ASSIGNMENT (Semester1)

SUBJECT: COMMUNICATION SKILL

PART A – 10 MARKS (EXAM QUESTION FROM PART A SESSION)

(EACH QUESTION CARRIES TWO MARKS)

1. What is Communication? Explain with suitable examples.

Ans: The word ‘Communication’ comes from the Latin Word commūnicāre, meaning ‘to
share’. Communication is the ‘sharing’ of information between two or more individuals
or within a group to reach a common understanding. You can inform about something or
you can also influence others through communication.
Communication skills are needed to:
• Inform: You may be required to give facts or information to someone.
For example, communicating the timetable of an exam to a Friend.
• Influence: You may be required to influence or change someone in an indirect but
usually important way.
For example, negotiating with a shopkeeper to reduce the price or helping a friend
to overcome stress due to exam or any other reason.
• Express feelings: Talking about your feelings is a healthy way to express them.
For example, sharing your excitement about doing well in your exams or sharing
your feelings with your parents and friends.

2. Define communication?
Ans: Communication is the ‘sharing’ of information between two or more individuals or
within a group to reach a common understanding. You can inform about something or
you can also influence others through communication.

3. What is verbal communication? Give examples.

Ans: Verbal communication is the sharing of information by using words. It is what most
people use as a method of communication. Verbal communication is important because if
you do not use the right words, you will cause confusion and you
Will not be able to communicate what you want.
For example, group discussion, talking to family member at home, conversation with
Public through speeches, etc. Writing letters, notes, email, etc.

4. What is nonverbal communication?

Ans: Non-verbal communication is the message we send to others without using
Any words. We send signals and messages to others, through expressions,
Gestures and body postures.

5. What is diagonal communication?

Ans: Diagonal communication is a way of communication between employees from
different organizational units and from different hierarchical levels. Diagonal
communication occurs then, when communication within the company exceeds the
formal hierarchy and is often determined by informal, free cooperation employees at
different levels of the organisation, in any vertical position. Its main criteria are goals,
needs or also the effectiveness of cooperation in the enterprise.

6. State two disadvantages of oral communication.

Ans: The most common disadvantage of verbal communication is
1) The cultural differences between the sender and receiver of the information. These
differences may be due to the use of different languages, inability to understand the
colloquial phrases used by the other individual, and the accent.
2) Since verbal communication depends on words, sometimes the meanings become
confusing and difficult to understand if the right words are not used.

7. State two advantages of written communication.

Ans:
 It is suitable for long distance communication and repetitive standing orders. ...
 It creates permanent record of evidence. ...
 It gives the receiver sufficient time to think, act and react.
 It can be used as legal document.
 It can be sent to many persons at a time.

8. What is Grapevine Communication? Write one advantage and one disadvantage.

Ans: Grapevine communication is informal workplace dialogue in its purest form: it is
characterized by conversations between employees and superiors that do not follow any
prescribed structure or rule-based system. Grapevine communication spreads rapidly
and likely touches each person throughout the organization.
Advantages of grapevine communication are:
 Improved Relationships
An informal communication system effectively solves most of the problems or clashes
between employees and the organization’s management. This, in turn, creates positive
relations among the teams and the management.

 Increased Efficiency
 Employees share their concerns and issues openly under the informal system. This helps
the management and the organization get precise feedback and solve the problems.
Consequently, it develops and improves the efficiency of the employee.

Disadvantage of grapevine communication are:

 Risk of Misunderstandings
When it comes to informal meetings, employees sometimes don’t follow the formal
authorization process. This may create misunderstanding among the team members and
the management.

 Difficult to Control
As informal conversations have no set rules or policies to be followed, controlling the
spread of information can become difficult.

9. What are Barriers to Communication? Name some important barriers

Ans: Sometimes, we are not able to communicate clearly because of barriers that stop us
from sharing and understanding messages. Some of the barriers of communication are:
1) Language 2) Feelings 3) Prejudice 4) Personal Factors 5) culture 6) visual perception
7) Environment

PART A – 5 MARKS (EXAM QUESTION FROM PART IA SESSION)

(EACH QUESTION CARRIES FIVE MARKS)

11. Explain any four principles of effective communication?

Ans: Effective communication can happen if we follow the basic principles of
professional communication skills. These can be abbreviated as 7 Cs, i.e., Clear, Concise,
Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete and Courteous.
a) Conciseness - Conciseness means wordiness, i.e., communicating what you want to
convey in least possible words without forgoing the other C’s of communication.
Conciseness is a necessity for effective communication. Concise communication has
following features:
 It is both time-saving as well as cost-saving.
 It underlines and highlights the main message as it avoids using excessive and
needless words.
 Concise communication provides short and essential message in limited words to
the audience.
 Concise message is more appealing and comprehensible to the audience.
 Concise message is non-repetitive in nature.
b) Consideration - Consideration implies “stepping into the shoes of others”. Effective
communication must take the audience into consideration, i.e, the audience’s view
points, background, mind-set, education level, etc. Make an attempt to envisage your
audience, their requirements, emotions as well as problems. Ensure that the self-
respect of the audience is maintained and their emotions are not at harm. Modify
 your words in message to suit the audience’s needs while making your message
complete. Features of considerate communication are as follows:
 Emphasize on “you” approach.
 Empathize with the audience and exhibit interest in the audience. This will stimulate
a positive reaction from the audience.
 Show optimism towards your audience. Emphasize on “what is possible” rather than
“what is impossible”. Lay stress on positive words such as jovial, committed, thanks,
warm, healthy, help, etc.
c) Clarity - Clarity implies emphasizing on a specific message or goal at a time, rather
than trying to achieve too much at once. Clarity in communication has following
features:
 It makes understanding easier.
 Complete clarity of thoughts and ideas enhances the meaning of message.
 Clear message makes use of exact, appropriate and concrete words.
d) Concreteness - Concrete communication implies being particular and clear rather
than fuzzy and general. Concreteness strengthens the confidence. Concrete message
has following features:
 It is supported with specific facts and figures.
 It makes use of words that are clear and that build the reputation.
 Concrete messages are not misinterpreted.

12. Write four advantages of Oral communication.

Ans:
 There is high level of understanding and transparency in oral communication as it is
interpersonal.
 There is no element of rigidity in oral communication. There is flexibility for allowing
changes in the decisions previously taken.
 The feedback is spontaneous in case of oral communication. Thus, decisions can be
made quickly without any delay.
 Oral communication is not only time saving, but it also saves upon money and efforts.
13. Explain Mechanical barriers and Physical barriers with examples.
Ans:
Physical barrier is the environmental and natural condition that act as a barrier in
communication in sending message from sender to receiver. Organizational environment or
interior workspace design problems, technological problems and noise are the parts of
physical barriers.
When messages are sent by the sender, physical barriers like doors, walls, distance, etc.
do not let the communication become effective. The barriers are less if the proximity of the
sender and the receiver is high and less technologies are required.
Disturbance in hearing due to thunders, telephone call disconnection, problems in
television reception, message not being sent in chat, etc. are some examples of physical
barriers of communication.
The term mechanical barriers include inadequate arrangement in transmitting new facts
and figures, poor office layout, Defective practices and procedures and the use of wrong
medical resulting in poor communication.

The barriers discussed above may vitiate the message in many ways. The major problems
are distortion, filtering and omission. Distortion means changing the context of the
message or its meaning. Filtering means reducing the message only to a few basic details.
Omission means deletion of all or part of the message. Communication will not be perfectly
effective if there is faulty transmission. The above mentioned barriers should be removed
to achieve effective communication.

14. Draw the communication cycle and state the important elements.
Ans

The important elements of communication are

(1) The sender (2) the message (3) encoding (4) the communication channel (5) the
receiver (6) decoding and (7) feedback.

15. State the importance of communication in the engineering industry

Ans: Engineers have to communicate on a daily basis — with each other, with supervisors,
with people in different departments, and even with clients. Their work is complex and
technical, but not everyone they work with has the same technical expertise, which makes
it even more important for them to have good communication skills. Effective
communication in engineering is critical to ensuring that all project participants are on the
same page.

When it comes to demonstrating good communication skills, managers and others in

leadership positions face a high bar. Nearly every part of a manager’s job involves
communication. Engineering managers communicate with clients and their own supervisors
about new projects. They also relay project parameters and deadlines to their reports,
while providing updates to their managers and clients. Good managers invest significant
amounts of time in setting their engineers up for success. Moreover, regular
communication builds trust and makes it easier for all team members to do their jobs well.

For engineers to be successful over the course of their careers, communication skills are
just as important as technical knowledge. This is certainly the case in engineering firms,
where collaboration is key. One of the best ways for engineering managers to bring value to
their companies and help their own careers is by learning and practicing good
communication skills.

PART A – 10 MARKS (EXAM QUESTION FROM PART B SESSION)

(EACH QUESTION CARRIES TWO MARKS)

1. Define listening. How can you acquire good listening skill?

Ans: Listening is receiving language through the ears. Listening involves identifying
the sounds of speech and processing them into words and sentences. When we
listen, we use our ears to receive individual sounds (letters, stress, rhythm and
pauses) and we use our brain to convert these into messages that mean something
to us.

Listening in any language requires focus and attention. It is a skill that some people
need to work at harder than others. People who have difficulty concentrating are
typically poor listeners. Listening in a second language requires even greater focus.

Like babies, we learn this skill by listening to people who already know how to speak
the language. This may or may not include native speakers. For practice, you can
listen to live or recorded voices. The most important thing is to listen to a variety of
voices as often as you can.

To become a fluent speaker in English, you need to develop strong listening skills.
Listening not only helps you understand what people are saying to you. It also helps
you to speak clearly to other people. It helps you learn how to pronounce words
properly, how to use intonation, and where to place stress in words and sentences.
This makes your speech easier for other people listening to you to understand!
To acquire good listening skills we need to be aware of the following factors
a) Make consistent eye-contact while talking– Body language has a significant role in
communication. Maintaining eye contact communicates interest, focus,and
understanding with the other person. Make sure to tailor your eye contact as per the
need of others.
b) Avoid distractions – Always focus on the conversation and do not let your mind
wander. Do not let random thoughts disturb your flow and break your concentration.
c) Understand the context of the speech – While communicating, focus on the specific
words and phrases and try to understand the content and context of the
conversation before replying.
d) Show you are an effective listener by nodding – Other than eye contact, you should
nod and smile while talking as it is the best way to show your agreement and interest
 in what the speaker is saying. Do not interrupt while someone is talking. Wait for
them to finish and then raise open-ended questions in a polite manner.
e) Avoid conversation when stressed or overworked–Try to avoid or postpone
important meetings or discussions if you are overstressed. It gets difficult to
concentrate when you are exhausted, and you end up wasting time. A bit of Yoga or
meditation helps you destress in such situations.

f) Pick up important points and let the speaker know – Sometimes, our attention gets
drifted and we face trouble focusing on the conversation. For such instances, try to
pick up a few significant points and discuss them when the speaker finishes talking.
Make an honest effort and clarify your doubts.
g) Ask open-ended questions – If you did not understand some parts of the
conversation, encourage them to elaborate and ask open-ended questions to get
lengthy responses from the speaker. This helps in understanding the big picture.
h) Stay equipped with knowledge–Gather relevant information on the topic so that you
can not only contribute effectively to the conversation but also listen patiently when
the speaker discusses the same or related topics.
i) Provide small encouragements – You can fight silence and build rapport with the
speaker by using small verbal encouraging words such as “right”, “sure”, “yes”, “that
makes sense”, “I understand”, and others.
j) Practice listening at home – Listen to podcasts on developing listening skills and learn
from them. You can also play an audio and try to gauge your listening ability.
Recollect from what was played and make pointers. Seek assistance from a friend to
help you evaluate your listening skills.

2. What is the importance of good listening skill for an engineer?

Ans: In the present globalised communicate world, engineers are expected to possess
effective listening skills. It is said, “Effective listening is a skill that underpins all the
positive human relationships; spend some time thinking about and developing your
listening skills - they are the building blocks of success.” Many business personalities
and top leaders acclaim their success to better listening skills. Listening is a quality
that a leader should possess. Those who listen to their employees are in an
advantageous situation to lead the entire team. Gone are the days, where it was
believed that one approach fits all. Now people who incorporate listening skills are
regarded
To be more successful in life. In fact, one cannot imagine any academic professional
or business work where expertise in listening skills is not required.
Equal in importance to oral and written communication skills is the ability to listen.
This skill is essential for engineers to understand problems and issues clearly. Strong
leaders listen to workers throughout an organization, to understand where problems
lie and hear their solutions; to clients, to understand their needs and guidelines; and
to supervisors, to understand their expectations.
 Listening allows you to build a great rapport with people, as well as demonstrating
to others that you respect what they have to say. You need to show that you’re
actively listening; paying attention and demonstrating your understanding of the
conversation by repeating key points. This way, they’ll feel like they are understood.

3. What are the important types of listening?

Ans:
a) Appreciative Listening
When you listen for appreciation you are listening for enjoyment. Think about the
music you listen to. You usually listen to music because you enjoy it. The same can be
said for appreciative listening when someone is speaking. Some common types of
appreciative listening can be found in sermons from places of worship, from a
motivational speech by people we respect or hold in high regard, or even from a
stand-up comedian who makes us laugh.
b) Empathic Listening
When you listen empathically you are doing so to show mutual concern. During this
type of listening you are trying to identify with the speaker by understanding the
situation in which he/she is discussing. You are stepping into the other’s shoes to get
a better understanding of what it is he/she is talking about. Usually during this type
of listening you want to be fully present in the moment or mindfully listening to what
the speaker is saying. Your goal during this time is to focus on the speaker, not on
yourself. You are trying to understand from the speaker’s perspective.
c) Comprehensive Listening
If you are watching the news, listening to a lecture, or getting directions from
someone, you are listening to understand or listening to comprehend the message
that is being sent. This process is active. In class, you should be focused, possibly
taking notes of the speaker’s main ideas. Identifying the structure of the speech and
evaluating the supports he/she offers as evidence. This is one of the more difficult
types of listening because it requires you to not only concentrate but to actively
participate in the process. The more you practice listening to comprehend, the
stronger listener you become.
d) Critical Listening
Have you ever had to buy an expensive item, such as a new appliance, a car, a cell
phone, or an iPad? You probably did some research beforehand and listened closely
to the salesperson when you went to compare brands. Or perhaps your best friend is
telling you about some medical tests he/she recently had done. You listen closely so
you can help your friend understand her results and the possible ramifications of the
findings. Both of these scenarios are examples of critical listening. Critical listening is
listening to evaluate the content of the message. As a critical listener you are
listening to all parts of the message, analyzing it, and evaluating what you heard.
When engaging in critical listening, you are also critically thinking. You are making
 mental judgments based on what you see, hear, and read. Your goal as a critical
listener is to evaluate the message that is being sent and decide for yourself if the
information is valid.
e) Biased listening:
Biased listening (or selective listening) is a type of listening behavior demonstrated
when someone is just listening for information that they want to hear. Biased
listening is different from critical listening because the listener is not honestly
evaluating the validity of the speaker’s opinions, but rather is looking to confirm
previously-held biases. People are often unaware that they are using a biased
listening process. Biased listening can lead to a distortion of facts in the mind of a
listener who is not tuned in to what a speaker intends to communicate.

4. What is Selective listening? Explain with an example.

Ans: Selective listening is a listening technique that filters and summarizes to achieve
comprehension.is a type of listening behaviour demonstrated when someone is just
listening for information that they want to hear. Biased listening is different from
critical listening because the listener is not honestly evaluating the validity of the
speaker’s opinions, but rather is looking to confirm previously-held biases. People are
often unaware that they are using a biased listening process. Biased listening can
lead to a distortion of facts in the mind of a listener who is not tuned in to what a
speaker intends to communicate.
For example, imagine that someone started talking to you while you were trying to
finish watching an episode of a TV show. Chances are good that you didn’t hear much
of what they said to you. Your brain prioritized the sound of the TV over that person’s
voice because your goal was to finish watching the show.
5. Explain with examples Active and Passive listening.
Ans:
Active listening is paying full attention to the speaker and making an effort to
understand the message. Passive listening is not paying much attention and making
no effort to understand the message.
In active listening, the listener pays full attention to the speaker and his words and
makes an effort to understand the message. Active listening builds rapport,
understanding and trust by actually hearing the message behind what the other
person is saying, not just what you think they are saying or what you want to hear.
The active listener spends more time listening than talking. However, he both listens
and responds to the speaker, either through body language or words of his own. The
active listener is genuinely interested in hearing and understanding the other
person’s point of view and engages in intellectual exchange. Empathy is an important
component of active listening because having empathy for the other person validates
his words and recognizes his feelings. Typically, an active listener is strong willed,
self-motivated and open to new ideas.
Examples of where active listening is very much required include, roundtable
meeting discussions, job interviews, media interviews, interrogations, parliament
debates, etc. Active listening is a technique that is used in counseling, training and
 solving disputes or conflicts. In active listening, both verbal and non-verbal
techniques are used to show and keep attention on the speaker.

In passive listening, the listener may appear to be listening to the speaker and her
words but makes no effort to understand the message. Unlike the active listener, the
passive listener is not paying attention. Whenever you listen to music while you are
doing something else, such as studying or doing chores, you are passive listening. You
may be aware of the music, but your attention is on your task.

A passive listener in a conversation or learning environment may accept and retain

the information she hears but does not question or challenge the message or show
interest through words or body language. She avoids getting into debates and giving
opinions and is unreceptive to new ideas.
Sometimes, the passive listener talks more than she listens. While this may suggest
that she is an active participant in a conversation, she is actually not paying attention
to what the other person is saying.
Examples of passive listening include,
 Communicating on the phone to your mother while checking Facebook, twitter
or Instagram.
 Watching TV while typing a few letters on your laptop.
 Listening to podcast on your way to work.
 Listening to praise and worship music on your way to church.

6. Write technical descriptions of any one of the following.

a) Mobile phone
b) Solar water heater
c) Washing machine
d) Refrigerator
e) A lathe machine
f) A camera

Ans: Camera
A camera is an optical instrument used to capture an image. At their most basic,
cameras are sealed boxes (the camera body) with a small hole (the aperture) that allows
light in to capture an image on a light-sensitive surface (usually photographic film or a
digital sensor). Cameras have various mechanisms to control how the light falls onto the
light-sensitive surface. Lenses focus the light entering the camera, the size of the aperture
can be widened or narrowed to let more or less light into the camera, and a shutter
mechanism determines the amount of time the photo-sensitive surface is exposed to the
light.

The still image camera is the main instrument in the art of photography and captured
images may be reproduced later as a part of the process of photography, digital imaging,
and photographic printing. The similar artistic fields in the moving image camera domain
are film, videography, and cinematography.

The word camera comes from camera obscura, which means "dark chamber" and is the
Latin name of the original device for projecting an image of external reality onto a flat
surface. The modern photographic camera evolved from the camera obscura. The
functioning of the camera is very similar to the functioning of the human eye.

PART A – 10 MARKS (EXAM QUESTION FROM PART C SESSION)

(EACH QUESTION CARRIES TWO & FIVE MARKS)

1. With reference to Intrapersonal Barriers to communication explain Wrong

Assumption and Differing Background.
Ans: Intrapersonal Barriers
Every individual has his own concept. Everyone is unique due to the differences in
experiences, education, value and personality. Each of us interprets the same
information in different ways, as our thinking varies. Certain common causes are
responsible for an individual’s inbuilt barriers. The common causes that lead to these
barriers are:
a. Wrong assumptions: These generally occur because the sender or the receiver
doesn’t have adequate knowledge about the other’s background or develops false
concepts, which are fixed in his/her mind.
Ex: A doctor asks his patient to take medicine only ‘SOS’ (i.e., during an
emergency), without knowing if the patient understands the term ‘SOS’
Overcome: The best way to overcome this barrier is to put yourself in the shoes of
the listener and becoming yourself as a good communicator.

b. Differing backgrounds: These occur when people are different due to different
education, culture, language, environment, financial status, etc. Our background
plays a significant role in how we pass information. When something not
experienced is described or received, People may not find it interesting at all.
Ex: A professor talks about his rock-climbing adventure. Students who have
experienced that may appreciate his talk, while others who have never been to
that couldn’t enjoy it all.
Overcome: The best way to overcome this barrier is to show empathy and identify
other’s background on the subject concerned.

2. Write the traits of good listener.

Ans:
1. They’re fully present.
Being present means that you’re engaged in the current moment. Instead of harbouring
on the past (whether you’re own or the speaker’s) or anticipating what they’ll say next,
you’re processing information as it’s told to you. You avoid all distractions, including
your phone and other people. This means you maintain good eye contact to emphasize
and demonstrate your focus.

2. They don’t listen to respond.

If you’re constantly thinking about how you’re supposed to react to what the speaker is
saying, you’re not being a good listener. Good listeners don’t focus on what they’re
going to contribute to the conversation next. Instead, they listen to process and
understand. If you’re having trouble with this, try pretending you aren’t able to react or
respond to the speaker.

3. They react in the moment.

Like not listening to respond, good listeners use their focus in the present to react on
the fly. While the planners among us might be made uneasy by this quality, these
moment-to-moment responses will be great if they’re made with understanding. If
you’re present, you’ll be able to focus and react with your gut, not with a critical (and
often wrong or harsh) mind. Your honest responses will produce an organic environment
where you’re more likely to foster better connections with the speaker.

4. They don’t have an agenda.

Good listeners go into conversations without any expectations. They’re not attached to a
certain outcome, so they’re not going to steer the conversation any way purposefully.
Rather, they let the speaker guide the interaction and respond based on how they feel in
the current moment. They don’t have a higher initiative, but rather let the conversation
flow where it needs to go.

5. They don’t jump to give advice.

While good listeners shouldn’t stray from helping someone in need or giving their input,
they don’t think their goal is to “fix” whatever the speaker needs. Sometimes, the best
way to work through a problem is to talk through it—and that might mean no responses
from a listener at all. Good listeners know when to offer their assistance and don’t rush
to add in their thoughts and risk taking attention away from the speaker.

6. They never interrupt.

It’s frustrating to speak and constantly get interrupted. You might lose your argument or
train of thought or even get your whole point derailed and forgotten. Good listeners
understand this fury and simply listen until the speaker’s finished. If they’re confused,
they follow up after the speaker has made their point. Often, initial confusion will be
clarified later. If it’s not, good listeners aren’t afraid to politely ask — as long as it’s after
they speaker’s finished.

7. They ask follow-up questions.

An important part of listening is engaging with the speaker. Good listeners encourage
what the speaker has to say and make sure they understand what’s been
communicated. They ask relevant questions or try to get more detail. If it’s an emotional
conversation, they provide support and ask the speaker about their needs. If it’s more
business-related, they may clarify and reiterate the agenda or ask anything they might
not be sure about.

8. They listen as much (or more than) they speak.

Good listeners aren’t worried about getting their say in. Instead, they’re focused on
what the speaker’s saying and respond when necessary. Because they don’t interrupt or
have expectations of what to say, they respond organically and appropriately. They
don’t aim to dominate the conversation, but rather try to listen the same amount or
even more than they verbally contribute.

9. They show that they’re listening.

Although they might not be speaking much during the conversation, good listeners show
that they’re engaged by using active body language. This may include nodding or leaning
in to show agreement or to encourage the speaker to continue. One of the best ways to
show you’re listening is to keep eye contact with the speaker — even if they’re looking
away, make sure to focus on them instead of letting your eyes constantly wander.

10. They’re patient.

While they might want to jump in with a response, good listeners don’t interrupt and
wait until the speaker’s finished with that they have to say. Imagine all that someone
has to say fills up an imaginary personal balloon. Listeners don’t wait until the speaker
pauses but rather until they’ve emptied “their balloon.” This means they encourage
them to say all that they have to rather than rushing to finish the conversation.

11. They listen to learn.

Good listeners believe they’ll learn something new from each conversation. They
actively listen to understand new information or ask open-ended questions to allow the
speaker to elaborate. Instead of having similar conversations again and again, they
remain interested and invested and try to learn something from everyone.

12. They’re interested in what the speaker is interested in.

This doesn’t mean that every good listener loves basketball and indie movies if their
speaker does. Yet caring and supporting other people means being interested in what
they have to say. Good listeners are genuinely curious and want to find out more about
what the speaker has had to say. They aren’t asking questions to seem polite; they want
answers, and they’re excited about how the speaker will provide them.

13. They summarize what they’ve heard.

While they don’t need to repeat what they’ve listened word for word, good listeners
respond with a summary that clarifies and processes what the speaker’s just said. This
typically comes closer to the end of the conversation to help highlight important
moments or illuminate any outstanding issues.

3. Explain varied perception and Categorical thinking with reference to Intrapersonal

Barriers to communication.
Ans:
1. Intrapersonal Barriers
Every individual has his own concept. Everyone is unique due to the differences in
experiences, education, value and personality. Each of us interprets the same
information in different ways, as our thinking varies. Certain common causes are
responsible for an individual’s inbuilt barriers. The common causes that lead to these
barriers are:

Varied Perceptions: These happen when individuals in certain scenario perceives the
situation in different ways. The way we understand the world around is called as
perception. Each one perceives the world in his unique way and interprets what has
been perceived in yet another unique way.

Ex: In the story ‘The elephant and six blind men’, the elephant was perceived by each
man as a fan, a rope, a wall, a sword, a snake, and a tree. Here every individual holds
different viewpoints about the same situation.

Overcome: The best way to overcome this barrier is to take step back and take a
wider, unbiased perspective of the issue.

Categorical thinking: This occurs with the people who feel that they know everything
about a particular subject, and therefore refuse to accept any further information on
the topic. It happens due to ‘know it all’ attitude and such people are called
‘Pansophists’. This becomes a major barrier, leading to a failure in communication.

Ex: In a general body meeting, an employee doesn’t pay attention, as he was already
briefed about the agenda by the secretary. Later he proposes to buy new vehicles
and feels Embarrassed after knowing that the same was discussed and decided by
the Manager.

Overcome: The best way to overcome this barrier is to identify the words in one’s or
other’s communication like all, always, every day, every time, everything, everybody
and their opposite like none, never, nobody, and nothing; and substitute these words
with phrases like ‘in most situations’ or ‘most likely’. It is also suggested to label one’s
opinions with phrases like, ‘it appears to me’ or ‘the evidence indicates’.
4. What are the tips for improving listening skills?
Ans: 1.
a) Demonstrate Your Listening Skills By Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing and summarizing are both fantastic communication skills that help you
to make sense of a speaker’s points and also allow you to demonstrate that you are
listening closely.

For example, if your colleague talks for five minutes about her current difficulties on
your shared project, you might try saying something like “So, you’re feeling very
frustrated that your feedback isn’t being taken into account, and you’re hoping to
organize our team in a way that facilitates more frank discussion”.

Although this sounds like a simple listening technique, it can really show that you
“get” the other person. It can also go a long way toward preventing misunderstands
and misattributions.

b) Face the speaker and give them your attention

It is difficult to talk to someone who is constantly looking around. Make sure to face
the speaker, maintain eye contact, and give them your undivided attention. In
Western cultures, eye contact is necessary for effective communication. Although
shyness, uncertainty, or cultural taboos may inhibit eye contact, try your best to
make sure the speaker knows that they have your full attention.

c) Keep an open mind

Do not judge or mentally criticize what the speaker is telling you. Doing so can
compromise your ability to take in what is being said. Never exhibit judgmental
behavior, as it compromises your effectiveness as a listener. You can evaluate what
was said after the speaker is finished talking, but don’t do so while you are still
listening to them.

Let the speaker finish what they are saying and don’t be a sentence-grabber.
Interrupting the speaker or prohibiting them from finishing what they are saying can
indicate disrespect to the speaker. Often, interrupting the speaker mid-sentence
interrupts their train of thought and can easily destroy a productive conversation.
d) Active listening
Active listening shows the speaker that you’re interested and is an important
business communication skill. Using active listening techniques helps to ensure that
you correctly understand what is said.

Active listening techniques:

  Paraphrasing back to the speaker what was said, to show understanding
 Nonverbal cues (nodding, eye contact, etc.)
 Verbal affirmations (“I understand,” “I know,” “Thank you,” etc.)
 Demonstrating concern and establishing rapport

e) Remember Past Details

Take any opportunity you can to add a comment that proves you have listened
and remembered something from a past conversation. This makes people feel
valued and proves that you really do pay attention.

For example, even something small like remembering that someone doesn’t like a
particular type of coffee or that they’ve once visited a specific country can help to
cement a mutual bond.

5. With reference to Interpersonal Barriers to communication explain Limited

Vocabulary and Poor listening skills.
Ans:
Interpersonal barriers occur due to the inappropriate transaction of words between
two or more people. These lead to the result of the limitations in the communication
skills of the sender or the receiver, or of both. The two broad categories into which
these barriers can be
Classified are:
 inefficient communication skills
 Negative aspect nurturing in the climate
With proper understanding and right behavioural attitude, we can try and
understand the role of differences among individuals that lead to these
communication breakdowns. The most common reasons for interpersonal barriers
are:

a. Limited Vocabulary: This occur when we find ourselves searching for the exact
word or phrase that would be appropriate for what we are trying to express.
On the other hand, merely having a wide vocabulary if of no use unless the
communicator knows how to use it. So, the denotative and connotative
meanings of the words should be absolutely clear to the receiver.

Ex: When a person is at a loss of words during a speech, his communication will be
very ineffective, and he will leave a poor impression on the audience.

Overcome: The best way to overcome this barrier is by putting constant efforts in
increasing vocabulary by regularly reading a variety of books and listening to native
speakers of the language.
 b. Poor listening skills: This happens when an individual is engrossed in his own
thoughts and not able to concentrate on listening. We should remember that
listening and hearing are not the same. Hearing is a passive exercise while
listening requires careful attention and accurate decoding of signals received
from the speaker. Distractions like emotional disturbances, indifference,
aggression, and wandering attention lead to poor listening skills.

Ex: A superior goes on shifting the papers on his desk while listening to his
subordinate, without making eye contact with the latter, he pays divided attention to
the speaker’s message.

Overcome: The best way to overcome this barrier is to be attentive while listening
the message. Misunderstandings and conflicts can be avoided if people listen to the
message with attention, because the divided attention adversely affects the sender-
receiver relation, besides distorting the communication.

6. What is listening? Explain active versus passive listening with examples.

Ans:
Listening is receiving language through the ears. Listening involves identifying the sounds of
speech and processing them into words and sentences. When we listen, we use our ears to
receive individual sounds (letters, stress, rhythm and pauses) and we use our brain to
convert these into messages that mean something to us.

Listening in any language requires focus and attention. It is a skill that some people need to
work at harder than others. People who have difficulty concentrating are typically poor
listeners. Listening in a second language requires even greater focus.

Like babies, we learn this skill by listening to people who already know how to speak the
language. This may or may not include native speakers. For practice, you can listen to live or
recorded voices. The most important thing is to listen to a variety of voices as often as you
can.

Active listening is paying full attention to the speaker and making an effort to understand
the message. Passive listening is not paying much attention and making no effort to
understand the message.
In active listening, the listener pays full attention to the speaker and his words and makes
an effort to understand the message. Active listening builds rapport, understanding and
trust by actually hearing the message behind what the other person is saying, not just what
you think they are saying or what you want to hear. The active listener spends more time
listening than talking. However, he both listens and responds to the speaker, either through
body language or words of his own. The active listener is genuinely interested in hearing
and understanding the other person’s point of view and engages in intellectual exchange.
Empathy is an important component of active listening because having empathy for the
other person validates his words and recognizes his feelings. Typically, an active listener is
strong willed, self-motivated and open to new ideas.
Examples of where active listening is very much required include, roundtable meeting
discussions, job interviews, media interviews, interrogations, parliament debates, etc.
Active listening is a technique that is used in counseling, training and solving disputes or
conflicts. In active listening, both verbal and non-verbal techniques are used to show and
keep attention on the speaker.

In passive listening, the listener may appear to be listening to the speaker and her words
but makes no effort to understand the message. Unlike the active listener, the passive
listener is not paying attention. Whenever you listen to music while you are doing
something else, such as studying or doing chores, you are passive listening. You may be
aware of the music, but your attention is on your task.

A passive listener in a conversation or learning environment may accept and retain the
information she hears but does not question or challenge the message or show interest
through words or body language. She avoids getting into debates and giving opinions and is
unreceptive to new ideas.
Sometimes, the passive listener talks more than she listens. While this may suggest that
she is an active participant in a conversation, she is actually not paying attention to what
the other person is saying.
Examples of passive listening include,
• Communicating on the phone to your mother while checking Facebook, twitter or
Instagram.
• Watching TV while typing a few letters on your laptop.
• Listening to podcast on your way to work.
• Listening to praise and worship music on your way to church.
7. Explain Fear of Superior and too many transfer section with reference to
Organizational Barriers to communication.
Ans: Every organization, irrespective of its size, has its own communication
techniques, communication policies, and each nurtures its own communication
climate. If the flow of communication is downward, feedback is not guaranteed. On
the other hand, organizations with a flat structure have an intricately-knit
communication network. And all these organizations have their own protocol to be
followed. It is the structure and complexity of this protocol that usually causes
communication (organizational) barriers. Many companies realize that a rigid,
hierarchical structure usually restricts the flow of communication. Since there are
numerous transfer points between the sender and receiver in an organization, this
reduces the effectiveness of the message and creates a barrier. The main
organizational barriers are as follows:

Too many transfer stations: This occurs when there are more communication links
between the main sender and receiver. The message between them gets distorted as
there are several layers of communication channels. It is not only due to poor
 listening, but also of several other reasons like filtering the message or considering it
as unimportant. Transfer stations serve a purpose, but having too many is a barrier.

Ex: A professor asks his assistant to inform a student to meet him on Friday instead
that day, as he is going out of station the next day. Then assistant asks his friend to
inform the student that he should meet the professor tomorrow, as the professor is
going out of station that day. And this friend of an assistant informs the student to
meet the professor that day, as he will not be available the next day.

Overcome: The best way to overcome this barrier is to avoid too many transfer
stations which is always the obstacle for an effective communication.

Fear of superiors: This barrier happens when inferiors have fear or awe of superiors
in organizations. An employee is not free enough to speak directly with his superior,
as he was restricted with power. Some employees may even avoid a mild talk with
their superiors, or else give all the information to them in an extreme level of fear.
This is because they feel that they will be viewed in an unfavourable light by leaving
out some information. In written communication, this results in bulky reports, where
essential information is clubbed with unimportant details.

Ex: An employee may not be pleased with the way his boss extract the work from
him, but is unable to put his point across because of fear of losing the boss’s
goodwill.

Overcome: The best way to avoid this barrier is by creating an open environment to
the employees to increase their confidence. Moreover, by encouraging active
participants from their subordinates, senior officers pave the way for more ideas,
resources, or solutions to come forth from their subordinates.

8. Discuss tips of an effective listening.

Ans:
a) Demonstrate Your Listening Skills By Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing and summarizing are both fantastic communication skills that help you
to make sense of a speaker’s points and also allow you to demonstrate that you are
listening closely.

For example, if your colleague talks for five minutes about her current difficulties on
your shared project, you might try saying something like “So, you’re feeling very
frustrated that your feedback isn’t being taken into account, and you’re hoping to
organize our team in a way that facilitates more frank discussion”.

Although this sounds like a simple listening technique, it can really show that you
“get” the other person. It can also go a long way toward preventing misunderstands
and misattributions.
 b) Face the speaker and give them your attention
It is difficult to talk to someone who is constantly looking around. Make sure to face
the speaker, maintain eye contact, and give them your undivided attention. In
Western cultures, eye contact is necessary for effective communication. Although
shyness, uncertainty, or cultural taboos may inhibit eye contact, try your best to
make sure the speaker knows that they have your full attention.

c) Keep an open mind

Do not judge or mentally criticize what the speaker is telling you. Doing so can
compromise your ability to take in what is being said. Never exhibit judgmental
behavior, as it compromises your effectiveness as a listener. You can evaluate what
was said after the speaker is finished talking, but don’t do so while you are still
listening to them.

Let the speaker finish what they are saying and don’t be a sentence-grabber.
Interrupting the speaker or prohibiting them from finishing what they are saying can
indicate disrespect to the speaker. Often, interrupting the speaker mid-sentence
interrupts their train of thought and can easily destroy a productive conversation.
d) Active listening
Active listening shows the speaker that you’re interested and is an important
business communication skill. Using active listening techniques helps to ensure that
you correctly understand what is said.

Active listening techniques:

• Paraphrasing back to the speaker what was said, to show understanding

• Nonverbal cues (nodding, eye contact, etc.)
• Verbal affirmations (“I understand,” “I know,” “Thank you,” etc.)
• Demonstrating concern and establishing rapport

e) Remember Past Details

Take any opportunity you can to add a comment that proves you have listened and
remembered something from a past conversation. This makes people feel valued and
proves that you really do pay attention.

For example, even something small like remembering that someone doesn’t like a
particular type of coffee or that they’ve once visited a specific country can help to
cement a mutual bond.

9. What are the different types of listening? Provide example of each type.
Ans:
 Discriminative listening
 Discriminative listening is the most basic type of listening, whereby the difference
between difference sounds is identified. If you cannot hear differences, then you cannot
make sense of the meaning that is expressed by such differences.
We learn to discriminate between sounds within our own language early, and later are
unable to discriminate between the phonemes of other languages. This is one reason why a
person from one country finds it difficult to speak another language perfectly, as they are
unable distinguish the subtle sounds that are required in that language.
Likewise, a person who cannot hear the subtleties of emotional variation in another
person's voice will be less likely to be able to discern the emotions the other person is
experiencing.
Listening is a visual as well as auditory act, as we communicate much through body
language. We thus also need to be able to discriminate between muscle and skeletal
movements that signify different meanings.

 Comprehension listening
The next step beyond discriminating between different sound and sights is to make sense of
them. To comprehend the meaning requires first having a lexicon of words at our fingertips
and also all rules of grammar and syntax by which we can understand what others are
saying.
The same is true, of course, for the visual components of communication, and an
understanding of body language helps us understand what the other person is really
meaning In communication, some words are more important and some less so, and
comprehension often benefits from extraction of key facts and items from a long spiel.
Comprehension listening is also known as content listening, informative listening
and full listening.

 Critical listening
Critical listening is listening in order to evaluate and judge, forming opinion about what is
being said. Judgment includes assessing strengths and weaknesses, agreement and
approval.
This form of listening requires significant real-time cognitive effort as the listener
analyzes what is being said, relating it to existing knowledge and rules, whilst
simultaneously listening to the ongoing words from the speaker.

 Biased listening
Biased listening happens when the person hears only what they want to hear, typically
misinterpreting what the other person says based on the stereotypes and other biases that
they have. Such biased listening is often very evaluative in nature.

 Evaluative listening
In evaluative listening, or critical listening, we make judgments about what the other
person is saying. We seek to assess the truth of what is being said. We also judge what they
say against our values, assessing them as good or bad, worthy or unworthy.
 Evaluative listening is particularly pertinent when the other person is trying to
persuade us, perhaps to change our behavior and maybe even to change our beliefs. Within
this, we also discriminate between subtleties of language and comprehend the inner
meaning of what is said. Typically also we weigh up the pros and cons of an argument,
determining whether it makes sense logically as well as whether it is helpful to us.
Evaluative listening is also called critical, judgmental or interpretive listening.

 Appreciative listening
In appreciative listening, we seek certain information which will appreciate, for example
that which helps meet our needs and goals. We use appreciative listening when we are
listening to good music, poetry or maybe even the stirring words of a great leader.

 Sympathetic listening
In sympathetic listening we care about the other person and show this concern in the way
we pay close attention and express our sorrow for their ills and happiness at their joys.

 Empathetic listening
When we listen empathetically, we go beyond sympathy to seek a truer understand how
others are feeling. This requires excellent discrimination and close attention to the nuances
of emotional signals. When we are being truly empathetic, we actually feel what they are
feeling.
In order to get others to expose these deep parts of themselves to us, we also need
to demonstrate our empathy in our demeanour towards them, asking sensitively and in a
way that encourages self-disclosure.

 Therapeutic listening
In therapeutic listening, the listener has a purpose of not only empathizing with the speaker
but also to use this deep connection in order to help the speaker understand, change or
develop in some way.
This not only happens when you go to see a therapist but also in many social
situations, where friends and family seek to both diagnose problems from listening and also
to help the speaker cure themselves, perhaps by some cathartic process. This also happens
in work situations, where managers, HR people, trainers and coaches seek to help
employees learn and develop.

 Dialogic listening
The word 'dialogue' stems from the Greek words 'dia', meaning 'through' and 'logos'
meaning 'words'. Thus dialogic listening mean learning through conversation and an
engaged interchange of ideas and information in which we actively seek to learn more
about the person and how they think.

Dialogic listening is sometimes known as 'relational listening'.

10. Explain the different barriers to effective listening?

Ans:
 Talking speed vs speed of thought
There is a considerable difference between the speed at which people talk and the
speed at which they think. The average person speaks at about 125 words per
minute, whereas thinking speed is in the region of 500 words per minute. We all
Think a lot faster than we realise! The result is that when listening to someone we are
continually jumping ahead of what is actually being said. Try to avoid jumping to
conclusions in the review meeting. Keep an open mind!

 Lack of interest
This could be due to lack of interest in the individual speaking or being distracted by things
that are happening to you personally (e.g. poorly the person, deadline for research project
funding/reporting) Remember, the review meeting is the opportunity for the review to talk
about themselves, their thoughts and feelings.

 Beliefs and attitudes

We all have opinions on a variety of current issues; we feel strongly about certain subjects;
we value certain behaviours. How do you react when someone inadvertently challenges
your beliefs and attitudes? Try to avoid getting emotional particularly in the review
situation, remember, the review is about the reviewer not you!

 Reactions to speaker
Our reactions to the person speaking rather than what they are saying can cause us to
listen less effectively.

 Our preconceptions
Our preconceptions often mean we don’t even give another person a chance to speak. We
can prejudge what they have to say. The implication of this behaviour is that it implies we
don’t value what they might have to offer.
The words we hear Over-repetition of words and phrases is one distraction, the use of
unfamiliar (e.g. jargon) words is another. Another important point to remember is that
words can mean different things to different people. Good – to one person may mean only
just acceptable, to another it might mean ‘perfect’.

 Physical distractions
This can come in a number of different guises and ranges from the background noises that
are going on (i.e. a telephone ringing or a fire engine racing down the road), whether we
are physically comfortable (i.e. too warm, too cold, the seat is uncomfortable – too
high/too low, thirsty), the lighting in the room, to distracting pictures on the wall. Some
distractions are within our control (i.e telephone calls) and where possible it’s important to
try and stop them from becoming distractions
(e.g. divert all calls)

PART A – 10 MARKS (EXAM QUESTION FROM PART D SESSION)

 (EACH QUESTION CARRIES TWO MARKS)

1. What is the purpose of reading for a student?

Ans :
A the person's reading skills are important to their success in school as they will allow
them to access the breadth of the curriculum and improve their communication and
language skills. In addition, reading can be a fun and imaginative time for the personren,
which opens doors to all kinds of new worlds for them.

2. Define process of reading.

Ans:
Reading is a process. As such, it has various stages (before-, during-, and after-reading) at
which different tasks need to be performed.
Reading is interactive. The mind of the reader interacts, conducts a dialogue, and
actively engages with the text to decode, assign meaning, and interpret.
The reader applies prior knowledge of the world to this act. There is a message to be
conveyed or constructed. Skilled readers understand the process and employ different
strategies automatically at each stage.
Reading is a complex interaction between the text, the reader and the purposes for
reading, which are shaped by the reader’s prior knowledge and experiences, the reader’s
knowledge about reading and writing language and the reader’s language community
which is culturally and socially situated.

The reading process involves 5 stages:

 Prereading
 Reading
 Responding
 Exploring
 Applying

3. Provide any two reasons of poor comprehension.

Ans:
 Language Skills

Text comprehension relies on being able to access word meanings efficiently and
integrate them into the context of the passage. The ones who know fewer words
may also find it harder to learn new ones because they cannot make as many links
with existing word meanings; this means that difficulties with word meanings can be
compounded over time. Lack of vocabulary also means poor use of context to
support their understanding of sentences. The meaning of a sentence, and even the
individual words within it, are often affected by the order of the words. Thus, oral
language difficulties may place at risk of future weaknesses in reading
comprehension.
  Working Memory

Working memory processes may be important for text comprehension, because

reading involves holding information in mind about what has just been read while
continuing to decode upcoming ideas and to integrate this new information with
what has gone before. It follows that a possible cause of reading comprehension
difficulty is a working memory problem.

4. What would you advise for poor ability to understand a word or a sentence?
Ans:
 Eliminate distractions. Find a place where you can have some peace and quiet
when you read, to help you concentrate. Turn off the television, put your
phone on silent, and go to a quiet room alone.
 Use a pen or finger to guide your reading. If you’re still having trouble focusing,
slide your pen or finger under the words as you read them. This will help keep
your eyes from moving all over the page.
5. Identify types of reading:
1. Phone number in telephone dictionary.
Ans: scanning
2. Reading newspaper.
Ans : skimming

6. Provide difference between scanning and skimming.

Ans:
The difference between skimming and scanning are discussed here in detail:

 Skimming can be defined as a type of reading in which the reader reads the
text quickly to have an idea of the concept, subject matter, main points and
gist, without paying close attention to the excessive detail. On the other hand,
scanning refers to the reading technique, in which the reader moves his eyes
over the entire text in order to locate specific keywords which he/she has in
his/her mind.
 Skimming is a quick reading method, whereas scanning is a selective reading
method.
 While skimming involves reading out the maximum amount of material in the
minimum time, scanning is a method of searching out something in a fast
manner.
 Skimming technique is used with the aim of taking an insight of what is
contained in the study material, without reading it word for word. On the
contrary, when the reader uses scanning he/she wants to find out the specific
fact, keyword or information, of his/her need.
  Skimming is used to get acquainted with the text you have not read yet.
Conversely, in the case of scanning the reader has the knowledge of what
he/she is looking for, in the given text.
7. What is scanning? Give suitable examples.
Ans:
‘To scan’ means ‘to look for something’. Scanning refers to a selective reading
method generally used by the reader when he/she is in search of some specific
information or text, contained in the passage, without reading the text thoroughly.
Hence. When you scan some material you already know what are you looking for,
you just have to spot and swoop it down.

It involves rolling the eyes over the study material until you locate the keywords or
information of your need. It has more to do with searching, rather than reading.
Therefore, it can be said that scanning is a search-oriented reading process, which is
used to find out answers to the specific questions, and once the answer is found, the
reading process is stopped.
Basically, when you perform scanning, there is a specific purpose or question at
hand, and you go through with the given text so as to find the answer to that
question and thus avoid reading the text which is irrelevant to your purpose or
question.

For effective scanning, the reader should, first of all, understand the way in which the
material is organized/presented and discern whatever is read, to easily identify the
required information.

Example
A learner taking a reading exam decides to approach text by looking at the title,
introductions, and any diagrams and sub-headings, then skim reading to get a clear
general idea of what the text is about.

8. Define skimming with suitable examples.

Ans : ‘To skim’ means ‘to take a quick glance’. Skimming can be understood as the
technique of speedy reading wherein the reader pays attention to the main point or
essence within the passage only, so as to get a general concept of the content. In
skimming, the text containing unnecessary details, stories, examples or other data is
purposefully skipped.

In other words, skimming does not require intimate reading but it should be focused.

The reader mainly reads the introduction, summary, bold/italic words, bulleted
points, names, heading and subheadings, dates, figures, etc. This technique is
generally used while reading newspaper, mails and messages. Skimming is said to be
effective when the reader is able to grasp the main information correctly and clearly.
 With skimming a lot of time of the reader is saved, because you don’t have to spend
hours to read the entire material in full. But, this technique should not be applied
every time, except you are in a hurry. However, it is also possible that when you skim
a reading material you skip the relevant points, or misunderstand something.

Skimming can be used, to take the overview of the chapter while revising for an exam
or to take an overview of a book to decide if it is read-worthy or not.

Example :
 To see what is in the news on a website or on a paper
 To look through a text to decide whether you want to read it or not

 To look through the television guide/program schedule to plan your evening

 To see through a catalog to choose an offer
 To go through the options after searching something on Google

9. What do you mean by Intensive reading?

Ans :
The meaning of intensive reading is to read with full concentration and complete
focus. It’s not about reading book after book or 10 articles a day. Even if you’re
reading a single-line quote, you should try to understand what the words are trying
to convey.

Intensive reading is one of the most critical skills you can develop to get a better
understanding of information. When you have to read a report for work, for instance,
you can’t just skim it and call it a day. You have to get a deeper understanding of
what’s written, assess the purpose and evaluate the results to make sense of it.
Reading intensively will help you tackle complex texts. You’ll be able to strengthen
your reading comprehension, vocabulary and language skills.

10. Define extensive reading

Ans:
Extensive Reading (ER) is an approach to second language reading. When learners
read extensively, they read very easy, enjoyable books to build their reading speed and
fluency. Another way to say this is students learn to read by actually reading rather than
examining texts by studying the vocabulary, grammar and phrases. It is instructive to
compare Intensive Reading (IR) with Extensive Reading.
The meaning of extensive reading is reading widely but not necessarily focusing on only
one text. You can read from different sources to develop your reading skills. It’s not about
finding layers of meaning, grammar rules or other critical aspects of a text.

PART A – 5 MARKS (EXAM QUESTION FROM PART ID SESSION)

 (EACH QUESTION CARRIES FIVE MARKS)

1. Write tips for improving comprehension skills.

Ans :
 Find books that we like
Sometimes, low reading comprehension comes down to the fact that a student just
isn’t interested in what he or she is reading. In fact, 73% of students say they would
read more if they could find books they liked. The secret to becoming a better reader
is practise—something that is much easier when your the person actually likes what
he or she is reading.

 Read aloud
Hearing the words out loud helps many students gain a better understanding of what
they are reading than they are able to get while reading in their head. Encourage
your the person to read aloud if he or she is struggling with a certain part of a book
or a particular word.

 Skim the headings of the text

Quickly skimming the headings of a book gives students a high-level overview of what
they are reading. Your the person can use the headings to quickly understand what
the reading is about and the main points before he or she actually starts reading.

 Re-read sections that are confusing

Revisiting the parts that were confusing for your the person (or or that might simply
need a quick refresher) can help your the person gain a more complete picture of
what he or she is learning. This also helps ensure your the person is able to
understand upcoming material in the text.

 Use a ruler or finger to follow along

If your the person has trouble keeping his or her place while reading, use a ruler or
finger to make following along easier. This trick can also help students who have
dyslexia and struggle with separating lines of text and sentences while reading.

 Write down words you don’t know

As someone makes his or her way through the reading material, have him or her
write down unfamiliar words. Encourage the person to look these words up in a
dictionary to learn what they mean. Then, find ways to use them in a sentence that
your the person makes up him or herself.

 Discuss what your the person has just read

When the person has finished reading, talk about what he or she just read together.
Ask the person what he or she learned and his or her thoughts. For longer reading
materials, like novels for book reports, make discussion questions you and your the
person can talk about together after each reading session.
  Recap and summarize the main points
When talking about the material with the person, ask him or her to recap and
summarize the main points. Explaining what the person learned in his or her own
words helps ensure your the person understands what was read. It also helps relate
the material to what he or she already knows.

2. Describe reasons for poor comprehension skills.

Ans:
 Disinterest and boredom causes children not to pay attention to what
they’re reading. Some bright children find the story or material they’re
reading so simple that they’re bored. Others are disinterested in what
they’re reading because it doesn’t relate to anything they care or know
about.

 Decoding individual words slows down or prevents reading comprehension.

If the assigned material includes too many words a child doesn’t know,
they’ll focus on decoding rather than understanding. Many will simply give
up trying to read what’s assigned. ESL children and kids from families who
don’t engage their children in conversation and have few books will often
not understand words that other kids in their class know.

 Difficult text challenges some students. For others, it’s so frustrating they
give up. A story may be appropriate for the grade level of the child but too
hard for an individual children. In addition to not knowing the vocabulary,
the context can be unfamiliar or the story too complex.

Oral language deficit is often associated with poor reading comprehension. Children
with limited vocabulary and oral reading fluency will have difficulties understanding
written text. Recent research has shown that “spoken language training seems to
have resulted in a generalized improvement in the kids’ ability to understand
language.”

Working memory deficit occurs with kids who can’t remember what they’ve read
long enough to talk about it or explain the story immediately after reading. It’s
common with kids with ADHD,

Visual processing disorder affects students’ reading comprehension if they skip words
or lines. They may also be unable to judge depth and distance and reverse letters and
numbers. Children with visual perception problems usually have poor eye-hand
coordination. Visual processing disorder can affect not only reading comprehension
but math and motor skills.
 3. Discuss different techniques of reading.
Ans:
 Skimming: In this type, we will get the gist on the topic we read. This type of
reading could be with the newspapers or some brochure to get the overall
understanding.
 Scanning: In this type, the reader could just scan through it to see whether it
contains the information, they are looking for. The best example for this kind
of reading is the telephone directory.
 Intensive: For this type, the reader would have a topic in mind which he
searches. He has full concentration while reading by checking each and every
fact very closely related to the topic.
 Extensive: Here the reader will be engaged in reading for his pleasure. The
books like novels, magazines could be kept under this category

4. Explain reading purposes with example.

Ans:
a. Pleasure and enjoyment: This is probably the best reason to read anything. You
have chosen the material for the purpose of enjoying yourself. Reading
entertains you, even relaxes you. However, this will rarely be the purpose
behind the reading one needs to do for academic purposes.

b. Practical application: Here the purpose is to gain information that you can
apply or use in a practical situation. Books such as laboratory manuals,
computer manuals, instruction booklets and recipe books are all texts that you
would consult with the purpose of gaining specific information.

c. (iii) To get an overview: The point here is to get a general feel for the material,
to determine whether it is relevant, useful, up·to-date, and to get a sense of
how the topic is treated by the author. This is likely to be the main purpose
behind your reading when:

 You are given an extensive reading list for an assignment.

 You are doing initial library research for an essay, tutorial, research report or similar
assignments.
 You need to decide which texts are most relevant or useful for your assignment.

d. To locate specific information: Sometimes you know what you are looking for
but do not know exactly where to find it. For example, you might be looking for
any of the following:

 A specific quotation
 Evidence to support a particular argument
 Details about a specific person or event
 A map
 A diagram
 A statistic or table of statistics

e. To identify the central idea of theme: The purpose here is to extract the
essence of what the written material is trying to convey. For example, you
might want to identify the major finding in an experimental article in a journal,
or the core issue of a discussion paper.
f. To develop a detailed and critical understanding: On many occasions, you will
need to master fully the material in a book, journal article or manual so that
you can evaluate its arguments, perspective, and/or evidence. This will require
you to:

 Read the material thoroughly.

 Make effective and relevant notes.
 Keep an open mind by being aware of your own ideas and opinions regarding
the issues involved.

PART A – 10 MARKS (EXAM QUESTION FROM PART E SESSION)

(EACH QUESTION CARRIES TWO MARKS)

1. Define Extemporaneous mode of presentation skills with example.

Ans:
The extemporaneous presentation is one that is carefully prepared, but not
memorized. You organize the speech but do not write it out word for word. Instead
you use key words and key phrases to trigger the next thought. Note cards or sheets
of paper encased in plastic covers are the most efficient methods of delivering this
presentation.

This mode of presentation is the one where you can make the best contact with your
audience. You can also adjust your length and even content of the presentation as
you speak. Even though you are carefully prepared, you should not sound memorized
or that you are reading your notes to the audience.

Example:
For instance, suppose you are speaking about workplace safety and you use the term
“sleep deprivation.” If you notice your audience’s eyes glazing over, this might not be
a result of their own sleep deprivation, but rather an indication of their uncertainty
about what you mean. If this happens, you can add a short explanation; for example,
“sleep deprivation is sleep loss serious enough to threaten one’s cognition, hand-to-
eye coordination, judgment, and emotional health.” You might also (or instead)
provide a concrete example to illustrate the idea. Then you can resume your
message, having clarified an important concept.

2. How is it important to have good presentation skills? Give at least four points.
 Ans :
 You will learn to communicate better in all areas of life. ...
 You will be less stressed. ...
 Your time management will improve. ...
 You will be less stressed. ...
 Your time management will improve. ...
 Give the audience what they want. ...
 Focus on your key message.
3. What are the four important aspects to be considered while planning for your
presentation?
Ans :
 The Objective
Whenever you are asked to give a presentation or speak to a group of people, you
need to start by asking the purpose of the presentation.
 The Subject
The subject of your presentation or talk about comes from the objective. They are
linked, but they are not necessarily exactly the same thing.
 The Audience
Before preparing material for a presentation, it is worth considering your prospective
audience.
 The Place
It is important to have as much advance information as possible about the place
where you are going to speak.
 The Time
There will often be no flexibility in the time of day that a presentation is made.
However, it does affect what you can do, and how you might organise your
presentation, because of the likely state of your audience

4. Define Manuscript with reference to presentation skills with example.

Ans:
The word manuscript is the clue to the style. The speech is written and the speaker
reads it word for word to the audience. Originally, it was done from the hand-written
paper manuscript. Today the manuscript style is common, but the paper is gone.
Who reads the speech to the audience? Answer: Newscasters and television
personalities. In the old days, the manuscript was hand-lettered on cue cards, which
were held next to the camera lens. Then paper scrolls, like printed piano rolls were
used, especially in Soap Operas. Today, a special teleprompter (working like a
periscope) is attached to the camera so the newscaster is looking at the lens while
reading.

5. Why do we have to analyse the audience before giving presentation? Mention at

least four points.
Ans:
 Audience analysis involves identifying the audience and adapting a speech to their
interests, level of understanding, attitudes, and beliefs. Taking an audience-cantered
approach is important because a speaker’s effectiveness will be improved if the
presentation is created and delivered in an appropriate manner.

Identifying the audience through extensive research is often difficult, so audience

adaptation often relies on the healthy use of imagination

6. How one can get attention of the audience while giving presentation? Give four
points.
Ans:
 Start off with something shocking
 Tell a story.
 Go off script
 Use emotional inflections in your voice
 Use the power of louds and softs
 Call out individuals in the audience.
 Set up some jokes.

7. Differentiate between Impromptu and Manuscript mode of presentation.

Ans:
 Impromptu speaking involves delivering a message on the spur of the
moment, as when someone is asked to “say a few words.”
 Remember that you are generally in control of the content, so you can decide
what you are going to talk about and include topics you want to talk about.
 Your delivery will naturally be more conversational and spontaneous.
 Since you are not well-prepared, you may overlook some significant
information, but audience questions can often help fill in the gaps.
 Become familiar with common organizational patterns so you can apply them
in any situation using the three part speech outline of an Introduction, Body,
and Conclusion.

 When provided with a manuscript, you need to deliver it exactly as written. It

is the original author’s ideas and not your own that you are presenting to the
audience.
 One important form of manuscript is a proclamation. When you read the
proclamation, you create a distinct speech act that puts the statements into
effect.
 After the speaker reads the manuscript and understands the meaning, he or
she can practice creating a conversational delivery by emphasizing important
words, creating vocal phrases with the right words together, and varying the
pace and emphasis.
 If you are preparing your own manuscript for delivery, consider first the
audience and write for them as if you were speaking directly to them.
  You can now use low cost personal teleprompters to help you deliver
sermons, deliver speeches, and create quality audios.

8. Mention the steps for planning the presentation.

Ans:
Step 1: Analyze your audience
Step 2: Select a topic
Step 3: Define the objective of the presentation
Step 4: Prepare the body of the presentation
Step 5: Prepare the introduction and conclusion
Step 6: Practice delivering the presentation