Communication Skills – II
What is Communication?
Communication is the process of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts and feelings between two or more people. The word comes from the Latin word communicare, which means "to share". Effective communication is a two-way process — the message sent by the sender must be correctly understood by the receiver, and the receiver's response (feedback) completes the cycle.
The Communication Cycle
Every act of communication follows a cycle with these elements:
- Sender – the person who starts the communication by creating an idea.
- Encoding – converting the idea into words, gestures or symbols.
- Message – the actual information being communicated.
- Channel – the medium used, e.g., face-to-face talk, phone, email, letter.
- Receiver – the person who gets the message and decodes (interprets) it.
- Feedback – the receiver's response, which tells the sender whether the message was understood.
Methods of Communication
| Method | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal | Communication using words — spoken or written | Face-to-face talk, phone call, speech, letters, emails, reports, SMS |
| Non-verbal | Communication without words, through body language | Facial expressions, gestures, posture, eye contact, tone of voice, touch, personal space |
| Visual | Communication using pictures, signs and symbols | Traffic signs, charts, graphs, maps, posters, photographs, emojis |
Studies show that in face-to-face communication a large part of the meaning is conveyed non-verbally — through expressions, gestures and tone — which is why body language matters as much as words.
7Cs of Effective Communication
| C | What it means |
|---|---|
| Clear | Be clear about the aim of your message; use simple words. |
| Concise | Keep it brief; avoid unnecessary words and repetition. |
| Concrete | Use definite facts and figures, not vague statements. |
| Correct | Use correct spelling, grammar and accurate facts. |
| Coherent | Points should be logical, connected and relevant to the topic. |
| Complete | Include all information the receiver needs to act. |
| Courteous | Be polite, friendly, honest and respectful; avoid hidden insults. |
Feedback
Feedback is the receiver's response to a message. It makes communication two-way and helps the sender improve. Types of feedback:
- Positive feedback – appreciates and encourages, e.g., "You did a great job on the project."
- Negative feedback – points out what went wrong so it can be corrected, e.g., "Your report was late and had errors."
- No feedback – silence; it is also a form of feedback indicating the receiver did not understand or did not respond.
Good feedback is specific, timely and helpful — it focuses on the work, not on the person.
Barriers to Communication
A barrier is anything that stops the message from being understood correctly. Main types:
- Physical barriers – noise, distance, closed doors, faulty equipment, poor network.
- Linguistic/Language barriers – different languages, difficult words, unclear accent, use of jargon or slang.
- Interpersonal barriers – lack of trust, unwillingness to talk, personal conflicts.
- Organisational barriers – rigid rules, complex hierarchy, unclear roles in an organisation.
- Cultural barriers – different customs, beliefs, gestures and dress codes; a gesture acceptable in one culture may be rude in another.
Ways to Overcome Barriers
- Use simple language and speak clearly at a moderate pace.
- Reduce noise and distractions; choose the right time and place.
- Listen actively and ask questions to confirm understanding.
- Respect cultural differences and avoid making assumptions.
- Give and seek feedback to check that the message was received correctly.
Basic Writing Skills
Parts of Speech
English words are grouped into eight parts of speech: Noun (name of a person/place/thing – Delhi, book), Pronoun (replaces a noun – he, they), Verb (action or state – run, is), Adjective (describes a noun – tall, red), Adverb (describes a verb/adjective – quickly, very), Preposition (shows position/relation – on, under), Conjunction (joins words/sentences – and, but) and Interjection (expresses emotion – Wow! Oh!).
Sentences, Phrases, Articles and Punctuation
- A sentence is a group of words that makes complete sense. It has a subject (who/what) and a predicate (what is said about it: verb + object).
- By purpose, sentences are of four types: Declarative (statement), Interrogative (question), Imperative (order/request) and Exclamatory (strong emotion).
- A phrase is a group of words without a subject–verb pair that does not make complete sense on its own, e.g., "in the morning".
- Articles: a and an are indefinite articles (an before vowel sounds), while the is the definite article used for a specific person or thing.
- Punctuation marks such as full stop (.), comma (,), question mark (?), exclamation mark (!), apostrophe (') and capital letters make writing clear and readable.
- A paragraph is a group of sentences on one idea — it usually starts with a topic sentence, followed by supporting sentences and a concluding sentence.