Unit 1: Communication

and Employability skillsPRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

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Unit 1 Communications

and EmployabilityPRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Unit requirements

P2

Explain the principles of effective communication

P3

Discuss potential barriers to effective communication

M2

Explain mechanisms that can reduce the impact of communication barriers

Effective communication

What does this mean?

What can you do to make sure it happens?

What stops effective communication?

General communicating skills

Effective communication has several key elements:

Terminology that can be understood

Clarity and lack of ambiguity

Appropriate non verbal communication

Opportunity for clarification

Repetition

Feedback

Terminology

What do these words mean?

Grok

Egosurf

Amphibology

apple-knocker

argle-bargle

Vidiot

UCAS

Find and define 10 “net” words that may need explaining to a new user

Badmash

Blatherskite

Digerati

Gobemouche

hunt-and-peck

Luculent

sesquipedalian

floccinaucinihilipilification

Terminology - task

Cultural differences

Same item called by different names (regional variations)

Find 10 English language words that mean different things in different countries or regions (or even different applications)

E.g chips

deep fried potato chunks (U.K. culinary)

small piece of something from cutting or breaking a hard material e.g. granite chips

hole or mark left by the above

Potato crisp (North American)

Counter used in gambling (poker chip)

Lofted shot in some sports (e.g. golf, or football)

Microchip

Lack of ambiguity (ambhibology!)

What can the following mean?

I opened the door in my pyjamas

I ate the biscuits on the sofa

That was a truly unique meal

I printed the program

Hit the power button

Clarity

http://www.harrymclaughlin.com/SMOG.htmcalculates the SMOG index of text.

SMOG = simple measure of gobbledygook

“Semantic ambiguity arises when a word or concept has an inherently diffuse meaning based on widespread or informal usage. This is often the case, for example, with idiomatic expressions whose definitions are rarely or never well-defined, and are presented in the context of a larger argument that invites a conclusion.”

SMOG - Tasks

The lines above have a SMOG index of 16.42

(Undergraduate level)

The story of the three little pigs has a SMOG index of 5.9 (low

literate)

Take your last assignment and get the SMOG index for it

See if you can make the SMOG index higher and then lower

Take a section from a computer instruction manual (from the

web) and measure the SMOG index

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2007

Clarity

How do you present information to your audience?

Text (books, articles, handouts)

Speech (lecture, radio, tape)

Presentation (animation, sound, text, graphics)

Video (TV, Web)

Pictures (diagrams, comic strip, photos)

Clarity - task

What is the most appropriate method for:

Building a computer

Writing and debugging a program

Discuss your choices and what the problems would be with

other methods

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September

2007

Barriers

What are the potential barriers to Effective communication?

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September

2007

Nothing Sucks like an Electrolux”

Line from Electrolux Scandinavian

advertising campaign; subsequently

translated and used verbatim in North

America.

Barriers

Jargon

Lack of clarity

Ambiguity

Boredom

Distractions

Noise

Non – interaction

colloquialism

How do we overcome these?

Task – part 1

1. Prepare an illustrated presentation to explain the principles of effective communication. As a minimum, you should include the following points:

Terminology that can be understood

Clarity and lack of ambiguity

Appropriate non verbal communication

Opportunity for clarification

Repetition

Feedback

17

September

2007

Task 2

2. Extend your presentation to describe potential barriers to effective communication, including:

Jargon

Lack of clarity

Ambiguity

Boredom

Distractions

Noise

Non – interaction

Task 3

Explain mechanisms that can reduce the impact of communication barriers; you should consider at least one option for each of the barriers described in task 2.