© Indira Gandhi National Open University School of Humanities THE PEOPLES. Block UNDERSTANDING COMMUNICATI Course Introduction Block Introduction UNIT1 The Process of Communication UNIT 2 The Globalization of Communication: A Global Village UNIT3 Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication ignou BEGAE-182 UNIVERSITY English Communication Skills wn 26 40EXPERT COMMITTEE Prof Balaji Ranganathan Prof Romika Batra Gujarat Central University Indira Gandhi University Gandhinagar, Gujarat Meerpur, Rewari Dr Anand Prakash (Retd) Dr Hema Raghavan (Ret) Formerly at Hans Raj College Formerly at Garg College University of Delhi Univesity of Deli Dr Rajnish Kumar Mishra Dr Richa Bajaj Special Centre for Sanskrit Stdies Hindu College INU, New Delhi Univesity of Delhi Dr Payal Nagpal IGNOU FACULTY (EN Janki Devi College Prof. Anju S Gupta University of Delhi Prof Neera Singh Prof. Malati Mathur Prof. Nandini Sahu Prof. Pramod Kumar Dr. Pema Eden Samdup ‘MSs, Mridula Rashmi Kindo Dr, Malathy A, BLCOK PREPARATION Course Writer Content and Language Editing Prof. R. Amritavalli (Unit 2) Prof. Anju Sahgal Gupta Retired, EFLU, Hyderabad School of Humanities, IGNOU Mr. GSRK Babu Rao, Unit 3 Course Coordinator EFLU, Hyderabad Prof. Anju Sahgal Gupta School of Humanities, IGNOU PRINT PRODUCTION Mr. C.N. Pandey Secretarial Assistance Section Officer (Publication) Ms. Premlata Lingwal, PA SOH, IGNOU, New Delhi August, 2019 5 Indira Gandhi National Open University, 2019 ISBN All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form, by mimeograph or any other means, without permission in writing from the Indira Gandhi National Open University Further information on Indira Gandhi National Open University courses may be obtained from the University's office at Maidan Garhi, New Delhi-110 068 or visit University’s web ‘ite hitp:/4ews.ignow.ac.in Printed and published on behalf of the Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi by Prof. Shatrughna Kumar, Director, School of Humanities. Laser Typeset by: Tessa Media & Computers, C-206, AFE-II, Okhla, New Delhi Printed atCOURSE INTRODUCTION One good skill to know, Is the art of Good Communication... It’s exchanging one’s thoughts and ideas, And it results in clarification! We'll need to listen closely, And look at the one who speaks... ‘You might miss something important, And catching-up might take weeks! We'll need to speak cleatly, And use a proper tone... You might need to speak-up, Or you might be on the phone! If you watch and observe closely, You'll pick-up on non-verbal clues. You'll soon begin to understand, And respect other’s point of view! So if you want some good advice, Then you should take it from me. When you have Good Communication, In the dark you'll no longer be! (http://winningpointacademy.blogspot.com/2013/02/poem-on- ‘communication. himl) ‘Welcome to the course English Communication Skills. This course is of 4 credits and has 3 Blocks and 1 Units. Please read all the Units carefully and attemptall the check your progress activities diligently. If you have any problems consult your Academic Counselor at the Study Centre. We begin with a bit of theory in Block | - Understanding Communication. Vere we will dwell on the process of communication, communication in globalized ‘communities and non-verbal communication. In Block 2 Listening and Speaking in Informal and Formal Contexts the emphasis s on the speaking and listening skills in both informal and formal situations. The Units will help you not only in personal encounters but at your university and at the workplace. In Block 3 Reading and Writing Skills we concentrate on reading, vocabulary enhancement and writing skill We hope that you will benefit from the course!BLOCK INTRODUCTION In this Block Understanding Communication we give you some theoretical insights into the communication process. Unit 1 “The Process of Communication’ deals with topies such as: What is communication, the process of communication, barriers to communications, the difference between written and spoken communication, We then describe at some length a Speech Act i.e. Conversation, In Unit 2, The Globalization of Communication: A Global Village we briefly describe the story of communication from ancient times to the modem era. We also discuss how language and new technologies interact harmoniously with each other. Non-verbal communication is a very important factor in the communication process, This may’be through body language and even signs, symbols and graphs. Our purpose in Unit 3 is to holistically understand the communication process so that you will be able to interact meaningfully in your life. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The material (pictures and passages) we have used is purely for educational purposes. Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of material reproduced in this book. Should any infringement have occurred, the publishers and editors apologize and will be pleased to make the necessary corrections in future editions of this book. Unit 2 and 3 have been taken from BEGE-103 which was previously edited and coordinated by Prof. Amiya Bhusan Sharma (Formerly, IGNOU).U Structure 1.0 Ld 12 13 14 1s 16 LT 18 19 IT 1 THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION Objectives Introduction: What is Communication? ‘The Process of Communication Barriers to Communication Wea Characteristics and Different Types of Communication Conventions of neces Conversation Written vs. Oral Communication Feedback Different Types of Face-to-Face Interactions Difference between Conversation and Other Speech Events Let Us Sum Up 1.10 Suggested Readings LL Answers OBJECTIVES ‘The aim of this Unit is to tell you: the process and elements of communication different types of communication barriers to communication difference between written and spoken communication After you complete the Unit, you should shift your attention from English as a ‘subject’ of knowledge to English as a ‘skill’ that you can train yourself to use, 11 INTRODUCTION: WHATIS. SSS ___ COMMUNICATION? 11 We all engage in communication with others right from our birth. When we interact with others we are communicating with them. Right now I amUnderstanding Communication communicating with you through this unit and while you are reading it, you too, are in fact communicating with me through this text. Itis often said that we live in an age of communication characterized by speed, efficiency, and the ability to transcend physical or geographical limitations. But what does it mean to é communicate? The dictionary definition is “to exchange (thoughts) or make known (information or feelings) by speech, writing or other means; to transmit’, Communication is more than just messaging or swapping information. It involves not just words, but the use of all our senses. With face- to-face dialogue, our facial expression, tone, body language, ability to listen with patience, all contribute to the conveying messages and information between people. For example, the written word, whether in books and magazines, e-mails or texts can convey more than just the writing. It can inspire, elevate and encourage if thatis the intention of the waiter. It can also confuse and exasperate if we are not careful! Lynne Truss, in a recent book on punctuation, pointed out how easily the meaning of the written word can be altered just by rearranging the punctuation, She invites us to compare the following two sentences; ‘A woman, ‘without her man, is nothing’, and A woman: without her, man is nothing.” ‘As human beings we have the ability to express ourselves and share our thoughts, and feelings in many ways. We could live in isolation, never communicating with another person, but that would not create value. We can keep feelings to ourselves or we can share them. Each person has his or her unique view of things, and each perspective is valuable. Through sharing these individual ideas or views with each other, global solutions may be found. ‘Someone may share an idea that the other person may not have even considered. ‘These differing views could be compared to a jigsaw puzzle, where each person has their own piece, and when the pieces fit together, the full picture emerges and a solution is found that may not have been considered previously. Certainly increased communication that uses technology can be enormously valuable. Being able to share information quickly between people has meant that a disaster in one part of the world can be responded to in another, it has led to the fall of corrupt governments, as people have been able to unite in challenging authoritarian regimes. People in remote areas fighting injustice have linked up with people on the other side of the world who can support their cause. As with everything, new technologies such as e-mail and text messaging have the potential, to be positive or negative. So don’t you see the value of communicatio:The Process of 1.2__ THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION Communication ‘The following figure gives a simple model of the process of communication:= encoding decoding SENDER RECEIVER encoder decader whiter reader speaker istener Check your progress 1 Look at the figure given above and try to answer the following questions: 1) Atleast how many persons do you need for communication to take place? 2) Can two people communicate if they do not share the same language? 3) If your answer to Q2 above is ‘yes’, then explain how they will communicate, 4) _ A saint sitting with his eyes closed says he is communicating with God. Do you think itis an example of communication? Give reasons for your answer, 5) __Aperson was lost in his thoughts with his eyes closed. When asked he said that he was communicating with self. Would you term itas communication? Discuss with others in your study center. Elements of Communication Ifwe look at the figure given above we can derive the elements of communication, as follows: 1) Communication involves at least two persons (a) The addresser and (b) the addressee. 2) The topic: the contents of the message. 3) The channel: the medium through which the message travels, e.g. letter, telephone, e-mail, ete. 4) The cod he language of the message e.g. English, French, Hindi, ete. 5) The message form: the sel of the message. ‘on of particular grammar and lexical choice 6) The setting: the social and physical setting. Check your progress 2 Look at the figure once again. Can you write a paragraph now explaining the process of communication?Understanding Communication The Role of the Decoder The process of decoding by the address c as some people think. His/Her role is an active one. Language, itis said, does not have meaning; it has potential for meaning and it is the decoder who is actively engaged in making meaning on the basis of his/her background knowledge and the context of ication i.e, the knowledge of the subject, topic, addresser-addr relationship, knowledge of the code (language used), the physical and social context, etc. Let us consider the following utterance: “Mr. Gupta is not coming”, The literal meaning of the sentence is not difficult; it is quite clear-but do we know what the speaker wants to convey? Is it a statement for our information? Is it a warning for the hearer? We can understand this text only if we know what, the context is, i.e. who is the addresser; whom is s/he addressing: when, where and in what context. Suppose the addresser is the Managing Director (MD) of a company; and the addressee is his Secretary; the MD utters these words on anziving in his office and going through a fax message; Mr. Gupta is a consultant with the foreign collaborators of the company; and he was due to arrive that day fora meeting with the MD and other officials of the company. If we possess this background knowledge, we will be able to understand the meaning of the sentence uttered by the MD. This sentence can now be called an utterance in this context. ‘The secretary can interpret the utterance to mean: ‘The meeting will have to be cancelled and the officials informed accordingly. Arrangements such as sending the car to the airport, hotel reservation, etc., if any, made for Mr. Gupta, will have to be cancelled’, ete. ete. ‘When we make an utterance we always do something; we use language to perform some function, e.g. to inform, wam, promise, persuade, etc. and the hearer or the reader can derive the meaning of the utterance only through actively processing the utterance in the context in which it is made. Check Your Progress 3 Can you think of some of the functions of language? One can be to ‘inform’ someone; or to ‘war’ them. Think of some more functions and compare your list with that drawn up by others at your study centre.Macro Functions of Communication The Process of Communication ‘The macro functions of communication are listed below: 1) The emotive function: to communicate the inner states and emotions, e.g. Oh no! 2) The directive function: secking to affect the behaviour of others, e.g, Close the door, please. 3) The phatic function: opening the channel or checking that it is working, e.g. Hello, is it Thomas Cook? or Can you hear me, Mrs. Gupta? 4) The poetic funetion: the particular form chosen is the essence of the message. This refers to the aesthetic function of language, 5) The referential funetion: to carry information, 6) The metalinguistic function: focusing attention on the code itself, e.g, “the use of both will or shall is correct in modem usage.” 7) The contextual funetion: creating a particular kind of context, e.g. Right! Let's start the meeting now. Cheek your progress 4 Which of these functions are often performed in workplace situations? Give examples to support your answer. 1.3 BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION Itis said that communication can never be hundred per cent complete. Many factors are involved in the process of communication and something can always go wrong with one or more of : e these. From your own experience, make a list of some of the factors that can impede communication. Let us now consider some of these barriers: a) Code, ie. the addresser and the addressee may not share the same language between them. The addresser is speaking in French and the addressee does not know French.Understanding Communication 10 b) Voeabulalry: The market declined under persistent bear hammering. One who is not familiar with the vocabulary of the stock market may not understand what is meant. ©) Concept: Technical and subject specific concepts may not be understood by all. For example, a black hole is simple language, yet the concept may not be understood by many. 4) Background knowledge and shared assumptions e.g. a Victorian style mansion may not be understood by those living outside England. ©) Pronunciation, intonation, accent and stress in spoken language. ‘Sometimes may not be understood. f) Culture specifie communication may cause misunderstanding, 2) Physical environment: Noise and other environmental disturbances or even physical distance between the address and the addressee can impede effective communication. h) Affective factors: personal factors e.g. anxiety, fear, attitude, motivation, beliefs, values, lack of mutual trust, lack of time or pressure of work, lack of attention, and personal rivalries. All these factors impede communication. Cheek Your Progress 5 How can the barriers to communication be removed? Discuss with others in your group or cla 14 DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMUNICATION Communication may be classified into several categories on the following basis: Expression: Written, oral and gestural Flow: Internal (Vertical & Horizontal) and external Formal and Relationship: informal Various Media of Expression (Written, Oral & Gestural)Communication can be achieved through various media, such as writing, speech, gestures and actions. One can use written words or draw pictures or one can use speech sounds. Speech is primary, writing secondary, that is, speech came first and the writing system was developed later on. There may still be some languages which are spoken but not written. In fact, several of the tribal languages do not have any script. Deaf and dumb people use actions and gestures in order to ‘communicate with each other—this is also a form of communication and known as sign language. The visually challenged read and write using Braille. At the workplace, communicating in writing or via email is the most popular form of communication. It can take various forms such as letters, circulars, office ‘memorandums, newsletter, brochures, bulletins, reports, manuals, house journals, magazines, etc. You are already familiar with some of these. This does not mean that oral communication is not used in workplace transactions. Speech is also used and quite often. It takes the form of face-to-face interaction, telephone conversations, lectures and talks, meetings and discussions, ete. Expression through body language is known as gestural communication. Who is not familiar with the nodding of the head from side to side to say ‘no’ or up and down to convey ‘yes"? Parents often use this means of communication with their children if they tend to be naughty in the presence of guests and itis often used in workplace situations as well in similar circumstances or when verbal communication is impossible e.g. in the factory where the noise of machinery makes verbal communication difficult. Check Your Progress 6 Can 1u think of a situation when gestural communication would be more effective than oral communication? What kind of messages can be communicated through gestures? Give some example from your own experience. Pictures, charts, diagrams are also used either on their own or in combination with written or oral communication for greater effect and better understanding. Business houses make use of them in their illustrated catalogues and brochures ‘meant to promote their product. Downward, Upward & Horizontal Communication Companies have to communicate with outside agencies and other companies, government and private bodies, newspapers, advertisers, manufacturers of machinery, builders, suppliers of goods and services, clients and customers, etc. But there is also the need to communicate within the company itself, e.g. ‘communication between a superior and a subordinate, ic. from higher to lower The Process of Communication iUnderstanding Communication 12 levels of authority. This is an example of downward communication. There are also occasions when communication flows from a subordinate or subordinates to a higher authority. It may be a report, suggestion, opinion or a charter of demands from the workers. We call this upward communication. Both these are forms of vertical communication, Communication between officers working at the same level of management is called horizontal or lateral communication e.g. interaction between manager (Production) and Manager (Marketing). It involves exchange of ideas, information, opinions or seeking clarifications, etc. between personnel of the same rank, Formal and Informal Communication At the workplace, these two terms are used in a slightly different sense than what we generally understand by them, Communication done through the chain of command is known as formal communication. It involves the transmission of official message in the formal organization structure. Such communication is planned and established by management and clearly indicates the hierarchical relationships involved and these generally are in writing e.g. orders, decisions, instructions, ete Informal communication does not flow through the official channels of communication. It involves the spontaneous expression of reactions and ideas and is usually done orally. Hence it may carry incomplete or incorrect information, The words formal and informal are used to indicate change in form and language of communication according to change in relationship between the addresser and the addressee and the context of situation, For example, you will use informal language while talking to your brother athome, But if your brother also happens to be your boss in office and a formal meeting is going on in office, you will address him in a different way, i.e. in formal style. 1.5 _WRITTEN VS. ORAL COMMUNICATION When we speak of language as a tool for communication, we mean both spoken and written forms of 5 the language. Both these modes pl can be used for communication. While they perform the same functions, their form and manner 7 of use differ in many respe ample, one makes us sounds, other of symbols. The . speaker has available to hinvher the full range of voice quality effects, as well as facial expressions, postural and gestural. =| = systems, but these paralinguistic vs features are denied to the writer. The writer, on the other hand, has typographical variety at his/her disposal. The speaker is face-to-face with hearerwhile the writer writes for an absent reader who may also be far away in space and time. These different features have their own advantages and disadvantages. In oral ‘communication the speaker, being face-to-face with the hearer can monitor and match the reactions of the hearer. At the same time s/he can simultaneously plan his/her next utterance and fit it in the overall pattern of what s/he wants to say. S/he must keep on talking during the period allotted to him/her; s/he must decide when to take his/her turn, how to interrupt his/her interlocutor, how to hand over the turn—in fact s/he must be in command of all the conversational skills, S/he has certain advantages as well; s/he can observe his/her interlocutor and, if necessary, modify what s/he is saying. Oral communication is quicker, more economical and more effective than written communication. Doubts and misunderstandings can be cleared on the spot as immediate reaction and response is available. ‘There are variations in spoken language and also in the way it is delivered These could be on account of geographical or social and cultural differences. ‘There are dialectical differences, accent differences and also differences in the use of paralinguistic features and body language. Speech is less organized than written language; it contains many incomplete sentences; often it contains simply sequences of phrases. These features may easily create misunderstandings. Oral communication is less reliable because it is not available in future; it is also affected by the attitudes and personality, self-interest, beliefs, values and prejudices of the sender as well as the receiver and also the time and circumstances of the communication. Oral communication is also not suitable for lengthy messages to be communicated to distant and widely scattered people. Similarly the written mode gives the writer certain advantages as well as disadvantages over the speaker. Since the writer is writing for an absent reader, sJhe may look over, reflect, and edit what s/he has already written, with no fear of being interrupted by his/her interlocutor; s/he can take his/her own time in choosing a particular word, even looking it up in the dictionary, if necessary, reorder what s/he has written, and even change his/her mind about what s/he has to say. S/he is under no pressure to keep on writing; she can even destroy what s/he has written and throw it into the dustbin without fear of offending the reader. But the writer has disadvantages too: s/he has no access to immediate feedback and simply has to imagine the reader’s reactions. This non-reciprocal nature of written communication makes it more diflicult to leam, Written communication ensures the transmission of information in a uniform ‘manner and there is little risk of unauthorized alteration in the message. Since it put in black and white, it provides a permanent record for future reference. Written communication tends to be complete, precise and unambiguous. The message can be repeated at regular intervals and lengthy messages can be sent to widely scattered readers. But written communication is time-consuming, expensive and rigid and it becomes difficult to maintain secrecy. ‘At the workplace, face-to-face and telephone communications are generally confirmed in writing by post or e-mail, particularly when the communication is, with the world outside. Why do you think is it necessary to do so? Discuss with friends or mates at the Study Centre the comparative advantages and The Process of Communication 13Understanding disadvantages of the telephone mode of communication over face-to-face Communication pastas Check Your Progress 7 1) Which mode of communication would you adopt in the following cases:- a) The message is very urgent. b) The message is important and lengthy ©) The message sent should be available in the records. d) The information is to be sent to all employees in different branches. ©) You have to consult your boss, who is out of town, urgently and take a quick decision. 2) Youare the Marketing Manager ofa firm. You want to hire a sales supervisor. Which form of communication would you use to communicate your requirement to the Manager (Personnel)? Would you prefer to talk to him personally, over the phone, write an email or memo? Give reasons for your answer. 1.6 DIFFERENT TYPES OF FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIONS Brown & Yule (1983) use two terms to describe the major functions of language. The function of language where the transfer of information is involved is called transactional, and the function involved in expressing social relations and personal attitudes is called Interactional. 1) a) A: There’s no message for you (Transactional) B: OK. b) A: How are you? (interactional) B: Fine, thank you. 14In the world of business one has to make use of language for performing both of these functions. In business transactions, different situations may arise when ‘one has to use language for different types of face-to-face interactions: (1) conversation for establishing social contact, performing various functions such as introducing oneself and others, making inquiries, giving and seeking information, giving instructions, reporting conversations, giving the company profile, describing persons, places and processes, developing relationships, «getting people to do things, offering help, seeking help, apologizing, persuading, elaborating, arguing a point, explaining a situation, comparing two products, negotiating business deals, asking for and giving advice, ete. (2) participating in discussions, (3)taking part and conducting meetings and interviews, (4) lecturing (5)demonstrating company’s products, (6) talking about where you work, describing simple and everyday operations, describing work and business operations, describing office working conditions, consulting and reporting to superiors, asking for and giving advice, talking about problems at work, ete. Most of these encounters will be transactional while some of these will be interactional. Conversation You are already aware of social interaction at the workplace i.e. meeting and greeting people in business, and developing a conversation. From your observation, can you recall/derive some rules of face-to-face conversation? Do you think there are rules for conversation in every language of the world? Native speakers learn naturally as part of their growing up in that society and follow these rules in their conversation with other native speakers. Discuss this with others in your Study Centre. Human beings spend a large part of their lives engaging in conversation and for most of us conversation is among our most significant and engrossing activities. We have already described the importance of communication, particularly face- to-face communication. Researchers from several academic disciplines have looked at conversation as an object of inquiry and come up with fascinating findings. Our understanding of how people conduct conversations has been enriched by observations made by psychologists and linguists, among others. Before we describe the rules of conversation, let us be clear about the term conversation. As Richards and Schmidt point out, the term conversation is used somewhat ambiguously in current literature. It is used sometimes to refer to any spoken encounter or interaction and sometimes, more restrictedly, to: “.. talk occurring when a small number of participants come together and settle into what they perceive to be a few moments cut off from (or carried on to the side of) instrumental tasks: a period of idling felt to be an end in itself, during which everyone is accorded the right to talk as well as to listen and without reference to a fixed schedule; everyone is accorded the status of someone whose overall evaluation of the subject matter at hand... isto be encouraged and treated with respeet; and no final agreement or synthesis is demanded, differences of opinion to be treated as unprejudicial to the continuing relationship of the parties, (Gofiman 1976) All talk, itis pointed out, is rooted in its surroundings. But conversation in this more restricted sense is not very firmly rooted to the world as other kinds of The Process of Communication 15