SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL- Oral Communication in Context

Student’s Name: _____________________________Grade/Section: ______________

Teacher: ___________________________________Date Submitted: _____________

SHIFT IN THE COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES

(QUARTER 2 WEEK 3)

I. LEARNING SKILLS
A. Most Essential Learning Competency:
Explains that a shift in speech context, speech style, speech act, and communicative strategy
affects various factors such as language form, interaction duration, relationship of speaker/s to audience or
receiver of message, roles and responsibilities of the speaker, the message itself and the manner of delivery
of the speaker

B. Objectives:
1. Identify the different types of speech context, speech style, speech act, and communicative
strategies engaged in by people in various situations;
2. Explain that a shift in speech context, speech style, speech act, and communicative strategy affects
various factors such as language form, interaction duration, relationship of speaker/s to audience
or receiver of message, roles and responsibilities of the speaker, the message itself and the manner
of delivery of the speaker; and
3. Use effective communicative strategies in a variety of speech situations.

II. INTRODUCTORY CONCEPT

Communication entails a delicate balancing in order to sustain connection and transact

successfully. Let us dig in a little deeper and examine the factors involved in this balancing act.

As you have learned in the previous modules, each speech style - intimate, frozen,
consultative, casual or formal - or the way language is used, will greatly depend on the speakers’
relationship, purpose of the conversation and the speech context - dyad, small group, public, and
mass communication - which, in turn, will also determine what type of utterance or speech act will
be used.

While communication is on-going, communicative strategies such as repair, topic shifting,

restriction, topic control, turn-taking, nomination and termination, will be used to maintain the
connection in order to successfully impart the message and achieve the purpose of communication.

The table below enumerates and briefly explains the factors affected when there is a
change or shift in speech context, speech style, speech act, and communicative strategy.

This refers to the formality or informality of the language used

and it involves the choice of words and how sentences or
utterances are structured.
Formal language is used when talking with professionals or
Language Form
persons in authority in a formal, official or ceremonial occasion,
situation, gathering or event. Talking with a lawyer, a doctor or
even with your teacher often creates a formal ambiance in
communication.

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 Informal language, on the other hand, is used without much
consideration to rules of convention or etiquette. It is casual and
mostly not well-thought-of or prepared because it is used to
communicate with people with whom you have close association
with like parents, siblings and friends.
This refers to the amount of time a conversation takes between
Duration of interaction
and among communicators.
This refers to the speech style used by the speaker suited to
his/her relationship to the person with whom he/she is
communicating. Styles can be classified as intimate, frozen,
consultative, casual or formal.

Intimate style – the speaker talks to family members, best

friends or romantic partners. This may comprise private
conversations or personal interactions.

Frozen – the speaker addresses an audience in a formal

gathering such as ceremonial events, Eucharistic celebrations or
even court hearings. The style is “set” or “fixed” and thus, it rarely
or never changes. Audience feedback is not required.
Relationship of Speaker
Consultative – the speaker communicates with a person whom
he/she may have to clarify things, discuss a problem, or seek
advice.

Casual – the speaker shares close and personal information

with friends, classmates or colleagues. This ordinarily occurs in
everyday life.

Formal – the speaker has to deliver a pre-planned or written

speech to address a crowd of people such as giving opening
remarks during a seminar, or the president making a public
announcement or delivering SONA.
This refers to the role and responsibility of the speaker which will
depend on the purpose and context of communication.

The speaker may be a person who gives information and

Role and Responsibility of
additional knowledge to another person or an audience,
Speaker
someone who convinces others for a cause or an individual who
provokes laughter for diversion and fun. Hence, his responsibility
depends on his purpose for communication which may be to
inform, to persuade, or to entertain
This involves the content of the message. The message may be
Message
facts, opinion, feelings, order, suggestions, and questions.
This refers to the manner of delivery involving verbal and
nonverbal cues made by the speaker. Delivery can be classified
as:

● extemporaneous – speaking with limited preparation and

Delivery
guided by notes or outline;
● impromptu – speaking without advanced preparation or
unrehearsed speech;
● memorized – planned and rehearsed speech;
● manuscript – reading aloud a written message.

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 Communicative Competence

In order to achieve communicative competence, we must consider the following: speech

context, speech style, speech act and communicative strategies.

Speech Context

This accounts for the background and purpose of a discourse. Speech context assumes a
more or less direct relationship between situational, societal, political or cultural “environment” in
which the communication transaction occurs. The type of audience, circumstances and setting are
taken into consideration.

Speech context may be intrapersonal, interpersonal and public. Intrapersonal

communication is communication with oneself. It is the basic form of communication where the
‘self’ is the only consideration. This is true in moments of self-reflection or introspection when you
contemplate and internalize things that happened or may happen, or maybe think of what may be
done to solve a personal problem.

Sharing your experiences with a friend or discussing a topic within a group are examples
of interpersonal communication. This kind of communication involves the transmission of
messages that are deliberately extended to others.

Public communication addresses a large number of people. For example, when you
discuss to a large group online about the effects of Covid19 and the precautionary measures in the
time of pandemic, you engage in public communication. In this way, you communicate to a crowd
of online viewers and so your message may be heard by many. Another example of public
communication is a preacher passionately delivering a sermon and a leader emphatically
persuading the people to support a cause in a mass gathering.

As communication changes its context, language form, choice of words, delivery, and
duration of interaction are some of the factors that may also change. Various speaking
engagements will always entail different environments, situations, or circumstances. The people
that we talk to, the physical setting we find ourselves in, and the circumstances that surround the
communication transaction may alter. And when it does, we as speakers may incorporate the
necessary changes in order to adapt to the changed context.

Speech Style

Another factor that affects the attainment of communicative competence is speech style.
A person may choose what style or form of language to use in communicating with others;

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 however, personal preferences may not work at all times. There are controlled instances when
one may just go with the flow of the communicative process because that is what is required in
the situation.

Speech style has the following types: intimate, casual, consultative, formal and frozen.

Intimate communication happens between or among

family members because they are bound by close affinity. There
are things that are kept only within themselves which other
people do not or cannot know. Intimate communication may be
private or confidential.
Friends and acquaintances often use casual
communication. They feel comfortable and at ease with one
another. They have no inhibitions to share their feelings
because they consider their friends next to their family. They
laugh without ceasing over not-so-funny things and at times, not
even getting sensitive to one another’s criticisms.

Consultative means of communication is giving pieces of

advice as in a guidance counselor and a client who needs it. This
can be between a doctor and his patient or parents who consult
with a teacher about their child’s academic performance.

The President delivering his SONA and a principal

presenting a school’s financial report to teachers, parents and
other stakeholders are both examples of a formal communication.
This type of communication is well-planned in terms of structure,
sequence and coherence of ideas.

Finally, those activities which are not changeable in nature fall under
a frozen type of communication. Saying a prayer like Our Lord’s Prayer or
the Hail Mary and reciting the Patriotic Oath during flag ceremonies are just
two of the examples. These are routinely done and may only be changed
once amended in the Philippine constitution. Frozen communication is set
and it is very rarely or almost never altered.

Do you talk to your little brothers or sisters? How often do you tell
your life’s stories with your parents? Have you experienced interviewing a
sidewalk vendor for an entrepreneurship class task or talking to a doctor to
clarify some medical proceedings for your Science activities?

The scenarios above will probably get you to adjust your words according to the type of
audience you deal with. Your approach to the little ones will drastically change as you talk with your
parents who have authority over you. Your language will vary as you interview a sidewalk vendor
and a doctor for your class tasks.

As in context, a change in speech style also causes other factors in the communication
process to change. This is because we try to adapt our style or language form depending on the
degree of formality and familiarity that we have with our audience.

Speech Act

Speech act refers not only to the utterance (Locutionary act) but also to the intention
(Illocutionary Act) and response (Perlocutionary Act) to a specific situation for an intended
discourse impact. The choice of words to use has to be considered to suit the need of the occasion

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 or the kinds of audience to be addressed. This is also done to help express the intention of the
speaker and to elicit a response from the listener.

In linguistics or the scientific study of language, a speech act refers not only to a word or
group of words spoken by a person but also to the action that is elicited from the audience due to
the words spoken. For example, the question, “May I use your pen?” is considered a speech act
because the speaker’s desire to use another person’s pen is expressed while also seeking
permission to use it. The actual saying of the words or the utterance of “May I use your pen?” is
the locutionary act, the implied request of “Can you hand me your pen so I may use it” is the
illocutionary act, and the actual handing over of the pen as permitted or given by the owner of the
pen is the perlocutionary act.

Indeed, people may be able to accomplish many things with words and may be able to
change status, relationships, and commitments. As in single word expressions, people may make
promises by simply saying “me” or may break hearts by simply muttering “No.” Henceforth, a tactful
word choice is necessary knowing how words may easily be misunderstood. In total, speech acts
are part of people’s day to day transactions. They are commonplace. Words that we have for a
specific purpose or intention have to be expressed. Otherwise, no transaction or negotiation can
occur.

Communicative strategies

You are the class president and are the one presiding a meeting. In the middle of the
discussion, a heated argument as to where the class fund goes takes place. What would you do?

To begin a conversation and keep it going, we should employ strategies that will help
maintain its smooth flow.
You may consider nomination wherein you as the class president or your classmates
suggest a topic or agenda to talk about. Nomination starts the conversation process. You also put
restrictions or limitations to the topic to be discussed in order to meet the arranged and allotted
time.
Turn-taking is where you employ rules of engagement regarding the procedure or
sequence of each participant’s turn to talk. This also refers to the alternate turns that speakers
adapt when having a conversation. Making sure that the discussions remain in the confines of the
agenda is the next consideration. This may be hard to achieve but topic control is possible through
the cooperation of all the attendees of a group meeting or of all participants in the discussion.
Everybody should ensure that the conversation will not veer away from what has been planned.

Topic shifting makes the transition from one topic to another occur smoothly. This
happens when one discussant manages to move to the next topic subtly. This next topic may not
necessarily be the same as the previous but definitely, it is related to it. Before the meeting is
adjourned, you may repair or fix all the problems that arouse in the course of the meeting by
answering all the questions and clarifying the attendees’ understanding of the agenda discussed.
The termination is the last part of the process where the meeting is successfully ended.

These various communicative strategies may be employed by speakers in order to keep

the conversation moving forward. Different strategies entail different word choice and language
forms.
In sum, the shift in speech context, speech style, speech act and communicative
strategy is always probable. The roller coaster ride of intermingling scenarios allows causes and
effects to surface out, too. To achieve a successful communication transaction, these factors all
need to be taken into careful consideration.

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 From our discussions earlier, it is clear that the following elements are affected by a shift
in the communicative processes:
1. language form which could shift from formal to informal and vice versa,
2. the duration or the length of communication which could be shortened or
lengthened depending on how the conversation will be maintained,
3. the relationship of the speaker to the receiver of the message that could be
intimate, frozen, consultative, casual, or formal; and,
4. the role and responsibility of the speaker, the message and its delivery which
could vary depending on the context and purpose of communication.

III. ACTIVITIES
A. PRACTICE TASKS

Practice Task 1. Speech Context.

Directions:
1. Crop pictures from newspapers or magazines or take pictures online showing the
following types of communicative context:
a. Intrapersonal
b. Interpersonal
c. Public
2. Paste it on a clean sheet of paper or on a word page (if pictures were taken online).
3. Write at least five sentences, dialogue or speech script for each picture to show the
differences among the three.

Performance Task 2. Communicative Strategies. Directions: Read the text below. Extract the
observable communicative strategies from it. Write the statement/s that represent/s the strategies
on a sheet of paper under the correct heading/label.

The SK Chairperson called for a meeting. After presenting the agenda for the day, he asked
the body to raise other concerns to be discussed. They put forward two other matters namely:
the upcoming programs for youth development and the construction of the new SK building.
During the open forum, the Chair instructed his fellow youth to raise their hand if they wanted
to say something. The attendees waited for their turns in the process. The meeting progressed
and every time the discussion would get off the TRACK, the Chair would call for order and
remind the group to stay focused. The discussion flowed smoothly then, and with everyone’s
cooperation, the shift from one topic to the next was done with ease. Other matters were also
clarified. Soon, the chairman asked everybody if they had fully understood all the issues and
concerns discussed. Everybody nodded and said, “Yes!” in response. The meeting was
adjourned promptly.

1. Nomination
_____________________________________________________________
2. Restriction
_____________________________________________________________
3. Turn-taking
_____________________________________________________________
4. Topic Control
_____________________________________________________________
5. Topic Shifting
_____________________________________________________________
6. Repair _____________________________________________________________
7. Termination ________________________________________________________

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 B. ASSESSMENT. Directions: Choose the best answer for each given situation. Write your
answer on the space provided before each number.

_____1. The program’s master of ceremony stated, “We are about to start the
program in less than a minute.” Identify the speech act used.
A. Illocutionary Act C. Perlocutionary Act
B. Locutionary Act D. None of the above
_____2. The teacher called Drei to tell the answer for item number 5. Identify the
speech act used.
A. Illocutionary Act C. Perlocutionary Act
B. Locutionary Act D. None of the above

_____3. Thirdie asks his classmates to sit down. Identify the speech act used.
A. Illocutionary Act C. Perlocutionary Act
B. Locutionary Act D. None of the above
_____4. ‘Ana, will you please lead the class in reciting the Patriotic Oath,” Ms.
Sanchez said. Tell the classification of speech style used.
A. Casual C. Frozen
B. Consultative D. Intimate
_____5. “I promise to make up with you the next time,” Nica told her best friend
Mary. Tell the classification of speech style used.
A. Casual C. Frozen
B. Consultative D. Intimate
_____6. “I regret not being there when you need someone to talk to.” Max said to
his little brother, Bran. Tell the classification of speech style used.
A. Casual C. Frozen
B. Consultative D. Intimate
_____7. The delegates were grouped according to their interest and were given
topics to discuss with their members during the convention. Identify the speech context.
A. Interpersonal C. Mass Communication
B. Intrapersonal D. Public Communication
_____8. Spokesperson Harry Roque shared important information during the
press briefing last Friday on national television. Identify the speech context.
A. Interpersonal C. Mass Communication
B. Intrapersonal D. Public Communication
_____9. Alfred was invited as a resource speaker on Mental Health Awareness
2020 during the 3rd Annual Youth Convention in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
Identify the speech context.
A. Interpersonal C. Mass Communication
B. Intrapersonal D. Public Communication
_____10. A couple officially announces their engagement to their immediate
family during dinner. Identify the speech style used.
A. Casual C. Formal
B. Consultative D. Intimate

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