TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL DEPARTMENT

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

PLUMBING NC I

Student/Trainees Name: _____________________

Learning Activity Sheet No. 1 Topic: Receive and Respond to workplace Communication
(500311101)
Learning Outcomes:
The learner…
LO 1.1: Follow Routinary Speaking and Messages
LO 1.2: Perform Work Duties following Written Notices
LO 1.3: Participate in Workplace Communication Applying Gender-Fair Language

Module Descriptor: This module covers the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to
receive, respond and act on verbal and written communication.

Follow Routinary Speaking and Messages

Communicating Information

Workers must be able to communicate information to work effectively. Communication

is the act of sharing and conveying information between two or more individuals. It has so
many components, and failing to communicate in the workplace effectively is commonplace.
Meanwhile, employees who communicate effectively with colleagues, managers and
customers are always valuable assets to an organization and it is a skill which can often set
people apart from their competition when applying for jobs.

Ways on how to convey communicating information effectively:

 Avoid Distractions
 Stay Focused
Gathering information for work

Every day, you have to gather information that you need for your work. Some
information comes from your supervisor, co-workers, clients, suppliers and other people you
speak with each day. The purpose of information gathering is to support the planning of your
organization work to become more fully inclusive. It is important to look at available facts --
objective information, including demographics and best practices.

Sources of Information

Today, everyone is engaged in handling, consuming,

and exchanging a lot of information. Though information
is an indispensable part of our lives, we are seldom
aware of what the term information exactly stands for.
Information is the facts or news we gain or provide. It is
the mean of knowledge that is employed to realize an
intended function.
Listening

Listening is so important that many top employers provide listening skills training for their
employees. This is not surprising when you consider that good listening skills can lead to
better customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, and increased sharing
of information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative work.

Examples of Active Listening Techniques

 Building trust and establishing rapport.
 Demonstrating concern.
 Paraphrasing to show understanding.

Listening is not the same as Hearing

Hearing refers to the sounds that enter your ears. It is a physical process that, provided
you do not have any hearing problems, happens automatically.
Listening, however, requires more than that: it requires focus and concentrated effort, both
mental and sometimes physical as well.

As a listener you should:

 Listen with respect.

 Make an active choice to think before speaking
 Build upon what has been said and;
 Listen for people’s feelings.

Observing

Observation in a workplace is used by managers to gain insights into employee

performance. Without using this strategy some of the time, managers cannot be sure the data
they get from other means accurately reflect each employee's performance.

Benefits of Observing:

 Observe new techniques, strategies, ideas and resources

 Gain insights into one’s own strategies and techniques
 Observe reactions from a different perspective

Recording Information

“Recording is an important part of a council’s duty of care. To record the person’s

circumstances and personal details accurately is a fundamental part of respect. Workplaces
rely on large amounts of information from many different sources to operate effectively. Most
of that information is recorded either manually (on paper) or electronically (on computer).

Recording oral communications for others

Sometimes you need to do something more than keep a record for your own use of what
was said at a meeting or in a conversation. You may be asked to keep minutes of a meeting,
or you may want to write a formal confirmation of what was said. There are five main written
formats for keeping such records:

 Email
 Memo
 Letter
 Minutes
 Short Report
COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE IN THE WORKPLACE

Communicating courteously and clearly

It is vital that knowledge is passed on to other people. You must transmit to someone
else several messages and instructions you receive in person, or by telephone or radio. You
can either use the telephone or a written note for the details, or talk face to face with the other
person.

Example of Communication Skills

Effective communication with senior managers, coworkers and personnel, irrespective

of the sector in which you operate, is important. Digital age workers must know how to
communicate and receive messages efficiently in person and via phone, email and social
media.

 Clear speaking language so they can understand what you’re saying

 Suitable body language – open and non-threatening
 Positive facial expressions – smiling
 Listening – taking in with what people are saying
 Eye contact – so you know what people are engaged
 Gesture’s – shaking of a hand
 Posture – sat up straight
 Sound – no swearing
 Haptic (touch) – handshaking

Benefits of Effective Communication in the Workplace

 Increase Productivity
 Stronger Decision Making
 Consistence in the work flow
 Quicker Problem Solving
 Healthier Business Relation
 Increase employee awareness
 Lesser Misunderstandings
 Enhance Professional Image
Communicating face to face

Communicating face to face with other people involves:

 Making eye contact

 Speaking
 Observing
 Listening
 Interpreting body language
You don't only hear the words that they say when you face to face with another human,
but also hear their voice tone, see their looks and look at their behavior. They can listen,
see, and watch you simultaneously.

Speaking

Many contacts in the workplace includes asking questions or answering questions.

You have to ask the right questions to get the answers you want. Be precise on what you
need to find out to make it clear to the other person. It will help you to recall all of these
questions if you have to ask any questions first. Speak simply and slowly so that the first time
you are heard and heard. The other person must be completely aware of what you mean, so
pick a time that is convenient to each other. Perhaps you could interrupt if you need to know
the answer as soon as possible. Just make sure you explain that it is important. Before you
ask a question of anyone, think about it.

Clarifying instructions

In communication, clarification involves offering back to the speaker the essential meaning,
as understood by the listener, of what they have just said. Thereby checking that the
listener’s understanding is correct and resolving any areas of confusion or misunderstanding.
Clarification is important in many situations especially when what is being communicated is
difficult in some way. Communication can be difficult for many reasons; perhaps sensitive
emotions are being discussed - or you are listening to some complex information or following
instructions.

Structuring Meetings

In reality, a meeting is only as good as its structure. The major planning tool is the agenda, or
outline of major discussion points. Most meetings focus on a featured presentation, followed
by concluding remarks, and the distribution of action plans to remind attendees of specific
responsibilities and timelines.

Formal meetings

A formal meeting is a pre-planned gathering of two or more people who have

assembled for the purpose of achieving a common goal through verbal interaction. Formal
meetings are characterized by their predetermined topics, a set of objectives and formal
notices.
Informal meetings

An informal meeting is a meeting which is far less heavily planned and regulated than
a formal business meeting, and so lacks many of the defining features of a formal business
meeting, such as minutes, a chairperson and a set agenda. These informal meetings are far
more likely to take place in a casual setting, such as a restaurant or a coffee shop, or at one
of the participant’s desks, rather than take place in a boardroom.

THREE MAIN MODES OF COMMUNICATION

 Verbal Communication
 Non-verbal Communication
 Written Communication

VERBAL COMMUNICATION

The use of speech and words is encouraged. Generally, words, tone, languages and
the physical act of speaking are the main elements of verbal communication. Most verbal
contact takes place incidentally with others. There is a strong personal relationship between
transmitters and recipients of verbal communication.

Importance of Verbal Communication in the Workplace

 Express your ideas/opinions vocally

 Speak to other/coworkers
 Influencing task performance
 Sharing emotions
 Enhancing effective work relationships
 Assisting in problem solving

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Is the expression of messages through facial expressions, movements and the

language of the body necessary for effective workplace relations. For example, eye contact,
stance and voice pace are examples of such communication. Employees and supervisors
should know how they interact on the job in such nonverbal ways.
Importance of Non-Verbal Communication in the Workplace
 Strengthens the first impression and it is important because the first impressions affect
our perception
 It plays a role in face-to-face situation
 It expresses non-verbal paralinguistic messages
 Provide feedback
 Regulate the flow of communication
 Reinforce or modified of what is said
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Written communication is very common in business situations, so it’s important for
everyone in an organization, from the employee to the Chief Executive Officer, to develop
effective written communication skills.
To be effective, written communication should be:
 Completeness
 Clarity
 Correctness
 Conciseness
 Courtesy

Perform Work Duties following Written Notices

Dealing with Paragraph

A paragraph is any written piece which is made up of two or more sentences joined
together
in order to give a detailed thought or information.

Structure
Typically, a paragraph begins with the topic sentence which states the main idea to be
developed. The other sentences of the paragraph develop, support and clarify this central
idea. But this topic sentence may appear in the middle or it may appear last as a summary or
generalization based on material already presented. Sometime, it doesn’t appear at all, in so
many words, but is
implied.

Functional Purposes

The functional purposes that language service in connection with rhetorical modes are
generally, the following:

1. Narrative
 To tell what happened or how an incident occurred
 To show steps in a process or sequence in procedure
 To give direction on how to reach a place or achieve an objective

2. Descriptive
 To describe a person or persons
 To describe an event or idea
 To describe a place

An effective paragraph must have these elements:

 Coherence refers to a certain characteristic or aspect of writing. Literally, the word means
"to stick together." Coherence in writing means that all the ideas in a paragraph flow
smoothly from one sentence to the next sentence. With coherence, the reader has an
easy time understanding the ideas that you wish to express.
 Unity is a very important characteristic of good paragraph writing. Paragraph unity means
that one paragraph is about ONLY ONE main topic. That is, all the sentences -- the topic,
supporting sentences, the detail sentences, and (sometimes) the concluding sentence --
are all telling the reader about ONE main topic. If your paragraph contains a sentence or
some sentences that are NOT related to the main topic, then we say that the paragraph
"lacks unity," or that the sentence is "off-topic."

Participate in Workplace Communication Applying Gender-Fair Language

What is Gender and Development?

GAD is about being faithful to the principle that development is for all. Fairness and
equity demand that everyone in society, whether male or female, has the right to the same
opportunities to achieve a full and satisfying life.

GAD is towards women’s empowerment and their full participation based on equality in
all spheres is fundamental for society. Ensures that women play an active role in the
development process. In resolution 2000/5, the Commission on Human Rights affirmed the
need to apply a gender perspective in the implementation of the right to development.

Gender Concepts and Definition

Sex refers to biologically defined and genetically acquired differences between males and
females, according to their physiology and reproductive capabilities or potentialities. It is
universal and mostly unchanging, without surgery.

Gender refers to the economic, social, political, and cultural attributes and opportunities
associated with being women and men. The social definitions of what it means to be a
woman or a man vary among cultures and change over time. Gender is a sociocultural
expression of particular characteristics and roles that are associated with certain groups of
people with reference to their sex and sexuality.

Gender Analysis is a methodology that both:

 Describes existing gender relations in a particular environment, ranging from within

households or firms to a larger scale of community, ethnic group, or nation. It involves
collecting and analyzing sex-disaggregated data and other qualitative and quantitative
information.

 Organizes and interprets, in a systematic way, information about gender relations to

make clear the importance of gender differences for achieving development objectives.

Gender Assessment examines how a program or project addresses and responds to gender
disparities and inequalities through its objectives, activities, and policies. It responds to two
key questions:

1. How will the different roles and status of women and men within the community, political
sphere, workplace, and household affect the work to be undertaken?

2. How will the anticipated results of the work affect women and men differently? And their
relative status?

Gender Equity is the process of being fair to women and men. To ensure fairness, measures
must be taken to compensate for historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and
men from operating on a level playing field.

Gender Equality is the state or condition that affords women and men equal enjoyment of
human rights, socially valued goods, opportunities, and resources.

Gender Integration refers to strategies applied in program assessment, design,

implementation, and evaluation to take gender norms into account and to compensate for
gender-based inequalities.

Gender Mainstreaming is the process of incorporating a gender perspective into policies,

strategies, programs, project activities, and administrative functions, as well as into the
institutional culture of an organization.

Gender Stereotypes are ideas that people have on masculinity and femininity: what men
and women of all generations should be like and are capable of doing. (e.g., girls should be
obedient and cute, are allowed to cry, and boys are expected to be brave and not cry, women
are better housekeepers and men are better with machines, or boys are better at
mathematics and girls more suited to nursing).

Gender-Based Violence is violence derived from gender norms and roles as well as from
unequal power relations between women and men. Violence is specifically targeted against a
person because of his or her gender, and it affects women disproportionately. It includes, but
is not limited to, physical, sexual, and psychological harm (including intimidation, suffering,
coercion, and/or deprivation of liberty within the family or within the general community). It
includes violence perpetuated by the state.

Empowerment refers to the expansion of people’s capacity to make and act upon decisions
(agency) and to transform those decisions into desired outcomes, affecting all aspects of their
lives, including decisions related to health. It entails overcoming socioeconomic and other
power inequalities in a context where this ability was previously denied. Programmatic
interventions often focus specifically on empowering women because of the inequalities in
their socioeconomic status. (Adapted from Naila Kabeer’s and Ruth Alsop’s definition of
empowerment.)

Homophobia is the irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuals or
homosexual behavior or cultures. Homophobia also refers to self-loathing by homosexuals,
as well as the fear of men or women who do not live up to society’s standards of what it is to
be a “true man” or “true woman.”

Heterosexism is the presumption that everyone is heterosexual and/or the belief that
heterosexual people are naturally superior to homosexual and bisexual people.

Men’s Engagement is a programmatic approach that involves men and boys a) as clients
and beneficiaries, b) as partners and c) as agents of change, in actively promoting gender
equality, women’s empowerment and the transformation of inequitable definitions of
masculinity. In the health context, this comprises engaging men and boys in addressing their
own, and supporting their partners’ reproductive, sexual and other health needs. Men’s
engagement also includes broader efforts to promote equality with respect to caregiving,
fatherhood, and division of labor, and ending gender-based violence.

Transgender is an umbrella term referring to individuals who do not identify with the sex
category assigned to them at birth or whose identity or behavior falls outside of stereotypical
gender norms. The term “transgender” encompasses a diverse array of gender identities and
expressions, including identities that fit within a female/male classification and those that do
not.

Gender-fair Language
In many languages masculine nouns and pronouns can be interpreted to refer to both
male and female referents. However, even when the authors expressly point out that
masculine forms are being used to refer to both women and men, readers and listeners
predominantly form mental images of men. A gender-fair language that uses either
masculine and feminine forms to refer to women and men more equally elicits mental images
of women and men.

Gender-fair language (GFL) was introduced as a response to this structural asymmetry

and as part of a broader attempt to reduce stereotyping and discrimination in language. Also,
gender-fair language aims at reducing gender stereotyping and discrimination.

Moreover, gender-fair language minimizes unnecessary concern about gender in your

subject matter, allowing both you and your reader to focus on what people do rather than on
which sex they happen to be. For example, the practice of using he and man as generic
terms poses a common problem. Rather than presenting a general picture of reality, he and
man used generically can mislead your audience.

However, gender-fair language strategies often face resistance. Negative attitudes

have been documented against specific gender-fair reforms, such as the replacement of the
masculine generic he with the paired form he/she (Blaubergs 1980), guidelines for non-sexist
language (Parks and Roberton 1998), and the introduction of a gender-neutral pronoun.

Two principles strategies to make languages gender fair and to treat women and men
symmetrically:

1. Neutralization
It is achieved by replacing male-masculine forms (policeman) with gender-
unmarked forms (police officer)

2. Feminization
It relies on the use of feminine forms to make female referents visible. It can also
mean the incorporation of women into a group or a profession that was once
dominated by men e.g., he or she instead of he only when referring to an
unknown subject.

Application of Gender-fair Language

PROBLEM: By using either he, his, or him as a generic pronoun when the referent's gender
is unknown or irrelevant, the writer misrepresents the species as male.
Solution 1: Write the sentence without pronouns. Try to avoid conditional structures,
 generally introduced by "if" or "when," which often require the use of pronouns.

Original: If the researcher is the principal investigator, he should place an asterisk after his
name.
Gender-fair: Place an asterisk after the name of the principal investigator.
Solution 2: Use gender-specific pronouns only to identify a specific gender or a specific
person.

Original: Repeat the question for each subject so that he understands it.
Gender-fair: Repeat the question for each male subject so that he fully understands it.
Solution 3: Use plural nouns and pronouns if they do not change the meaning of the
sentence.

Original: Repeat the question for each subject so that he understands it.
Gender-fair: Repeat the question for all subjects so that they understand it.
Solution 4: Use a first- or second-person perspective.

Original: The driver should take his completed registration form to the clerk's window and
pay his license fee.
Gender-fair: You should take your completed registration form to the clerk's window and pay
your license fee.

The following solutions produce language less fluent than Solutions 1 through 4.

Solution 5: Use a double pronoun, i.e., s/he, he or she, he/she, him and her.

Original: Each supervisor will be at his workstation by 8 a.m.

Gender-fair: Each supervisor will be at his or her workstation by 8 a.m.

Problem: By using man as a generic noun to represent groups that include women, the writer
misrepresents the species as male.
Solution 1: Use human, person, mortal, and their variations: humankind, humanity, human
beings, human race, and people.

Original: The effect of PCBs has been studied extensively in rats and man.
Gender-fair: The effect of PCBs has been studied extensively in rats and humans.
Solution 2: Use a more descriptive or inclusive compound word: workmen's = workers'; man-
sized = sizable, adult-sized; chairman, chairwoman = chair, chairperson,
presider, convener.

Original: The governor signed the workmen's compensation bill.

Gender-fair: The governor signed the workers' compensation bill.

Positive Effects of Gender-Fair Language

A number of quantitative studies have documented that gender-fair language can
promote gender equality. Feminizing was found to increase the number of women mentioned
as favorite exemplars of person categories in a German study (Sthalberg, Sczesny & Braun,
2001). In French and German, the proportions of females in person categories were
estimated higher when role nouns were presented both in the masculine and the feminine
form rather than masculine only.
The increased cognitive availability of feminine exemplars in response to gender-fair
language makes a particular difference in the professional context. Thus, more women were
considered for a leadership position when the job advertisement was framed in gender-fair
wording. Similarly, women responded to gender-fair language more favorably than to gender-
exclusive language in a mock job interview: When confronted with gender-fair forms, women
experienced significantly fewer negative emotions, more motivation, and more intention to
apply for the job than when presented with generic pronoun he.
In all, the positive effects of gender-fair language are very straightforward and draw
attention to the fact that masculine generics – a structure that is meant to include women
despite its grammatical masculinity – fails to do so.

Negative Effects of Gender-Fair Language

The use of gender-fair language, however, also has its side effects: In quantitative
studies on the social evaluation of individual speakers of English, for instance, speakers who
used gender-fair expressions (chairperson or chair) were considered less competent than
those using chairman (McConnell & Fazio, 1996). Similarly, women described with feminine
job titles in Italy were perceived as less persuasive or having a lower status than women
described with masculine job titles. Moreover, women labelling themselves with feminine job
titles in Polish were less likely to be hired than female speakers referring to themselves with a
masculine job title.
 TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL DEPARTMENT
LEARNING ACTIVITY/TASK
ACTIVITY 1

MULTIPLE CHOICE
Instructions: Circle the best answer for each of the following questions.

1. It is the act of sharing and conveying information between two or more individuals.
A. Communication C. Observing
B. Listening D. Recording Information
2. Which of this does not belong, as a listener you should:
A. Listen with respect C. Build upon what has been said
B. Listen for people’s feelings D. Judge or Argue mentally
3. Used by managers to gain insights into employee performance.
A. Observing C. Speaking
B. Listening D. Eavesdropping
4. Which is not the benefits of effective communication in the workplace
A. Quicker Problem-Solving C. Decrease Productivity
B. Increase employee awareness D. Consistence in the work flow
5. In communicating face to face with other people involves:
A. Making eye contact, Speaking, Observing, Listening
B. Whining and Complaining
C. None of the above
6. It is a pre-planned gathering of two or more people who have assembled for the purpose
of achieving a common goal through verbal interaction.
A. Informal meeting C. Structuring meeting
B. Formal meeting D. Clarifying Instruction
7. An ___________is a meeting which is far less heavily planned and regulated than a
formal business meeting, and so lacks many of the defining features of a formal business
meeting, such as minutes, a chairperson and a set agenda.
A. Informal meeting C. Structuring meeting
B. Formal meeting D. Clarifying instruction
8. It is an expression of messages through facial expressions, movements and the
language of the body necessary for effective workplace relations.
A. Verbal communication C. Written Communication
B. Non-verbal communication D. None of these choices
9. It is used of speech and words is encouraged. Generally, words, tone, languages and
the physical act of speaking
A. Verbal communication C. Written communication
B. Non-verbal communication D. None of these choices
10. __________is very common in business situations
A. Verbal communication C. Written Communication
B. Non-verbal communication D. None of these choices

Essay

1. Why is it important to be efficiently effective in workplace communication? (10pts)

2. How would you describe good/effective communication in a workplace (10pts)
3. Why do we need to use gender-fair language in the workplace? (10pts)
Answer Key:

1. A
2. D
3. A
4. C
5. A
6. B
7. A
8. B
9. A
10. C