Note for English Communication Skills - ECS By JNTU Heroes

Topics ( 20 )

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(LECTURE NOTES) TECHNICAL ENGLISH I UNIT I - LISTENING Almost 45% of time we spend in listening. An essential management and leadership skill. A process of receiving, interpreting and reacting to a message. TOPIC -1 GENERAL INTENSIVE ENGLISH Intensive English courses are generally conducted to improve the overall level of the English skills of the learners. Students undergoing this course learn to communicate effectively in English, broaden their vocabulary and develop their reading and writing skills. Objectives: 1. To increase confidence and fluency in speaking English. 2. To get accuracy for clear communication of ideas. 3. To develop understanding of grammar. 4. To interact in a multi-cultural environment. 5. To focus on writing ,reading and listening skills. 6. To focus on students’ personal needs and objectives. The basic aim of GIE is to improve the confidence to communicate and to deal with situations necessary to manage in an English speaking environment. TOPIC -2 TYPES OF LISTENING Appreciative listening, Empathetic listening, Comprehensive listening, Critical listening Traits of a Good Listener Being non-evaluative, Paraphrasing, Reflecting implications, Reflecting hidden feelings. Active listening Inviting further contributions, Responding non-verbally, Show keenness, Expressions, Alertness, Questions, Not neglecting physical aspects , Valid reason for criticism Implications Good listening helps you to take better decisions and make better policies in organization. On the contrary lack of proper listening can lead to embarrassing situations because of a gap in coordination and understanding. Tips for Effective Listening DO’s HS6151/TE 1 UNIT I Page 1

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(LECTURE NOTES) Be mentally prepared to listen Evaluate the speech not the speaker Be unbiased to the speaker by depersonalizing your feelings Fight distractions by closing off sound sources Be open minded Don’ts Not to pay undue emphasis on vocabulary as you can use the context to understand the meaning Not to pay too much attention to the accessories and clothing of the speaker Not to interrupt too often Not to show boredom Conclusion • You do not listen with just your ears. You listen with your eyes and with your sense of touch. You listen with your mind, your heart, your imagination. (Egan Gerard) • A good conversationalist is popular, a good listener even more so. Talk only if you have something to say. SPEAKING TOPIC -3 - INTRODUCING YOURSELF TO AN AUDIENCE Speak clearly and confidently. Make sure your voice is loud enough for everyone to hear you. Make eye contact with a few people. Don't stare down at some aimless point in the corner of the room. Move your gaze around the group to make eye contact with a few people as you speak. If you don't like the thought of looking into that many eyes look at their eyebrows or noses - they won't be able to tell the difference. Say hello, and state your name. If you're at a formal gathering, say "Hello, my name is [first name] [last name]." If the gathering is informal, tone it down accordingly - you could say something like "Hey, I'm [first name]." Share basic information about yourself. The sort of information you share will depend on the audience you're addressing. If you're introducing yourself to a group of business associates, you might tell them what exactly your job is and how long you've been with the company. Close the introduction. If you're going to be interacting more closely with these people in the future, say something like "I look forward to getting to know you/all of you better." If you probably won't be talking a lot of these people later, close with something like "It's been a pleasure speaking to you this morning/this afternoon/tonight." HS6151/TE 1 UNIT I Page 2

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(LECTURE NOTES) Introducing Yourself to an Individual Make eye contact. Eye contact shows that you're engaged in the interaction, as well as displaying confidence. If you're not comfortable looking straight into someone's eyes, stare at the point between their eyebrows - they won't notice the difference. Smile. It is important to keep a genuine, bright smile (and fresh breath, too). Your smile is your best icebreaker - it draws people in. Offer a handshake. A firm handshake, once again, demonstrates your self-confidence. Get the grip just right, though - you don't want break the other person's hand. Try squeezing slightly with your fingers and not your thumb, and release the handshake after two or three seconds. Reveal a little bit of your background. It depends on the context of the conversation, but start off by telling the other person something about yourself. You may tell a little bit of your background in order to start your conversation. Telling someone where you work and your title is appropriate and may lead to many conversation topics. Close the conversation. After you've met someone for the first time, you should end the conversation by restating that you enjoyed meeting them. If the interaction was formal, say something like "Mrs. Jones, I'm delighted to have met you. I hope we can talk again soon." If your conversation was informal, you could say "It was great meeting you, Jane. Hope to see you around." Tips Focus on the positive. An introductory conversation is no time to say negative things about yourself or someone else. Don't speak when your mouth is filled with food. Keep your focus on the person you are meeting - give them the respect you would like to receive. If your hands tend to get sweaty, wipe them on a napkin before beginning the introduction. Don't look away or act distracted - it will make you look bored or uninterested. READING When you're reading for your course, you need to make sure you're actively involved with the text. It's a waste of your time to just passively read, the way you'd read a thriller on holiday. Always make notes to keep up your concentration and understanding. Here are four tips for active reading. Underlining and highlighting Pick out what you think are the most important parts of what you are reading. Do this with your own copy of texts or on photocopies, not with borrowed books. HS6151/TE 1 UNIT I Page 3

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(LECTURE NOTES) If you are a visual learner, you'll find it helpful to use different colours to highlight different aspects of what you're reading. Note key words Record the main headings as you read. Use one or two keywords for each point. When you don't want to mark the text, keep a folder of notes you make while reading. Questions Before you start reading something like an article, a chapter or a whole book, prepare for your reading by noting down questions you want the material to answer. While you're reading, note down questions which the author raises. Summaries Pause after you've read a section of text. Then: put what you've read into your own words; skim through the text and check how accurate your summary is and fill in any gaps. A tip for speeding up your active reading You should learn a huge amount from your reading. If you read passively, without learning, you're wasting your time. So train your mind to learn. Try the SQ3R technique. SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recall and Review. Survey Gather the information you need to focus on the work and set goals: Read the title to help prepare for the subject Read the introduction or summary to see what the author thinks are the key points Notice the boldface headings to see what the structure is Notice any maps, graphs or charts. They are there for a purpose Notice the reading aids, italics, bold face, questions at the end of the chapter. They are all there to help you understand and remember. Question- Help your mind to engage and concentrate. Your mind is engaged in learning when it is actively looking for answers to questions. Try turning the boldface headings into questions you think the section should answer. Read - Read the first section with your questions in mind. Look for the answers, and make up new questions if necessary. Recall - After each section, stop and think back to your questions. See if you can answer them from memory. If not, take a look back at the text. Do this as often as you need to. HS6151/TE 1 UNIT I Page 4