Communication Skills

Cheatsheet Content

### Listening: Definition & Types Listening is an active and purposeful process of receiving, understanding, interpreting, and responding to spoken messages. It differs from hearing, which is a physical activity, as listening involves concentration, comprehension, and interpretation. It is crucial for effective communication, gaining information, building relationships, and avoiding misunderstandings. #### Types of Listening 1. **Active Listening:** Full attention, appropriate verbal and non-verbal feedback (nodding, questions, eye contact). 2. **Passive Listening:** Hears messages without showing interest or giving feedback, often leading to misunderstanding. 3. **Critical Listening:** Careful evaluation of facts, ideas, and arguments before accepting or rejecting. 4. **Empathetic Listening:** Focuses on understanding the speaker's emotions and feelings, useful in personal situations. 5. **Informational Listening:** Used to understand and learn information from lectures, news, instructions, or presentations. 6. **Selective Listening:** Listens only to interesting parts of a message, ignoring the rest. ### Listening: Barriers & Strategies Listening is affected by various obstacles (barriers) that prevent clear understanding. #### Barriers to Listening 1. **Physical Barriers:** Noise, poor seating, faulty microphones, distance. 2. **Psychological Barriers:** Stress, anxiety, prejudice, lack of interest, negative attitude. 3. **Language Barriers:** Difficulty with vocabulary, pronunciation, accent, or language structure. 4. **Emotional Barriers:** Strong emotions (anger, fear, excitement) hindering understanding. 5. **Physiological Barriers:** Hearing problems, illness, fatigue, poor health. 6. **Distractions:** Mobile phones, daydreaming, side conversations, external activities. #### Strategies for Effective Listening 1. Give full attention to the speaker. 2. Avoid distractions. 3. Maintain eye contact. 4. Do not interrupt. 5. Ask questions for clarification. 6. Take notes when required. 7. Keep an open and positive mind. ### Communication: Definition & Characteristics Communication is the process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, feelings, opinions, or information between two or more people. It is a continuous, dynamic process vital for personal, social, academic, and professional life. #### Chief Characteristics of Communication 1. **Two-way Process:** Involves a sender and a receiver. 2. **Continuous Process:** Ongoing and never-ending. 3. **Purposeful:** Always has an objective. 4. **Verbal and Non-verbal:** Includes spoken words and body language. 5. **Dynamic Process:** Changes according to situation and context. 6. **Social Process:** Occurs within society and social relationships. 7. **Interactive:** Feedback is an essential part. ### Verbal Communication & Types Verbal communication uses words to convey messages and is a common, effective form. It can be spoken or written, helping express ideas clearly, share information, and build relationships. #### Types of Verbal Communication 1. **Oral Communication:** Face-to-face conversations, speeches, lectures, meetings, interviews, telephone calls. Allows immediate feedback. 2. **Written Communication:** Letters, emails, reports, notices, memos, messages. Provides a permanent record, useful for official purposes. #### Advantages of Verbal Communication - Clear and direct - Quick feedback - Easy exchange of ideas #### Disadvantages of Verbal Communication - Possibility of misunderstanding - Depends on language skills ### Formal Communication Formal communication is the official flow of information within an organization, following a fixed structure, rules, and hierarchy. It is planned and systematic. #### Types of Formal Communication 1. **Upward Communication:** Flows from subordinates to superiors (reports, feedback). 2. **Downward Communication:** Flows from superiors to subordinates (instructions, orders). 3. **Horizontal Communication:** Occurs between employees of the same level. 4. **Diagonal Communication:** Takes place between different departments and levels. #### Advantages of Formal Communication 1. Maintains discipline and authority. 2. Clear and reliable information. 3. Helps in decision-making. 4. Official and systematic. #### Disadvantages of Formal Communication 1. Time-consuming. 2. Rigid structure. 3. Delay in communication. 4. Lack of flexibility. ### Received Pronunciation (R.P.) Received Pronunciation (R.P.) is the standard accent of British English, also known as BBC English or Queen's English. It is not associated with any specific region and is used in dictionaries, education, and broadcasting as a model for pronunciation. #### Features of R.P. 1. Non-regional accent. 2. Clear and neutral pronunciation. 3. Widely accepted standard. 4. Helpful for learners of English. R.P. helps learners improve clarity and accuracy in spoken English. ### Word Stress Word stress refers to the emphasis given to a particular syllable in a word, pronounced louder, longer, and more clearly. Correct word stress is essential for clear communication. #### Importance of Word Stress 1. Helps in correct pronunciation. 2. Changes meaning of words. 3. Improves fluency and clarity. #### Examples - PREsent (noun) - preSENT (verb) Incorrect stress can lead to misunderstanding. ### Tone & Intonation in English Tone refers to the rise and fall of the voice that expresses the speaker's feelings or attitude. Intonation is the pattern of pitch changes in speech that helps convey meaning. #### Forms of Intonation 1. **Rising Intonation:** Used in questions. 2. **Falling Intonation:** Used in statements. 3. **Rising-Falling Intonation:** Used to express surprise or strong emotion. #### Functions of Intonation 1. Expresses emotions. 2. Shows speaker's attitude. 3. Differentiates statements and questions. 4. Makes speech meaningful. ### Speech: Stages & Parts #### Stages of Speech 1. **Preparation:** Planning content and structure. 2. **Presentation:** Delivering the speech effectively. 3. **Evaluation:** Reviewing performance. #### Parts of a Speech 1. **Introduction:** Grabs attention. 2. **Body:** Main ideas and arguments. 3. **Conclusion:** Summarizes and ends effectively. ### Qualities of a Good Speaker A good speaker communicates effectively and confidently. #### Qualities 1. Confidence. 2. Clear pronunciation. 3. Good voice modulation. 4. Strong body language. 5. Knowledge of subject. 6. Audience awareness. 7. Good listening ability. ### Description: People, Places, Situations, Events, Things Description is a form of writing that creates a vivid picture in the reader's mind. #### Description of People Includes appearance, personality, habits, and behavior. #### Description of Places Includes location, surroundings, atmosphere, and importance. #### Description of Situations Includes background, emotions, and conditions. #### Description of Events Includes time, place, sequence, and significance. #### Description of Things Includes shape, size, color, use, and value.