1.

Clear

It is important to be clear about our aim and message when we are

communicating with someone. Clear communication explains complicated
ideas in ways that you can understand using simple and familiar language. It
leaves no doubts or ambiguity about the purpose of the communication.

Tip: Start with a list of the things that you need parents to know, agree to or
understand. Then eliminate anything on the list that you think they will not
be familiar with. Do they know what ‘communicative competence’ or ‘B1 on
the CEFR’ mean? Probably not … so don’t include it!

2. Concrete

Once you have removed jargon, how do you fill in the gaps? Good
communication is essential: your challenge is to find a new way to say these
things that gives a clear and specific picture. An explanation can help, but an
image or a comparison is even better!

Tip: Imagine that learners are football players – we want them to know the
rules of the game, but we are not interested in how well they can recite
them. Instead, we want to see how they use them in a real match, and how
they can use them to solve the problems they face on the pitch. That is what
we call competence.

3. Concise

Stick to the point. Be brief. This shows respect for our audience (you
appreciate that their time is valuable), but it also helps to keep us clear and
precise.

A good example of concise information is the Can Do statements that we use

to describe learner competence. When we say that a B1 Preliminary
candidate ‘CAN understand routine information and articles’ and ‘CAN
understand straightforward instructions or public announcements’ we create
a simple image.

Tip: The descriptors in our handbooks for teachers will give you plenty of
examples ready for when you talk to parents about what their child CAN do
at each level. Search to find all our resources for teachers.

4. Considerate
Tone and register are important. Too formal and you will come across as
distant and unapproachable; too casual and you will not sound professional.
Consider the age, style and expectations of the parents – look at yourself
through their eyes and meet their expectations.

Tip: Imagine what the parents will ask you about their child’s progress and
prepare what you are going to say. You could use the results of homework or
practice tests to show parents how their child is progressing and that they
are ready to take an exam.

5. Coherent

Coherent communication is about being logical and effective. A good

argument must feel like the shortest, easiest line from idea A to idea B – no
detours and no gaps. If you are talking about why taking an exam at the end
of a course is important, be sure that all your points are connected and
relevant to your main argument.

Tip: For example, you could structure your points as follows: ‘The national
curriculum says that by the end of secondary school learners should reach a
B2 level of English. It is very important for the school and the families to feel
confident that our students are on track to meet that very important goal.
Taking a Cambridge English Qualification is an excellent way to increase
their confidence. We recommend that your child takes A2 Key for Schools
and B1 Preliminary for Schools at the end of years 2 and 4.’

6. Correct

Correct communication is appropriate and error free – especially in writing.

This includes proofreading, but also making sure that any details (such as
names of exams, dates and addresses) are correct and consistent
throughout your message.

Tip: It helps to have a second, fresh pair of eyes. Ask a colleague who does
not know what you are trying to communicate to read the message, highlight
any issues and then explain it back to you. If they can do it, then the parents
can too!

7. Complete

Good communication will tell parents everything that they need to know, and
also what they are expected to do next. Have you ticked all the items on the
list in the tip in the first point? If you need parents to do something, did you
mention exactly what it is?

Tip: Remember the Rule of Three. No message is complete unless you have

mentioned the main ideas three times: once at the introduction (‘I am going
to tell you about B1 Preliminary’), then in the development (‘This is what you
need to know about B1 Preliminary’) and once more at the end (‘Now that you
know this about B1 Preliminary, remember to …’).

What are Communication Barriers?

A communication barrier is anything that comes in the way of receiving and
understanding messages that one sends to another to convey his ideas,
thoughts, or any other kind of information. These various barriers of
communication block or interfere with the message that someone is trying to
send. There are numerous barriers to effective communication that can
come in the way. It happens because the message sent by the sender might
not be understood exactly as it is meant to be. It can get distorted during the
communication exchange. These different types of communication barriers
can come at any stage in the process of communication. It can come because
of the bias or stereotyping and generalization that exists in the workplace.

9 Common Effective Barriers to Effective Communication

A skilled communicator  needs to have information about the different types
of barriers to effective communication and try to prevent them. These
barriers to effective communication can be overcome by active listening,
reflection, etc. The communicator must seek feedback from the receiver of
the information to check if the message was understood in its true sense.
Listed below are some of the common barriers to effective communication.

1. Using Jargon:
If one uses unfamiliar terms or over-complicated technical terms, it
could not be understood well.

2. Lack of Attention or Interest:

If the message is irrelevant to the receiver or there are distractions
around (like others speaking at the same time) then the message might
not be communicated properly.
3. Perception Difference:
If two people see things differently, then their viewpoints might come
in the way of deciphering the message correctly.

4. Physical Disabilities:
If the receiver has hearing problems, or the speaker has speech
disabilities, then communication will not be effective. It will distort the
message.

5. Emotional Barriers:
Sensitive topics make it difficult for the speaker or the receiver to
engage properly in the communication exchange. It could also be that
some people are not comfortable expressing themselves; hence their
words might not reflect the true meaning of what they want to convey.
Topics that may be taboo or off-limits for some people are politics,
religion, mental or physical disabilities, racism, sexuality, and any other
unpopular options.

6. The Difference in Culture:

Social interactions have different norms in different cultures. For
example, the idea of space exists in some cultures and social settings
but not in the same form in others. These cultural differences could
prevent effective communication.

7. Physical Barriers to Communication:

A face-to-face communication has a lot of parts to the communication
than just the words. Facial expressions, body language, gestures, etc.
are also involved in the whole communication process. If you can’t see
the person, then some messages might get lost. Text messages, phone
calls, etc. are some of the technological ways of communicating which
lack the effect of a personal meeting.

8. Language Difference:
 The difference in dialects of different regions or unfamiliar accents can
make it difficult to understand the message sent.

9. Prejudices:
Most people have preconceived notions about many things; hence they
hear only what they want to listen to, not what is being said. These
false assumptions and stereotyping lead to barriers in communication.

How to Overcome Barriers to Effective Communication?

Following are the different measures to overcome effective communication:

 Ideas should be Clear before Communication

The person sending the message should have clear ideas in his mind
about what he wants to convey. He should know the objective of the
message and accordingly, he should arrange his thoughts in a
systematized way.

 Sender should Communicate According to the Receiver’s Needs

The sender should frame the structure of the message not according
to his own level or ability but should keep in mind the level,
understanding, and environment of the receiver.

 Consult Others before Communication

During Communication planning, suggestions should be invited from
all the concerned persons. Its main benefit is that all those people who
are involved in the communication planning will contribute to the
success of the communication system.

 Be Aware of the Tone, Content, and Language of the Message

The sender should consider that the message should be transmitted in
a clear, precise, and easy language. The tone of the message should
not hurt the feeling of the receiver. Hence, try to formulate the content
of the message in brief and ensure to avoid technical words.
  Convey Things that is Helpful to Listener
The content of the message should be helpful and valuable to the
receiver. The need and interest of the receiver should be kept in mind
before communicating. Communication becomes more effective in
such situations.

 Ensure to getting Proper Feedback 

The aim of getting feedback is to find whether the receiver has
properly understood the meaning of the message received. While
communicating face to face, the reaction on the face of the receiver
can be easily understood.

 Message should be Consistent

The message sent to the receiver should not be inconsistent.  The
information transferred should be in accordance with the objective,
programs, policies, and techniques of the organization. When a new
message is sent in place of the old message, a sender should always
mention it as it will create confusion.

 Follow Up Communication
To make the communication effective, the manager should attempt to
know the weakness of the communication system. In this condition,
effort should be made to know whether it is appropriate to focus more
on formal communication or informal communication.

 Be a Good Listener
Both sender and receiver must be good listeners in the communication
process. Both should understand each other's points of view with
patience, attention, and a positive attitude. A receiver can receive much
relevant information if he is a good listener.

Physical Noise - consists of various sounds in an environment that interfere with a source’s
ability to hear. Meaning to say physical noise can be obtained mainly from the environment
noises where the communication or conversation is happening which can be often uncontrollable
or unexpected. The reason why this barrier is mostly known as common, for the fact that in our
daily conversation and communication, we always deal with physical noises or hindrances
mainly in this era of pandemic that we are in our own comfort places at all times which is a
subject or area where mostly factors like distractions are present. Well, in this upcoming face to
face classes, physical noise will also be adjacent since everything around us can create noises.
In other terms, Physical noise is something that physically disrupts the communication process or
diverts both the sender and receiver’s attention, which leads to an unsuccessful communication
since there is a hindrance. Whether it may be the sound, the people talking too loud, sight,
gestures and actions, just like when your friend is gesturing something to you while you’re
having a conversation with someone.
One of situational examples of Physical noise is for instance, during a class meeting and one of
your classmates is reporting however you forgot to mute your mic so the karaoke party at your
neighbor’s house is being heard, resulting for creating a physical noise that distracts not only
your classmate’s presentation but also to your classmates that are listening.

Other Situations where Physical Noise might occur are;

Faulty Air Conditioning Units

Generator Sound (which when machineries or objects emit noises whether when they are
malfunctioning or its just how the way they work.)

Transportation Noise

POOR SIGNAL

CONSTRUCTION NEARBY

STRONG WIND

PEOPLE AROUND

LACK OF TIME

ALTITUDE AND LOCATION

HOUSE

POSITION

A face-to-face communication has a lot of parts to the communication than just the words. Facial
expressions, body language, gestures, etc. are also involved in the whole communication process. If you
can’t see the person, then some messages might get lost. Text messages, phone calls, etc. are some of
the technological ways of communicating which lack the effect of a personal meeting.

This barrier or interference can be classified as an external noise because physical noise can be
non-auditory in nature which basically means that it can also be the sight, actions or gestures that
distracts people’s attention or focus and creates visual noise. For example, in a situation when
you’re talking to someone with a certain topic however from afar you saw your best friend
waving at you as if he/she is gesturing something. So, the moment you laid your eyes or attention
to your best friend, ignoring the person you’re supposed to be talking with, is an act of physical
visual noise.