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B.Com. II

Compulsory English

Prose Lessons

Essentials of Education

-Sir Richard Livingstone

1. hat! according to Livingstone! is the attitude of an educated man to the pro"lems of his life#

In the lesson Essentials of Education, Sir Richard Livingstone gives us a clear and vivid idea of what education is

for and what the attitude of an educated man should be towards the problems of life. The author begins by asking

what subjects should we study in order to be called educated!. This of course, depends upon the answer to

another "uestion# $hat is the aim of education%!

The aim of education, says the author, should be to know the first rate in any subject or field of study. &ere lies

also, the difference between the attitude of an educated person and an uneducated person towards the problems of

life. 'ecause an educated man knows the best and the first rate, he has the ability to select only the most suitable

and reject the unwanted and unnecessary among a number of options. This ability to choose the best and reject the

second rate defines the attitude of an educated man towards life and the problems and challenges of life.

$. hat are the essential ingredients of education according to Sir Richard Livingstone#

In the lesson Essentials of Education, Sir Richard Livingstone discuses the ingredients of education. The author

first cites the e(ample of the variety of dishes on the menu card of a Transatlantic liner or an )merican hotel and

says that the same baffling variety is available in the field of education too. There are so many subjects to choose

from that one wonders what subjects should be studied to be called educated! in the true sense of the term.

Livingstone then says that this "uestion cannot be answered without first answering the "uestion*what is educationfor% &e himself answers this "uestion and says that the aim of education should be to know the best and the first

rate in the subject concerned. $e must not limit our scope only to pass e(aminations and secure degrees but to

pursue e(cellence.

)fter this, the author comes to the original "uestion and says that among the components of essential education

comes, first, vocational knowledge* knowledge that would make us employable. 'ut this is not it. To be called

truly educated!, we must also know the first rate in art, architecture, music and literature because these are the

activities that spring from the creative and intellectual faculties of human nature

Child %arriage

-%ahatma &andhi'escri"e &andhi(i)s vie*s on Child %arriage.

The lesson +hild arriage! is an e(tract from the autobiography of ahatma -andhi. In this lesson, -andhiji gives

us an account of his own marriage at an early age and makes us aware of the disadvantages of child marriage.

-andhiji tells us that he was betrothed thrice* without his knowledge. Two girls chosen for him had died in turn but

he had no recollection of these events. &e was seven at the time of his third and final betrothal. Subse"uently, he was

married at the tender age of thirteen and he remembers his marriage very clearly. The elders of the family decided to

marry -andhiji, his second brother who was two*three years his senior and a cousin older than him by a year or so,

together for the sake of convenience and saving the e(penses. Soon the preparations of the triple wedding started in

full swing, but for -andhiji* then a child of thirteen* it was only an occasion to wear good clothes, rich dinners, music

and a strange girl to play with. -andhiji!s father was a iwan in the princely state of Rajkot and just as he was

arriving for the wedding at /orbandar, his coach toppled and he sustained severe injuries. The interest of both -andhiji

and his family in the marriage ceremony was destroyed. 'ut the ceremony had to be gone through.



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-andhiji finally tells us that he and his wife were just innocent children when they were hurled into the ocean of life

all of a sudden prematurely. -andhiji was against marrying children at an early age against their wishes and burdening

them with responsibility thus hampering their growth into full and mature individuals. That is why he e(presses

satisfaction in the beginning of the lesson that the children around him have been lucky enough to escape his lot.

+ ,iger for %algudi

-R.. arayan

'escri"e the meeting of the peasants *ith S*ami(i.

The lesson ) Tiger for algudi! is an e(tract from the novel of the same name by R.0. 1arayan. In this novel, the

author has shown animals have feelings, understanding and pride too and if we cast our fear aside and assure them that

we mean no harm to them, they can be loyal companions and friends. 2ven a tiger can stop being violent and eat fruits

and reflect on -od and soul. In the present e(tract, the tiger has been taken by the Swamiji to forest where he is not

chained and yet lives in harmony with his master. This e(tract has been narrated by the tiger wherein he describes the

meeting between the village peasants and the Swamiji.

The tiger tells us that as his master saw the villagers approaching, he asked the tiger to keep himself out of their view.

&owever, the peasants knew about the tiger and were afraid to approach the Swami. $hen they told him that they had

come for his darshan, but hesitated to approach him because of the tiger, he objected to the word darshan and asked

them to return if they were so afraid. &aving come a long distance, the villagers did not think it fit to return and they

finally approached the Swami. They offered him fruits and flowers and contrary to the Swami!s instructions,

prostrated before him. The Swamiji also prostrated in reply. The villagers regretted fighting among themselves and

pledged not to engage in fighting again. &e told the villagers that he was just a simple and ordinary man like them. &e

asked them to worship -od, seek &is darshan and ask for &is forgiveness. &e told them that no cause was ever worth

a fight and it is only the foolish who waste their lives in fighting.

,he Panorama of India)s Past

-Pandit /a*aharlal ehru

1. 'escri"e! in short! Pandit ehru)s approach to*ards India.

In The /anorama of India!s /ast!, /andit 3awaharlal 1ehru gives us an account of his understanding and analysis of

India as a country* her past, present and future.

1ehru begins by saying that during the years of his involvement in the freedom struggle of India, his mind has been

full of thoughts about India and he was trying to analyse and understand her. The author says that ever since his

childhood, his mind has been obsessed with the thoughts of India. &e liked many things about his country and was, at

the same time, ashamed of things like poverty, superstition, slavery and many other evils that were rampant in India.

)s he grew up and got involved in the freedom struggle, he sought to understand the enigma called India, more

systematically. 4or this, he first turned to understand India!s past. &e approached India as an alien critic first and triedto understand what was it that gave India the uninterrupted cultural continuity and the strength and vitality to survive

as a nation since thousands of years. &e visited many historical sites like the hills of ohenjo*daro 5the seat of Indus

valley civili6ation7, Sarnath 5where Lord 'uddha preached his first sermon7 , ancient caves like )janta, 2llora and

2lephenta and cities of historical and cultural importance like )llahabad, 'enaras, )gra and elhi from where flow

the scared rivers like -anga and 3amuna. &e wondered what was the spirit behind this wonderful cultural continuity.

/andit 1ehru also tried to understand India from the accounts written by the travellers from +hina and $estern and

+entral )sia who visited her in the past.

-radually, the panorama of India!s past began to unfold before the writer!s eyes where India emerged as a country

with remote, ancient and ever*flowing cultural continuity. 8nly +hina has had such a continuity. The period of the

'ritish rule in India, then appeared just as an unhappy interlude in a huge tradition of more than five*thousand years.Then the author s mind was filled with optimism and he felt confident that India would find herself again and already

the last chapter of this unhappy phase of India!s slavery was being written.



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%y Lost 'ollar

-Stephen Leacoc0

hy does Leacoc0 *ant to start Bac0 to 2onesty %ovement)#

8r

hat *as the painful thought that distur"ed Stephen Leacoc0#

Stephen Leacock, in his humorous essay, y Lost ollar!, brings to our attention, the fact that people often borrow

small amount like a dollar or two and forget to pay it.

The author begins the essay by narrating an incident that occurred to him. 8nce, when his friend Todd was leaving for

'ermuda, he borrowed a dollar from Leacock to pay his ta(i and the author readily lent it to him. $hen Todd returned

after three weeks, he did not have any recollection of the dollar borrowed from the author and had cleanly forgotten it*

of course, unintentionally. The author made several attempts to give a hint to Todd about the dollar but in vain. 4inally,

the author gave up and simply added Todd to the list of the people who owed him a dollar but had forgotten to repay.

'ut then, a painful thought struck Leacock all of a sudden that just as Todd has forgotten to repay his dollar, it is

possible that there must be some people to whom he himself owes a dollar and has completely forgotten. Leacock is

sure that he would never remember to repay the dollar on this side of the grave. &e therefore says that he would like to

start a general movement called 'ack to &onesty ovement! for paying all those odd dollars borrowed in the

moments of e(pansion. )fter all, one should never forget that the greatest nations were built on the solid foundation of

honesty.

Leacock sums up in a humorous style by re"uesting the reader not to be careless enough to leave the copy of the book

containing this essay at a place where it might be seen by Todd.

,he &olden atch

-%ul0 Ra( +nand

2o* did Sri(ut Sudarshan Sharma react *hen he learnt of his early retirement#

ulk Raj )nand!s short story The -olden $atch! depicts the cruel treatment of the Indian employees by their 'ritish

masters. )n aging man is made to retire prematurely without any consideration of his liabilities and on top of it, he is

given a useless watch as a parting gift.

Srijut Sudarshan Sharma was a dispatch clerk in the distribution department of the great armalade 2mpire of &enry

0ing and +o. &e was not even a matriculate but was employed in the company twenty years ago as a special favour.

0nown in the company as a loyal and sincere employee, Sharma was fifty and was scheduled to retire at fifty*five.

)fter retirement, Sharma has planned to settle in his native town of 3ullandar where his father still ran a confectionary

shop. &e had a wife and a son who was yet to matriculate.

8ne day, suddenly, r )cton, the manager of the company came to Sharma!s table and asked to him to meet on

onday as he had bought a special gift for him from London. The very fact of )cton Sahib!s visit and his revelation

of the gift, made Sharma an(ious. It was difficult for him to wait till onday. )fter the office, he rushed to r )cton!s

car to know what the gift was as well as what the reason for the gift was. r )cton saw Srijut Sharma!s an(iety and

told him that it was a golden watch with an inscription on it*however, he did not reveal the reason. )fter some time, it

suddenly struck Sharma that this may well be his parting gift meant as a consolation for a premature retirement.

Sharma!s fear proved to be true on onday when )cton Sahib, coldly revealed the fact of Sharma!s premature

retirement to him on the prete(t that they wanted to increase the overall efficiency of the company. Sharma was

dumbstruck. &e wanted to e(plain the Sahib that he still had five more years to go and had many liabilities. &is sonwas not even matriculate. There was no other source of income for him to maintain his family. 'ut drops of sweat

appeared on Sharma!s face and he could say nothing e(cept a shaky Thank you!. In his an(iety, he even dropped the

watch on r )cton!s table once. 4inally, )cton Sahib picked the watch up and showed the inscription to Sharma.

4inally he bade farewell to r Srijut Sharma. )s soon as Sharma came out of the Sahib!s cabin, all the staff members



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gathered around him. They immediately realised what had happened. Sharma could not even stand and he sat in a

chair and broke into tears. 2verybody offered him consolation. 4inally he walked his weary way out of the office. &e

was totally dejected and to add to this, he suddenly realised that the watch had stopped and it worked only when

shaken. &e could not afford to mend it and he had already given his old silver watch to his son. &e was without a

watch now but then he thought he doesn!t need a watch in a placid town like 3ullandar.

,he ,*o 3riends

-%argaret +t*ood

2o* does %argret +t*ood present the pro"lem of ad(ustment among *omen The Two Friends?)

argaret )twood!s The Two 4riends! is an e(tract from her novel The 2dible $oman!. In this e(tract, the author has

portrayed how a woman has to work hard and to be alert in order to be independent. &owever, there are problems of

adjustment among the women themselves. In the present e(tract, argaret )twood portrays three women and each

one of them is different from the other in terms of temperament, preferences and attitude towards life.

iss ac )lpine and her friend iss )insley live in a rented house. 'oth of them are working women and have met

each other through a common friend. Their landlady is a woman of suspicious nature. She is always circumspect aboutthe behaviour of her tenants. She fre"uently visits them to check whether they are doing any damage to her house. 8ne

morning she stops iss ac )lpine in the doorway to complain about the smoke that she believes was coming from

their apartment. iss ac )lpine convinces her that they were just cooking some food. The landlady asks her to tell

)insley not to make such smoke again as it upsets her child. )insley and ac )lpine meet at the bus stop and )insley,

after knowing everything from iss ac )lpine, curses the landlady.

iss ac )lpine then narrates the peaceful coe(istence she was having with )insley. She tells us how they ignore the

unpleasant habits of each other and how they have silently divided work among themselves. $e also get good picture

of the persona of these two friends. iss ac )lpine is gentle and soft*spoken while )insley is bold and

straightforward. Their likes and dislikes are different and so are their jobs. &owever, with mutual understanding,

respect and refrain, iss ac )lpine tells us, they have managed to maintain frictionless e"uilibrium.

%onday %orning

-%ar0 ,*ain

2o* did +unt Polly frustrate ,om Sa*yer)s plan#

onday orning! is an e(tract from )dventure of Tom Sawyer!* a novel by the famous )merican humorist ark

Twain. 9oung Tom who is living with his brother Sid, sister ary and aunt /olly, is reluctant to go to school one

morning. &e wants to remain at home and for this he first pretends a sore toe and then a loose tooth. &owever, his aunt

/olly foils his plan.

Tom was always reluctant to go to school on onday after the weekend holidays. 8ne onday, he decided to fake

illness. Lying on the bed, he started inspecting his body from top to bottom but could find nothing. 8n a second try, he

found that is toe was a little sore and he started groaning to build up the symptoms. Tom started groaning louder and

louder to attract the attention of his brother Sid who was sleeping by his side. )fter some time, Tom!s groans became

so fearful that entire family gathered around him. )unt /olly was very frightened to see Tom!s condition at first. 'ut

when Tom revealed that it was his sore toe, she immediately came to know that Tom was just making an e(cuse. )s

Tom saw her becoming normal, he came out with another e(cuse which he had, until now kept in reserve* a loose

tooth. &owever, )unt /olly was determined by now that she would not allow Tom to stay home and go for fishing.

She immediately asked ary to bring a chunk of fire and a silk thread and with their help, she pulled out Tom!s loose

tooth.

Thus )unt /olly frustrated Tom Sawyer!s plan and sent him to school.

Passage ,o India



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-alt hitman

hat *as the e4perience of the men *ho tried to find a passage to India#

Bring out the central idea of the poem Passage to India).

$alt $hitman!s /assage to India! is a poem that celebrates the feats of mankind that have resulted in bringing people

of the world close to each other.

The world has been in constant contact with India since ages. India fascinated the people of the entire world. any

discoverers like +olumbus and :asco a -ama tried to discover a shorter sea route to India in the fifteenth century. In

this attempt, +olumbus ended up in discovering )merica but :asco a -ama finally succeeded in discovering this sea

route.

$hitman celebrates such brave attempts in this poem. &e says that in the discovery of this passage! to India, there is

-od!s purpose in bringing the people of the world together. It is &is wish that all parts of the earth should be

connected to each other, that the races and cultures should be familiar to each other. /eople of the world should be tied

to each other in the bonds of relationships and distance in the lands should be bridged. The poet sings praises to

captains, sailors, voyagers, engineers, architects and machinists. any people had to struggle, many of them had tosacrifice their lives for discovering the unknown lands of the earth. Still the voyagers like :asco a -ama and

+olumbus continued their efforts and finally succeeded. Thus was discovered the a shorter sea route to Indian and

thus, the poet says , was )merica born and thus the purpose of -od of bringing the people of the world together, was

fulfilled.

,rees

-eshav %eshram

'escri"e the life of the trees as given "y the poet.

In the poem Trees!, 0eshav eshram tries to find a new meaning in the e(istence of ordinary trees and highlights

their importance in our lives.

The poet finds the trees outside his colony, lonely, and frightened. They are dumb and blind folded and stand, as if, on

guard while the sun is beating down harsh on them. 4locks of birds come and rest on them. Stray cattle rub their back

on their trunk. There are dried leaves, seeds, cattle dung around them. $henever there is a storm, it seems that the

trees are being churned.

4or the idle village loafers, the trees are a place where they can stand idly. The village youth also stands there looking

lustily at the dark belles. The trees stand silently, bent, neglected by all.

In the evening, the kinds returning from the municipal school rest in their shade when there is a storm gathering in thedistant sky. The trees, nevertheless, stand always there, on guard.

,he 5n0no*n Citi6en

-.2. +uden

'escri"e the persona of the 5n0no*n Citi6en.

7R



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hat are the virtues and *ea0nesses of the 5n0no*n Citi6en#

The ;nknown +iti6en!, is a poem by $.&. )uden which is in fact, a satire on the dictatorship found in the communist

countries. In a communist country, the life of the citi6ens is controlled by the state and the individuals have no

freedom, no rights. They are supposed to live and die for the society.

This poem is written as a tribute to an unknown citi6en who lived a perfectly obedient life in a totalitarian rule. &is

name is not known and even his monument erected by the government also mentions only his number. &owever, itdoesn!t matter as the individuals have no identity in the communist countries.

)ccording the government!s 'ureau of Statistics, there was no complaint against him an all reports agree that he was

like a saint in his conduct. In all possible ways he served the society till his retirement*e(cept during the war. &e

worked in 4udge otors Inc and was regarded as an obedient worker. &e was popular, had a membership of the union

and paid his dues regularly. &e bought a newspaper every day, had all the modern e"uipment of comfort needed by a

modern man, including a refrigerator, gramophone and car.

2ven his opinions were suited the situation and he never held improper opinions. &e was married and had five

children which was the right number for a person of his generation. The teachers also reported satisfactorily about him

saying that he never interfered with their education.

The poet ironically says that whether he was free or happy are absurd "uestions because had anything been wring, it

would not have escaped from the eyes of the State.

)uden thus portrays an ironical picture of the life of an ordinary citi6en under dictatorial rule.

hom 'ost ,hou orship

-Ravindranath ,agore

hat! according to ,agore is the "est form of the *orship of &od8#

$hom ost Thou $orship! is a poem from Ranbindranath Tagore<s famous collection of songs=-itanjali!. In this

poem, the poet talks about the omnipresence of -od and tells us that -od is everywhere. Traditional form of worship

is not the only way to reach -od. 8ne must learn to understand -od!s omnipresence and to see -od everywhere.

Tagore asks the worshipper to stop his chanting and singing of hymns and mantras and the telling of beads. -od is not

to be found in the dark corner of the temple with doors all shut. -od is manifested in the entire universe in different

forms. &e is out there with the tillers and path=makers in sun and shower and heat and dust. The poet e(erts us to

come out in the open and work like him in the dusty soil. $e must come out of our ivory towers and our meditations

and leaving aside flowers and incense join the tiller in the open.

There is no escape from this because* no eliverance because the )lmighty has happily taken upon himself the bonds

of creation. oreover. -od is also bound with all of us forever.

,he Cloud

-P.B. Shelley

'escri"e the (ourney of the cloud from the s0y to the earth and "ac0.

Shelley!s poem The +loud! describes the life cycle of a cloud in a beautiful fusion of scientific facts and lyricism. The

cloud brings fresh showers from the seas and streams for the thirsting flowers and the parched earth. It bears cool



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shade for the leaves and the dew=drops from its wings wake up the sweet buds. The cloud whitens the plains under

with the flash of lightening and dissolves everything in lashing rains and laughs as it passes in thunder. The cloud is a

child of earth and water and s nursling of the sky.

)fter falling in the form of rain, it merges in the oceans, rivers and streams and remains alive*though in a different

form. The shiny blue dome of the sky after the rain does not last long. The cloud then slowly regains its original form

and unbuilds the blue dome of the sky =rising just like a child from the womb or a ghost from the tomb.

,he Rail*ay Cler0

-issim E6ei0el

'escri"e the life and *or0 of the Rail*ay Cler0.

1issim 26ekiel!s poem The Railway +lerk! has been taken from his collection of poems called the <&ymns in

arkness!. This poem gives us the picture of a railway clerk, who, despite being well*paid constantly complains about

his petty problems and gives e(cuses for not working. &e wants more pay and more facilities and less work and even

lesser responsibilities.

The railway clerk is unhappy because his leave application has been rejected twice. &e is overburdened and

5according to him7 ill* paid. &e complains that he doesn!t even have the opportunity to take bribe like the other clerks.

&is desk is too small. &e doesn!t get overtime and can!t even get a promotion because he is not a graduate. &is wife

always asks for more money but he can<t provide it.

Then there is a long list of domestic issues* the fan is not working, the children are neglecting studies. There is an

ailing mother*in=law to look after. 'ut still our poor clerk takes out time to watch a film from where he gets

consolation. &e meets his friends sometimes to discuss the country!s problems. Some of his friends are thinking of

going abroad but he can!t think so due to circumstances.

Thus, 26ekiel, in this picture, gives us a satirical picture of a typical railway clerk.

B.Com. II

Communication S0ills

+n Introduction to Communication

hat is communication# 2o* is it important in our lives#

The word communication! is derived from the Latin word communico or communicare which means to share!.

+ommunication has been defined as the science and practice of transmitting information. +ommunication is one of

our most basic needs. It is the process of conveying our thoughts, ideas and feelings to others with verbal or non*

verbal signs. $henever we communicate, we send and receive messages. $e communicate for varied purposes. $e

communicate to control the actions of others*formally or informally, to share our emotions, ideas, information, to

resolve conflicts as well as to coordinate.

)nimals communicate only for the fulfillment of their basic needs. 'ut human beings communicate for countless

purposes. $herever we are* in society, school, at home or workplace* we must communicate. In order to be

successful, it is therefore essential to have good communication skills. 2ffective and successful communication helps

us achieve our goals while miscommunication may lead to disastrous effects. Thus, communication forms an integral

part of our lives.

,ypes of communication net*or0s9

1. 'o*n*ard communication9



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In this kind of communication network, the information flows from top level of an organi6ation to the lowest

level through different tiers in the hierarchy. 4or e(ample, the anaging irector of a company may

communicate to the workers through Senior anagers, Supervisors, and )ssistants and so on. The

management of the organi6ation uses this kind of network to convey policy decisions or give specific

directives to the employees as a way of e(ercising control over them.

ownward communication can sometimes lead to the distortion of the original message as it has to pass

through several tiers. any organi6ations are now solving this problem by shifting to a more open work

culture where the person at the top will talk directly to a worker.

$. 5p*ard communication9

;pward communication is a type of organi6ational communication networks in which the information flows

from to the lower level of organi6ation to its upper level through different tiers of its hierarchical structure.

This kind of communication is useful because it gives the management the feedback and suggestions from the

employees not just about different policies and products of the organi6ation, but also about how the employees

feel about the organi6ation and the working conditions there in general. ;sually, it is the people at the lower

level who are more aware of the grass root realities and problems and can give valuable suggestions andfeedback to the top brass of the organi6ation.

&owever, there could be a number of barriers to this kind of communication. 4irstly, the people at the bottom

may feel hesitation and fear about giving honest and true feedback. Secondly, even if such feedback is given,

it may be blocked by the people in the middle because it may not be convenient for them.

These problems can be addressed by creating a open, friendly and secure atmosphere within the organi6ation

and by rewarding good and fruitful suggestions.

:. 2ori6ontal communication9

&ori6ontal communication network, which is least structured, enables each employee to communicate freely

with others. There are no restrictions on who can communicate with whom. )ll are e"ual as no one employee,

formally or informally assumes a leading role. &ence, everybody!s views are e"ually and openly shared. The

persons participating in this form of communication are usually peers from the same or different departments

or branch offices. The best e(ample of this kind of communication is a hospital where consultants, resident

doctors, nurses, support staff etc all talk to each other freely despite belonging to different ranks.

This kind of lateral information flow is very fast and it increases the speed of work and the speed of

decisions. /eople at the same level can share information, e(periences and ideas more freely. Such type of

communication is important not only in large organi6ations or comple( organi6ations with specialist divisions,

but also in small organi6ations because it fosters better coordination and team work. &owever, personality

clashes, unhealthy competition and poor communication skills are some of the things to be avoided to makethis kind of communication network successful.

;. Informal Communication et*or0 <&rapevine=9

-rapevine is defined as an informal transmission of information, gossip or rumor from person to person. The

grapevine is the informal and unsanctioned information network within every organi6ation. This network

helps the people in the organi6ation understand what is happening around them and thus provide relief from

emotional stress. 0eith avis, one of the leading e(perts on the subject, says that in every organi6ation,

grapevine is an e(pression of healthy human motivation to communicate.

Since it is unstructured and not under complete control of management, it grows in every direction. 'ut it is possible to classify grapevine into some types which are as follows#

>. Single Strand9 It is the way in which, most people see grapevine. &ere the message is passed from one

person to another along a single strand.



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?. &ossip9 In gossip network, one person passes information to all the others.

@. Pro"a"ility9 In this type of network, each person tells others at random.

A. Cluster9 +luster is the most popular type of grapevine network. It refers to that flow of communication, in

which some people tell a select few of the others. $hich persons are active on the grapevine often depends

upon the message.

Barriers to Effective Communication

1. +"sence of the Common 3rame of Reference9

+ommunication process takes place in a common frame of reference i.e. the shared knowledge about the same subject

by the sender and the receiver. )bsence of this knowledge will not help make meaning to one or both the participants

in the communication process.

$. oise9

1oise can be the human noise or electronic noise that creates disturbances in the communication process and hampers

the transmission andBor perception of meaning. This ultimately ruins the communication process.

:. %uddled %essages9

The sender sometimes sends badly organi6ed or confused messages which form a barrier to communication.

;. Language <Linguistic Barriers=9

It is important that the sender and the receiver should share the same language. If they do not share the same language,

the communication will fail.

>. Stereotyping?Selective Perceptions9

Stereotyping is to have preconceived notions about others. Selective perception means incomplete understanding of

the other person. These two barriers do not allow the communication process to happen in a neutral and unbiased way

and thus damage the communication process.

@. 5se of /argon9

3argon means the technical terminology related to a particular subject. If the sender uses too much jargon, the receiver

will not be able to understand the message and therefore there will be a miscommunication.

A. Selective Reporting9

If the sender reports selectively, i.e. if he reports only those parts of the message that are convenient to him, the

receiver will not be able to get the complete picture. Thus the message will be transmitted only partially and the

communication may lead to nothing.

. Poor Listening S0ills9

Listening is a skill. It is important to give due attention to the message of the sender to understand it completely. /oor

listening skills lead to wrong perception. /roper listening ensures proper communication.

. &ender Psychologies <%ale vs. 3emale=9

ales and females are fundamentally different in certain aspects. This difference results into different gender

psychologies. If the sender and the receiver are of different genders, it is important for them to understand and respect

these differences.

1D. Communication +pprehension <Pho"ia=9



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Sometimes the sender or the receiver or both suffer from a phobia or fear of communication which prevents them from

communicating freely.

Presentations

Essentials of a good presentation9

/resentation is basically a talk giving information about an idea, a product or a subject. It is used to present reports, proposals, policy statements and feasibility studies. /resentation has nowadays become an important form of oral

communication in the fields of academics and business in particular. Students, teachers, administrators, businessmen*

all need to be skilled in giving presentations today. Some of the different types of presentation are#

C +omputer projection with L+ /rojector and applications like /ower/oint.

C 8&/ 58ver &ead /rojector7.

C Slide /rojector.

C 1ote cards B+ue +ards.

C 4lipchartsB'lackboardsB$hiteboards

C Interactive $hiteboards.

C :ide or film.

C Real objects.

3ollo*ing steps are involved in preparing and giving a good presentation9

• Planning the presentation

4irst step in planning a presentation is to decide your subject if it is not already not already given. The subject

should be well*chosen keeping in mind the audience and the occasion. 9our formality and style will depend

on the kind of audience you are going to address. 'reak down the topic into main points and sub points.

/repare a script of your presentation. )lso, be mindful of the time limit provided to you.

• Structuring the content

9ou should structure your presentation smartly. It should have a beginning, middle and an end. The first part

should contain a general statement of purpose and a broad introduction to the topic. The second part will have

the main content of the presentation, and this will have its own internal structure. The last part should contain

a brief recap or summary of the main points and concluding remarks. The presentation should be structured

logically so that the audience can follow the presentation. )t the end, there should me some time for a brief

"uestion and answer session.

• Choosing visual aids

:isual aids make presentations effective. 9ou should choose the one most suitable for you. 9ou may choose

one or more visual aids but always make sure you are comfortable with it. 0now the technical operations

properly. 9ou may choose one or more of the following visual aids#

C +omputer projection with L+ /rojector and applications like /ower/oint.

C 8&/ 58ver &ead /rojector7.

C Slide /rojector.



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C 1ote cards B+ue +ards.

C 4lipchartsB'lackboardsB$hiteboards

C Interactive $hiteboards.

C :ide or film.

C Real objects.

• %a0ing the presentation

'esides preparing and structuring the presentation smartly, it is highly important that the actual giving of the

presentation is successful. It is vital to remember following points while making your presentation#

C /lan your presentation in such a way that you can observe the time limit strictly.

C Stick to the topic of your presentation and avoid diversions howsoever attractive or tempting they

may be.

C ;se your voice cleverly according to the si6e of the room and vary the pitch and tone of the voice to

avoid being monotonous and boring.

C )void pacing up and down. It often distracts the audience.

C 9our appearance, eye contact and body language contribute a lot to the success of your presentation.

$ork on them and improve them.

Intervie*s and intervie*ing s0ills

Intervie*9

)n interview is a formal meeting at which people are asked "uestions by one or a panel of interviewers to see if you

are suitable for a job or course of study. Interviews are generally followed by and application or they may be walk*in

interviews where a candidate can go straight to the interview with relevant documents.

Preparing for an intervie*9

)n interview needs as careful planning as an e(amination. 4ollowing are the necessary things to be kept in mind while

preparing for an interview#

• 'rush up on the subject or area related to the job and update yourself on recent developments. -et some

information on the organisation and products.

• /repare answers to some probable "uestions like#

Tell us a little about yourself.

$hy do you want to be with us%

+ould you tell us why you want to change your present job%

$hat are your strengths and weaknesses%

$ould you be willing to travel%

&ow do you e(pect to contribute to the fieldBinstitution%



12

• )rrange the papers and certificates that you may be asked to produce neatly in a folder. +heck the interview

call letter sent to you to see if there is anything you have missed.

• $ear a dress that is comfortable as well as appropriate for the occasion.

• Try and reach early as this will give you time to familiarise yourself with your surroundings and to rela(.

• Think positive and try to regulate your breathing to remain calm.

3acing an intervie*9

• $ait for your name to be announced, and seek permission before you enter.

• -reet the people in the room in a formal but pleasant manner.

• o not sit down until you are asked to.

• ake eye contact with the person speaking to you and of maintaining a proper and rela(ed body posture and a

steady tone of voice, which should not be either too loud or too soft.

• o not interrupt the interviewer and allow himBher to finish speaking before you answer a "uestion or react to

a statement or opinion.

• Listen carefully to the interviewer!s "uestions and comments and speak clearly and at a moderate pace to

avoid having any of them repeat themselves.

• o not ask "uestions to impress, but only if they happen to be genuine, intelligent "ueries.

• )void answering "uestions with just 9es! or 1o!. 2ven if the "uestions are actually yes=no "uestions, the

interviewer will find it more satisfying if you add to or e(plain your reply in brief.

• o not feel embarrassed to say that you do not know the answer to a "uestion. ;se e(pressions such as I am

afraid! I don!t know . . .! and I!m sorry, but I am not really certain.

• 2(press your opinions politely.

• o not argue or speak negatively or criticise former teachers, colleagues or employers.

• o not boast or display your knowledge, skills and e(perience, but if asked state your achievements simply

and honestly.

• $ait for the interviewer to invite you to ask "uestions in case you have "ueries. In case this does not happen,

wait until you sense that the interviewers are done before asking them politely if they could clarify something

for you.

• $ait for the interviewer to tell you that the interview has ended before you get up from your chair. Thank all

the persons in the room before walking out of the door and closing it softly behind you.

Intervie*ing techniues

• The change from the situation when you were interviewed to that when you have to conduct one may not take

very long, and it will therefore be useful to understand how to perform well as an interviewer in case you haveto play the role.



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• The following things should be kept in mind while conducting interviews=for jobs, for getting information

and opinions from e(perts and for finding out details about the lives, e(periences and work of famous people,

such as sportspersons and actors#

• /repare to conduct an interview by getting information on the candidate!s educational as well as personal

background, hisBher area of work, e(perience, etc.

• 'e clear about the purpose for which the interview is conducted=to select a candidate for a position, to get

e(pert opinion or to talk to a celebrity about his or her life and work.

• )lways begin by greeting the interviewee politely and end the interview by thanking the person.

• 9our tone and body language should be appropriate=polite, friendly and interested, not critical, aggressive or

intimidating.

• ;se a variety of "uestions=yes=no as well as D=word to conduct an interview. 2(amples of the two kinds

of "uestions

• )nother techni"ue is to make a statement about some known aspect of the candidate!s life or work or about a

fact related to the subject area on which an e(pert has been invited to share hisBher views and knowledge, and

follow this up with a "uestion.

• $hile it is always important to be courteous, vary your approach slightly when conducting interviews of

different kinds. ake an effort to put the interviewee at ease especially in a job interview. Interviews

conducted to seek e(pert opinion are usually very formal while interviews with celebrities could sometimes be

chatty and less formal.

• $hen interviewing dignitaries or persons in authority, it is appropriate to use less direct "uestions of the

following kinds# If I may ask ,... B+ould you now tell us about . . ., please.

• 2(cept when you are conducting a radio or a television interview, it is useful to make "uick, brief notes.

b-com-ii-notes bbb

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