Contents (Index): 1.

Functional English- Starting a conversation-Responding appropriately and relevantly-Using the right body language-Role play in different situations. 2. Vocabulary building- Synonyms and Antonyms, Word roots, one word Substitutes. Prefixes and Suffixes, Study of Word Origin, Analogy, Idioms and Phrases. 3. Reading Comprehension- Reading for Facts, Guessing meaning from context, Scanning, Skimming, Inferring meaning, Critical reading. Writing skills-Structure and Presentation of different types writingResume writing/e-correspondence/Technical Report Writing/Portfolio writing-Planning for writing-research abilities/data collection/organizing data/analysis-improving ones writing 4. Group discussions- Dynamics of GD, intervention, summarizing, modulation of voice, body language, relevance, fluency and coherence. 5. Presentation skills - Oral presentations (individual and group) through JAM sessions/ seminars and written presentations through posters/ projects/ reports/ PPT s/ e-mails/ assignments etc. 6. Interview skills- concept and process, pre-interview planning, opening strategies, answering strategies, interview through tele and video-conferencing.

Objective of AECS LAB

Engineering graduates require an ever-increasing range of skills to maintain relevance with the Global environment of the new millennium. Communication skills are an vital component of this, recognized by academia and industry alike. English language skills are also important given its widespread status across the globe as a lingua franca. Indeed, multilingual skills are considered a salient element in the make-up of the new global engineer. English for specific purposes focuses the learners attention on the particular terminology and communication skills required in the international professional field. Communication skills are essential for an engineer who aspires to carry out his/her professional practice in the global arena. Engineering communication skills basically constitute several core elements such as the fluency in the English language and the fundamentals of visual communication. ENGLISH AND ENGINEERING English has become the ascendant language internationally, being the most widespread. This will influence the language of communication between professionals internationally. In this age of globalization, the number of international projects is increasing, and cross-cultural communication and collaboration is on the rise; this is particularly so for the now international practice of engineering. Result: ral communication skills. Awareness of the social implications of their disciplines developments. Management skills. Understanding of other points of view and other cultures. Confidence and competence to work in international environments

I UNIT

FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH
Objective To enable students speak effectively in formal and informal situations.

General Tips: When starting conversations, people will have a lot of problems which include not knowing what to say or how to keep the conversation going, once it has been started. As we know, conversations have spontaneous nature, people need to be spontaneous and eloquent; people face number of problems, especially what to say and how to keep the conversation going, once it has been started. One must have encountered this problem while having conversation, here are some useful tips: The search for a common ground

When you have to initiate conversation with strangers, try to structure them around common ground subjects. Some typical common ground subjects include - Work - Where you live - Sports - Music - Travel Keep the conversation going

Ask open ended questions: why? how? what? Find the hot button topics. (that both of you are interested in) Be attentive: Learn to listen actively. Attitude: What can I learn from this person? What is this person really saying? Dont be afraid to change the subject

Self Disclosure Talk about yourself Tell stories Share experiences (provide details, use dialogues) Give opinions Express feelings React emotionally Show enthusiasm Be in the moment

Create reciprocity: Give feedback, compliments and use names. Refer to the situation: Surroundings, circumstances, people, etc. Be light: Use wit and humour. Try gentle self-deprecation (tongue in cheek) or teasing. Non-verbal Communication Voice: Speak distinctly, slow down if necessary. Body Language: Practice the S-O-F-T-E-N approach - Smile - Open arms - Forward lean - Touch - Eye Contact - Nod Conversation Tips(Business) o Questions you could ask at work or any business related functions. o How did you come up with the idea? o Describe a typical day on the job? o How did you get started in this industry? o What got you interested in Marketing /IT? o What do you enjoy most about it? o Describe some of the challenges in your industry? o What are the trends in your business? o What advice would you give for someone just starting in this business? o Any significant changes? o Strangest incident you have experienced in your business? o What is the best job you ever had? o Most difficult part of your job?

Instructions Step 1 Stay up to date on what is happening in the world so that you have plenty of things to talk about. Read the local paper and watch the news, so that you can knowledgeably participate in discussions about current events. Step 2 Prepare yourself before you meet important people or give a speech to a gathering. Plan and rehearse what you are going to say, in front of the mirror. Step 3 Ask a lot of questions. People like to talk about themselves and their lives. However, make sure you keep the questions simple dont ask anything too personal or invasive. Step 4 Listen to others. People can easily sense when you are not really interested in what they are saying. (they have what they have to say). They dont want to waste time talking to someone who doesnt listen. You must show sincere interest in others to evoke a sincere interest in you. Step 5 Take note of what is going on around you. Use your surroundings to come up with a conversation later. Step 6 Smile and look at others in the eye. Everyone enjoys being around positive, confident people. The more confident you act, the more confident you will become. Relax and stay calm. Step 7 Keep practicing. Force yourself to strike up conversations with strangers in different situations. The more you practice, the better you will become at starting conversations. Practicing conversation skills 1. Kick starting conversations When meeting someone for the first time, there is nothing worse than awkward silence after the initial greeting. Kick the silence into orbit with these conversation starters. How was your day? You look really nice. How was work? Have you seen any movies recently? Did you like it/them? What kind of music do you listen to? What interesting things did you do this weekend? Have you ever been to (a local restaurant)? What kind of food do you like? Where are you from? Which college did you go to? Have you read any good books lately? Was it interesting? 5

What do you normally do for fun? Do you like (an interest of yours)? What is the nearest place you have traveled to? Which place you havent traveled to yet that you really want to go?

Starting and keeping conversations going Here are some useful tips to start and keep conversations going: o Be the first to say hello o Introduce yourself to others. o Remember peoples names. o Show interest in others conversations. o Restating their comments in another way. o Communicate enthusiasm. o Let the natural person in you come out. o Tell others something interesting about what you do. o Seek some common interest with other person. o Keep up to date on current events. o Seek out other peoples opinions. o Look for the positive aspects of the people you need. o Listen carefully for free information. o Compliment others about what they are doing or seeing. o Prepare for each business or social function you attend. Here are some ideas that you might use to start a conversation: Excuse me! Have you got the time to talk to me? Hi! How is it going on (If it is sunny you could ask them if they are enjoying the sunshine) Hey! Whats up? To a shop assistant you might say: Can I get your opinion, which one suits me better, blue or white? What time do you close today? What time do you open tomorrow? How long have you been working here? What is your name? What do you like about working here? Do you know if they have got any part time jobs here?(If you are looking for work) How often do you get in new stock? I am looking for a birthday present for my niece/nephew; do you have any idea on Where I could get them? Conversation Examples: Eat, Drink and be Merry Waiter: What will you have sir? Fat Man: Fried rice and chicken curry. Waiter: And you sir? 6

Thin Man: Two chapattis and dal. Fat Man: Is that all you usually eat? It is hardly enough for a sparrow. Thin Man: I seldom eat more than this at lunch. But what about you? You never eat just rice and curry, do you? You are always ordering fish, pudding and ice cream. Fat Man: I have say, eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. Waiter: Your fried rice and chicken curry, sir. Your chapattis and Dal, sir. Thin Man: Go on, have some fish. You often do. Fat Man: But I never eat fish with chicken. Waiter, please bring me some mutton kababs and bread pudding..and some fruit salad.. and some cashew nuts .. and .. The concert that never was Ravi: Have you been to the concert? Murali: Yes and no. I caught the 5.15 bus, and so when I got there the concert hadnt begun. Ravi: Was there a large crowd? Murali: The hall was full and they had to turn people away. I had already bought my ticket, so I went in. Ravi: I suppose they started fiddling about with microphones and loudspeakers after the musician had arrived! Murali: No, they had attended to all that. Ravi: Was the musician late? Murali: No, he was not late. He never arrived. Ravi: What? There was not any concert, then? Murali: No. We had the audience, the lights, the loudspeakers. we had the expectations we had the violinists, the table player and a number of people turned awaywe had everything for a successful concert except the musician! Ravi: And why wasnt he there? Murali: His wife phoned to say that he was too drunk to sing!

II UNIT
VOCABULARY BUILDING
Objective: To equip the students with a wide range of vocabulary, so as to enable them use language more effectively. To help the students perform better in international tests like GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.

Vocabulary knowledge is the single most important area of language competence and is of concern to all four language skills. We will not be able to listen or speak confidently or read and write effectively if we do not have reasonable vocabulary competence, which may include our stock of perceptive vocabulary as well as productive vocabulary. All successful communicators do have a reasonable stock of words. We should therefore, develop our vocabulary. 7

What does vocabulary development mean? What does learning a new word involve? Does it involve knowing just the meaning of the word? Learning or knowing a new word involves knowing its different shades of meaning (both denotation and connotation), use in context, grammatical characteristics, and pronunciation so on. Prefixes Prefix means a word or a part of a word fixed before another word to add something to its meaning. It may be even a syllable. Most of the English prefixes are borrowed from Latin and Greek. Prefixes Meaning word

Anti Ante Auto Bi Co De Demi Dis Equi Ex Hetero Hexa Hyper Mono Non

Against Before Self Twice or thrice With Down Half Apart Equally Out of Different Six Over Alone Not

Anticlimax, antidate, antinational, Antedote, antenatal, antecedent, Automobile, autobiography, Bilateral, bigamy, bisected. Cooperative, coexistence, Dethrone, demoralize, Demigod, demiofficial, demiparadise, Disconnect, disorganize, discard Equilateral, equivalent, Expel, extract, extent. Heterogeneous, Hexameter, hexagon, Hyperactive, hypercritical, hypersensitive, Monogamy, monologue, monopoly Nonsense, non-violence, 8

Poly Sub Philo En

Many Under Love On

Polygamy, polyandry, Subconscious, subhuman, Philanthropy, philanderer. Endanger, enable

SUFFIXES A suffix can change the word-class and meaning of a word. Suffixes may be used to form nouns from verbs and adjectives, and adjectives from nouns and verbs. The following list contains different suffixes and their uses to form new words: Nouns from verbs: Suffix -ment -tion -ance -al -sion -ing -ure Verbs Amuse, move, conceal Act, add ,adopt, invent Performance, assistance, attendance Perform, assist, attend Arrive, deny, dismiss Learning, blessing, building Expel, Divide, extend Failure, furniture Learn, bless, build Fail, furnish Arrival, Denial, Dismissal Expulsion, Division, Extension Nouns Amusement, movement, concealment. Action, addition, adoption, invention

Nouns from Adjectives: Suffix Adjectives Nouns

-ity -ness -ance

Able, active, mortal, real Busy, kind, weak, new Brilliant, distant, ignorant

Ability, activity, mortality, reality Business, kindness, weakness, newness Brilliance, distance, ignorance

Adjectives from Nouns: Suffix -y -ly -al -ish -ful -less Nouns Air, rain, rose, wind, oil Father, man, year Accident, classic, face Book, black, boy, slave Harm, beauty, skill, use Use, pain, life, name Adjectives Airy, rainy, rosy, windy, oily Fatherly, manly, yearly Accidental, classical, facial Bookish, blackish, boyish, slavish Harmful, beautiful, skillful, useful Useless, painless, lifeless, nameless

Adjectives from Verbs: Suffix -able -ful Verbs Avoid, believe, compare Thank, help, use, boast Adjectives Avoidable, believable, comparable Thankful, helpful, useful, boastful

SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS SYNONYMS: Synonyms and antonyms are as important as any other grammatical item. In fact, no word gives exactly the same meaning as any other word gives, but there are some same shades of 10

meaning we find in them. They are used in different senses, in different contexts but are treated as synonyms. Words of similar meaning are called synonyms. Given below is a list of synonyms: Word Abandon Auxiliary Admire Adive Anger Abhor Bullied Candid Conviction Celibacy Captivity Condone Deadly Draconian Ensnared Erratic Fabricate Frivolous Guzzle Hamper Hanker Ire Illegal Infer Intricacies Jeopardized Hideous Laudable Long face Quantum Sylvan Self incriminate Scold Ultimate Utopian Upend(V) Vain Yield Synonyms Leave, forsake Accessory, subsidiary Praise, esteem bid farewell Ire, wrath, rage to hate something / to loathe play down Frank, straightforward without doubt single, bachelorhood, virgin imprisonment forgive Dangerous, fatal harsh catch up unpredictable Forge, construct not serious eat or drink greedily Block, disturb desire Anger Unlawful, illicit Conclude, deduce Details risk, expose Repulsive, ugly Commendable, praiseworthy sad face Amount, share related to trees and greenery to indict oneself Rebuke, reprove Final, last imagined perfect place or state upside down Fruitless, conceited Give, surrender Word Abbreviate Adept Assist Alleged Apprises Bold Brouhaha Confederate Crazy Conspiracy Devoid Forbid Ignorant Indicate Initiate Insight Inanity Obnoxious Proficient Protagonist Revenge Retracted Rues Rapturous Resurgence Teach Vacant Voluminous Winsome Zest Synonyms Abridge, shorten Skilled, expert Help, support calm, declare, plead to notify Daring, valiant huge excitement for something unnecessary accomplish Insane, mad plot Vacant, empty Disallow, prohibit Unaware, unreasonable Show, hint Start, begin Instigate, provoke Foolish very unpleasant Adept, expert chief person in drama Retribution, vengeance disown, withdraw bitterly regret euphoric rebirth Instruct, educate Empty, void big Charming, attract Gusto, relish

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ANTONYMS: Antonyms are the words that give opposite meaning. Sometimes in the absence of exact equivalence, we understand the meaning of words with the help of antonyms. Word Above Asset Beautiful Boom Create Democracy Famous Harsh, Lewd Optimistic Promote Reverence Tranquil Vague Antonyms Below, beneath Liability Ugly Slump Destroy Autocracy Obscure Gentle Virtuous Pessimistic Demote Scorn Disturb Clear Word Accept Base Benevolent Confident convex Ebb Genuine Keen Monogamy Orient Remarkable Sympathy Urbane Zenith Antonyms Reject Noble Malevolent Diffident Concave Flow Spurious Blunt, dull Polygamy Occidental Ordinary Antipathy Rude Nadir

WORD ROOTS A root is the part of any word that reveals its essential meaning, a meaning that never changes; even though, other letters or word parts may be added at the beginning or the end. The quickest, most useful, and easiest way to increase word power is to analyze and understand how words are put together. Once we learn to recognize the building blocks called the roots, many previous unfamiliar words become meaningful and useful. Besides, roots can help you memorize clumps of words with similar meanings, and they can help you decode words you dont know. Root am, amic ben, bon mor, mort auto chrono corp morph ac, acu spec, spic loq Meaning love, friend well, good die, death self time body form sharp see, look speech,talk Example amity, amicable, amiable, amorous benefactor, bonjour morbid, mortal, immortal, mortuary automatic, autonomous, autobiography chronology, synchronize, anachronism corpse, corpulent metamorphosis, amorphous, morphology acrid, acute spectator, spectacular, conspicuous Soliloquy, eloquent, loquacious 12

speech, talk ONE WORD SUBSTITUTES

soliloquy, eloquent, loquacious

In the process of learning a language, we come across some lengthy phrases and clauses that can be expressed in a single word. A learner, if acquires command over such words, will be able to use the language with comfort and ease. The words given hereunder will help promote the knowledge of a learner pertaining to that aspect. Aborigines Accomplice Ambiguous Ambidextrous Amphibian Anachronism Archaeology Astronaut Atheism Autocrat Blasphemy Bourgeois Carnivorous Compatriot Complacent Connoisseur Cosmopolitan Extempore Fauna Flora Genealogy Hallucination Hedonist Insuperable Misogynist Misogamist Misanthrope Nemesis Nepotism Omnipotent Omnipresent Omniscient Panorama Posthumous : The original inhabitants of a place. : A partner in crime. : Capable of being interpreted in two way of double meaning. : Able to use the left hand as well as the right. : Living both on land and in water. : Something out of harmony with the present time. : Study of antiquities, especially of the pre-historic period. : One who flies a space vehicle. : Disbelief in the existence of God. : One who rules with absolute power. : Words uttered impiously about God. : Of the middle class. : Feeding on flesh. : A person belonging to ones own country. : Satisfied with ones own character, achievements, etc. : One well versed in any art. : Free from national or regional prejudices. : Speaking without previous preparation. : The animals of a particular region. : The plants that grow in a particular region. : Account of a persons descent from his ancestors. : Seeing something which is not actually present. : One who lives for pleasure/one who seeks pleasure. : That cannot be overcome. : One who hates women. : One who hates marriage. : One who hates mankind. : Retributive justice/downfall that justifies such justice. : Undue favour shown by a person in power. : Having infinite power. : Being present everywhere. : Having infinite knowledge. : Unbroken view of surrounding region. : Occurring after death.

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IDIOMS AND PHRASES Languages undergo many changes in course of time. What was considered to be slang at one time might be acceptable at a different time. Resultantly, the style of language also changes from time to time. An important fact that is stressed is that idioms are not only colloquial expressions as people believe but they appear in formal style and slang. They find place in poetry, in the language of Shakespeare or that of The Bible. An idiom, we can say, is a number of words which, taken together, means something different from the individual words of the idiom when they stand alone. They have some special features. So, we have to learn them as a whole. English is very rich in idiomatic expressions. Even native speakers are not aware that they are using an idiom. A non native learner makes the correct use of idiomatic English. Some idioms are illogical and grammatically incorrect. They cause him difficulty. Only a careful study and exact learning will help us. An idiom, like a phrase is a group of words and does express or mean some colloquial expression or significance, but means something different from the individual words of the idiom when they stand alone. Ex: Come off means succeed. Make up your mind means decide. Given below is a list of few idioms and phrases: Arm in arm(interlinked). Ex: America and India work arm in arm. Beat about the bush.(approach a matter in a round about way). Ex: Some speakers beat about the bush when they explain some points. Bag and baggage(with all ones belongings). Ex : To travel with bag and baggage is a Herculean task. Blow ones own trumpet(praise oneself) Ex: Some people blow their own trumpet though nobody likes it. Corner stone(something of great importance) Ex: The philosophy of karma is the corner stone of Hindu philosophy. A dead letter (obsolete). Ex: The regulation is already a dead letter. End in smoke(failed). Ex: All the plans of the father ended in smoke. Egg on(instigate). Ex: Some lectures egg on students to resort to strike.

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 Eleventh hour(last minute efforts). Ex: Some students make eleventh hour preparation. From hand to mouth(without making provisions for the future). Ex: Most of the Indians lead a hand to mouth living. Kick the bucket(die). Ex: The old man kicked the bucket at the age of 90. Move Earth and heaven(make a great effort) Ex: America moved Earth and heaven to suppress Vietnam. Neither head nor tail(unable to understand). Ex: He could make neither head nor tail of his new teachers explanation. Pick holes(find fault). Ex: Some narrow-minded people pick holes in every matter. Root and branch(completely). Ex: The factory was destroyed root and branch due to bomb blasting. Rolling stone(wanderer). Ex: A rolling stone gathers no mass. Splits hairs(make very fine distinctions). Ex: Some lawyers are experts in splitting hairs. Under ones thumb(under ones control). Ex: A henpecked husband wants to be under the thumb of his wife. White elephant (very expensive). Ex: The motor car is like a white elephant for a middle class man. From A to Z(completely). Ex: She is thorough with Gita from A to Z. PHRASES Break down(to stop due to a mechanical fault). Ex: The bus broke down due to some mechanical problem. Cut off(to isolate). Ex: The unexpected floods cut off the city from the rest of the villages. Get at(to find). Ex: The judge got at the truth by questioning. 15

 Keep off(be away from). Ex: We must keep off black sheep. Make off(to run away). Ex: The thief made off with the suitcase. Pass for(to pose as someone else) Ex: Some people pass for genuine guests at the wedding dinners. Cotton on(understand) Ex: It took me sometime to cotton on to why my boss was angry with me. Deal in(buy and sell) Ex: I deal in leather goods. Figure out(understand) Ex: I cannot my figure out. Hush up(keep secret by enforcing silence about it) Ex: These days, it is difficult to hush up murders for political causes. Trim down(reduce) Ex: We have to trim down our spending to fit our income. Back out(fail to do what is expected) Ex: You said you stand by me, why did you back out now?

ANALOGY The ability to grasp the similarity or difference between pairs of words is, in a way, necessary for scientists, engineers and technologists. The following examples of pairs belonging to different classes and categories may help the learner: 1.Broad Narrow Animal: Tiger: : Stationery: Pen 2. Person-Quality Dwarf: Shortness: : Solomon: Wisdom 3. General-specific World: India: : Transport: Train 16

4. Word-Synonym Cunning: Deceptive: : Contented:Satisfied 5. Operation Stage Football: First Hal: :Cricket: First Innings 6. Word_Antonym Kind: Cruel: :Criminal: Innocent 7. Word_Definition Isolation: Loneliness: :Invalidation:Scratching 8. Male-Female Boy: Girl: : Governor:Governess 9. Relationships Mother:Father: :Aunt:Uncle 10. Virtue-Failing Virtue: Vice: :Generosity: Stinginess 11. Element Extension Rain: storm: : Error: Blunder 12. Lesser Degree Greater Degree Smile: Laughter: : Cruelty: Ferocity 13.Singular - Plural Mouse: Mice: :Child: Children 14. Part Whole House: Kitchen: : Tree: Branch 15.Elements of time Forenoon: Afternoon: : Dawn: Dusk 16. Time Sequence Sleep: Awake: : Initiate: Conclude 17.User Tool Doctor: Stethoscope: : Barber: Scissors 18.Creator Creation Sculptor: Statue: : Carpenter: Table 19. Cause Effect Rain: Flood: : Fever: Weakness 17

20.Person Profession Engineer: Construction: : Minister: Service 21.Tool - Function Hammer: Nailing: : Brush: Painting 22.Symbol Institution Parcel: Post office: : Black coat: Judiciary 23.Reward Action Nobel Prize: Literature: : Bhatnagar Award: Science 24. Object Obstacle Boat: Flood: : Agriculture: Drought 25.Object Operator Pen: Nib: : Stove: Burner 26.Object Material Spoon: Steel: : Mirror: Glass WORD ORIGIN Knowing the past of an individual helps us to understand him the better. To know the life history of a word makes its present meaning clearer and more nearly unforgettable. Words are truly little windows through which we can look into the past. English has its bases high and low, close to the ground as Walt Whitman once said. Into it are woven the sorrow, joys, loves, needs and heart breaks of the common people. And it is these same common people who have given us so much of our language and who have filled it with full of the poetry that we sometimes call slang. The history of the letters of our alphabet goes back into extreme antiquity and disappears. The Semitic languages, the family of languages now spoken in Seria, Arabia, Palestine, Egypt and other North African countries are said to be earliest discoverable source so far, although it is suspected that some still earlier and probably exiled tribe gave us our beginning. However, things might have their origin, but the alphabet came down there through the Phoenicians, Greek and Latin languages into modern European. The first two letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and beta were joined together to form our word alphabet. Each letter of our alphabet, its early beginning started with a picture or drawing.

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We are accustomed to think of our miscellaneous and polyglot speech as the English language, yet it is doubtful whether more than one word in fifty in our vocabulary actually originated in that little patch of island we call England. What have we now just said and in what language have we said it? We have stated that the English language, in its origins, had little to do with England itself, and even in making this simple statement we have had to draw upon a number of words that we have inherited from other languages. We have got to draw upon a number of words that we have inherited from other languages. The word accustomed, for instance, that we used in the first line in the first paragraph above is from Old French. The word think traces to Old English thencan. The Latin language gave us miscellaneous, while polyglot is the Greek word polyglottis with poly meaning many and glotta tongue. With speech we turn again to Old English spac. Our word language entered English by way of France, but its eventful origin lies in the Latin word lingua meaning tongue a term which, incidentally contributed linguist to us. The words doubtful, vocabulary, actually, and originated that appear in the latter part of the first paragraph are all Latin derivatives. The proper name England is made up of the two Old English words engla and land or land of the Angles. But it is only on rare occasions that even these Old English words could be said to have originated in England because most of them belong to the Western Germanic dialects that the Angles and the Saxons and the Jules brought with them from the continent. Even though you may not be well versed in any foreign language, it is still true that when you use your native English you are speaking babel of strange tongues. The word whisky is Irish, but whisky has alcohol in it and alcohol comes from the ancient Arabic language. Should you ask for coffee at the end of a meal, you are in a fashion, speaking Turkish. Should it be tea you wish, the language is Chinese. If you request a cigar you will have switched to Spanish. A cigarette? you have turned to French. No language is so complex as English; none so varied. Strangely enough, the Celts, who were the original inhabitants of England, contributed little or nothing to our language. Save a few such place names as Aberden and Kildare. But in the 6th century, the invading Angels, Saxons, and Judes brought over the basic structure of our speech, our most common words, and for 500 years English was almost wholly a Germanic language. By the 14th century, French and native English words were being melded and merged and the Latin importations were becoming naturalized. By the 16th century Latin had become the mark of culture. Queen Elizabeth conversed in Latin with the foreign envoys at her court; Oliver Cromwell had the poet Milton as his secretary. And it is for seasons such as this that more than half of the words in our language trace to Latin as a source. There was no such influx of the Greek language into English, but so much of Greek has come to us through Latin that it is often hard to give credit to the proper source. We are apt to find the Greek words that we have taken over directly listed in the more modern terminology of the fields of general science, of medicine, and in the technical terms of language study. 19

Our borrowings from other than the classical languages have been scanty although they have contributed to the richness of our speech. So much we have inherited from the popular foreign languages; so much from the classical; and all is mixed and intermingled with the speech of our mother country, England. But with the establishment of the colonies in America, the English language started on a new era. The revolution, the wars, the pioneering of the West, the sailings of the seven seas, the empires of industry, the Aladdin like inventions, the explorations of the sciences, all poured their wealth of words into the melting part until a new language was born, the American language that now stands unmatched in all the word in all history.

[NOTE: write 2 activities after this. 1. synonyms and antonyms of words from a newspaper article. 2. A conversation using idioms and phrases.]
III UNIT READING COMPREHENSION
Objective: Identifying the purposes of reading Identifying the differences between active and passive reading.

Reading is an important communicative process and reading skills are probably the most important language skills required for academic and professional purposes. Quick efficient and imaginative reading techniques are essential in order to achieve academic success, because academic performance depends on the quality and quantity of reading. Reading is a complex communicative process of receiving and interpreting the written word. It involves recognizing what is written and comprehending the matter, that is, understanding the main and subsidiary points as well as links the main and subsidiary points as well as links between different parts of the written material. Whole receiving and interpreting the written word, the reader is concerned with fowl factors, that is, decoding, comprehending, text analysis, and response. Comprehension is reading to the identification of the central theme, main ideas, supporting details, and main ideas, supporting details, and writing pattern. In order to comprehend a technical message, we need to think critically and analytically about what we are reading so that we are able to respond to the lexical meaning of words and the relationship between them, understand the specific details, and recognize the meaning and function of sentence patterns accurately as well as they logical and thematic coherence. Reading with a purpose: 20

An engineering student has to read and interpret text books, research papers, and articles in technical journals, teaching notes, notices, web materials, directories, encyclopedias, laboratory instruction sheets, safety manuals and regulations, technical reports, and reference materials. Although the basic purpose of reading is to extract information from various sources, it may primarily be to: get an introductory idea of a text. get a broad understanding of the subject matter. Understand scientific ideas, theories, and principles; obtain specific understand new changes and developments in a particular field. Broaden ones outlook and understanding. Discover the authors view points. To see evidence for ones own point of view.

information;

In order to achieve the above reading purposes, we need to understand the differences between Active and Passive Reading. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE READING Active Reading >The reader pays attention to both content as well as style. Passive Reading >The reader pays attention to either content or style.

>The reader interprets and analyses what he or she reads in order to understand both >The reader does not analyse what he or she explicit as well as implicit meaning of a reads. written message. >The reader predicts and responds to the >The reader does not predict and respond to context. the context. >The reader pays attention to the writers >The reader doesnt pay attention to the intention. writers intention. >The reader differentiates between ideas, >The reader does not distinguish between opinions, feelings, and facts. factual and non factual information. >The reader does not infer the meaning of >The reader infers the meaning of unfamiliar words from contextual or internal unfamiliar words from contextual or internal clues. clues. >The reader does not identify or evaluate a >The reader identifies and evaluates a writers attitude. writers attitude. >The reader does not interpret graphics. >The reader understands and interprets 21

graphic information. >The reader conclusions. draws inferences >The reader is only concerned with the and literal meaning of a written message.

SKIMMING SKILLS: Skimming is a more sophisticated skill than scanning. It refers to the process of reading a text or a passage in order to get a rough idea of what the text or passage is all about. It is a rapid reading technique that prepares the reader for detailed reading. As the main objective of skimming is to understand the central idea and the main points of a text, the reader needs to use a reading strategy that involves fast reading and quick analysis. Skimming also involves discovering the purpose and organization of a text. One of the most important purposes of reading for academic and professional purposes is obtaining relevant information for various purposes. This involves not the ability to recognize the main ideas and supporting details but also the ability to identify different writing patterns used to develop these ideas. Authors use a variety of discourse patterns in scientific writing. Skimming is essential for better understanding of a text. Skimming should answer the following questions of a text: 1. What is the overall purpose of the text? 2. What is the central idea or theme? 3. What is the logical organization?(general to specific, specific to general, chronological, more important to less important, less important to more important, and so on.) 4. What does the author intend to do? (describe, instruct, report, narrate, explain, argue, persuade, illustrate, and so on.) 5. What are the main points of the text? Identifying the central idea: The first step of skimming is to identify the central idea. Every essay, article, passage, or text book chapter deals with a theme or central idea. All the other ideas, points, examples, illustrations in the text support and expand this central idea. This central idea is also called thesis. The thesis answers the following three questions: What is the subject? What does the author want to say about the subject? What is the authors point of view? In order to understand central idea of a text, the reader should carefully read the following: the title or the main heading the subheadings the opening paragraph the last paragraph 22

The title or the main heading of a text can give a clue to the content. Similarly, the subheadings can also help in identifying the central idea. The opening and the last paragraphs generally sum up the subject and the authors point of view. The reader should also glance over the beginning of the text to identify its logical organization. Identify the discourse technique used in text, i.e., definition, description, explanation, comparison and contrast, narration, classification, and so on. Let us try to understand this with the help of an example. Read the following passage and try to identify the central idea of the passage by quickly reading the title and the sub headings. SCANNING SKILLS: Scanning refers to the ability to locate specific information or facts as quickly as possible. While trying to look for the meaning of a word in a dictionary or looking for a telephone number in the telephone directory, we scan and try to look for specific information. Scanning is an important rapid reading technique, which provides better comprehension while reading a scientific or technical text. It may serve several purposes, which include looking for: a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) a specific point or fact in a text relevant graphic details a formula in a text word in a dictionary train or television schedules any reference or bibliographical listings examination results, or any notes/questions/remarks at the end of text

We may know how to scan a newspaper or a dictionary but may do it slowly with less accuracy. What is important is to increase scanning speed with accuracy. The following suggestions will help increase proficiency at scanning. Know What You Want to Find In order to scan any reading material, the reader needs to know what he/she wants to find. If he/she does not know what he/she is looking for, he/she will not be able to scan well. So, the purpose of scanning should be determined and the reader should not be confused about the information that he/she requires. Do Not Read Everything As the reader knows what he/she is looking for before he/she begins to read, he/she should not read everything. He/she should concentrate on the information that he/she needs with his/her eyes only on the particular word, phrase, and word group or thought unit that he/she is looking for. The attempt should be to pursue word groups and thought units quickly. Use Guides and Aids Every reading material contains certain guides and aids, which should be used to find what the reader wants. Know the Organization of the Material to be Read The reader needs to know the organization of the reading material to scan it with speed and accuracy. Practise scanning different kinds of 23

reading materials such as newspaper listings, dictionaries, telephone directories, and analyze the way information is structured in these materials. Concentrate while Scanning The reader needs to concentrate while scanning a reading material. He/she must have the urge to read and scan the material. This will improve his visible perception and help him identify the required information quickly.

[NOTE: write 2 activities after this. 1. critical review of a newspaper article 2. frame question and answers from a passage]
UNIT -IV

RESUME WRITING
Resume is a document that speaks about you. Your Resume contains general information. Building an effective resume focuses on overall organization, font selection, contact information, education, experience, Honors and Activities etc. Presentation is everything. The way the Resume is structured organized and written is important. It is a brief account of personal details, your education, work experience that you have. Resume must be neatly printed or typed and appealing to the eye. Avoid giving information that is not relevant to the application. Resume writing Covering letter Resume Thank you letter Follow up letter Recommendation. Recommendation letter Should be typed Use official letter head Sign the letter Put in an envelope Sign across the seal

RESUME DESIGN The design of a resume largely depends on a persons background, employment needs, career goals and professional conventions in the area of specialization. A resume should be original. 24

Although resume writing software may be used to design a resume or it may be written by professional resume writer, it should be designed according to individual needs. Keeping a resume job specific gives it the required focus and makes it more effective. 1. 2. 3. 4. How do you begin to write the body of the resume for your career change? Take your achievements , strengths, education and training and writing them down which one can you group together under one heading Heading could includes leadership financial management account management goal setting and achievement These headings depend on your own experiences and achievements. TYPES OF RESUMES There are three types 1. Chronological resume 2. Functional resume 3. Combination resume Name Address Career Objective --- 1 sentence Position sought Academic qualification Tech. qualification Projects /experience Extracurricular Personal profile Name Fathers Name DOB/Age Address Ref : 1 2 3 Signature

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SAMPLE RESUME Chronological Resume: This is the most common resume style .It focuses on education and experience. It organizes past employment record or education in reverse chronological order. It lists work experience items or educational /professional qualifications starting with the current or most recent and works backwards in time. VIBHOR SAXENA A-25/31, Sector-60, Noida-201301 E-mail: vibhorsaxena@dppc.com POSITION SOUGHT OBJECTIVE Manager-Project To contribute to the growth of a leading project management company by working in a challenging position where I will have opportunities to utilize my exposure to project management methodologies and experience as project leader in construction activities of large scale heavy engineering projects. Project leader, Dharampal Premchand Ltd., Sector-60, Noida-201301 December 2001 to present Complete civil projects within ahead of the schedule through strict planning, monitoring, and control while maintaining the best construction standards Supervise erection of auxiliary facilities like water treatment, ETP, cabling , piping and other utilities Maintain customer relations through effective presentation of technical expertise. Assistant Project Manager(Civil), Subhash Projects and Marketing Ltd, Park Street ,Kolkata December 1998 to November 2001 Assist in the project management of various civil works being executed Coordinate with Head Office, sites, various departments and subcontractors Maintain close liaison with clients EDUCATION Pondicherry Engineering College, Pondicherry B.Tech in Civil Engineering, July 1998 Institute of Information Technology, Mumbai Certificate in Computer Programming, December, 1998

EXPERIENCE

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SPECIAL SKILLS Proficient in MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Excel, and Word 98 and 2000 Good problem-solving skills Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Competent in speaking French Member, Institution of Engineers, New Delhi Member, National Cadet Corps, 1994-1996 Secretary, Society for Promotion of Science, New Delhi Badminton, Football, Cycling Classical Music, Movies, Fiction

ACTIVITIES

INTERESTS

Functional Resume Unlike chronological resumes that focus on education and work experience, functional resumes highlight accomplishment and emphasise skills. Some employers are more interested in the applicants ability to handle the position they are applying for, and they would prefer a functional resume rather than a chronological one. A functional resume provides example of experiences that demonstrate the skills needed for the targeted position. VIBHOR SAXENA A-25/31, Sector-60, Noida- 201 301 E-mail: vibhor_saxena@dppc.com POSITION SOUGHT Manager Project OBJECTIVE To contribute to the growth of a leading project management company by working in a challenging position where I will have opportunities to utilize my exposure to project management methodologies and experience as project leader in construction activities of large scale heavy engineering projects. PROJECT MANAGEMENT Assisted in the project management of various civil works being executed at site at Subhash Projects and Marketing Ltd 27

Completed civil projects within or ahead of the schedule at Dharamapal Premchand Ltd Maintained strict planning, monitoring and control while maintaining the best construction standards Supervised erection of auxiliary facilities like water treatment, ETP, cabling, piping, and other utilities

COORDINATION AND CUSTOMER RELATIONS Coordinated with Head Office, sites, various departments, and sub-contractors Maintained customer relations through effective presentation of technical expertise Maintained close liaison with clients

SPECIAL SKILLS Proficient in MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Excel, and word 98 and 2000 Good problem-solving skills Excellent communication and interpersonal skill Competent in speaking French

EDUCATION Pondicherry Engineering College, Pondicherry BTech in Civil Engineering, July 1998 Institute of Information Technology, Mumbai Certificate in Computer Programming, December, 1998 EMPLOYMENT RECORD 2001/Present 1998/2001 ACTIVITIES Member, Institution of Engineers, New Delhi Member, National Cadet Corps, 1994-1996 Secretary, Society for Promotion of Science. New Delhi Project Leader, Dharampal Premchand Ltd., Sector-60, Noida 201 301 Assistant Project Manager (Civil), Subhash Projects and Marketing Ltd, Park Street, Kolkata

INTERESTS Badminton, Football, Cycling Classical Music, Movies, Fiction

Combination Resume 28

As the name suggests, a combination resume follows a mixed style, drawing on the best characteristics of the chronological and functional resumes. It highlights skills but includes detailed information about the candidates education and work experience. VIBHOR SAXENA A-25/31, Sector-60, Noida-201 301 E-mail: vibhor_saxena @ dppc.com SKILLS EXPERIENCE Conversant in structural steel design and fabrication Have sufficient exposure to project management methodologies Competent in managing construction activities of large scale Heavy Engineering Projects Proficient in MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Excel, and Word 98 and 2000. Good problem-solving skills Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Competent in speaking French.

Project Leader, Dharampal Premchand Ltd, Sector-60, Noida- 201301 December 2001 to present Complete civil projects within or ahead of the schedule through strict planning, monitoring and control while maintaining the best construction standards Supervise erection of auxiliary facilities like water treatment, ETP, cabling, piping and other utilities Maintain customer relations through effective presentation of technical expertise Assistant Project Manager(Civil), Subhash, Projects and Marketing Ltd, Park Street, Kolkata December 1998 to November 2001 Assist in the project management of various civil works being executed at site Coordinate with Head Office, sites, various departments, and sub-contractors. Maintain close liaison with clients Pondicherry Eng College, Pondicherry B.Tech in Civil Engineering, July 1998 Institute of Information Technology, Mumbai Certificate in Computer Programming, December, 1998 29

EDUCATION

ACTIVITIES Member, Institution of Engineers, New Delhi Member, National Cadet Corps, 1994-1996 Secretary, Society for Promotion of Science, New Delhi

INTERESTS Badminton, Football, Cycling Classical Music, Movies, Fiction

NOTE: write the above three resumes. No need for any other activity to be written.]
[

V UNIT GROUP DISCUSSION

Group discussion is commonly known as G.D as the name suggests, it is a group activity. People are grouped in a bunch for a common purpose. For job, academic, professional purposes. Share Knowledge. Exchange Opinions. Brain storm (find solutions innovative look for improvements). Job selection process. You need to perform G.D activities well. Youll require positive attitude. Effective skills. Good amount of knowledge. 30

Activities Knowledge Attitude

Skills

Knowledge:General (world Knowledge). Verbal Language Non Verbal Body Movements. English/Local

Skills Attitude 1) 2) 3) 4) Listening. Speech/Speaking. Timing. Logic (arguing). 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Dont Dominate. Dont Suppress. Dont be silent for too long. Be tolerant. Be team player. If it is a G.D for selection remembers you cant be listening all the time because you will be one of the five or six to show your skills in 15-20 minutes nor you can complain that you werent given a choice. 7) Its upto you to look for pauses between sentences of Our team mate and enter a discussion smoothly.

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--You score point for 1. Leading the discussion .

2. Directing discussion in a different angle. 3. Summarizing in the middle and closing discussion appropriately

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GD for academic or professional purpose (Brain storming). Forget your ego. Appreciate and applaud (encourage) others views. Encourage silent partners to be communicative. Remember here there are no points to score. You as an individual dont matter, its the team that matters.

G.D:G.Ds can be Topic-based or case-based. Topic-Based: 1. Factual Topics. 2. Controversial Topics. 3. Abstract Topics. Factual Topic:Topics which an ordinary person is aware of in his dayto-day life. These can be current. Eg: Environment pollution Child Labour. Controversial Topics:Topics which are argumentative in nature. Eg: Should reservations be removed?

Abstract Topics:Topics are about intangible things. Which test the participants creativity. Dos : - Sit at the center. - Take notes. - Use appropriate gestures. - Allow others to talk. - Keep eye contact. Donts: - Avoid sitting at corners. - Dont interrupt into others speech. - Dont become emotional. - Dont silence others.

- Dont talk for long. - Dont look only at one person. - Dont repeat what already said. For a successful G.D: Agreement on Group Goals. Goal oriented Interaction. Agreement on procedures. Cooperative and friendly atmosphere. Use of effective communication techniques. Equitable distribution of participation. Shared Leadership is important. Leader ship functions during a G.D include initiative, analysis, assertiveness, self-confidence, objectivity, patience and composure, persuasiveness (persuasion is an art that requires an ample amount of convincing power) and motivation. Team Management: To acquire this skill Adaptability, positive attitude, cooperation and coordination are required. Participating in G.D: Use appropriate strategies for effective participation in G.D Eg: well friends, may I request your kind attention Hello everybody, hello friends.

[Note: activities are: Write a GD of 3-4 pages involving discussion between 3 people abt a topic which we discussed in lab.]
UNIT VI

JOB INTERVIEW SKILLS

Objectives To develop interview skills To know the characteristics of job interviews To understand the strategies of the interviewers to facilitate better responses during the placement interviews.

Introduction: The word interview means view between or sight between. It suggests a meeting between two persons for the purpose of getting a view of each other. An interview is thus, a means of two way communication. It is not only and academic test but also a psychological test. One must prepare well and be in the best frame of mind to face the interview successfully. Many a candidate with excellent academic and scholastic record fails to make the mark on account of their inability to face the interview successfully. The role of the interviewer is to seek information and that of the interviewee is to provide it. Types of Interview: 1.Appraisal Interview: It is usually held once a year to discuss the performance of the employee. It has two goals: a. Improving job performance and better relations. b. Improving communication between the manager and the subordinates. 2.Grievance Interview: This interview is conducted for giving complaint against the employee. 3.Reprimand Interview: To reprimand someone is to criticize him severely for some action. It is a disciplinary action likely to be resented by the employees. But a good manager can use it in a constructive manner. 4.Exit Interview: These interviews are conducted when the employee is leaving the organization either voluntarily or through dismissal. 5. Depth Interview: A number of questions on a particular area are put to the interviewee. Answer to any one question does not cover full information. A number of follow up questions are put by the interviewer. 6. Board Interview: A panel/board interview is well suited for government organization or autonomous body. This type of interview enables selection of suitable candidate in just one interview. The board usually consists of four to six members headed by a chairman. The chairman takes decision after listening to the impression of all the board members, their comment about the candidate and finally on his own impression. The candidate gets interviewed on a variety of subjects related to his field, because each expert covers different areas. 7.Group Interview: In a group interview, a group of interviewees are allowed together to interact and exchange each others views.

PROCESS OF AN INTERVIEW The interview process may involve exchange of facts, events, opinions, reactions, feeling, panel decision, goal setting, evaluation, investigation etc. The process of an interview contains the following stages: 1.Opening: The first is introduction. In this, the parties exchange their greeting. 2.Object of the interview: Interviewer explains to the interviewee the object of the interview. 3.Beginning of the interview: In the commencement of an interview, both parties will be in a light hearted manner and follow the sequences of questions and topics.

PRE-PLANNING 1. Personal Information The candidate must post himself with all the information relating to his family background, his own scholastic and academic achievements, the nature of his present employment. If any, present emoluments, his extra-curricular activities and other interests in the professional, research, and other fields. Whatever enquiry is made of these things, the candidate must readily offer the answer to them. 2. Preparing a Career Statement The members of the selection committee may pose a number of questions on the candidates career interests. They are rather searching questions and the candidate may not have imagined them. Therefore the wisest thing is to prepare a list of questions of this type and work out coherent and convincing answers to them. Dress Code The candidates must be trim and tidy, and neatly dressed. However, for men candidates dark and light combination with a suitable tie and polished shoe, seems impressive. In the case of women candidates, saree, blouse and sandals seem to be a dignified dress. They must avoid gaudy colours and fancy-type dresses. High heeled shoe may be avoided, because they produce distracting tapping sounds, and the candidates look extraordinarily tall. Detection of the Self, Likes and Dislikes The candidate must be aware of his likes and dislikes, his abilities and inabilities. When he is asked to list them out, he should be able to do it well as it shows his self awareness and also helps the interviewer to understand him.

Practising The candidates should all go out to grab a career opportunity. As the date of the interview is fast approaching, they must sit before the mirror and try to answer the questions raised earlier. Or, they may practise before a trusted friend or a colleague and take the benefit of the feedback. They may also tape-record their answers and listen to them with a view to improving their expressions or answers. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

The suitability of a candidate for a particular position is evaluated during a job interview through an oral question/answer session. Thus, the interview contains specific questions and appropriate answers. The candidate should understand the nature of different types of interview questions, analyze expected questions in order to devise answering strategies, and practice these answers. Some tips on job interview questions and answers are discussed below: Types of interview questions We should be familiar with the nature and type of questions being asked during job interviews so that we are ready to answer them confidently. There are seven different types of questions that are asked to elicit certain responses from candidates. They include open, closed, probing, reflective, loaded, hypothetical, and leading questions. Open questions: open questions ask the candidates to talk about something. Its main purpose is to encourage the candidates to talk broadly about a topic or subject. It broadens the scope of the response by forcing the candidates to engage in deeper thinking. Following are some of the examples of open questions: Tell us something about yourself? Talk about your interest and activities? Describe the most difficult situation that you recently faced? What are the advantages of a mixed economy? What do you think about the impact of multinational companies on the Indian economy? Closed questions Unlike open questions, closed questions limit the scope of the response by asking the candidates to provide specific information or facts. It permits the candidate no freedom of selection as they are required to give very specific answers. Following are some such examples: When did you complete your graduation? What was your major subject in the college? Where did you receive your first professional training? Do you know data processing? Probing questions The main purpose of a probing question is to probe more deeply or ask for an explanation or clarification of a statement just made. Probing questions encourage the candidate to talk in greater depth about a topic or subject. For example, after the response, I believe that students should be allowed in academic decision making, the interviewer might ask the probing question, Do you think that this should include all academic decisions? Reflective questions Reflective questions are asked to confirm the statements given by the candidate. The purpose is to check that the interviewer understands what the candidate has said. Following are some examples of reflective questions: That means you want the public sector companies to be totally privatized? Am I right in thinking that you are against economic liberalization in India? Does it mean that you favour a total ban on any type of violence in movies? Loaded questions Loaded questions assess the candidates response to a sensitive issue, subject or point. The main purpose of loaded questions is to judge the candidates ability to handle difficult

and sensitive situations. There may not be any right or wrong answer to a loaded question. Rather, it would be a reasonable or unreasonable response. The following are some examples: You are too short. Dont you think this is going to be a handicap for you? Your GPA in the first semester of your B.Tech is too low. How do you justify that? Do you think that a Ram temple should be constructed at the site of Babri Masjid? Hypothetical questions A hypothetical question may involve a hypothetical situation. It may be asked to test the possible reactions of the candidate to a certain situation. The candidate may be asked the question, what would you do if .?, or the candidate may be given a situation and asked how he/she will deal with it. Some examples are given here: What would you do if you face a group of angry employees who want to harm company vehicles because one of the workers has been hurt by company lorry? One of your staff has been involved in activities detrimental to your organization. He has been doing this for money that he needs for the treatment of his ailing mother. What would you do? Leading questions A leading question is asked to obtain a desired response. It leads the candidate to a particular answer. Such questions generally suggest a point of view on the part of the interviewer and call for agreement with a yes answer. Given below are some examples: Dont you agree that our company is a market leader in electronic products? Dont you think that MNCs have boosted the Indian economy? Dont you agree that our economy needs more privatization? ANSWERING STRATEGIES: Keys to answering questions: How a question is answered is sometimes more important than the answer itself. The way a question is answered reflects a persons communicative ability. The following suggestions will help in improving the quality of answers. Attentiveness: When a person attends a job interview, he /she cannot answer the interviewers questions correctly unless he/she is listening properly. Many candidates start answering before they have heard the complete question. This is wrong. The candidate should listen to the interviewer attentively in order to understand the question and then respond to it. Moreover, the interviewer should not be interrupted while he or she is speaking. This constitutes rude behaviour and is against the norms of any formal interaction. Accuracy: The candidate should give particular attention to dates, timelines, persons, places and other details. If he/she cannot remember a date or time, it should not be mentioned. Giving an incorrect or incomplete answer will reduce the chances of success. The candidate should not try to bluff the interviewer; it is better to accept that he/she does not know an answer rather than giving an incorrect answer. No one is expected to know everything and there is nothing wrong in accepting ones lack of knowledge. Brevity: The candidate should be brief and to the point particularly in open questions, where he/she has the scope to speak as much as he/she can. He/she should listen to the question carefully and answer only what is asked, not taking more than on minute to answer any question,

irrespective of its nature and complexity. A long answer does not necessarily mean a better answer; it is usually otherwise. Focus: The candidate should be focused and specific. Very often, candidates deviate from the question asked and do not answer specifically. Trying to impress interviewers by giving information that is not asked for should be avoided. The more specific the answer, the more convinced the interviewers are likely to be of a candidates suitability for the position. Concrete and specific words and phrases should be used, and obscure, abstract, and vague words that may confuse the interviewers should be avoided. Clarity: Candidate should answer directly and clearly. The candidate should not give the interviewers a chance to ask for an answer to be repeated or classified. Clarity of expression generally reflects clarity of thought and professionalism. Positive Attitude: The candidates answers reflect a positive attitude. Interviewers may ask negative or sensitive questions to explore the negatives in the candidates personality. Therefore, it is important to remain positive and answer even negative questions positively. Logical Thinking: The ability to think logically is always an asset during and interview. Answers should always be rational and logical because illogical answers reflect a disorganized personality. Logical arguments and illustrations should be used when answering questions that demand careful thinking (that is, probing and hypothetical questions). TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS Telephone interviews have become very common today due to compelling reasons of time and distance. Unlike a face-to-face interview, which generally takes place in an office with the focus on a traditional structure of questions and answers in a conventional setting, a telephone interview takes place in a non-conventional setting. Although the telephone interview has certain inherent weaknesses as an interview format, its popularity is increasing, especially for recruitment to senior positions. Moreover, it is less cumbersome for both the interviewers as well as the candidates. The telephone interview generally has a fixed structure. The number of interviewers may vary from one to eight. The chairperson of the selection committee introduces the members of the committee to the candidate. Then, each expert introduces himself/herself and asks questions. This goes on till each member has talked to the candidate. Each of them may form an opinion about the candidate and then a final decision is made on the basis of consensus. The following suggestions will help improve telephone interview skills: Candidates should plan and prepare for the interview in a manner similar to that for a faceto-face interview. All the relevant interview techniques and strategies discussed earlier can be applied here too. The interviewers may ask the candidate to give a date and time for the interview or may fix it themselves. The candidate should ensure that there are no distractions during the telephone interview. The names of all the members of the interview panel should be written down at the beginning of the call and they should be referred to by name throughout the interview. It is important for the candidate to know who is speaking in order to establish rapport with them. Each member of the pane l should be greeted when he/she asks the first question.

 The interviewee must organize his/her papers and documents and keep them close so that he/she may easily refer to them. He/she must also keep a pen and paper to take notes. When an interviewer passes on the telephone to other members of the interview board, the candidate must thank him/her. As in a face to face interview it is best to answer briefly in telephone interviews too. The interviewee should speak clearly and distinctly, keeping his/her voice level up to reveal a high energy level. INTERVIEW THROUGH VIDEOCONFERENCING Interviews may also be held through videoconferencing. This is very similar to a face-to-face job interview because the interviewers can watch the candidate answering questions and can assess his/her behaviour and non-verbal gestures. Some organizations might prefer to have a screening interview through videoconferencing. Situational interviews may also be conducted through videoconferencing. The videoconferencing interview also has a fixed structure. The number of interviewers may vary from one to eight, as in a face-to-face or telephone interview. The chairperson of the selection committee may introduce the members of the committee to the candidate. Then, each expert may talk to the candidate asking him/her a few questions. This may go on till each member has talked to the candidate. As the form and structure of a videoconferencing interview is similar to traditional face-to-face personal interview, candidates may apply the same techniques and strategies of interviewing here.

VII UNIT PRESENTATION SKILLS

The Objective:
The single most important observation is that the objective of communication is not the transmission but the reception. The whole preparation, presentation and content of a speech must therefore be geared not to the speaker but to the audience. The presentation of a perfect project plan is a failure if the audience does not understand or are not persuaded of its merits. A customers' tour is a waste of time if they leave without realizing the full worth of your product. The objective of communication is to make your message understood and remembered. The main problem with this objective is, of course, the people to whom you are talking. The average human being has a very short attention span and a million other things to think about. Your job in the presentation is to reach through this mental fog and to hold the attention long enough to make your point.

The Plan

It is difficult to over estimate the importance of careful preparation. Five minutes on the floor in front of senior management could decide the acceptance of a proposal of several months duration for the manager and the whole team. With so much potentially at stake, the presenter must concentrate not only upon the facts being presented but upon the style, pace, tone and ultimately tactics which should be used. As a rule of thumb for an average presentation, no less than 1 hour should be spent in preparation for 5 minutes of talking. Suppose you have a talk to give, where do you start? Formulate your Objectives The starting point in planning any speech is to formulate a precise objective. This should take the form of a simple, concise statement of intent. For example, the purpose of your speech may be to obtain funds, to evaluate a proposal, or to motivate your team. No two objectives will be served equally well by the same presentation; and if you are not sure at the onset what you are trying to do, it is unlikely that your plan will achieve it. One question is: how many different objectives can you achieve, in say, 30 minutes - and the answer: not many. In the end it is far more productive to achieve one goal than to blunder over several. The best approach is to isolate the essential objective and to list at most two others which can be addressed providing they do not distract from the main one. Focus is key. If you do not focus upon your objective, it is unlikely that the audience will.

Identify the Audience The next task is to consider the audience to determine how best to achieve your objectives in the context of these people. Essentially this is done by identifying their aims and objectives while attending your presentation. If you can somehow convince them they are achieving those aims while at the same time achieving your own, you will find a helpful and receptive audience. For instance, if you are seeking approval for a new product plan from senior management it is useful to know and understand their main objectives. If they are currently worried that their product range is out of date and old fashioned, you would emphasise the innovative aspects of your new product; if they are fearful about product diversification you would then emphasise how well your new product fits within the existing catalogue. This principal of matching the audience aims, however, goes beyond the simple salesmanship of an idea - it is the simplest and most effective manner of obtaining their attention at the beginning. If your opening remarks imply that you understand their problem and that you have a solution, then they will be flattered at your attention and attentive to your every word.

Structure
All speeches should have a definite structure or format; a talk without a structure is a woolly mess. If you do not order your thoughts into a structured manner, the audience will not be able to follow

them. Having established the aim of your presentation you should choose the most appropriate structure to achieve it. However, the structure must not get in the way of the main message. If it is too complex, too convoluted or simply too noticeable the audience will be distracted. If a section is unnecessary to the achievement of your fundamental objectives, pluck it out. Sequential Argument One of the simplest structures is that of sequential argument which consists of a series of linked statements ultimately leading to a conclusion. However, this simplicity can only be achieved by careful and deliberate delineation between each section. One technique is the use of frequent reminders to the audience of the main point which have proceeded and explicit explanation of how the next topic will lead on from this. Hierarchical Decomposition In hierarchical decomposition the main topic is broken down into sub-topics and each sub-topics into smaller topics until eventually everything is broken down into very small basic units. In written communication this is a very powerful technique because it allows the reader to re-order the presentation at will, and to return to omitted topics at a later date. In verbal communication the audience is restricted to the order of the presenter and the hierarchy should be kept simple reinforced. As with sequential argument it is useful to summarise each section at its conclusion and to introduce each major new section with a statement of how it lies in the hierarchical order.

Question Orientated The aim of many presentations given by managers is to either explain a previous decision or to seek approval for a plan of action. In these cases, the format can be question orientated. The format is to introduce the problem and any relevant background, and then to outline the various solutions to that problem listing the advantages and disadvantages of each solution in turn. Finally, all possible options are summarised in terms of their pro's and con's, and either the preferred solution is presented for endorsement by the audience or a discussion is initiated leading to the decision. One trick for obtaining the desired outcome is to establish during the presentation the criteria by which the various options are to be judged; this alone should allow you to obtain your desired outcome. Pyramid In a newspaper, the story is introduced in its entirety in a catchy first paragraph. The next few paragraphs repeat the same information only giving further details to each point. The next section repeats the entire story again, but developing certain themes within each of the sub-points and again adding more information. This is repeated until the reporter runs out of story. The editor then simply decides upon the newsworthiness of the report and cuts from the bottom to the appropriate number of column inches.

There are two main advantages to this style for presentations. Firstly, it can increase the audiences receptiveness to the main ideas. Since at every stage of the pyramid they have all ready become familiar with the ideas and indeed know what to expect next. This sense of deja vu can falsely give the impression that what they are hearing are their own ideas. The second advantage is that the duration of the talk can be easily altered by cutting the talk in exactly the same way as the newspaper editor might have done to the news story. This degree of flexibility may be useful if the same presentation is to be used several times in different situations. The Meaty Sandwich The simplest and most direct format remains the meaty sandwich. This is the simple beginningmiddle-end format in which the main meat of the exposition is contained in the middle and is proceeded by an introduction and followed by a summary and conclusion. This is really the appropriate format for all small sub-sections in all the previous structures. If the talk is short enough, or the topic simple enough, it can indeed form the entirity of the presentation.

The Beginning
It is imperative to plan your beginning carefully; there are five main elements: Get their attention Too often in a speech, the first few minutes of the presentation are lost while people adjust their coats, drift in with coffee and finish the conversation they were having with the person next to them. You only have a limited time and every minute is precious to you so, from the beginning, make sure they pay attention. Establish a theme Basically, you need to start the audience thinking about the subject matter of your presentation. This can be done by a statement of your main objective, unless for some reason you wish to keep it hidden. They will each have some experience or opinions on this and at the beginning you must make them bring that experience into their own minds. Present a structure If you explain briefly at the beginning of a talk how it is to proceed, then the audience will know what to expect. This can help to establish the theme and also provide something concrete to hold their attention. Ultimately, it provides a sense of security in the promise that this speech too will end. Create a rapport If you can win the audience over in the first minute, you will keep them for the remainder. You should plan exactly how you wish to appear to them and use the beginning to establish that relationship. You may be presenting yourself as their friend, as an expert, perhaps even as a judge, but whatever role you choose you must establish it at the very beginning.

Administration When planning your speech you should make a note to find out if there are any administrative details which need to be announced at the beginning of your speech. This is not simply to make yourself popular with the people organising the session but also because if these details are over looked the audience may become distracted as they wonder what is going to happen next.

The Ending
The final impression you make on the audience is the one they will remember. Thus it is worth planning your last few sentences with extreme care. As with the beginning, it is necessary first to get their attention, which will have wandered. This requires a change of pace, a new visual aid or perhaps the introduction of one final culminating idea. In some formats the ending will be a summary of the main points of the talk. One of the greatest mistakes is to tell the audience that this is going to be a summary because at that moment they simply switch off. Indeed it is best that the ending comes unexpectedly with that final vital phrase left hanging in the air and ringing round their memories. Alternatively the ending can be a flourish, with the pace and voice leading the audience through the final crescendo to the inevitable conclusion.

Visual Aids
Most people expect visual reinforcement for any verbal message being delivered. While it would be unfair to blame television entirely for this, it is useful to understand what the audience is accustomed to, for two reasons: firstly, you can meet their expectations using the overhead projector, a slide show, or even a video presentation; secondly, if you depart from the framework of a square picture flashed before their eyes, and use a different format, then that novelty will be most arresting. For instance, if you are describing the four functions of a project manager then display the four "hats" he/she must wear; if you are introducing the techniques of brainstorming then brandish a fishing rod to "fish for" ideas. With traditional visual aids however, there are a few rules which should be followed to ensure they are used effectively. Most are common sense, and most are commonly ignored. As with all elements of a speech, each different viewfoil should have a distinct purpose - and if it has no purpose it should be removed. With that purpose firmly in mind you should design the viewfoil for that purpose. Some viewfoils are there to reinforce the verbal message and so to assist in recall; others are used to explain information which can be more easily displayed than discussed: and some viewfoils are designed simply for entertainment and thus to pace the presentation. If your viewfoil is scruffy then your audience will notice that, and not what is written upon it. Do not clutter a viewfoil or it will confuse rather than assist. Do not simply photocopy information if there is more data on the page than you wish to present; in these cases, the data should be extracted before being displayed. Make sure that your writing can be read from the back of the room. Talk to the audience, not the visual aid.

The Delivery

"The human body is truly fascinating - there are some I could watch all day" - Anon Whatever you say and whatever you show; it is you, yourself which will remain the focus of the audience's attention. If you but strut and fret your hour upon the stage and then are gone, no-one will remember what you said. The presenter has the power both to kill the message and to enhance it a hundred times beyond its worth. Your job as a manager is to use the potential of the presentation to ensure that the audience is motivated and inspired rather than disconcerted or distracted. There are five key facets of the human body which deserve attention in presentation skills: the eyes, the voice, the expression, the appearance, and how you stand. The Eyes The eyes are said to be the key to the soul and are therefore the first and most effective weapon in convincing the audience of your honesty, openness and confidence in the objectives of your presentation. This impression may of course be totally false, but here is how to convey it. Even when in casual conversation, your feelings of friendship and intimacy can be evaluated by the intensity and duration of eye contact. During the presentation you should use this to enhance your rapport with the audience by establishing eye contact with each and every member of the audience as often as possible. For small groups this is clearly possible but it can also be achieved in large auditoriums since the further the audience is away from the presenter the harder it is to tell precisely where he or she is looking. Thus by simply staring at a group of people at the back of a lecture theatre it is possible to convince each of them individually that he or she is the object of your attention. During presentations, try to hold your gaze fixed in specific directions for five or six seconds at a time. Shortly after each change in position, a slight smile will convince each person in that direction that you have seen and acknowledged them. The Voice After the eyes comes the voice, and the two most important aspects of the voice for the public speaker are projection and variation. It is important to realise from the onset that few people can take their ordinary conversation voice and put it on stage. If you can, then perhaps you should move to Hollywood. The main difference comes in the degree of feedback which you can expect from the person to whom you are talking. In ordinary conversation you can see from the expression, perhaps a subtle movement of the eye, when a word or phrase has been missed or misunderstood. In front of an audience you have to make sure that this never happens. The simple advice is to slow down and to take your time. Remember the audience is constrained by good manners not to interrupt you so there is no need to maintain a constant flow of sound. A safe style is to be slightly louder and slightly slower than a fire-side chat with slightly deaf aunt. As you get used to the sound, you can adjust it by watching the audience. A monotone speech is both boring and soporific, so it is important to try to vary the pitch and speed of your presentation. At the very least, each new sub-section should be proceeded by a pause and a change in tone to emphasise the delineation. If tonal variation does not come to you naturally try making use of rhetorical questions throughout your speech, since most British accents rise naturally at the end of a question. Expression

The audience watch your face. If you are looking listless or distracted then they will be listless and distracted; if you are smiling, they will be wondering why and listen to find out. In normal conversation your meaning is enhanced by facial reinforcement. Thus in a speech you must compensate both for stage nerves and for the distance between yourself and the audience. The message is quite simply: make sure that your facial expressions are natural, only more so. Appearance There are many guides to management and presentation styles which lay heavy emphasis upon the way you dress and in the last analysis this is a matter of personal choice. That choice should however be deliberately made. When you are giving a presentation you must dress for the audience, not for yourself; if they think you look out of place, and then you are. As an aside, it is my personal opinion that there exists a code of conduct among engineers which emphasizes the scruffy look and that in many organizations this tends to set the engineer apart, especially from management. It conveys the subliminal message that the engineer and the manager are not part of the same group and so hinders communication. Stance When an actor initially learns a new character part, he or she will instinctively adopt a distinct posture or stance to convey that character. It follows therefore that while you are on stage, your stance and posture will convey a great deal about you. The least you must do is make sure your stance does not convey boredom; at best, you can use your whole body as a dynamic tool to reinforce your rapport with the audience. The perennial problem is what to do with your hands. These must not wave aimlessly through the air, or fiddle constantly with a pen, or (worst of all visually) juggle change in your trouser pockets. The key is to keep your hands still, except when used in unison with your speech. To train them initially, find a safe resting place which is comfortable for you, and aim to return them there when any gesture is completed.

The Techniques of Speech

Every speaker has a set of "tricks of the trade" which he or she holds dear - the following are a short selection of such advice taken from various sources. Make an impression The average audience is very busy: they have husbands and wives, schedules and slippages, cars and mortgages; and although they will be trying very hard to concentrate on your speech, their minds will inevitably stray. Your job is to do something, anything, which captures their attention and makes a lasting impression upon them. Once you have planned your speech and honed it down to its few salient points, isolate the most important and devise some method to make it stick. Repeat, Repeat

The average audience is very busy: they have husbands or wives etc, etc - but repetition makes them hear. The average audience is easily distracted, and their attention will slip during the most important message of your speech - so repeat it. You don't necessarily have to use the resonant tonal sounds of the repeated phrase, but simply make the point again and again and again with different explanations and in different ways. The classic advice of the Sergeant Major is: "First you tell 'em what you are going to tell 'em, then you tell 'em, then you tell 'em what you told 'em!" Draw a Sign Research into teaching has yielded the following observation: "We found that students who failed to get the point did so because they were not looking for it". If the audience knows when to listen, they will. So tell them: the important point is ... . Draw a Picture The human brain is used to dealing with images, and this ability can be used to make the message more memorable. This means using metaphors or analogies to express your message. Thus a phrase like "we need to increase the market penetration before there will be sufficient profits for a pay related bonus" becomes "we need a bigger slice of the cake before the feast". Jokes The set piece joke can work very well, but it can also lead to disaster. You must choose a joke which is apt, and one which will not offend any member of the audience. This advice tends to rule out all racist, sexist or generally rude jokes. If this seems to rule out all the jokes you can think of, then you should avoid jokes in a speech. Amusing asides are also useful in maintaining the attention of the audience, and for relieving the tension of the speech. If this comes naturally to you, then it is a useful tool for pacing your delivery to allow periods of relaxation in between your sign-posted major points. Plain Speech Yes! Short and Sweet One way to polish the presentation of the main point of your speech is to consider it thus. The day before your presentation, you are called to to the office of the divisional vice-president; there you are introduced to the managing director and a representative of the company's major share holder; "O.K." says the vice president "we hear you have got something to say, we'll give you 30 seconds, GO". Can you do it? If you can crystallise your thoughts and combine your main message with some memorable phrase or imagery, and present them both in 30 seconds then you have either the perfect ending or the basis for a fine presentation. The Narrative

Everyone loves a story and stories can both instruct and convey a message: Zen Philosophy is recorded in its stories, and Christianity was originally taught in parables. If you can weave your message into a story or a personal annocdote, then you can have them wanting to hear your every word - even if you have to make it up. Rehearsal There is no substitute for rehearsal. You can do it in front of a mirror, or to an empty theatre. In both cases, you should accentuate your gestures and vocal projection so that you get used to the sound and sight of yourself. Do not be put off by the mirror - remember: you see a lot less of yourself than your friends do. Relaxation If you get nervous just before the show, either concentrate on controlling your breathing or welcome the extra adrenaline. The good news is that the audience will never notice your nerves nearly as much as you think. Similarly, if you dry-up in the middle - smile, look at your notes, and take your time. The silence will seem long to you, but less so to the audience.

Conclusion
Once the speech is over and you have calmed down, you should try to honestly evaluate your performance. Either alone, or with the help of a friend in the audience, decide what was the least successful aspect of your presentation and resolve to concentrate on that point in the next talk you give. If it is a problem associated with the preparation, then deal with it there; if it is a problem with your delivery, write yourself a reminder note and put it in front of you at the next talk. Practice is only productive when you make a positive effort to improve - try it.

[NOTE: ACTIVITY: write down abt ur presentation in yesterdays lab. Tell what were your strengths and weaknesses in the presentation] {note: write the below topic after writing all the above topics.} UNIT-VIII TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING
Objective

To equip students with a number of pointers to write professional and structured technical reports.

A technical report is a formal report designed to convey technical information in a clear and easily accessible format. It is divided into sections which allow different readers to access different levels of information. Technical communication is the delivery of technical information to readers (or listeners or viewers) in a manner that is adapted to their needs, level of understanding, and background. Definition of Technical Report Technical Reports present facts and conclusions about our designs and other projects. Typically, a technical report includes research about technical concepts as well as graphical depictions of designs and data. A technical report also follows a strict organization. KEY FEATURES OF A REPORT: Are designed for quick and easy communication of information Are designed for selective reading Use sections with numbered headings and sub headings Use figures and diagrams to convey data THE 5 Cs OF TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING: 1. Clarity: To be clear Elements Avoid needless complexity in words, phrases and sentences. Keep things simple by using familiar words, constructing effective sentences and paragraphs that are logical and ordered. Avoid ambiguity by using precise, concrete language and making appropriate choices in words, syntax, pronouns and punctuation. Avoid jargon and colloquialisms. 2. Conciseness: To be brief or to the point without losing the intent of our message. Elements Eliminate unnecessary prepositional phrases. Avoid necessary repetition. A note about prepositional phrases. List details but do not emphasize any one detail over another. 3. Concrete: To be definite, not abstract, real and complete Elements

Be precise- say what you mean. Be technically accurate and complete. Choose the right words and be careful when substituting one word for another. Use specific facts and figures make no assumptions. Use active rather than passive verb forms. 4.Coherence: To hold together in a logical, orderly and consistent manner.

Elements Keep ideas tied together by repeating key terms and phrases. Establish links between ideas by using appropriate transitional words. Develop ideas and details that fit together clearly and read smoothly. 5.Context: To consider the circumstances in which an event occurs. Elements Define your purpose or goal. Identify your audience, their knowledge and needs. Consider the effect of or response to your writing. What do you hope or want to achieve? Consider the ethical and legal implications. CLASSIFICATION OF THE REPORTS: 1. On the basis of legal formalities 2. On the basis of frequency or issue 3. On the basis of functions On the basis of legal formalities: a. Informal Report: An informal report is usually in the form of individual to individual communication. b. Formal Report: A formal is in the form of detailed prescribed form. These reports can be prepared by experts of the company and submitted to the management. c. Statutory Report: A report prepared and presented according to the form and procedure laid down by the law is called a Statutory Report. d. Non Statutory Report: Formal reports which are not required under any law, but which are prepared to help the management in framing policies or taking other important decisions are called Non Statutory Reports. On the basis of frequency of Issue

1. Routine Reports: Reports which are prepared to meet the regular and routine needs of an organization are called Routine Reports. Routine Reports are usually prepared and submitted to different levels of management at periodical intervals. The following are some of the routine reports: a. Progress Reports: Progress means how much work has been completed according to the plan. We write a progress report to inform a supervisor, associate, or customer about the progress you have made in a project over a certain period of time. b Inspection Reports: In this case, it is an inspection which likely is going to be home inspection/business inspection to look for defects within and on the property. c. Performance Appraisal Reports: The performance appraisal is a process in which we value the employee contribution and worth to the organization. 2. Special Reports: This report may or may not contain statistical data. Using this report, a particular operation is investigated at a specified time for a particular purpose. This is done according to the requirements of management but not on a regular basis. The deviations from standards are paid additional attention and corrective action is taken. Handling complaints of damage are an example of this type of report. On the basis of functions: On the basis of functions, technical reports may be informational and analytical reports. If a report merely presents facts relating to an issue or situation, it is informative. It does not have any conclusions or recommendations. On the other hand, if it analyses the facts, draws conclusions and makes the recommendations, it may be described as analytical or interpretative or investigative. For example, to extend production or to start a new branch or to take another existing business unit analytical reports are essential. REPORT WRITING: Writing a report requires special writing skills and knowledge of format. A cover letter usually accompanies technical, research or psychological report. This letter provides the recipient with the context of a report. Transmittal letters should be brief. They contain address, name of recipient, date and our request. Successful report writing contains several main parts: 1. Cover Sheet: This should include the full title of the report and your name. 2. Title Page : Contains the report title, name and organization for whom the report has been created, author name and the date of fulfillment. 3. Acknowledgements Page: It should always be included into our research or technical report saying thank you to the people who helped us with work.

4. Summary Abstract: Usually includes the topic chosen for our paper and scope of the project. It should be completed when the report is written so that we discuss its main parts and make conclusions. Summary Abstracts must be interesting to the other researchers and contain current information. 5. Table of Contents: This page contains the paper structure with numbers for every heading and sub heading for the readers convenience. At first, a draft is created in order to organize the material and ideas, though it may be changed during the report writing. 6. The list of tables, figures and illustrations: We need to number all the figures and tables presented in a technical report and list them in the order they are given. If we use more than seven tables and figures we should list them or a separate page giving the page numbers that can be found at in the work. 7. Executive Summary or Summary of the Report: This is an overview of the entire document. It should show the reader what this report is about. It includes the purpose, review literature, the methodology we choose and a brief list of our findings and recommendations. 8. The Body: The body of our report is the main part of the paper that contains all the important materials and data necessary for the research of the issue. The body includes literature, methodology, result or findings, analysis and discussion sections. Literature review helps us to place the research into a background and show its significance as well as to critically analyze scholarly articles and books which relate to our topic. Methodology contains methods and principles which we used in our research. Besides, in this section we must explain why we have chosen these methods for report writing and discuss the ethical issues of the topic. The results and findings section contains the presentation of facts and our findings and compares them with the findings of other researchers. 9. Conclusion: This is the final part of the work. We should summarize our findings and draw conclusions which are supported by evidence. 10. Recommendations: We should make some suggestions concerning further research into the topic. 11. Appendix: The report may contain an appendix or several ones, which may present a copy of a questionnaire, maps, calculations, plans, etc. 12. Bibliography: All the sources should be listed. STAGES OF REPORT PREPARATION: Information has limited value unless we arrange the collected data in a chronological manner and in a usable form. Never resume that our job is finished when the investigational or problem solving phase has been completed. It is also our responsibility as an engineer or a scientist to show promptly that our results are worthwhile. The only way to convey these thoughts is by writing a report.

1. Gathering the Data (or developing the theory): To be a successful technical writer, we should develop the ability to foresee the general content of the report before the program begins. In most cases, we should be able to prepare a preliminary report outline at the beginning of the program. Outlining should benefit both the report and the program, for obviously a wellprepared outline requires a carefully planned program. During the course of the program keep the future report in mind. Maintain orderly records as the data are gathered. The little extra time required to record the results carefully can be of great value later. We should write down our opinions as soon as the data are obtained. Comparing these opinions with those based on hindsight will often help us to interpret the data properly. 2. Analyzing and Sorting the Results: The second stage of report preparation, data analysis and sorting, is probably the most difficult because it requires considerable mental effort to decide what we want to tell readers. The beginning of this stage overlaps with the data-gathering stage, for the data analysis should begin as soon as the data are collected. But the bulk of data analysis must be done near the completion of the program. At this time, re-examine the pertinent data and review our earlier opinions with respect to subsequent results. During this data review the program conclusions should be drawn. This is the most important step in report preparation because the conclusions are the reason for the report and basis for report preparation: They dictate what to include in a report and how to organize it. Trying to organize and write a report without knowing the conclusions is like starting an automobile trip without knowing the destination. We will not know where we are going, and we will never know when we get far enough to stop. Therefore, we should choose our report destination early by drawing and clearly defining the program conclusions before we begin to organize and write the report. This is best done by first writing down all the significant results in no particular order and then sorting them so that the results pertaining to a common factor are grouped together. 3. Outlining the report: The outlining stage is a natural progression from the analysis and sorting stage. In the sorting stage concentration is on what results should be presented in a report. In the outlining stage attention is directed to how these results should be presented. Without an outline most inexperienced authors write reports that are confusing and difficult to follow. Often the preliminary outline prepared at the beginning of the program can be used as a starting point for the report outline. Outlining is a necessary preliminary step to report writing. It involves the planning needed to prepare a clear report that is logically organized, concise, and easy to read. But it should be revised and expanded to emphasize the conclusions drawn in the analysis and the sorting stage. The revised outline should contain descriptive headings of each significant part of the report. Main Heading Subheading Run-in heading: This heading is indented on the same line as the first line of the paragraph.

Below run-in-heading: paragraph.

This heading is indented on the same line as the first line of the

Three levels of headings should be sufficient; more may disrupt our readers concentration. The type face and the placement of headings will vary with the type of publication. Thorough outlining will make both writing and reading the report easier. We should study the outline carefully to be certain that each item blends into a logical plan and an ordered presentation. 4. Writing the Rough Draft: The rough draft should be the last of several versions, each an improvement of the preceding one. This final version is considered a rough draft because it still must go through a series of technical and editorial reviews. But it should be as polished as we can make it. From our point of view, it should be ready for printing and distribution to a critical audience. Try to start writing the first version of the draft immediately after completing the outline while the ideas develop are still fresh in our mind. We should write this first version as rapidly as possible. We should concentrate on what we want to say rather than how to say it. We should keep writing down the thoughts as they flow into our mind, following outline. We should avoid going back over what we have written until we are through writing. 5. Revising the Rough Draft: Revising a draft is comparable to painting a house: the appearance is improved without influencing the structure. But a reports appearance (readability) may determine whether or not it is read. Before you can revise your rough draft we must recognize that it is not perfect. Approach it with a critical attitude. Setting the draft aside for a few days, or at least overnight can best do this. This time lag should give us a fresh view point and allow us to change to the role of a reader. This change in roles is most important because we must try to see what is actually written rather than what we think we wrote. METHODS FOR REVIEW AND REVISE: 1. The first review is of the material in the report. In this check we need to ask ourselves these questions: Are the conclusions valid? Is sufficient information given to support the conclusions? Is enough background information given to explain the results? Have all the irrelevant ideas been deleted? Are the illustrations pertinent and necessary? 2. The second review is of the mechanics and organization. Are the subject and purpose clearly stated? Does the report flow smoothly from topic to topic? Are the relations between the topics clear? Is each illustration clear and properly labeled? Are all the required parts of the reports included? 3. The third review is of spelling and grammar, particularly punctuation and sentence structure. Is each sentence written effectively? Are the sentences varied in length and complexity to avoid monotony? Are the words specific rather than vague? Have all the unnecessary words been deleted? We have to make sure that we can truly answer yes to all these questions before we consider our draft finished. We should not try to make one review do the work of three. Trying to cover too many categories in one review usually results in oversights and errors.

[NOTE: write this topic the last in record. I dont know about activity for this.]