PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

Chapter 6

COMMUNICATION FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES

FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION

1. To inform – the emphasis is on statement of facts, and the goal is to let the audience
understand.

Nature/Features of Informative Communication (Lucas, 2012)

 Objects – include anything that is visible, tangible, and stable in form
 Processes – may comprise any systematic series of actions that lead to a specific result
or product
 Events – can be anything that happens or is regarded as happening
 Concepts – may consist of beliefs, theories, ideas, principles and the like

Formal Situations Requiring Informative Communication (Lucas, 2012)

 The public lecture

 The status report
 The briefing – a very common informative speech used to tell members of a group
about changes of policy or procedures
 The fireside chats – usually features a group leader addressing the concerns, worries,
and issues at the moment
 The chat talk – the speaker giving a chalk talk relies on a visual aid (such as a
chalkboard)

Organizational Patterns for Informative Speeches (Nelson, 2012)

 Chronological Pattern – a pattern that allows you explain how someone or something
has developed over a period of time
 Spatial Pattern – a pattern that allows you to describe the physical or directional
relationship between objects or places
 Topical Pattern – in this topic, you divide your topic into subtopics that address the
components, elements, or aspects of the topic
 Narrative Pattern – used to retell a story or a series of a short stories

Guides in Informative Speaking (Jaffe, 2010)

 Do an obstacle analysis of the audience

 Organize the material carefully
 Personalize your material to your audience
 Compare the know to the unknown
  Choose your vocabulary carefully
 Build on repetition and redundancy
 Strive to be interesting

2. To persuade or argue – to create, reinforce, or change people’s belief or action.

Difference of Persuasive and Informative

Inform Persuade
– certain, and ensure listeners will understand – go beyond arguing with others just to
convince

Elements of Persuasion
 Ethos – a Greek word for “character”. The speaker attempts to persuade others by
using authoritative and trustworthy course or support of the message.
 Pathos – refers to the speaker’s appeal to emotions
 Logos – involves using logic to support a speaker’s statements and, thereby, persuading
his audience

Types of Persuasive Speeches

 Speeches on question of fact – proposes something that is true or not
 Speeches on question of value – proposes that something is right or wrong, moral or
immoral, or better or worse
 Speeches on question of policy – urges a person to advocate for or against the status
quo

Ethical Principles for Persuasive Speaking

 Be careful about whom you trust

 Analyze and evaluate messages for reasonableness, truth, and benefit to you and the
community
 You and your message are persuasive if you have a long positive history
 Always be respectful of your audience
 Avoid fallacies

3. To entertain, honor or praise – designed to address and engage audience’s emotions on a

specific occasion.

Difference of Entertainment Speech in the following context

Point of Comparison Inform Persuade Entertain

Purpose Apprise or educate Entice or convince Depends on the
occasion
Style Formal language Formal language Uses highly stylistic or
 ornamental language
Organization Uses sequential Uses sequential Ornamental styling;
patterns pattern depending on uses creative styles
the types and relatively short
Formality Formal Formal Formal or informal

Types of Special Occasion Speeches

 Courtesy
 Speech of Introduction – brief introduction to the individual being introduced
and intended to assist in establishing one’s character
 Speech of Presentation – public presentation of a gift or an award made to a
person
 Speech of Acceptance – provided by the recipients of the recognition, honor, or
award
 Ceremonial
 Commencement Address – referred to as a graduation speech. Must recognize
the significance of the occasion and pay tribute to the graduates. Must pay
homage to the past while keeping an eye on the future
 Commemorative Speech – meant to elevate the audience’s enthusiasm for the
person, organization, or concept being compliment
 Tributes – reaffirms cultural beliefs, values, and practices. It praises the person,
thing, idea, organization, or group
 Eulogies – a tribute or honor given to a person who has died
 Contest
 Original oratory – the speaker is allowed to choose his topic and write his own
speech about it. The speech, which needs careful and complete preparation, is
memorized and limited to a 10-minute delivery.
 Extemporaneous – participants are required to choose one topic from several
given topics and prepare from 5-7minutes speech on the topic. Usually take the
form of questions and are focused on current events.
 Dramatic and humorous interpretation – a competitive interpretation event
where participants are permitted to choose the materials they want to perform.

Types of Speech Based on Delivery

 Impromptu – a speech that a person delivers without predetermination or preparation

Advantages Disadvantages
1. It gives you an opportunity to present your 1. It often results in poor performances; it is very
ideas, make appeals, or disseminate likely that you are going to ramble, wander,
information at a time most needed by the and waste not only your time but also that of
listeners, which may have some value and the audience.
impact. 2. It makes you nervous; although you realize the
2. It also provides you with a chance to improve situation may not come up often, you are still
 your image in the minds of the audience. worried about you’re not being to do a good
3. It allows for spontaneity, which requires job.
minimal planning and practice. 3. It discourages audience adaptation
4. It discourages planned research
5. It has uncertain outcomes

 Extemporaneous – a well-rehearsed speech with short notes

Advantages Disadvantages
1. It gives more precise control over thought or 1. Too much preparation is involved
language. 2. It is a potential for miscommunication because
2. It offers greater spontaneity and directness. of unpredictable spontaneous word choices.
3. It is adaptable to a wide range of a situation.
4. It also encourages the conversational quality
audience look for in speech delivery.
5. It appears effortless
6. It invites bodily movements, gestures, and
rapid nonverbal response.

 Manuscript or Read Speech – written speech and read when delivered

Advantages Disadvantages
1. Prevents slip of the tongue, poor wording, and 1. Frequently reduce eye contact because you
distortion of ideas are more focused on reading rather than
2. It often boosts your confidence because you observing the audience.
are assured of the security of manuscript. 2. It hinders audience adaptation
3. Vocal variety may also be lacking because you
read the bulks of your presentation.
4. The pacing of the presentation may become
too rapid or too slow, and instead of sounding
conversational, your speech may sound like an
essay being read.

 Memorized – a speech that a speaker has to remember before giving

Advantages Disadvantages
1. It permits maximum use of your delivery skills; 1. It permits little or no adaptation during
every variation in the voice can be mastered, delivery.
every oral paragraph stated in correct cadence, 2. Recovery is more difficult if you make a
and every word correctly pronounced at the mistake.
right volume. 3. It takes substantial time to prepare and
2. You can have continuous eye contact. memorize.
3. Bodily movement and gestures are free.
 Chapter 7

PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION/COMMUNICATION FOR WORK PURPOSES

BASICS OF WRITING

1. Purpose – the reason or goal that you have for writing about your topic.
2. Reader/Audience – the specific people that you are writing for.

Flow of Communication
 Upward – communication from employees to managers or leaders
 Lateral (Horizontal) Communication – communication between people of the same
hierarchical positions
 Downward – communication managers or leaders to employees
 Outward – communication outside the organization
3. Tone – author’s attitude towards a subject. How author is feeling about it.
Mood – the feeling, a reader gets from what author has written. It’s a result of author’s tone.

Minutes of the Meeting

- Minutes are the summary of what happened in the meeting. They show the information shared,
the discussion made (clear, accurate, and objective), and decisions reached during the meeting.
(Kolin, 2015; Dagdag, Ranin,Roxas, Perez & Buluran, 2011)
- Minutes may be formal or informal depending on the type of meeting. Formal minutes are long
because all information are recorded in detail, including the exact words of motions,
amendments, resolutions, and number of votes. Informal minutes are shorter since discussions
are just summarized. Whether they are formal or informal, however, minutes have the same
basic parts (Kolin, 2015, p. 109; Dagdag, et al., 2011)

Components of Minutes

o Name of institution or group holding the meeting

o Date, time and place of a meeting
o Name of presiding officer
o Present and absent members
o Approval or amendment minutes of the previous meeting
o Discussion
o Action
o Adjournment of meeting
o Signature of secretary

Guidelines in Preparing the Minutes

 All motions and resolutions are recorded, and proponents are identified by name.
  Seconded motions are also noted and recorded although the ones who seconded them
need not be identified.
 Results of seconded motions must be recorded, and whether approved or rejected,
should be indicated in the minutes.
 Headings are used to mark report sections. Titles should be all capital letters.
 Minutes of the previous meeting should also be taken up.
 Do not report/write verbatim (word of word) what are said. Summarized. Readers are
more interested in results.
 Lengthy discussions, debates, and reports given should be summarized.
 The past tense is used.

Memorandum (Memo)

- Memo, short for memorandum, is of Latin origin, which means “something to be remembered”.
This meaning explains the function of memos – to record information of immediate importance
and interests.
- Usually written for internal or in-house communication. It is usually short, direct to the point,
clearing stating what must be done or not done. They provide data for various functions, such as
the following (Kolin, 2015)
 Making announcements
 Giving instructions
 Clarifying a policy, procedure or issue
 Changing a policy or procedure
 Alerting staff to a problem
 Sending recommendations
 Providing legal records
 Calling a meeting
 Reminding employees of corporate history, policy, and procedure

Memo Protocol (Guidelines)

 Be Timely. Do not wait for the day of the event before your announcement.
 Be Professional. Although memo is an in-house correspondence, it should still be well
crafted, factually accurate, and free of grammar lapses and faulty writing mechanics.
 Be Tactful. Politeness and diplomacy are important qualities of any business
correspondence.
 Send Memo to the Right Person.

Memo Format and Parts

 Header
 Name and job title of receiver
 Sender’s name
 Date
  Subject – indicate the purpose. This serves as the title of your memo; it summarizes the
message.
 Message
 Orientation. (Opening Paragraph); What is your purpose or reason for writing?
 Information. What do you want to tell or convey to the reader?
 Action. What step or course of action do you intend to take?

Letter of Request – demands or asks favor

Guidelines by Kolin (2015)

o Direct/address your letter to the right person

o State your identity and the reason for writing
o Indicate the reason for your request
o State your questions brief and clear
o Indicate the urgency of the information – meaning when do you need them
o Offer to give them a copy of your report as gratitude for their help
o Thank the reader for helping

Short Report – short information specific of the subject or topic

Types of Short Report

 Progress Report – a report that provides updates to particular projects within specified
time or period.
1. Introduction
2. Work Completed
3. Work Remaining
4. Problems
5. Conclusions
 Incident Report – facts about a certain event. It deals with the unexpected that brings
harm to people and property.
 Project Report – document asking you to do something
o Solicited – is to offer realistic, constructive plans to help the management run
the business efficiently and effectively.
o Unsolicited - is when you send them a proposal they haven’t even asked for
because you think they should buy from you or take some action
 Chapter 8

COMMUNICATION FOR ACADDEMIC PURPOSES

Academic Purposes – any writing done to fulfill a requirement (Writing for Education, 2018)

- formal written work of students, professionals in the academe (Valdes, 2018)

GUIDELINES IN WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES (Bullock & Weinberg. 2009)

1. Choose a Topic – it should be appropriate to the kind of text assigned and to the specified,
required time for completion.
2. Consider the Rhetorical Elements
a. Purpose
b. Audience
c. Stance – whether serious, objective, critical, opinionated, curious, passionate or
indifferent.
d. Tone – whether funny, ironic, reasonable, thoughtful, angry or gentle.
e. Genre – formal or informal language – such as memo, letter, report, abstract, research,
personal essay, narrative, review and proposal.
f. Medium – print, spoken or electronic
g. Design – format, typefaces, illustrations and audio-visuals materials
3. Generate Ideas and Text – aim to find the best information from credible sources.
4. Organize your Ideas – depends on rhetorical elements, like purpose, audience, stance and tone,
genre, and medium.
5. Write out a Draft – considering genre, medium and design when deciding on register and style
of writing.
6. Revise, Edit, and Proofread – pay special attention to correctness of language (grammar,
mechanics, style).
7. Evaluate your Work

THE STUCTURE OFACADEMIC TEXTS

1. Aim – general purpose of the text

2. Research Question – inquiry that requires an answer
3. Introduction – background of research
4. Methods and Materials – procedures and respondents or participants
5. Results – outcomes
6. Discussion – interpreting results
7. Conclusion – general statement of your aim and results and its implication
8. Reference – resources used in the conduct of the study

KEY FEATURES OF ACADEMIC TEXTS

1. Literacy Narrative – well-told story, vivid detail, clear significance
2. Article/Book Review – a summary of text, attention to context, a clear interpretation, support
for your conclusions.
3. Research Report – a tightly focused topic, well-researched information, various writing
strategies, clear definitions, appropriate design.
4. Position Paper – a clear and arguable position, background information, good reasons,
convincing evidence, appeals to readers, a trustworthy tone, considerations of any other
position.
5. Abstract –a summary of basic information, objective description, brevity.
6. Evaluation – a concise description of the subject, clearly defined criteria, a knowledgeable
discussion, a balanced and fair assessment, well-supported reasons.
7. Laboratory Report – an explicit title, abstract, purpose, methods, results and discussion,
references, appendices, appropriate format.
8. Literary Analysis – an arguable thesis, careful attention to the language of the text, attention to
patterns or themes, a clear interpretation.
9. Proposal – a well-defined problem, a recommended solution, a convincing argument for your
solution, possible questions, a call for action, an appropriate tone.