Business Writing · Lesson Plan

The Communication Process

One way to calm a fear of public speaking is to see how much it resembles the conversations you already have every day. This lesson draws out those similarities and then walks through the communication process itself — the steps a message moves through and how speakers adjust based on audience feedback — so students can apply skills they already use to a formal speaking setting.

Grades 9–12 Lesson Plan 45–60 minutes Free Lesson Plan Lesson & Activity: Full Membership

The communication process lesson illustration

For Teachers

Lesson at a glance

Topic: Business Writing
Grade Level: Grades 9–12
Resource Type: Lesson + Worksheet
Estimated Time: 45–60 minutes
Format: Lesson + activity
Materials: Printable lesson, worksheet, pencils

What Students Learn

Learning objectives

Identify similarities between conversation and public speaking
Describe the steps of the communication process
Explain the role of audience feedback
Recognize the role of nonverbal signals
Apply everyday conversation skills to public speaking

Materials

What you’ll need

Printed lesson and activity (one per student)
Pencils
Whiteboard

Key Terms

Vocabulary

Communication process: The steps a message moves through from speaker to listener.
Feedback: The listener’s response that the speaker reacts to.
Nonverbal: Gestures and expressions that carry meaning without words.
Audience: The listeners a speaker is addressing.
Anecdote: A short story used to make a point land.
Stage fright: Nervousness about speaking in front of others.

For Teachers

Lesson plan

Estimated time: one 45–60 minute class period.

Lesson sequence

Speaking is conversation (12 min). The everyday conversation skills students already have.
The communication process (15 min). The steps a message moves through from speaker to listener.
Reading feedback (10 min). Adjusting based on the audience’s verbal and nonverbal signals.
Activity (11 min). Students map a conversation onto the communication process.

Assessment

Assess the activity for correct labeling of the communication process and its feedback loop.

Discussion

Discussion questions

How is public speaking like everyday conversation?
What are the steps of the communication process?
Why is audience feedback part of communication?
How do nonverbal signals change a message?
How can seeing speaking as conversation reduce stage fright?

Printable Lesson & Worksheet