Basic communication skills marking scheme.

QUESTION ONE.

i ii ii iv v vi vii viii Ix x xi xii xiii xiv xv

T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T

QUESTION TWO.

i. Feedback
ii. Non verbal communication.
iii. Informal communication.
iv. Communication.
v. Communication skills.
vi. Downward communication
vii. Downward communication.
viii. Upward communication.
ix. Diagonal communication.
x. Channel.
xi. Receiving
xii. Responding stage.
xiii. Pre-writing.
xiv. Revising.
xv. Publishing

QUESTION THREE.

i ii iii iv v vi vii viii ix x xi xii xiii xiv xv

A A A A A B B B B B C C C C C

QUESTION FOUR.

A:

i ii iii iv v
E D C B A

B:

i ii iii iv V
A B C D E

C:

i ii iii iv v
 E D C B A
QUESTION FIVE.

A:

Outline factors affecting reading skills

 Lack of grammatical and linguistic competence:
 Lack of motivation:
 Lack of concentration:
 Proper light and ventilation:
 Size of the book:
 Articulating the words and sentences loudly:
 Putting finger, pen or any object on the words and sentences while reading:
 Narrow eye span:
B:

The types of Non-verbal communication,

 Chronemics
 Vocalics
 Haptics.
 Kinesics.
 Proxemics
 Artifacts
C:

i. Pre reading
ii. Reading intensively.
iii. Reading extensively.

QUESTION SIX.

a) Verbal communication-refers to the form of communication in which message is transmitted

verbally. Communication is done by word of mouth and piece of writing.
b) Non- verbal communication- is the sending or receiving of wordless messages.
c) Downward communication- is the communication form that superior to subordinate. From boss
to employees.
d) Upward communication- is the communication from lower to higher ranks in the hierarchy.
e) Diagonal communication- is the sharing of information among different structural levels within a
business.
f) Communication- is simply the act of transferring information from one place to another.
 g) Oral communication- is the kind of communication in which spoken words are used.
h) Written communication- is the kind of communication in which written signs or symbols are
used to communicate.
i) Formal communication- is the kind of communication whereby certain rules, conventions and
principles are followed while communicating message.
j) Informal communication- is the kind of communication which is in contrast to formal
communication. Or is the kind of communication which does not follow any rules, conventions
and principles while communicating messages.

QUESTION SEVEN.

(a) Explain types of non verbal communication.

The types of Non-verbal communication are as under:

 Chronemics: The use of time in communication is chronemics, which speaks about the
personality of the sender / receiver like punctuality, speed of speech etc.
 Vocalics: The volume, tone of voice and pitch used by the sender for communicating a
message to the receiver is known as vocalics or paralanguage.
 Haptics: The use of touch in a communication is the expression of feelings and
emotions.
 Kinesics: It is the study of body language of a person, i.e., gestures, postures, facial
expressions, etc.
 Proxemics: The distance maintained by a person while communicating with others,
communicates about the relationship of the person with others like intimate, personal,
social and public.
 Artifacts: The appearance of a person speaks about his personality, i.e. by way of
clothing, carrying jewelry, lifestyle etc. This kind of communication is known as
artifactual communication.
(b) Barriers to communication.
i. The use of jargon. Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms.
ii. Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people may find it difficult to express their
emotions and some topics may be completely 'off-limits' or taboo. Taboo or difficult
topics may include, but are not limited to, politics, religion, disabilities (mental and
physical), sexuality and sex, racism and any opinion that may be seen as unpopular.
iii. Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver
iv. Differences in perception and viewpoint.
v. Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties. Physical barriers
to non-verbal communication. Not being able to see the non-verbal cues, gestures,
posture and general body language can make communication less effective. Phone
 calls, text messages and other communication methods that rely on technology are
often less effective than face-to-face communication.
vi. Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping. 
People often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump
to incorrect conclusions. Our page The Ladder of Inference explains this in more
detail.
vii. Cultural differences.  The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different
cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept of
personal space varies between cultures and between different social settings. See our
page on Intercultural Awareness for more information.

(c) Advantage or merits of downward communication

Downward communication benefits the organization in many different ways. Through this
communication, superior provide necessary information and directives to the subordinates. The
major advantages of downward communication are highlighted below:
 Delegating authority and responsibility: Delegation means entrusting the subordinates
with some responsibilities along with due authority. It is essential to make the
subordinates capable in performing their jobs. Since downward communication starts
form higher level, it helps mangers in delegating authority and responsibility to the right
persons.
 Marinating discipline: Downward communication occurs in conformity with officially
recognized rules and regulations. So it helps in establishing official discipline in the
organization.
 Increasing efficiency: Downward communication provides necessary guidance, orders,
instructions and explanations of various complex issues to the subordinates that
ultimately increase the efficiency of the employees.
 Informing organizational plans and procedures: In an organization, the top-level
executives develop the plans, policies, strategies, procedures etc. downward
communication plays a significant role in communicating those plans, policies, strategies’
and procedures to the lower levels of the organization.
 Explaining the complex issues: Sometimes subordinates need explanation of
organizational policies and procedures. In such situations, managers rely on downward
communication to provide necessary explanations and analysis.
  Issuing orders and instructions: Downward communication is the only means to
circulate various orders, instructions, guidance and advices to the subordinates. Without
downward communication, organization is like a boat without boatman.
 Avoiding by-passing of hierarchy: Downward communication takes place by following
the established chain of command of the organization. Thus, it reduces the chance of
sending message to someone through by-passing the immediate subordinate.
 Maintaining good labor-management relationship: Downward communication helps
to create and maintain good labor-management relationship in the organization. When
top-level executives communicate with their subordinates sincerely and courteously, it
develops good interpersonal and inter-group relationships between management and
works. In turn, this will motivate the employees and ensure good labor management
relation in the organization.
QUESTION EIGHT.

(A) Disadvantages: The disadvantages of diagonal communication are:

 It can increase competitiveness as more information of ongoing production is given.
 It may consume time of the employees; for example work chat groups don't have details
of work assignments etc and they consume time as well.
 Time consumption may also lead to inefficiency.
 Due to lack of proper communicative skills of employees, misunderstandings
might arise
B: TIPS FOR READING EFFECTIVELY
1. Your reading list provides a good starting point for reading materials relevant to your
course. Reading lists usually include a mixture of both essential and recommended reading.
2. Go beyond your reading list to find additional reading materials (including books, e-books,
journal articles) to expand your subject knowledge.
3. Be selective about what you read and remember you can’t read everything. Don’t spend time
reading in detail without first checking how relevant the text is. You can do this by:
 Surveying the text by looking at the table of contents, chapter headings, abstracts and
summaries. This will help you assess the material so you can decide if it contains the
information you need.
  Scanning to get a general feel for the text. Look over the material quickly for key words,
headings and illustrations. You can get an idea of what the text is about by reading the
first and last sentence of each paragraph.
4. Reading critically is detailed reading of a text. After deciding if it is relevant, you will
sometimes need to analyse, question and evaluate what you are reading. Some useful questions
include asking yourself:
 Who is the author/source? Are they credible?
 What is the main argument?
 What evidence does the author use to support the argument?
 Do you agree with the author, if so why?/why not?
 How can you use this information (assignment/report/presentation)?
5. Make notes to help you remember key points. Your notes will prove useful when writing
assignments and revising for exams.
6. Take regular breaks when you are reading or studying. Reading for short periods of time of
about 20-30 minutes should be enough to really focus on the text and take in as much as
possible.
7. Read in a positive environment that is comfortable and free of distractions as this will help
improve your concentration.
8 Use an effective reading strategy such SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recall and Review).
This is a useful technique that will help you read purposefully.
 Survey Look over material critically. Skim through the text to get a general idea of what
it is about and help you to decide whether it is of any use to you.
 Question Can this text help you? Does it give you any useful information that you can
use? Asking questions will help you to stay focused on your subject.
 Read Make a more careful and detailed reading of the text. Still try to remain focused on
your reason for reading this text. Make notes of any key points.
 Recalls Put the text and your notes to one side and try to recall the information you have
read.
Review Re-read the text to check your understanding and clarify any points you were
uncertain about
 C: Use the guidelines for improving reading to improve reading skills
1. Prereading
Make sure you understand the type of text you have. Ask yourself: What type of work am I
reading? Is it information-based, like a newspaper, textbook, or manual? Or is it more
creative/artistic, like a novel or short story? These matters!
 For instance, if you’re reading to follow instructions (like a recipe or assembly guide),
you’ll need to understand the exact meaning of each step.
 If you’re reading a text that has lots of information, like a textbook, then you’ll be
reading most of all for new information on things you don’t know or understand.
Decide on the purpose of your reading. The reason why you’re reading has an impact on how
you read. For instance, reading a novel for a class can be different than reading a novel for
pleasure, since you’ll be expected to understand and remember the text rather than just enjoy the
experience of reading it. Ask yourself: What am I reading for?
 If you’re reading to gain information (for instance, to meet work or school requirements),
you’ll probably want to try extensive techniques.
 If you’re reading to practice pronunciation, learn vocabulary, or study grammar, you’ll
probably want to try intensive techniques.
Scan your reading before you begin. Whatever the purpose of your reading is, taking a few
minutes to look the piece over is very helpful. Check and see how the work is structured and
presented. These are easy ways to increase your understanding.
 Does the work have a title?
 Is there are a table of contents you can scan?
 Is the work divided into separate sections?
 Does the work have any “extras,” like bolded key words, illustrations, or graphs?
2. Reading Intensively
Read intensively if you want to practice the fundamentals and learn vocabulary. Intensive
reading is focused more on individual details of what you’re reading. If you want to practice
pronunciation, study grammar, or learn vocabulary, you’ll want to read more slowly and focus
more on individual words and sentences
Look for just the gist of a text's meaning. For intensive reading, it’s not always important to
worry about what something means in a deep way. Just trying to get a general sense of what the
reading is about. As you read, you'll focus more on details like spelling, pronunciation, and the
rhythm of sentences.
 Don’t get too caught up in parts you don’t fully understand. If you can summarize the
main point of what you’re reading, then you’re doing ok.
Read out loud.This can improve your reading skills because it makes you be involved with the
text in two ways: with your eyes, as you look at the words, and with your ears, as you listen to
them. Reading out loud is also key if you’re trying to practice pronunciation.
Try to guess the meaning of any new words. When you come to a word you don’t know, try
not to reach for the dictionary right away. Instead, try to guess the meaning of the word based on
the other words around it (the context).
 For example, say you read the following sentence and wanted to know what "pessimist"
means: My mother is always happy and optimistic, the total opposite of my brother, the
pessimist.
 From the sentence, you can gather that "pessimist" means the opposite of happy: being
moody and angry
Write down new words you want to learn. If you come to any words that you can’t figure out,
write them down and look up their meaning in a good dictionary. That way, you can study the
words later, too
Read as often as you can. The more you read, the easier it becomes. Practicing for at least 15 to
30 minutes a day, every day, will make a big difference.
 Read whatever interests you, if you’re just trying to improve your basic skill.
 Rereading things you’ve already gone through can build your confidence.
3. Reading Extensively
Try extensive reading if you’re looking for understanding. Extensive reading works when
you’re trying to determine the meaning of what you’re reading. This technique focuses on the
overall picture. It’s best for things like studying a textbook, reading a newspaper article for
information, or reading a book for school.
Take notes on your reading. If you want to read to understand something on a deeper level, like
studying a textbook, it helps to read more actively. Keep a notebook out and make notes on
important things you notice as you read.
  For instance, you can make bullet points to summarize every time you come to a major
idea.
 If there are key terms or dates in whatever you’re reading, make a note of those as well.
 If there are parts you don’t understand, write down the questions you have and come back
to them later
Annotate your reading. If you’re able to write in or mark up whatever it is you’re reading, this
can also help increase your understanding. For instance, you can underline or highlight important
passages. You could also try things like circling key terms and writing notes in the margins

Review what you’re reading by summarizing it. Every so often, stop and write a few
sentences in your notes to summarize what you’ve read so far. Putting the main ideas into your
own words and writing them out is a way of checking that you understand what you’re reading.
Going back over the material also helps you remember what you’ve read.
 If you have trouble summarizing or remembering any part of what you’ve read, go back
over it again.
 You can also try writing out a summary in an outline form, rather than full sentences.
Identify key words and concepts. When you encounter a word or concept that seems essential
to a text's meaning, make a note of it. If you are reading a textbook, these might even be set apart
in bold print, or in a separate vocabulary section. You can write the words or concepts down to
study them later, or even make a set of flash cards.
 If you come across a word or concept that seems important but is not clearly defined in
the text, look up its meaning in a dictionary or encyclopedia (either online or print).
 If you see certain words being used over and over again, that’s another sign that they’re
important for what you’re reading and worth looking up
Staying Focused and Motivated
Read with a friend. Getting through a text can be easier and more fun when you’re not doing it
alone. For instance, you can try reading the same section of a text as your partner, then talking
about it to make sure you both understood the main ideas.
o To improve reading aloud you can even pair yourself with someone you feel is a
better reader. While your partner is reading, listen to your their pronunciation,
speed, and rhythm. Take a turn yourself, then ask for feedback.
Choose the right reading environment. If you really want to concentrate on your reading, step
away from television, music, phones, computers, and chatty people. These distractions make it
hard to focus, dragging out reading and causing frustration.
o Try reading in a quiet, well-lit place with a desk and comfortable chair, if you can.
Use a pointer while reading if you have trouble focusing on the page. Take a bookmark,
ruler, or small piece of paper and set it on the page you want to read. Slide it down so you can
only read one line of text, then move it down to read the next line, and so on. Doing this can
make reading feel more manageable.
Read something you’re interested in, if you have a choice. It’s no surprise that you’ll be more
motivated to read a text that you genuinely care about. If you’re given the chance to select books
or other things to read for yourself, seek out topics you are interested in.
Track your progress. Keep records, like a list of books or articles you’ve gone through, and
how many minutes you read each day. Seeing how much you’ve accomplished over time can
encourage you to keep making progress.