FACULTY GUIDANCE NOTES FOR BASIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS
(Ref: FGN1001481)
The faculty member may start the session by giving the
students an idea of the increased importance of effective
communication in English in the present day scenario.
The faculty member then will provide inputs on the
components of effective verbal communication, with
emphasis on the need for concentration, empathy and
understanding, careful listening, response and confirmation.
The FM should ensure that there is regular interaction in
this session. Questions may be posed and answers
elicited. In smaller sized batches, the FM may have the
participants engage in simple activities, such as self-
introductions, JAMs, and so on. The F.M. will use this
opportunity to give them on-the-spot feedback. Common
grammatical errors and incorrect forms of introduction
should be pointed out and the students should be
provided with the correct, standard forms.
What is effective communication? Communication is a
two way process whereby a relationship is built. The
speaker transmits thoughts, ideas and information that
are received and understood by the listener, who in turn
responds to them.
It is essential for the speaker to have clarity of thought,
which lends fluency and coherence to language. The use
of right expression and terms gives brevity to speech.
The listener should be attentive and receptive to the
speaker, and should remain alert right till the end of the
communication. The listener's response, both verbal and
non-verbal, is integral to this process.
Types of communication. Effective communication can
occur via various processes and methods and
depending on the channel used and the style of
communication, there can be various types of
communication. In a broad sense, communication can
be classified as verbal communication and non-verbal
communication.
Verbal Communication - Verbal communication
constitutes written and oral communication. Oral
communication refers to the spoken words in the
communication process.
Oral communication - is usually synchronous (happening
in the same time frame) and can either be face-to-face
communication or a conversation over the phone or on
the voice chat over the Internet. Spoken conversations
or dialogs are influenced by voice modulation, pitch,
volume and even the speed and clarity of speaking.
Written communication - is usually asynchronous. The
effectiveness of written communication depends on the
style of writing, vocabulary used, grammar, clarity and
precision of language.
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Nonverbal Communication - Non-verbal communication
includes the overall body language of the person who is
speaking, including body posture, hand gestures, and
overall body movements. Facial expressions also play a
major role in communication since the expressions on a
person’s face say a lot about his/her mood. Gestures like
a handshake, a smile or a hug can also, independently,
convey emotions. Non verbal communication can also
be in the form of pictorial representations, signboards, or
even photographs, sketches and paintings.
Based on the style, we can distinguish between formal
and informal communication, both of which have their
own set of characteristic features.
Formal Communication - This includes all the instances
where communication has to occur in a set formal format.
Typically this can include all sorts of administrative
communication or business communication, including
conferences, meetings, the minutes of such meetings,
written memos and official letters are used for
communication. Formal communication can also occur
between two strangers when they meet for the first time.
Hence formal communication is straightforward, official and
precise and usually has a rigid tone to it.
Informal Communication - This includes instances of free
unrestrained communication between people who share
a personal or casual rapport, and hence occurs most
between family and friends. There are no rigid rules and
guidelines. Informal conversations need not necessarily
have boundaries of time, place or even subjects for that
matter.
When considering the parties involved in the process,
we see that there could be –
One-to-one communication wherein an individual
(person or body) communicates with another.
One-to-many communication wherein an individual
(person or body) communicates with 2 or more persons,
bodies, or members of bodies.
Many-to-one communication wherein 2 or more persons,
bodies, or members of bodies communicate with an
individual (person or body).
Many-to-one communication wherein 2 or more persons,
bodies, or members of bodies communicate with with 2
or more persons, bodies, or members of bodies.
Although these various types of communication are very
different, they are all indispensable tools for
communicating with and understanding others. In order
to be able to look at others and truly appreciate what
they are trying to convey and whether what they are
saying has any value, one needs to have a thorough
understanding of all types.
FGN1001481/1
The important aspects of speech are Pronunciation,
Clarity and Diction (pace and pause), Modulation, Eye-
contact, Posture, Pitch and Volume.
Pronunciation is an essential aspect of speech. Poor
pronunciation can at times lead to incomprehensibility of
certain words. It may be pointed out that, while regional
accent cannot be eliminated altogether, the aspects that
come in the way of clarity of speech must be dealt with.
Enunciation is yet another vital component of speech. So
is clear diction. Irrespective of the accent, the words
should be pronounced clearly and distinctly. Also, the
pace of speech should be moderate and comfortable.
Speaking too fast, apart from making it difficult for the
listener to comprehend, does not give sufficient time to
the speaker to think of the next sentence, thereby
affecting his fluency. F.M. should stress the fact that the
speed of speech is not meant to match the speed of
thought, its important to regulate and maintain a
reasonable pace. This facilitates continuity in speech.
Similarly, pauses in speech play an equally important
role – their absence can alter the meaning of a sentence.
Just as in writing it’s important to observe punctuation
marks, in speech too, it should be paid due attention.
F.M. should emphasize this point using suitable examples.
Pitch and Modulation - Voice modulation can make
speech much more expressive in spite of simple
vocabulary. The pitch of the voice needs to be
modulated depending on the situation; it expresses a
range of emotions and feelings, be it anger, surprise,
sorrow, disbelief or disagreement. It should also be
pointed out that pitch is different from volume. While
speaking, we tend to drop both pitch and volume
towards the end of a sentence, rendering the latter part
inaudible and hence, incomprehensible. It is essential to
maintain both, till the completion of the sentence.
Body Posture significantly effects the quality of voice.
Slouching while speaking is not just visually undesirable
but also makes the voice sound extremely dull and lazy.
Hence, the speaker should maintain an attentive and
alert posture to keep the voice resonant, and the
audience interested.
Eye-contact is yet another essential means of non-verbal
communication. Maintaining eye-contact keeps both the
speaker and the listener interested in the
communication. F.M. should emphasize its significance.
Listening Skills and response
Communication is a two way process: The speaker
transmits thoughts, ideas and information that are
received and understood by the listener, who in turn
responds to them. The listener should be attentive and
receptive to the speaker, should remain alert right till the
end of the communication, should consider what was
communicated and make the effort to understand it. The
listener's response, both verbal and non-verbal, is
integral to this process. Verbal response entails seeking
clarifications, confirmation or repetition in case of any
doubt. Contrary to popular perception, asking for
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clarification or repetition from a speaker (when the
situation permits) is not rude, rather, it expresses keen
interest and participation on the part of the listener. A
polite request to repeat is never unwelcome.
However, in a formal environment, it is advisable to seek
clarifications only after carefully listening to the speaker
till the end. Informal conversations, on the other hand,
allow the listener greater freedom to respond and at
frequent intervals.
Acknowledging the speaker by occasional nodding
affirms the listener’s sustained interest and helps build a
good rapport. It is an important aspect of non verbal
communication.
For communication to be effective, it’s important for both
the speaker and the listener to empathize with each
other. While the former needs to ensure that his ideas
and language are well within the grasp of the listener,
the latter, on his part should be perceptive and sensitive
to the situation of the speaker to be able to fully
appreciate him. Empathy is aided by a familiarity with
each other’s cultural background and it makes the task
of communication much more rewarding; because even
if the listener disagrees with the speaker on an issue, he
is able to recognize and evaluate this difference of
opinion in the right context.
Communications Barriers
Many social psychologists opine that there is 50% to
70% loss of meaning while conveying the messages
from a sender to a receiver. This happens in basic
aspects where communication could be interpreted
wrongly. A few barriers to effective communication are
given below.
The most obvious barrier is, of course, the absence of a
common language.
Other than this, the most common barriers to
communication are Listening barriers, such as:
 Interrupting the speaker
 Not maintaining eye contact with the speaker
 Rushing the speaker to complete what he/she has to
say
 Making the speaker feel as though he/she is wasting
the listener's time
 Being distracted by something that is not part of the
on going communication
 Getting ahead of the speaker and completing his/her
thoughts
 Ignoring the speaker's requests
 Topping the speaker's story with one's own set of
examples
 Forgetting what is being discussed
 Asking too many questions, for the sake of probing
 Selective listening
There are also barriers while speaking, such as:
 overload
 Unclear messages
 Lack of consistency in the communication process
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 Incomplete sentences
 Not understanding the receiver
 Not seeking clarifications while communicating
There could be barriers in the thought process, such as:
 the ego of the speaker / listener
 inadequacy of knowledge or information on the
subject / topic of the communication.
 unfamiliar medium of communication.
 An individual's subjective viewpoint towards
issues/people, which leads to assumptions and
presumptions.
 An emotional block, which can lead to an attitude of
indifference, or stress (physical or mental) and an
excess of emotion – these could lead to suspicion or
hostility towards the subject.
 A bias that is based on a third party's view point, or
on what you have read/heard.
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Tel : 040–27898195 Fax : 040–27847334 email : info@time4education.com
 Words can have different meanings to different
people, thus blocking communication.
 Use of negative words
There could be physical barriers as well, especially at
the workplace, such as large working areas that are
physically separated from others. Other distractions that
could cause a physical barriers in an organization are
the environment, background noise.
The F.M. may give the students a few suggestions for
improvement in language abilities: (1) A good reading
habit improves familiarity with the language, helps
improve vocabulary and helps in generation of ideas. (2)
While in conversation and while writing, one should try to
concentrate on correct construction of sentences and
use of effective vocabulary. (3) When presented with
opportunities for public speaking one should participate
and use the experience to improve.
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