Facilitating Communication Skills Research Articles

Speech Act Analysis of Teacher Talk in EFL Classroom

This research aimed to classify the structural forms of utterances in locutionary acts, illocutionary acts types, and the impacts of perlocutionary acts on the students in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classrooms. This research used qualitative research to analyze the data. The subject of this research is a teacher who actively teaches in the English and Literature Department, at Universitas Islam Negeri Alauddin Makassar. Data were collected through observation checklists in the classroom and semi-structured interview with the teacher. The results showed that based on finding by Yule’s theory, the researcher found three forms of locutionary acts used by the teacher in the teaching and learning process, such as declarative form, imperative form, and interrogative form. Second, based on Searle’s theory, the researcher found the types of illocutionary acts produced by teachers during the teaching and learning process, namely representative (explaining, informing, announcing), directive (commanding, requesting, asking, suggesting), expressive (greetings, thanking, praising), and commissive (assuring, undertaking, promising). Third, based on the utterances performed by the teacher in the EFL classroom process, the researcher found perlocutionary acts such as the students asking questions, and doing something. The research concluded that language has a function in the speech act especially for facilitating communication skills of language learning and shaping the classroom dynamic.

Rural Early Childhood Educators’ Perception of Music-Based Pedagogy in Teaching Communication Skills to Children

Early childhood care and Education is an important phase for impacting communication skills to children for building a strong sense of identity and belonging. The South African National Curriculum Framework (NCF) regards communication skills as one of the six early learning and development areas considered for Early Childhood and Education (ECCE). Caps Grade R admonishes educators to support learners with interpersonal Communication Skills and to develop their Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency by engaging them in activities that focus on rhymes. Thus, South African children need skillful educators to employ developmental implementation strategies to support their acquisition of these skills. Research shows that subjects like Life Skills, English Language, Civic Education, and Mathematics are successfully implemented using music-based pedagogy. However, because ECCE is relatively new in South Africa, there is no strong structure to support the ECCE/ECD (Early Childhood Development) educators in employing music-based pedagogies to teach communication skills to the children. This article focuses on the rural ECD/ECCE educators’ perception and experiences in employing music-based pedagogy to support the children’s acquisition of communication skills. The study was conducted at two ECD/ECCE centres in Northern Cape province, South Africa.This is participatory visual research where Six ECD/ECCE Educators were engaged in semi-structured interviews and reflective activities on how they facilitate communication skills using music. The study was informed by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. The educators supported music-based pedagogy, however, inadequate musical training, non-availability of musical resources, and non-inclusion of music as an independent subject in the CAPS/NRF documents are their constraints. In their pre-service teacher education programs, almost all South African institutions include creative arts training; the course is typically taught over one semester, and music is merely one of the various creative arts subfields. As a result, the pre-service teachers lack the necessary musical background to implement music-based instruction. In conclusion, the study recommends musical intervention training to empower ECD/ECCE educators. Keywords: Early Childhood Development, Rural Context, Music-Based Pedagogy Communication Skills.

Akan Traditional Games: An Indispensable Tool in Ghanaian Language Classroom in Respect to Classroom Interaction

This investigation examined the potential of incorporating Akan traditional games as an effective tool for enhancing classroom interaction in Ghanaian language classrooms. The study recognizes the importance of creating an engaging and interactive learning environment to facilitate language acquisition and cultural appreciation. Drawing upon previous research on the benefits of game-based learning, the paper investigates the specific role of Akan traditional games in promoting communication, collaboration, and cultural understanding among students. The investigation employs a single-methods research design, qualitative data collection techniques. A sample of (100) participants from Berekum Municipal, Mampong Municipal and Sekondi – Takoradi Municipal were selected, to represent a diverse range of socio-economic backgrounds and language abilities as population sampling. Observation and interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data, allowing deeper understanding of the factors supporting the investigation.
 The investigation revealed that, traditional games facilitate communication skills, preservation of Cultural Heritage, teamwork, enhanced classroom interaction. The study identified the benefits of incorporating traditional games in terms of learner motivation, engagement, language proficiency and ability to promote participation and excellent engagement. The theory that buttressed the investigation was Vygotsky (1930) sociocultural theory. This theory emphasizes the role of social interaction and cultural context in children's cognitive development.

Music to combat stress during the pandemic: brief theoretical review

Music, every day more, is used for quality of life. In recent years we have attended projects and experiences where music is used as therapy, in hospitals, in residences for the elderly people etc. In addition, music is used in education, to improve concentration, strengthen memory, facilitate communication skills and body expression, and even to relax students. The situation caused by COVID-19 has generated an increase in stress and poor quality of life in all people, regardless of age, however, this work focuses on the quality of life of adults and older people. This manuscript is a literature review. In this proposal includes articles and other documents that show the importance of music during confinement and the need to promote musical education and training in both young people, adults and elderly people. The methodology used combines qualitative and quantitative data. The results respond, through the selected articles, to the need to include music as a tool for quality of life. The conclusions point out the need to continue researching in this line of action that unites music and health.

Music to combat stress during the pandemic: brief theoretical review

Music, every day more, is used for quality of life. In recent years we have attended projects and experiences where music is used as therapy, in hospitals, in residences for the elderly people etc. In addition, music is used in education, to improve concentration, strengthen memory, facilitate communication skills and body expression, and even to relax students. The situation caused by COVID-19 has generated an increase in stress and poor quality of life in all people, regardless of age, however, this work focuses on the quality of life of adults and older people. This manuscript is a literature review. In this proposal includes articles and other documents that show the importance of music during confinement and the need to promote musical education and training in both young people, adults and elderly people. The methodology used combines qualitative and quantitative data. The results respond, through the selected articles, to the need to include music as a tool for quality of life. The conclusions point out the need to continue researching in this line of action that unites music and health.

Couples’ Sexual Communication: Results from a Questionnaire and Conclusions For School-Based Sex Education

Introduction: Previous research demonstrated that sexual communication is positively intertwined with sexual satisfaction. The aim of this study was to identify the specific elements (‘sexual languages’, nonverbal behavior, post-sex communication, self-disclosure of sexual fantasies, negotiation of safe sex practices) that contribute to sexual satisfaction, and to derive implications for school-based sex education.
 Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was applied based on a questionnaire with open-ended items and two scales measuring sexual communication and sexual satisfaction. A convenience sample of 52 students (16 men, 36 women) recruited from Ludwigsburg University of Education was used. Qualitative content analysis was utilized to analyze qualitative data. Group comparisons and Spearman’s rank-order correlation test were performed to analyze quantitative data.
 Results: Nearly all participants perceived their sexual satisfaction as high, while they rated their sexual communication as mediocre to high. Sexual communication correlated strongly (ρ = 0.51, P < .001) with overall sexual satisfaction. Respondents’ sexual satisfaction did not depend on whether their sexual communication was verbal or non-verbal. Participants with undisclosed sexual fantasies (which they would love to turn into reality) had lower sexual satisfaction rates. Around a quarter of participants described concrete teaching methods to facilitate communication skills in school-based sex education.
 Discussion: The present results confirm, in line with previous research, that sexual satisfaction is highly predictable with sexual communication.
 Conclusion: One of the challenges of sex education is the cultural lack of modeling on how to communicate effectively about sex. A central goal must be that girls and boys can perceive their sexual turn-ons and -offs and disclose them to a partner. This self-disclosure is a crucial factor in developing a positive intimate relationship. As suggested by one of six of the participants, role-play scenarios (behavioral skill training) seem to be well suited to learn how to communicate about safe sex practices, sexual wants, and turn-offs.

ĐỀ XUẤT CÁC TIÊU CHÍ CƠ BẢN TRONG XÂY DỰNG BỘ CÔNG CỤ GIAO TIẾP BỔ TRỢ VÀ THAY THẾ CHO TRẺ RỐI LOẠN PHỔ TỰ KỈ

Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) is a system or approach used to facilitate communication skills for individuals who are nonverbal, minimally verbal or have unintelligible speech productions. For individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), AAC is often associated with images, photos and pictures. The article reviews the use of the AAC for children with ASD, including common types of the AAC used for this population. Based on the review, the article suggests the essential criteria for creating the AAC toolkit for Vietnamese children with ASD alignment with illustrations. These criteria are developed based on both the international standards of the AAC tools for children with ASD and the Vietnamese people's cultural and communication characteristics.

Moving to know boundaries: applying dance movement therapy in body privacy training

ABSTRACT Dance movement therapy as a specific form of psychotherapy has its successful applicability in various psycho-social intervention programmes. However, the most common utilisation of this therapy has been observed in the clinical and rehabilitation fields. Its applicability in community mental health training, though not totally overlooked, but not empirically explored as well. The present work tried to bridge this research gap in relation to training and development in children. This study has focused on understanding dance movement therapy’s role in training children with the concept of body privacy, at the same time developing healthy body image, and facilitating communication skills in them. Qualitative techniques were employed for data collection and analysis purpose. The findings were intriguing in terms of evaluating dance movement therapy as a training process to teach children body privacy concept, which can further find its application in school counselling and various other child training and intervention programmes.

The Journey to Teacher: Facilitating Communication Skills in Preservice Teachers to Build Trust, Learn about Students, and Create Literacy Lessons

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Continuing professional education for green infrastructure: Fostering collaboration through interdisciplinary trainings

The practice of green infrastructure is an evolving field of sustainable planning that often requires collaborative partnerships at the municipal and state levels. Expertise from engineers, land care professionals, planners, and natural resource consultants are often required for successful project implementation. Traditionally, these professionals perform their responsibilities in their disciplinary “silos,” however green infrastructure development is creating a demand for professionals who can think analytically and work across disciplinary boundaries. Interdisciplinary Continuing Professional Education (CPE) trainings provide opportunities for professionals to learn alongside one another, conversing and negotiating new knowledge about emerging practices. This case study applies a qualitative approach to explore the motivations and instructional design processes of interdisciplinary green infrastructure CPE trainings. A variety of green infrastructure CPE providers in the Pacific Northwest United States participated in the study, offering perspectives from agencies, nonprofits, consulting firms and academic institutions. Findings suggest that CPE provider organizations aim to increase worker competency and advance the field of green infrastructure by designing trainings that facilitate communication skills, enhance networking opportunities, and exploit social learning activities.

Using forum theatre to teach communication skills within an undergraduate pharmacy curriculum: A qualitative evaluation of students' feedback

Background and purposePharmacists need to learn communication styles which adopt a more consultative model. The objectives of this paper are to describe the use of forum theatre facilitated by actors to teach communication skills to pharmacy students and to highlight perceptions of the workshops. Educational activity and settingDuring the actor-led forum theatre, students redirected scenes depicting pharmacist-patient consultations. Students also learned about their own communication styles and role-played consultations and interview situations with actors. Pharmacy undergraduate students enrolled in years 2, 3, and 4 answered open-ended questions online at the end of workshops. All responses were coded to identify themes. FindingsFive themes emerged from 752 comments: (1) workshops were useful in facilitating communication skills development, (2) workshops encouraged reflection, (3) appreciation of feedback provided, (4) the live, interactive nature of the workshop enhanced learning, and (5) suggestions for improvement. There were requests for more varied scenarios involving different patient groups and more opportunities to participate in the role-plays. Students also requested smaller groups, which would encourage participation from those who were reticent and allow more personal feedback. SummaryThe use of forum theatre employing role-play, small group coaching on consultation and interview skills, and emphasizing feedback was perceived as an effective and engaging method to teach communication skills.

Using Improv to Enhance Communication Skills Practice (SA520)

•Recognize the commonalities of improvisation and healthcare communication and discuss ways these techniques are adaptable to different settings.•Experiment with variations in tone of voice, physicality, and word choices and reflect on the impact.•Restate frustrations as priorities and values. Have you been asked to give grand rounds on communication skills and want to incorporate a meaningful exercise to enhance your didactic? Have you been facilitating communication skills training and feel bored with the current curriculum? Or maybe you are looking for a different perspective on the communication skills you are using. Many palliative care providers are not only relied upon for their excellent communication skills with patients, families and colleagues, they are asked to teach communication skills to others as well. Self and social awareness are valuable skills for identifying opportunities to find words that will resonate with patients in the present moment. However, as clinicians are being asked to do more with less and in shorter periods of time, opportunities for mindful, reflective practice can be harder to find. Idealized communication sessions that limit the number of participants and require hours of time are not always possible. Adapted improv techniques to practice communication skills, even in large group settings, allows for a safe and supportive environment that fosters participant spontaneity and honesty while raising awareness about what we communicate, whether it is intentional or not. In this session, presenters who are using improvisation in a variety of settings will quickly review the main tenants of improvisation and discuss how these tenants enhance clinical encounters and apply in healthcare communication. Participants will experience a selected group of improv exercises, discuss their relevance in communication skills training and hypothesize how these activities can be adapted to a variety of audiences. If you’ve been looking for ways to bring meaningful communication skills training to audiences from 10-1000 participants in a short amount of time, this session is for you. We promise that “being funny” is NOT a core tenant of improv and not required to attend this session.

Monitoring communication skills progress of medical students: Establishing a baseline has value, predicting the future is difficult

ObjectiveTo provide evidence for the validity of an Introductory Clinical Experience (ICE) that was implemented as a baseline assessment of medical students’ clinical communication skills to support progression of skills over time. MethodsIn this longitudinal study of communication skills, medical students completed the ICE, then a Practice of Medicine (POM) Objective Structured Clinical Exam 8 months later, and the Comprehensive Clinical Skills Exam (CCSE) 25 months later. At each experience, trained Standardized Patients assessed students, using the same behaviorally anchored checklist in 3 domains: Information Gathering, Relationship Development, and Patient Education and Counseling (PEC) with good internal reliability (.70–.87). Skills development patterns were described. ICE as a predictor of later performance was explored. Students’ perspectives were elicited. Results140 (80%) medical students consented to include their data in this study. Overall communication scores increased over time (eta2 = .17, medium effect) mostly attributable to increase in PEC skills (eta2 = .48, large effect), in 4 patterns. ICE and POM scores predicted future communication skills. Most students recognized the educational value of ICE. ConclusionEntering medical students’ clinical communication skills increase over time on average and may predict future performance. Practice implicationsImplementing an ICE is likely a valid strategy for monitoring progress and facilitating communication skills development.

Implementation and Intervention Practices to Facilitate Communication Skills for a Child With Complex Communication Needs

For children with complex communication needs (CCN), augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices offer a means to communicate and participate in daily activities. Effective implementation and intervention practices are needed for supporting teaching teams working with children with CCN to improve child use of AAC. The purpose of this article is to describe two studies examining these issues. Study 1 examined the effects of a behavior skills training (BST) approach to professional development to support a classroom teaching team in the implementation of a behavior support plan for a child with CCN; Study 2 evaluated the effects of a single behavior (adult modeling) on AAC use. Results indicated teachers increased their fidelity with training and coaching, but not with training alone. Further, unprompted use of the AAC device occurred more frequently when an adult modeled use of the device.

About the Communicative Competence Formation in School Education: Work Experience

The paper looks at the problems of fostering the teenagers’ communicative competence in the light of the Federal State Educational Standards for Secondary Schools. The components of the above competence are emphasized along with the pedagogic conditions facilitating communication skills and abilities. The author summarizes the long-term pedagogic ex perience and recommends the procedure of step by step formation of communicative competence by way of interpreting the school subject knowledge. The complex of communicative tasks focused on mastering the communicative actions necessary for the teenagers’ successful socialization is demonstrated, as well as the author’s system of criterion level assessment of communicative competence acquisition, and recommendations for organizing the educational process and facilitating the competence development.

Parent–Teen Communication about Sex in Urban Thai Families

This study describes sexual communication among Thai parents and their teens and identifies variables related to communication about sex in urban Thai families. Data were derived from 420 families whose teenage children ages 13–14 years were randomly selected using the probability proportional to size technique. Interviews were conducted with 1 parent and 1 teenage child in each family. In-depth interviews were also conducted in 30 parents and teens drawn from the same 420 families. Results showed that parents were most likely to talk with their teens about body changes and dating; however, less discussion about sex-related issues, birth control, and HIV/AIDS occurred. More daughters than sons reported frequent discussions with their parents about sex. Parents who believed their teens had been involved in sexual activity were more likely to talk about HIV/AIDS and the difficulty of teenagers having babies, instead of talking about sexual intercourse or when to start having sex. Multiple regression analysis indicated that gender of the child (female), parental religiosity, and parental perception of teen sexual activity were significant predictors of increased sexual communication in Thai families. The findings suggest a need for approaches designed to facilitate communication skills about sex-related issues among Thai parents.

Bioethics mediation: a guide to shaping shared solutions

tions that are frequently encountered in everyday practice. Essential communication skills are emphasized as well as documentation of the situation in the medical record, keeping both free of emotion, while relaying essential information to all members of the healthcare team. The techniques presented can be used in the clinical setting to identify parties involved in the conflict; understand the interests of the participants; level the playing field to minimize disparities of power, knowledge, skill, and experience; maximize options for resolution of the conflict; search for common ground; ensure that consensus can be justified as a “principled resolution”; help implement the agreement; and conduct followup. Under certain circumstances these strategies could enhance the autonomy of the patient, support shared values of the patient and family, and strengthen the implementation of the healthcare plan. When a common ground cannot be found, it is typical to call the bioethics committee; however, not all disagreements involve ethical issues. The communication strategies outlined in this book will assist healthcare professionals to identify and resolve the discord. The book can also be used as a teaching guide to help facilitate communication skills and knowledge of bioethics mediation. Role-playing situations can help the novice feel more comfortable in situations involving conflict.

Neural pathways for language in autism: the potential for music-based treatments.

Language deficits represent the core diagnostic characteristics of autism, and some of these individuals never develop functional speech. The language deficits in autism may be due to structural and functional abnormalities in certain language regions (e.g., frontal and temporal), or due to altered connectivity between these brain regions. In particular, a number of anatomical pathways that connect auditory and motor brain regions (e.g., the arcuate fasciculus, the uncinate fasciculus and the extreme capsule) may be altered in individuals with autism. These pathways may also provide targets for experimental treatments to facilitate communication skills in autism. We propose that music-based interventions (e.g., auditory-motor mapping training) would take advantage of the musical strengths of these children, and are likely to engage, and possibly strengthen, the connections between frontal and temporal regions bilaterally. Such treatments have important clinical potential in facilitating expressive language in nonverbal children with autism.

Barriers and facilitating communication skills for breaking bad news: from the specialists’ practice perspective

Introduction: Breaking bad news is one of a physician’s most difficult duties. There are several studies related to the patient’s needs, but few reflect on the doctors’ experience. Materials and method: A descriptive, cross-sectional research was carried out to study issues related to the process of delivering bad news which might act as barriers and facilitating skills from the doctor’s point of view. These issues were identified through a self-administered survey. Results: Participant doctors use different strategies to communicate bad news to their patients. Examples of these strategies are: to be familiar with the patients’ medical history, to ensure that there is enough time, to know the patient’s caregivers and/or relatives, to determine the patient’s level of knowledge about his/her condition, to use non-technical words, to give information in small pieces, to assess the patient’s understanding, to devise a joint action plan, among others. Conclusion: The communication barriers that were identified focused on the emotional issues of the communication process, particularly those related to the recognition of own emotions, and the limited training about communication strategies available to doctors. Consequently, there is a need to implement training programs that provide doctors with tools to facilitate the bad news communication process.

Training faculty to facilitate communication skills training: Development and evaluation of a workshop

Objective To develop a workshop for training faculty to facilitate small group role play sessions for a communication skills training program and assess the impact of that workshop on the trainees’ self-efficacy about facilitation skills. Methods A multi-specialty group of 33 attending physicians at a Comprehensive Cancer Center were trained in a Facilitating Communication Skills Training workshop in order to prepare them to facilitate small group role play with fellows and residents. The workshop curriculum was based on theory and literature on teaching communication skills. Results The workshop had a significant effect on participants’ self-efficacy in facilitating communication skills training. At least 75% of participants reported feeling comfortable facilitating communication skills training small groups. Conclusion This facilitation workshop was successful in providing participants with confidence to successfully facilitate small group role play sessions in communication skills training. Practice implications In order to evaluate the effectiveness of communication skills training programs, it is important to have trained facilitators who adhere to a set of facilitation guidelines. Workshops on facilitation skills provide the background and practice time necessary as a first step in the training process.