and patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. You can still find another
job,” she said offering him a seat.
 The children also let their father feel their support as they smilingly uttered,
“Tatay, don’t worry, we are here to help.”

“Yes, we will assist nanay in selling fish in the market after school hours,”
Tonio said. “Maybe we can add vegetables to sell too, for additional income,” Maria
added. Criselda, on the other hand, volunteered to do the home chores.

“Thank you, my dear children,” was all Aling Terie could say.

Mang Cardo was moved by his family’s gesture. He was not expecting for
such an all-out support. He felt good about it. He started asking his kids about
their activities in school and how they fared in their subjects.

Each of them excitedly told his own story. Criselda declared, “I got highest
score in Math, so my teacher rewarded me with a bar of chocolate.” Tonio then
mentioned about their project in Science which could eliminate foot smell and
everyone poked fun at it. They asked him whether they could try the product to
see if it would really work. Maria spoke about their field trip to the town’s historical
heritage and talked about what she learned from it.

Exchanges of stories persisted until someone gave Mang Cardo a ring. The
ringing lasted for some seconds and finally, he stood up to answer the call.

As he returned to the table, he was smiling. He was informed that the

retrenchment was not for him; it was a mistake. Now, the glitch is fixed and he is
to report to work the next day again.

All of them could not contain their happiness. And so, they sat down again
to eat all together. “We will go to the church after breakfast, as usual,” Mang Cardo
sighed with relief.

Now, answer the following questions:

1. What are the different communication scenarios in the story?
_________________________________________________________________________
2. How did each communication scenario develop?
_________________________________________________________________________
3. Did a conflict arise in the story? What kind of conflict is it? Did it affect the
communication process? Was it resolved? How? How did the rest of the
family members react to it?
_________________________________________________________________________
4. How can we establish a good communication?
_________________________________________________________________________
5. What is the importance of communication in our daily life?
_________________________________________________________________________
 What is It

Imagine your life and the world you live in without proper communication
procedure. Would there be order or chaos? Would there be understanding or
misunderstanding?

Communication plays a crucial role in human life. It facilitates the sending

and receiving of knowledge and information. It allows people to develop various
kinds of social relationships. It provides an avenue for people to express their
ideas, thoughts, feelings, and insights. Without it, societies will be restrained from
developing and progressing. With all the advancements in technology,
communication nowadays has changed dramatically, adapting to the 21st century
way of life. Beginning from the ancient times when messages were written on
tablets, clays and barks of trees or conveyed by the heralds or emissaries for
proclamations to an entire territory, communication has drastically evolved to
fastest means of sending messages through electronic gadgets and computers.
Video calling or conferences is another high technological innovation where
distance is not quite a problem anymore to foster mutual understanding.

The representations below will help you understand the basic elements of
communication. See how the elements operate and interact as communication
progresses.

Models of Communication Process

A. Linear Communication

Have you talked to somebody but did not get any reaction from him/her
at all? Have you experienced sending a message without receiving any feedback?
This is linear communication.

Linear communication is one-way, focusing on the transmission of a

message to a receiver who never responds or has no way of responding to the
information conveyed. For instance, a competition organizer is presenting the
contest mechanics. The message is final and cannot be contended at all. It could
be the president giving his State of the Nation Address on the national television
or a student who reads a poem or tells a story in front of an audience in a school
program. Other examples include sending a notification or automated message
that does not require a reply, reading a blog, or even the traditional way of sending
a message such as a telegram.

Fig 1. Shannon-Weaver Model

Source: https://tinyurl.com/yaltqfqy. Retrieved May 25, 2020

Shannon-Weaver Model

An example of linear type of communication is the Shannon-Weaver

model (1949). It is also considered as the mother of all communication models. It
has a one-way process starting from a source (producer of message); passing
through a channel (signals adapted for transmission) which may at times be
interrupted by noise (barrier) to a receiver (decoder of message from the signal).
The process stops after the message has arrived at its destination.

B. Interactive

When was the last time someone surprised you? How did you react?
Who was the last person whom you praised for a job well-done? What response
did you get? What is the significance of getting a response or reaction from the
person to whom you addressed your statement?
 Interactive approach is a two-way communication process where a
response is given after a message is sent. The recipient of the action intentionally
or unintentionally gives a feedback associated with the information received.

Let us extract Criselda and her mother’s dialogue from the story.

Criselda: Nanay, I can smell the aroma of your best delicacy,

adobo.
Aling Terie: Yeah, I know. It is the favorite of the family so adobo
is what I prepared today.
Criselda: I can’t wait to taste it!

Aling Terie’s response to Criselda’s statement proves that she decodes

the intended meaning of the idea passed on to her. That is what we call feedback.
See, feedback makes a difference. If the mother did not respond to the
statement of her daughter, the latter would not know whether her mother
understands what she said. The exchange of ideas or information verifies that
both parties understand the message. Take a look at the next model.

Schramm Model

Fig 2. Schramm Model

Source: https://tinyurl.com/yazbv5mv. Date Retrieved May 25, 2020
 Schramm (1954) visualized the process of communication as an
exchange of thoughts and ideas. Feedback was added to the Shannon-Weaver
Model. The recipient of the message decodes it and creates a feedback based on
his understanding of the information sent and vice versa.
The figure identifies the six elements of communication which are the
sender, the message sent, the receiver and the feedback provided by the receiver
and sent back as a response to the sender and the processes of encoding and
decoding.
Remember, information may become useless if it is not conveyed
properly to others. Thus, the processes of encoding and decoding are the key
components of this model, including feedback.

Encoding is when an idea or information is translated into words and

expressed to others.

Decoding is when this idea or information is understood and

interpreted by the receiver.

Hence, the receiver must be able to send feedback to the sender in order
to complete the process. Otherwise, the communication transaction fails.
Schramm’s model, which is a two-way communication model, revolves around
these principles.

The process goes on starting from the sender (source) who encodes the
message transmitted to the receiver which he interprets; decodes a message
(feedback) to be sent back to the source who in turn, decodes and interprets the
information sent.

C. Transactional Model

Communication is dynamic. It has a complex nature. It takes place

among individuals at any given time with any given subject. However, there are
tendencies that barriers would interfere which may create a sudden impact and
change in the processing of information.
In a classroom setting, for example, you are being grouped into five or
six members for an activity. Your task is to give an opinion or reaction to the
closure of the biggest television network in the Philippines. Each of you expresses
your thoughts regarding the matter. While having that activity, you also heard the
JHS graders having their dance practice for the upcoming event. That noise did
not interrupt your discussion as you give your own views. This situation is an
example of a transactional approach.

The communicator (source) encodes the message and transmits it

through a channel. The message transmitted may be affected by the noise
(barrier). The receiver (recipient of the message) decodes, processes, and filters
the message for understanding and is now ready to give his own feedback to the
sender.

Transactional Communication Model

Fig 3. Transactional Model

Source: https://tinyurl.com/ybwyog2a. Date retrieved: May 25, 2020

The transactional model shows a circular process of interaction between

the persons involved in the communication, with each one actively participating
and sharing ideas with one another. They are the communicators actively
exchanging information and reaction.
 Feedback is given freely and deliberately to one another or to all
members participating in the communication transaction. The sender and the
receiver may simultaneously exchange roles as communicators. Since
communication is deemed dynamic and progressive, the topic may also change
from time to time.

In this concept, the noise or barrier to communication is also taken into

consideration for it may directly or indirectly affect the smooth flow of
communication. In the event that the message was not clearly conveyed due to
the barrier, the communication continues in order to clarify the intended meaning
of the sender. When the transmission is cut along the way due to the barrier, the
communicators work collaboratively to understand each other. Now, the sender
becomes a receiver of feedback (the response from the receiver) and the receiver
also acts as sender providing information in response to the message conveyed to
him. In this way, the communication is made more effective and complete.
References

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