Unit I

Reading and Communication Skills

What is Reading?

Reading is a receptive skill - through it we receive information.

"Reading" is the process of looking at a series of written symbols and

getting meaning from them.

How we Read?

When we read, we use our eyes to receive written symbols (letters,

punctuation marks and spaces) and we use our brain to convert them
into words, sentences and paragraphs that communicate something to
us.

Styles of Reading
What Is Skimming Reading?

Skimming is one of the tools you can use to read more in less time.

Skimming refers to looking only for the general or main ideas, and works
best with non-fiction (or factual) material.

To read only the first sentence of each paragraph. Also called topic
sentences

What Is Scanning Reading?

Scanning is another useful tool for speeding up your reading.

Unlike skimming, when scanning, you look only for a specific fact or
piece of information without reading everything.

What is Detailed Reading?

Reading every word, and work to learn from the text.

Detailed reading is a teaching strategy that provides high level support

for students.

It involves three phases: text marking, note making, rewriting.

Communication Skill

What is Communication?

Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one

place to another.

Communication is the process of conveying information between two or

more people.

The communication process is the steps we take in order to achieve a

successful communication.

Types of Communication
1. Spoken or Verbal Communication: face-to-face, telephone, radio or
television and other media.
2. Non-Verbal Communication: body language, gestures, how we dress or
act - even our scent.
3. Written Communication: letters, e-mails, books,
Internet or via other media.

magazines, the

4. Visualizations: graphs and charts, maps, logos and other visualizations

can communicate messages.
The Communication Process

(1) Sender

The person who intends to convey the message with the intention of
passing information and ideas to others is known as sender or
communicator.

(2) Ideas

This is the subject matter of the communication. This may be an opinion,

attitude, feelings, views, orders, or suggestions.

(3) Encoding

Since the subject matter of communication is theoretical and intangible,

its further passing requires use of certain symbols such as words,
actions or pictures etc. Conversion of subject matter into these symbols
is the process of encoding.

(4) Communication Channel

The person who is interested in communicating has to choose the

channel for sending the required information, ideas etc. This information
is transmitted to the receiver through certain channels which may be
either formal or informal.

(5) Receiver

Receiver is the person who receives the message or for whom the
message is meant for. It is the receiver who tries to understand the
message in the best possible manner in achieving the desired objectives.

(6) Decoding

The person who receives the message or symbol from the communicator
tries to convert the same in such a way so that he may extract its
meaning to his complete understanding.

(7) Feedback

Feedback is the process of ensuring that the receiver has received the
message and understood in the same sense as sender meant it.

Barriers of Communication
What is Barriers of Communication?

Communication of barriers are the difficulties involved in the process of

communication which distort the message being properly understand by
the receiver barriers prevent the communication from being effective

Barriers
1. Physical Barriers
2. Perceptual Barriers
3. Emotional Barriers
4. Cultural Barriers
5. Language Barriers
6. Gender Barriers

7. Interpersonal Barriers

Measures to Overcome the Barriers of Communication

(1) Clarify Ideas before Communication

The person sending the communication should be very clear in his mind
about what he wants to say. He should know the objective of his message
and, therefore, he should arrange his thoughts in a proper order.

(2) Communicate According to the Need of the Receiver:

The sender of the communication should prepare the structure of the

message not according to his own level or ability but he should keep in
mind the level, understanding or the environment of the receiver.

(3) Consult Others before Communication:

At the time of planning the communication, suggestions should be

invited from all the persons concerned. Its main advantage will be that
all those people who are consulted at the time of preparing the
communication plan will contribute to the success of the communication
system.

(4) Be Aware of Language, Tone and Content of Message:

The sender should take care of the fact that the message should be
framed in clear and beautiful language. The tone of the message should
not injure the feelings of the receiver. As far as possible the contents of
the message should be brief and excessive use of technical words should
be avoided.

(5) Convey Things of Help and Value to the Listener:

The subject matter of the message should be helpful to the receiver. The
need and interest of the receiver should specially be kept in mind.
Communication is more effective in such a situation.

(6) Ensure Proper Feedback:

The purpose of feedback is to find out whether the receiver has properly
understood the meaning of the information received. In the face-to- face
communication, the reaction on the face of the receiver can be
understood.

But

in

case

of

written

communication

or

some

other

sort

of

communications some proper method of feedback should be adopted by

the sender.
(7) Consistency of Message:

The information sent to the receiver should not be self- contradictory. It

should be in accordance with the objectives, policies, programmes and
techniques of the organisation. When a new message has to be sent in
place of the old one, it should always make a mention of the change
otherwise it can create some doubts.

(8) Follow up Communication:

In order to make communication effective the management should

regularly try to know the weaknesses of the communication system. In
this context effort can be made to know whether to lay more stress upon
the formal or the informal communication would be appropriate.

Similarly, suggestions can be invited in respect of the medium of

communication (oral, written and gestural) to know as to which medium
would be more effective and appropriate.

(9) Be a Good Listener:

It is the essence of communication that both the sender and the receiver
should be good listeners. Both should listen to the each others point of
view with attention, patience and positive attitude. A sender can receive
much relevant information by being a good listener.

Listening Skills
The process of listening

This process has five stages sensing, interpreting, evaluating,

remembering and responding.

Sensing
Sensing means to get in tune with the speaker, as we tune a radio the listener
is prepared and knows that he has to listen.
Listening is meaningful when a person converts the words coming to him into
ideas. The ideas make sense or no sense. The listener keeps what is useful,
separates what is useless, and keeps a note of what is unclear or incomplete.
The speaker may emphasize one thing; the listener may consider another thing
important. A complainant may worry about his troubles; the PRO may want to
know basically who erred in the organisation.
Remembering:
Listening serves a greater purpose if the message is recorded for its useful life
to aid ones memory, one may take notes or create mental pictures, and for
example when an address is being explained. But written notes may sometimes
put the speaker on the alert and halt his communication.
Responding:
The listener may respond on the spot by making appropriate remarks: I see,
or Is it so? or Okay. This reassures the speaker. The listener may ask
questions to bring out the required information and complete the picture from

his point of view. Responding also means to act on the message received and to
let the speaker know this.