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Technical Communication, Principles and Practice, 2/E. Meenakshi Raman , Group Leader, Humanities and Management, BITS Pilani, Goa Sangeeta Sharma , Associate Professor of the Languages Group at BITS, Pilani. Chapter – 1 Introduction to Communication. Agenda Communication : Definition
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Technical Communication, Principles and Practice, 2/E Meenakshi Raman,Group Leader, Humanities and Management, BITS Pilani, Goa Sangeeta Sharma, Associate Professor of the Languages Group at BITS, Pilani
Chapter – 1 Introduction to Communication
Agenda • Communication : Definition • Essentials • Purpose and Audience • Cross-cultural variations • Language • Required Skills • Effectiveness • Modes • Verbal and Non- verbal • Importance
Definition • The word “communication” comes from the Latin word ‘Communicare’, which means to share, i.e., to share information , ideas between a sender and a receiver. • Communication is essential for the existence of our society • Plays a prominent role in the functioning of different professional organizations.
Communication Competence is situational; ability to express views in an effective manner, to achieve goals and enhance relationship. To communicate successfully, one has to learn how to control emotions .
Essentials • Timing • Place • Structure of the message • Medium
Purpose and Audience Before communicating the message should be formulated according to the audience and purpose. The purpose can be classified in to two broad categories: • General : inform, persuade, entertain • Specific : report on a survey, an interview
Cross- Cultural Variations Culture is a complex concept, with a variety of definitions. It involves elements that may vary across cultures: • Language • Religion and belief • Values and attitudes • Politics and Law • Technology • Social Organization
Language Language is a system of words and sounds to communicate ideas in a meaningful way Famous linguists Noam Chomsky and Saussure classified language as: Artificial , Restricted , Abstract, Arbitrary Creative , Redundant, Recursive
Required Skills Four Major Communicative Skills (LSRW) • Listening • Speaking • Reading • Writing
Effectiveness Features essential for effective communication: • Clarity of the message that to be conveyed • Clarity about the purpose and objective of the research • Common language , background • Appropriate medium to convey the message • Appropriate feedback to the message
Modes • Formal and Informal • Oral and written • Internal and External
Oral Forms of Communication: • Face- to- face Conversations • Telephone Conversations • Meetings • Seminars • Conferences • Dictation • Presentation • Group Discussion • Interviews • Video Conferences
Contd… Written Form: • Memos , Letters , Emails, Faxes • Notices, Circulars, Newsletters • Reports, Proposals, Research Papers • Bulletins, Brochures • Manuals, In-house journals
Kinesics: Study physical movements of body parts. Some Kinesics behaviors are deliberate. Examples: Nodding head, blinking eyes, shrugging shoulder, waving hands, etc.
Personal appearance • Posture: • Slumped posture –low spirit • Erect posture- Confidence • Lean forward – defensive or disinterested • Crossed arms- defensive or not ready to listen • Uncrossed arms – willingness to listen
Gesture: • Enumerative - numbers • Descriptive - size of the object • Symbolic - abstract concepts • Locative - location of an object • Emphatic -emphasis
Facial expression: • Happiness • Disgust • Anger • Surprise • Fear • Sadness • Eye Contact
Proxemics: It is the study f physical space in interpersonal relations Space is related to behavioral norms. Edward T. Hall divides space into four Zones: • Intimate • Personal • Social • Public
Chronemics: • It is the study of how human beings communicate through their use of time. • People have their own time language • Time language also varies from culture to culture
Importance of Technical communication • Life line of business • measure of the success, growth • link within & outside • tangible product of the work • valuable repository of information • develops desirable qualities • reveals gaps in thinking
Communication can be divided into two types: • General Communication • Technical Communication
General Vs Technical General communication Technical Communication Technical message Mostly Formal Follows a set pattern Both oral and written Always for a specific Audience Frequently involves Jargons, graphics, etc General message Informal in style and approach No set pattern Mostly Oral Not always for a specific audience Does not involve the use of technical vocabulary or graphics, etc.