UNIT 1

(Understanding Communication)

(Understanding Communication) – 9 hours

Definition and Process of Communication, Types of communication - verbal and Nonverbal, Channels of
communication - communication of contexts - types of contexts

Basic listening models - Competitive or combative listening, passive and attentive listening, Active and
reflective listening

Barriers of communication - barriers to effective listening - Listening to speeches of pioneer engineers

and making a critical review on them -

Delivering presentations - extempore on language learning experiences - prepared speech on language

learning strategies

Presentation techniques, Creating Visual Support

Developing Paragraphs, Précis Writing

Creative Writing - Expository essay

Summarizing, Paraphrasing - Types of phrases, clauses and sentences

Sentence patterns - Word order of English.

 Communication

Communication is the most vital skill, which paves a road for every human kind to achieve their
benchmark in the race for dominance. To be a successful person in personal life and career, the
art of getting one’s message across professionally is very essential. Good communication is the
breath of organizations. In today’s world it is essential for learners to hone their communication
ability. Particularly in the field of engineering, communication skills has become very
prominent and vital. Employers want engineers with strong communication skills and they also
give great value to acquire diverse skills in different work environment.

Communication can be defined as:

Communication is the activity or process of expressing ideas and feelings or of giving people
information.

- Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary

Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a

common system of symbols, signs or behavior.

- www.merriam-webster.com

The revolution in the IT industry and business globalization has brought technical
communication in academia and industry. In this competitive environment professionals and
technocrats are facing new challenges in developing communication, and acquiring knowledge,
hard skills and effective technical communication skills. Effective communication re-enforces
positive impression of the engineer.
HUMAN FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION:

In communication, the speaker’s words are only a fraction of his efforts. The pitch and
tone of his voice, the speed and rhythm of the spoken word, and the pauses between those words
may express more than what is being communicated by words alone. Further, his gestures,
posture, pose and expressions usually convey a variety of subtle signals. These non-verbal
elements can present a listener with important clues to the speaker’s thoughts and feelings and
thus substantiate or contradict the speaker’s words.

In 1970, Prof. Mehrabian quantified this tendency: words, tone of voice, and body language
respectively account for 7%, 38%, and 55% of personal communication. His studies suggested
that we overwhelmingly deduce our feelings, attitudes, and beliefs about what someone says not
by the actual words spoken, but by the speaker’s body language and tone of voice.

https://www.rightattitudes.com/2008/10/04/7-38-55-rule-personal-communication/

PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication is a dynamic interactive process that involves ideation, encoding, transmission,

decoding and feedback. Study Fig. to understand the different stages of communication.

Sender Message Receiver Receive

Sender
converts the travels decodes r
has an
idea into words over message respon
idea
or gestures channel ds

Ideation Encoding Transmission Decoding Feedback

Ideation (thought or idea)

The process of communication begins with ideation. It determines sender’s knowledge, context
of communicative situation and purpose of communication. There are two kinds of content in the
message, logical (factual information) and emotional (personal feelings and emotions).

Encoding
Encoding is the process by which the sender converts the idea into a message through some form
of logical and coded message. The encoder uses a medium to send a message through telephonic
communication, written communication, face-to-face communication and other communication
tools (channels). There are three basic options for sending messages that is speaking, writing and
non-verbal signs and symbols.

Transmission

Transmission is the process of conveying the sender’s message using proper channels- through
mail, telephone, memorandum or letter.

Decoding

Decoding is a process of translating words, signs, symbols into meanings. It involves

interpretation and analysis of a message. In written communication, decoding refers reading and
understanding and in the oral communication, it includes listening and understanding.

docshare.tips

Feedback

Response is the final stage of communication process. It refers to the action or reaction of the
receiver to the message given by the sender. It helps the sender to know if the message was
received and understood properly.

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Communication can be classified as Verbal and non-verbal communication. Verbal form

of communication includes communication with words, writings etc. Non-verbal communication
is the one which includes gestures, body-language, facial expressions, tone, eye contact etc. Both
verbal and non-verbal forms of communication are imperative in effectively communicating
anything.

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication takes place through face-to-face conversations, group discussions,

counseling etc. Verbal communication happens when the messages which are intended to be
communicated are done through words. This can be written or oral. Written form of
communication can be through documents, letters, electronic mailing, SMS, Social Media etc.
Oral form of communication can be through face- to- face conversation, telephonic conversation
etc.

Verbal communication is more precise and clear in understanding what the communicator
in intending to say. Oral communication is used informally whereas written communication is
used formally. Informal communication spreads faster in the form of gossips. Channels for
communication must be properly analyzed depending on the content, which is intended to
communicate.

Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal form of communication includes sending and receiving messages without the
use of words. Some of the examples of such messages can be gestures, body language or
postures, facial expression and eye contact. Drawings, Charts, signs, symbols, and body language
also come under Non-Verbal form of communication.

This form of communication is also equally important if not more important than Verbal
form of communication. This plays an important role in day-to-day affairs and forms an
important aspect for people judging us.

CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

An organizational chart of a company shows information mainly flows in three directions:

Downward, Upward, and Horizontal. These three directions create the framework within which
communication in an organization takes place. This network of communication shows the
hierarchy of command. The following are the channels/directions of communication used in
workplaces.

1. Upward 2. Downward 3.Horizontal 4. Diagonal

 Upward Communication flows from subordinates to superiors in the hierarchical work

flow. People distort information through reports, grievances, suggestions, conflict
resolutions and meetings. It helps employees to express their requirements suitably. It
plays an important role in making business decisions.
 Downward Communication occurs when superiors send messages to their
subordinates. The kinds of media used in oral and written basis are instructions,
commands, meetings, telephone conversations, memoranda, letters, and policy
statements.

 Horizontal communication also known as lateral communication, involves the sharing

of information between employees of equal ranks in an organization. Employees feel a
friendly atmosphere for discussing their work where the hierarchies do not exist.
 Diagonal Communication is an informal mode of communication network happening
within the organization. This is a mode of informal, unauthorized but effective way of
communication also called as grapevine communication. The management uses the
service of informal leaders to spread information about organizational developments.

 External Communication is the transmission of business information between entities

in the company’s external environment. The purpose of this communication is to
promote the company and increase the revenue.
  Technical Communication is sharing of information about specialized subjects. It is an
exchange of information that helps people interact using technology and solve complex
problems.

BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION

Objective: Day to day operation of any business relies on clear, effective communication. No
work, operation, or function is carried out without effective means of communication. In the
process of communication, it is apparent that barriers and obstacles do occur, which can or
cannot be avoidable. Therefore, an individual should inculcate all the required skills, so that he
can effectively overcome all the barriers to communication.

Definition: Any obstacle or problem in the process of communication, which hinders/obstructs

the process of communication is called barrier.

Types of Barriers:

 Language Barriers
 Lack of common language
 Multiplicity of words
 Words with similar pronunciation but different meaning
 Jargon words
 By-passed instructions
 Psychological Barriers
 Ego
 Prejudice
 Emotions and Feelings
 Filtering in Messages
 Closed Mind
 Poor retention
 Personal Barriers
 Ineffective listening
 Vocabulary deficiency
 Selective attention
 Failure to react to feed-back
 Bipolar thinking
 Tendency to evaluate
 Lack of confidence
 Organizational Barriers
 Threat to power and influence
 Organizational structure
 Behaviour of top-level administrators
  Barriers in technology
 Hidden agendas
 Mixed messages
 Overcoming communication barriers
 Clarify ideas before communication
 Use of simple language
 Beware of language tone and content of message
 Consistency of message
 Avoid information overload
 Follow up communication
 Flexibility in meeting the targets
 Ensure proper feedback
 Be a good listener

Jmpcollege.org

LSRW SKILLS

Objective:

To enable the learner understand the importance of the major skills of communication and their
consecutive roles in the development of one’s prospects in the competitive world.

Good communication is the passport to the world of successful and competent career especially
in the current scenario. Communication skills have a great impact on the success of an
individual. A person’s ability to stand apart in a crowd is more often determined by his/her
communication skills. Be it career or relationships, the harsh truth in today’s global scene is that
the future of any person is affected strongly by his communication skill in English.

The four major skills of language learning-listening, speaking, reading and writing are the right
keys to open the doors to success. They provide opportunities for exchange of information. It
also gives a proof of their ability and confidence. These skills take the priority in the given order
as in a man’s stages of evolution. The child tries to learn things basically through imitation, and
language too is imbibed in that way. It listens intensively to the sounds uttered and tries to
reproduce it as it is. This is how language evolves.

Listening is obviously the first of all the skills without which the next stages of language
learning will never have its turn. Listening and reading are the receptive skills because learners
do not need to produce anything on his own, they just receive and understand it. Therefore,
these skills are often termed as passive skills. Speaking and writing are the productive
skills because learners have to apply these skills to produce language. They are also known as
active skills.

Listening:
Listening is the receptive skill, which is the most difficult; and it demands concentration and
involvement. The learner has to be in anticipation. Listening Skills could be enhanced by
focusing on making the students listen to the sounds of that particular language. To equip
students with training in listening, training can be given on comprehending speeches of people of
different backgrounds and regions.

Benefits of listening skill:

This would help them with the right pronunciation of words. This intensive listening will
ultimately help a student to understand more on the accents to be used and the exact
pronunciation of word. The concepts are understood only through keen listening.

Barriers in Listening:

• External noise
• Poor Environment
• Unhealthy physical condition
• Uninteresting content
• Overload of information
• Poor communication skill of the speaker

How to overcome:

• Develop concentration
• Show active interest and involvement
• Practice listening to short conversations
• Avoid distraction

Speaking

Language is a tool for communication. We communicate with others, to express our ideas, and to
know others’ ideas as well. Good speaking skill comprises four important elements-fluency,
vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. It these four elements are mastered, you can win the race
by your effective communication.

Speaking skill is so important that even the academic topper cannot grab good opportunities in
the job market if he is not good with any of these four components.

Barriers in speaking skill:

1. Fear is the first obstacle in this regard.
2. Lack of deep knowledge of the concept
3. Lack of confidence
4. Personal barriers- emotional or physical discomfort
5. Disinterested nature
6. Inhibitions and Pre-conceived notions
How to overcome barriers and develop?

• Good vocabulary is a real treasure house for communicative compatibility.

• We have to enrich our vocabulary by developing reading habit which is the third in
communication.
• Fluency comes with practice. Theoretical knowledge will not come of use unless it is put
to practice.
• The same goes with grammar and pronunciation too. Good pronunciation comes by
constant access to the native speaker of the language through audio visual modes.

Reading Skill

Reading Skills help the students to guess the meanings of the words in the language from the
context and grasp the content and draw conclusions. This could be done by skimming texts and
reading and understanding of textual materials.

Reading is a skill which enables us

1. to get a message
2. to recognize the written words (written symbols)
3. to get (understanding) the meaning
4. to grasp information from texts.

Reading is a complex activity that involves both perception and thought. Reading is of four types
based on the intensity.

1. Skimming is the most rudimentary type of reading. Its object is to familiarize you as
quickly as possible with the material to be read. It doesn’t look for the minute or specific
details. Rather it stops with a surface reading at one glance. It excludes in this process,
factual details and exact information. It aims at getting more general information.
Looking for the headlines in newspaper is a general example of this category. While
reading a book, skimming is the process of quickly viewing a section of text to get a
general impression of the author's main argument, themes or ideas.
2. Scanning means reading the text quickly for specific information. Scanning the text
means moving the eyes quickly from top to bottom. Generally, scanning is helpful while
searching for facts to answer a question. It is a kind of selective reading where the
relevant information is given priority. Looking for the expiry dates in products, specified
columns in newspapers are examples of scanning.
3. Close reading or reading for comprehension is the most important skill essential for
any form of literary studies. It means paying close attention to what is printed on the
page. Close reading means not only reading and understanding the meanings of the
 individual printed words, but also involves making yourself sensitive to all the nuances
and connotations of language as it is used by skilled writers. Reading difficult chapters in
an academic book can be cited as an example for this type of reading. It can also be
called as in-depth reading.
4. Critical Reading: This type of reading doesn’t merely stop with comprehending the
given content and trying to figure out answers, but also involves a deeper analysis and
making judgement or giving appreciation. Writing reviews comes under this category.

Barriers in reading:

• Lack of concentration
• Lack of linguistic competence
• Lack of interest
• Lack of practice or initiative
• Limited span of focus
• Lack of comprehension
How to overcome:
• Have a scheduled time to read.
• Make it a practice.
• Develop involvement.
• Ignore the distractions and make use of leisure.
Developing reading skill will help in becoming good at writing skill too. We can start
with something of a light reading and then expand the horizon to a more challenging
material.

Writing Skill:

Writing skill is the most difficult and complex skill to be mastered. It always has a long lasting
effect. That’s why very few seek this mode of communication as it bears the ultimate testimony
to one’s knowledge. It is a test to the expertise in grammar, spelling as well as thought process.
Erroneous writing ends up ultimately in negative impression.

Barriers in writing:

• procrastination
• lack of confidence
• lack of productivity
• lack of motivation – these are some of the barriers to speaking skill as mentioned by
TESOL
http://blog.tesol.org/7-common-obstacles-to-writing/
How to develop writing skill?

Reading practice can give more confidence to try writing. All best writers are invariably best
readers. Writing skills can be improved through taking exercises on composition and creative
writing. Learners should be encouraged to arrange their thoughts on a given topic or
composition. The important tool for written communication is to use simple words and phrases.
Usage of short sentences with familiar words and by giving required illustrations and examples
are vital for written communication.

http://www.e-osnova.ru/PDF/osnova_10_0_696.pdf

http://languagelab.in/article-details/article/41/

https://www.englishmate.com/blog/developing-the-four-essential-skills-listening-speaking-
reading-writing/

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/writing-skills.html

SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Objective:

 To enable the learner understand the syntactic structure of sentences

 And frame meaningful and grammatically correct sentences.

Definition:

Sentence structure is the way a sentence is arranged grammatically. It demonstrates where the
subject and the verb and other parts of the sentence fall in a single sentence to convey meaning.
Sentences can be categorized into four types according to its structure.

Simple sentence:

A sentence that stands on its own to convey its meaning with a subject and predicate is called a
simple sentence.

It is always an independent clause containing a verb and conveying a complete thought.

Example:

My brother loves pets, especially dogs.

Our school football team won the cup.

Compound Sentence:

A compound sentence is formed by combining two independent clauses, i.e. two simple
sentences. This is done by the use of co-ordinating conjunctions like ‘for’, ‘and’, ‘nor’,‘but’, ‘or’,
‘yet’, ‘so’ in between the two independent clauses. These conjunctions can be replaced with a
semicolon.

Example:

I like blue colour but my sister likes pink.

You can write with a pen or you can use a pencil.

A tree suddenly fell onto the roof of the house, but luckily no one was injured.

Mushrooms spring up in rainy seasons and they look like umbrellas.

It was too hot, so I used my scarf.

Complex Sentence:

A complex sentence is formed when one independent clause is combined with one or more
dependent clauses. They are joined by the use of subordinating conjunctions like ‘when’, ‘while’,
‘because’, ‘though’, ‘although’, ‘that’, ‘unless’, ‘as’, ‘until’…

Example:

I don’t like to go out when it is raining.

My son was doing his homework while I was preparing dinner.

You cannot succeed in life unless you work hard for it.
It is better to take notes, though you can get notes because you get better understanding.
We left in a hurry after we got a call.

Compound – Complex sentence:

This is formed when at least two independent clauses are combined with one or more dependent
clauses.

Example:

You can write on paper, but using a computer is better as you can easily edit and save.

A big tree fell down suddenly but no one got injured, even though many children were
playing around.

Sample sentences:
 1. I can sing well. My sister paints well. (simple)
I can sing well but my sister paints well. (compound)
2. My father is a teacher. My mother is a doctor. (simple)
My father is a teacher and my mother is a doctor. (compound)
My father is a teacher but my mother is a doctor. (compound)
My father is a teacher while my mother is a doctor. (complex)
3. I went late to school. I missed the bus.
I went late to school because I missed the bus. (compound)
I missed the bus and so I went late to school. (compound)

IDENTIFICATION OF TOPIC SENTENCES

Objective:

To help the student identify the relevant information by looking for the topic or focus sentences
through his comprehensive reading ability.

Definition:

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the essential idea of a paragraph or an essay usually
appearing at the beginning. It is also referred to as a focus sentence. It captures in a nutshell the
meaning of the entire content. Identifying topic sentence is a test to the comprehensive reading
skill of the person. Topic sentence should be specific. It should have a narrower focus.

Purpose:

1. It acts as a kind of summary; it is like the headline in a newspaper.

2. It offers the reader an insightful view of the main ideas.
3. It adds cohesion to writing
4. It helps organize ideas
5. It hooks the reader and creates interest.
6. It works as transition- guiding the reader through the author’s argument acting as a
‘bridge’

To identify a topic sentence:

1. Look for the key words.

2. Identify the supporting details.

3. Look beyond the first sentence.

Example:
Skiing is my favourite sport. I usually go skiing every weekend in the winter even though it is
expensive. I love the feeling of flying down a mountain. The views are beautiful from the top of
the mountain and along the trails. Even the danger of falling and getting hurt can’t keep me away
from the slopes on a winter day.

Topic Sentence: Skiing is my favourite sport

file:///C:/Users/Admin/Desktop/EXERCISES_ON_PARAGRAPH_WRITING_A_TOPIC_S.pdf

ESSAY WRITING

At the end of this topic, students will be able –

a) To enhance professional writing skills.
b) To categorise various types of writing based on readers’ demand and expectation.
c) To appreciate different types of essay with illustrations and examples.
d) To express oneself more effectively through writing activities.
e) To boost one’s vocabulary power and start to learn where to use them in the right place.
f) To acquire persuasive, narrative, and other employability skills for placement and higher
studies.

An essay is a short piece of writing that discusses, describes or analyzes a topic. It can discuss a
subject directly or indirectly, seriously or humorously. It can describe personal opinions, or
report just a piece of information or collection of many ideas. An essay can be in many
perspectives; but they are most commonly written and expressed with the first person (I) or third
person singular and plural. (Subjects can be expressed with he/she/it or other forms of
pronouns).

Types of essay: Descriptive, Narrative, Expository, Persuasive and Argumentative.

1) Descriptive Essay

The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe something - object,
person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre encourages the student’s ability to
create a written account of a particular experience.

The Horse Farm

I am jarred out of a relaxing sleep by a voice yelling my name in a loud whisper, and a light
burning through my eyelids. Groggily, I open my eyes to see my father standing in the doorway
to my messy room. He tells me that I need to get going, that it is 3:00 a.m., and I'm burning
daylight. I find my clothes and get dressed. The whole time I wonder why I get up this early to
visit the rugged outdoors. I want to go back to bed, but I know my dad will be back in to make
sure I am getting ready, in a little bit. Instead, I put my boots and my wide-brimmed, black
cowboy hat on, and walked out to catch the horses. The horses are all excited because it is dark
and they are not that cooperative. My dad and I get them saddled and in the trailer, and go back
into the house to get our lunch, water, and a cup of coffee. Now, we can head for the high
country.

It is still dark when we get there, so our horses are still very alert; they keep moving around and
snorting with eyes wide and nostrils flared. I strap my pistol to my hips and tie the tip of the
holster to my leg so it doesn't flop. We are ready to go, so I take a deep breath of the sharp,
clean, mountain air and step into the saddle. As we ride along in the dark, I begin to relax. Man, I
love the smell of cool mountain air; there is nothing in the world quite like it. It is so refreshing
for me.

As the sky begins to brighten to a gray, and the stars that were so brilliant just seconds ago begin
to grow dim, my imagination starts to picture things moving that are really nothing but shadows
in the trees. It is as if the shadows are racing around trying to find their owners before the sun
peeks its gleaming face up over the horizon. A deer jumps from its bed, scaring the horses and
pumping a quart of adrenaline through my system, as my pistol jumps to my hand. Once I realize
it is just a deer, I put my pistol back in its holster.

Source: https://www.essaybot.com/sample/essays

2) Narrative Essay

A narrative essay is a story written about a personal experience. Writing a narrative essay
provides an opportunity to get to know and understand oneself better. A narrative essay should
have the following elements to complete the story - plot, characters, setting, conflict and theme.

The Nightmare Creator

I was walking at crawling speed. My head felt huge and heavy, and each muscle in my body felt
sore. My arms and legs were responding to the signals that my brain was sending to them at a
slower speed than I thought was possible. It felt like a slow-motion horror movie, only it was
happening live. I finally reached the front door and touched the handle with a loose grip. The
path that took only a second for my eyes to see took about twenty minutes for my body to cover.
But, I was finally at my goal.

I slowly squeezed the handle of the door in a downwards motion, only to realize it had barely
moved. I gathered the last reserves of my strength that I had left in my body and pressed the
handle again. No success. I pivoted around, leaned against the door, and slowly slid down to the
ground. I felt faint. I was so thirsty that I could barely think about anything else. I had to get
inside; had to pull myself together and open the door. Otherwise, I would faint there, near the
front entrance to my own house.

I pushed myself up from the ground and faced the door again. I closed my eyes for a second,
took a deep breath, opened them, and pulled the door knob down as hard as I could. It gave way
grudgingly. If it wasn’t for the helpless shadow of a man that I was at that moment, I would
definitely have screamed in happiness for finally winning over this stubborn door knob. But I
could only settle on a weak smile and a deep sigh.

3. The expository essay.

This is a genre of essay that requires an analysis made on factual knowledge with no thoughts
and emotions of the person writing this essay. It acquaints the reader with knowledge about the
topic. It is a type of writing that is used to explain, describe, give information or inform.

The Evolution and the Beginnings of Standardization of Football

Football is an extremely popular game that attracts fans worldwide. Football helps in stress
relief, discipline, teamwork and fitness to the players and fans. Much wonder how, when and
where it all started football.

Football history dates back to ancient Greek game called Harpaston, which meant a rough and
brutal game. Harpaston was quite a classic game played by two teams against each other. One
scored by running past the goal line with the ball or kicking the ball past the goal line. The rules
and objectives were straightforward: score and prevented the opponent from scoring. However,
the game had no limits to the size of the field, number of players or side boundaries. This was in
the twelfth century that marked the origin of football.

Football first became popular in England. Rules were effected when it became a leading sport in
public schools, in the 1800s. Different versions of football were created according to
interpretation of the rules. The rugby school developed the game differently by running with the
ball, had foot goal posts with a ten feet cross bar. This called for a unique rule that one had to
score by kicking the ball over the bar and between the posts. This lead to ‘off-your side’ rule
where one was not to pass the ball forward. Today, offside rule is when one is in front of all the
opponents’ players. In the 1860s, Britain took up rugby in schools and universities and named it
the new football.

The game spread to America. However, over time increasing brutality led to the ban of the game
in schools. In 1905, the committee legalized the game but prohibited rough play like locking
arms. The length of match was reduced to 60 minutes with 15 minutes breaks. These
standardizations define football today.
4) The persuasive essay
This type of essay is to convince the readers to do certain things or to take a particular action. It
is an argument that changes someone’s mind.

What are its most important qualities?

 Have a definite point of view.

 Maintain the reader’s interest.
 Use sound reasoning.
 Use solid evidence.
 Be aware of your intended audience. How can you win them over?
 Research your topic so your evidence is convincing.
 Don’t get so sentimental or so passionate that you lose the reader, as Irish poet W. B.
Yeats put it:
 Your purpose is to convince someone else so don’t overdo your language and don’t bore
the reader. In addition, do not keep repeating your points!
 Remember the rules of the good paragraph. One single topic per paragraph, and natural
progression from one to the next.
 End with a strong conclusion.

Example of a Persuasive essay

Donate Blood: Gift of Life

Introduction
To a great extent, donating blood is regarded as a gift of life since giving our blood to other
people we often save their lives. Therefore, every healthy individual should be ready to donate
his/her blood in case of necessity or urgency.
Main body
Donating blood is a safe process while sterile needles and bags are applied to collect blood and
therefore the infection spread to the donor impossible. The US regulations, for instance, allow
donating blood once per 56 days. A donor must be at least 17 years old and in good health, and
weigh at least 110 pounds. Furthermore prior to donating, a donor is obliged to pass health
history and physical history reviews.
Blood donation is a voluntary process wherein volunteers provide their blood for a community
supply. “It is crucially important for any country to advance its blood transfusion system to
ensure regular, safe and sustainable blood supply”. It is rather important therefore that every
individual is aware of blood donation basics and fully comprehends the vital importance of the
whole process. Often, the amount of donated blood, even few millilitres, can save other person’s
life; therefore appropriate donors are always at hand in case of emergency.
The process is entirely bona fide in most countries assuming that donors are willing to help
others. “It is important that the voluntary, unpaid blood donation become part of our culture –
that’s why more people should join the donor actions”. Due to blood donation therefore, millions
of people worldwide owe their lives to people they will never meet or talk to - people who freely
donate their blood without asking for any reward. “The blood donation approach and the
legislation have to be changed in all countries to unpaid ones”.
Donors’ blood is always needed despite the newest medical and surgical advancements. Mere
400 ml. of donated blood can save three people’s lives. The practice of blood donation is
widespread worldwide, and the 14th of June is acclaimed as the World Blood Donor Day. The
promotion of unpaid blood donation and support the global movement that encourages regular
blood donations, UN and WHO members donate their blood in various cities o the world.
Blood is perceived as the most precious gift under certain situations, and therefore blood
donation is certainly an act of human dignity. However, there are too many people unaware of
the blood donation procedure and therefore cannot help others even if they can. This indicates
that large international organizations should mainly emphasize on the awareness rising initiatives
to encourage people 17up to facilitate their communities as donors.
Conclusion
Regrettably, in most cases we do care when the disaster is near. Then we urge from outside help
and seek the ways out of situation. Unfortunately, too often it is late to change something or save
someone’s life. One day we need the precious outsider to help us while the other day the person
unknown to us will need our help.
Blood donation should therefore be perceived as mutually supportive process everyone should be
aware of. Our knowledge and spreading it to others can reap many benefits in the long run. Most
importantly, we should never remain indifferent to others needs. And if we won’t that someone
helps us when the black day comes, we should help first ourselves.

5) The argumentative essay

The argumentative essay is very similar to the persuasive essay, but the difference is it presents
arguments about both sides of the issue. It is a piece of writing that takes a stance on an issue.

What are its most important qualities?

 The argument should be focused

 The argument should be a clear statement (a question cannot be an argument)
 It is a topic that should support with solid evidence
 The argumentative essay should be based on pros and cons
 Structure the approach well
 Use good transition words/phrases
 Be aware of intended audience. How can you win them over?
 Research your topic so that the given evidence is convincing.
  Don’t overdo with language and bore the readers. Also don’t keep repeating the points!
 Remember the rules of the good paragraph. One single topic per paragraph, and natural
progression from one to the next.
 End with a strong conclusion.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is the reason for many of the world’s problems and solutions. It can be used to raise
awareness for an important cause, but it can also be used to spread hate, especially between teenagers.
Being a teenager, I can be the first to say that social media is how most teens run their life, but is it the
right way? Austen McCann makes a brilliant point in his article, “Social media has allowed them to take
their life online and instead of saying goodbye to friends at school and waiting to see them the next
day...”Although social media can connect teens to the world and friends and family around them, it is
actually one of the highest ranking causes of suicide amongst teenagers in the 21st century. As important
as connection via the internet can be, social media does not have to be the primary source forteenagers.

The average teenager spends a minimum of 2 hours and 20 minutes on social media every day. In Austin
McCann’s Impact of Social Media on Teens articles he brings up that “social media is becoming more
than a part of their world, it’s becoming their world.” Teens complain about constantly being stressed
with homework, but maybe homework isn’t the main source of the stress. Everyday Health magazine
states that, on statistics, a teenager who spends more time outdoor is generally a happier and healthier kid.
However, since 2000, the time teenagers spend outside has decreased significantly causing more
depression and obesity. Not only does it affect health, social media deprives parents from having a
thorough conversation with their children without them checking their phone. Even though the positive
effect of having a social media profile is to communicate with friends/family, they don’t even have the
decency to lift their head and engage in a conversation. Enjoying the little things around them becomes a
difficult task to the average teenager when they’re too busy tweeting about it. The contradicting effects of
it goes to show that social media is not all it is talked up to be.

Should. That is the word that teenagers have no choice but to constantly follow. Social media encourages
the false images of how everything should be in a perfect world. This impact is what causes the
insecurities and questionings to girls and boys. These misleading pictures of how bodies, relationships,
houses, cars, etc. should be are what lowers self esteem and leads to depression and suicides. Aside from
connecting, social media revolves around who “retweeted” who’s "selfie" and “how many favorites did
that pic get”. It’s almost sickening knowing that teenagers base their insecurities around how many likes
they get. The false perception of life portrayed all over social media is misleading towards teens and not
worth the effort to filter.

Not only is social media misleading, it is also very unimportant. Aside from the news part of the sites, a
majority of the posts are extremely insignificant and unimportant to our world. The kind of information
that “Becky just got new car interior” is completely useless in the long run. Nicholas Wapshott states in
his Buying Into Big Brother article about social media says, “We may take pity on the idiot schoolboy
who uses expletives on Twitter or posts a picture of himself holding a joint at a party only to discover
when he looks for a job that a trawl by an HR department has made him unemployable.” Taking a step
back can open your eyes to the realization that nothing your friends are going to post will affect your life
in the long run. Instead of going through the drama and irrelevant parts of social media, connect with your
friends and family by calling them up and avoid the complications and uselessness of the web sites.

Avoiding social media can be very difficult. Especially in a situation where one used it daily and
transitioned over within a week. It’s a very challenging task, but in the long run, you will not have to
worry about wasting your time, false perceptions and unnecessary information! Encouraging teens and
friends to spend less time on social media and more time actually socializing can really change your life
for the better.

http://www.teenink.com/opinion/social_issues_civics/article/687365/Social-Media-Argumentative-
Essay

PRECIS WRITING

Objective:

At the end of this lesson, students will be able –

a) to learn the art of summarizing

b) to comprehend a passage (s) and write them in their shorter version
c) to rephrase a text, an idea (s), a statement (s), a sentence (s) without losing their originality.
d) to improve the art of speed reading and sharp understanding.
e) To rewrite a piece of literature or any writing in an abridged form correctly, concisely and
will be able to present in a coherent order.

Precis writing is a professional way of logical summarization. The process involves the
extraction of maximum amount of information and then to convey the same information in
minimum number of words. One needs to remember 5Cs and an O to make a good precis.

1. Clarity:
It is the primary need of a good precis. The writer’s main objective is to make his/her writing
as simple as possible without any complex idea. The information must be clear and precise. It
must be free from clichés and jargons and there should not be ambiguity in writing. The
primary intention of the writer is to make simple language and grammatical structure.

2. Correctness:
Errors and mistakes often stray a reader in wilderness. It is very necessary to focus on the
correctness of the information in the text. There is no forgiveness for any error or mistake
though no one has an intention to do it. The writer must ensure about the facts and the figures
of the information he/she is composing at the time of writing anything. There is a grave
danger for every inch of wrong information cited. Mistakes in grammar and structure,
punctuation, spelling, figures and dates and even in a simple symbol may spoil the entire
message.

3. Coherence
 The logical and the clear interconnection of ideas knitting together in any form of writing
piece are called coherence. Consistency and coherency are the main traits, and the backbone
of any good writing. There may be many ideas in a written text but all should have a logical
connection and all should be interrelated. The ideas of an author must be well knit so that the
readers will not get confused and lose interest.

4. Conciseness:
Conciseness means the quality of being short and clear. Every writer needs to express what
needs to be expressed by avoiding all those unnecessary details. A concise piece of work
conveys the message in the fewest possible words. But one point must be kept in mind that the
writer should not omit some basic and essential facts to achieve conciseness.

5. Completeness:
Completeness means that the writer should include all the important facts in a précis. To
make it short he should not omit the important ideas. This mistake on the part of the writer will
spoil the importance and meaning of the précis. A précis should complete all aspects such as:

i. To remember all the 5Cs and an O

ii. To summarize the original text by about one thirds.
iii. Make an accurate reflection of the original passage.
iv. To write in the standard simple English in full sentences and paragraphs

6. Objectivity:
One should not write any personal observation or opinions, which is, not mentioned in the
original text. It should be purely a summary of the original text without any additional
information. It should be free from opinions and personal bias.

Some don’ts of precis writing

1. Do not copy the original sentences from the text. In other words, just paraphrase it.
2. Do not add any additional ideas, which are not mentioned in the original text.
3. Never form any personal opinions and bias.
4. Do not insert your own remarks and criticism in a precis.
5. Do not address any wrong facts and data.
6. Avoid using contractions and abbreviations.
7. Avoid writing from first person point of view(No ‘I’ or ‘we’)
8. Never complicate anything by using complex sentences and bombastic language.

Sample 1: Make a précis of the following passage and give a title.

In the act of stepping out of the boat, Nelson received a shot through the right elbow, and fell;
but, as he fell, he caught the sword, which he had just drawn, in his left hand, determined never
to part with it while he lived, for it had belonged to his uncle. Captain Suckling and he valued it
like a relic. Nisbet, who was close to him, placed him in the bottom of the boat, and laid his hat
over the shattered arm, lest the sight of the blood, which gushed out in great abundance, should
increase his faintness. He then examined the wound, and, taking some silk handkerchiefs from
his neck, bound them round the lacerated vessels. Had it not been for this presence of mind in his
stepson, Nelson must have perished. One of his bargemen, by name Lovel, tore his shirt into
shreds, and made a sling with them for the broken limb. They then collected five other seamen,
by whose assistance they succeeded at length in getting the boat afloat, for it had grounded with
the falling tide. Nisbet took one of the ores, and ordered the steersman to go close under the guns
of the battery, that they might be safe from its tremendous fire. Hearing his voice, Nelson roused
himself, and desired to be lifted up in the boat, that might look about him.

(230 words)

Precis

Title:- Nelson Severely Wounded

On stepping from the boat, Nelson was shot through the right elbow and fell. Nisbet, his stepson,
placed him in the bottom of the boat, and covered the wound, which was gushing blood. He
bound silk handkerchiefs over the torn blood vessels, thereby saving Nelson’s life, and a sling
was made for the arm. The grounded boat was re-floated and went close under the battery to
avoid its fire. Nelson asked to be lifted to look around.

(80 Words)

Sample 2:Make a précis of the following passage and give a title.

A horde of displaced persons on the move throughout the summer months is one of the problems
of our age. What is the meaning of this yearly migration? Why do hundreds of thousands of
human beings feel impelled to leave comfortable homes for the certain misery of the voyage and
the uncertain amenities of the arrival, not to speak of danger to life and limb? Americans see
typhoid germs wickedly lurking in every drop of European water and regard Europe as a dreaded
smallpox area. There are the hazards of ship, aeroplane, and motor coach. The last named has a
way of taking to the air from mountain roads and of pulverized at level crossings so that neither
hill nor plain can be considered perfectly safe. All tourists half expect to be murdered. So brave
and energetic of them to tour. Why do they do it?

The answer is that the modern dwelling is comfortable, convenient lean, but it is not a home.
Now that people live on shelves, perched between earth and sky, with nowhere to sit out of
doors, no garden here they can plant a flower or pick an herb, they are driven on to the Lead for
their holidays. All human beings need some aesthetic nourishment and the inhabitants of ugly
towns form the bulk of the tourist trade. A search for beauty, known as sight-seeing, is common
to all tourists.
(226 words)

Precis

Title: Crave for Tourism

The reason why millions of people during the summer months leave their home comforts to risk
their lives in the touring, uncertain of amenities, is that the modern dwelling, however attractive,
is anything but a real home. They are deprived of aesthetic pleasure of enjoying beauty of nature,
which they seek elsewhere.

(52 words)

PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES

Objective:

To enable the learner

• Plan a presentation keeping the audience in mind

• Develop effective visual aids
• Use positive presentation style

Definition:

A presentation is the process of presenting a topic to an audience. It is typically a demonstration,

introduction, lecture or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, or to build good will
or to present a new idea or product. All types of presentation consist of three basic parts: the
Introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The purpose of a good introduction in a formal
presentation is to achieve three goals:

1. Grasp the audience’s attention.

2. Identify the topic and the purpose or core message of the talk.

3. Provide a brief overview or agenda of what you will cover in the talk.

The Presenter should have effective presentation skills because they help keep a presentation
interesting, it helps the presenter to communicate with confidence and motivate the audience to
listen. Good presentations are memorable. They contain graphics, images and facts in such a way
that they are easy to remember. Oral communication is different from written communication. So
keep your presentation simple and focus on a few key points. Always be sensitive to your
audience. Make them want to learn more. Effective presentation can be achieved through careful
planning and incorporating simple yet helpful design techniques. Some of the important
presentation techniques are:

1. Preparation and planning:

 Use the title of your presentation as a guide to your discussion.

 Focus on important key points.
 Prioritize content to ensure that you cover the most important aspects of your
presentation.
 Organise your presentation to manage the stipulated time.
 Leave about ten minutes for Questions and answers.
 Allot time for suggestions and feed back at the end of the presentation.
 Always have the audience in mind before arriving at a topic.
 Be open-minded and allow room for interaction.

2. Power point (slide) presentation:

 Use limited slides.

 Use colour for emphasis, it will be easy for the listeners to read in a large room.
 Ensure the typeface is large enough.
 Use clip art (graphics) sparingly and only when they support the content being projected.
 Photographs can be effectively used to add realism.
 Add motion, sound, or music only when it is necessary.
 Check for spelling and correct word usage.

3. Tips for an effective Presentation:

 Keep your voice strong and dynamic.

 Maintain eye contact with everyone in the audience.
 Move during your presentation – approach the audience to engage them.
 Use a laser pointer instead of your finger when pointing to projected material.
 Keep your presentation simple & concentrate on your core message.
 Add anecdotes or illustrations related to your topic to make it interesting.
 Vary your style in order to avoid monotony.
 Use appropriate body language.

Reference:

1.https://www.niu.edu >

2.https://www.princeton.edu >
 PARAPHRASING:

Plagiarism can be also in the form of paraphrase. Paraphrasing is technique that is

rewriting of the original work by changing words or using synonyms. In paraphrasing the
thoughts and ideas are same, only the words are changed or rewritten in their own words.

For Example:

Original Paraphrasing
The US has only lost approximately 30 Only 30 percent of the original forest area
percent of its forest area, most of this in the has been lost.
nineteenth century.

The loss has not been higher mainly because Europe has fared slightly worse due to
population pressure has never been as great greater population pressure
there as in Europe.

Paraphrase
Paraphrasing is presenting someone else’s idea and information in your own words. Paraphrasing
is not coping. It’s by using one’s own words, you demonstrate with your own understanding and
your ability to convey. Paraphrasing helps in improving the vocabulary power, expanding the
knowledge of expression and developing one’s own writing skills.
Steps to paraphrase
 Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning
 Jot down a few words
 Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
 Check your Paraphrase with the original
 Make sure that your version actually expresses all the essential information.

Example
Original: More than half of the women who attended the one-day meeting were in business with
their spouses.
Paraphrased: The majority of the women who went to the one-day conference were in business
with their husbands.

Exercise
Original Passage:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse
quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript
should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact
transcribing of source materials while taking notes.
Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47.

Answer
Acceptable Summary:
Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources to help minimize the
amount of quoted material in a research paper (Lester 46-47).