
Objectives:
•
Define competent
communication
• Describe the five
communication acts
• Provide examplesof speaking
and listening for each of the five
communication acts
• Explain the four competency
steps and describe how a
competent communicator uses
each of them.
Competent Communication
Five Communication Acts
Speaking and Listening Examples
Four Competency Steps
•
Everyone can talk and hear.
•
Good communication takes
effort.
•
Competent means “well
qualified and capable.”
•
Competent communicators
have knowledge and skills
in communication.
• They develop a number of ways to deal with
new communication situations.
• They follow certain steps in order to reach
their communication goals.
Competent communicators always
seem to know what to say or do
in any situation.
They also know how to improve
their knowledge and
communication skills.

To get information

To tell someone something

To find out how to do something

To learn things I didn’t know before

To persuade someone to do or
believe something

To show someone I care about them

To make up my mind on a debatable
subject

To enjoy myself by talking with
others

To test new ideas
Communication acts
describe the major reasons
for communicating.

The five acts are:
1. Sharing information
2. Discussing feelings
3. Managing persuasion
4. Following social rituals
5. Using imagination
Feelings

Imagination
Sharing
Information
Social
Persuasion
I feel happy when…
I feel embarrased when…
I feel angry when…
I feel scared when…
I feel jealous when…
I feel silly when…
Advertising
Inspiration
Motivation
Write about five persuasive situations that you have
observed or experienced.

How did you act (or react) in the situations and how,
if at all different, might a ‘competent communicator’
act in these situations?

(ref. pg. 77)

Making and acknowledging introductions

Making and receiving telephone calls

Asking Questions

Interrupting, apologizing, greetings, etc.

Making conversation






Introducing a stranger…
Asking a question in class…
Ending a friendly conversation…
Calling a friend on the phone…
Asking the time of day…
Asking someone to dance…

What other examples can you think of?
Brains
Origins of Small Talk
Job Interview
Choose a social ritual and observe someone
engaging in it.


Predict what you expect to see.
Afterwards, desribe what happened and note
anything you noticed that was surprising or unusual.

(ref. pg. 80)
New mouse
When do you find yourself situations involving
dramatic imagination? Make a list of several…

(ref. pg. 84)
What type of communication act or acts
are exhibited in these movie clips?
Pursuit of Happyness
Armegeaddan
Communication strategies
are the verbal and
nonverbal messages
created to reach a specific
goal.

Experience gives your
more strategies to cope
with communication
difficulties.

The competent
communicator thinks up a
number of possible ways to
deal with a situation.


To gain a later curfew?
I plead for an extra half hour.
I inform my parent(s) I’m too old for this type of curfew.
I explain that my friends parents do not give them a curfew.
I try to convince my parent(s) that this is a very special occasion.
I volunteer to help around the house tomorrow.
I promise I will never ask for a curfew change again.
I threaten to go live with my best friend’s family.
I remind my parent(s) how responsible I have been in the past.
I stop speaking to my parent(s).
I slam doors and sulk around the house.
Did your strategy leave both you and your parents satisfied?
Once you’ve thought of
a few ways to handle the
problem or situation,
consider the specifics…

Think about the who,
what, where, and when.

Who – what do you
know about the person.
Think about your past
and future relationship
with the person.
Where – how will
the place or other
people affect the
discussion.
What – think about the
importance of the topic
to you and the person.
When – think about the
best time to discuss the
topic, whether its now or
at a later time.
Examine the situations on page 89 “Interact” and
think of the who, what, when and where that would
affect the communication strategies.


Now what?
Ever felt like you knew exactly
what to say or do but did nothing?

Many of us think of pretty good
strategies but are reluctant to finish.

Selecting the strategy doesn’t do
much good until you act on it.

It’s one to plan to tell your friend
that they hurt your feelings and
another to actually say, “You hurt
my feelings” or “I want you to stop
teasing me.”

Three-step skill called, “Peer Pressure Reversal” will get
you out of tough situations.

Check out the scene.
 First, checking out the scene involves looking and listening for
anything unusual or strange in the way your friends are talking
or acting. Are they in an ‘off-limits’ place, or are they trying to
bribe you into doing something wrong?
 Second, ask yourself: “Is this trouble?” If the situation would
break a law or get someone in charge mad, you are facing a
trouble situation.

Make a good decision.
 To make a good decision, you need to think about two things.
 First, weigh both sides. Your friend(s) will tell you about the
positive consequences: you must rely on yourself to consider
the negative consequences. The risks involved ar usually not
worth it.
 Second, you must make a firm decision so that the pressure
won’t cause you to act weak. If you take a risk, be prepared to
accept the consequences. If you decide against the trouble, you
might just comvince your friend(s) not to take the risk either.

Act to avoid trouble.
 There are many ways to refuse a friend’s suggestion including
saying no politely and firmly. leaving, or giving a true excuse.
 You can suggest a better idea and walk toward it and your
frineds will often follow you!
 Some people can say “No” in joking ways, such as “I wish I
could, but it’s my night to walk the goldfish.”
 And if a friend dares you, learn to return the challenge, “Are you
scared to do it by yourself?”
Remember to stay in control, look the person in the eyes when talking to
him or her, and get out of the trouble in 30 seconds or less.
How often have you planned to do something but
never followed through?


Some examples:






Volunteer in class (answer a question, add to a discussion, etc.)
Ask a salesclerk for more information
Tell your parents how wonderful they are
Compliment your friend
Thank a teacher for help
Apologize for talking badly about someone
Competent communicators learn to follow through with their plans.
Being Bullied
The final step is to
make judgment – to
decide whether the
strategy worked well.

Evaluate on the
terms of:





Effects on you
Effects on others
The result
And the conclusion
Pursuing Happyness
For example, if you had three different strategies for an
apology and chose one, did both you and the person you
apologized to feel good whe you were done?

Or, if you chose a joke to introduce your speech, did the
class laugh?

Look at the results and decide if the strategy would
work in a similar situation or would you have to do
something different.

Consider your beliefs about right and wrong when
choosing, using, and evaluating a strategy.

Failure brings success!
THINK ABOUT IT


Page 95
1-4
TRY IT OUT


Page 95-96
1-3
PUT IT IN WRITING


Page 96
1 (parent or grandparent) & 2