SYLLABUS Class: - B.B.A. II Semester. Subject: - Business Communication

Transcription

1 SYLLABUS Class: - B.B.A. II Semester Subject: - Business Communication UNIT I Communication-Defining communication, Process of communication, Communication Model, Objectives of communication, Principles of communication, Importance of Business communication, Importance Feedback, UNIT II Channels of communication, Types of communication, Dimensions of communication, Barriers to communication Verbal, Non-Verbal, Formal, Informal communication. UNIT III UNIT IV Fundamental of Business writing, Format of Business, Types of Business letter, Inquiry letter, complaint letter Persuasive letter, Proposal, Report Writing. Employment Messages Writing Resume, Application letter, Writing the opening paragraph, Writing the closing paragraph, summarizing UNIT V Spoken skills Conducting Presentation, Oral presentation, Debates, Speeches, Interview, Group Discussion, English Pronunciation, Building Vocabulary. UNIT-VI Barriers to Effective Communication and ways to overcome them, Listening: Importance of Listening, Types of Listening, Barriers to Listening and overcoming them, Listening situations, Developing Listening Skills, 1

2 Unit 1 INTRODUCTION The word communication originates from the Latin word communis, which means common and the word business stands for any economic activity which is undertaken with a view to earn profit and the communication undertaken in the process of this activity is termed as "business communication. DEFINITION Communication is a process of passing information and understanding from one person to another. Keith Devis Communication is generally defined as the activity of conveying information. Communication has been derived from the Latin word "communis", meaning to share. Wikipedia Communication is something people do. To understand human communication process, one must understand how people relate to each other. Wilbur Schramm MEANING Communication is defined as The flow of material information perception, understanding and imagination among various parties. Business includes those organizations, which are engaged in the production and distribution of goods and services to earn profit. Therefore Business communication means, Flow of information, perception etc. either within a business organization or outside the organization among different parties. OBJECTIVES &PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION The objectives of business communication would include the following: To give and receive information To provide advice To educate and train customer To issue orders and instruction To persuade target audience To receive suggestion To motivate and to integrate To relate and to entertain Importance of Business Communication Persuasion is one of the factors of marketing communications. Persuasion is the main reason companies engage in marketing: to persuade their target audience to take action, as in, buy their product or subscribe to their services, make a phone call, or donate money. All marketing communication is goal oriented, as the predetermine objective helps to create effective marketing communication strategy. Every successful marketing communications helps plan the marketing message at every contact point that are received by the target audience. It facilitates in controlling the performance and take necessary remedial actions on the basis of feedback information from them. Communication creates a meeting of minds and improve industrial relations. It helps to develop mutual co-operation and understanding thereby improving industrial productivity. Communication is indispensable for every organization to develop and maintain reputation or goodwill with its customers, investors, dealers, suppliers etc. 2

3 Principles and Nature of Communications A business Organization is a group of people associated to earn profit. Various kinds of activities have to be performed by the people of an organization so as to earn profit. Business Communication is know n as back bone of any Organization thus various activities in business need an effective and systematic communication. Without efficient communication, one cannot even imagine to do work and hence will be unable to earn profit. Since the aim of business organization is to earn profit, the organization will die without profit and this death is a result of the absence of communication. This is why communication is called life blood of a business organization. We can prove this statement more clearly through following points. Gain clarity over - WHO? WHERE? WHAT? HOW MUCH? FORM, CHANNEL, PERIOD and WHAT WAS IT? Communication involves plurality of persons Existence of message is essential which may be the orders, instructions or information about the managerial plans, policies, programmes It s a two way and continuous process Its primary purpose is to motivate a response Communication may be formal controllable or informal uncontrollable It can be in vertical, horizontal or diagonal The Seven Cs of Communication help overcome barriers: 1. Consideration: consideration states that every message should be prepared keeping in mind the person who will be the receiver of the message. Receiver's interest should be kept in mind while drafting the message. Specific ways to indicate candidness are: - Focus on "you" attitude instead of "I" on "We" Material or content of the message should be from reader's point of view. Use of positive words should be allowed so that positive reaction could be received by the readers. Benefits of readers should be the prominent part of message. Examples: We Attitude: I am delighted to announce that there will be extra classes for the students in college to clarify their problems. You Attitude: You will be able to clarify your problems in the extra classes organized in college. 2. Clarity: Clarity is most important characteristic of communication especially in case or oral Communication/Presentation. Clarity in words, language of expression is very important to ensure proper presentation of ideas, message one wants to communicate during conversation. Clarity can be achieved through following ways: Precise, familiar use of words or language during communication, Effective sentences should be framed, There should be unity in all one words of message so that the main idea of message can be properly communicated. Short length sentences of average 17 to 20 words should be preferred. 3. Completeness: Complete message is very important to communicate the main idea or information behind the message. Oral presentations should be as far as possible planned on restructured and all the information related to message should be properly communicated. Guidelines for ensuring completeness are as follows: Provide all necessary information required for accurate understanding of message. All Questions asked by the audience should be properly answered by presenter during oral presentation/communication. Some extra information when ever desirable should be given to audience to make the presentation topic more clear, specific of complete. 4. Conciseness: Conciseness is the essential requirement of oral communication. Concise message saves time on expense for both sender on receiver concise means brief, short on informative message which is able 3

4 to explain the idea of message with minimum words. Words in message should not be repetitive in nature & only relevant information should be communicated in message. 5. Correctness: In oral communication grammatical errors should be avoided. Right level of language should be used both in formal & informal communication. Use of accurate words and spellings should be considered. 6. Concreteness: it means specific, definite on valid use of information than vague or general. Concrete facts on figures should be used to make the receivers know exactly what is required or desired. Concrete language on information helps in interpreting the message in same way as communicate intend to communicate the message. 7. Courtesy: A proper decorum of speaking should be maintained while making oral communication/ presentation. One should say things with force of assertive without being rude. Polite or humble language shall be used which should not be insulting, against the religious, social as personal values of listener. Discriminatory language based, on gender, race, age, colour, cost creed, religion etc should be avoided. ELEMENTS IN COMMUNICATION 1. Sender: Someone who is sending the message to someone lese. For example, in ad the brand being advertised is Pantaloons. Naturally, the maker of this brand is the sender of the advertising message. 2. Encoding: When we address someone, we use language, visuals, body gestures, etc. to communicate. All these are called symbols. The process of putting our thought into symbolic forms is called encoding. In a following Ad, you see a face full of wrinkles. Then you read the headlines which simply say: Wrinkle free. This process of communication is called encoding. 3. Message: The symbols themselves constitute the message. Hence, the visuals, headlines body copy, tag line, brand name, logo, etc., are all parts of the message. If you have already heard the name of Pantaloons, then the message being given to you is that are dealing with a known company. 4. Media: The channels used for sending the message across to the receiver (customer) is called medium (or media; note that media is also singular). This Ad has appeared in the print media (just for the sake of knowledge, TV is an audio-visual medium, radio is an audio medium, etc. You will learn more about media in the second year). An individual member of the medium is called a vehicle. Here, India Today is the vehicle. A vehicle is the carrier of the message. 5. Decoding: Once we receive the message, we start interpreting it. For example, when you look at the wrinkled face shown in the Ad, you realize how bad it looks. The implication is that your clothes will also look as bad if they were not wrinkle free. Likewise, there are visuals of a shirt and a pair of trouser. These immediately give you the message that the Ad is perhaps for readymade clothes. At the bottom, the message given is that the brand is available at various cities and Pantaloon Shoppes. 6. Receiver: A receiver is one who reads/listen hears the message of the communicator. For example, any reader of India Today who is likely to see this Ad, is the receiver of the message. It may be noted, however, that the communicator (in our example, the manufacturer of Pantaloons) is not interested in just any receiver (i.e. any reader of India Today) but only those who would be interested in using his product. Thus, if never wear trousers, then the company will not be interested in me. 7. Response: After having read the ad, I will react to the message. My reaction (alternatively known as response) could be objective (if I accept what the sender of the message is saying) or negative (If I don t accept the message). For example, the body copy in the Ad says: Pantaloons presents T I may get impressed by the fact that the range has T 2000 choices available! But I may also reject the claims made in the body copy in case I find them unbelievable. 4

5 8. Feedback: Every communicator waits to know whether the message (a) has reached the target audience or not, and (b0 whether it has been accepted or not. In other words, one waits for feedback from the audience. The most desirable form of feedback from the marketer s point of view, of course, would be the purchase of the product by the customers. Thus, after this Ad is released in the media, if the sale of such trousers goes up significantly, the feedback is said to be positive. Similarly, if the company conducts a surveys and questions about the intention to buy; and customers say that they will buy the brand, again, the feedback is positive. PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION The process of communication involves two or more persons participating through a medium that carries the information or message for a particular purpose which is mutually understood by both the sender and receiver. Only when these conditions are fulfilled, a significant communicative situation will take shape 4. Noise (Physical and Psychological Distraction 1. Source (Encoding) 2. Message and content 3. Communication Channel media TV. Radio, Newspapers, Magazines, Internet, Mail, Phone 5. Receiver (Decoding) 6. Feedback-Interactivity Immediate Response Delayed Response No Response The receiver is anyone who is exposed to a message. Once receiver, receive a message, they decode it. Decoding is the process of interpreting what a message means. After customers decode a message, they respond in some way, indicating to what extent the message was received, properly decode, and persuasive. This response is called feedback, which is a response that conveys a message back to the source. The communication process occurs in a context or environment where other things are going on-competitive brand message, people walking by, a telephone ringing, as well as thoughts inside customers heads. These other things are called noise-interferences or distractions that can negatively affect the transmission and reception of a message. FEEDBACK AND MEASURING COMMUNICATION RESULTS After implementing the communications plan, the communications director must measure its impact on the target audience. Members of the target audience are asked whether they recognize or recall the message, how many times they saw it, what points they recall, how they felt about the message & their previous & current attitude towards the product & the company. The communicator should also collect behavioral measures of audience response such as how many people bought product, liked it & talked to others about it. 5

6 COMMUNICATION MODELS SHANNON WEAVER MODEL In 1948, Shannon was an American mathematician, Electronic engineer and Weaver was an American scientist both presented this model. It was specially designed to develop the effective communication between sender and receiver. Also they find factors which affecting the communication process called Noise. At first the model was developed to improve the Technical communication. Later it s widely applied in the field of Communication. Message Signal Received Signal Message INTERACTIVE MODEL With slighter change in Shannon weaver model, the interactive model can me developed. Feedback is an avoidable stage in communication by introducing this phase to the above model we get interactive model of communication which is as follows. Message Signal Received Signal Message Feedback INTERMEDIARY MODEL An intermediary model of communication was developed by Katz and Lazarsfeld in it focuses on the important role held by the intermediaries in the communication process. Many of these intermediaries have the ability to decide and influence the messages, the context and ways in which they are seen. They often have the ability, to change messages or to prevent them from reaching an audience. 6

7 TRANSACTIONAL MODEL The transactional model of communication takes into account noise or interference in communication as well as the time factor. The outer lines of the model indicate that communication invalves both systems of communicators and personal systems. It also takes into account changes that happen in the fields of personal and common experiences. The model also labels each communicator as both sender as well as receiver simultaneously. There is this interdependence where there can be no source without a receiver and no message without a source. Communicators depends on factors like background, prior experiences, attitudes, cultural beliefs and self-esteem. 7

8 UNIT II CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION INTRODUCTION: In an organization, information flows forward, backwards and sideways. This information flow is referred to as communication. Communication channels refer to the way this information flows within the organization and with other organizations. In this web known as communication, a manager becomes a link. Decisions and directions flow upwards or downwards or sideways depending on the position of the manager in the communication web. For example, reports from lower level manager will flow upwards. A good manager has to inspire, steer and organize his employees efficiently, and for all this, the tools in his possession are spoken and written words. For the flow of information and for a manager to handle his employees, it is important for an effectual communication channel to be in place. The Working of a Communication Channel Through a modem of communication, be it face-to-face conversations or an inter-department memo, information is transmitted from a manager to a subordinate or vice versa.an important element of the communication process is the feedback mechanism between the management and employees.in this mechanism, employees inform managers that they have understood the task at hand while managers provide employees with comments and directions on employee's work. Importance of a Communication Channel A breakdown in the communication channel leads to an inefficient flow of information. Employees are unaware of what the company expects of them. They are uninformed of what is going on in the company. This will cause them to become suspicious of motives and any changes in the company. Also without effective communication, employees become department minded rather than company minded, and this affects their decision making and productivity in the workplace. Eventually, this harms the overall organizational objectives as well. Hence, in order for an organization to be run effectively, a good manager should be able to communicate to his/her employees what is expected of them, make sure they are fully aware of company policies and any upcoming changes. Therefore, an effective communication channel should be implemented by managers to optimize worker productivity to ensure the smooth running of the organization. Types of Communication Channels The number of communication channels available to a manager has increased over the last 20 odd years. Video conferencing, mobile technology, electronic bulletin boards and fax machines are some of the new possibilities. As organizations grow in size, managers cannot rely on face-to-face communication alone to get their message across challenge the managers face today is to determine what type of communication channel should they opt for in order to carryout effective communication. In order to make a manager's task easier, the types of communication channels are grouped into three main groups: formal, informal and unofficial. 8

9 Formal Communication Channels A formal communication channel transmits information such as the goals, policies and procedures of an organization. Messages in this type of communication channel follow a chain of command. This means information flows from a manager to his subordinates and they in turn pass on the information to the next level of staff. An example of a formal communication channel is a company's newsletter, which gives employees as well as the clients a clear idea of a company's goals and vision. It also includes the transfer of information with regard to memoranda, reports, directions, and scheduled meetings in the chain of command. A business plan, customer satisfaction survey, annual reports, employer's manual, review meetings are all formal communication channels. Informal Communication Channels Within a formal working environment, there always exists an informal communication network. The strict hierarchical web of communication cannot function efficiently on its own and hence there exists a communication channel outside of this web. While this type of communication channel may disrupt the chain of command, a good manager needs to find the fine balance between the formal and informal communication channel. An example of an informal communication channel is lunchtime at the organization's cafeteria/canteen. Here, in a relaxed atmosphere, discussions among employees are encouraged. Also managers walking around, adopting a hands-on approach to handling employee queries is an example of an informal communication channel. Quality circles, team work, different training programs are outside of the chain of command and so, fall under the category of informal communication channels. Unofficial Communication Channels Good managers will recognize the fact that sometimes communication that takes place within an organization is interpersonal. While minutes of a meeting may be a topic of discussion among employees, sports, politics and TV shows also share the floor. The unofficial communication channel in an organization is the organization's 'grapevine.' It is through the grapevine that rumors circulate. Also those engaging in 'grapevine' discussions often form groups, which translate into friendships outside of the organization. While the grapevine may have positive implications, more often than not information circulating in the grapevine is exaggerated and may cause unnecessary alarm to employees. An example of an unofficial communication channel is social gatherings among employees. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION People communicate with each other in a number of ways that depend upon the message and its context in which it is being sent. Choice of communication channel and your style of communicating also affects communication. So, there are variety of types of communication. Types of communication based on the communication channels used are: 1. Verbal Communication 2. Nonverbal Communication 1. Verbal Communication - Verbal communication refers to the the form of communication in which message is transmitted verbally; communication is done by word of mouth and a piece of writing. Objective of every communication is to have people understand what we are trying to convey. When we talk to others, we assume that others understand what we are saying because we know what we are saying. But this is not the case. usually people bring their own attitude, perception, emotions and thoughts about the topic and hence creates barrier in delivering the right meaning. Verbal Communication is further divided into: 9

10 Oral Communication Written Communication Oral Communication -In oral communication, Spoken words are used. It includes face-to-face conversations, speech, telephonic conversation, video, radio, television, voice over internet. In oral communication, communication is influence by pitch, volume, speed and clarity of speaking. Advantages of Oral communication are: It brings quick feedback. In a face-to-face conversation, by reading facial expression and body language one can guess whether he/she should trust what s being said or not. Disadvantage of oral communication In face-to-face discussion, user is unable to deeply think about what he is delivering,. Written Communication - In written communication, written signs or symbols are used to communicate. A written message may be printed or hand written. In written communication message can be transmitted via , letter, report, memo etc. Message, in written communication, is influenced by the vocabulary & grammar used, writing style, precision and clarity of the language used. Written Communication is most common form of communication being used in business. So, it is considered core among business skills. Memos, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, and electronic mail are the types of written communication used for internal communication. For communicating with external environment in writing, electronic mail, Internet Web sites, letters, proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards, contracts, advertisements, brochures, and news releases are used. Advantages of written communication includes: Messages can be edited and revised many time before it is actually sent.written communication provide record for every message sent and can be saved for later study.a written message enables receiver to fully understand it and send appropriate feedback. Disadvantages of written communication includes:unlike oral communication, Written communication doesn t bring instant feedback..ittake more time in composing a written message as compared to word-ofmouth. and number of people struggles for writing ability. 2. Nonverbal Communication - Nonverbal communication is the sending or receiving of wordless messages. We can say that communication other than oral and written, such as gesture, body language, posture, tone of voice or facial expressions, is called nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is all about the body language of speaker. Nonverbal communication helps receiver in interpreting the message received. Often, nonverbal signals reflects the situation more accurately than verbal messages.sometimes nonverbal response contradicts verbal communication and hence affect the effectiveness of message. Nonverbal communication have the following three elements: Appearance - Speaker: clothing, hairstyle, neatness, use of cosmetics Surrounding: room size, lighting, decorations, furnishings Body Language- facial expressions, gestures, postures Sounds- Voice Tone, Volume, Speech rate Types of Communication Based On Purpose And Style Based on style and purpose, there are two main categories of communication and they both bears their own characteristics. Communication types based on style and purpose are: 1. Formal Communication - In formal communication, certain rules, conventions and principles are followed while communicating message. Formal communication occurs in formal and official style. 10

11 Usually professional settings, corporate meetings, conferences undergoes in formal pattern.in formal communication, use of slang and foul language is avoided and correct pronunciation is required. Authority lines are needed to be followed in formal communication. 2. Informal Communication - Informal communication is done using channels that are in contrast with formal communication channels. It s just a casual talk. It is established for societal affiliations of members in an organization and face-to-face discussions. It happens among friends and family. In informal communication use of slang words, foul language is not restricted. Usually.informal communication is done orally and using gestures.informal communication, Unlike formal communication, doesn t follow authority lines. In an organization, it helps in finding out staff grievances as people express more when talking informally. Informal communication helps in building relationships. Types of Communication Based On Direction In an organization, communication flows in 5 main directions- 1. Downward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows from a higher level in an organization to a lower level is a downward communication. In other words, communication from superiors to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward communication. This communication flow is used by the managers to transmit work-related information to the employees at lower levels. Employees require this information for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations of their managers. Downward communication is used by the managers for the following purposes Providing feedback on employees performance Giving job instructions Providing a complete understanding of the employees job as well as to communicate them how their job is related to other jobs in the organization. Communicating the organizations mission and vision to the employees. Highlighting the areas of attention. Organizational publications, circulars, letter to employees, group meetings etc are all examples of downward communication. In order to have effective and error-free downward communication, managers must: Specify communication objective Ensure that the message is accurate, specific and unambiguous. Utilize the best communication technique to convey the message to the receiver in right form 2. Upward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows to a higher level in an organization is called upward communication. It provides feedback on how well the organization is functioning. The subordinates use upward communication to convey their problems and performances to their superiors. The subordinates also use upward communication to tell how well they have understood the downward communication. It can also be used by the employees to share their views and ideas and to participate in the decision-making process. Upward communication leads to a more committed and loyal workforce in an organization because the employees are given a chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction issues to the higher levels. The managers get to know about the employees feelings towards their jobs, peers, supervisor and organization in general. Managers can thus accordingly take actions for improving things. Grievance Redressal System, Complaint and Suggestion Box, Job Satisfaction surveys etc all help in improving upward communication. Other examples of Upward Communication are -performance 11

12 reports made by low level management for reviewing by higher level management, employee attitude surveys, letters from employees, employee-manager discussions etc. 3. Lateral / Horizontal Communication: Communication that takes place at same levels of hierarchy in an organization is called lateral communication, i.e., communication between peers, between managers at same levels or between any horizontally equivalent organizational member. The advantages of horizontal communication are as follows: It is time saving. It facilitates co-ordination of the task. It facilitates co-operation among team members. It provides emotional and social assistance to the organizational members. It helps in solving various organizational problems. It is a means of information sharing It can also be used for resolving conflicts of a department with other department or conflicts within a department. 4. Diagonal Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and employees of other workgroups is called diagonal communication. It generally does not appear on organizational chart. For instance - To design a training module a training manager interacts with an Operations personnel to enquire about the way they perform their task. 5. External Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and external groups such as - suppliers, vendors, banks, financial institutes etc. For instance - To raise capital the Managing director would interact with the Bank Manager. BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION Q.EXPLAIN IN DETAIL VERBAL AND NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION? Ans: VERBAL COMMUNICATION:Verbal communication means such a communicationthat takes place by means of a language or words. It includes the following contents. a. Oral communication (Speaking & listening) b. Written communication (writing & reading) 1. Speaking:- In order to send message in business, speaking plays a vital role. Giving instruction, conducting interviews, attending meetings, sending orders through telephone calls are very common in today s business. 2. Writing:- 12

13 It is used when a complex message is sent. Placing order through letters, informing employees through circulars, sending reports and memos, filling different government forms, keeping records in writing are some examples of this aspect of verbal communication. 3. Listening:-People in business spend more time in obtaining information then transmitting it. Listening is the most important way to receive information: information regarding order of employers, instruction, rules and regulation, customer trend etc, are obtained through listening. But in listening, people generally forget 75% of the message after few days. 4. Reading:-Reading reports, memos, policies, circulars, and different business statements are essential for an organization: Reading involves understanding and interpreting the material. NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION:It means communication without the use of languageor words. It includes appearance, body language, silence, etc. Its explanation is as follows; 1. Facial Expressions:-Face and eyes are helpful means of nonverbal communication. They reveal hidden emotions such as anger, confusion, enthusiasm, fear, joy etc. 2. Gestures, postures & movement:-postures means the language primarily composed of hand deaf people and signal given by traffic constable are the example movement also indicate many things. Shaking hand with firmness moving back and forth reveals nervousness.and fingers. Communication of of posture. Gestures and body indicates a warm relationship. Q.EXPLAIN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND STATE THEIR IMPORTANCE IN COMMUNICATION PROCESS WITH SUITABLE EXAMPLES. Ans: NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION: Communication may be verbal by written or spoken symbols (usually words) or it may be nonverbal without words. Non-verbal messages are sometimes more clear, accurate and effective as compared to verbal communication, because they are internationally used and understood. Nonverbal communication may be divided into the following three categories: 1. Appearance 2. Body Language 3. Silence, Time and Sounds 1.APPEARANCE:Appearance affects the quality of written and spoken messages as follows: i.written Messages: The envelope s overall appearance size, colour, weight, postage and the letter s overall appearance length stationary, enclosures, layout, etc. may convey significant information and impressions. ii.spoken Messages: Personal appearance of the speaker-clothing, jewelry, hair-style, neatness, etc. may tell about the age, sex occupation, nationality, social, economic and job status. Similarly, appearance of the surroundings roomsize, location, furnishings, lighting, etc. may tell a lot about the message. 2.BODYLANGUAGE:Facial expressions, gestures, posture, smell, touch, voice etc are included in body language. 13

14 Facial Expression: The eyes and face may express the hidden emotions e.g. anger, fear, joy, love, surprise, sorrow, interest etc. Posture and Gestures:The message can effectively be communicated by actions. Deaf people and traffic constables make use of actions. In our daily life clenched fists may indicate anger, leaning forward to the speaker may reveal interest and repeatedly glancing at the watch may be a sign of being bored. Smell: Good or bad smell often expresses the situation e.g. smell because of oil or gas leakage warns the danger. Similarly, fragrance and perfume convey emotions and feelings better than spoken or written words. Touch:Touching people in different ways (and places) can silently communicate friendship, love approval, anger or other feelings. Silence, Time and Sounds Silence: Silence is an effective medium of expressing serious feelings and emotions e.g. death of relative or loss in business. A mistake may be admitted by silence. Silence may also confirm a statement. Time: Time communicates in many ways, e.g. waiting for a long time may indicate interest or love and giving a short notice means urgency. Sounds and Para-language:The style of speaking and the volume of voice (Intonations and Modulations) of voice may produce variations between what is said and what is meant, e.g. the words how prompt you are may criticize a person arriving too late. Q. DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION: 1. Reliability:- Non verbal communication is more reliable then verbal communication. Words can be controlled more easily but it s difficult to hide facial expressions like sadness, gladness, joy etc. So non-verbal communication is regarded as a more reliable means for transmitting message. 2. Support to verbal communication:- Body language and appearance support the verbal communication. A wave of hand, smile etc might be very useful to explain and understand a particular point of view. 3. Quickness:- A denial or acceptance expressed by moving head saves lot of time. So, it is important in this respect that non-verbal communication transmits the message quickly. FUNCTION OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION: There are following six functions of it. (1) To provide information either consciously or unconsciously. (2) To regulate the flow of conversation. (3) To express emotion (4) To qualify, complement, contradict or expand verbal message. (5) To control or influence others. (6) To facilitates specific tasks, such as teaching a person. 14

15 Q. DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION; Ans: The difference between oral and written communication can be enumerated as under: 1. Ratio:-According to a rough estimate, about 75% of total communication is oral whereas the rest is written. 2. Data Safety:-Data and information are safe in written communication while most of information is forgotten in oral communication. 3. Nature of message:-written communication is used when the message is complex and oral communication is used for simple message. 4. Legal Aspect:-From legal point of view, oral communication is least reliable and written communication is much more reliable. For example, an oral promise may not be challenged in a court in general but a written promise can be challenged. 5. Flow of information:-information can be transferred within a short period of time in oral communication but it takes more time in written communication. 6. Non verbal facilities:-oral communication can be supported by non verbal facilities like gestures, postures etc. but such a support is impossible in written communication. 7. Grammar & Accent:-Oral communication required consideration for accent and pronunciation whereas written communication needs correct grammar and spelling. 15

16 UNIT III FUNDAMENTALS OF BUSINESS WRITING ADAPTATION AND THE SELECTION OF WORDS :The study of clear business writing logically begins with adaptation. By adaptation we mean fitting the message to the specific reader. You should form your message to fit that person s mind. This process of adaptation begins with visualizing what the reader imagine, what he feels, thinks and such. In many business situations, adapting to your reader means writing on a level lower than the one you would normally use. In writing to less educated workers, for example you may need to simplification, for highly educated people you may write differently. At times adapting to multiple reader, if you write for one person in the group, you may miss the others. To communicate with all of them, write for the lowest member of the group. Therefore adaptation is a basic rule which underlines all writing aspects. SUGGESTIONS FOR SELECTING WORD: Selecting the right word is a part of an adaptation. Following are some suggestions to help you select words. These suggestions stress simplicity for three reasons (1) Many people tend to write at a difficult level (2) The writer usually knows the subject better than the readers and (3) The results of research based on writing skills support simplicity. SUGGESTION FOR WORD SELECTION :Using familiar words to communicate related to the language that most of us use in everyday conversation. Example Instead of using the terminate, use end. Instead of using endeavor use try. At the same time the suggestion to use familiar words does not rule out some use of more difficult words. Difficult words are not all bad. Use them when they fit your needs and are understood. USE SLANG AND POPULAR CLICHES WITH CAUTION :At any given time in any society same slang words and clichés are in vogue. Use popular slang and clichés when meaningful. Thus you should use such expressions always only in informal communication with people who know and appreciate them. CHOOSE SHORT WORDS: Generally short words communicate better than long words. Some times exceptions exist. You should concentrate on short words and use long words with caution. Use a long word only when you think you reader knows it. USE TECHNICAL WORDS AND ACRONYMS WITH CAUTION :Every field of business, accounting, information systems, and finance has its technical language. This language can be so complex that is some cases specialized dictionaries are compiled. These words are useful when you communicate with people inn your field. But they do not communicate with outsiders. SELECT WORDS WITH RIGHT STRENGTH AND VIGOR:In a way, words are like people, they have personalities some words are strong and vigorous. Some are weak and dull and some fall between these extremes. Good writers know these differences and they consider them carefully. They use the words that do the best job of carrying the intended meaning. As a rule, they make the stronger words stand out. To select words wisely, you should consider shades of difference in meanings. USE CONCRETE LANGUAGE: Good communication is marked by words that form sharp and clear meaning in the mind. These are concrete words and you should prefer them in your writing. They stand for things that exist in the real world: deck, chair, and road. Abstract nouns on the other hand cover broad meanings concepts, ideas and the like. Their meaning is general, as in their example administration, communication etc. Concreteness also involves how we put words to gather. Exact or specific wordings are concrete, vague and general wordings are abstract. USE ACTIVE VOICE :While writing prefer the active voice than passive voice. In active the subject does the action, in passive voice it receives the action. Active voice is stronger and shorter. Example: Passive voice: The result were reported in our JULY 9 letter Active voice: we reported the result in our JULY 9 letter. At times passive voice is better when the doer of the action is not important. Passive voice helps avoid accusing the reader and passive voice is better when the performer is not known. Your decision on whether 16

17 to use active or passive voice is not simply a matter of choice. It is also better when the writer prefer not to name the performer. SELECT WORDS FOR PRECISE MEANING:Writing requires some knowledge of language. In fact, the greater your knowledge of language, the better you are likely to write. You should study language and learn the shades of the difference in meanings of other words. Use correct idiom. By idiom we mean the ways things are said in a language you can use idioms for certain reasons but violations of idiom rule affect the reader. SUGGESTIONS FOR NON DISCRIMINATORY WRITING:By discrimination (or) discriminatory words we mean words that do not treat all people equally and with respect. Avoid words that discriminate against sex, race, nationality, age, sexual orientation or disability. We often use discriminatory words without bad intent. a) Use gender neutral words : Avoid using masculine pronouns for both sexes (he, his,him) b) You can make the reference plural (their, them, they) c) You can express neutral by ( he or she, he/she, you, they etc) d) Avoid words suggesting male dominance ( Man-made to manufactured, Businessman to business executive, salesman to sales executive) e) Don t use words which lower the status of women f) Avoid words that stereotype by race, nationality, gender orientation, old age, disability. THE STEPS FOLLOWED IN PLANNING AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. PLANNING STEPS: 1. Knowing the purpose of the message. 2. Visualizing the reader (receiver). 3. Choosing the ideas to be included. 4. Getting all the facts to back up the ideas. 5. Outlining and organizing the message. FORMAT BUSINESS COMMUNICATION- 5 Different Formats of Business Communication Businesses commonly use multiple communication formats to reach the widest audience possible when conveying messages. Each communication format offers advantages or disadvantages depending on the message being delivered and the individuals receiving the message. Also, different communication formats may cost more than others. Many small businesses are interested in the cost of business communication because they may not have large amounts of capital for administrative services. Businesses must tailor their message carefully so the least amount of confusion occurs when individuals receive the message and interpret its meaning. Letters and Memos - Letters and memos are the most traditional written business communication. Letters are commonly used to present official business information to other businesses, to individuals or to outside business stakeholders. Organizations can also use letters to communicate business contracts or build professional relationships with other companies in the business environment. Memos are usually an internal written communication format used to convey information to managers and employees. Companies may be using fewer memos in today s business environment, especially given the increase in use of business . Meetings -Meetings offer organizations a way to convey information using a personal format. Meetings may include managers, employees or customers. Businesses use meetings to ensure that little or no confusion exists in the conveyed message; they allow individuals listening to the speaker to have an opportunity for asking questions or providing feedback. This communication format may be used more for business owners, directors or managers, who often meet to discuss major business ideas before making a decision. Small businesses may not use meetings if they have very few or no employees. 17

18 - is an electronic form of written communication. This communication format has become more popular as organizations increase the use of personal computers in their business operations. offers businesses a near-instant format to convey a message or transfer information to individuals inside or outside the business organization. While business communication through was seen as less formal in its early days, many companies have developed formal formats for business communication to maintain a standard level of professionalism. Small businesses commonly use communication because it is an inexpensive option for contacting internal and external business stakeholders. Social Media - Social media websites and networks have presented a relatively new business communication format. Social media networks allow organizations to create websites or fan pages and develop a following of customers. Businesses may be able to convey important company information through these networks, offer individuals coupons and other discounts for products or use them to reach different target markets or demographic groups in the economic marketplace. While small, home-based businesses may not find social media useful, more established businesses may have better social media results. Online Chat - Online chatting is another relatively recent feature companies are adding to their websites. Chat allows organizations to take advantage of individuals viewing the company s website and present a response system consumers can use if they have questions regarding the company or its products. Rather than having consumers look for contact information, such as phone numbers or addresses, businesses may use an online chat link on their website homepage to connect consumers directly to a customer service representative. TYPES OF BUSINESS LETTER Purpose of a Business Letter - A business letter (or formal letter) is a formal way of communicating between two or more parties. There are many different uses and business letters. Business letters can be informational, persuasive, motivational, or promotional. Business letters should be typed and printed out on standard 8.5 x 11 white paper. Elements of a Good Letter - The most important element of writing a good letter is your ability to identify and write to your audience. If you are addressing your letter to the department of human resources, avoid using highly technical terms that only engineers would understand, even if your letter is addressed to an engineering company, chances are that the personnel in human resources does not have an engineering background. The next element is that you make sure your present your objective in a clear and concise manner. Don t be vague about your objective, most people will not have the patience to sit there and guess at the meaning of your letter or the time to read a long-winded letter, just get to the point without going into unnecessary details. Another important element to remember is to remain professional. Even if you are writing a complaint letter, remain polite and courteous, simply state the problem(s) along with any other relevant information and be sure to avoid threats and slander. Business Letter Format Block Format: Business Letter Return Address Line 1 1 Return Address Line 2Date (Month Day, Year) 2 Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient. 3 Title/Position of Recipient. Company Name Address Line 1 Address Line 2 Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name: 4 18

19 Subject: Title of Subject 5 Body Paragraph Body Paragraph Body Paragraph Closing (Sincerely ), 7 Signature 8 Your Name (Printed) 9 Your Title Enclosures (2) 10 Typist Initials. 11 The block format is the simplest format; all of the writing is flush against the left margin. Your Address 1 - The return address of the sender of the letter so the recipient can easily find out where to send a reply to. Skip a line between your address and the date. (Not needed if the letter is printed on paper with the company letterhead already on it.) Date 2 -Put the date on which the letter was written in the format Month Day Year i.e. August 30, Skip a line between the date and the inside address (some people skip 3 or 4 lines after the date). Inside Address 3- The address of the person you are writing to along with the name of the recipient, their title and company name, if you are not sure who the letter should be addressed to either leave it blank, but try to put in a title, i.e. Director of Human Resources. Skip a line between the date and the salutation. Salutation 4-Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:, Dear Director of Department Name: or To Whom It May Concern: if recipient s name is unknown. Note that there is a colon after the salutation. Skip a line between the salutation and the subject line or body. Subject Line (optional) 5- Makes it easier for the recipient to find out what the letter is about. Skip a line between the subject line and the body. Body 6- The body is where you write the content of the letter; the paragraphs should be single spaced with a skipped line between each paragraph. Skip a line between the end of the body and the closing. Closing 7- Let s the reader know that you are finished with your letter; usually ends with Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Thank you, and so on. Note that there is a comma after the end of the closing and only the first word in the closing is capitalized. Skip 3-4 lines between the closing and the printed name, so that there is room for the signature. Signature 8-Your signature will go in this section, usually signed in black or blue ink with a pen. Printed Name 9- The printed version of your name, and if desired you can put your title or position on the line underneath it. Skip a line between the printed name and the enclosure. Enclosure 10- If letter contains other document other than the letter itself your letter will include the word Enclosure. If there is more than one you would type, Enclosures (#) with the # being the number of other documents enclosed that doesn t include the letter itself. Reference Initials 11 - If someone other than yourself typed the letter you will include your initials in capital letters followed by the typist s initials in lower case in the following format; AG/gs or AG:gs. Modified Block Format: Business Letter Return Address Line 1 1 Return Address Line 2Date (Month Day, Year) 2 Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient. 3 Title/Position of Recipient. 19

20 Company Name Address Line 1 Address Line 2 Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name: 4 Subject: Title of Subject 5 Body Paragraph Body Paragraph Body Paragraph Closing (Sincerely ), 7Signature 8 Your Name (Printed) 9 Your Title Enclosures (2) 10 Typist Initials. 11 In the modified block format, your address, date (the date can actually go on either the left or the right side), the closing, signature, and printed name are all indented to the right half of the page (how far you indent in is up to you as long as the heading and closing is lined up, use your own discretion and make sure it looks presentable). Addressing an Envelope Addressing an envelope should be fairly simple. In the upper-left hand corner should be your name, and underneath that should be your return address. In the upper-right hand corner should be the postage stamp (with the correct postage amount). In the middle-center should be the recipient s name and recipient s address. Envelope Format Your Name Return Address Line 1 Return Address Line 2 Stamp Recipient Name Recipient Address Line 1 Recipient Address Line 2 <> Helpful Tips Print/write all the information on the envelope before stuffing and sealing it so it will be written/printed on a flat surface. If you are writing to a different country, make sure you put it at on the last line of your return address and the recipient s address. If you are writing a friendly letter with a small envelope, you can write the return address on the flap of the envelope if there is no room on the top-left hand corner. TYPES OF LETTERS- With Explaination 1. LETTER OF INQUIRY A well-written letter of inquiry can be crucial to securing funding for your project. Many foundations now prefer that funding requests be submitted first in letter format instead of a full proposal. Others are using 20

21 preliminary letters of inquiry to determine if they have an interest in a project before accepting a full proposal. An effective letter of inquiry is often more difficult to write than a full proposal. The letter of inquiry should be brief no more than three pages and must be a succinct but thorough presentation of the need or problem you have identified, the proposed solution, and your organization's qualifications for implementing that solution. The letter of inquiry should be addressed to the appropriate contact person at a foundation or to its CEO and should be sent by regular mail.like a grant proposal, the letter of inquiry should include the following sections: The introduction serves as the executive summary for the letter of inquiry and includes the name of your organization, the amount needed or requested, and a description of the project. The qualifications of project staff, a brief description of evaluative methodology, and a timetable are also included here. The organization description should be concise and focus on the ability of your organization to meet the stated need. Provide a very brief history and description of your current programs while demonstrating a direct connection between what is currently being done and what you wish to accomplish with the requested funding. You will flesh this section out in greater detail if you are invited to submit a full proposal. The statement of need must convince the reader that there is an important need that can be met by your project. The statement of need includes: a description of the target population and geographical area, appropriate statistical data in abbreviated form, and several concrete examples. The methodology should be appropriate to your statement of need and present a clear, logical, and achievable solution to the stated need. Describe the project briefly, including major activities, names and titles of key project staff, and your desired objectives. As with the organization description, this will be presented in far greater detail in a full proposal. Other funding sources being approached for support of this project should be listed in a brief sentence or paragraph. The final summary restates the intent of the project, affirms your readiness to answer further questions, and thanks the potential funder for its consideration. 2.WRITING A COMPLAINT LETTER The complaint letter should be written in the business letter format. When writing a complaint letter you want to keep it short and to the point to help ensure that your letter will be read in its entirety, if you write a seven page complaint letter, it s highly unlikely that someone will sit down and read all seven pages. The complaint letter should be addressed to the customer service/consumer affairs department or the head office if there is no customer service department. The address and contact information of the customer service department should be available on the company s products or website. Complaint Letter Writing In the first paragraph you should identify what the issue is and any relevant information that you believe is important. Be sure to include the following information if it s applicable to the situation: the date/time of the issue, location, name of person on duty, name of product, what the problem was, your account number, model number, price, warranty information and reference number. Be sure to stick with the facts and avoid putting emotions into your letter. The next paragraph should state what you would like done to resolve the situation. If you received poor service, you could request an apology or a coupon. If a product malfunctioned, you could request that you could exchange the product for a new one or request a refund. The last paragraph should thank the reader for the time. You can also throw in some compliments about something you liked about their company s product or service. You should include your telephone number/ address after your printed name so that they can contact you ASAP if necessary. Be sure to keep a copy of the letter for yourself and include photocopies of any relevant documents and enclose them with your letter. 21

22 3. WRITING A LETTER OF INTEREST The letter of interest is also called a prospecting letter and with good reason. It s a type of cover letter you write when you re searching for a golden job opportunity. The letter of interest is your first chance to make a good impression on a prospective employer. Letters of interest are written to express your interest in working for a particular company in a specific field. Your letter may be written either in response to a job opening or just to investigate possible employment. Human resource departments receive dozens of letters of interest each week. However, make your letter stand out from the crowd using the following tips: 1. Before you write, do your homework. Research the background of the company and familiarize yourself with their products and/or services. 2. Be sure to find out the name of the individual who does the hiring. Address your letter to his/her attention and use her/his name in the salutation. To Whom It May Concern and Dear Sir or Madam are both outdated and considered to be lazy or even rude. 3. Start your introductory paragraph with the reason you are interested in pursuing employment with this company. Try not to start the first sentence with I. (See sample letter of interest.) Also, explain what prompted your inquiry, such as a classified advertisement, a media article or interview, or a referral from an employee. 4. In the next paragraph(s), give specific examples of your qualifications. Don t hesitate to indicate the reasons why you would be an asset to the company. Illustrate your skills, strengths, and achievements in a professional, yet personable way. Stay away from strings of abbreviated credentials. These, if you have them, should be on the resume you ll enclose with the letter. Direct the reader to your resume and any other enclosures. 5. In your final paragraph, thank the individual for his/her time in considering you as a new employee. Indicate a precise time when you will contact him/her by phone to follow up on your letter. Also, be sure to let the individual know how to contact you. Like any business letter, use 8.5 x 11 paper and follow a business letter format. Keep your letter short, no more than a single page. Remember to check it thoroughly for errors in spelling, grammar and to be sure it addresses each point you wanted to make. 4. COVER LETTER WRITING What is a cover letter? A cover letter is a brief one page letter sent along with the resume to potential employers. The purpose of the cover letter is to present yourself to potential employers and to let them know what position you are interested in and why you d be a good fit for their company. Cover Letter Format The cover letter format should be almost identical to the regular business letter format. Cover Letter Writing Generally the cover letter will consist of three paragraphs. The first paragraph is an introductory one which introduces yourself. You want to include information on the position you are looking for and how you heard about and why you are interested in the position and/or company. The second paragraph should provide information on your skill, strengths, education, qualifications and/or experience. This paragraph should be concise and give specific examples of why you are the ideal candidate and not simply restate your resume. The final paragraph should close up the letter by requesting an interview and possibly suggestion times that are convenient for you or stating that you can come in at a time that s convenient for the employer. Also you should let the recipient know what the best way and/or time to contact you is (you should let them know both your contact and phone number so that they can contact you in their preferred method). Or you can let them that you ll follow up on this letter with a phone call in several days. You should thank them for their time 22

23 to close up the letter. Each cover letter that you send out should be unique and tailored to the specific company and position you are applying to. Using one cookie cutter cover letter will lessen your chances for landing an interview. Also be sure to check for grammar and spelling and keep the letter to one page in length. 5.WRITING AN APOLOGY LETTER An apology letter shows that you are sorry and says that you value your relationship with the other party. The sooner an apology letter is written and sent out the better it is for the relationship. Depending on the nature of the letter, it can either be written in the friendlyor the business letter format. Friendly/Personal Apology Letter If this is a personal letter you should start the letter by saying that you are sorry to the recipient. Next you should admit your fault and take responsibility for your actions. Next you should volunteer or ask if there is any way that you can help out to resolve the situation. Then you should let the recipient that you will try to make sure that the situation will not happen again. To close off the letter you should apologize again. When writing a personal apology letter it should come from the heart and be sincere. Formal/Business Apology Letter If this is a business letter you should start the letter by saying that you are sorry to the recipient. Next you should give an explanation as to what went wrong. Then you should try to rectify the problem. To close off the letter you should apologize again. 6.WRITING A LETTER OF APPEAL In cases where unfair treatment was committed, a letter of appeal can help to rectify the situation. An appeal letter allows you to state your side of the story using facts to support your cause to convince the reader(s) to reconsider your case. The letter should be written in the business letter format. Appeal Letter Writing The first paragraph should introduce yourself and explain why you are writing the letter. Although it may be difficult, be sure to keep your tone and emotions in check so that you can show that you can present an objective viewpoint. Keep the first paragraph as concise and clear as possible so that the reader can immediately understand its urgency. The next paragraph(s) should narrate the account of what happened, and why your appeal should be granted. Include all the necessary facts in order to legitimize your case. You can start by referring to your handbook or guidelines as member of that particular group or institution. Also, provide specific times and date when particular events occurred. To make your letter more reader-friendly, use bullet-points every time you need to enumerate. After doing this, refer to testimonials from people related to your work, transcript of records, and medical certificate, if necessary. Be certain to cover all the bases necessary to The last part should summarize everything you have stated above. Repeat the necessary points that need to be elucidated. Also include the contact details and where you can be reached. Close out the letter by thanking the reader for their time. 7.WRITING AN INVITATION LETTER An invitation letter serves the purpose of inviting a guest to a party, an event or a celebration while conveying more information than a traditional invitations card. It serves two purposes; one, to invite the individual to the event and two, to ensure that the person receiving the letter is going to attend. There are two tenses used within the invitation letter, the present and the future. The present tense conveys information about the event and the future tense ensures the guest is going to attend. Business Invitation Letter An invitation letter is a formal way to invite peers and clients to events which are being hosted by the company and are one of the most popular ways of inviting guests to functions. The professional invitation should be written in a formal tone, even when being sent to friends and family members, if the letter is also being sent to professional contacts. 23

24 The introduction allows the host and sender to introduce themselves, as well as the organization in which they have chosen to represent. A simple background of the individual or company will suffice in this section of the letter. Next, in the body of the letter it is important to outline all of the information about the event. The date and time should be included as well as the theme and purpose for the event. At this point, a date should be mentioned in which guests should provide their reply by, and it may also contain any information regarding special roles played at the event, attire and items required for the guest to bring. Be sure to mention any specifications about dress code in the invitation letter. Next, in one sentence, the appreciation for the guest to attend the party should be shown. This can be completed with a formal note, stating that you look forward to seeing the individual at the event. Remember, this needs to keep in tone with the rest of the letter. The conclusion should contain the sign off and a line that ties the complete letter together, drawing the end of the invitation, with a salutation and a signature. Friendly Invitation Letter A friendly invitation letter is similar to a business letter but contains less formal speech and can make nuances with memories that may be shared with the guests whom are being invited to the occasion. Friendly invitation letters are used for a variety of reasons from engagement parties and showers to wedding invitations. They can also be used for personal parties and showers as well as housewarming get together. Personal invitation letters should be signed with a less formal sign off, such as; yours sincerely, best, or sincerely. Invitation letters are used as an alternative to traditional invitations. They allow the host to convey different messages through the tone of the letter. Invitation letters allow the host to convey additional information that what is traditionally shared in an invitation card. Memories can be shared with close friends and family members that bring about memories of past events. When sending an invitation letter, be sure to edit it completely, ensuring there are no punctuation, grammatical or spelling errors before the letter is sent to potential guests. Using these techniques, you should be able to create personal and professional invitation letters with ease. 8.WRITING A RESIGNATION LETTER Before sitting down and writing a resignation letter, you should be almost 100% certain that you want to leave your current job, if not many complications can arise. The resignation letter should be written in the business letter format and be directed towards your supervisor or manager. At a minimum the letter should state that you are leaving, when you are leaving, and thank them for the time that they have employed you. It is common courtesy to give at least two weeks notice before you leave your job, but sometimes you ll have no control over it. It is important that you keep your letter positive, you want to maintain a good relationship with your employer and co-workers, and they can be potential future references or business associates. If you feel like your reason for leaving is honorable, you can include the reason for leaving in your letter, but if you think your reason for leaving may rub your employer the wrong way, there is no need to put the reason in your letter. Resignation Letter Writing The first paragraph of your letter should state that you are leaving and when you are leaving. The second paragraph should explain your reason for leaving the company. (This paragraph is optional.) In the third paragraph you can offer to make your resignation go smoothly for the company. For example, you can offer to help train a replacement with the time you still have left. (This paragraph is also optional.) The last paragraph should thank the employer for the opportunity to work for, wish them well and/or express 24

25 interest in maintaning your professional relationship. 9.REQUESTING A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION Getting a good recommendation letter can significantly help you out in your application process so it is important to ask someone who you are in good terms with for a letter. It is also important to ask someone that knows you well for a recommendation and ask them for it in person. If you are seeking a letter for college or graduate schools, then it is recommended that you request letters from your teachers/professors. If you are seeking a letter for a job, business or professional school then it would be ideal if you got one from your current company. If you have not been at your current company long or if you are not currently employed then asking a previous employer is recommended. If that is not possible seek recommendations from respected professionals that you may know, such as doctors, lawyers, politicians, ministers and so on. Ask for the letters early on, don t wait until the day before the letter is supposed to be sent in to request the letters of recommendation. Instead ask ahead of time. If you are going to apply to school ask your professor at least a month ahead of time. If you are seeking a professional letter, ask for a letter of recommendation whenever you leave a job. Assist the writer with as much material as necessary, providing the writer with your resume and a list of achievements will make it easier on the writer. You may also want to give him/her any information that will help with the letter including your plans for the future, your strengths, experiences and other qualities you want to be presented in the letter. Be honest about the information you give, if you embellish it ll catch up with you later. You should provide the writer with a stamped and addressed envelope. Also if there is a guideline that needs to be followed or any other material that needs to be filled out, you should provide that to him/her. After the letter is sent out, you should send a thank you note to the writer. You can also thank them in person or over the phone as well. 10 JOB INTERVIEW THANK YOU LETTERS You should write a thank you letter as soon as possible (within 24 hours is recommended) after the job interview, at a minimum this should be done through but is recommended that you do this through a hard-copy of a letter printed out of your computer which can be sent in through the postal mail or faxed in. Hand written notes on thank you cards are also acceptable and good for short thank you notes. A hard-copy thank you letter should be written in the business letter format, while an should be sent in the same format but without the heading (your return address, their address, and the date). Thank you letter writing The first paragraph should consist of thanking the interviewer for the interviewing you (remind him/her about the position you interviewed for and the date of your interview). You can also include information about your impressions about the company. The second paragraph should state your interests in the company and include any additional information about yourself that was not brought up in the interview which would make you a good candidate for the position. You can also emphasize your qualifications that were already discussed during the interview (don t make this paragraph too long, try to keep it between 3-5 sentences, pick the traits that you think were most important to the interviewer and emphasize them). The last paragraph should let the recruiter know that you expect to hear from them soon. Also let them know that you are available to come in again and are willing to discuss the job further. Write down your contact information again and what the best method and/or time to contact you is. To finish up the letter, thank them again for the interview. Notes/Tips A thank you letter shows that you have good business etiquette, your interest in the company and the position, and reiterates your positive qualifications to the interviewer so it should not be put off. If there was more than one interviewer; write individual thank you letters to each of the interviewers (make sure each letter is unique). If it was a panel of interviewers interviewing you at the same time, you 25

26 can send out one letter and address it to the head interviewer and the interview panel and thank them as one group. If you forget the spelling or the names of the interviewers, simply call the company and request the proper spelling and title. Keep the thank you letter brief; make sure the letter does not go past one page in length. Check for proper grammar usage and spelling. 11. FRIENDLY LETTER WRITING Purpose of a Friendly Letter A friendly letter (or informal letter) is a way of communicating between two people (sometimes more) who are usually well acquainted. There are many uses and reasons for writing a friendly letter, but usually friendly letters will consist of topics on a personal level. Friendly letters can either be printed or hand-written. Friendly Letter Writing The friendly letter is typically less formal than that of a business letter. Usually the first paragraph of the body will consist of an introduction which will give the recipient an idea about you re writing to them with a short summary of the main topic of your letter. If you don t know the person you are writing to, you may want to introduce yourself in this introductory paragraph as well. The next few paragraphs will usually consist of the message you want to get across along with any details you may want to convey. The last paragraph will usually be the conclusion where you wrap everything up. You can sum up your main idea in this paragraph, thank the recipient for their time, wish the recipient well, and/or ask any questions. Since friendly letters are less formal, you can feel free to write it however you like, but the above format is fairly common. 12. WRITING A CONDOLENCE LETTER Writing a letter of condolence is one of the most difficult tasks we undertake because it s always hard to know just what to say. Of course, what you say depends on how close you were to the deceased and/or the recipient of the letter. Condolence Letter Writing A condolence letter should be written in a friendly format. Unless you are a close friend or relative, start the letter by introducing yourself. In the next paragraph, offer your sympathy. The third (and final) paragraph is the place to offer assistance (if you are sincere in your desire to help) and to try to say something that genuinely helps the bereaved work through their grief. What you don t say in a condolence letter is almost more important than what you do say. All the same, even if you only write a line or two, you ll show the family your support. Condolence Letter Tips/Notes 1. Keep condolence letters short. The family may have a mountain of cards and letters to read and answer. Don t add to their burden. 2. Never say you know how they feel. Simply put, you don t. Even if you have endured a similar situation, grief is a very intimate series of feelings that are unique to each individual. Don t intrude on them. 3. When my son passed away, a well-meaning friend said, At least he didn t leave any children behind. Her well-meaning words rattled me to the bone. I would have gladly given my life to hold his son in my arms just one time. Especially in cases where death was a long-suffering ordeal, you may be tempted to write that it was a blessing or relief. Don t. Some words are best left unsaid. 4. Do share a fond memory of the departed in the body (second paragraph) of your letter. The passing of a loved one leaves a big hole in our lives. A well-written condolence letter helps fill the hole with friendship and love. 26

27 BUSINESS PROPOSALS A proposals is a persuasive presentation for consideration of something- Proposals are usually written, but they can be oral presentations or a combination of both. They may be made by individuals or organizations, including business organizations, and they may be made to any of a variety of individuals or organizations such as government agencies, foundations, businesses. They can even be made internally by one part of a business to another part or to the management of the business Proposals may be Invited or Prospecting - By invited we mean that the awarding organizations announces to interested parties that it will make an award and that it is soliciting proposals. A government agency might have funds to award for research projects. In their announcements, the awarding organizations typically describe their needs and specify the unique requirements that the proposals should cover. In business situations, invited proposals usually follow preliminary meetings between the parties involved. At the meeting the representatives would discuss the need with suppliers. Prospecting proposals are much like rational sales letter, they amount to descriptions of what the writer s organization could do if given an award by the reader s organization. A person,institution can write a proposals to a philanthropic foundation to avail funds. Format and organization - The physical arrangement and organization of proposals vary widely. The simplest proposals resemble formal report s. Internal proposals those written for and by people in the same organization usually fall in to this category, though exceptions exist. The more complex proposals may take the form of full-dress, long reports, including prefatory pages. Select the format appropriate for your one case. Your design should be the one that you think is best for the one situation. Formality Requirements - The formality requirements of proposals vary. In some cases ( a university proposal for research grant), strict formality is expected. In other cases informality is in order. The decision should be based primarily on the relationship between the parties involved. The degree of formality or informality is expected regardless of the relationship of the parties. Content - Determine the content of a proposal by reviewing the needs of the case. If the proposal has been invited, review the invitation. If the proposal is uninvited, use judgment in determining the readers needs. As a general guideline follow these rules in writing the content of a proposal. Writer s purpose and the reader s need - An appropriate beginning is a statement of the writer s purpose to present a proposal and the reader s need to reduce turnover of field representatives. If the report is in response to an invitation, that statement should tie in with the invitation. If a proposal is submitted without invitation, its beginning has an additional requirement it must gain attention. As noted previously, uninvited proposals are much like sales messages. Their intended readers are not likely to be eager to read them. Thus, their beginnings must overcome the readers reluctance. An effective way of doing this is to begin by briefly summarizing the highlights of the proposal with emphasis on its benefits. Background - A review of background information promotes an understanding of the problem. A background information should be provided in order to justify your statement of the need mentioned in the proposal. Based on the background information, the need of the proposal is determine. Description of the plan- The heart of a proposal is the description of what the writer proposes to do. This is the primary message of the proposals. It should be concisely presented in a clear and orderly manner. Particulars - By particulars we mean the specifics: time schedules, costs, performance standards, means of appraising performance, equipment and supplies needed, guarantees, personnel requirements, and such. What is needed in a given case depends on its unique requirements. But in any event, the particulars should anticipate and answer the reader s questions. Evidence of ability to deliver - The proposing organization must sometimes establish its ability to perform. This means presenting information on such matters as the qualifications of personnel, success in similar cases, the adequacy of equipment and facilities, operating procedures, and financial status. Whatever information will serve as evidence of the organization s ability to carry out what it proposes should be used. Benefits of the proposals - The proposals also might describe good things that it would bring about, especially if a need exists to convince the readers. Typically like selling. 27

28 Concluding comments - The proposal should end with words directed to the next step-acting on the proposal. One possibility is to present a summary review of the highlights. Another is to offer additional information that might be needed, yet another is to urge or suggest action on the proposal. REPORT WRITING BUSINESS REPORTS According to Murphy and Peck a business report is an impartial, objective., planned presentation of facts to one or more persons for a specific, significant business purpose. Reports Travel upwards to supervisors and management policy-makers, downward and horizontally to those who carry out the work and policies, and outward (outside the firm) to stockholders, customers, the general public and government officials. A report may be written or oral, but most significant reports are written. The report facts may be pertained to events, conditions, qualities, progress, results, investigations, or interpretations. They may help the receiver(s) understanda significant business situation, carry out operational or technical assignments, and / or plan procedures, solve problems and make executive decisions. A good business report must satisfy the following criteria: a. Utility b. Persuasiveness c. Reliability d. Readability A business report s utility, persuasiveness, reliability and readability mainly depend on the application of the communication principles. Called The Seven C s they are: (1) Completeness, (2) Conciseness, (3) Consideration, (4) Concreteness, (5) Clarity, (6) Courtesy, and (7) Correctness. Functions of Business Report: A business report is very much useful for the management and also for the others. Its importance is because of the functions it performs. A business report: Provides Factspertaining to events, conditions, qualities, progress, results investigations orinterpretations. Measures Progressof employees, departments, and companies. Points Causesof problems e.g., low margins, high rate of staff turnover, accidents in factory etc. Suggests measuresto overcome the business problems. Assists Mannerin carrying out operational, or technical assignments, planning procedures, solvingproblems and making decisions. CLASSIFICATION OF BUSINESS REPORTS: The following are bases of classification of business reports. 1. PURPOSE / FUNCTION: (a) Informational report, giving information on any issue without any analysis, interpretation, conclusions and recommendations of the writer. 28

29 (b) Analytical report presenting facts along with their analysis and interpretation as well as conclusions and recommendations of the writer. Analytical report may be: (i) Feasibility report, analyzing a proposal and recommending whether it is to be implemented or not. (ii) Ways and means report, analyzing the causes behind a problem and recommending as to how it may be solved. 2. FORMALITY / APPEARANCE / LENGTH: (a) Formal report, characterized by a cover and binding and other features like covering letter, title page, table of contents and index may be supplemented with charts and statistical tables. (b) Informal report, without cover, table of contents and other editorial trappings, submitted in the form of letter or memorandum. 3. ORIGIN: (a) Authorized report written on someone s request. (b) Voluntary report written on writer s own initiative. 4. CHANNEL: (a) Written report, presented in the form of memorandum, letter or formal report. (b) Oral report, presented in face to face discussion or on telephone. 5. REQUENCY OF ISSUE: (a) Special report, presented on a particular occasion. (b) Periodic report, presented periodically, e.g. daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually. PARTS OF FORMAL REPORT: Parts of a formal report may be grouped into prefatory parts, body parts, and supplemental parts. Prefatory parts cover; title fly; title page; letter of authorization; letter of acceptance; letterof approval; letter of transmittal, acknowledgements; table of contents; table of tables; synopsis; abstract or summary. Body Parts Introduction; text; terminal section conclusion and recommendations.supplemental partsappendix, bibliography, index. PARTS OF THE REPORT BODY: One part that every written report has is the body. This part includes three sections introduction, text and terminal section. 29

30 Introduction: Following are the possible elements of introduction: 1. Authorization names the person who requested the report. 2. Problem, also called issue, proposed, matter, etc. 3. Purpose, also called objective goal, mission, aim, etc. 4. Scope determines the extent of investigation or coverage and the boundary of the report. 5. Methodology indicates the methods of data collection, e.g. reading, interviewing, observing, or experimenting. 6. Sources primary (unpublished sources) and secondary (Published sources). 7. Background of the situation being investigated. 8. Definition of terms that have several possible interpretations. 9. Limitations refer to restrictions such as time, money, available data, etc. 10. Brief statement of results suggests the decision to be taken on the recommendations in afew words. 11. Plan of presentation states the divisions and sub-divisions of the report and the order ofthe topics. 12. Introduction of the company for whom the report is prepared, includes nature, age andsize of the business. TEXT: The introduction of report needs not include all the elements listed above, but only the desirable and appropriate ones. For example, a voluntary report cannot include authorization, or a periodic report may omit all or many of the elements of introduction. In short reports, the few needed elements may be grouped in a single paragraph without the heading of Introduction. Long reports may have introduction of many pages with headings and sub-headings. These elements may be arranged separately and many of them may be stated in parts other than Introduction even outside the body of the report. Text is the largest portion of any report body. This section discusses and develops and develops the necessary details. As with all good business writing only pertinent facts should be included in the text.the text is never labeled Text. Its title should be discussion, finding, date or other meaningful words. Or, instead of one main title for this section, a series of headings, corresponding to the main topics may be used throughout the text.the content, organization, language style should be adopted to the reader s needs. TERMINAL SECTION: Terminal section summaries the highlights of the whole report. This section should be based on the text discussion and should include no new material. It summarizes, concludes and / or recommends. A summary condenses the text discussions. The conclusion evaluates discussed facts without including the writer s personal opinion. Recommendations make suggestions for action based on the conclusions. PREPARATION BEFORE WRITING REPORT: 30

31 Following steps are taken before writing a report. 1) DETERMINING THE PROBLEM AND PURPOSE: Analyzing the problem and knowing the purpose of the report determine the scope and limitations of investigation and the length, contents and style of the report. 2) VISUALISING THE READER: The reader s view-point, experience, qualification, knowledge, responsibility and status are important factors in planning the language and the organization of the report and the details to be included. 3) DETERMINING THE IDEAS TO BE INCLUDED: For writing a short report only general ideas and main points may be presented, but for a long report detailed working plan containing the relevant factors along with their divisions and subdivision is desirable. 4) COLLECTING NEEDED MATERIAL: For some reports all the data may be in the writer s mind, for others extensive primary and / or secondary research may be needed for collecting the required data. Primary Researchfor collecting data involves uses of: a. Company records b. Letters, diaries, minutes, reports, etc. c. Questionnaires d. Interviews e. Observations, and experiments Secondary Researchis conducted through published material books, magazines, newspaper, pamphlets, government documents, etc. 5) SORTING AND INTERPRETING DATA: The collected data in raw form is of on use. The data should be tabulated and organized in suitable columns and under appropriate headings and sub-headings. The tabulated data should be analyzed in a manner free from personal basis. The use of computer is also helpful. 6) ORGANIZING DATA AND PERFORMING OUTLINE: The analyzed and interpreted data should be properly organized. This organization should be accomplished in the form of a final outline.plans for Organizing Report Body.The body of the report may be organized in two ways. 31

32 UNIT- IV WRITING RESUME There are three types of resume most commonly described. They are: Chronological Resume The Chronological Resume is the most traditional method of summarizing your employment information and it is the one that this guide advocates. Its key feature is the fact that it arranges your work experience chronologically and usually elaborates on skills and accomplishments within the body copy of the Work Experience section. Its weakness is the fact that it can t help you hide a recent position you d rather forget you ever accepted. Points to remember with a Chronological Resume are: 1. You should ideally relate your Work History to your current targeted position 2. You should have a stable Work History with few gaps and nothing to be ashamed about 3. Your Work History should demonstrate a logical progression toward your current objective Functional Resume The Functional Resume differs from the Chronological Resume in the way it presents information. Unlike a Chronological Resume, which leaves you vulnerable to gaps in your work history, the Functional Resume can help you hide a past position that you d rather forget. The Functional Résumé s key feature is the fact that it highlights your skills and achievements without referring those skills to any particular past position. For this reason, the Functional Resume is a favorite with people who have something to hide. This is a very good reason for not using the format if your past Work Experience is nothing to be ashamed of as recruiters/interviewers will be aware of the benefits of a Functional Resume as well. Points to remember about a Functional Resume are: 1. You should use it if your Work History is repetitive and your past positions lack variety 2. You should use it if your Work History is composed of differing kinds of position types that do not form a cohesive whole 3. You might want to use it if you are dramatically changing careers. This will allow you to emphasize your transferable skills rather than your growth in a certain kind of industry or job 4. You should use this type of resume if your skills have been learned through schooling rather than work experience. 5. You should use this type of resume if you are switching career tracks or returning to the workforce after a hiatus. Combination Resume (Transition Resume) - Combines the best features of both of the former (though that does not necessarily make it better) by allowing applicants to highlight their skills and accomplishments in one section and their Work History in another (minus descriptive details). My personal dislike for this form stems from the fact that it is harder to picture exactly how the person s skills fit with their experience. It requires the employer to be a detective to some extent, and with a mass of resumes on their desk, chances are they ll give up before they have a positive picture of your abilities. Points to remember about using a Combination Resume are: 1. It can help you overcome some of the same difficulties a Functional resume can, while maintaining the comfortable structure of a Chronological Resume. However, it tends to abstract skills from experience which can call your expertise into question Self-Preparation Before (Re) Writing a Resume Before you start thinking about the actual content of your resume, you really need to ask yourself a number of key questions. What is Your Ideal Position?- Think about the perfect job. Everybody s is different. What is it about the job you like? Working with people or not working with anybody?. Having plenty of projects or do you prefer repetitive tasks which free you mind? What Kinds of Things Do You Like Doing? Think about your hobbies. Think about what you do at home in your sparetime that makes life worth living. 32

33 Can you do it and get paid for it somewhere or in some form? It might not be quite the same, but if your job evens contains an atom of what you enjoy, you ll find you like the job. Think About Your Favorite Job in the Past; What Was It You Liked About It So Much? Was there a part-time job that you really enjoyed? Maybe the job only lasted a few months, but you really liked it. What was it about that job that made you enjoy it so much? Could you find those things in another job? Are There Gaps In Your Employment? If there are, it s not the end of the world. Are those gaps legitimate? What were you doing during that time? Can you turn your absence from the workplace into a positive virtue? For example, if you were travelling during a gap of three months or so, what did it teach you. Try to sell it as a gain, rather than as a loss. Reasons For Leaving Each Position? Figure out the best way to explain why you left each position. The idea is to present your move in the best light possible. Above all, be honest. Getting caught in a lie is far worse than having to admit that you didn t like a particular job. Remember, at some point your potential employer will contact your past employer to get their side of the story. Resume Do s & Don ts Do Do Keep to one or two pages depending on experience Describe your main functions, not what you did incidentally Emphasize those duties that are most relevant to your present application Include any special recognition, accomplishments or projects you were involved with Describe your former/current employer, including size of company, type of industry, etc. Write about yourself in a positive light Strive to be concise and target your information to the employer Don t Try to fit too much on the page. (Leave some space on the page) List personal information such as marital status, race, age, etc. Leave suspicious gaps in your Work History Include salary requirements (leave that until an interview or later) Put a photograph on your resume (even if you do have a scanner) Use negative expressions or comments about previous employers Include any health information Include references (separate sheet please) Include reasons for leaving a previous job (save your reasons for the interview) APPLICATION LETTER Whether you are writing a letter of application in answer to a job advertisement or just searching for work that has not been advertised, the aim is the same you want to get an interview. The letter of application is likely to be the first correspondence you will have with an employer. They will judge you on this letter as to your worthiness of an interview. Competition for jobs can be tough and your application needs to stand out. Employers may deal with hundreds of applications for the one position. Application letters are an important part of the job package you send to the employer. Your resume will necessarily outline your relevant work history, qualifications and specific details about your job duties whereas the cover letter will generally contain more personal information and will include your reasons for applying for the position. Cover letters are a useful way to 'fill in the gaps' that may be present if an employer was only to read your resume. For example your cover letter can explain things like: interstate relocation, career change, periods of unemployment and other details that may be unclear from reading your resume alone. 33

34 JOB APPLICATION LETTER: A job application letter should be organized like sales letter, because it intends to sell the writer s services to the reader. The immediate purpose of a job letter is to secure an interview and the final goal is to get employment. Solicited Job Letter: Solicited job letter written in response to an invitation (usually advertisement) has the advantage that a vacancy exists and that the employer is anxious to fill it. Its disadvantage is that if faces competition. Unsolicited job letter, written to an employer who has not invited an application, does not face competition. But, possibility of non-availability of job is its disadvantage. Functions of Job Letters: 1. Attracting Attention: Attracting attention of the employer through appropriate stationery, neat typing, proper layout, paragraphing, etc. further, the opening should not be stereotyped. 2. Creating Desire: Creating desire to engage the applicant by describing required qualifications, interest in the job and environment, and personal favorable circumstance. Because employers prefer those candidates who have the required qualifications, interest and favorable circumstances. 3. Convincing the Employer: Convincing the employer by giving specific details of qualifications and experience, names of references, and results of aptitude and intelligence tests previously taken. Further, enclosed certificates, recommendation letters from former employers, teachers, etc. and simples of work, e.g. translations, poetry, paintings, etc., may also convince the employer. 4. Stimulating Action: Stimulating action by making courteous, graceful and confident request for interview that may lead to the ultimate goal of the job letter the employment. Considerations of Writing Effective Job Letters: 1. Using appropriate stationery. 2. Neat typing with proper layout. 3. Describing qualifications, experience interest, etc. 4. Avoiding stereotyped opening. 5. Being specific, definite, courteous and graceful. 6. Giving names of references. 7. Mentioning the results of aptitude and intelligence tests previously taken. 8. Making request for interview. 9. Explaining reasons for leaving the previous job or for being unemployed, if necessary. 10. Enclosing copies of the certificates and recommendation letters. 34

35 WRITING AN OPENING PARAGRAPH (For Letter/Article/Application) First impressions are so important. How many times have you heard that? It is true that the first impression whether it s a first meeting with a person or the first sentence of a paper sets the stage for a lasting opinion. The introductory paragraph of any paper, long or short, should start with a sentence that piques the interest of your readers. In a well-constructed first paragraph, that first sentence will lead into three or four sentences that provide details about the subject or your process you will address in the body of your essay. These sentences should also set the stage for your thesis statement. The thesis statement is the subject of much instruction and training. The entirety of your paper hangs on that sentence, which is generally the last sentence of your introductory paragraph. In summary, your introductory paragraph should contain the following: an attention-grabbing first sentence informative sentences that build to your thesis the thesis statement, which makes a claim or states a view that you will support or build upon Your First Sentence To get your paper off to a great start, you should try to have a first sentence that engages your reader. Think of your first sentence as a hook that draws your reader in. It is your big chance to be so clever that your reader can t stop. As you researched your topic, you probably discovered many interesting anecdotes, quotes, or trivial facts. This is exactly the sort of thing you should use for an engaging introduction. WRITING A CLOSING PARAGRAPH In a conclusion paragraph, you summarize what you ve written about in your paper. When you re writing a good conclusion paragraph, you need to think about the main point that you want to get across and be sure it s included. If you ve already written a fabulous introductory paragraph, you can write something similar with different wording. Here are some points to remember. Use your introductory paragraph as a guide. You may have started by saying, "There are three classes at school that I absolutely can t wait to go to every day." You can start your conclusion by saying, "Gym, Math, and Art are the three classes I try to never miss." If it s a longer paper, a good place to start is by looking at what each paragraph was about. For example, if you write a paper about zoo animals, each paragraph would probably be about one particular animal. In your conclusion, you should briefly mention each animal again. "Zoo animals like polar bears, lions, and giraffes are amazing creatures." Leave your readers with something to think about. Suggest that they learn more with a sentence like, "We have a lot to learn about global warming." You can also give them something to do after reading your paper. For example, "It s easy to make your own popsicles. Grab some orange juice and give it a try!" To sum up, remember that it s important to wrap up your writing by summarizing the main idea for your readers. This brings your writing to a smooth close and creates a well-written piece of work. Time4Writing provides practice in this area. Try a sample resource from our High School Essay Writing course or browse other related courses. What is a conclusion? A conclusion is what you will leave with your reader It "wraps up" your essay It demonstrates to the reader that you accomplished what you set out to do It shows how you have proved your thesis It provides the reader with a sense of closure on the topic 35

36 Structure A conclusion is the opposite of the introduction Remember that the introduction begins general and ends specific The conclusion begins specific and moves to the general Q.TWO MOST IMPORTANT POSITION IN ANY BUSINESS MESSAGE IS THE OPENING AND CLOSING PARAGRAPH ELABORATE. Ans: Opening and closing in business letters play an important role in making the messageeffective. They are discussed as under. Opening: First impressions are lasting. This quotation revealed the importance of opening. It has following feature. 1. It Catches Attention: A good opening catches the attention of readers. The main purpose of senders in persuading request is to convince the reader to read the message. A good opening fulfils this requirement efficiently. 2. It Motivates the Reader: If the opening of letter is impressive it leaves good impression on the mind and attitude of sender. Ultimately it motivates or induces the reader to do the desired activity. 3. It Helps Reader Understand the Main Idea: Message is starting with the main idea, the reader realizes that it is a good news or direct request message, on the other hand if it is staring with a buffer or neutral statement it appears to be a bad news or indirect request. In this way the reader treats the message according to its requirement. Closing: Closing means the last paragraph of the letter. We remember best what we read last. A good closing has following advantages. 1. Emphasis Upon Action: A business letter is written with a specific objective. In the last paragraph usually the emphasis is upon the action. This action is essential to fulfill the purpose of letter. For example in sales letter, the objective is to sell by mail. In closing paragraph the reader is motivated to visits the shop or purchase the good or services. Because if the reader acquires a lot of information from the letter but does not purchase the good, the main purpose of the letter remains unfulfilled. 2. To Motivate the Reader: It also motivates the reader to purchase the product as soon as possible. For this purpose, a deadline is fixed or any other incentive with a specific period of time is given. 36

37 SUMMERIZING Essential Steps to Summarization - Use perfect reading skills: As cited earlier, reading is a skill. If proper steps are taken, it will remain multibeneficial. It also plays vital role in summarization skill. In the process of summarization, it helps to segregate following aspects of reading material. o Facts and opinions o Examples, figures, tables, anecdotes o Main ideas and supporting ideas o Most important and redundant or less important points The information of these factors will lead better understanding and select core information to write a summary. 2. Underline or note-down major idea : An important stape in the process of summarization is to notedown or underline major ideas during the reading stage. It helps to collect and reproduce major ideas while writing summary. This stage requires best selection and perfect analytical skills. The wrong selection will be futile and create chaos. The notes taken or underlined segment will become the base of a summary. 3. Check for appropriation : After collecting (i.e. noting-down) major points, summary writer is directed to check for appropriateness of ideas to be reproduced in the summary. If proper steps are not taken, the collected points may misguide and not help to reproduce the perfect summary. 4. Prepare the first draft : Next important step in summary writing is the prepartion of first draft. In this stage try to frame simple, self-dependent, short sentences and club points to develop logical link. This draft must be a complete, candid and include maximum points. Enough care is required to avoid needless repetitions and omit examples, anecdotes, and other redundant data.lt is also essential to develop structured paragraphs during this stage. 5. Tailor and limit your summary : First draft always requires proper brush up and improvements. Hence, it is essential to check for perfectness. During this stage it is recommended to check for complete package and logical arrangement It is recommended to select and reproduce theme and meaning or message of the story, table or statistical data, use your own language and active voice. It is also essential to write objectively and insert link between each segment with the help of words such as, therefore, because, as, neverthless, however, on the other hand, such as and others to write a professional summary. It is also essential to adjust length of summary. It must not exceed ⅓rd of the original text. Three Important Summarization Techniques : 1. Selection : Selection is an important summarization technique. It is essential to select major idea, key words and phrases, special terms and interpretations presented in the original resource.these aspects must be considered seriously while writing these summary. It is an important summarization technique as it helps to include all major ideas in summary. 2. Rejection : Rejection is an important summarization technique. lt is a process of removing unnecessary data. As cited earlier, try to reject repetitions, examples, illustrations, anecdotes, redundant, expressions, tables and statistical data. Basically rejection helps to prepare a perfect summary. 3. Substitution: It is also an important summarization technique. Basically it includes synthesis. It is a mode of combining several sentences into one sentence. It is recommended to use sentence substitutions, short sentences to replace lengthy sentences. Use of one-word substitutions is an added advantage in the summary writing process How To Summarize Any Given Passage? 1. Be careful to select the theme of passage or reading material. 2. Do not reproduce sentences from original text. 3. Do not provide scope for ambiguity. 4. Include all major ideas. 37

38 5. Be objective and write summary in third person. 6. Observe proportion. 7. Do not include any redundant data. 8. Never introduce your ideas. 9. Do not criticize or change the original source. 10. Limit your summary, it must not be more than ⅓rd the length of the original passage. 11. Prefer short, simple and self dependent sentences. 12. Be strigent with words. 13. Avoid cluttering, pleonasm or redundant phares. 14. Avoid needless repetitions. 15. Logically link each section. 38

39 UNIT V SPOKEN SKILLS Speaking skills, like listening skills, are often neglected in the classroom or teachers assume that they are an area that does not require instruction or facilitation. In order to communicate effectively through speaking, children must exhibit fluency, clarity, and an awareness of audience. Such verbal communication skills are learned through practice and observation of an effective speaker, such as the teacher. Creating a Positive Environment for Speaking Skills The key to encouraging speaking skills in the classroom is creating the proper environment. Children should feel relaxed, and social interaction with peers should be encouraged. One teacher of fourth grade suggests these goals: to speak clearly with proper pronunciation in order to communicate with others to speak expressively with feeling and emotion and avoid the monotone to speak effectively in different situations: with individuals, small groups, and the whole class to utilize speaking in all the communication arts and content areas to further learning To achieve these goals, the teacher organized her instructional program around two criteria: a positive, receptive teacher attitude and a physical environment conducive to language use. Speaking Skills: Strategies and Activities: Most oral language instruction takes place indirectly; that is, the teacher creates the positive climate and the motivational activity, and the students do the rest. Conversation and Discussion: The teacher seeks to engage STUDENTS in talk with other in a relaxed atmosphere. Socialization skills as well as language are enhanced when students engage in conversations and discussions. Conversation is informal, spontaneous, and relatively unstructured. Discussion is more formal and usually topic-centered talk. It focuses on a specific topic or purpose. Both are similar in that they build on the student s home-learned experiences and serve to give practice in pronunciation, fluency, expression, and vocabulary. They also help children build confidence to express them orally. Brainstorming: One of the best ways to generate a number of ideas in a short amount of time is through the brainstorming strategy. Brainstorming helps to stretch a student s imagination, encourages group cooperation, and leads to creative thinking through spontaneous contributions by all group members. Key principles of brainstorming include the following: Select a problem or topic and react to it quickly. Designate one person in the group as the recorder of ideas. Accept and record all ideas or suggestions. Build on other people s ideas. Do not criticize anyone else s ideas. Remember that, initially, quantity of ideas is more important than quality. Interviewing:Most information students gather for school projects comes from traditional sources like the encyclopedia or internet. Students need to learn that another way of gathering information is through interviewing, or asking someone for information or opinions. Good interviewers keep in mind the following points: Gather background information on the subject. Learn something about the interviewee (person being interviewed). Decide ahead of time on the information desired. Formulate appropriate questions. Anticipate follow-up questions based on the interviewee s responses. Determine how to begin and end the interview politely. Dialogue Improvisation and Patterned Conversation: In dialogue improvisation, students create new dialogue for the characters in a familiar story as they act out a part of the story. In patterned conversation, the teacher chooses literature with predictable texts. Students can use puppets or props to help them become 39

40 one of the characters. They use the pattern-phrases from the text to retell the story... or to take it in new directions. Show-and-Tell & Sharing: These are the oldest and most popular oral language activities used in the primary grades. Generally the activity is a brief talk by a student describing a favorite object brought from home. Although it is familiar and widely used, it is not a particularly effective oral language activity. This is because it traditionally involves one child at a time getting up in front of the rest of the class. The rest of the students are expected to listen attentively. To make show-and-tell a truly meaningful activity, divide the students into small groups. Then set aside time a few mornings a week for show-and-tell. Drama and Oral Language Development Television has made us a nation of spectators. The current craze for video games has intensified this situation. It is more important than ever that we make opportunities available for STUDENTS/INDIVIDUALS to experience participation in the arts. Drama is truly one of the great oral communication forms. Storytelling: Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of entertainment. It was the television and radio of long ago. Today the art of storytelling has been revitalized in the United States. Professional storytellers are appearing at festivals (like Weber State s Storytelling Festival in November!), in concerts, and in elementary and secondary classrooms to share their art form. Select a story that he or she really enjoys and that is appropriate for the audience. Be thoroughly familiar with the story; memorize only key phrases, not the entire story. Be imaginative and include gestures and facial expressions to convey meaning. Speak with expression, feeling, and emotion. Look directly at the audience; gaze about so that everyone feels involved in the story. CONDUCTING PRESENTATIONS Whether it's in the classroom or at the office, an oral presentation is only as effective as the way it's delivered. A presentation is not based on just the material you present, but on you as well. Keep your confidence as you conduct your presentation and do your best appear knowledgeable, even if you find yourself stumbling for words Have a Purpose - A presentation should have a clear purpose. Whether your purpose is to present a science project in the classroom or present a sales pitch to a new client. Decide whether you are informing your audience or trying to persuade them. Have key points that make your audience understand your purpose, and repeat them throughout. Consider Your Audience - For your presentation to be effective, it must engage your audience. Ask yourself who your audience is. Are they fellow classmates? Businesspeople?Club members? Determine the interests of your audience and tailor your presentation accordingly Introductions- The introduction should capture the attention of the audience. Explain what you will be presenting, why it's important and establish credibility for yourself. You can establish credibility by explaining your experience in the field and the work you've done on the research and preparation of the presentation. Don't use jokes, apologies or questions as part of your introduction. Visual Aids - Visual aids can help engage the audience, but also ensure everyone is on the same page throughout the presentation. Use visual aids such as a PowerPoint presentation with photographs and charts or use a short video demonstration. Visual aids should be presented in direct correlation with your presentation and not lumped together at one time in the presentation. Practice - Before presenting live, try practicing in front of family and friends or a video camera. Replay the video and watch it as if you were attending your presentation. Look for any awkward hand gestures, and judge whether your presentation makes sense to you. Ensure that there is no use of slang, or long pauses that make you appear unsure of your presentation. 40

41 DEBATE What is debating? - A debate is a structured argument. Two sides speak alternately for and against a particular contention usually based on a topical issue. Unlike the arguments you might have with your family or friends however, each person is allocated a time they are allowed to speak for and any interjections are carefully controlled. The subject of the dispute is often prearranged so you may find yourself having to support opinions with which you do not normally agree. You also have to argue as part of a team, being careful not to contradict what others on your side have said. Why debate? - It is an excellent way of improving speaking skills and is particularly helpful in providing experience in developing a convincing argument. Those of you who are forced to argue against your natural point of view realize that arguments, like coins, always have at least two sides. The Basic Debating Skills Style - Style is the manner in which you communicate your arguments. This is the most basic part of debating to master. Content and strategy are worth little unless you deliver your material in a confident and persuasive way. Speed- It is vital to talk at a pace which is fast enough to sound intelligent and allow you time to say what you want, but slow enough to be easily understood. Tone - Varying tone is what makes you sound interesting. Listening to one tone for an entire presentation is boring. Volume - Speaking quite loudly is sometimes a necessity, but it is by no means necessary to shout through every debate regardless of context. There is absolutely no need speak any more loudly than the volume at which everyone in the room can comfortably hear you. Shouting does not win debates. Speaking too quietly is clearly disastrous since no one will be able to hear you. Clarity - The ability to concisely and clearly express complex issues is what debating is all about. The main reason people begin to sound unclear is usually because they lose the stream of thought which is keeping them going. It is also important to keep it simple. While long words may make you sound clever, they may also make you incomprehensible. Use of notes and eye contact - Notes are essential, but they must be brief and well organized to be effective. There is absolutely no point in trying to speak without notes. Of course, notes should never become obtrusive and damage your contact with the audience, nor should they ever be read from verbatim. Most people sketch out the main headings of their speech, with brief notes under each. Eye contact with the audience is very important, but keep shifting your gaze. No one likes to be stared at. Content - Content is what you actually say in the debate. The arguments used to develop your own side s case and rebut the opposite side s. The information on content provided below is a general overview of what will be expected when you debate. The final logistics of how long you will be debating, how many people will be in your group, and how the debate will unfold (ie: which team speaks first etc.), will all be decided by your tutorial leader. Conclusion - At the end, once everyone has spoken, it is useful to briefly summarize what your group has said and why. SPEECHES Speech is the vocalized form of human communication. It is based upon the syntactic combination of lexicals and names that are drawn from very large (usually about 10,000 different words) vocabularies. Each spoken word is created out of the phonetic combination of a limited set of vowel and consonant speech sound units. These vocabularies, the syntax which structures them, and their set of speech sound units differ, creating the existence of many thousands of different types of mutually unintelligible human languages. Most human speakers are able to communicate in two or more of them, hence being polyglots. The vocal abilities that enable humans to produce speech also provide humans with the ability to sing. A gestural form of human communication exists for the deaf in the form of sign language. Speech in 41

42 some cultures has become the basis of a written language, often one that differs in its vocabulary, syntax and phonetics from its associated spoken one, a situation calleddiglossia. Speech in addition to its use in communication, it is suggested by some psychologists such as Vygotsky is internally used by mental processes to enhance and organize cognition in the form of an interior monologue. Speech is researched in terms of the speech production and speech perception of the sounds used in vocal language. Other research topics concern speech repetition, the ability to map heard spoken words into the vocalizations needed to recreated that plays a key role in the vocabulary expansion in children and speech errors.several academic disciplines study these including acoustics, psychology, speech pathology, linguistics, cognitive science, communication studies, otolaryngology and computer science. Another area of research is how the human in its different areas such as the Broca's area and Wernicke's area underlies speech. INTERVIEW Meaning of interview: The word interview comes from Latin and middle French words meaning to see between or see each other. Generally, interview means a private meeting between people when questions are asked and answered. The person who answers the questions of an interview is called in interviewer. The person who asks the questions of our interview is called an interviewer. It suggests a meeting between two persons for the purpose of getting a view of each other or for knowing each other. When we normally think of an interview, we think a setting in which an employer tries to size up an applicant for a job. Types of interviews: There are many types of interviews that an organization can arrange. It depends on the objectives of taking the interview. Some important types of interviews are stated below: 1. Personal interviews: Personal interviews include: Selection of the employees Promotion of the employees Retirement and resignation of the employees Of course, this type of interview is designed to obtain information through discussion and observation about how well the interviewer will perform on the job. 2. Evaluation interviews: The interviews which take place annually to review the progress of the interviewee are called the evaluation interviews. Naturally, it is occurring between superiors and subordinates. The main objective of this interview is to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the employees. 3. Persuasive interviews: This type of interview is designed to sell someone a product or an idea. When a sales representative talk with a target buyer, persuasion takes the form of convincing the target that the product or idea meets a need. 4. Structured interviews: Structured interviews tend to follow formal procedures; the interviewer follows a predetermined agenda or questions. 5. Unstructured interviews: When the interview does not follow the formal rules or procedures. It is called an unstructured interview. The discussion will probably be free flowing and may shift rapidly form on subject to another depending on the interests of the interviewee and the interviewer. 6. Counseling interviews: This may be held to find out what has been troubling the workers and why someone has not been working. 7. Disciplinary interviews: Disciplinary interviews are occurring when an employee has been accused of breaching the organization s rules and procedures. 8. Stress interviews: It is designed to place the interviewee in a stress situation in order to observe the interviewees reaction. 9. Public interviews: These include political parties radio-television and newspaper. 42

43 10. Informal or conversational interview: In the conversational interview, no predetermined questions are asked, in order to remain as open and adaptable a possible to the interviewee s nature and priorities; during the interview the interviewer goes with the flow. 11. General interview guide approach: The guide approach is intended to ensure that the same general areas of information are collected from each interviewee this provides more focus than the conversational approach but still allows a degree of freedom and adaptability in getting the information from the interviewee. 12. Standardized or open-ended interview: Here the same open-ended questions are asked to all interviewees; this approach facilitates faster interviews faster interviews that can be more easily analyzed and compared. 13. Closed or fixed-response interview: It is an interview where all interviewers ask the same questions and asked to choose answers from among the same set of alternatives. This formal is useful for those not practiced in interviewing. PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES FOR WHICH INTERVIEW IS CARRIED 1. CONUSELLING:taken by a supervisor, officer, or counselor who may ask questions relating towork or problem from the employee. In other cases interviews may be conducted by a doctor/psychiatrist of patients or person facing psychological problems. 2. EVALUATING:taken by supervisor, manager to review and evaluate the performance of theemployee(s). 3. DISCIPLINING:taken by an officer, manager if the behavior of the employee(s) require action tomaintain discipline. 4. COMPLAINING:taken by an officer, manager if the employee(s) wish to lodge complaint forcertain dissatisfaction or action required. 5. TERMINATING:taken by an officer/manager to inform employee(s) about the termination fromjob. VARIOUS SYMBOLS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ATTITUDE OF AN INTERVIEW A. Direct Interview: Positive Negative a) Early arrival Late arrival b) Alert, responsible attitude Intensive, dull attitude c) Emphatic attitude Withdrawn attitude d) Relaxed manner Tension, body tremor e) Smiles Frowns f) Clear voice Choked voice g) Diligent, responsible, smart Lack of concentration, dull, weak h) Strong and determined attitude Lack of determination B. Verbal Behavior: Positive Negative a) Sticking to the main point Changing the subject b) Relevant responses Irrelevant responses c) Well organized presentation Disorganized presentation d) Appropriate use of humor uncalled of levity e) Spontaneous replies Long pause before replying f) Speaking well of people Criticism of others 43

44 g) Eye contacting confident Looking sideways cresting ayes downward. GUIDELINE FOR INTERVIEW Giving an interview is equally important as taking interview, one has to be very carefulwhile giving an interview, there are following guidelines in general which could enable an interviewer to conduct a good and effective interview. a) Preparation b) Conduct during interview c) Evaluation a) Preparation: The interviewer should prepare himself before the interview, the following points are to be considered in this regard. 1. Reading applicant s Resume:There is much information provider in his resume sothe resume should be read in detail. So as to asks the question in the perspective of resume. 2. Being aware of state Regulation:There are many policies and rules and regulationmade by a state about the recruitment of employees. The interviewer should be aware of them so as to avoid any prospective lawsuit. 3. Planning the questions:the interviewer should plan the pattern of question, thenumber of question types length duration etc. should be clear in the mind of interviewer. 4. Omitting personal bias:there might be many biases in the minds of interviewer aboutthe candidates. In order to make the interviewee fair he should avid these biases. b) Conduct during the interview: Having prepared for the interview the interviewer should consider the following points during interview. 1. Letting the candidate speak:the main objective of interview is to have theinformation from the candidate as much as possible, so interviewer should let the candidate speak as much as possible. 2. Using the language of candidate:if there is no restoration regarding the language such alanguage should be used in which the candidate feels easy and free. 3. Avoiding arguing with the candidate:the purpose of interview is to evaluate thecandidate not to solve a dispute, so argumentation with the candidate should be avoided. 4. Not interrupting the candidate:the candidate is already under a lot of pressure. Sothe candidate should not be interrupted. 5. Controlling the emotions:during the interview there are many stages on which theinterviewers might get emotional. This may cause failures to the interview process. 6. Establishing eye contact:in order to be confident and the put the candidate at case, theinterviewer should establish an eye contact with the candidate. 44

45 7. Using body language:use of body language can play an important to make thequestion clear the candidate. 8. Asking open ended questions instantly:the close or dead ended questions are not veryuseful to acquire more information. So open-ended question should be asked as much as possible. c) Evaluation: After the interview the last step is to evaluate the interviewee. For this purpose there are following points which should be given importance. 1. No personal bias:there might be many candidates with whom the interviewer mayhave personal bias. This should be avoided in any case so as to hire the potential people. 2. Clear cut standards: The interviewer should try to establish a clear-cut standard forevaluation such as point system. PITFALL AN INTERVIEWER SHOULD AVOID 1. Halo Effect: It is the tendency of the interviewer to from an overall opinion regarding the applicant on the basis on a single aspect of his or her personality. For example, if the candidate did not comb his hairs properly the interviewer might have an image that the applicant is a careless person. 2. Stereotype Error Trap: It is the tendency to categorize the candidate on the basis of features of surface cleans or some superficial hints. 3. Expectancy Error: It is the tendency of the applicant to anticipate the need and preference of the interviewer and to respond accordingly. For example, the candidate may give an answer, which is correct but not in accordance with the interviewer preference. So the interviewer should give the leverage to the candidate. 4. Ideal image error: Usually, an interviewer has an image of a candidate. This usually happens that the image in the mind interviewer does not coincide with the candidate. So the interviewer should go on for a compromise. 5. Personal bias of the interviewer: The interviewer may have many personal biases against the candidate. Poor handshake, biting of finger, gum, chewing, loud, clothes, poor eye contact etc. these should be ignored. 6. Pseudoscience and myths: Handwriting, outward features, date of birth number of letters n the name lines or makes on the palm 45

46 of hand and shape and bulges of the skull are not scientific tolls to judge the ability of the candidate. An interviewer should avoid them. 7. Stereotypes Mechemiol: Interviewer might indulge in monotony in different questions in different ways should be asked. 8. Other pitfalls: There are a number of pitfalls other than those mentioned above. These are as follows; i. Illusion that the previous experience of itself guarantees ability to do the job well. ii. Being impressed because the applicant needs a job even though the necessary qualification is lacking. iii. Talking too much by interviewee not listening. iv. Poor preparation before interview. v. Asking inappropriate questions. vi. Being discourteous and rude towards the applicant. vii. Jumping to conclusion. viii. Accepting facts without intending to determine meaning and accuracy. ix. Leaving unexplored gaps. x. Allowing candidate to guide the interviewer. xi. Depending on memory to conduct interview and to evaluate the applicant s qualification. xii. Asking other questions when the applicant hesitates a moment. xiii. Appearing to be critical and cold towards the applicant. xiv. Not observing non-verbal be clues. Poor questions (a) leading question (b) loaded question (c) dead ended question GROUP DISCUSSION Group Discussion As the name implies, a group discussion is a discussion between participants on a chosen topic. Participants are allowed to take part in the discussion freely, and there is actually a healthy exchange of ideas and opinions. It does not matter if a speaker in a group discussion is taking a position for or against a topic as long as he can justify his position through reasoning. However, there is no winning or losing in a group discussion as the process leads to a better understanding of a topic, whether it is a social issue or the provisions of a new proposed law. These days group discussions have become an important tool for selection of right candidates for an organization as they reveal certain attributes in people that are otherwise difficult to identify. It is seen that many people, though they seem to be knowledgeable, become tongue tied in group situations. To screen such people as they become a liability for an organization if they are required to work in groups, group discussions prove to be a handy tool. What is the difference between Debate and Group Discussion? Debate is for argument and to attack to win while group discussion is to exchange ideas and opinions for a better understanding of a topic. In a debate, speakers take turns to present their points while, in a group discussion, all participants can 46

47 discuss a topic presenting their opinions without turns. The views of all participants matter in a group discussion while, in a debate, a speaker has to defend or attack to win. Debate is an argument while group discussion is communication of ideas Group discussion is constructive and cooperative while debate can be destructive too. BUILDING VOCABULARY Communication is a top priority in the business world. Many corporate job listings state effective communications skills as a requirement. Effective communication starts with knowing and understanding the vocabulary in the business world. The moderators of the website UltimateVocabulary suggest that business vocabulary is important to completing tasks such as writing memos and s to your coworkers or your boss, creating and understanding instructions, writing letters, creating brochures, and developing written or oral presentations. SO HOW TO BUILD A GOOD VOCABULARY 1.Buy a dictionary and thesaurus. First, review the thesaurus for words you already know to determine if you like what it offers. 2.Research the various vocabulary learning programs online. Test a few programs to see which works best for you and the way you learn. Commit to following the vocabulary learning program on a daily basis. 3.Read business magazines and online business publications. Actively note business jargon in your related field, writing down terms for study and further research. Keep a dictionary handy to use when you run into words you don't understand. 4.From your daily program lessons and reading, write down one to five words that stand out to you or pick the words that gave you the most trouble in the lesson. 5.Write down the words on an index card. Use the words in a sentence and write the sentence on the index card. Then, write the definition of the word in your own words. 6. On the back of the card, draw a circle around the word. Create a word tree based on words that come to mind that are associated with the vocabulary word. Continue adding branches to your tree until there is no more room on the back of your card. 7.Use online dictionaries to listen to the pronunciation of the word. Alternately, find vocabulary tapes that have pronunciations of the words you are interested in. "101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly," by Jo Condrill and Bennie Bough, advises readers to "Repeat the words aloud. Practice using them in sentences. Compare the way the words sound when you say them and the taped sounds." 8.Keep a vocabulary journal. Save your index cards to test yourself daily. Use them as flash cards. Shuffle them and randomly pick a card. Try to define the word without looking at your notes. 9.Watch business news programs for 30 minutes up to an hour a day. See how many words in your vocabulary list come up regularly on these programs. Use the words from your journal when appropriate throughout the day in regular conversation. 10.Challenge yourself weekly by attempting to complete crossword puzzles and word games without your flash cards. See how many words you can fill in before you must reference your thesaurus and dictionary. 47

48 UNIT VI LISTENING SKILLS Effective listening is an important aspect for good communication. Listening is different from hearing. By listening we mean all our senses especially your mind and body will be focused and concentrated. Listening to others improve your personality.the listening process starts from receiving the information or noise, and then your mind will interpret the information by your mental filters and little information will be remembered in your brain storage by which it is evaluated based on your judgment and finally the response will be delivered in the way of verbal voice or loud applause. TYPES OF LISTENING 1. CONTENT LISTENING: In this process a person will listen just to receive and remember the contents of particular information just for knowing what is what. Here he is not going to make any action based on the information received. 2. CRITICAL LISTENING: In this process a person will listen the entire information and analyze or interprets the contents and meaning of the information rationally. Here the objective of this listening is to give either a positive or negative feedback about the topic. 3. EMPATHIC LISTENING: Here people will listen to someone or information based on empathic feeling towards the information or person. Here the objective is you have a courtesy respect towards the person, for that sake you listen to them. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING 1. Listeners who jump to conclusion close their mind in receiving additional information. 2. Self-centered listeners shift attention from speaker to themselves. 3. Selective listeners just listen to few topics and ignore rest. 4. Physical distraction such as noise and mental distraction such as IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS 1. Don t judge the message by the speaker but by the argument. 2. Decrease your emotional impact. 3. Fight distraction by closed doors and turning off radio and television. 4. Don t interrupt in the middle, please wait to hear the entire message fully. 5. Provide feedback and let the speaker know that you are paying attention. 6. Offer facial expression and provide your criticism in a positive tone. 7. Listen actively for key points, ideas and facts. 8. Distinguish between evidence and argument, idea and example. 9. Take brief notes so that key points can be discussed. 10. Reserve your judgment until the speaker has finished the topic. 48