English for Technicians

Shanthi Nadarajan UNIMAS nshanthi@cls.unimas.my

LU6

Adapting Language to Channel and Formality

April 2011

TOPIC 8: English for Communication

Objectives Participants will: Discuss how communication is important to their work process Share opinions that gauge learner needs examine and discuss modern day communication tools create work related documents explore internet resources for use in project, communication and collaboration Evaluate some of their writings Modify their report writing process Plan how to use Internet to improve work efficiency

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Shanthi Nadarajan /English for Technicians/Unimas 11

LU6

Adapting Language to Channel and Formality

April 2011

Planning Ahead (10 minutes)

Step 1 : Thinking about Job Specifications

In this Module, you will share your job responsibilities with your colleagues. Use the following questions to think through. Note: This activity is also available as a worksheet in Module 1, Planning and Writing on the course site. 1. What are your main responsibilities for the week? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ 2. What kind of communication is involved? (people involved) _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ 3. How can you integrate technology to reduce your workload? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
1.1 Tip: You may want to review some of the task outlined in your work process schedule and group them . Also state how much reporting is involved.

Activity 1: Understanding the Communication Process (20 minutes) Due to the internets flexibility, it is now possible for just about anyone to include internet resources into their projects. However, when working with people, it is important to consider just how well these resources help improve communication. In this activity, you will read about the communication process. Then you will discuss with your colleagues how the internet can enhance your communication skills. You may want to refer to the notes you made before this. Also think about the group project. 1. Review your activities and define a pattern for your activities. _____________________________________________________________________ 2. In your job, when do you get to interact with people? ______________________________________________________________________ 3. In your job, how do help students/foreigners help understand what you are saying?

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Shanthi Nadarajan /English for Technicians/Unimas 11

LU6

Adapting Language to Channel and Formality

April 2011

______________________________________________________________________ 4. How can you make people understand the importance of your job? ______________________________________________________________________ 5. Break into small groups and brainstorm how you could come up with a visual representation to help others understand your work process.

Tips: In this section, you come up with a one page document to indicate the flow of your job. (Use one notebook)

Activity 2: Exploring the Communication Process (20 minutes) With easy access to the Internet and the ability to easily send off messages through the internet, many of us easily forget that it is easy to make mistakes when writing. The following memo has many faults in grammar, spelling, punctuation, word use and number form. Correct the errors. When you finish, your instructor will show you the revised version of this memo. To: Johan Mustapha from: John de Silve Date: Spetember 2, 2011 Subject: Work at home guidelines Since you will be completeing many of your work at home for the next tree months, follow these guidelines. 1. Chekc you e -massage daily and respond promly. 2. Call the office at least two times a day to pick up any message. 3. sent me the progress report of your progress. 4. For security reasons your office will be off limit to your family and fence. please be reminded that we will hold a staff meeting on Thursday at 10 a.m. in the morning. I know the injury will take time to heal but we need you on the project. I hope these guidelines help. :)

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Shanthi Nadarajan /English for Technicians/Unimas 11

LU6

Adapting Language to Channel and Formality

April 2011

Activity 3: (30 minutes) Regardless of whether you are preparing an e-mail, message, memo or oral presentation, the process will be easier if you follow a systematic plan. The general plan is to break the task into three phases: prewriting, writing and revising. However the process is not always linear as indicated in figure 1.

Prewriting

Writing

Revising

Analyzing Anticipating Adapting

Pre Writing

Researching Organizing Composing

Revising Proofreading Evaluating

The first phase of the writing process prepares you to write. This involves analyzing the audience and your purpose of writing. Prewriting involves anticipating how your audience will react to your message. Youre sure that some readers will agree with you but others may not. In adapting your message, you try to think of the right words and the right tone that will win approval. In small groups and discuss the following responses. Select the most appropriate response and try to improve on the language.

Dear Sir, I just checked to see what caused the defective shipment. After double checking with the person in charge, I discovered that your order was packed by a new worker. We have fired the worker. So, this will not happen in future. We will sent you a replacement order. Let me know if the new shipment arrives safely. We trust you will not complain again. Dear Joe, Sorry we screwed up that order. Sending ceramic vases from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching can be risky. The South China Sea does not help. This probably happens a lot. Some of the vases just cant take the strain. (Sometimes, I cant take the strain myself.. Hah hah). Just counting the days. Well credit your account for RM 2300.00

Dear Mr. Smith: Im sorry you arent happy with the vases, but it isnt our fault. The fine prints clearly says Good sold are not refundable. If your workers had inspected the vases upon arrival, the vases can be replaced. Anybody buying ceramic vases should know that these things are fragile. If they are damaged on transit, it is not our fault. I am sending you a copy of the sales and purchase agreement. Please read it carefully before you order any new vases. We look forward to your future orders.

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Shanthi Nadarajan /English for Technicians/Unimas 11

LU6

Adapting Language to Channel and Formality

April 2011

Dear Ms. Skies: Your letter of the 5th. has come to the attention of this office, According to your letter, your invoice #KC3575 arrived in an unsatisfactory condition. Please be advised that it is our policy to make adjustments as per the Terms and Conditions on the reverse side of the order. The document states the following: if you intend to assert any claim against us, you should write in within 30 days upon receipt of any goods, and furnish us with the necessary details. Your letter was late and as such we cannot entertain your request.

Writing : Can you come up with a more appropriate letter. Evaluating Listen to the following sentences and identify the positive message. ____We are unable to send your shipment until we receive proof of your payment. ____We look forward to sending your shipment as soon as we receive payment. ____ You will never regret registering for a course in our program. ____ Your new program enables you to expand your career and rise up in life. ____ Youll qualify in you pass the exam. ____ If you fail to pass the exam, you will not qualify.

Activity 4 (30 minutes) Text Completion Now, you will listen to a short text. Complete passage with the correct words as you listen. Next, answer the questions that follow. The Communication Process Human communication is a process of exchanging information in a medium. There are several mediums for communicating _____ people including air, noise, signal, _____even paper. There are several components ____ human communication such as understanding, meaning, listening, _____ tone etc. As humans share information, the meaning _______becomes a crucial component. It serves ____ the relation between thoughts and objects of______. It relates the flow of thoughts _______ on their perspective. In human communication, _______is achieved when people follow _____ rules of the language. Being ___ good listener serves as one ____ the qualities of capable leadership ______ the individual is able to _____ other leaders to become good listeners ______ . Listening is therefore an important component of human communication, since it imparts effective human communication and better work performance. Model of Human Communication Human communication can be represented in a model. A model can apply to any symbolic representation of a thing, process or idea. Models can graphic, verbal or mathematical. In a situation where two people have a conversation, communicator A speaks to communicator B. This model involves channel (medium), transmitter, external decoder (if needed) and receiver. The communicator A sends a message through air (medium), the message passed through the medium is got by the communicator B (receiver). The communicator B decodes the information and understands the meaning and sends it back to the communicator A. Thereby meaningful

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Shanthi Nadarajan /English for Technicians/Unimas 11

LU6

Adapting Language to Channel and Formality

April 2011

information exchange take place, but the meaningful information exchange happens due to the common language. If there is no common language then a translator comes into the field, who serves as a decoder of the message. Ideally in a conversation involving a common language the decoder/ encoder are both the transmitter and receiver itself.

Questions: 1. What do you understand by human communication? __________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What factors need to be considered when sharing information? __________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Why is it crucial to becoming a good listener? __________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Explain the Shannon Weaver Model in your own words? __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ 5. What happens when there is a lack of common language. _________________________________________________________________________________

Categories of Human Communication

By classifying the various components of human communication, it can be chunked into two major sections, verbal and nonverbal. Verbal communication components include; speech, intonation, tone, clarity, emphasis, repetition, sound, translator which are most often used in day-to-day verbal communication. When two persons have a conversation; the air serves as the medium, language is the encoder/decoder, and the persons act as source and receiver. However, if one person speaks only Malay and the other person speaks only English then a third person, a Malay to English translator would serve as the decoder and encoder. (Jones; Kovac, 2003, pp. 1-2). Similarly, when ones understanding of English is limited and the other person speaks too fast, or in a distracting manner, miscommunication can take place resulting in the job not getting done. Meanwhile, non verbal communication has major components like visibility, emotions, actions/gestures which are the most common types used depending on context of human communication. A good example is when one person communicates through their eyes to another person, winking to convey approval, and verbal communication is not used, nor is it necessary. Conclusion Typically human communication involves many verbal and non verbal components of human communication, conjoined, to convey the desired message. Depending on the medium and the context, the components of human communications are used. In its most basic form, human communication is based on interpretation. (Emily, 2006, pp 1-2) Everyday people work towards the betterment of human communication. New technologies and devices are generally developed for better communication.

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Shanthi Nadarajan /English for Technicians/Unimas 11

LU6

Adapting Language to Channel and Formality

April 2011

Choose the best answers. 1. The two major sections of human communication are A. speech and intonation C. verbal and non verbal B. encoder and decoder D. source and receiver

2.

Which of the following is not a component of non verbal communication? A. visibility B. emotions C. context. D. gestures

3. From the passage, we know that both verbal and non verbal communication A. are basic forms of human interpretations

B. Help improve human communication C. Used by new technologies to improve communication D. Are necessary to provide the desired message

Pair and Share Activity 5 (20 minutes) After identifying the purpose of your message, you will need to select the most appropriate communication channel. Some information is most efficiently and effectively delivered orally. Others may be written and some can be delivered electronically. Now, look at the various forms of communication listed below . Do you recognize/use them. Explain the purpose of each channel. Next. match the channel with its use. The first one has been done for you. Channel 1. Face to face conversation 2. Telephone call 3. Voice mail message 4. Fax 5. E mail 6. Face to face group meeting 7. Video or teleconference 8. Memo 9. Letter 10. Report Best use When you are delivering considerable data internally or externally When you wish to leave important or routine information that the receiver can respond to when convenient. When your message must cross time zones or when speed is important. When you need feedback but not immediately. There is a problem with security. When group decisions and consensus are important. When you need to deliver or gather information quickly and cannot meet in person When you need a written record of correspondence with clients outside the organization. When members are geographically dispersed but a consensus needs to be reached. When you want to be persuasive, deliver bad news or share personal message When you want a written record to explain policies and discuss procedures.(1)

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Shanthi Nadarajan /English for Technicians/Unimas 11

LU6

Adapting Language to Channel and Formality

April 2011

Reading and Writing (30 minutes). Activity 6: In pairs identify the main message in the following texts. Write the key points in the column on the left.
Letter Recently, I telephoned to explain that I need to use the lab. for my class at 4.00 p.m. The students were supposed to conduct an experiment at the laboratory and did mention it in my conversation. Imagine my shock when I arrived at 4.10 p.m. and found the rooms locked and the technicians were not around. I went up to the technicians room and saw three technicians resting.. When I asked for the room to be opened, they told me that I had not written in and the person in charge had gone home. They offered me an alternate room but I wanted the lab. When I asked to speak to the person in charge, they said that she was out. Then, they went back to their business. I couldnt believe my ears. I dont know what is the bigger outrage the locked room pr the absence of the technician or technicians behavior I have a good mind to report you the Authorities.

Notes

Respond to the above complain in your own words.

Individual Assignment (20 minutes) Activity 7: Respond to the Instructor without making him feel stupid.

When I called last week to explain that I cannot remember my password, the technician told me get a new ID and a secure password. I cannot get a new ID for a small matter like this. Anyway I am submitting a photocopy of the front page of my International Passport as proof of ID. I hope it is secure enough. I cannot understand why we need to present our official ID whenever we need a new ID. Please let me know when I can gain access into the website.

The Instructor had misunderstood the technician and send him a copy of his International Passport. It is important for the purpose of web authentication to get a new net ID and secure password, not a passport.

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Shanthi Nadarajan /English for Technicians/Unimas 11