Making Communication Proficiency Matters: Revisiting School Administrators’ Communication Skills in English
Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE
Introduction Language is man’s most effective medium of communication, be it oral or written. It allows people to communicate their ideas to say or write things to each other and express their communicative needs. Oral and written communication, as language skills, are audio and visual representation which consists of speaking, writing and even listening processes (Flores and Lopez, 1984:3). In speaking, the process begins with expressions and through association with words. However, speaking is sometimes undervalued because it is often thought of a colloquial accounting for its lower priority in some teaching contexts (Donough and Shaw, 1993:151). Writing, on the other hand, focuses on the practice, art, form, or style of literary composition. It is a written instrument: words. Or characters that stand for words or ideas but sometimes it is also being underscored. Moreover, Listening begins with expression as heard in context, followed by recall of content through association between and ideas. As gleaned above, an individual who lives in society Gupit (1986:5) stressed, cannot get along with his fellowmen and school head cannot be understood by his superiors, teachers and learners or vice versa without some forms of communication. Furthermore, oral and written communication can serve as the very vehicle in establishing a better and functional society to live in. So communication reflects someone’s countless aspirations, frustrations, proudest accomplishments, and ignoble failures. Man’s success, Pangilinan and Dilig (1991) continue, depends upon his efforts to develop his communication skills – skills that sharpen his ability to express consistently, clearly and convincingly. Oral and written communication using the target language, English, is one of the best ways of imparting learning in academe, in expressing one’s thought, and feelings (Laguna, 1978). Thus, for an effective leadership also, school heads must
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE
Introduction Language is man’s most effective medium of communication, be it oral or written. It allows people to communicate their ideas to say or write things to each other and express their communicative needs. Oral and written communication, as language skills, are audio and visual representation which consists of speaking, writing and even listening processes (Flores and Lopez, 1984:3). In speaking, the process begins with expressions and through association with words. However, speaking is sometimes undervalued because it is often thought of a colloquial accounting for its lower priority in some teaching contexts (Donough and Shaw, 1993:151). Writing, on the other hand, focuses on the practice, art, form, or style of literary composition. It is a written instrument: words. Or characters that stand for words or ideas but sometimes it is also being underscored. Moreover, Listening begins with expression as heard in context, followed by recall of content through association between and ideas. As gleaned above, an individual who lives in society Gupit (1986:5) stressed, cannot get along with his fellowmen and school head cannot be understood by his superiors, teachers and learners or vice versa without some forms of communication. Furthermore, oral and written communication can serve as the very vehicle in establishing a better and functional society to live in. So communication reflects someone’s countless aspirations, frustrations, proudest accomplishments, and ignoble failures. Man’s success, Pangilinan and Dilig (1991) continue, depends upon his efforts to develop his communication skills – skills that sharpen his ability to express consistently, clearly and convincingly. Oral and written communication using the target language, English, is one of the best ways of imparting learning in academe, in expressing one’s thought, and feelings (Laguna, 1978). Thus, for an effective leadership also, school heads must