1. i
Strategies to Avoid Communication
Breakdown
Module in Oral Communication in Context
First Quarter- Module 3
MARITES T. TAULI
Developer
Department of Education • Cordillera Administrative Region
2. ii
Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Cordillera Administrative Region
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF BAGUIO CITY
No. 82 Military Cut-off Road, Baguio City
Published by:
Learning Resource Management and Development System
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2020
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3. 3
Pre-assessment
Before we start, let’s check your knowledge about the barriers of communication. Read the
following items, then choose the letter of the correct answer.
1. These are disruptions from the environment that can make it difficult to listen or
understand messages.
A. psychological barriers C. physical barriers
B. language barriers D. physiological barriers
The attitude, emotion, mood, knowledge or other mechanism within thespeaker
that can hamper the ability to express or understand the message clearly.
A. psychological barriers C. physical barriers
B. language barriers D. physiological barriers
3. Slang and dialects that disrupts the flow of communication are examples of .
A. psychological barriers C. socio-cultural barriers
B. language barriers D. physiological barriers
4. Which of the following is an example of physical barriers?
A. slow signals B. poor lighting C. extreme temperature D. A, B & C
5. Anger, nervousness and asserting to win an argument are examples of ?
A. psychological barriers C. socio-cultural barriers
B. physical barriers D. physiological barriers
6.These the receiver’s background, perception, values, biases, needsand
expectations that may affect the flow of communication.
A. psychological barriers C. socio-cultural barriers
B. language barriers D. physiological barriers
7. Cultural differences are examples of
A. psychological barriers C. socio-cultural barriers
B. physical barriers D. physiological barriers
8. The person’s physical states that cause miscommunication can be a .
A. psychological barrier C. socio-cultural barrier
B. physical barrier D. physiological barrier
9. Which of the following is an example of physiological barriers?
A. emotional noise B. poor lighting C. hearing difficulty D. jargon
10. When a student can’t concentrate on what she is reading because of the
highfalutin terms used in the text, what barrier is s/he is experiencing?
A. psychological barriers C. socio-cultural barriers
B. language barriers D. physiological barriers
What I Know
4. 4
Activity: FLASH BACK
Complete the diagram to recap on the previous lesson on the models of
communication
3 main models description model examples
*As a learner, which among these models is more applicable to you? Why?
Activity 2: ENGAGE IN
Read the short story, then answer the questions that follow.
A FOLK STORY: DIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE
Retold in Writing by Samuel G. Tauli
A white man and his local village guide were once lost in the mountains. Since it is
night time, the brightness of the moon reflected in the atmosphere attracted the foreigner.
Amaze by the beauty of the moon, the American told the village man, “Look at the
moon.” Since the man can’t understand the English language, he assumed that the
American is saying that he will open the traveler’s bag that he had been carrying. He
wrongly associated the statement “Look at the moon” with “lukatam en” (open it now).
Upon opening the bag, a can of special corned beef caught the village man’s
attention. At this instance, the American again uttered, “Look at the moon.” With wrinkles
on his forehead, the village man is thinking whether or not he will open the can good.
Noticing that the village man is confused, the American rephrased his statement. He
said, “See the moon.” Again, the village man wrongfully understood this as “sidam en”
(eat it now). So, with a grin on his face, the village man grabbed the corned beef, opened
it and ate it, while the American was stunned surprised.
1. Who are the characters in the in the short narrative?
2. What caused confusion between the two, while having the conversation?
3. What are other factors that made the village man misunderstand the American man?
What’s In
What’s New
5. 5
The clarity and accuracy of encoding and decoding the messages can be affected by
internal and external factors that alter the flow of the communication. When communication is
cut, interrupted, or misinterpreted, it is because of the so called communication barriers. For
an effective flow of communication, the communicators should be aware of these barriers.
Such factors that breakdown communication process are classified by Hermosa, Hernandez
& Vergara (2016) below.
Types of Communication barriers:
Physical barriers
This refers to the disruptions from the
environment that can make it difficult to convey
messages. This include slow signals, noise
surrounding the context of communication, poor
lighting, too hot or too cold temperature, and other
tangible things that distracts
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220183869267607349/
This refers to the attitude, emotion, mood,
knowledge or other mechanism that can hamper
the speaker or the receiver’s ability to express or
understand the message clearly. Emotional noise
like anger, sadness, nervousness, asserting a need
to win an argument and the likes can also affect the
flow of communication.
https://medium.com/@info.charliebavister/overcomi
ng-language-barriers-to-communication-
908d5a27f3c4
People communicating can have
difficulty understanding each other because of the
language they used. Two parties with different
dialect cannot communicate effectively, except if
they use a language that they both understand. In
other cases, Slang (informal or unofficial language
of a certain group),professional jargons(specialized
vocabulary in certain field), connotations and
denotations, assumptions, bad expressions or
words with multiple meanings may also cause
communication breakdown during the process.
https://www.eschoolnews.com/2018/04/17/culture-impact-
ability-learn/
This is related to the receivers
background, perception, values, beliefs, biases,
needs and expectations. For instance, people with
different culture may not understand each other
unless both learn to appreciate and understand
cultural their cultural differences. Stereotyping may
also cause communication breakdown during the
process.
What’s In It
6. 6
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/556616835165592126/
The person’s physical state can cause
Miscommunication or misunderstanding. A
receiver’s ill health, poor eyesight, hearing difficulty
or pain and so on are physiological obstacles to
effective communication.
For effective communication, Mulder (2012) cited professor Broom, Cutlip and Center 7C’s of
communication and these are widely considered today especially in public relations,
advertising and even in other forms of communicative activities.
1. Completeness – communication should include everything that the receiver needs to hear
so he/she could respond, react or evaluate the message given.
2. Conciseness – Conciseness does not mean keeping the message short, but making it
direct to the point. Insignificant information should be eliminated from the communication.
3. Consideration – To be effective, the speaker should consider relevant information about
his/her receiver. This may include to mood, background, race preference etc.
4. Concreteness – Effective communication happens when the message is concrete and is
supported by facts, figures, and real life examples for the receiver to be more connected
to the message conveyed.
5. Courtesy – Showing courtesy means respecting the culture, values, and beliefs of the
receiver.
6. Clearness – It is best to use simple and specific word to express ideas. Focusing on a
single objective will confuse the audience.
7. Correctness- Correctness in grammar eliminates negative impact to the audience and
increase the credibility and effectiveness of the message.
7. 7
Activity 1: FIGURE ME OUT
After knowing those barriers of communication, let’s analyse the pictures
below. What do you think is the cause of the communication problem? Write your
observation on the space provided below each picture.
_ _
_
_ _
_
_
_
What’s More
8. 8
ACTIVITY 2: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
The following speech scenarios present examples of communication problems. What
solution would you suggest to at least minimize miscommunication or communication
breakdown?
Problem Suggestion
Bob is having a bad day, but it’s the schedule for
his job interview.
Miss. Art E. Kolait is invited to speak to a group
of mothers in a remote area. She is worried
because she is not familiar with the place and
the people there.
Miss Romana Riri sits in a class where she
thinks the speaker or the teacher is boring and
not interesting.
Mang Pedro is listening to a doctor’s instruction
about some medicine prescription for his son,
but he can’t comprehend what the doctor is
saying.
Ryan has extreme stage fright. He is so nervous
every time he is asked to speak in class.
You are having a conversation with a female
Korean acquaintance, but her English accent
disturbs you.
Activity : FILL IT IN
Complete the paragraph with the correct word. Choose your answers from the box below.
In this module, I have learned that there are internal and external factors that
(1) the sending and receiving of messages during the
communication process. This is the so called (2) . The (3)
barriers like environmental noise, low signal or temperature can be
easily recognized by the sender as well as the audience. However, other types of
barriers like the (4) barriers is quite difficult because one has
to consider of the receiver’s background, perception, values, biases, needs and
expectations. In the present time, (5) barriers can also be seen in
conversation between the Z generation and the earlier generation. For instance, the
Gen Zers use (6) that makes it difficult for the older generations to
understand. Other barriers that speakers have to be more sensitive about their
audiences are the (7)
barriers.
barriers and the (8)
Physiological
barriers slang
psychological
physical
disrupt communication
socio-cultural language
What I Have Learned
9. 9
Activity 1: Self-Assessment Communication Survey
Indicate how frequently you engage in the following behaviors when communicating
with another person or other people. Use this scale to describe your behavior.
4 – constantly do 3 – frequently do 2 – occasionally do 1 – I infrequently do 0 – I never do
Statements: Point
scale
1. When I share something with my friends, I am open and honest about what I
am sharing.
2. I think before I speak because I am aware of how words may not mean the
same thing to other people that they do to me.
3. I understand that sometimes the message the other person is sending may
not be the same one I am receiving.
4. Before I communicate, verbally or nonverbally, I fully understand who my
receiver is and how my message might affect his or her reception of my
message.
5. As I communicate to someone, I am looking for cues that my message is
being perceived as I intend it to be received.
6. I make my messages as precise and to the point as possible.
7. I use jargon with those who may not understand it.
8. I deliberately avoid the use of slang words and idioms with those who may be
offended by them.
9. I try not to use words that might cause an emotional response that may
distress or confuse the receiver of my message
10. I recognize that how I say something is just as important as what I say.
11. I examine my communication intellect to determine what nonverbal
messages I send and how well they imitate the meaning I wish to get across.
12. I carefully consider the method of delivery for my message: a face-to-face
meeting, over the telephone or in writing.
13. I form opinions about what others say to me based on what I hear them
saying rather than what I think of them as a person.
14. I make an honest effort to listen to ideas with which I don't agree.
15. I look for ways to expand my listening skills.
Total score
What I Can Do
11. 11
I. What C of communication is applied in the following situations? Write your answers on the
space provided on the right.
Statements 7 C’s
1. The sales agent discusses all necessary information on how to use
the product.
2. Mary always checks her grammar before submitting her essay to her
teacher.
3. The teacher uses simple and specific words in giving her instructions.
4. Ann respects religious practices and beliefs of others.
5. John makes his research presentation believable by providing facts,
figures to explain the results.
6. The great professor simplified the topic by discussing only the
important concepts.
7. The guest speaker researched on his audience’s background and
status before preparing his speech.
8. The teacher made use of real life examples so learners can connect
to the lesson.
9. The subject head reiterated that modules should include everything
that learners need to achieve.
10. Diligent students are praised for their accurate and organized
outputs.
II. Identify what is asked then highlight your answers in the WORD SEARCH below. The
words maybe vertically, horizontally or diagonally.
1. anything that disrupts the flow of communication.
2. the receiver’s background, perception, values, beliefs, biases, needs and
expectations
3. includes everything the that receiver needs to know
4. keeping the message short but making it direct to the point
5. specialized language or vocabulary in specific field
6. informal language used by a specific group
7. slang, jargon, connotations are examples of barriers
8. poor eyesight, hearing impairment, pain are examples of
barriers
9. attitude, emotion, mood, knowledge or other mechanism that can hamper the
speaker or the receiver’s ability to express or understand the message clearly
10. disruptions from the environment that can make it difficult tolisten are
barriers
Assessment
14. 14
REFERENCES
Bavister, Charlie, Overcoming Language Barriers to Communication.
https://medium.com/@info. /-908d5a27f3c4. October 18, 2018
Communication-breakdown, https://relationshipremedy.com/2012/01/03/. Retrieved on
July 20, 2020
Culture Impact Ability Learn, https://www.eschoolnews.com/2018/04/17/ . Retrieved on
July 25, 2020
Hermosa, Angelina Lourdes., Hernandez, Mark Ryan & Vergara, Shiela. Oral
Communication for Senior High School. Cubao, Quezon City: Educational Resource
Corporation. 2016, 113
Key-concepts-in-marketing, https://sk.sagepub.com/books/n46.xml retrieved on July 25, 2020
Mulder, P. 7 C’s of Effective Communication. Retrieved July15, 2020 from ToolsHero:
https://www.toolshero.com/communication-skills/7cs-of-communication/ 2012.
Seven-C’s-of-effective-communication, https://www.managementstudyguide.com/.htm
retrieved on July 20, 2020
Sipacio, Philip John Fresnillo &, Balgos, Ann Richie Garcia, Oral Communication in Context
for Senior High School. Quezon City:C & E Publishing Inc. 2016,128
courses lumenlearning.com
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/404127766531909553/visual-search/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/511932682640272376/ visual-search/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220183869267607349/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/556616835165592126/
https://www.businesstopia.net/
https://ebrary.net/71373/education
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