1. Getting to Know You, Getting to Know Me

Effective Communication

It is one of the foundations of a strong relationship that allows us to express our thoughts, emotions, decisions, and actions so others will understand us. It is also a channel for self-expression, meaningful connections, and respectful dialogues.

Self-Awareness

It plays an integral role in establishing connections and maintaining relationships. Being aware of how we feel, what we think, and how we relate with others affects how we communicate.

Decoding Language and Tone in Communication

1. Language

2. Tone

1. Language

It refers to word choice and sentence structure in communicating with others.

2. Tone

It refers to the mood, emotions, or attitude that one conveys as they write or deliver their message.

Expression of Language and Tone in Writing

These are expressed through how one selects and puts the words together, uses punctuation marks, and their choice of perspectives or points of view when narrating a story.

Expression of Language and Tone in Speaking

These are expressed through the use of voice inflections, volume, pacing, body language, and facial expressions.

Communication

It is a process that requires the integration and application of several skills, such as reading, listening, speaking, and viewing. Each skill is important in helping an individual convey their message. It is also a reflective process anchored in the beliefs, values, and experiences that form one's self-identity.

Proponents of Each Model of Communication

1. Aristotle (384-322 BC)

2. Wilbur Schramm (1955)

3. Eugene White (1960)

The Communication Models and Their Elements

1. Aristotle’s Model

2. Schramm’s Model

3. White’s Model

1. Aristotle (384-322 BC)

He is the “Father of Rhetoric,” and his focus was to train individuals to become good speakers. His aim in studying communication is to improve the communicative skills of the sender or speaker so the message would be delivered effectively to the public.

Aristotle’s Model of Communication

This is the first and earliest model of communication. He identified three primary elements of communication: sender, speech or message, and receiver.

Public Speaking Skills

During Aristotle’s time, this was a very important occasion. Leaders and rulers were expected to possess this.

2. Wilbur Schramm (1955)

He presented a communication model that aimed to explain why the communication process broke down. He stressed that each one of us has unique fields of experiences that affect our understanding and interpretations.

Schramm’s Model of Communication

In this model, for effective communication to take place, a common ground is considered the source of the message, and the receiver or destination touches on the shared experience of the sender and receiver. Finding this common ground highlights the importance of shared experience, helping those involved in communication to determine the appropriate language, tone, and structure for the message.

3. Eugene White (1960)

He emphasized that communication is not a linear process but a circular or continuous one. He suggested that one could observe the elements of communication in any part of the process.

White’s Model of Communication

For him, there are other elements that must be given attention, such as the feedback. It shows a cyclical process of communication, showing that there is no clear beginning or end.

Feedback

It is an important element of communication because it ensures the continuous flow of interaction.

Expressing Oneself through Communication

Having self-awareness means having full knowledge of how one feels, what one wants to do, what one thinks, and why one thinks in a certain manner. It all affects the way they communicate and interact with others. There is clearly a link between self-awareness and communication when expressing oneself because the former influences the language and tone for academic or professional goals.

Goal of Communication

It is a tool to express oneself, discover one's values, and help achieve one's persona and communication. It is also a process that allows them to know themselves deeply through various forms of interaction.

Self-Awareness

It plays a crucial role because it sets the foundation and context for the communicator. How the communicator chooses their words, tone, and manner in sending and processing the messages received is inevitably connected to their foundation or context. This affects how they evaluate and interpret what they read and watch, how they understand what they hear, and how they compose what they want to say or write about.

Communicative Skills

1. Reading

2. Listening

3. Speaking

4. Viewing