Chart paper and markers
List of "communication busters" cut apart and put in container (see #5 below)
Materials
Lesson Procedure
Goal: to enlighten students about verbal pragmatics as an aspect of social communication/cognition.
Activities can be adapted for any grade level and can be done in one session or several, depending on depth and detail.
1) Ask students to define (brainstorm) the word "communication." Record responses on chart paper. Guide them to discovery of "sending, giving, or exchanging ideas". Use or draw graphic of speaker and listener, etc.
2) Continue discussion by brainstorming responses to the following:
A. Types of Communication (animal to animal, animal to person, person to animal, person to person)
B. Modes of Communication (eye contact, body language, voice tone/pitch/volume; intonation, whiney/sarcastic/sad)
Word (code) Choice (slang, friends, school, adult)
C. Methods of Communication (Speaking, Writing, Computer, Telephone, Television, Smoke Signals, Morse Code, Sign Language, Music, Flags, Lights, Noise, etc.)
D. Why Do We Need Good Communication Skills? (Start and Maintain Friendships, Stay Out of Trouble, Gain Information, Job, Asking Questions, Improve Grades, etc.)
3) Draw Pie Chart to Represent: (% of time over life doing the following)
Listening---55%
Writing-----9%
Speaking----23%
Reading-----13%
Most of our time is spent listening and speaking; sometimes these are hard skills to learn, and they take practice.
4) What Happens When Communication Breaks Down?
(punishment, fights, arguments, job loss, misunderstandings, loss of friendships, etc.)
5) Communication Busters: Use role plays to demonstrate common "communication busters." Ask students to volunteer in pairs. Have each pair choose 3 "busters" from the hat, and give them 1 minute to plan; 2 minutes to act out a conversation in which those problems cause the communication to break down. At the end of 2 minutes, other students try to identify the problems being demonstrated.
List of "communication busters":
Poor listening, interrupting, poor phone skills, poor questions, confusing message, "thing-n-stuff" language, poor articulation, too loud or soft, too fast or slow, monotone, whining, mumbling, hogging the conversation, poor eye contact, off-topic, long-winded, missing the point, arguing inappropriately, upspeak, irrelevant information, inappropriate humor, etc.
6) What opportunities do we have to improve our communication skills? (Group discussions, critical listening, fact vs. opinion, classifying, having a conversation, oral reports, persuading others, telling stories and jokes, deliberately taking another's perspective, job interviews, etc.)
7) Follow-Up: Ask students to think of someone they know who seems to be a good communicator. Their assignment is to watch that person "in action" communicating with someone else, noting the traits or behaviors that make him/her a good communicator.
With these examples in mind, ask the class, " What Do Good Communicators Do?" (Give clear message, ask good questions, understand body language, listen effectively, take turns, use appropriate voice, give and receive praise appropriately, take listener perspective, observe before speaking, stay on topic, enunciate, have adequate distance, monitor fidgeting, "look like" a good listener, use good phone skills, etc.)
Record these responses as a profile of a good communicator.
It is recommended that the teacher enlist the help of the school counselor for his/her perspective on this skill, as this lesson is written through the eyes of a speech/language pathologist.
Debrief (checking for understanding)
Extension/Going Further
Comments/Instructor's Note
Submitted By
Deborah E. Booher, SLP
School
Montgomery County Intermediate Unit and The Quaker School at Horsham
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