Course Number: Ed 510

Course Title: Communication in Education Facilitator: Prof. Ophelia F. Julit Discussants: Rowena A. Dichosa,

May Joy O. Paborada, Jona P. Lacsi,

Marni Hamili Dieron & Rey Jun Dieron

LEVELS OF COMMUNICATI

ON

FIVE LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION

• Verbal Level of Communication This level includes our selection of

words based an understanding of meaning held by the recipient: there are multiple definitions for most words and few of us hold the exact same meaning for each word. Different words evoke different images, memories, and meaning for different people.

The logic and reasoning of a statement or argument (Aristotle’s logos) influences the effectiveness of the message being received.

To communicate more effectively, select the “right” words and usage. Be clear and concise. When possible, formulate your thoughts to avoid rambling. This is an art in itself.

Physical Level of Communication• Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP)

brought to our attention the importance of visual cues: eye contact, gestures, movements, stances, breathing, posture, facial expressions, and so on. When used with integrity, techniques like “matching and mirroring” a person’s stance and movements (and words too) can increase his or her receptivity of your message.

• To communicate more effectively, it’s helpful to physically align with others, connecting with them in form and movement.

Auditory Level of Communication

• The sound of our voice, including the tone, range, and speed effects how our messages are received and interpreted by others. For example, fast talkers will find it beneficial to slow their speech when speaking to a thoughtful, introverted person or risk being unheard. Also, how we enunciate, inflect, and place emphasis on certain words affects how others interpret the meaning of what we say.

To communicate more effectively, become aware of various auditory cues, speaking to others in a manner more akin to their own ways (another form of “matching and mirroring”).

Emotional Level of Communication

• Few people fully appreciate how our emotional states affect what we communicate and how the message is interpreted by the recipient. In rhetoric, Aristotle’s pathos represents an appeal to the audience’s emotions.

• Are you more receptive to someone who is positive and up-beat or someone who is somber and critical? Passionate and enthusiastic or flat and boring? The speaker’s emotions put the recipient in a particular state of mind and influence how the listener interprets what is said.

• To communicate more effectively, become aware of your emotional state, learning to pause and release negative emotions before attempting to communicate with others. Words spoken in pride, anger, or fear are rarely well received.

Energetic Level of Communication

• Also called the psychic level, this level of communication encompasses a vast range of unseen factors including a person’s level of consciousness, the frequency or harmonics of the message, and other subtle energies. Some people seem to have an “X-factor”—a unique presence—that naturally imparts their messages to others with greater meaning.

To communicate more effectively, hold the highest intention for the other person’s wellbeing. This requires a unique level of mindfulness that is generally cultivated through practice. When we are centered within ourselves, we’re more likely to access this psychic dimension that holds great treasures of insights into others, helping us communicate with greater ease.

Bringing all the Levels of Communication Together• The verbal level is the content; it’s what

we say. The physical, auditory, emotional, and energetic levels represent how we convey a message. These levels are interdependent, as each level affects the other. For example, our emotional state affects our body language and our overall field influences our emotional state.

• Simply becoming aware of these various levels can be beneficial. When we see the complexities inherent in human communication, we can become more patient in our speech and more compassionate towards others and ourselves.

• The Levels of Communication: A Cheat Sheet

Nan Peck, Northern Virginia Communication College

Phatic Communication:

• Using conventional messages to establish rapport, to break the ice, and/or to end a conversation. You might hug, kiss, shake hands, bow, smile, make eye contact, and face one another. We exchange pleasantries by using cliches.

• Clichés are overused expressions that have lost their original (content) meanings and have taken on new relational meanings. We expect phatic communication at the beginning and end of every conversation, regardless of our feelings about a person.

• Examples: Hello. How are you?I’m fine. How are you?Hi. Paper or plastic?Thanks for coming. Have a nice

day.You’re welcome.

Factual communication:• Using events, making

observations, offering knowledge to others in a manner which can be called chit chat or small talk. At business parties, we rely upon factual communication to network, to schmooze, and to work the room.

• Factual communication includes reporting what you’ve read in a textbook, what you’ve studied for a test, showing pictures of your children, and exchanging biographical information about yourself. Factual communication is relatively safe and most do this well.

• Examples: I’m majoring in business administration.I’m married with three children, two sons and one daughter.Did you watch the basketball game last night?What did we do in class last Friday?

Evaluative communication:• Offering opinions, ideas and

judgments to others. This is risky business because the odds are that others will reciprocate with their own evaluations, which may be different from yours. When people consistently use evaluative communication, they must be prepared for eventual conflict.

• Many U.S. Americans enjoy sharing at this level and feel that disagreeing with others is useful and invigorating. Unfortunately, many of us don’t use evaluative communication with a high level of competence. It’s important to consider the value of critical and creative thinking, as well as the relational meanings of messages that are exchanged.

• Examples: Of all my children, my daughter is the better athlete.I thought that movie was excellent, particularly with the surprising ending.I’m not convinced that your argument is well supported.I agree with you!

 Gut-level communication

-involves sharing our emotions and feelings with another. We are sharing our very essence when we allow others to know our heart. This is risky business! Societies place constraints upon the specific emotions which can be conveyed (e.g., It’s good to express love; it’s bad to express hatred).

• We also have rules about when and how feelings can be expressed ("That was the wrong time and place for arguing with your spouse.")

• Emotional intelligence involves interpersonal competencies including self-awareness, self control, flexibility and empathy.

Examples:

I deeply appreciate your

thoughtfulness and generosity in

helping me earlier.I’m so frustrated with you!I wish that I hadn’t called you that

name. I hope that you’ll forgive

me.He called me! I’m so excited to see him

again!

Peak communication:

• Coming together with another in an extraordinary way. Two individuals who are gut leveling experience a transformation when they are sharing the exact same emotion with the same level of intensity.

• This is also called, "communal-level communication." It’s as if, for the moment, two souls merge into one. Peak communication is rare, even among close friends and family members.

Examples:

• I love you. I love you too.I’m so angry with you. I’m so angry with

you as well.I’m glad that we were able to fight long

enough to get this resolved. Yes, I feel exactly the same way, glad

that we communicated collaboratively.I’m scared. I’m scared too.

THE 5 LEVELS TO COMMUNICATING MORE EFFECTIVELY

Level 1.  Sending. 

At this level, you simply send, transmit, or share your message.  Whether this is an email, or a  face-to-face conversation, you simply sent your message.  Just because you sent your message, doesn’t mean it was heard, read, or understood.  Where some people fail is they send emails or give our orders and think that was communicating.  

• If you don’t care about whether your message lands, or whether you have buy in, or if there are any concerns, then stopping here makes perfect sense.  If, on the other hand, you do care that the recipient heard you or read your message, understands what you want or mean, and leads to some sort of agreement or action, and has a level of buy in, then you have more work to do.

Level 2.  Receiving. 

• This is where the message is received.  This is where an acknowledgement helps. As the sender, you can ask whether they read your message, or if it’s face-to-face, you can ask them to play back what they heard.

Level 3.  Understanding.  

• This is where a lot of communication conflict or breakdowns happen.  You don’t have to agree at this stage.  What’s important is to first make sure the message is understood.  If you are the sender, then this is where you want to really check that your message is understood through playback. You can simply ask the receiver to play back what they heard. 

• What you said, may not be what they heard.  If you are the receiver and you want to practice your empathic listening skills, this is a great place to say, “What I hear you saying is …”, and check that you heard the message as it was intended.   This is also a great place to get any concerns on the table.  It’s also a great place to hear both sides, if there is more than one side. 

• Often there might seem like there are multiple sides, but often this is just different perspectives.  This is when people talk past each other.  A simple rule of thumb here from a Covey standpoint is, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

Level 4.  Agreement. • This is a perfect place to practice

everything you’ve learned about playing well with others.  It’s the perfect place to focus on wants, needs, and concerns.  From a Covey standpoint, it’s a perfect place to seek the “win win”, or find “the 3rd alternative.”  From a John Wooden standpoint, it’s the perfect place to “agree to disagree”, if need be, and just because you don’t agree, does not mean you have to be disagreeable.

Level 5.  Action. 

• This is a great outcome for great communication.  It leads to some sort of action or decision.   This is a spectrum of action from “now is not the time” to “who does what when” with increasing clarity.   Sometimes the best action simply is a decision that both parties agree to.

THANK YOU !!!!!!!