COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH--AK MIT

B.TECH DEGREE COURSE

TWO MARK [Question bank]

Unit-I: BASIC COMMUNICATION THEORY

1. Why communication is important in technical work environment?

To cope up with the information revolution and socio-economic changes in the new millennium and to
succeed in growing diversity of the business world, communication is important. Communication is the
essence of organizational life and perquisite to effective management.

2. Define communication.
Communication is the transfer of information and understanding from one person to another person. It is a
way of reaching others with facts, ideas, thoughts and values. And, it is the process of exchanging
meaning.

3. Explain Encoding and decoding.

Encoding: It is the process of changing the information into some familiar code. It is based on the purpose
of communication and the relation between the sender and the receiver. In a formal situation, encoding
involves:
a) Selecting a language;
b) Selecting a medium of communication; and
c) Selecting an appropriate communication form.

Decoding: It is the process of converting a message into idea which enables the receiver to understand the
message. It involves interpretation and analysis of a message. Effective decoding is very important for
successful communication.

4. Explain ideation.
It refers to the formation of the idea or selection of a message to be communicated. The scope of ideation
is generally determined by the sender’s knowledge, experiences, and abilities, as well as the purpose of
communication and the context of the communicative situation.

5. What is transmission?
Transmission refers to the flow of message over the chosen channel. It involves choosing the proper time,
proper place, and a proper way to communicate. For communication to be effective, it is essential that the
right time, the right place, and the right method is chosen.

6. What is the objective of feedback?

The feedback that goes to the sender makes it clear that the receiver has accepted the information and filed
it in his/her memory or rejected it.

7. What are the ingredients of communication skills?

The main ingredients of communication skills are listening, speaking, reading and writing.

8. What are the channels/types of communication?

Communication is essential for the internal functioning of any organization. The interaction between the
different individuals working in a company or organization takes place through different channels. These
channels could be both informal and formal. Four channels of communication are used within an
organization are:
a) Downward Communication
b) Upward Communication
c) Horizontal Communication
d) Diagonal Communication
1|Page Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology.
COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH--AK MIT

9. Explain Body language.

It is a form of communication in which communication takes place without exchange of words. It includes
eye contact, facial expression, gestures, tone of voice, postures, clothing, body movements and other
aspects of our personality and body.

10. Mention two strategies for effective communication.

Using non verbal communication accurately to get across the message and employing ‘You’ attitude
(absence of subjective element) will help to communicate effectively.

11. What is the distinction between listening and hearing?

Listening is a conscious activity which happens through paying attention to the message where as
hearing is an involuntary act which happens automatically.
Some of the differences between listening and hearing

Listening Hearing
 Voluntary  Involuntary
 Requires conscious efforts  Happens automatically
 Active process  Passive process
 The listener plays a very active part  The listener plays a passive part

12. Define Listening.

Listening is a process of receiving and interpreting the spoken word. It involves recognising what is said
and understanding the main and subsidiary points as well as the links between the different parts of
speech.

13. What is superficial listening?

In superficial listening, the listener has little awareness about the content of the message. The result in
this type of listening is zero because the listener ignores the message.

14. Explain appreciative listening.

The main purpose of appreciative listening is to derive pleasure. Examples: listening to recordings of
songs, entertaining stories, jokes, anecdotes, and so on. The output may be taking part in the
entertainment process.

15. What is focused listening?

Focused listening involves listening for specific information in order to take a decision. It is the most
common type of listening practiced in non-formal oral communicative situation.

16. Explain evaluative listening.

The purpose of evaluative listening is to understand both the explicit as well as implicit meaning of the
oral message. It may also involve matching topics against one’s own interest, and making mental notes of
the important points. The main purpose of the evaluative listening is to evaluate the content of the oral
message to select appropriate information.

17. Explain attentive listening.

Attentive listening demands the complete attention of the listener. It is basically active and intelligent
listening in situations such as group discussions, meetings, job interviews, and so on. There is no
‘selective dismissal’ of any part of the oral message.

18. Explain empathetic listening.

Empathetic listening is listening not only to what the speaker is saying but also to how he/she is saying,
that is, his/her feelings, emotions and, state of mind. The listener has to understand and respond to the
affective signals that the speaker might make, and has to alert to the speaker’s implied meaning, intention,
and attitude.
2|Page Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology.
COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH--AK MIT

19. What is ‘bypassing’?

It refers to misunderstanding results form the missed meanings because of the use of abstract words and
phrases on which both senders and receivers do not agree.

20. Do physical and psychological distractions act as communication barriers?

Yes, they are potential barriers because they not only disturb the message flow but also make the listener
to lack interest and concentration.

21. Why listening is given more important than other communication activities?
Listening is important because it makes oral interaction possible and it aids in decision making.

22. Explain ‘Grapevine’.

Informal channel transmit official news through unofficial and informal communicative interactions
known as grape vine. This informal communication network includes tea time gossip, casual gathering,
lunch time meeting and so on.

23. What are the ten thumb rules for good listening?
1. Stop talking
2. Stop thinking
3. Remove distractions
4. Do not let your mind wander
5. Put the speaker at ease
6. Do not Pre-judge
7. Be patient
8. Do not be angry
9. Empathize with the speaker
10. Take notes

24. What are the objectives of communication?

The main objectives of communication are information and persuasion. Information consists of facts and
figures and data arranged in patterns which are useful for different purposes. Persuasion needs a basis of
information; we cannot persuade a customer to buy unless we give them information about the goods and
services we offer.

25. Difference between General and Technical Communication.

General Communication Technical Communication

 General content Technical Communication
 General Vocabulary Specialised vocabulary
 No formal elements Formal elements
 Both formal and informal in style Always formal in style
 Both objective and subjective Objective
 Not always structured Logically organized and structured

26. Define Lecture.

A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or to teach people about a particular
subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information,
history, background, theories and equations. ...

27. Define Presentation

It is the formal, structured, systematic presentation of a message to an audience using visual aids. It is
purposeful, and goal-oriented and communicates a message to an audience in a way that brings about the
desired changed in their understanding or opinion.

3|Page Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology.

COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH--AK MIT
Unit-II—COMPREHENSION AND ANALYSIS

1. What is inference?
Inference is a statement that is based on some situations, observations, facts, or specific details.
Drawing inference is the process of knowing the unknown from the known. It can be drawn from fact,
specific details, examples and illustrations, factual observations, contextual clues, situations,
statements, etc.

2. What are facts and opinions?

A fact is a truth that can be objectively verified by observation or experimentation. It is universal in
nature. On the contrary, an opinion is something subjective, which cannot be objectively verified. And
it is quite personal and may differ from person to person.

3. Explain prediction techniques.

Prediction is a rapid reading skill. It is the process of reading quickly in order to guess the information
that a passage or text contains. Predictions about the content of a passage are generally based on
headings, one’s background knowledge of the subject, graphic or non-verbal context such as graphs,
diagram, charts, and so on.

4. How to recognize the main idea?

To recognize the main idea, the reader has to identify the topic sentence in each paragraph of the text,
understand discourse coherence, and text organization, recognize the meaning and function of
sentence patterns accurately, and recognize discourse/semantic markers and their function.

5. Define reading.
Reading is a complex communicative process of receiving and interpreting the written word. It
involves recognizing what is written and comprehending the matter, that is, understanding the main
and subsidiary pints as well as links between different parts of the written material

6. Difference between efficient and inefficient reading.

Efficient reading Inefficient reading

 The language used is comprehensible  The language used is not comprehensible
 The content is accessible  The content is not accessible
 The reader has background information about  The reader does not have background
the text information
 The reader concentrates on the important  The reader pays the same amount of
parts of the text. attention to all parts of the text.
 The reader has a clear specific purpose  The reader has no clear purpose.
 The reading is fast  The reading is slow.

7.
What is SQ3R reading technique?
SQ3R is a well-tried and widely used reading technique recommended by a number of communication
experts. It has five stages, survey, and question, Read, Recall and Revise.

8. Define ERRQ technique.

The basic purpose of this technique is to get the reader to link what he/she has with new information.
This technique might be useful for reading any kind of text.

9. Define topicalising.
Rephrasing and removing unnecessary or redundant words/phrases after identifying the central idea,
the main points and supporting details is called topicalising.

4|Page Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology.

COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH--AK MIT

10. What are specific writing patterns used by an author in a passage?

The author uses the following writing patterns in a passage: Definitions, Description, Sequence of
events, Generalisation, Classification, Illustration example, Cause and effect, and comparison and
contrast.

11. What are the requirements for effective eye reading?

Effective reading requires accurate visual perception of words and phrases, faster eye fixations, and
complete elimination of vocalisation.

12. Explain active and passive reading.

Reading is not merely a passive process of absorbing the message encoded in the printed word, but a
dynamic communicative process in which the reader approaches the text for a particular reason. Active
reading refers to a set of reading practices you may use to help understand the meaning of a written
message.

Active reading Passive reading

 The reader pays attention to both content as  The reader pays attention to either content or
well as style style
 The reader interprets and analyses what he  The reader does not interpret and analyse
reads. what he reads.
 The reader predicts and respond to the  The reader does not predicts and respond to
context the context
 The reader differentiates between ideas,  The reader does not distinguish between
opinions, feelings and facts. factual and non-factual information.

13. Define Scanning.

Scanning refers to the ability to locate specific information or facts as quickly as possible. It is an
important rapid reading technique, which provides better comprehension while reading a scientific or
technical text.

14. Define Skimming.

Skimming is more sophisticated skill than scanning. It refers to the process of reading a text or a
passage in order to get a rough idea of what the text or passage is all about. It is a rapid reading
technique that prepares the reader for detailed reading.

15. Define intensive reading

It is a detailed reading that demands better concentration and motivation. The three rapid reading
techniques of prediction, scanning, and skimming prepare the reader for intensive reading. It helps in
concentrating and focusing on the reading assignment, which is essential for academic and
professional reading.

16. What are the purposes of reading?

5|Page Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology.
COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH--AK MIT
The basic purpose of reading is to extract information from various sources, it may primarily be to:
 Get an introductory idea of a text;
 Get a broad understanding of the subject matter;
 Understand scientific ideas, theories, and principles;
 Obtain specific information;
 Understand new changes and developments in a particular field
 Discover the author’s viewpoints.

17. What are reduction devices?

Reduction devices involve the use of abbreviations and symbols. They help by giving an organized
picture of a passage by excluding repetitive and unnecessary information.
18. What is schematizing?
Schematizing is organizing notes on scientific and technical text which contain information in the
form of figures, classifications, contrasts, processes in the form of tables and diagrams for accurate
and easy reading.

19. Discuss about reading skills.

Reading is a complex process of decoding and comprehending the written message. Depending upon
the purpose of reading it requires different reading strategies and skills to understand the subject.
These skills include:
1. Vocabulary skills
2. Visual perceptual skills
3. Prediction skills
4. Scanning skills
5. Skimming skills
6. Intensive reading skills

20. Define summary skills.

Summary is an essential study skill required for study purposes. It is a process of condensing
information without changing the original meaning and focus of a passage. This requires language
competence and regular practice. It involves adopting an effective reading strategy, and using
appropriate techniques of summarizing outlining, and paraphrasing.

6|Page Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology.

COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH--AK MIT

Unit -5;

1. Mention the importance of oral presentation.

Oral presentation is purposeful and goal- oriented, and communicates a message to and audience in a way
that brings about the desired change in their understanding or opinions, so it is important.

2. What are the strategies for planning the presentation?

Planning a presentation involves defining the purpose, analysing the audience, analysing the occasion, and
choosing a suitable title.

3. How to organise the presentation?

Your presentation should be organised into three distinct parts: introduction, body, and conclusion.

4. What are the delivery methods for a presentation?

There are three delivery methods for delivering a presentation, that is, the memorising method, reading
method, and the outlining method.

5. How to develop main ideas for a presentation?

The presenter may make a logical division of the central idea, establish reasons for the idea being true, or
support the central idea with a series of steps.

6. What is Group discussion?

Group discussion is a systematic and purposeful interactive oral process which is aimed make a decision
or to solve a problem.

7. What is the characteristics s of a successful group discussion?

Successful G.Ds share some of all of the seven features: agreement on group goals, goal oriented
interaction, agreement on procedures, cooperative and friendly atmosphere, use of effective
communication techniques.

8. Enumerate the skills required for G.D.

There are four major of evaluation in G.D. They are subject knowledge, oral communication skills,
leadership skills, and team management.

9. List two important strategies for G.D.

They are contributing systematically to the group deliberation. Contribution must reflect the depth of
understanding and knowledge of the subject and creating a friendly cooperative atmosphere.

10. Mention two techniques for the individual contribution in G.D.

Techniques for the individual contribution involve analysing and interpreting the given topic, which may
include opinions, problems, issues, or case studies.

11. What are the types of conversation?

7|Page Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology.

COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH--AK MIT
There are two types of conversation: formal and informal .Formal conversation is the type of conversation
that we have in formal situation while informal conversation involves exchange of personal information
with friends and relatives.

12. What is the stratigies for a good conversation?

Good conversation largely depends on our ability to adjust with other peoples and good attitude.

13. Explain dialogue.

A dialogue is a conversation between two or more people. It is also a literary form in which two or more
parties engage in a discussion.

14. Explain extempore speech and its advantage over manuscript speech.

15. What is phonetics?

Phonetics is the study of the sound system of a language.

16. What is the difference between debate and G.D?

Debates are aimed to tell a particular point of view while GDs raise a particular issue for positive
exchange of views.

17. Define conversation.

A conversation is communication between multiple people. It is a social skill that is not difficult for most
individuals. Conversations are the ideal form of communication in some respects, since they allow people
with different views on a topic to learn from each other. A speech, on the other hand, is an oral
presentation by one person directed at a group.

18. How to overcome anxiety during a presentation?

By staying relaxed, by using appropriate visual aids and doing a systematic rehearsal, one can overcome
anxiety during a presentation.

19. What is the role of leadership skill in G.D?

It helps a person to initiate, analyse, gives confidence, patience and composure and motivation in G.D

20. Why oral communication skill is required in G.D?

As the exchange of ideas in a group discussion takes place through speech , the ability to speak
confidently and convincingly is important ,hence oral communication skill is required in G.D

21. Define analyse the audience during oral presentation.

Audience analysis includes identifying audience characteristics, analysing audience needs and
expectation, and identifying factor for getting and maintaining audience attention.

22. Why conversation is important?

Conversation links people together, as it is probably the most important factor that makes social
interaction possible. It maintains social as well as professional relations. So, it is important.

23. What is the main objective of a debate?

The main objective of a debate is to support a particular point.

8|Page Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology.

COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH--AK MIT

9|Page Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology.