ENGLISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION

Communicating effectively in spoken English in selected social contexts

Many social scientists believe that humans are different from animals because we developed language and communication, and that these are the hallmark of human development. But what is communication? Communication - simple yet complex, easy to do and easy to blunder. Communication is the common term we usually heard and an activity which human cannot escape from their daily life. It is also an essential and necessary part of our lives. Julia Wood (2009) defined communication as a systematic process in which people interact with and through symbols to create and interpret meanings. Communication can be found everyday and every time in human life which comes about with different thoughts , different people, and different times or in different ways.

Regardless of the type of organization, communication is the element that maintains and sustains relationships in it. When asked to define communication, most people describe the techniques used to express what they think, feel, want, etc. - namely talking, writing or body language. However, when you confront difficult issues, listening is more important than speaking or nay other form of expression. Therefore, the basic principle of human communication can be category to the intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, public, mass, corporate and intercultural communication.

There are few definitions that have been recounted with the word communication. Ibrahim Absiye, Executive Director of CultureLink, a Toronto-based settlement agency for new Canadians, says communication "opens the door for employment, integration and education." According to Cambridge Dictionary, the word communicate can be defined as to share information with others by speaking, writing, moving your body or using other signals. As for the word communication, Carl Rogers (1952) says that:

real communication occurs when we listen with understanding to see the expressed idea and attitude from the other persons point of view, to sense how it feels to him, to achieve his frame of reference in regard to the things he is thinking about.

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Oral language is the greatest use of language and is the basis of communication in fact it is the basis of literacy. "Language plays a vital role in the personal and social development of children. It enables them to gain an understanding of themselves and others and strengthens their social relationships." (Oral Language Resource Book: First Steps, page 45) In Toronto, speaking English can be the first step to clear, effective communication. Absiye identifies "5 Cs" for new immigrants; they are five major challenges, all starting with the letter C. One of the C is communication, which he means that not being able to converse with the people around you can lead to frustration, isolation and missed opportunities. There are several types of communication that being practised by human and the oral communication is the mode of choice in most workplaces today; the paper memo is dead, replaced by voice mail, informal conversation, and sometimes electronic mail or fax mail. It can be said that it is the most effective way of delivering or transmitting the messages. For instance, it may happen in the face-to-face conversation, meetings, voice mail messages, teleconferencing, oral presentations and public speaking.

Therefore, the oral communication can be widely defined as the process whereby information is transferred from a sender to receiver; in general communication is usually transferred by both verbal means and visual aid throughout the process. The receiver could be an individual person, a group of persons or even an audience. There are a few of oral communication types: discussion, speeches, presentations, etc. However, often when you communicate face to face the body language and your voice tonality has a bigger impact than the actual words that you are saying.

ENGLISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION

Oral communication is a two-way process that requires a speaker and a listener. In other words, it is the mechanism by which a person interacts with others to convey or receive information (including view points, factual information, etc) in the form of spoken words and sounds. It is most effective when the sender has good speaking skills and the receiver has good listening skills. Mastery of oral communication skills can play a vital role in helping us achieve success. Therefore, oral communication involves two crucial skills listening and speaking. Although some of the people have the potential, ability or skill to talk, they still have to learn on how to speak well and communicate effectively.

A successful oral communication is same as those for any business communication. The good planning, perception of the purpose, the receivers attitude, employment of the correct level of language and body language contribute to successful and effective oral communication. "The ability to communicate effectively through speaking as well as in writing is highly valued, and demanded, in business, " Herta A. Murphy and Herbert W. Hildebrandt wrote in their book Effective Business Communications. "Knowing the content of the functional areas of business is important, but to give life to those ideasin meetings or in solo presentationsdemands an effective oral presentation."

Generally, human communication is concerned with the making of meaning and the exchange of understanding. One model of communication considers it from the perspective of transmitting information from one person to another. In fact, many scholars of communication take this as a working definition, and use Lasswell's maxim, "who says what to whom in which channel with what effect," as a means of circumscribing the field of communication theory. Among those who subscribe to the transmission model are those who identify themselves with the communication sciences, and finds its roots in the studies of propaganda and mass media of the early 20th century.

ENGLISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION

The types of oral communication commonly used within an organization include staff meetings, personal discussions, presentations, telephone discourse, and informal conversation. Oral communication with those outside of the organization might take the form of face-toface meetings, telephone calls, speeches, teleconferences, or videoconferences. An effective oral communication skill is a learned skill.

Being able to communicate effectively is necessary for a person's progress personally, professionally, academically and socially. It requires you to learn and understand what to say when and how to say something. Choosing the words and tone of the voice, the speeds at which you speak are important even when communicating orally over the phone. Direct or face to face conversations (or direct oral communication) can play a big role in both creating and solving problems. Here, in addition to language, tone, and pace, one has to also to ensure that the body language, eye contact, your observation of the other person/s as you speak are equally important in order to know if your message is being conveyed (i.e. the persons/s addressed is/are listening).

However important oral communication may be, two writing tasks still loom before the entry level worker writing reports and filling out forms. Therefore, a clear and concise technical writing style will always be an asset. Written and oral communication skills are very important in today's high-powered workplace, but employees must also be able to use modern technology to communicate. The technologies most often used for communication are voice mail, E-mail, fax, and word processing. In the workplace, poor communication is responsible for the majority of errors, confusion, or problems at the workplace. This means that your workplace communication skills must include speaking clearly, making the intent known and with assertiveness. When one uses the assertive style of communication, one is able to state what they want and how they want it honestly and clearly. From here, you will realize that workplace communication is typically formal and to the point.

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On the other hands, Interpersonal communication is the process that we use to communicate our ideas, thoughts, and feelings to another person. Our interpersonal communication skills are learned behaviours that can be improved through knowledge, practice, feedback, and reflection. It also usually defined by communication scholars in several ways, usually describing participants who are dependent upon one another and have a shared history. It can involve one on one conversations or individuals interacting with many people within a society. It helps us understand how and why people behave and communicate in different ways to construct and negotiate a social reality. While interpersonal communication can be defined as its own area of study, it also occurs within other contexts like groups and organizations.

Interpersonal communication includes message sending and message reception between two or more individuals. This can include all aspects of communication such as listening, persuading, asserting, nonverbal communication, and more. A primary concept of interpersonal communication looks at communicative acts when there are few individuals involved unlike areas of communication such as group interaction, where there may be a large number of individuals involved in a communicative act. Individuals also communicate on different interpersonal levels depending on who they are engaging in communication with. For example, if an individual is communicating with a family member, that communication will more than likely differ from the type of communication used when engaged in a communicative act with a friend or significant other. Overall, interpersonal communication can be conducted using both direct and indirect mediums of communication such as face-to-face interaction, as well as computer-mediatedcommunication. Successful interpersonal communication assumes that both the message senders and the message receivers will interpret and understand the messages being sent on a level of understood meanings and implications.

ENGLISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION

Indeed, interpersonal oral communication skills are the ones most prized by employers in the new informal workplace atmosphere. Employees who work with the public or closely with teams need skills in empathy and feedback techniques, especially in fields such as customer service, criminal justice, medical, and legal. Critical thinking and the ability to function as part of a problem-solving group are also skills that employers look for. Simple conversational skills, telephone etiquette, and the ability to interview to get important information are also necessary skills in the workplace.

A small group that can be defined as more than three people which maximum until twenty people. If made up of 2 or more than twenty then it is not a group. There are several definitions as to how many make up a small group. There are many types of small group communication and it is depend on the purpose and objective of the group. As we all know, usually a task oriented groups are created for business, clubs, teams, organizations, union, charity, or religious group. Task oriented groups have a purpose of generating ideas, messages, solving problems or promoting a cause. This section focuses on task oriented groups. There are other types of small groups.

The most common and usual group is social. It consists of friends who get together and enjoy each others company. The communication needs are different from the needs of other groups. Seminar groups are usually for education. A group's members must be able to communicate freely and openly with all of the other members of the group. Groups will develop norms about discussion and group members will develop roles which will affect the group's interaction. A group must have a common purpose or goal and they must work together to achieve that goal. The goal brings the group together and holds it together through conflict and tension. Therapy groups are organized to help with the management of mental health issues and challenges. The interaction, positive peer pressure, support and communication make it easier to cope with day to day mental or emotional provocations.

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The first important research study of small group communication was performed by social psychologist Robert Bales and published in a series of books and articles in the early and mid 1950s . This research entailed the content analysis of discussions within groups making decisions about "human relations" problems (i.e., vignettes about relationship difficulties within families or organizations).

Communication is about expressing and conveying your thoughts, feelings, opinions and ideas to another person or persons. Good communication skills can help you keep your head and confidently take charge of unfamiliar situations. People are more likely to listen to you, whatever you have to say, if you can express yourself well, and this is particularly useful in influencing and negotiating important personal, social or business matters. It also comes in handy in resolving conflict and dealing with difficult people.

Some people are born with effective communication skills; others need to develop them. Developing effective communication skills requires repeated practice, which you can do by putting yourself frequently in situations where you have to interact with a variety of people. Consider joining social clubs or public speaking and debate clubs to polish up your skills.

Public communication is the sending and receiving of messages on a large scale that impacts groups or crowds of people. Public communication is a well-developed method of exchanging information with an audience and becomes a significant part of overall communication picture. It can also defined as the process of speaking to a group of people either in a structured form, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, persuasive or entertain the listeners. The objective or purpose of public speaking can range from simply transmitting information, to motivating people to act, to simply telling a story. For the communication to be considered effective, the messages must be clearly and accurately sent and received with full comprehension.

ENGLISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION

Professional public speakers often engage in ongoing training and education to refine their craft. This may include seeking guidance to improve their speaking skillssuch as learning better storytelling techniques, for example, or learning how to effectively use humour as a communication toolas well as continuous research in their topic area of focus. Good orators should be able to change the emotions of their listeners, not just inform them. Public speaking can also be Jamal language considered a discourse community. Interpersonal communication and public speaking have several components that embrace such things as motivational speaking, leadership/personal development, business, customer service, large group communication, and mass communication.

Public speaking can be a powerful tool to use for purposes such as motivation, influence, persuasion, informing, translation, or simply entertaining. A confident speaker is more likely to use this as excitement and create effective speech thus increasing their overall ethos. People who speak publicly in a professional capacity are paid a speaking fee. Professional public speakers may include ex-politicians, sports stars and other public figures. In the case of high profile personalities, the sum can be extraordinary.

Effective public communication can manifest itself in different ways. Public speaking in any form is considered public communication. This can be a school assembly, a business meeting or a presidential speech. Mass media, the use of TV, radio, newspaper or any other mass-produced medium, is another type of effective public communication. The result of effective public communication is the successful delivery of a message to a large group of people where each individual is impacted and moved to take action. Effective public communication is able to relate to the individual needs of the listeners while speaking to the masses. Effective public communication causes listeners to respond to the public communications message.

ENGLISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION

Effective public communication must refrain from biased words, philosophies and ideologies. For example, when the president is making a speech, his words and thoughts need to be portrayed in a universal way so that one group does not feel isolated or left out. Effective public communication keeps statements generic and neutral to gender, race and religious beliefs.

As a conclusion, the concept of communication would include all those processes by which people influence one another. It is very clear that the human communication occurs in a virtually infinite variety of situations. The people spend communicating which involving great many parties, applying variety methodologies in delivering the messages and take into account the effectiveness of the communication process. The ongoing communication without applying the correct techniques or modes might affected the communication to be failure and meaningless. For this reason, the speaker must be skilful enough to determine the best and most preferable way in deliver the messages to the listener or the receiver. It must be understandable that the communication is a learned behaviour that the human can gain the peak of the most effective communicating through constant learning and experiences.

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ENGLISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION

BIBLIOGRAPHIES Weinberg, S. B. (1990). Messages : A Reader in Human Communication, 3rd ed. New York: Random House. 2 3 Collin, C. (1966). On Human Communication, 2nd ed. Cambridge, Mass.: M.I.T. Press. Tubbs, L. S., Moss, S. (1980). Human Communication, 3rd ed. New York: Random House. 4 Sivagnanachelvi, S., Chong P. W., Chua E. K., Norazlina Mohamad. (2010). English for Oral Communication, 2nd ed. Open University Malaysia: Faculty of Education and Languages. 5 Sinha, K., Noreha Taib, Kaur, B., Sivanantham, R. (2009). A Practical Guide to Meetings and Discussions, 2nd ed. Selangor: Mc Graw Hill Education. 6 Ling, K. S. (2008). Effective Text for MUET, 2nd ed. Selangor: Penerbit Ilmu Bakti Sdn. Bhd.