Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles,

and Ethics

Introduction

In this unit, you will learn about communication processes, principles, and ethics.
In your personal life, in school, in the community and in your workplace later,
take note that effective communication is vital for success. Faced with people of
different beliefs, values, attitudes and backgrounds, communication processes,
principles, and ethics become necessary. In real world scenarios, you need to
engage in group discussions, make presentations and interact with different
people. If you do not have the necessary and purposive communication skills, you
will have a hard time relating with others in different situations. Your goal,
therefore, is to become a fully-developed, thoughtful and persuasive
communicator.
Every time you talk, you present:
 Yourself
 Your purpose
 Your ideas; and
 Information to others
If you:
- Are ambitious and want to move up the ladder of success;
- Wish to have a positive impact on others;
- Want to have your skills and talents recognized and rewarded;
Then strive to be a successful communicator NOW. Now is the time to
equip yourself with the mastery of the communication processes,
principles and ethics so that you will be prepared in your future jobs.

1
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit, you are expected to:

1. discuss the process, principles and ethics of communication
2. demonstrate the communication process in different contexts by applying
its principles and ethics
3. appreciate the principles of communication by actively participating in the
communicative tasks given in class

Activating Prior Knowledge: (Concept map)

What comes into your mind when you hear the word communication? Before
reading the definition of communication from different sources, write as many
words you could associate with the word communication using the concept map
below.

Communication

2
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Topic 1. The Communication Process

Learning Objectives
At the end the lesson, you are expected to:
1. discuss the importance of communication in different situations
2. share how communication helped in resolving issues you have
experienced in different situations

Presentation of Content

Importance of Communication

Explain the importance of communication as illustrated by the pictures

below:

Family Community

Workplace Academic place

3
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Communication is integrated in all parts of our lives.

a. Academics
 Communication skills are tied to academic success.
 Students who are good at writing and speaking perform better
not only in the English classroom but also in the content areas
and all other areas of learning.
b. Professional
 Desired communication skills vary from one career to another.
Being able to communicate leads to a harmonious relationship
within the organization.
c. Personal
 The skills to talk with fluency and write with efficiency lead to
a person’s achievement of his aspirations
d. Civic
 One cannot live alone, so being able to blend with the
community is a satisfying endeavor. This can only be done
when a person can communicate his/her ideas with different
people coming from different backgrounds in the community.

Application:

Work in groups and choose one situation which you have already experienced.
Demonstrate how communication helped in resolving the issue in the context
you have chosen.
1. You have overspent your budgeted allowance for the week because of
unexpected expenses. Your mother usually does not give extra allowance.
Demonstrate how communication can help you persuade your mother to give
you additional budget.
2. Your teacher announced that those who have four to five absences in class
are in the brink of failing the subject. You are one of those who have incurred
those numbers of absences, but you think you have plausible reasons for the
absences. Demonstrate how communication will help you persuade your
teacher to excuse you from those absences.
3. The campus cashier has set a date for signing of students’ clearance but you
were not able to come because you were still on vacation. The clearance is a
requirement for your enrolment. Demonstrate how communication will help
you to let the cashier consider you and eventually sign your clearance.

4
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

4. Your best friend asks your help in a lesson he cannot understand but, you
cannot attend to him because you need to go home early. Demonstrate how
communication could help you explain your situation without offending him.
5. You broke your sister’s/brother’s guitar while cleaning his/her room.
Demonstrate how communication could help you explain what happened
without putting up a quarrel.

Feedback

In 5-7 sentences, relate your experience on how communication have helped

you solve a difficult situation. This may be a situation at home, in school, in
the community, or among your circle of friends. Your output will be graded
using the following rubrics:

4 3 2 1
Features
Expert Accomplished Capable Beginner
 Piece was
 Piece was  Piece had
written in  Piece had
written in an no style or
an little style or
extraordinary voice
interesting voice
style and  Gives no
Quality of voice
style and  Gives some
voice new
Writing new
 very information
 Somewhat information
informative and very
informative but poorly
and well poorly
and organized
organized organized
organized

 So many
 Few
spelling,
 Virtually no spelling  A number of
punctuation
spelling, and spelling,
 Grammar, and
punctuatio punctuatio punctuation
Usage & grammatical
n or ns errors, or
Mechanics errors that
grammatica minor grammatical
it interferes
l errors grammatic errors
with the
al errors
meaning

Source: ThoughtCo.com

5
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Topic 2: Types of Communication

Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

1. differentiate verbal from non-verbal communication
2. explain how the combination of verbal and non-verbal makes communication
more effective

Presentation of content
Study the pictures below and determine the type of communication being used.

1. Verbal communication
●It is a form of transmitting messages using word symbols in
representing ideas and objects which comes in two forms – oral and written.
●It includes a face to face interaction with another person, speaking to
someone on the phone, participating in meetings, delivering speeches in
programs and giving lectures or presentations in conferences.

Factors That Affect Verbal Communication

a. Tone of voice
b. Use of descriptive words
c. Emphasis on certain phrases
d. Volume of voice

6
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

2. Non – Verbal Communication

● It is a form of communication which refers to the sending of messages

to another person using signs, gestures, facial expressions and means
other than the spoken and written language.

Two Categories of Non-Verbal Communication

a. Non-verbal messages produced by the body
b. Non-verbal messages produced by the broad setting such as time, space
and silence

Functions of Non-Verbal Communication

a. It is used to repeat the verbal message.

Example – Point in an object while saying it.

b. It is often used to accent a verbal message.

Example – verbal tone indicates the actual meaning of the words.

c. It often complements the verbal message but also may contradict.

Examples – A nod reinforces a positive message among Americans and
Filipinos.
A wink or a frown may contradict a positive message.
d. It regulates interactions
Example – Hand gestures may signal a person to speak or not.

e. It may substitute for the verbal message, especially if it is blocked by

noise or interruption.
Example – Touch to mean comfort or encouragement
A thumbs-up gesture indicating approval

Consider this:

7
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Communication is a combination of the verbal and non- verbal aspects. Proper

blending of the two types of communication make the message clearer.

Application

You form two groups with three members in class. Discuss the topic “Which is
more effective, verbal or non-verbal communication”. One group defends Verbal
communication, while the other defends non-verbal communication. Members of
the class who are not part of the groups will have to listen and will be asked to
share what they have learned from listening to the group discussion. They could
also point out what they like and they do not like about the details presented to
them.

Feedback:

In a whole sheet of paper, write a 5-7 sentence paragraph about how both verbal
and non-verbal gestures make a communication more effective. Your output will
be graded using the following rubric.

8
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

4 3 2 1
Features
Expert Accomplished Capable Beginner
 Piece was
 Piece was  Piece had  Piece had
written in
written in an little style no style or
an
extraordinar or voice voice
interesting
y style and  Gives  Gives no
Quality of style and
voice some new new
Writing voice
 very informatio informatio
 Somewhat
informative n but n and very
informative
and well poorly poorly
and
organized organized organized
organized

 So many
 Few spelling,
 Virtually
spelling  A number punctuatio
no
and of spelling, n and
 Grammar, spelling,
punctuatio punctuatio grammatic
Usage & punctuatio
ns errors, n or al errors
Mechanics n or
minor grammatic that it
grammatic
grammatic al errors interferes
al errors
al errors with the
meaning

Source: ThoughtCom.com

9
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Topic 3: The Elements and Process of Communication

Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

1. identify the element of communication
2. explain the process of communication

Presentation of Content:

The diagram below illustrates the components and the flow of communication.

10
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Elements of Communication

1. Sender – a person, group, or organization who initiates communication.

- She/He may be called the source, encoder, speaker or
communicator.
2. Message – an element transmitted in communication.
- It may consist of the idea, opinion, information, feeling or
attitude of the sender.
3. Channel – a pathway or medium through which the message travels to
reach its destination.
- It may be oral, written, or visual.
4. Receiver – a person who receives, analyses, understands, and interprets
the message.
- S/he can also be called decoder, reader, or listener.
5.Feedback – the receiver’s response that provides information to the sender.
- the return process in which the receiver provides both verbal
and non-verbal signals to show whether the message is
understood or not.
6.Noise – a form of distortion, barrier or obstacle that occurs in an of the oral
communication process.
7.Adjustment – done if the message is distorted or is not clearly understood by
the receiver.
8.Context – It is the situation from which the communication is done. It
includes settings or environment (family, school, workplace, religious
communities); social relations (friends, husband and wife, parent and child,
colleagues/boss- subordinate in the office); scenes which include place, time
and occasion (business meeting, job interview, social gathering – parties,
weddings, etc.); and culture (history, tradition, beliefs, norms, values)

The Process of Effective Communication

To communicate effectively, understanding the steps in this information exchange
process is vital.

Five Steps of The Communication Process (Schreiner, 2018)

1. Creation
 It is forming the communicative intent where the sender generates and
idea.
 This requires the individual who is sending the message to decide what
s/he wants to say and select a medium through which to communicate
this information.

11
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

 If the medium s/he selects is a written one, s/he must compose a

concise and clear message that others can understand and if the
medium is oral, s/he must plan out a clear spoken message.
2. Transmission
 The transmission may be as simple as meeting with the intended
recipient of the message, and orally sharing the message, or calling the
individual to communicate orally over the phone.
 If the message is a print one, it may include distributing a paper memo
or sending an email.

3. Reception
 After transmitting the message, the communication duties change
hands and fall upon the receiver of the message.
 The message is obtained either from the written format the sender
selected or b listening carefully as the message is delivered orally.

4. Translation
 Once receiving the message, the recipient must translate the message
into terms that s/he can easily understand.
 To do this, s/he must listen to or read the message in question and
paraphrase it within her/his head, turning the potentially complex
context contents of the message into more manageable and meaningful
components.

5. Response
 This may be verbal and immediate, which is commonly the case if
communication is face-to-face.
 It may also be easily a written response that either expands upon the
message or simply indicates receipt of the message in question.

Application

You pair with a classmate and choose an activity to perform through a draw lot.
You are expected to demonstrate successful communication in this activity. You
are given 5 minutes to plan your performance and 2 minutes to perform it. You
are given the freedom to choose your topic in performing one of the following:
a. Telephone/cell phone conversation with a friend
b. Face-face conversation with a classmate
c. Father/mother- Son/daughter conversation
d. Suitor- ladylove conversation
e. Teacher- student conversation
f. Applicant - employer job interview

12
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

g. Subordinate-barangay official transaction

h. Friend-friend communication using notes/letters
i. interpreting signages posted in malls
Rubric for Skit or Role Play
Task Description: (Teacher may explain specific assignment in this space.)

weight

Criteria Exceptional Admirable Acceptable Attempted

 Factua  Factual  Factual  Informatio

l information informatio n is
information is mostly n is inaccurate
Understandin 40 is accurate accurate somewhat  Presentatio
g of Topic %  Indicat  Good accurate n is off
es a clear understandi  Fair topic
understandi ng of topic understand
ng of topic ing of topic
Cooperation  Accepts  Accepts  Unwilling  Group
ideas of most ideas to does not
others; able without compromis work
to negative e together
30 compromise comments;  Few  One person
%  All able to members does all the
members compromis contribute work
contribute e
 Some
members
contribute
 Shows  Shows  Unsure of  Portrayal
confidence some responsibil stalls
 Informative confidence ity  Lacks
 Entertaining  Presents  Somewhat information
; engages some informative  Audience
30 audience information  Engages bored
Presentation  Speaks  Engages audience  Mumbles
%
loudly and audience intermittent  Body
clearly  Can be ly language is
 Appropriate heard  Hard to lacking;
use of body  Some use hear inappropriat
language of body  Some e
language movement
Source: ThoughtCom.Com

13
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Feedback:

Use the Role Play you have performed to answer the worksheet below:

Question Answer
1. In your activity who is the
sender? The receiver?

2. What message did you convey/

get in the process?

3. What channel did you use in

conveying your message?
What channel was used to get
your message?

4. Are you successful in

conveying/getting your
message? Why or why not?

5. How did you feel when you

were able to convey your
message and you got the
desired feedback?

6. What will you do in order to

improve your giving and
getting a message?

14
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Topic 4: Communication Principles

Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. explain the seven principles of communication, and
2. point out how these principles of communication can be achieved.

Presentation of Content

Communication becomes more meaningful if it is:

Source: https://expertprogrammanagement.com/2018/04/7-cs-
communication/

15
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Application

Read a news article and identify the qualities of communication contained in that
article. Then, explain how these qualities of communication are achieved.

Feedback

Read the Editorial below and explain how the seven Cs of communication are
achieved:

Editorial:

Giving in to China
from: www.philstar.com

THERE IS certainly no doubt now that China’s invasion of the West Philippine
Sea is unstoppable. The defeatist stance of the Duterte administration fuels and
further emboldens China to occupy the atolls and reefs with the installation of
military facilities that can only be dismantled with might which the Philippines
does not have.

The conflict in South China Sea, in which the Philippines named West Philippine
Sea as within its Exclusive Economic Zone, involves China, the Philippines,
Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia. The impasse had become longstanding and,
worse, is turning into a powder keg, so to speak. The controversial waterway’s
strategic importance cannot be ignored as an international waterway where some
$5.3 trillion worth of goods move through the sea every year, according to the
United States Department of Defense.

Aside from being a strategic maritime territory, the South China Sea is estimated
to hold 10 percent of the total global fisheries, 11 billion barrels of oil reserve,
and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas deposits.

With its booming economy and skyrocketing demand for raw materials for its
industry, China cannot give in to other claimants of the South China Sea other
than declaring war where the victor gets the spoils.

Looking forward to its economic expansion, China declared in 1947 the

demarcation 9-dash line territory of the South China Sea which almost claimed
for itself the 3.5 million square-kilometer total area.
In 2012, the standoff between China and the Philippines happened in the

16
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Scarborough Shoal which displayed China’s might and effectively took away the
Philippines’ control over it. With no other way to contest its claim, the Philippine
filed case before the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration. Philippine
won the case in 2016 with the ruling that essentially dismissed as illegal China’s
self-imposed 9-dash demarcation line as illegal.

Two years after the Philippine victory over the declared 9-dash line of China and
then presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte’s theatrics to jet ski to Scarborough
Shoal to plant the Philippine flag there, China has almost completed the
militarization of the area in the West Philippine Sea with its facilities installed.

Todate, China has already occupied the atolls and reefs the Philippines once
claimed before the aggressive invasion of China of the South China Sea using the
9-dash line demarcation.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque tried to put the blame on the previous
administration of President Benigno Aquino III by saying that “the Aquino
administration did nothing” about the creeping invasion of China in the West
Philippine Sea. Roque obviously ignored that the previous Aquino administration
was persistent in pursuing its claims over the West Philippine Sea which resulted
in the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling in our favor.

We cannot go to war with a superpower like China. But being in the international
community of nations, there are other ways to resist invasion and bullying by
more powerful nation. But with the attitude and stance of President Duterte
kowtowing to Chinese officials, like they are his bosses, no diplomatic protest had
been lodged against China.

Contrary to Roque’s putting the blame on the previous Aquino administration, the
Duterte administration is the one giving in to China, backtracking the gains
achieved by the Philippines’ claim over the West Philippine Sea handed by the
Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016. What we can see in the way President
Duterte handles the issue in the West Philippine Sea is his allegedly treasonous
gesture of surrendering a part of our national patrimony without a whimper of
protest while it is being shamelessly being usurped right before our very eyes.

17
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Topic 5: Ethics in Communication

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

a. tell what communication ethics is;
b. explain how ethics in communication can be achieved, and
c. enumerate ways of avoiding violations of ethics in communication.

Presentation of Content

Ethics is an integral part of communication. When we communicate, we do not

simply choose words; we choose words for the effect they will have on our
audiences, on ourselves, and ultimately, on society. Also, we choose the manner
of communication because sometimes “what matters is not what you say, but how
you say things.” Thus, when we communicate, we ask ourselves how harmful or
helpful our words and our ways are.
Considerations in Ethical Communication
(Johansen, 16)

1.Ethical Communicators are Respectful of Their Audience.

Communication is a two-way process. The communicator must consider the
audience ideas and feelings during the interaction.
2.Ethical Communicators Consider the Consequences of their Communication.
Every communicator must bear in mind that the ultimate aim of communication is
to promote the common good. Communication must be set in a way that conflict
is reduced or eliminated.
3.Ethical Communicators Respect the Truth.
A great deal of the ethics of communication involves a respect for truth. Indeed,
as one has put it, the assumption of truth undergirds the very concept of
communication itself: "an inherent end of speech is the communication of belief"
(Kupfer 118). If we cannot trust the other party, we cannot accurately judge how
to respond. If we cannot accurately judge how to respond, then our
communication becomes increasingly ineffective.
4.Ethical Communicators Use Information Properly.

18
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Communicators have the responsibility to give and acquire adequate and accurate
information. As an ethical communicator, a respect for truth means being
informed on a topic before posing as any kind of authority on the subject. We also
need to consider the accuracy of the information and the accuracy with which we
use it. When we communicate, we expect people to react in some way to what we
say and do. When we use inaccurate information to influence others, we cause
difficulty for them and for ourselves.
5.Ethical Communicators Do Not Falsify Information.
Worse than the distortion of information is falsifying information. Failing to find
information useful to our goals, we make it up. This is a form of cheating;
therefore, it should by all means be avoided.
6. Ethical Communicators Respect the Rights of Others to information.
A respect for truth and an ethical consideration of others also means respecting
the rights of others in regard to information and access to information. Collecting
information is an integral part of the research process, but stealing information is
theft, taking something that does not belong to us. Beyond the personal act of
theft, stealing information is unethical because it prevents other people from
securing information and unnecessarily makes their lives more difficult.

Application

I. Group yourselves into five and discuss how do you maintain the ethics in
communication in the following situations:

1. Social media posts

2. Academic research
3. Classroom lectures and reports
4. Officers’ meetings
5. News reports

Feedback

1. Have you ever violated an ethics of communication? If you had,

relate your experience and tell how are you going to avoid the same mistake in the

19
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

future. If you haven’t, then explain what you did in order to avoid ethical issues in
communicating with others.

Summary
In this chapter you have learned the Communication Process, Principles and
Ethics. You have discovered the importance of communication in the different
aspects of your life like in your family, in your community, in your school and in
even in your work place later on. It is also emphasized in this chapter that verbal
and non- verbal communication are both needed in achieving effective
communication. It is very important to note that participants of the
communication process must consider the Seven C’s which are Clarity of
thoughts, Conciseness, Coherence, Completeness, Concreteness, Correctness and
Courtesy. Lastly, this chapter introduced to you the Ethics of communication
which reminds you of the standards that you have to practice when participating
in a communication process.

Reflection

You are done with the first chapter of this module. Kindly go back to the activities
and lessons you have taken in this chapter and answer the following questions.
Limit your answers for each question to 5-7 sentences only.
1.Which of the topics in this chapter you had like/disliked most? Why?
2. Which of the activities in this chapter did you enjoy the most/the least? Why?
3. Which topic/topics in this chapter are you likely to share with others?

20
 Unit 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

References
Montano-Harmon M.R. (2014) Developing English for Academic Purposes,
California State University, Fullerton
Manzano, B.A., Arador, MVP and Ladia MAp (2018). Purposive Communication
for College Freshmen. St. Andrews Publishing House, Plaridel, Bulacan
https://www.lanecc.edu/llc/speech/ethical-communication
https://ethiccomm.weebly.com/ethical-communication.html
https://expertprogrammanagement.com/2018/04/7-cs-communication
https://expertprogrammanagement.com/2018/04/7-cs-communication/
www.ThoughtCom.com

21