1 Communication Skills - II LEARNING OBJECTIVES ‘After studying this chapter, students will be able to: ‘© Demonstrate knowledge of various methods of communication - verbal, non-verbal & visual. * Provide descriptive and specific feedback, ‘© Apply measures to overcome barriers in communication. * Apply principles of communication skills. ‘© Demonstrate basic writing skils. 1.1 VARIOUS METHODS OF COMMUNICATION INTRODUCTION As discussed in the previous grade, we human beings are bestowed with the quality 10 ‘communicate. Communication allows us to express our needs, wants, and other things ‘writing (only with another literate person). ‘Human beings communicate with other humans, in different mediums —vocally (using voice), written (using printed or digital media such as books, magazines, websites or emails), visually (using logos, maps, charts or graphs) or non-verbally (using body language, gestures and the tone and pitch of voice). Whatever be the medium, communication still means that some message is being ‘rmsd foo oon source (ime f th noms) tho chow tas (rect of ts message). The question arises, whether the message transmitted from the source to the target is received and interpreted correctly or misinterpreted. Since ages, communication ‘experts and social scientists have been fascinated by the process of communication, wich is not limited to human beings, or even all living creatures, but may also be carried out ‘between machines or parts of machines; some seck communication with beings from other planets or extraterrestrial life; ot the religious communication that is perceived to take place between beings in the spiritual world and even God!"SESSION 1. VERBAL COMMUNICATION ‘Verbal communication enables us to share our thoughts with others by using words in a mutually understandable language such as English, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, French, Spanish, etc. Language plays an important role in verbal communication, In simple words, language is a syntactically organised system of signals, such as voice sounds, intonations or pitch, gestures or written symbols which help in communicating our thoughts or feelings. Our verbal communication can be done either in a written or oral mode. The spoken and written languages that we use as part of our day- to-day activities can be described as a system of symbols also known as lexemes and the grammars (rules) by which the symbols are manipulated. In fact, language leaming is normal in human childhood. Most human languages use pattems of sound or gesture for symbols which enable communication with others around them. In spite of various advantages of language based verbal communication, including written and oral communication, one of its disadvantages is that it is NOT an independent mode as it always depends on words of a common language for information shared between the sender and the receiver. Components that make verbal communication effective are—language competency, vocabulary, general awareness, domain knowledge (in your case Information ‘Technology) and listening. See figure 1.2. © Listening: It is the most important of all the five components mentioned above. In fact, listening is a key component of our learning process. ‘* Language competency: Language competency, including grammar, is an indicator of our comfort level with the language you use to express our thoughts. © Vocabulary: It reflecis how comfortable you are with your working language. It helps in the usages of suitable words in different contexts, ‘© General awareness: It is your awareness about your surroundings including latest events in the world around you. It gives you the confidence to communicate with conviction. ‘* Domain knowledge: It is your expertise in your chosen area ~ arts, commerce, science etc. Being well informed about the latest happenings helps you to communicate with confidence. “SESSION 2 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION Non-verbal communication enables us to share our thoughts with others by using anything other than words. Hence, this non-word or non-verbal communication is an act of imparting or interchanging thoughts, posture, opinions, or information without the use of words, using gestures, sign language, facial expressions, and body language,ete. This may also include ‘object communication’ or ‘symbolic communication ‘of objects’ such as colour, clothing, hairstyles, smell, time, ambience and even architecture (of the place where communication takes place). Interestingly, your speech may also contain non-verbal elements such as paralanguage, including voice ‘modulation, pace, pitch, emotion and speaking style, as well as prosodic features such ‘as thythm, intonation and stress. Similarly, written texts too have non-verbal elements such as handwriting style, spatial arrangement of words, or the use of emoticons. ‘Components that make non-verbal communication effective are —body language, proxemics, kinesics, haptics, vocalics (including silence and pauses), chromatics, cchronemics and olfactics. See figure 1.3. ea) oe FIG. 13: COMPONENTS THAT MAKE NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVE © Body Language: It is a complex mixture of gestures, movement, posture, and tone of voice. © Kinesics: It refers to the interpretation of the movement of the body or its separate parts which may be culture bound. + Proxemies: It refers to how we use physical space in our day-to-day interaction with others. ‘© Haptics: It refers to communicating our emotions through touch such as formal handshake, affectionate bug, angry slap or frivolous peck through which people achieve a sense of comnection. © Paralinguistics: It refers to the conscious or unconscious use of vocal sounds ‘such as intonation, accent, pitch, pace, pause, silence, noise, and voluntary or involuntary actions (such as laughter and yawning) that we use while communication through spoken method. * Chronemics: It refecs to the use of time in a disciplined manner. Some cultures fare very strict towards the use of oi —— Sees ce * — A tosraranes of colours and the meanings they Seeceeeseaet convey. Colours are perceived differently in different cultures. * Olfacties: It refers to our sense of smell. Different types of smells impacts our brains in different manner FIG. 4: YOUR BODY LANGUAGE SPEAKS IT ALL!In spite of various advantages of non-verbal communication, one of its disadvantages is that it is NOT an absolute language that can be interpreted same by both the sender and the receiver. It is highly subjective and dependent on the context and culture that sometimes may not be same for the sender and the receiver. For example, the three colours used in our National flag—deep saffron (kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark ‘green at the bottom, represents strength and courage of the country (Saffron colour); the white middle band indicates peace and truth with Dharma Chakra; and the green colour shows the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of our motherland. Non-verbal communication is also very important in the context of intercultural communication. Taking into account the differences in interpretation of different events, items, or words, sometimes becomes a sensitive issue and may result in cross- cultural communication barriers. This is because objects or things that are seen as neutral and inoffensive in one culture can be a taboo or offensive. —_ A in others. For example, the thumbs-up gesture is commonly used ame in many cultures to signify a job well done. However, if it is wy, used in Australia, Greece, or the Middle East — especially if it =" 1 a is thrust up as a typical hitchhiking gesture, it would be taken as an obscene gesture. |SESSION 3 VISUAL COMMUNICATION wo ga ‘Visual communication (also known as graphic communication) ‘enables visual presentation of the information. It has often been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. This is true of graphs, charts and other graphic and visual aids. This method of communication depends heavily on one’s vision. This third type of communication method, may make use of both verbal and non-verbal ‘communication. It takes place with the aid of visual elements. There are many forms of visual communication. Some commonly used visual communication forms are: public signs, visual symbols, tables, charts, graphs, maps, icons and emoticons. The ‘very fact that visual matters or subjects make a permanent effect in the mind of an audience, visual communication is widely used for its added advantage. AAAAAA Sit gh Meee ure AAAAAA AAAAAAFIG. 1.6: PUBLIC SIGNS & ICONS ‘The reasons why this method of communication is so popular these days is due to the following reasons: 1, Tt supports our information by backing up what we say. It brings receiver's attention to the information we are sharing. 2. It clarifies the meaning of our discussion, oral or written, by providing its visuals, which immediately registers in the receiver's brain. 3. It allows gain and regain of our audience’s attention because graphic or visual aids can break the monotony that might have crept in due to listening or reading for an extended period. 4. It adds variety to our written or oral presentation. Listening to the same voice or reading long pages of text can be very boring. In spite of various advantages of visual communication methods, some of its disadvantages are: 1, Limited Scope: All topics or subject matters cannot be presented through visual communication, Plan, policy, systems, rules, order and recommendation of an organisation cannot be produced in terms of visual communication, 2. Too Brief: A complete and detailed information cannot be displayed through this communication method. 3. Not Easy to Understand: Drawing, graphs, charts or symbols may not convey any message 10 people who don’t have specialised knowledge of the subject matter, Special knowledge and efficiency are required to deal with visual communication. For example, drawing of a building or a sketch of a bridge may not be clear to general people but engineers, architects and technical persons can easily deal with such situation, 4. Not Cost Effective: To use graphs, pictures, charts, drawing, cartoons and sketch is not cost effective. All these require various tools and techniques which are costly. 5. Prone to Misinterpretation: Sometimes information displayed in terms of icons, emoticons, graphs, charts or tables may be in wrong order. Decisions taken on the basis of such information may Iead to ineffective outputs or fruitless results.‘+ Communication allows us to express our needs, wants, and other things to humans or animals, ‘¢ The three most commonly used methods of communication are: (1) verbal communication, (2) non- verbal communication and (3) visual communication. ‘= Verbal communication enables us to share our thoughts with others by using words in a mutually understandable language. ‘= Our verbal communication can be done either in a written or oral mode. + Non-verbal communication enables us to share our thoughts with others by using anything other than words. ‘+ Non-verbal communication is an act of imparting or interchanging thoughts, posture, opinions, or information without the use of words, using gestures, sign language, facial expressions, and body language etc. It may also include ‘object communication’ or ‘symbolic communication of objects’ such as colour, clothing, hairstyles, smell, time, ambience and even architecture (of the place where communication takes place). ‘+ Visual communication (also known as graphic communication) enables visual presentation of the information. it has often been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. ae SSS ae ‘A. Muttipie choice questions. 11. Which of the following is not 2 method of communication? (a) Body language (0) Mountain view (€) None of these 2. Which ofthe following Is NOT verbal communication? (a) Pie chart (0) Our tricolor National Flag {) Both (a) and (b) 1B. _ Answer the following questions. 11. Define verbal communication. 2. Give two examples of non-verbal communication. 3. What ate the disadvantages of visual communication? Activity. ‘Observe your friend/teacher for 2 week and write in 50 words how he/she maintains the space language (distance) with others. ° 1.2 PROVIDE DESCRIPTIVE AND SPECIFIC FEEDBACK |SESSION 1 COMMUNICATION CYCLE AND IMPORTANCE OF FEEDBACK Communication cycle is comprised of the following cight components: '* Sender (source): Also known as the ‘source’. He/she is the person who wants to send the information. ‘© Idea: The information or ideas the source/sender wants to share with the receiver (also known as ‘target’‘* Message: This is the actual piece of information that is intended to be sent from the source/sender to the target/receiver. © Encoding: Here, the source/sender selects a common language that can be understood by the targevreceiver and encodes (converts into mutually understandable language) the information. ‘+ Communication channel: The source/sender selects an appropriate medium or channel, such as a face-to-face dialogue, letters, faxes, telephone calls, electronic tails, and so on, to transfer the information to the targeUreceiver, ‘© Receiver (target): The receiver or the target to. whom the information is intended to be sent. ‘+ Decoding: Here, the targeteceiver interprets (comprehends) the information that ‘was encoded and sent by the source/sender. ‘* Feedback: The targeVreceiver’s response (or non-response) to the source! sender’s information, See figure 1.7 Receiving Selecting _‘Wansmission dea by the, Encoding _., Message "message by __, Decoding ‘ender medium of MesSA66 se receiver Sender Recalver 1G, 1.7: EIGHT COMPONENTS OF A COMMUNICATION CYCLE In the entire process of communication process mentioned above, ‘noise’ may surface ‘at any point of time as an obstacle or disturbanee in communication. It may be verbal ‘or non-verbal, physical or mental, audible or inaudible. Though, undesirable, it is fa part and parcel of communication process. Hence, you may try to minimize this ‘element of ‘noise’ still it cannot be totally eliminated, SESSION 2 MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF FEEDBACK Of all the eight components mentioned above, the last one is “feedback’, which is ‘essential in communication so as to know whether the receivers have understood the esse inthe same terms a intended by the /—— = speaker. Feedback includes both verbal and FEED BACK non-verbal communication and takes formal } ‘and informal forms. Formal feedback includes written comments and structured feedback, while informal feedback tracks casual verbal ‘comments and actions. Sometimes, « feedback ‘could be a non-verbal cue, such as smiles, sighs, etc., while at other times, it can simply a a FIG, 1.8 FEEDBACK COMPLETES AIn fact, feedback is the receiver's response, which enables the sender to evaluate the effectiveness of his/her message. Hence, it would not be an exaggeration to say that feedback is the livewire of communication just as communication is the livewire of human existence and interaction. The process of communication finishes only when the cycle ends with feedback. Given below are some of the aspects that make feedbsck so important in any form of communication — verbal, non-verbal or visual: 1, Feedback completes a communication process. 2. Feedback enables us to evaluate the effectiveness of our message. 3. Feedback makes communication meaningful. 4, Feedback makes the sender of the message know if he/she is really making sense to what he/she is communicating. 5. Feedback is a basis for measuring the effectiveness of communication. 6. Feedback is the end-result of an idea and makes communication a continuous process. 7. Feedback is a besis for future planning on what next needs to be done for the attainment of the set goal. 8. Feedback paves way for new idea generation. “SESSION 3 DESCRIPTIVE FEEDBACK ~ WRITTEN COMMENTS OR ‘CONVERSATIONS ‘As feedback is an important aspect of communication, experts say that feedback should be multi-dimensional, non-evaluative, supportive, consistent, constructive, objective, timely, and specific. They say that feedback may be formative, which ‘given throughout the learning process. This type of feedback is meant to determine how students are progressing through a certain learning goal and used to ‘correct’ @ person of his mistakes. On the other hand, summative feedback is given at the end of the year or unit and is used to evaluate student's learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some pre-determined criteria. This type of feedback is meant to ‘evaluate’ & person and accordingly ‘reward’ him for his ‘good actions o ‘punish’ for his mistakes. For example, when you write in a bad handwriting, your teacher gives you a formative feedback saying “improve your handwriting to get better marks in your examinations”. Similarly, when you write in bad handwriting and your teacher fails you in your examination, she gives you a summative feedback (in the form of less marks which fails in the examination of ‘that particular subject). Besides, feedback can be descriptive or prescriptive in nature. Descriptive feedback merely identifies or describes one’s action — good or ‘not-so-good”. For example, your teacher may say that “your communicating style is good,” or “your verbal ‘communication and non-verbal communication are incongruent or not-so-good.” On the other hand, prescriptive feedback provides you advice on how you should communicate. For instance, after # speech which you believe was ineffective, you ask your teacher, “Mam, how was my speech?” Your teacher responds saying “You spoke ‘very fast and your pronunciation was not clear. You should slow down your speaking speed, and also practice your pronunciation.”"SESSION 4 SPECIFIC AND NON-SPECIFIC FEEDBACK ‘Apart from the above, feedback may be specific or non-specific (or generic). Specific feedback provides detailed and complete information on what you did well or poorly. For example, after listening to your argument in a debate competition, your teacher may say, “The way you mentioned all the points in a logical order to convey your viewpoint on the issue was very well organised.” On the other hand, if your teacher ‘were to give you a non-specific or generic feedback, he/she would have simply said, “good job" or “you did great.” Specific feedback helps in modifying your thinking or behaviour for the purpose of learning by influencing your thought process while non-specific feedbeck, for the most part, is not very helpful. ‘© Communication cycle comprises following eight components namely: (1) Sender/source, (2) idea, (3) Message, (4) Encoding, (5) Communication channel, (6) Receiver/target, (7) Decoding, (8) Feedback. '* OF all the eight components, the last one is ‘leedback, which is very essential in communication as it ‘enables the sender to know whether the receiver(s) have understood the message he/she has sent. ‘= Feedback may be given in both verbal and non-verbal manner and can be formal and informal in nature. * Feedback may be formative or summative. Where formative feedback is meant to determine how students are progressing through @ certain learning goal and used to ‘correct’ a person of his mistakes, surnmative feedback is meant to ‘evaluate’ person and accordingly ‘reward’ for his good ‘2ctions or ‘punish’ for his mistakes. © Similarly, feedback can be descriptive or prescriptive in nature. Descriptive feedback merely identifies or describes one's action ~ “good” or ‘not-so-good while prescriptive feedback provides ‘an advice on how one shoul! improve oneself ‘= Apart from the above, feedback may be specific or non-specific (or generic). Specific feedback provides detailed and complete information on what one does well or poorly, nonspecific or generic feedback just says whether one is good or bad at something. SELF ASSESSMENT ‘A. Multiple choice questions. 1. Which of the following is NOT one of the components of communication cycle? (2) Discipine (o) Message (er Target 2. Which ofthe following cannot be totally absent in a communication process? (a) tight (b) Sound (Noise 3. Which ofthe following is NOT a type of feedback? (2) Summative (o) Prescriptive ()None ofthese B. Answer the following questions. 41. What are the components of a communication cycle ? 2. Define feedback. ‘3. What do you understand by descriptive feedback? Activity. ‘Observe your teacher for a week and write in SO words whet kind of feedback he/she gives on your written or spoken assignment. °1.3 MEASURES TO OVERCOME BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION ~ TYPES AND FACTORS Anything that prevents smooth dissemination (sending) or comprehension (receiving) of a message, either at the sender's end or receiver's end, is a bactier to communication. Such barriers cause communication failures. Communication barriers ‘may pop up at any stage and create misunderstanding end ambiguity. For example, the sender of a message who is not conversant with the language known to his receiver ‘may use erroneous or fragmented language, thus causing a communication barrier. Likewise, a receiver who is distantly located from where the sender is disseminating some important information may cither receive the message late (if sent using ‘traditional modes such as the ordinary post) or, if sent through a succinct telegram, only partially understand the essence of it. Sometimes, the environment in which communication takes place may also result in barriers—a noisy or filthy ambience; tense receivers; an ineffective means of communication or an incorrect choice of the ‘mode of communication. ‘Types of Communication Barriers From the above mentioned characteristics, we understand that communication barriers may be of the following three types: 1. Intra-personal Communication Barriers 2. Inter-personal Communication Barriers 3. Environment-based Communication Barriers 1. Intra-personal Communication Barriers: Several factors present within us can sometimes pose a hurdle in our communication—both in sending and receiving messages. These barriers are within our own control, which means we can deal with them on our own and overcome them, These barriers may be caused due to broader factors such as specific socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. For instance, an individual who has been born and brought up in a closed culture will be less expressive and hesitant in conveying feelings—both happy and sad—than another individual who comes from an open culture. Likewise, an individual who has received prejudiced treatment from other people—in the family, at the workplace or society at large—is likely to develop either selective ‘perception or a judgemental attitude. 2. Inter-Personal Communication Barriers: These factors are present outside an individual's own self—in the external environment between the sender and the receiver of the message, and arc relatively outside the individual's control. They may cither be related with the other person (or persons) one is. communicating with (receiver-centric) or they may be duc to the individual's own shortcomings (sender-centric), or both. These interpersonal communication barriers may surface duc to various known or unknown external clements such as: + lack of trust towards the sender of the message or the lack of credibility of the message itself;+ aggressive or disruptive message delivery by the sender; + incompatible language competency between the sender and the receiver of the message or excessive use of technical terms (jargon); ‘ incorrect selection of the medium for the dissemination of the message. 3. Environment-based Communication Barriers: These factors lie outside the eight components of the communication cycle; they are in the surroundings or external environment where communication takes place. They may be related with the noisy or non-conducive communication climate; a plysical ‘or chronomatic (time-related) issue pertaining to 2 particular society/culture; ‘am ethical or social concer, a technological glitch, etc. These environmental barriers may result due to various elements both within and beyond control, such as stuffy rooms with poor seating arrangements, a huge and unmanageable ‘sudience; a screeching microphone or excessively interuptive telephone/mobile phone; incompatible computer software or snail-paced Internet connection. For ‘example, a sender who wants to send an urgent message about his ill health which doesn’t allow him to go for work, tries to cal his colleague but his cell phone has been switched off and his landline telephone is out of order, This prevents him from sending messages to the desired person at desired time. Factors Causing Communication Barriers 1. Lack of planning: If a message is communicated without adequate planning, then the desired result may not be obtained. Therefore, one would need to plan jn advance before drafting his/her messages. 2. Lack of trust: The relationship between the sender and the receiver plays ‘an important role in a communication situation. A slight lack of trust or understanding between them may cause a communication barter. 3. Ambiguity: It refers to the difficulty of understanding ot explaining something. because it involves making different inferences. Therefore, it is quite possible that the receiver does not correctly understand the meaning intended by the seadet. An incorrect inference is offen drawn because the message yields more than one meaning. 4. Distortions: It refers to twists or changes in facts or ideas in a message such that they are no longer correct or true. Much of communication docs not succeed because the receiver distorts the sender’s original ideas to suit own convenience. While the sender believes that the message has been delivered correctly and the desired action will follow, the truth is that the receiver has ‘not taken it in its original form. 5. Implied meanings: Messages may not always convey a meaning in a straight forward mannet. If the socio-economic and cultural backgrounds of the sender and the receiver are not similar, then it is possible that the latter does not uncover the implied mesning. For example, a reference 10 the weather in the middle of a conversation on another topic, is often indicative of the sender's desire to change the topic of discussion.6. Noise: It is used to describe any information that is not wanted and that can ‘make it difficult for important or useful information to be understood clearly. Noise is a major barrier to communication. The word ‘noise’ also refers to all kkinds of physical interference, like illegible handwriting, blemished copies of typescripts, poor telephone connections, slow Internet connections and so on. 7. Time and distance: Time and distance also act as barriers to the smooth flow of communication. Use of telephones, along with computer technology, hhas made communication very fast and has, to a large extent, overcome the ineffective. In such cases, the physical distance between the sender and the receiver becomes a strong barrier. Even wicre the physical distance docs not matter much, such 2s a closed room, a faulty seating arrangement can also ‘become « barrier to effective communication. “SESSION 2 MEASURES TO OVERCOME BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION Now as we know the different barriers of communication, let's try to understand, the different measures that we could take to overcome those barriers: © Never go unprepared: Very often, the lack of preparation results cither from the scarcity of relevant information about a topic ot an incorrect audience analysis. Insufficient audience analysis, however, may ceriainly lead to a ‘communication failure. '* Give required time: In the present-day life, time is always at a premium and if the sender of the message compromises by not giving the required time for preparation or dissemination of the message, the receiver(s) is sure to face problems. '* Work on language competency to overcome linguistic deficiency: Language plays an important role in any inter-personal communication where both the ‘sender and the recciver must be reasonably comfortable in the language used. ‘This is because in any communication process—oral or written, the sender(s) ‘encode(s) ideas, which the receiver(s) decode(s) to understand and give feedback accordingly. Any lapse on either side may lead to a communication failure, '* Avoid false assumptions: Most often, communication fails because the sender of the message fails to communicate instructions well because he or ‘she assumes that the receiver(s) understood what they have said, but the fact could be that the receiver did not understand anything that was communicated to them or partially understood; both situations are undesirable in a smooth ‘communication process. ‘* Don’t be overconfident: When person—a sender or a recciver—thinks that he/she knows all about a subject, he/she runs the risk of overconfidence. This mindset causes a person to be unwilling to learn new ideas. It is the best to ‘approach communication with humility and a willingness to leam, for it is almost impossible to know everything about any particular ares.'* Don’t be apathetic: Apathy causes communication to break down because it interrupts effective listening. It is for this reason that an apathetic speaker docs not relatz information well and may leave ou: key points. = Don't be fearful and defensive: When a sender is fearful or defensive about the subject matter that needs to be communicated to somebody, the sender ‘may go too far in the attempt to communicate and alienate the reveiver(s) with ‘melodramatic gestures and words. Instead of accepting the mistake, the sender ight try to justify the action or refuse to admit the mistake altogether, creating further misunderstanding. Such defensive bebaviour may also ruin the sender's credibility with receiver(s). Likewise, when a receiver is fearful, he or she may not understand what is being said, leading them to stop listening, which would lead to more mistakes in future ‘* Don’t be egocentric: It is an attitudinal barrier wherein one tends to feel that ‘one’s own ideas are more important or valuable than those of the others. This attitude may cause harm as it alienates an egocentric person from others. For example, an egocentric manager may miss out on the creativity and variety of ‘ideas that their subordinate could contribute to @ project, and (in an extreme situation) may also lose qualified and experienced employees to a rival ‘company. ‘+ Avoid judgemental attitude: Many communication failures occur because the message tends to pass some sort of judgement against the receiver. Therefore, it is not received at its face value. Giving precedence to the expression of opinion over facts and the use of offensive or annying expressions ensure thet the receiver becomes guarded and defensive. ‘+ Show respect towards the receiver(s) of the message: Make sure that there is mutual respect between the sender and the receiver for a successful ‘communication. This mutual respect allows each party to invest time in speaking/listening to the other party. ‘Anything that prevents smooth dissemination (sending) or comprehension (receiving) of a message, either at the sender's end or receiver’s end, is a barrier to communication. ‘© ‘Communication barriers may be commonly of three types: (1) Intra-personal Communication Barriers, (2) inter-personal Communication Barriers, and (3) Environment-based Communication Barriers, * Factors that cause communication barriers are: (1) Lack of planning, (2) Lack of trust, (3) Ambiguity, (4) Distortions, (5) Implied meanings, (6) Noise, (7) Time and distance. © Different measures that we could take to overcome communication barriers are: 1L. Never go unprepared 2. Give required time 3. Work on language competency to overcome linguistic deficiency 4. Avoid false assumptions 5. Don’t be overconfident 6. Don't be apathetic 7. Don’t be fearful and defensive 8. Don't be egocentric 9. Avoid judgemental attitude 10. Show respect towards the receiver(s) of the message.Sate SSS ‘A. Multiple choice questions. 11. Communication barrier is: (2) Anything that prevents the smooth dissemination (sending) or comprehension (recelving) of a message, elther at the sender's end or receiver's end. (0) Elements causing communication failures, which may have serious effects on one’s personal and professional relationships. (c)allthe above. 2. Ambiguity refers to: (2) Dificulty in understanding or explaining something, (b) Difficulty in comprehension caused by making different inferences () Both (a) & (0) 8. Answer the following questions. 1. What do you mean by communication barriers? 2. Explain environment-based communication barriers with two examples. c. Activity. ‘With the help of a chart paper, glue stick, colourful sketch pens and newspaper clippings make a collage depicting ‘communication barrier. 1.4 PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION “SESSION 1 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Today, we are in a knowledge-based economy, which is also referred to as ‘the fourth economy’. The nature of the world im which we live—one that is weird, connected, mobile, fast-paced— has changed in some not-so-subtle ways in recent years. Many studies and surveys conducted in various areas indicate that effective communication is very important for individual as well as organisational success. By its very nature, it forms the basis for establishing cooperative and supportive relationships between machine operators, floor managers, supervisors, shop floor workers, co-workers, clients, vendors, suppliers and almost all stakeholders; reducing friction and minimizing work- relation conflicts. People who are good communicators are more successful in advancing their careers, if all other factors remain equal. Think about the people who have inspired you in some way or the other in your personal or professional life. They msy be your ‘parents, teachers, close relatives, friends, or political leaders. In addition to having other qualities, these people are probably very good communicators. When they speak to a group, send a letter, or talk face-to-face, their messages are thought-out, focused, and purposeful. They use every communication opportunity to engage people, share ‘information, or advance their agenda.“SESSION 2 7Cs OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION ‘We communicate all day long; at home, at work, with our next-door neighbour and at the sports club. We communicate verbally, non-verbally and in writing. Whether ‘we communicate in written or oral, or audio or visual, or audio-visual mode, it is important that we follow the 7Cs of effective communication (also known as the ‘seven principles of communication). These 7Cs of effective communication provide a useful checklist as given below: 1, Clear information: Choosing appropriate words and phrases to convey ideas in the form of a message is very important. For this you need yourself to be fully clear of what exactly your message is, what the objective of your message is, and to whom you arc going to share it with. Some of the ways of ensuring clarity of expressions could be: * Choosing short familiar words (conversational) '* Constructing effective sentences and paragraphs keeping unity, coherence and the emphasis of the message in mind oe ‘ i ity by sdopling rece . approach «Including appropriate examples and illustrations in support of the message 2. Complete information: Completeness of information is very important as it ‘brings the desired results without additional messages; builds goodwill; averts lawsuits and answers all questions—the 5 Ws: who, what, when, where, why (gad how), Offering complete and relevant information makes « communication effective as it rules out the need of another cycle of communication to clarify 3. Concise message: In this fast paced world, every person lacks time. Hence, it is necessary to keep the message crisp and concise. It adds not only to the efficacy of the message but also saves the receiver's time in understanding it. Lengthy messages are not only boring but are also distracting to the receiver. Some of the ways of ensuring the conciseness of a message could be: ** Cutting out wordy phrases and sentences ‘Including only relevant information * Doing away with faulty/unclear pronoun usage: “it is’, etc. * Sparing usage of abstract subjects and passive verbs 4, Concrete and coherent presentation: Concrete and coherent messages facilitate easy understanding and produce the desired result. Hence, sender should be careful of not jumbling too many idess into an incoherent presentation as it may lead to nothing but confused thinking and branching off from the main ‘streams of thought. This can be ensured by being detailed instead of vague, using specific facts and figures, using the active and passive voice judiciously, using action verbs instead of smothered expressions and using concrete nouns instead of abstract nouns.5. Correctness of facts: Nothing could be more dangerous than an incorrect message. Make sure that whatever you communicate is comect to the best of your knowledge. This can be ensured by using the right level of language— formal/informal, acceptable/substanderd; presenting accurate facts, words, and figures after extensive proofreading; following acceptable writing mechanics— no spelling errors or careless omissions; choosing of non-discriminatory cexpressions—treating men and women equally, 6. Consideration of the message and the receiver: For the communication success, it is important thet you prepare the message with your receiver(s) in mind, unless the receiver of your message has made a mistake or has a different opinion; emphasising the receiver's takeaway (benefits) from the ‘communication, showing interest in the receiver, emphasising positive, pleasant facts, and ensuring honesty and integrity in your message. 7. Courtesy towards receiver: The absence of ‘mutuality of thought’ in communication may result in disbelief, which may lead to a complete failure in communication. Some steps towards showing courtesy to the receiver are— being sincerely tactful, thoughtful, and appreciative, omitting rude expressions (not talking down), minimising slang and jargon, granting and apologising good naturedly, giving feedback promptly and, above all, giving the receiver due respect 80 that he believes in what you say. + People who are good communicators are more successful at advancing their careers, if all other factors remain equal. ‘= Whether we communicate in written or oral, or audio or visual, or audio-visual mode, it is important that we follow the 7 Cs of effective communication (also known as the seven principles of communication), which is a useful checklist that one should ensure in his/her communication: (1) Clear information, (2) Complete information, (3) Concise message, (4) Concrete and coherent presentation, (5) Correctness of facts, (6) Consideration of the message and the receiver, and (7) Courtesy towards receiver. SSS aa ‘A. Multiple choice questions. 1, Constructing effective sentences and paragraphs, keeping unity, coherence and the emphasis of the message in mind helps in: (2) Clarity of message {b) Compactness of message (€) Courtesy of message 2. Which of the following Cs is NOT one of the 7C3? (2) Completeness (b) clarity. (€) Cooperation B. Answer the following questions. 4, What do you mean by 7Cs of effective communication? 2. How can you keep your message concise?Activity. Observe a shopkeeper (such as grocery owner, chemist, fruit seller, etc.) in your neighbourhood for a week and write in 50 words how he/she shows courtesy towards his/her customers. 1.5 BASIC WRITING SKILLS [SESSION] wnvnins seus ‘Writing skills are very important for a professional success as it is an innovative ‘activity of the mind. An effective writing skill allows the sender to express his/her ‘message with case and comfort without leading to any miscommunication or confusion to the receiver. For this, it is essential to choose the suitable form of written ‘communication from different forms such as letters, memos, circulars, notices, reports, tc. available. You can either choose one-to-one communication or one-to-many ‘communication, whichever you feel is appropriate for your receiver to understand. Apart from the three important aspects such as: (1) using correct grammar, (2) selecting right word, and (3) forming casy sentence structure (as discussed in the previous book), there are following four essential clements of effective writing: 1, Solid structure: Every good writing should incorporate three structural elements—an introduction, a body and 2 conclusion. This structural rule bolds true no matter what form of written communication you choose from—a Paragraph, an essay, a letter, a memo, an email, or a report. 2. ‘Crystal clear® clarity: It is important as an ambiguous message that gives mixed or confusing signals to your receiver may lead to confusion and may ‘even lead himvher to ignore the message. 3. Candid consistency: Consistency makes your message focussed and orderly. Hence, avoid contradicting yourself or changing your viewpoint frequently. 4. Selection of right medium: The choice of the medium of communication is ‘an important factor. Hence, choose the medium that best communicates your message. [SESSION 2 sewreNce Sentence: A group of words which gives complete meaning of the idea that the sender of the message wants to. communicate. Example: Dogs batk. It is a good hospital This is the theory which throws light on photosymthesis. “SESSION PHRASE group of words that just gives some hint of the idea that the sender ‘of the message wants to communicate. Hence, phrase only gives partial meaning but not e complete meaning. Phrases do not have finite verbs.Example: They live in this city. He joined the team at the last moment. I could see the lashing waves of the sea. He has written some books. (‘has written" is a finite verb, present perfect tense) Speaking on the occasion, the minister said prohibition would be lifted soon. (‘speaking’ is a non-finite verb, gerund) There are mainly FIVE different kinds of phrases based on different parts of speech. 1. Noun Phrase: A group of words that does the function of a noun in a sentence is called a noun phrase. Example: His sudden resignation is a mystery. A fifty-year-old man was sitting in the garden. 2, Adjective Phrase: A group of words that does the function of an adjective in a sentence is called an adjective phrase. Example: My neighbour is a man with strange habits. This chain is made of gold. 3. Adverb Phrase: A group of words that does the function of an adverb in a sentence is called an adverb phrase. Example: He lived in Saudi Arabia once upon a time. Please place the chemicals in the safe place, 4, Verbal Phrase: A verbal phrase consists of any of the three non-finites — participle, gerund ot infinitive — and its objects or modifiers. Example: You must work hard to pass your board examination with good marks. He enjoys playing cricket in the evenings. ‘Taking long strides, he soon reached there. ‘5S. Prepositional Phrase: A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, its object and any modifiers of the object. These phrases add descriptive details to a sentence. Example: The two men danced like playful children. He looked under the table and the chairs. The flower vase is om the table. He cleaned the car after the storm. “SESSION 4 KINDS OF SENTENCES As already discussed im the previous book, on the basis of the meaning they convey, sentences are of FOUR kinds — assertive, interrogative, imperative and exclamatory. ‘Apart from the above, a sentence, for the purpose of analysis, can also be examined from the point of view of its structure as: 1. Simple Sentence 2. Compound Sentence 3. Complex Sentence Example: He has big house (simple sentence)‘He has a house and it is very big. (compound sentence — two simple sentences joined by the coordinating conjunction, ‘and”) ‘He has a house which is very big. (complex sentence ~ having a main clause and ‘8 subordinate clause) 1, Simple Sentence: A simple sentence contains only one main clause. It docs ‘not have subordinate clauses. Example: My father is @ senior manager in this organisation. Chandigarh is 2 planned city. Microbiology is an interesting subject for me. You can observe that there is only ome Bite verb in cach of the above sentences. That means there is only ome clause. A one-clause sentence is a simple sentence. 2. Compound Sentence: A compound sentence contains at least two main clauses (cach having an independent finite verb). It may or may not have coordinate clauses. However, if there are coordinate clauses, they are joined by coordinating conjunctions. Example: You may cither stay in the hostel or stay with your relatives. The flowers are blooming, the birds were singing, and spring was in the air. in sentence 1, there are two main clauses, In sentence 2, there are three main clauses.) ‘A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses joincd together by conjunetions. One of them is a main elause while others are coordinated to the main clause. They are called coordinate clauses. Such coordinate clauses arc of equal rank and can convey complete meaning by themselves. These clauses are joined by coordinating conjunctions ot correlative conjunctions. Given below is a list of coordinating conjunctions and correlative conjunctions: ‘Coordinating Conjunctions: and, still, but, yet, or, for, s0, else, otherwise, as well as Correlative Conjunetions: hardly...when, if..then, though...yet, not only...but also, both...and, either...or, neither...nor, whether...0° See how these conjunctions join independent clauses. Example: We went to the market but the shops were closed so we came back home. Not only is he knowledgeable but also has a lot of experience in handling such cases. Gin the first example, there are three independent clauses. A seuience with two independent clauses Is a compound sentence even with subordinate clauses.) ‘Example: I may do # computer course but I may not join that if T get admission in the medical college. (I may do a computer course’ — independent clause “I may not join that” ~ independent clause “if 1 get admission in the medical college’ — subordinate clause)3. Complex Sentence: A complex sentence contains only one main clause and at least ‘one subordinate clause. Example: As soon as the mecting began, a member said that he wanted to raise a point of order. (This sentence has only one main clause and two subordinate clauses; therefore this is a complex sentence.) A sentence having only one independent elause is called a principal clause and one or more dependent clauses called subordinate clauses is called 2 complex sentence. It contains at least two finite verbs. There are as many clauses in a sentence as there are finite verbs. There is only one main clause called principal clause and the rest of them are subordinate clauses. The subordinate clauses are dependent on the principal clause to complete the meaning. “SESSION S PARTS OF SENTENCE ‘A sentence can be divided into the following two parts: 1. Subject part 2. Predicate part Look at the given sentences divided into two parts: A (Subject part) B (Predicate part) He | teaches intocmation,jecinologh ‘This intelligent scientist | inas invented the fastest way of communication. “The Presideat of India | has awarded the aclor « national award for acting TABLE 1.1: PARTS OF A SENTENCE In terms of the pars of a sentence, itis important to understand the following three ways of sentence formation: 1. Enlargement of the Subject: Sometimes, the subject of a sentence is preceded or followed by a qualifying word or words like a nown or an adjective. It adds meaning to or elaborates the subject. It is called an enlargement or attribute. Example: Lary Ronak failed the examination. A desire to win is necessary for success. 2. Extension of the Predicate: Sometimes, the predicate of a sentence is preceded or followed by 2 qualifying word or words like 3 mown or an adjective. It adds ‘meaning to or elaborates the predicate. It is called an Extension. ‘Example: The rich man donated generously. Ronak failed the annual examination. 3. Object and Complement of the Predicate: When the verb in the predicate is a transitive, it needs an object to complete its meaning. Example: I know her. He helped me in my studies. But if the verb in the predicate is intransitive, it does not need any object; it is complete in itself, However, if the speaker wants to further clarify the meaning of theintransitive verbs of the predicate, he may use & complement. Sometimes, even the intransitive verbs of the predicate need additional words (verbs) to complete their ‘Meaning. Such additional verbs are called Verb of Incomplete Predication. Example: The rich businessman donated generously. Ronak is software engineer. “SESSION 6 PARTS OF SPEECH Parts of Speech: Words in english language (according to their functions in a sentence) can be classified into the following eight parts of speech. 1, Noun 2, Pronoun 3. Adjective 4, Verb 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction _8, Interjection Sce Table 1.2 Parts of | Function of the Speech | Word Example Words ‘Example Sentences ‘Noun ‘names a thing or |pen, dog, work, music,| « This is my dog. | person town, London, teacher, | 5 tives in my Ee ‘= We live in Ajmer. ‘Pronoun [replaces a noun |T, you, he, she, some | Tins is Indian. She is beautiful, ‘Adjective describes a noun | a/an, the, some, a ties Book BE wel |S Ay Ug we intcodating: ‘Verb defines action or | (10) be, have, do, lke, | india is a country. © [cat pizza when I go to restaurants, Interjection short col, ouch!, hil, well | @ Ouch! That hurts! exclamation, ‘+ Hil How are you? sometimes ‘© Well, T don’t know. inserted into a sentence ‘TABLE 12: PARTS OF SPEECH"SESSION 7 anricues Use of Articles: In English language, there are two types of articles — Indefinite article and definite article."A’ and ‘an’ are indefinite article while ‘the’ definite article. Generally, ‘an’ is used before the words starting with a vowels — A, E, 1, O, U and ‘a’ and ‘the’ is used before the words starting with consonants. In order to use these two types of articles correctly, it is important to remember that in English language the “spelling of a word! is different from the ‘pronunciation’ of the word. Of the 44 sounds (each is given a symbol from the International Phonetic Alphabet) of 26 alphabet in English language, there are 20 vowels and 24 consonant sounds. Strictly speaking, A E 1 0 U are not vowels ‘but just letters of the English. Phonemic ‘Source: http:/myblog-inplainenglish.blogspot.com/2017/03/english-pronunciation html “The indefinite article ‘a’ is used before: (@) @ word beginning with a letter having a consonant sound. Example: a book, a man, a dinner. (®) @ word that begins with the letter (like ©) with the sound ‘wa’. Example: a one-rupee note, a one-eyed man, etc. (©) word beginning with ‘u' or ‘eu’ giving the consonant sound of ‘yu’. ‘Example: a university, a European.The indefinite article ‘an’ is used before: (@) @ word beginning with the letter a, ¢, i, 0, u and having a vowel sound. Example: an apple, an egg, an umbrella, an idiot, etc. (b) @ word beginning with ‘h’ but the pronunciation starting with a vowel Example: an heir, an hour, an honest man, etc (© An abbreviation, the first letter of which is *M” Example; an MLA, an MP, x1 MCom, an SDO, an FRCS, an X-tuas gifl, etc, “SESSION 8 CONSTRUCTION OF A PARAGRAPH As you know, paragraph is a group of sentences dealing with a single topic. There may be sentences with different lengths and types ~ simple, compound and complex — in a single paragraph. In fact, the variations in the length and types of sentences helps in retaining the interest of the reader and docsn’t allow monotony to come in the paragraphs. Learning to write good paragraphs will help you in communicating your message effectively in a written format. Paragraphs can contain many different kinds of information — actual, fictional, documented, or fantasy, It might describe a place, character, or process; narrate a series of events; compare or contrast two or more ‘things; classify items into categories; or describe causes and effects. ‘© Writing skills is very important for a professional success. * The four essential elements that make your writing effective are: (1) Solid structure, (2) ‘Crystal clear’ clarity, (3) Candid consistency, and (4) Selection of right medium. * There are 8 Parts of Speech ~ noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adver, preposition, conjunction and interjection. ‘© The words of the 8 parts of speech may have both denotative and connotative meanings. ‘© There are two types of articles - indefinite article and definite article. ‘A’ and ‘an’ are indefinite article while ‘the’ is a definite article. © Generally, ‘a’ and ‘an’ are used before the words starting with a vowels — A, £, I, O, U and ‘the’ is used before the words starting with consonants. ESS ‘A. Multiple choice questions. 11. Aggroup of words that just gives some hint of the idea contained in a message is 2: (a) phrase ZA (a) punctuation LE) (0) cause (0) sentence isa collection of related sentences dealing with a single topic (0) phrase (€) paragraah8, Answer the following questions. 1. What are the eight parts of speech? 2. What are the parts of sentence? Explain briefly with example. Activity ‘Write 5 sentences each of the 3 types of sentences — (a) Simple sentence, (b) Compound sentence, (c) Complex sentence. (total 5 x3 = 15 sentences). ‘A. Multiple cholce questions. 4, Which of the following is an example of non-verbal communication? (2) smell of lemon ((b) Map of india {c) Bulletin board 2. Which of the following is more helpful for improving one's present performance? (2) Generic feedback (b) Surnmative feedback {c) Specific feedback 3. Sender of the message should analyse the receiver's knowledge to: (2) choose the medium to share in the message (b) explain how receivers can benefit from his/her message (¢) allthe above 4. Which of the following doesn’t help in showing courtesy towards the receiver? (6) Being sincere and respectful {(b) Being tactful and thoughtful () Maximising slang and jargon 55. The sentences that express surprise, admiration, pity, sorrow and other feelings in an emphatic way are called: (2) assertive sentences () exclamatory sentences (6) intorrogatory sentences B. Short answer questions (I). 1. What Is chromaties? 2. Define prescriptive feedback. 3. What are intra-personal communication barriers? [What are the different kinds of phrase? 5. Define sentence with example.Short answer questions (ti) Why is chromatics important fora professional? What are the advantages of visual communication? Why is feedback so important in any communication process? ‘What measures could be taken to overcome communication barriers? How can you ensure correctness of facts In your message? Why is selection of right medium an important aspect of writing skills? Explain with example. pepe i ‘answer questions. Define verbal and non-verbal communication with five examples each. Explain communication cycle briefly. ‘What is specific feedback? How does it help in selfimprovement? Explain any five factors causing communication barriers. Explain the 7Cs of effective communication. What are the eight parts of speech? Give one example for each peewee E. Practical work. ‘With the help of chart paper, glue stick and newspaper clippings, make a collage of diferent types of facial expressions - happy, sad, surprised (interested), angry, disgusted or afraid, 2. Fora week, observe any one person of your choice on his/her ‘feedback giving style’ Prepare a chart enlisting do's and dor'ts for giving feedback effectively 3. Role play with your friend on how you overcame a communication barrier during the annual sports dey/schoo! science fest. 4. Fora week, observe any one person of your choice on his/her ‘communication style’, audit the effectiveness of his ‘communication (by observing whether people agree or disagree to what he requests for) Prepare ‘communication advice’ (based on the 7Cs of effective communication) for him/her. ‘5. Write a paragraph on any topic of your choice using allthree types of sentences (a) simple sentence, (b} compound sentence, (c) complex sentence. r