UNIT- FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION AND VOICE DYNAMICS This Chapter will give you a/an: = Overview Introduction to Communication Introduction to Technical Communication Definition of Technical Communication ‘Types of Technical Communication Aspects of Technical Communication Features of Technical Communication Distinction between General and Technical Communication Language as a tool of Communication Dimensions of Communication: Reading & Comprehension Forms of Technical Communication Importance of Technical Communication Technical Writing: Sentences ‘Types & Flow of Communication Technical Communication Skills (Listening, Speaking, Writing, Reading) Linguistic Ability Styles in Technical Communication Role and Purpose of Communication Leadership Communication: Crucial Roles and Goals 7C’s of Communicatic Levels of Communicat Code and Content (i) Stimulus & Response ii) Vowel Sounds Consonant Sounds (iv) Rising and Falling Tone n Bho overview We live in a competitive world where every person is working hard to be the best at what he/she does. So, one must build his/her personal brand to stand out in the crowd. Our words hold the power to captivate, inspire and motivate others. If one can communicate one’s ideas clearly and concisely, the other person will retain the meaning well and understand the conveyed message. Many times, we have a clear idea of what we want to convey, but when it’s time to put it into words, the idea gets lost in the language. This is true even when we're listening to someone as he/she speaks. We get lost in our 1B l 2 Technical Communication “Effective Communication Skills’ The Key to Succes ‘The communication needs to 4, : h own thoughts and end up not comprehensing muc g T F erms of means, the more effectin, effective. The more efficient the communication is in | it becomes in attaining its end BBL 1.1. wrropuction To COMMUNICATION. What is Communication? Communication is the life blood of society as well as of the corporate world. It wouldn't be exaggeration to say that humans are social because they communicate. Even our silence communicates. We all have a layman's idea of what communication is, but let us try to understand the concept as much as possible so that we can use it effectively. Communication is the process by which we exchange meanings, facts, ideas, opinions or emotions with other people. It is an essential condition of our existence and one of our most important abilities. The word ‘communication’ has been derived from the Latin word ‘communicare/communis’ that means to ‘share’ or ‘participate’. Everybody knows that most of the time, through speech or writing or any other means like exchange of a common set of symbols, we share information with others. It is, therefore, first and foremost, a social activity. Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons. [BE 1.2. IntRODUCTION To TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION The word ‘technical’ as defined by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, refers to something “connected with the practical use of machines, methods, etc., in science and industry.” Technical communication, therefore, means the transmission of facts, figures, ideas and all sorts of scientific and technical information from one individual to another. All communication, general or technical, involves a minimum of two people in the process in which one is the communication and the other is the receiver. The comunicator encodes the concepts. That message or concept is decoded by the receives and is converted into meaning. At this stage of decoding, the receiver analyses and interprets the meaning of the message so that any confusion or misunderstanding can be avoided. “Some of the most accomplished engineers of all time have paid as much attention to their words as to their numbers, to their sentences as to their equations, and to their reports as to their designs.” Henry Petroski, “Engineers as Writers”__”" mmentals of Communication and Voice Dynamics Funda Fig. 1.2 | Ef .3 DEFINITION OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION The word ‘technical’ means application of scientific methods and machinery Technical Communication is to conveying the facts, figures, ideas and all types of scie! ntific and technical information is Technical Communication primarily consists of responding to specialized information for the practical use of readers/listeners who need that information. i 1.4 TYPES OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION Communication whether technical or non-technical is a complex two-way process, involving encoding, translation and decoding of the messages. Effective communication requires a communicator to translate the message in a way which is specifically designed for the intended audience. The technical communication may be spoken as well as written. The technocrats may conduct their professional jobs sometimes through oral communication which is performed through speech while sometimes through written communication wherein the written words becomes necessary. Hence, the technologist has to be proficient in both types of technical Types of comeunication Based on Based on Jeommunication siyle & channel purpose Non-verbal] } Verbal LI Format i Oral Written Non-formal Face-torace| Distance Fig. 1.3 Types of communication communication — oral and written. Creating and delivering an effective presentation requires a basic understanding of the communication process. Most of the business presentations require a clear and unambiguous communication of the message in a way which can be clearly understood by the recipient.| [a ___ Technical Communication “Effective Communication Skills: The Key to. —— 1.4.1 Skills of Technical Writers The skills of a technical writer are a debatable topic. Different people have different opinions and different organizations look for different skill sets. In spite of all the differences and disagreements, there is also a common area regarding the basic skills expected to a technical writer. Some of the qualities have to be, a few others can be learned in a short duration, and vet others can be developed over a longer period of time. Basic skills are the inherent skills and qualities present in an individual which can be further developed with some effort. The most important skill other than language and writing skills is the ability to express and give good instructions Let's discuss some of the main skills required for technical communication, 1. Language Skills Language is the basic asset of a writer. One need not be a genius with words, know all the rules of grammar, or have a masters in English or journalism. One only needs to have a good command over the language, know the basic rules of grammar and punctuation, and be able to express oneself clearly and simply. Example: Check the following advertisement: Got a Cold? Try our cough drops. We guarantee you'll never get better, [Isn't that scary?] Any error in the writing will change the intended meaning and will create confusion. To avoid such confusion, one should be able to write their thoughts clearly. 2. Writing Skills The Occupational Outlook Handbook defines one of the main characteristics of technical writing as making scientific and technical information easy for a non-technical audience. The writing phase is also about: 1. Writing ones’ thoughts clearly and concisely. 2. Understanding and expressing what the readers need to know. 3. Determining the need of graphics and preparing illustrations, flowcharts, and taking screenshots. 4. Deciding which information needs to go into the document and which not. 5. Interpreting and translating the complicated information in a simple, clear, accurate, and easy to understand language and format.ee Fundamentals of Communication and Voice Dynamics 2 aman 6, Finalizing the style, format, and templates. 7. Deciding the flow of information—organizing and structuring information. 8. Expressing clearly the knowledge, ideas, and concepts to the users. One can refer to books to check the concepts of grammar and technology as one starts to write. Even though some of the tasks are not directly connected to writing, one should have a reasonably good command over spoken and written language for performing all these activities. Good writing cannot be taught, though it can be cultivated and passionately nourished over a period of time. Bu technical writing by focused training can be improved. Ability to Understand the Subject: A few years back, technical writers were seen as language experts. Now, many organizations advertize for writers with technical backgrounds. This is because people have now realized that technical writers are not just language experts. They perform a lot more activities and tasks. Writers also have to understand the concepts, theories, ideas, designs, and codes to effectively communicate them. Having subject matter knowledge can mean: (a) Having sufficient knowledge of the subject to effectively communicate about it: What is more important than knowledge of a technical subject is the ability to understand the subject and write about it. To write on different types of topics one requires a different level of understanding of the domain/subject. One should have the ability to understand the subject (software, engineering, accounts, inventory, law, medicine, science, health, business, etc.) and express it in writing. One can be an effective communicator only by understanding and knowing about what is to be communicated and _by having the critical analysis skills to comprehend complex technical and scientific concepts For instance, a technical writer should have a basic knowledge about coding or software, or the machine to write for advanced users. He should know something about the equipment to write the installation procedures, or if the has to write an operations guide for an airplane, then he should know everything about aviation and the working of the aircraft (b) Understanding the technology is just enough to confidently explain the technology: Even if you don't have the relevant background, it is very important to be able to understand the basic concepts of the technology, irrespective of the subject. It will help to describe complex technologies clearly and concisely. As a writer you do not need the knowledge required to design and build the product. If you have some knowledge about the topic you have to write about, you can learn the new product fast and write about it better.fective Communication Skills: The Key to Sucg, tit a Len Y to interact with Subject Matter Experts (SME i her information. You have to interact aie 0 ave to communicate with the custom, i ers Technical Communication 3. Interpersonal Skills: You have understand the concepts and/or gat! members of other teams. You may also h to understand their expectations. So, it's important that the writers have goog Is, some of which are: (written and spoken) skills. th individuals from different teams, interpersonal skill: > Strong communication Ability to work in cooperation wit prehensibility to listen effectively. rly, and appropriately to situations ad effectively, you will have to talk and ask questions t, Ifyou are shy and try to keep the questions to yoursel ture of the product, and may even make wrong information or vague procedures. This wil > Com} Ability to respond promptly, clea v v To work productively ai make everything clear. you will not have a clear pic assumptions, and thus write wrong i reflect badly on your work. should be able to think, learn Ability to Analyse: As a technical writer, you interpret, analyse, write, and rewrite to reorganize concepts and information. The keyword for producing good documentation is ANALYSE! You should have the ability to analyse the following aspects effectively: (a) Demands of the documentation project. (b) Information required for the documents. (c) Users (the audience) and their requirements. (d) Tools to be used for the documentation project. ired to complete the job/project to schedule its timely completion. Vv > (e) Time requi (f) Effective ways to communicate the information to the users. . Flexibility: Documents often require many revisions or may even be abandoned after many hours of hard work. You should develop a fair amount of flexibility a at work. You should be: > Flexible enough to move from a large project to a smaller one or the vice-versa at short notice. > Ready to adapt to the new tools, processes, styles, guidelines, technology, ete. > Assertive, yet cool and in control when dealing with people. You may have to: © Gently nudge the SMEs and get them to answer your questions. © Acta little dumb, yet very curious to understand the matter. Seems intelligent even if you don't know the subject matter properly.jamentals of Communicati Dynamics sandamen ion and Voice Dynami Fundamentals of Communication and Voice Dynamic Fig. 1.5 [BLis_ ASPECTS oF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION Technical communication is a broad field which includes any form of communication that exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: (a) Communicating about technical or specialized topics, such as computer applications, mechanical tolls, medical procedures or environmental regulations. (b) Providing instructions about how to do something, regardless of how technical the task is or even if technology is used to create or distribute that communication One needs to know the aspects of technical communication which are as follows: (i) Verbal communication (ii) Non-verbal communication (iii) Written communication (iv) Visual communication (v) Listening (i) Verbal communication: When we communicate with the help of words it is called verbal communication. (ii) Non-verbal communication: When we communicate with means other than words it is called non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication has a vast range of media. Mainly they are: Sign language, Body language and Paralanguage. (iii) Written communication: Written communication is used for many purposes. Many types of documents are required for official work. Letters, circulars, memos, notices, reports and minutes are constantly prepared and exchanged within and between organizations. Each has a format and layout which is fixed by custom.8 Technical Communication “Effective Communication Skills: The Key to Succese- representing information in the tor relevant data and statistic, les of visual ComMunicatio, (iv) Visual communication: Visual communication is form of graphics. It helps to communicate importany quickly and easily. In a professional setting. exampl are presentations, bar graphs and charts present ideas in a more attractive way ang Visual communication can help one to it is easy to understand Example of Visual Communication : ble for a new ad campaign for sustainable Dr. Ritu is a marketing analyst responsible * packaging. She decides to model a prototype with the help of the haan on Along with the prototype, she creates a dynamic presentation to represent data and her findings Ritu able to give a comprehensive presentation to the client but also secured the account! Her approach to visual communication set her apart from her competitors. The client was able to understand the ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ of her idea, She successfully conveyed that the client would be saving money on this and winning over an eco-conscious customer’ base. i 4.6 FEATURES OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION Technical communic ion in general, has specific features and characteristics that distinguish it in the context of conveying technical information effectively. Here are some key features of technical communication: Clarity: Technical communication prioritizes clarity above all else. The message should be clear, concise, and free from ambiguity. Technical documents should leave no room for misinterpretation. Accuracy: Technical information inaccuracies or errors can lead to seriou: where precision is crucial. Purpose: Every piece of technical communication has to have a clear purpose. It may be to instruct, inform, persuade, document, or troubleshoot. Understanding the purpose is essential for creating effective technical communication. Audience-Centred: Effective technical communication is tailored to the needs and knowledge level of the audience. It considers the audience's background, expertize, and expectations to ensure the message is relevant and comprehensible. Not only was Dr. ation, like communicati must be accurate and factually correct. Any s consequences, especially in technical fields Conciseness: Technical communication conveys information succinctly without unnecessary verbosity. It must explain the point quickly and efficiently. di Use of Visuals: Technical communication often relies on visual aids such as iagrams, charts, graphs, and tables to enhance understanding. Visuals can simplify complex concepts and improve retention.gandamentals of Communication and Voice Dynamics 9 | professional Tone: Technical communication maintains a professional and objective one. It avoids emotional or subjective language and focuses on delivering information io straightforward manner. it Organization: Information is organized lo for the audience to follow the flow of content re often used to aid in organization. a ically and sequentially, making it easy Headings, subheadings, and bullet points Use of Jargon and Terminology: Technica specific jargon and terminology, but it should also necessary to ensure comprehension by all readers, field. Revision and Editing: Technical documents are subject to careful revision and editing to eliminate errors and improve clatity. Attention to detail is paramount. Citation and References: Proper citation and referencing of sources are essential in technical communication to give credit to ori the information presented. | communication may use industry- define and explain these terms when including those not familiar with the ginal authors and provide credibility to Accessibility: Technical communication should be a readers, including those with disabi important. Version Control: In technical fields, especially in software documentation and engineering, version control is critical to ensure that readers are using the most up-to- date information. ccessible to a wide range of ities. Consideration of accessibility standards is Global Considerations: Technical communication often has a global audience. Therefore, it may need to consider cultural differences, language variations, and international standards. Ethical Considerations: Technical communicators should adhere to ethical guidelines, including respecting intellectual property tights and disclosing conflicts of interest when applicable. Testing and Validation: In some technical fields, documentation effectiveness, Effective technical communicatio: as it plays a crucial role in conveying and , Such as software development, goes through testing and validation processes to ensure its accuracy and n is a skill that is highly valued in various industries, technical information, facilitating decision-making, ensuring safety and compliance in complex technical environments. Effective communication and its associated featur: Effective commit to profe: and sor es: lunication is essential in various ssional success. Several features cont me other important features of com aspects of life, from personal relationships tribute to making communication effective, munication include:RSQ," ..»° | 10 Technical Communicat communication provides a complete and thoro aderstanding. It ensures that al role, DUigh ‘vant Comprehensiveness: Effective message, leaving no room for ambiguity of misut information is conveyed. lof munication. Informatio, M shouly ramount in effective com Inaccurate information cay ‘aN lead Accuracy: Accuracy is pa accuracies: be factually correct and free from errors or in to confusion and misinterpretation. is consistent and trustworthy. It can be Counted Reliability: Reliable communication ee on to provide information that is dependable and consistent ovet ie. Clarity: Clarity ensures that the message is easy to uses clear and straightforward language, avoiding jars it is not necessary. Coherence: Coherence i and is organized in a structured manner. It allows without getting lost or confused. Focus: Effective communication maintains a clear focus on the main message or objective. It avoids unnecessary tangents or distractions that can dilute the impact of the communication. Emotional Intelligence: Understanding a of effective communication. Emotionally intelli empathize with others and navigate emotional situations skillfully. Empathy: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings and perspectives of others. Effective communicators show empathy by considering the emotions and viewpoints of their audience, which fosters better rapport and understanding, Incorporating these features into our communication style can greatly enhance our ability to convey messages effectively, whether we are delivering a presentation, engaging in a conversation, or creating written documents. Effective communication not only ensures that information is transmitted accurately but also promotes understanding, trust, and positive relationships. to understand. Effective communication, gon or complex terminology wher, in communication means that the message flows logically s the receiver to follow the message nd managing emotions are crucial aspects ligent communicators are better able to COMMUNICATION The world is remaining in the third millennium after Jesus Christ. India is today experiencing such theories of change in all fields of activity that characterize her as a resurgent nation. This experience involves great challenges and entails hard work to ensure positive trends. Having opened our economy, and globalization having arrived here to stay, we find ourselves suddenly in the midst of a highly competitive world. Delicensing, disinvestment, global market for goods and services—all such steps have resulted in the definition of ; oe effective role for the technical hand. Engineers have played a significant role in founding and erecting the edifice of Indian industry. Now they have to see to it that it i 1.7 DISTINCTION BETWEEN GENERAL AND TECHNICALentals of Communication and Voice survive succes to communicate in this new environment so of del Dynamic and emerges at the top, agai i . against the will depend upon our engineers” ee jiver the goods. More than half of a professional" communication in the organizations of today. al’s time a | cn multinationals. A great deal ability to communicate well. They have as \ as to innovate, manage, implement, and is consumed in the act of Technical communication Contains a technical message General communication Contains a general message Mostly formal Informal in style and approach Follows a set pattern No set pattern of communication [Both oral and written Mostly oral ‘Always for a specific audience Not always for a specific audience Frequently involves jargon, graphics, etc. Does not involve the use of technical vocabulary or graphics, etc Messages that are non-technical or informal in nature are categorized as general-purpose communication, whereas messages pertaining to technical, industrial, or business matters belong to the category of technical or business communication. [HL:.8_LANGUAGE AS A TOOL OF COMMUNICATION Language is a common tool we all use to share our thoughts and experiences with others. However, communication isn’t limited to just words. We can also use other symbols like pictures, colours, signs, and sounds to get our message firmly across. Think about how ithout speaking, because our facial expressions, body movements, we communicate wi and even our clothing convey information. Verbal communication involves using words to express ourselves, while non-verbal communication relies on symbols beyond words. For example, when someone's face turns red with excitement, that’s a non-verbal form of communication. Likewise, a hungry baby's cry is a way of conveying its need for food without using words. In today's society, effective communication is crucial for success. Whether it's in business or everyday life, our ability to communicate plays a significant role. Imagine trying to write a message or give a presentation without the skill of language; it would be quite challenging. Communication takes various forms, including written and spoken communication. Each mode of ‘communication may be more. suitable for specific situations. For instance, people from different countries can only exchange ideas if they understand each other's language. i 4.9 DIMENSIONS OF COMMUNICATION: READING & COMPREHENSION Reading can significantly improve our writing and speaking skills. By customizing our reading approach, we can achieve our goals more effectively.Communication Skills: The Key to g, B “Effective nication —— . Technical Commur «extensive reading, It allows « . le, from the sentence, “Treag | nd that “tread” relates to wale 12 |. us di isurely reading rea Extensive ing: For Ie ee xt. For 'd meanings through conte: Sor dete s grasp wor my dreams, YO" Ba islegt ince 7 because vou tread on Sea edades aan got orien ss a rou: ne Se ia to each word for a tho ; a oe It demands complete a itical reading helps one to analyse q _ Correctness (Builds confidence): Correctness means using specific, definite, clear and vivid information. At the time of encoding, the sender should ensure that the knowledge of the receiver is comprehensive. The level of knowledge, educational background and status of the decoder helps the encoder in formulating his message. In case there is any discrepancy between the usage and comprehension of terms, miscommunication can arise. If the sender decides to back up his communication with facts and figures there should be accuracy in stating the same. A situation in which the listener is forced to check the presented facts and figures should not arise. 5. Conciseness (saves time): Conciseness means saying something in brief. Brevity should be maintained in minimum possible words. Weighty language definitely sounds impressive but people would be suitably impressed into doing precisely nothing. As far as possible, only simple and brief statements should be made. Excessive information can also sway the receiver into either a wrong direction or into inaction. 6. Consistency (Introduces stability): Consistency means transmitting a message keeping the receiver in mind. The message should focus on ‘you’ instead of ‘Tl’ and ‘we’. The message should show interest in the receiver. The approach to[zz Technical Communication “Effective Communication Skills: The Key to Suey ble, be consistent. There should not be , many ups and downs that might ead to confusion in the mind of the receiver and specific expressi 7. Concreteness (Reinforces Confidence): oe PreSSIONS an to be preferred in favour of vague and abstract exp! communication should, as far as poss! 1.13.2. Barriers to Communication : ler encodes the message with the help of a channel but the message does not reach up to the receiver in its original form because of obstacles in between, The barriers may be noise barrier—human noise, traffic noise, though noise inside. Where are they? So we can say barriers may be inside or outside. Definition: Errors, misunderstandings and several other factors that prevent us from sharing our ideas meaningfully. To talk about these barriers, let us discuss the process of communication precisely to know what type of barriers can be, and how and where these barriers arise. 1. Intrapersonal barriers stem from a person's attitude or habits 2. Interpersonal barriers arise due to inappropriate transactions of words between two or more persons- because of- Barriers may arise when the send (a) Inefficient communication skills (b) Negative aspect nurturing in the climate 3. Organizational barriers crop up due to a rigid and hierarchical structure. 1. Intrapersonal Barriers (a) Wrong assumption (b) Varied perception (c) Differing background (d) Wrong inferences (e) Impervious category (Misoneists) (f) Categorical thinking (Pansophists) Try to understand in detail: (a) Wrong assumption: Many barriers stem from wrong assumptions. For example, when a doctor tells her patient that he has to take some medicine only ‘SOS’ (i.e., during an emergency), without knowing whether the patient understands the term ‘SOS’, she is creating a barrier in their communication. Here the doctor has made a wrong assumption about her patient's level of knowledge. Wrong assumptions are generally made because either the sender or the receiver does not have adequate knowledge about the other's background or assumes certain false concepts, which are fixed in his/her mind. To strengthen your skills as a communicator, try to put yours JFundamentals of Communication and Voice Dynamics 2a] in the shoes of the listener. This exercise will prevent making wrong assumptions about the receiver. (b) Varied perception: We all know the story of the six blind men and their description of an elephant. The elephant was perceived by each man as a hand fan, a rope, a wall, a sword, a snake and a tree. None of the blind men were wrong, as the part of the elephant body touched by each man compared well with the various objects they named. This is how different individuals hold different viewpoints about the same situation. (c) Differing backgrounds: No two people have the same background. Background can be different due to different education, culture, language, environment, financial status etc. Our background plays a significant role in how we interpret a message. At times, something not experienced earlier is difficult to interpret or appreciate. Think of a class where the professor talks about his rock-climbing adventure. Students who have experienced rock climbing may be able to appreciate the professor's narrative, while others who have never been into adventure sports may not find it interesting at all. (d) Wrong inferences: Suppose you have returned from a business trip and you find that two of your colleagues are absent. They do not turn up for several days. Since there is a recession on, you draw an inference that they have been laid off. The fact is that they have been promoted and sent to another department. This is an example of fact-inference confusion. It has happened because you failed to distinguish between what actually exists and what you had assumed to exist. Inferences are more dramatic than facts, and for this reason they can provide more scope for gossip and rumour to spread. When professionals analyse material, solve problems and plan procedures, it is essential that inferences be supported by facts. System analysts, marketing specialists, advertisers, architects, engineers, designers and others must work on various premises and draw inferences after collecting factual data. When presenting any inference in the course of your work, you could use qualifiers such as ‘evidence suggests’ or ‘in my opinion’ to remind yourself and the receiver that this is not yet an established fact. (e) Impervious category (Misoneists): Communication and other technologies are advancing so rapidly today that many people find it difficult to adapt themselves quickly to these developments. Instead of taking advantage of these developments, which help to expedite the communication process, such people tend to resist and criticize them. This is a result of having a closed mind. Such people are called misoneists. Some people have certain prejudices so deeply embedded in their minds that these cannot be challenged. () Categorical thinking (Pansophists): People who feel that they ‘know it all’ are called pansophists. This type of thinking exists in people who feel that they know everything about a particular subject, are overconfident and therefore ignore any further information on that topic.L Technical Communication “Effective Communication Skills: The Key to Suc 24 fechnic : 2. Interpersonal barriers (a) Incongruity of verbal and no (b) Communication selectively (c) Cultural variations (d) Poor listening skills (e) Noise in the channel (a) Incongruity of verbal and non-verbal messages: Imagine a situation where your CEO introduces the newly recruited middle-level manager to the other employees, Ina small speech, he conveys the message that he is very delighted to have the new manager appointed in his office. However, the expression on his face shows just the opposite of what he is saying. The stark difference between the verbal and non-verbal aspects of his communication leaves his listeners feeling confused and puzzled. n-verbal messages (b) Communication selectively: When the receiver in a communication process Pays attention only to a part of the message, he/she is imposing a barrier known as communication selectivity. This happens because he/she is interested only in that part of the message which may be of use to him/her. In such a situation, the sender is not at fault. It is the receiver who breaks the flow of communication. (c) Cultural variations: This is one of th a contributing to communication failure. As businesses one aa ee factor to compete on a global scale, the outlook of the global and dom one joundaries changed drastically. European, Asian, and American firme hens workforce has businesses worldwide to create international ties through partnecr oe andes the and affiliations. The managements and employees of such comments”, olaborations observe the laws, customs, and business practices of their host coun es Need to closely with their multinational workforce. Success, whether as a stu, a intries, while dealing les in knowing the business practices, social customs and etiques, 2 Professional, country one is dealing with © Of the partinn: (d) Poor listening skills: A common obstacle to com, habits. We should remember that listening and heating are not 4et°" 8 Boor listenin passive exercise while listening requires careful attention and ae SM. Hears end signals received from the speaker. The various distractions thar pr 2"® decode 2 @ emotional disturbance, indifference, aggression and wandering sit2® listen a 9 OF the (e) Noise in the channel: As discussed earlier, noise interferes eMtion, NS can be signals. Noise is any unwanted signal that acts as a hindrance in the flow tran, It is not necessarily limited to audio disturbance, but can also ocen f comm visual, written, physical or psychological forms. I Visuay tion. MuUNication ;Fundamentals of Communication and Voice Dynamics | 3. Organizational barriers * (a) Too many transfer stations (b) Fear of superior (c) Negative tendencies (d) Use of inappropriate media (e) Information overload a) Too many transfer stations: ; the parts of the message they consider unimy Ge ee P portant. Whatever the reasons for filtering or distorting the message, having too many transfer stations is always an obstacle to effective communication and should be avoided. Transfer stations do serve a purpose. but having too many of them is counter-productive , (b) Fear of the superior: In rigidly structured organizations, fear or awe of the superiors prevents subordinates from speaking frankly. An employee may not be pleased with the way his boss works but is unable to put his point across because of losing his boss's goodwill. (c) Negative Tendencies: Many organizations create work groups. While some groups are formed according to the demands of the task, such as accomplishing a particular project, many other small groups are also formed for recreational, social or community purposes. These groups may be formal or informal, and generally consist of people who share similar values, attitudes, opinions, beliefs and behaviours. (d) Use of Inappropriate Media: Some of the common media used in organizations are graphs and charts, telephones, facsimile machines, boards, e-mail, telephones, films and slides, computer presentations, teleconferencing and video conferencing. Before sending a message, you should consider the following factors while choosing a medium: ¢ Time © ‘Type of message © Cost @ Intended audience (e) Information overload: One of the major problems faced by organizations today is the huge amounts ofdata which the receiver is unable to handle effectively. This is known as information overload. Thus the quality of the information is much more important than the quantity How to Remove Communication Barriers To overcome Communication barriers is an important function of management. Success of an enterprize depends to a large extent upon effective communication. Tea the need is that all hindrance in the way of communication should be removed.munication “Effective Communication Skills: The Key tos, [26 Technical Com! The following measures should e Having purposeful communication © Clear and brief message Use of Seven C's e Continuous process ¢ Adequate facilities Mutual faith and trust Appropriate language Proper medium and transmission technique pted to make communication effective Emphasizing key points Eliminate environmental barriers Facilities feedback Learn to use feedback well Be sensitive to the receiver’s point of view Listen to understand! Use direct, simple language, or at least use language appropriate to the receiver Use proper channel(s) Learn to use channels well Learn to use supportive communication Being brief Shortening scalar chain Keep an open mind Encourage subordinates to express Pay complete attention Listen patiently 1.14. tecHNicat comMUNIcATION SKILLS (Listening, Speaking, Wi ik Skills required to give a good presentation can be develops" : Drescution or performance. the first step on the ladder to success. Success of any Presentatio, i n requir ‘Nn or planning is Skills helpers/Presentation Skills "®S Proper strategy. (i) Who is your audience? (ii) What do you want to present it?ndamentals of Communication and Voice Dynamics 27] (iii) Why do you want to present it? (iv) Where will you be presenting it? Communication per Pervades each and every aspect of our personal and professional One may have i : ives. One may have a job interview at one’s dream organization orit could be writing an Fig. 1.7 1.14.1 Listening Listening is the primary learning skill. It is what is known as a responsive ability, or a latent skill, as it expects us to utilize our ears and our minds to understand; as it is being told or addressed to us. It is the first of two normal learning skills. Listening may seem like an easy skill to acquire, but it is one of the most difficult. Communication is a two-way street; it is a dialogue between two or more parties. Tobe a good communicator, you need to give others the time and space to communicate their thoughts. If they have something to talk about, listen to them carefully and process what they have said. Don't just listen to hear, but listen with intent. If you have questions, feel free to ask. It will show that you were really listening. 1.14.2 Speaking Speaking is the second of the four learning skills. Speal expertize that we learn. Speaking or talking means to commun! thoughts and feelings in a spoken language. Everything from your words, body language For example, when you're speaking to your co-workers, king is normally the second cate or expressing one’s , tone and pitch can impact your speech. you must adopt a polite andrecive Communication Skills: The Key to Suey Technical Com not just throwing out sentences. You have to be careful wh, "i stressors, For example, You will use different tones tg. g. Learning how to speak effectively will help ving any room for doubt. You 28 friendly tone. SI you're adding intonat questions and to emp! convey your meaning peaking jon an hasize somethin: and intention without lea 1.14.3 Reading One of the primary reading strategies and the stu as required for the reading effort things you need to know about reading is that there are dive, dents ought to know about which procedure is the init a required by the content or by their educator/teache now their reading methods and derive when best to app, larly under test conditions when opportunity limitation, ¢ factor and choices should be made relying fe me that needs to be achieved. " Preparing the students to k them is in reality significant. particul become possibly the most importan time available and the significance of the outco The four fundamental kinds of reading practices are as under: * Skimming * Scanning * Intensive + Extensive You don't have to be an avid reader and finish thick vol i i ; lumes in one night. But oe beable to read complex business reports and important work-related daeunei i not just about skimming words but also reading between the lines and pinpointin e author 's intent. If you have too much to read at work, developing a health: ig habit will help you stay on top of things. a un fips i a competitive world where every person is working hard to be the best at /she does. So, one must build own personal brand to stand out in the crowd. 1.14.4 Writing Writing is the fourth lan: Lis th guage expertize we in i nian’ ’ e may gain in our i imil with pang. gil or name expert, 8 expec sto ul ut han and our r the composed message, idea, thi i oa Be era , |, thought or information that we Writing abilities mi i ght be improved by givi writing. St Y giving activiti i thoughts aa oe atte be taught and urged ee = Bice ane a ul i i , arr i appear so as to acquire oe * topic. The significance of ie a ‘de ee He oe ; siveness, completeness and ae thei ' on a ? may have to write o1 Fi in their writing. of a meeting or memos f n a daily basis. This could i ° . ul 5 nec ee your co-workers. At the workpla id include reports, mninut ges of writing, It's better to incorporate key (de is aa to go through ideas right at the begin™ a— Fundamentals of Communication and Voice Dynamics 20] of any communication. Developing your writing skills will help you write concisely, without having to provide too many explanations. Not only will this save time, but will also explain your purpose right away. : Summary Technical Communication is a form of communication that largely relies on clear and consistent delivery of factual information for successful understanding by the user. Ithelps users to accomplish a defined goal or complete a task. The language of technical communication is clear, concise, and accurate. The main goal, or purpose, of technical communication, is to help communicate important information as effectively as possible so that people can do their jobs better and consumer goods can be more convenient Over 20% of an employee's day (on average) is spent in writing. Learning to effectively complete this task is essential. Businesses can use technical communication in a variety of ways: * To be more productive + To help employees set goals and accomplish them with success * For training programmes * For product manuals * For medical instructions The field of technical communication incorporates many different disciplines. Some examples include information ! Fe design, instructional design, document ai design, marketing, and web design. “G Technical communication involves the (* rag cst delivery of clear, consistent, and factual information-often stemming from complex concepts-for safe and efficient use and effective comprehension by users. Technical communication is a user-centred approach for providing right information, in the right way, ' at the right time so that the user’s life is more productive. The value that technical communicators deliver is twofold: They make information more usable and accessible to those who need that information, and they advance the goals of the companies and organizations that employ them Fig. 1.8T al Com ve Communication Skil nical Comr inication “Effective Commu echnic n | 4.15 LINGUISTIC ABILITY Linguistic skills measure the capacity of r form. Language and custor individuals to understand and express themsor,, helps us to express our feelings and though, both in written and oral f xs within different cultures and societieg ay to ss deas xpress unique a communication skill that helps one t0 convey ideas with ¢| to speak well and listen attentively. Writing Cleary d crucial in a professional setting it isa wi Language skills are on, Language skills help us | that’s considere elp us to become proficient communicators who know ly and effectively. Start building your skills today ang and preci with brevity is another skill Developing one's linguistic skills h how to get from point A to B smooth communicate your way to success! Basic language sills are listening, speaking, reading and writing, Be it a student or 4 quistic skis always come in handy. In life, we encounter countless situation, professional, lin elp us to pursue our that require effective communication skills. Building these skills will h goals with confidence. Linguists bring many skills to the industry. A detail-oriented linguist can be an excellent asset for a linguistics company because he focuses on performing his job correctly and looking closely for important details. Language as a tool of communication: Communication is a way to express our feelings and ideas. Communication may be verbal or non-verbal. Man can communicate even without using a language. The face of a man becomes red when he gets excited. A baby cries when he is hungry. In both the cases, communication is done without the use of language. If we have to proceed in society; if we have to live in the business world of today, we need to know how to communicate effectively with the medium of language. Imagine how you will do written communication without having the skills of language. Communication is done in both written and oral ways. Any mode of communication may have the upper hand in any situation. People of different nationalities can share theit views with one another only if they know one another's language. It is the language which distinguishes man from the animal world. 1.15.1 Understand both Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication An important aspect of communication is non-verbal communication. This comprises body language, gestures and facial expressions, Building our language skills will help us to understand these elements that build rapport. In an interview, for instance, one can read the interviewer's stance by decoding his/her body language Making eye contac sitting up straight with both hands confidently placed on the lap are all signs of non-verbal communication. Communication is a lot more than just words.Fundamentals of Communication and Voice Dynamics 31 | Let's explore each of these language skills in detail: Fig. 1.9. Time spent on communicating * Listening is the ability to accurately receive messages in the communication process. * Listening is not the same as hearing. Listening is a cognitive act and hearing is the physical act. * Good listening skills can lead to: (i) better customer satisfaction, (ii) greater productivity with fewer mistakes, (iii) increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative work. * A good listener will listen not only to what is being said, but also to what is left unsaid or only partially said. * Listening is not the same as hearing and in order to listen effectively you need to use more than just your ears. Speaking is easy; listening is difficult. An expert says that an average person actually remembers only a fraction of what is said to them. In the course of alifetime, so much time is spent mastering nuts and bolts career skills, but little time is spent polishing essential interpersonal skills—listening is one of them. Listening should be considered as a skill that must be mastered. Nobody is born knowing how to read and write. These essential skills are mastered by constant practice. Listening has to be learned in the same way. First step in mastering listening is what she calls, “Being here now,” That means, “staying in the moment we are in, concentrating on every second of a conversation. Don't expect to become a good listener overnight, it takes time, patience, concentration and hard work. We derive 55% of a message’s meaning from the speaker's facial expression, 38% from how the message is spoken, and only 7% from the actual words spoken. We listen to people at a rate of 125-250 words per minute, but we think at 1,000-3000 words per minute. Less than 2% of people have any formal education on how to listen.active Communication Skills: The Key to Success [s2 Technical Communication “Eff ¢s of receiving, interpreting and reacting tg er that we have two ears and one mouth “Seek first to understand then to be at listening is the proce speaker. Remem! much as on speaking. So, we can say th a message received from a _focus on listening twice as understood.” Active listenin: led Active listening. It prepares a Effective listening: Effective | it ts or interpretations. making premature judgement _ Passive listening: Passive listening is equivalent to hearing. Passive listeners do not react to the message. There are four types of listening: (a) Critical listening (c) Empathetic listening (a) Critical listening: This is a form of listenin; analysed and evaluated. This evaluation may be made at several levels—Is the argument is logical, what are the intentions and motives of the sender? Is the argument well supported by the audiences? How can the message affect you or your organization etc, It evaluates the credibility of the message as well as the speaker also. (b) Content listening: This is a form of listening in which the message is understood thoroughly and is preserved in the written form for future. All the important points of the message are clearly identified. In this type of listening, it is not important, whether you agree or disagree with the message. The only thing is that you should understand it g: When one must listen with his mind, heart and imagination jg base of feedback. call full : istening involves listening for full meaning, without (b) Content listening (d) Appreciative listening g in which the message is being (c) Empathetic listening: + Empathetic listening is to understand, participate and enhance a relationship. * It is generally used in interactions between two people or a small group. . They goal is to develop understanding and appreciation of the meanings and feelings of the sender. * You try to put yourself in ¥ i i ye in another person’s place, but not necessarily agree with (d) Appreciative listening: This form reciate a spe: g: form of listening is to appreci ake * Listening for fun. + Used in social situations like concerts, Plays or sporting events. * Goal is enjoyment and helps a person to relax. * Listening to enjoy or appreciate the speaker's message or performanceFundamentals of Communication and Voice Dynamics 33 | Tips for developing linguistic abilities Developing linguistic skills can help ones’ to seek higher salaries, obtain better positions. Language is the divine gift of god. Language is man's finest asset. Language does mean a collection of words strung together in sentences but each word hac a separate identity and meaning. In fact, the words are brought together in special ways to give a highly systematic order from which we get the meaning. Language is not random collection of words, but is systematic where certain orderings are accepted as having prescribed meanings. For example, “The sun is shining” is not the same as “Is the sun shining”? The following definitions will make the meaning of language clearer. (1) According to Bloch & Trager: “A language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group operates.” (2) According to Allen: “Language is a means of communicating thoughts.” (3) According to O. Jesperson: “Language is a set of human habits, the purpose of which is to give expression to thoughts and feelings.” According to all these definitions, it becomes clear that language is used to give expression to thoughts and feelings of a social group. Language as Skill: Language is essentially a skill. It is not a content-based subject like science, social studies, commerce, mathematics, etc., which aims to impart information and fill the human mind with knowledge. Since language is a skill, it naturally comes under the psychomotor domain. Speaking and writing are called productive skills because while using these skills a learner/user is not only active but also produces sounds in speaking and symbols (letters, etc.) in writing. On the other hand, listening and reading are considered receptive skills because here a learner is generally passive and receives information either through listening or reading. Language is a System of Systems: A language is a system. Language is a complex whole like the human body. The system of language functions through sounds, words and structures. These are integrated with one another and constitute the complex whole which is language. A language is a system of phonetics, grammar and vocabulary which themselves are systems. So, language can easily called a system of systems. The systems are: Phonetics is a systematic and scientific study of speech sounds and how they are produced. The position, shape, and movement of the articulators of speech organs, such as lips, tongue, and vocal folds are studied in this discipline. 1.15.2. Phonology The sound system of a language is called phonology. Language has a set of sounds Peculiar to it. The sound stands for words; the words stand for objects, ideas, processes, etc. For example, pen, advice, relatives, selling and singing etc. Each word has a meaning. :OY cation Skills: The Key to §, 34 Technical Communication “Eifective Communication W 10 Succ they formed? What are the Various chang. Morphology: What are words? How are in their forms—all this is termed as morphology: Semantics: Word formation. giving the ™ semantics. weaning in a systematic way is caf, Syntax: Constructions and arrangements of words into definite meanings, le phrases, formulae and sentences are termed as a syntax. | Organs of Speech: Spoken word is sound based. We protluce sounds with thy help of various organs in the mouth which are generally called the organs of speec, The organs of speech can be divided into three groups. Groups of Organs of Speech Articulatory system Respiratory system Phonatory Organs of Speech Alveopalatal Palate: palatals Alveolar ridge: alveolars Velum: velars Uvula: uvulars, Pharynx: pharynageals Glottis: glottals Trachea Cesophagus Fig. 1.10 The vocal tract 1. Nasal cavity 2. Lips 3. Teeth 4. Alveolar ridge 5. Hard palate 6. Velum (soft palate) 7. Uvula 8. Apex (tip) of tongue 9. Blade (front) of tongue 10. Dorsum (back) of tongue 11. Oral cavity 12. Pharynx 13. Epiglottis 14. Larynx 15. Vocal cords 16. Trachea 17. Oesophagus |Fundamentals of Communicatio tintin and Voice Du 4.15.3 Pronunciation — : al We use language to communicate and estat lish rel a stablish rel us. There are two modes of linguistic communicati consists of vatious sounds, while the latter consists of wean on Mtiting. The former la sists of various 5 they are called spoken and written languages. Both the meshes and accordingly activities. In the spoken medium: we use our lungs, uv al ns a oe Banat ctv : t s 8, vocal cords, tonue, while in the ) medium: we use our hands, arms, and finger Allspoken oe es enenie! IS. 2 a spoken words an collectic ee i sola sounds. Broadly speaking, phonetics is the study of sounds of human speec e term phonetics originated from the Greek word ‘phone’ mi h ey phot e” meanin, a oe sate is the branch of linguistics that deals with the sounds of speech and their production, combination, description and representation by written symbols. It is concerned with the actual properties of spe ; ; ech sound (phones) and tl production, reception and perception, as opposed to pl Phones) and their : honology, which is the study of sound systems and abstract sound units such as phonemes and their distinctive features. A basic understanding of the sound system of the English language is very important in effective oral communication. The ability to produce individual sounds, both in isolation and in combination with other sounds, also plays a significant role in effective oral communication. Pronunciation is far more than the accurate production of individual sounds. Pronunciation is the way a word or language is usually spoken or the manner in which someone utters the words of a language. To develop oral communication skills, it is important to understand the sound system of the English language including various aspects such as individual sounds—consonants and vowels. production of speech, word stress, sentence stress and intonation or the variation of pitch. lationships with People around 1.15.4 Learning English Sounds (Phonetics) Phonetics is a systematic and scientific study of speech sounds and how they are produced. The position, shape and movement of the articulators of speech organs, such as lips, tongue and vocal folds are studied in this discipline. To attain perfection in phonetics, one has to be ear-minded and not eye-minded, i.e., become sound conscious and use ears to detect small distinctions between similar sounds. One has to hear speech sounds as produced instead of trying to visualize the spelling. Language has a very important social purpose, because it is mainly used for linguistic communication. Communication is quite possible without the use of language. For example, a dog barks and informs its master of the approach of a stranger. A child cries and informs its mother that itis hungry, thirsty or otherwise uncomfortable. In both the examples, communication does take place, but no language is used. In this activity we will deal with linguistic communication. A language can be used in two ways for the purposes of communication. It can be spoken or written. In other words, we can communicate using the same language, using the spoken medium or the written medium. The medium of speech is more important than the medium of writing. This is because speech comes first in the history of any languageTechnical Communication “Effective Communication Skills: The Key to Succay [36 community. In fact it came centuries ago, 0 per-historic period. Secondly, speech can, first in the history of any individual. es International Phonetic Alphabet « A set of symbols used for representing the phonemes and sounds of al languag, + The phonetic transcription of words is provided by bilingual and Monolingy dictionaries. * Phoneme symbols are enclosed within slant brackets /s/. Hindi has the alphabet consisting of 50 letters, the first 14 are vowels and the rey 36 are consonants. Hindi has 50 letters and 50 sounds, but English has 26 letters ang 44 sounds. English Sounds Consonats 24 No obstruction Obstruction in the flow of in the flow of lung air lung air ‘Monophthongs Diphthongs 2 08 pure vowels vowel glide Fig. 1.11 The 44 sounds cover everything—20 are vowels and 24 are consonants. Vowel Sounds (Monophthong): Vowels are the speech sounds produced without any obstruction in the air stream, ie., when there is free and uninterrupted passage of air through our vocal cords. Vowels can be classified into two groups, viz., pure vowels and diphthongs. Pure Vowels (Monophthongs): Pure vowels are made up of one syllable and 7 the production of which the tongue position remains unchanged. These are twelve in number. Of the 12 monophthongs seven 7 are short and 5 are long. Vowel Sounds (Diphthongs): These are combinations of two pul A diphthong begins in one vowel and ends in another. So it is a gliding re vowels each. cone. They af a total of 8.Fundamentals of Communication and Voice Dynamics 37 | Consonants: Consonants are those sounds which are produced by the obstruction of the air stream. When air is arrested and : released in si a consonant is produced. In IPA there are 24 consonante of the speech organs, Place | Adjecive Ups [Laban Bentat Nasal cavity ridge” | Alveoiar Palate | Palatal Velum | Velar rn | sar Palate Velum iete_| Goat “Alveolar ridge (space between) ‘vocal folds) Some Relevant Terms and their Definitions e IPA: International Phonetic Alphabet. e RP: Received Pronunciation (The standard form of the British pronunciation based on the speech of the educated class in Southern England). e Phoneme: Any one of the sets of the smallest units of speech in a language that distinguishes one word from another. ¢ Allophone: A sound that is slightly different from another sound, although both the sounds belong to the same phoneme and the difference does not affect the meaning. © Syllable: An uninterrupted segment of speech consisting of a vowel sound, a diphthong, or a syllabic consonant, with or without preceding or following consonant sounds. © Word: A single unit of language which means something and can be spoken or written. © Monophthong: A speech sound that consists of one vowel sound. © Diphthong: A combination of two vowel sounds.ation “Effective Communication Skills: The Key to 5 \ Su

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