Module – 3
Building communication skills
(Listening and speaking),
Interpersonal & Intrapersonal
Communication Skills, Barriers &
Importance of Communication Skills.
What is Communication?
Communication is the art of transmitting
information, ideas and attitudes from one person
to another. Communication is the process of
meaningful interaction among human beings.
ITS ESSENCES :
PERSONAL PROCESS
OCCURS BETWEEN PEOPLE
INVOLVES CHANGE IN BEHAVIOUR
MEANS TO INFLUENCE OTHERS
EXPRESSION OF THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS
THROUGH WORDS & ACTIONS.
TOOLS FOR CONTROLLING AND MOTIVATING
PEOPLE.
IT IS A SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL PROCESS.
Communication Skills Overview
Effective communication skills are a critical element in
your career and personal lives.We all must use a variety
of communication techniques to both understand and be
understood.
What is Communication :-
Communication is the process of
sending and
receiving information among people…
Feedback
SENDER
receiver
RECEIVER
sender
Medium
Encode
Decode
New Batch to NEP – 2021 New Scheme at VTU
New Scheme -
Age of LPG, MNC’s, Advertisements…………????
Purpose of an Education is Opportunity / job /
employment ………????????
Expectation of …………….??????
Parents Expectation……………????????
Society Expectation……………????????
Institute/College Expectation……………????????
Totally its age of Expectation ……………????????
More work-----less money……..Less work -------
more money …………..?????? How & Why – We
need make them to Understand the reality of
Work and life….
Education ---Opportunity---Success---Life?????
GOALS OF COMMUNICATION :
To inform – you are providing information
for use in decision making
To persuade – to reinforce or change a
belief about a topic
To build relationships – some messages
that you send may have the goal of building
good will between you and the other person.
Perfect/Effective - Communication
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION :
One person has no interest in the
conversation.
You are not able to participate in the
discussion due to lack of knowledge on
the subject.
Jumping to conclusions without waiting
for the whole message.
Fear of offending the other person by
expressing your opinions.
You not feel comfortable sharing your
feelings with the other person.
Messages do not come across to the
listener in the way you intended.
Not listening to the other person by
allowing thoughts to wander, listening
only to what you have to, filtering out
what is not important to you, planning
a response before the other person
has finished speaking.
Spending more time arguing or
debating along with put-downs and
sarcasm.
WAYS TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION :
Encourage feedback – Listen - to what
others have to say, good or bad
Listen - Make an effort to listen to what the
other person is saying
Reduce misunderstandings - Meanings are
not in words, but in people – consider the
message in relation to its source. Different
words mean different things to people. Keep
this in mind when communicating with
others.
Waysto Improve
Communication
Understandingis the KEY to
communication.
Understanding
requires
ACTIVE LISTENING.
Learning objectives for communication
skills :
• To build active listening skills that improve lines
of communication with others.
• To be aware of our own communication barriers.
• To learn different phrases/strategies that
improve how we respond to others.
• To improve email etiquette and learn the do’s
and don’t’s of communicating with professors,
advisors, etc.
The laws of remembering :
• Recently: we remember best what we heard last.
We repeat the most important part of a message
especially in conversation.
• Frequently: we remember what we hear most
often.
Things we come into contact with everyday (ex:
people we see regularly)
• Impact: we remember most of the things that are
presented dramatically.
Ex: famous movie lines
Application: we remember most of the things we
have use for. • Ex: social security numbers and
passwords
Common barriers (listening) :
• Jumping to conclusions
• Thoughts easily wander
• Filter out unimportant parts of a conversation
• Prematurely having a response before the person is
done speaking
• Arguing and debating
Common barriers (communicating) :
• Fear of offending
• Feeling uncomfortable about expressing your emotions
• Messages are misinterpreted by listener
• Lack of knowledge about a subject/topic being
discussed
• Nonverbal behavior
The first step to becoming a powerful
listener is to recognize and overcome
ineffective listening habits :
(How many of the following statements represent your
listening habits?)
• When I know someone well, I assume I know what they
will say before they say it.
• When someone proposes an action, I immediately start
planning what I will do.
• When I disagree with the point being made, I
immediately form a rebuttal and start to debate.
• I have no patience for people who lead up to their point
instead of giving the “bottom line” first.
• I decide whether or not a topic is relevant to me within
the first few seconds of the conversation.
• I often focus on the example itself and miss the point
that the example is illustrating.
•
Improving communication (1 of 2)
• Active Listening Skills – 5 Key Elements
1. Pay attention :
• Look at the speaker directly
• Put aside distracting thoughts
• Don’t mentally prepare a rebuttal
• “Listen” to the speaker’s body language
2. Show That You’re Listening
• Nod occasionally
• Smile and use other facial expressions
• Note your posture – important!
• Encouraging the speaker
Improving communication (2 of 2)
3. Provide Feedback • Your role as a listener is to
understand what is being said. • Reflect on what
has been said by paraphrasing: • Example: “What
I’m hearing is” or “Sounds like you’re saying” •
Summarize the speaker’s comment periodically •
Helps you stay focused
4. Defer Judgment • Allow the speaker to finish each
point before asking questions. • Don’t interrupt
with counter arguments.
5. Respond Appropriately • Active listening is a
model for respect and understanding. • Be candid,
open and honest in your response • Assert your
opinions respectfully • Treat the person in a way he
or she would want to be treated
simple steps to help you increase your
vocal clarity:
1. Slow down : So many people speak too quickly and
almost in a monotone. Please slow down. It will give
you more confidence, not less.
2. Keep your language simple : Don’t use big words,
thinking you’ll impress people. You won’t. Simple is
better.
3. Check for understanding : Ask your listeners if they
have understood your pronunciation, since they may
hesitate to tell you.
4. Take time to e-nun-ci-ate : Really articulate every
word.
It may feel rather unnatural to you at first, but stick
with it. Your comfort level will rise, and your clarity will
improve. This also means your listener’s comfort level
will increase.
Some more tips to avoid embarrassing in
communication with others:
1. Be patient Your ideas are important, but no more
important than anyone else’s.
2 Listen carefully If you are busy thinking about what
you want to say, you aren’t going to hear what the
other person is saying.
3. Take notes if necessary If the discussion is a long
one, notes can help you remember the points you
want to make.
4. Rephrase what was said in your own words This is
the clearest way to esure you haven’t made an
assumption about what a statement means.
5. Don’t interrupt The speaker may be going on to
clarify exactly what you are questioning.
6. Pause and reflect : Allow some time to let the
speaker’s comments fully sink in by pausing and
reflecting before you jump in to speak.
WAYS TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS :
1) Listen without judgment : The key to good
communication is listening well. Save your judging for
later after you have heard and understood what was said.
2) Listen with the willingness :
3) Listen without thinking about what you will say next.
4) Do not be invested in being right.
5) If your mind wanders, ask for repetition.
6) In all cases repeat back what you heard and ask if it is
correct.
7) Listen to yourself.
8) Say it honestly, but with consideration for the listener's
feelings. Be polite, respectful and sincere.
9) Understand and acknowledge that most things are not
black or white, but somewhere in a gray area.
10) Have integrity and build trust. Don't say what you don't
mean. Don't promise what you won't or can't fulfill. Follow
through with any commitments you make.
Body language – Eye Contact
Your body language often reveals more than you think it does.
You could tell your friend you’re listening but have your eyes
glued to your phone screen, or tell someone you’re ready for
a discussion but have your arms firmly crossed.
Eye contact is also a big giveaway; making and
maintaining eye contact is a big indicator of
confidence.
Think about the signals your body is giving off when you’re
talking to other people, and you might notice a change in how
others perceive you.
Improving your communications skills in English is a difficult
task, but one that can be achieved with some hard work and
by paying particular attention to how we come across in
conversation.
The 3 Important Rules of Communication
In any language, there are three extremely important points to
remember when you’re communicating with someone.
1. Say what you mean. It can be difficult to express (say) some
ideas clearly, but if you’re trying to prevent miscommunication, it’s
important to say exactly what you mean. Be clear and to the point.
2. Ask questions. Communication is two-way, which means you
can’t be the one doing all the talking. To make sure your listener
is engaged (interested in what you have to say) and understanding
you, ask questions. See #5 below for good types of questions to
ask.
3. Listen. We mean really listen. Hear what your speaking partner
has to say, and try to understand what they mean.
Following all three of these rules will make you excellent at
communicating in English (and probably in your native language as
well).
