Course Overview

Course Content

The content of Communication Studies 20 can be summarized in the following way:

• The course must be based on the foundational and specific learning objectives that have been set for Communication Studies 20.

• In order to develop these objectives, the course must attend to all language processes: reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and representing.

• The course must comprise one compulsory module and a combination of optional modules, to a total of 100 hours of course time.

Total Time: 100 hours Compulsory Module: Introduction to Communication (20 hours) Optional Modules: Select from 15 provided (10 to 20 hours each)

Objectives

The objectives are described in the section beginning here. In addition, the descriptions of each module include appropriate foundational and specific learning objectives, although the teacher should add other appropriate objectives and adjust the objectives as necessary for his or her particular topic and students. Student assessment and evaluation should be based on the foundational and specific learning objectives.

Language Processes

The Communication Studies 20 curriculum focuses on further developing knowledge and skills in the language processes: speaking, listening, writing, reading, representing, and viewing. Although the emphasis shifts from module to module, the teacher should recognize the importance of all of the language processes in any communication and take them into consideration, as appropriate, when planning.

Speaking and Listening

In Communication Studies 20, students will learn that the techniques they use while speaking affect what others actually hear them saying and how others respond to them. Students will practise organizing their thoughts and expressing themselves orally in different situations. Students will also learn how to be effective listeners and will examine how their listening behaviours affect a speaker's presentation. Opportunities should be provided for active participation in oral communication between two people, in small groups, and in large group situations.

Writing and Reading

In Communication Studies 20, students will use what is known as the writing process to explore a subject, organize their thoughts, and create a clear and concise written product. Students will practise writing of a technical nature: writing which relies on perception, analysis, synthesis, and the transmission of information. Whether in a memorandum, a report, an article, or a manual, students will learn to express their ideas in a focused, succinct manner.

Students will read to analyze and summarize information and to evaluate their own comprehension. They will practise reading to locate information and solve problems. Through careful reading, students will learn to recognize the necessary fundamentals of effective technical or transactional writing.

Representing and Viewing

Students will practise communicating their ideas by creating representational forms to accompany their spoken or written communication (e.g., posters, charts, diagrams, videotapes, multimedia presentations). Through viewing representational forms in a variety of media, students will acquire information, deepen understanding, and develop further their critical viewing abilities.

Introduction to Modules

The Communication Studies 20 curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students requiring a variety of communication skills. Hence, it contains 15 optional modules, in addition to one required introductory module.

The compulsory module comprises 20 hours of instructional time. Each optional module can be developed for 10 to 20 hours of instructional time. Therefore, the Communication Studies 20 course should be designed to include a minimum of five modules (at 20 hours each) and a maximum of nine modules (one 20-hour module and eight 10-hour modules).

The 16 modules are listed below:

Module 1: Introduction to Communication (compulsory)
Module 2: Short Talks
Module 3: Short Forms of Written Communication
Module 4: Informational Talks
Module 5: Writing Technical Articles and Reports
Module 6: Persuasive Speaking
Module 7: The Art of Debating
Module 8: Persuasive Writing
Module 9: Writing and Presenting Proposals
Module 10: Enhancing Written and Spoken Presentations
Module 11: Communication and the Internet
Module 12: Job Search
Module 13: Interviewing
Module 14: Group Negotiation
Module 15: Writing Collaboratively
Module 16: Independent Study

Independent Study Module

Independent study offers students who are able the opportunity to work independently through community involvement, research, the development of special skills or techniques, or work study.

The Independent Study Module should always be selected for those students who are ready to design and carry out their own learning project. Teacher, student, and involved community members should together decide on the objectives, time lines, and methods of evaluation. Independent study should be based on the objectives for Communication Studies 20, although other objectives related to the project should also be developed.

In some cases, an Independent Study Module might be designed for a small group of students. Independent study might also involve collaboration with teachers in other subject areas. Modules that are not selected for the whole class might offer possibilities for independent study (for example, the Job Search Module).

Note: Communication is an essential aspect of personal, work, and learning experiences. Teachers should allow plenty of opportunity for students to examine and discuss various applications of classroom experiences in all modules. The success of the Communication Studies 20 program will depend on the students' recognition of communication as relevant to their lives beyond secondary school.

Selecting Modules

Teachers should select modules based on the following considerations:

• students' previous experiences (e.g., if students have had no past experience with oral communication, teachers might want to emphasize oral communication abilities through their selection of modules)
• experiences that might occur in other classes (e.g., if Job Search is taught as part of Life Transitions, it should not be selected as a module for Communication Studies 20)
• student interest (e.g., if a particular class of students is highly vocal and seems to enjoy discussion, The Art of Debating would be an appropriate module)
• teacher expertise (e.g., if the teacher has expertise with the Internet, Writing for the Internet would be an appropriate module)
• community involvement (e.g., if there is a high degree of participation by a sector of the community, an appropriate module could be selected to facilitate its involvement)
• student readiness for independent study (e.g., this module should be selected for those students who are ready to undertake an independent study project)
• balance among the language processes (e.g., teachers should not select all oral communication modules or all written communication modules, although they might want to emphasize one according to student need).

It is essential that teachers select a balance of modules so that students experience communication in all language processes (speaking, listening, reading, writing, viewing, and representing) and consider opportunities for interpersonal, group, and public forms of communication.

The three examples on this page show different ways that a program could be built to achieve balance among the language processes.

This chart displays the 16 modules from which teachers can build their Communication Studies 20 course. The modules for Communication Studies 20 are presented in the guide in the following manner: module overview (description, objectives, suggested topics) teacher information (background knowledge useful for teaching the module) suggested activities and instructional strategies (a "starter list" to which teachers can add).