essential soft skills of English language

1. S.Y.B.Sc. Communicative English Notes sem-II
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Semester- IV
a. Barriers to Communication:
The factors which spoil the message to be conveyed in communication are called barriers to
communication. There are various types of barriers to communication. They are discussed as under.
1) Language/Linguistic Barriers:
Language barrier is also called ‘semantic barrier’. Language is a means of communication. Many a
times, language itself becomes a barrier to communication in the following situation.
a) Lack of Common Language: The world is multi-lingual. The large countries like India are multi-
lingual. If the two persons whose languages are different and they do not understand each other’s
languages, it becomes difficult for them to communicate.
b) Vague Words: In any language, a word has many meanings. For example, the word ‘lot’ has the
meanings – fate, group and portion. Similarly, the word ‘discipline’ has many meanings.
‘Regulation’ and ‘subject’ are commonly known by all. If the listener does not know all the
meanings of the word, he may take the meaning which the speaker did not intend. The proper
message cannot be conveyed to listener in such circumstances.
c) Paralinguistic Differences: Pronunciation, tone, accent and speed of speaking are called
paralinguistic features. They change according to location. If the two speakers of the language are
from different localities, they cannot understand each other properly.
d) Preciseness and Clarity: If the speaker does not use short and clear sentences, it becomes
problematic for the listener to understand him properly. A sentence may have more than one
meaning and, moreover, one of meanings may be ridiculous. For example, the sentence- ‘She made
omelet of her husband’ has two meanings. The first is – ‘She made omelet for her husband’ and its
ridiculous meaning is ‘She made omelet out of her husband’.
2) Mechanical/Physical Barriers:
The external factors which disturb the process of communication and spoil the message to be
conveyed are called Mechanical/Physical barriers. Following are the major physical barriers.
a) Noise: The word ‘noise’ means interference that occurs in a signal or conversation and prevents one
from hearing and understanding sounds properly. It is any interference that takes place between
speaker and listener.
b) Geographical Distance: The distance between speaker and listener matters much in communication.
If the listener is much away from the speaker, he cannot listen to the speaker clearly. As a result, the
message to be conveyed is not received by the speaker properly.
c) Time: The time in India is not the same in America. When there is day in India, there is night in
America. Therefore, time also becomes an obstacle in the process of communication.
d) Faulty Technological Tools: If the sound system used for the speaker is faulty, it disturbs the
process of communication.
3) Psychological Barriers:
Human behavior is controlled by his ‘psyche’. His psyche is shaped by his social and cultural
background and his experience and maturity. This psyche plays a very crucial role in
communication. The major psychological barriers to communication are-

2. S.Y.B.Sc. Communicative English Notes sem-II
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a) Prejudice: If the listener is prejudiced about the speaker, he may not believe in what the
speaker says/speaks. The listener may pass negative remarks about the speaker and his speaking
which may spoil the message to be conveyed.
b) Attitude: If the listener has negative attitude about the speaker and the subject, he may not
receive the message properly. The frequent use of the words like ‘I, me, my and mine’ may
create negative image of the speaker and obstruct the process of communication.
c) Closed Mindset: Many people do not like to accept change. They resist change. If the speaker
is speaking about the innovative ideas, they close their mind and do no listen to the speaker. It
leads to miscommunication.
d) Emotions: If the listener is emotional at the time of listening, he may not understand what the
speaker is speaking. Similarly, if the speaker is emotional at the time of speaking, he may not
have clarity of expression. He may not be audible enough which may lead to
miscommunication.
3) Social Barriers:
A human being is a social animal. He lives in the society. Sometimes, some social factors also
cause for miscommunication. They are discussed as follows.
a) Conflict Between Two Communities: Society is made up of many communities. Sometimes,
conflicts arise between the two communities living in the same town/village. The attitudes of the
members of the two communities become negative about one another. It affects the
communication process. It leads to miscommunication.
b) Relationship: If the relationship between the sender and receiver of the message is not good, it
may spoil the message and in this way may lead to miscommunication. Generally, women feel it
safer to speak with the known person than unknown person.
c) Age and Gender: Age counts much in communication. Generally, people like to communicate
frankly with the people of their age group. There is an unknown fear about the senior person in
the mind of junior person. The senior persons do not listen to the junior one carefully. They
consider him less experienced. It may lead to miscommunication.Organisational Barriers:
4) Cross-cultural Barriers:
Culture is very important in human life. Every culture has some norms, values and customs.
In today’s world of globalization many cultural factors become barriers to communication.
a) Norms, Customs and Values: Every culture has its norms, values and customs. Sometimes, they
obstruct the process of communication. In some cultures people greet each other by kissing on
cheek or by hugging each other. But in some cultures kissing on cheek of an alien man is
prohibited. Thus, this custom may become barrier to communication. It may lead to
misunderstanding and as a result may lead to miscommunication.
b) Religion: Religion is product of culture. Religions have their own traditions and customs. They
may obstruct the process of communication. For example, Muslim religion has purdah system. A
woman has to hide her face in front of a strange man. This may spoil the communication process.
******

3. S.Y.B.Sc. Communicative English Notes sem-II
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b. PowerPoint Presentation:
Presentation is formal and oral communication. It can be defined as “a live mode of sharing factual
information with a selected or particular audience.” Its purposes are – to inform, to explain, to
illustrate, to justify, to persuade and to put forward a point of view.
In business presentation plays a very vital role. Developing presentation skill is an art. It
needs greater focus, attention and practice.
Principles of Effective Presentation:
1) Know/Understand the Purpose/intention/objectives: If the presenter knows purpose of his
presentation, he can prepare well for it. He can collect information according to the purpose of
his presentation.
2) Know the Situation: Presenter should know the situation in which he has to make presentation.
He should know the age group, educational and social background of his audience.
3) Collect the Material/Information: The presenter should collect information on his topic of
presentation for preparation. Information is a soul of presentation. He can use books, magazines,
journals, newspapers, internet, etc. as sources to collect the information. To be an effective
presenter, he should have more information than necessary. If the presenter is a knowledgeable
person, he can satisfy doubts and queries in the minds of the audience easily.
4) Selection of Medium: The presenter should select the language of the audience for effective
presentation. He should take care that he has enough command over the language of his
presentation.
The selection of medium also includes the mode of presentation. The presenter can use LCD
projector and make power point presentation.
5) Preparation of Cue Cards: The term ‘cue cards’ means ‘the cards on which main
points/topics/key-words are written’. While making presentation, the presenter may throw
glance over the points written on the cue cards. In this way, he can revise the points in his mind.
Each card can be numbered according to the sequence of the points.
PowerPoint Presentation Slides:
Now-a-days, LCD- Power Point Presentation is a popular kind of presentation used in any
field. It helps the presenter to make the presentation effectively. It enables the audience too to
understand the topic easily. But the presenter should have enough knowledge of computer. He
should have skill to handle the modern technology. He should prepare the slides of Power Point
Presentation in the following way:
 The slides should be divided as per the following scheme:
Title slide: Title slide includes title of subject, presenter’s name, name of institution, and e-mail
address, website, mobile number, etc. Usually there is no need to read the title to the audience,
especially if your host has already announced it.
Introduction: Show some pretty visuals (photographs, drawings, paintings, Quicktime movies,
sound files) of your subject. Thus the presenter can draw attention of the audience to the subject.
Introduction slide includes the issue in the context of several already-published articles from the

4. S.Y.B.Sc. Communicative English Notes sem-II
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primary literature, brief summary presenter’s past research (if any) on the topic, clear statement of
hypothesis, and ‘road map’ of what the presenter will talk about in the rest of the talk. For a 20-
minute talk, shoot for no more than 3 minutes (approx. 4 slides) in this section.
Materials and methods: This slide contains materials used for the experiment or research. There
should be approximately 4 slides of this kind. The presenter should spend 3 minutes for each
slide.
Results: In this slide, the presenter should first mention whether experiment worked or not. Then,
he should show some photographs that show interesting or comforting qualitative results. The
audience should be reminded of specific hypothesis. The slides contain chart of data to explain
whether hypothesis is supported. There should be approximately 5 slides containing data of result.
Each slide should be given approximately 7 minutes.
Conclusions: This kind of slide contains discussion of why the presenter’s results are sound and
interesting. With the help of this slide, he describes relevance of his findings to other published
work. There could be maximum 2 slides. Each slide is given approximately 4 minutes.
Acknowledgements: Contains the list of names (group by institution). It is just slide. Maximum 1
minute should be given to one slide.
Parting slide: Optional slide showing "for more information" such as the presenter’s e-mail
address, whether the data will soon appear in a journal, suggestions for further reading (journal
articles, books, web sites) for those interested.
Following points/techniques should be remembered while delivering a speech with the help of
power point presentation:
 Do not depend on your notes. Because the room may be too dark and it is irritating to the
audience.
 Try to look at your audience, not at your slides, as you speak.
 Do not keep "checking" to see whether a slide is still there.
 Similarly, do not simply "read" your slides to your audience.
 Have a minimum of text on your slides.
 When verbally referring to a specific portion of a slide, use a pointer to briefly orient the
audience.
 When using a pointer, it is best to physically touch the image on the screen rather than situating
the pointer in the projection beam to throw a shadow.
 When you are not actively using the pointer, do not distract the audience by playing with it.
 A stick or a finger (yours) is almost always better than a laser pointer (the projected dot is
generally too small on cheap laser pointers). Laser pointers are, however, excellent cat toys
($7.99 at Targét).
 If you must use a laser pointer, do not blind people by directing the beam in their eyes.
 Do not chew gum, fiddle with your jewelry, or wear a hat, even if these things comfort you.
 Do not put your hands in your pockets. If you are likely to forget, fill your pockets with
pushpins beforehand.
 Do not draw more attention to bad slides by apologizing for them.
 Resist puns, obvious jokes, and overly rehearsed humor.

5. S.Y.B.Sc. Communicative English Notes sem-II
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 Minimize your use of the crutches, "OK,""like,""um,""er,""sort of,""ya know," and "kind of."
Especially "like." It's sort of like, you know, when you use lots of filler words, it's, like, people
totally don't even listen to you anymore. Bored audience members have been known to actually
record the number of "likes" in talks.
 Etc. is pronounced, "Et cetera," rather than,"Eck cetera." It's true!
 Adjust your speed or ask whether there are any questions when you notice confused looks.
 If people are falling asleep, it is a sign that you are boring them. Speak up and become more
dynamic.
 When responding to questioners with faint voices, repeat the question loudly for the benefit of
all. It's a strange but true fact that older people, especially those with bad hearing, often sit in the
back rows, so make this a habit for all questions.
 Attempt a response to all questions even when you think there is an audience member who
might be able to field it better than you.
 Use Powerpoint for Macintosh. The Biology Department uses Mac Powerbooks for classroom
displays, so a file is more likely to run as planned if it is constructed on the same platform.
Although transferring a Powerpoint for Windows file into a Mac version is possible, it
invariably full of errors.
 Check to make sure that your slide show runs on the computer that will be used on the
presentation day. If the presentation will be made off-campus, consider sending the file to your
host and ask him/her to run through it (on the specific machine that will eventually be used for
the presentation). Certain types of embedded graphics cause some systems to fail, so this is not a
completely paranoid concern.
 Increase the system memory to the Powerpoint application to speed slide advancing and to
prevent crashes.
 Make sure you understand how to control the lights and the slide projector (or computer remote)
before you begin.
 If a cable connects the control mouse to the computer, it is unnecessary to point the remote at
the projector (doing so just gives you away as a television addict).
 If you want a blank screen to appear (for instance, to get the audience's full attention), press the
"b" on the keyboard.
 If the moderator does not end the question period in a timely fashion, say, "Perhaps I could
entertain further questions outside?" People will cheer. If there is not a moderator, it is your
responsibility to end in a timely fashion.
*****
c) Writing Formal Letters and e-mail writing:
Formal Letters: Formal letters are also known as official letters. They are written for the official
purpose. There are various kinds of Formal Letters. They are application letter, complaint letter,
inquiry letter, etc.
Parts of Formal/Official Letter:
1) Sender’s Address: a) Sender’s address is written on the right side and at top of the letter.

6. S.Y.B.Sc. Communicative English Notes sem-II
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b) There are two types of sender’s address: i) Address with punctuation marks
e.g.
M. K. Patil,
Plot No. 50, Om Nagar,
Bhadgaon Road,
Chalisgaon- 424101.
ii) Address without punctuation marks
e.g.
M. K. Patil
Plot No. 50 Om Nagar
Bhadgaon Road
Chalisgaon- 424101
2) Date: Date comes after sender’s address exactly below it. There are three methods of writing date
–i) English Method – 2nd Oct. 2015
ii) American Method – Oct. 2, 2015.
iii) Indian Method – 2/10/2015
3) Receiver’s Address: The place of receiver’s address is at the left hand margin of the page. In it the
designation of the receiver is mentioned. E. g. The Principal, The Manager, The Headmistress,
etc. After that, the official address of the receiver is given. It is written like sender’s address.
4) Subject: Subject is in one sentence in the middle part of the page. It comes after the receiver’s
address. It is optional element in the letter.
5) Reference: Subject is followed by reference. It is written exactly below the subject in one
sentence. It refers to the source of the subject or the source on the basis of which the letter is being
written. It is optional element in the letter.
6) Salutation:The place of salutation is at the left hand margin of the page below the reference or
receiver’s address. It is a way of greeting. A comma is used after salutation. In salutation of
official letter both the words ‘Dear’ and ‘Respected’are preferred to show affinity and respect
about the receiver.e.g ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ or ‘Respected Sir/Madam’.
7) Beginning Paragraph: Beginning paragraph is short. Here, the purpose of letter is briefly written.
8) Main Body: In the main body of letter, the intention of writing a letter is elaborately written.
9) Ending Paragraph: Ending paragraph is short and is about the writer’s
expectations/hope/apology. Generally ending paragraph of official letter is followed by the
phrase- ‘Thank you’.
10) Complimentary Close: Complimentary close comes at the right side of the bottom of the
letter. The words such as Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely, etc. are used in it.
11) Signature: The sender has to put his signature below the complimentary close.

7. S.Y.B.Sc. Communicative English Notes sem-II
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Job Application with Bio data: An application letter with bio data has two parts - Application
Letter and Bio-data. Application with bio-data has the following features:
a) All the information including qualification, other skills, experience and so on is not given in
the main body of the letter.
b) Such information is given in detail in the bio-data.
c) The bio-data is attached to the letter.
d) The format of the letter is common.
e) All the parts of the letter – sender’s address, date, receiver’s address, subject,
reference, salutation, main body of the letter, complimentary close, signature and enclosure are
necessary.
Example:
Write an application letter with bio-data for the post of a clerk in Bank of Baroda.
Sanket Chaudhari,
Plot No. 349,
Holkar Nagar,
Chalisgaon,
Dist- Jalgaon.
Dt. 5th Nov. 2017.
To,
The Manager,
Bank of Baroda,
Chalisgaon.
Sub.- An Application for the post of a clerk.
Ref.- Your advertisement in ‘Indian Express’ dated 2nd Nov. 2017.
Respected Sir,
With the reference given above, I apply for the post of a clerk in your reputed bank for I am
fully eligible for the post.
I have completed my B. Com. and M. Com. from Pune University. Along with that, I have
passed the examinations of TALLY and Computer Typing with good grades. I have participated in
various co-curricular activities also during my college days. Details of my educational qualifications
and work experience are given in the Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) attached herewith this letter.
If given a chance, I shall work with the best of my level and complete honesty. I hope my
application will be considered sympathetically.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Vikas Patil.
Enclosures: Bio-data/C.V./Resume

8. S.Y.B.Sc. Communicative English Notes sem-II
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Complaint Letter: A complaint letter is a natural reaction of dissatisfaction. The complaint may be
about faulty product, the product with low quality, poor services, mistakes in billing, etc. It is a right
of every customer to complain against dissatisfaction about such products, services and mistakes.
Yet, the complaint letter should be written in the proper manner. The following rules/points should
be observed while writing complaint letters:
 The complaint letter must communicate the purpose properly.
 It should be factual and describe the exact complaint.
 Receipt, Cash Memo, Bill, etc. proof should be attached to the letter.
 Though there is a serious fault in the product, don’t express anger in rude words.
 The receiver should be motivated to take necessary action to solve the problem.
 Modest language should be used.
Example:
Write a complaint letter about the constant electricity failure in your area.
Anil Patil,
56,Shastri Nagar,
Chalisgaon,
Dist – Jalgaon.
20th Oct. 2017.
To,
The Branch Engineer,
MSEB,
Chalisgaon.
Sub.- A complaint about the constant electricity failure.
Dear Sir,
I am a citizen of Shastri Nagar, Chalisgaon. I want to registrar a complaint about the
constant electricity failure in my area.
Sir, I am a student of F. Y. B. Com. My university examination is going to start from the
next week. Hence, the constant electricity failure becomes a major hurdle in my study. There is my
practical examination during the day time. I don’t get enough time for my study during day time.
Hence, I must study during night only. There are many students like me in my area. Therefore, I
request you to pay attention to this problem and take a necessary action to solve it.
I hope that my complaint will be considered seriously and necessary action will be taken
immediately. Anticipating your kind cooperation in this respect.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Anil Patil.

9. S.Y.B.Sc. Communicative English Notes sem-II
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Inquiry Letter: In business, in the office and in personal life also one makes inquiry about many
things. Inquiries about books, goods, services, events, tours and travels, discount, actions taken , etc
are generally made by people. For that purpose, letters of inquiries are written. The features of
Inquiry Letter are:
 It should be specific and clear.
 Inquiry should be subject oriented and to the point.
 It should be formal.
Example:
Write a letter to make inquiry about tour package.
Mr. S. M. Patil,
234-B, Shri Apartment,
Sakri Road,
Dhule-06.
Dt. 25th March 2017.
To,
The Manager,
Keshari Travels,
Nashik-07
Sub.- Inquiry about tour package.
Dear Sir,
I want to go on tour with my family in North India. I am making this plan in the summer
vacation of this year. Therefore, I want to know about the tour packages for family offered by your
tours and travels company.
Please, send me the details about cost, facilities and dates of departures and arrivals of the tour
of North India.
Looking forward to hear from you, soon.
Yours faithfully,
Mr. S. M. Patil.
*****

10. S.Y.B.Sc. Communicative English Notes sem-II
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E-mail Writing:
E-mail means ‘electronic mail’. Communication is the most popular Internet activity. The
impact of electronic communication cannot be neglected. At a personal level, friends and family can
remain in contact with one another even when separated by thousands of miles. At a business level,
electronic communication has become a standard and many times preferred way to stay in touch
with suppliers, employees and customers.
We can communicate with anyone in the world who has an Internet address or e-mail account with
a system connected to the Internet. E-mail originally consisted of basic text messages, but now e-
mail can contain graphics and photos and may have file attachments. All you need to send and
receive e-mail is access to the Internet and an e-mail program. Two of the most widely used e-mail
programs are Microsoft’s Outlook Express and Netscape’s Navigator. You may also use a free
Web-based e-mail program such as Hotmail or Yahoo! Mail.
Elements of E-mail:
A typical e-mail message has three basic elements: header, message and signature.
1) Header:The header appears first. It includes the following information :
 Addresses: Addresses of the persons sending, receiving and optionally, anyone else who is
to receive copies.
 Subject: A one-line description, used to present the topic of the message. Subject lines
typically are displayed when a person checks his or her mailbox.
 Attachments: Many e-mail programs allow you to attach files. If a message has an
attachment, the file name appears on the attachment line.
2) Message:The letter or message comes next. It is short and to the point.
3) Signature:Signature line provides additional information about the sender.
E-mail address : E-mail address has two basic parts. The first part is the user’s name and the
second part is the domain name, which includes the domain code. For example ‘sandip’ is Sandip’s
username. The server providing e-mail service to Sandip is gmail.com.
Tips for the use of e-mail.: The following tips will help to e-mail drafting effective and useful.
1. Make the subject line precise : Many people screen their e-mail by looking at the subject line. If
the subject is unclear or appears to be unimportant, the e-mail may never be read.
2. Write in short paragraphs : It’s also a good idea to skip a line between paragraphs. This will
make your e-mail easier to read and more likely to be read.
3. Be careful what you write : You could be held criminally liable for messages that could be
interpreted as abusive, threatening, harassing or bigoted.
User name domaincode
sandip22@gmail.com
domainname

11. S.Y.B.Sc. Communicative English Notes sem-II
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4. Do not type in all uppercase characters: This is called shouting and is perceived as very
aggressive. Also do not type in all lowercase characters. This is perceived as very timid. Use a
normal combination of uppercase and lowercase characters.
5. Check spelling, punctuation and grammar: Also think twice about the content of your message.
Once it is sent, you can’t get it back.
6. Don’t forward or copy unnecessary material: This contributes to spam, the electronic equivalent
to junk mail. Often used for commercial purposes, spam clutters in-boxes and slows down the
Internet.
******
d) ResearchPaper Writing -
A research paper is an essay in which the writer explains what one has learned after
exploring/studying a topic in depth/detail. A research paper includes information from sources
such as books, articles, interviews and internet sites, etc. one also uses his own ideas, knowledge
and opinions. Most of the paper must be in one’s own words. A research paper involves surveying
a field of knowledge in order to find the best possible information in that field.
Elements /essentials of a Research Paper: - The technical details of research paper writing is as
below-
i) Title Page – All text on the title page is centered vertically and horizontally. The title should be
descriptive and informative. Avoid vague/unclear, inaccurate and confusing titles. The title page
has no page number and it is not counted in any page numbering.
ii) Page Layout – left margin 1 ½”, Right side margin – 1”, Top margin -1” and bottom margin –
1”.
iii) Page Numbering – Pages are numbered at the top right. There should be 1” of white space from
the top of the page number to the top of the page. Numeric page numbering begins with the first
page.
iv) Spacing and Justification – All pages are single sided (one side typing only). Text is double
spaced or 1.5 spaced, except for long quotations and the bibliography.
v) Font and size- in most of cases Time New Roman is commonly recommended and accepted
font. The font should be 12/14 points. One can use bullets, italics, pictures, etc.
ResearchPaper organization –
The general structure of a paper is made of three major sections like introduction, body and
discussion. –
i) introduction – The introduction should appeal to a reader’s interest and it should make clear what
the research paper is about. Ask the research question in introduction. The question can come first,
informing the reader of the purpose of the research paper or the question can come last, making a
transition to the body of the research paper. State the hypothesis/objective precisely in introduction
only – do not oversimplify.

12. S.Y.B.Sc. Communicative English Notes sem-II
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ii) Literature review – a review of the literature is an essential part of the academic research. A
literature or a body of literature is a collection of published research relevant to a research
question.
iii) Body – the meant of a research paper is evidence, facts and details. Discover information and
analyses and evaluate it for readers. Tell readers what the data means and show them how to weigh
the evidence. Present the evidence in the body of the research paper. Point out strengths and
weaknesses on both sides of the issue.
iv) Abstract – it is the short summary of the paper.
v) Discussion – this section focuses on what the results mean and more importantly why ?
Remember that a strong research paper actually justifies discussion. It should cover the summary
of the principal results.
vi) Conclusion – the research question is answered in the conclusion. The conclusion should
include one to one correspondence between the objectives and their satisfaction.
vii) Bibliography – creating bibliography is an essential part in research. Use a particular research
style for referencing and citations throughout the research paper. One may use MLA, APA or
Chicago etc. methods.
*****
Types of ResearchPapers –
i) Research Paper- this category covers papers which report on any type of research undertaken
by the author. The research may involve the construction or testing of a model or framework,
action research, testing of data, market research or surveys, empirical, scientific or clinical
research.
ii) Viewpoint – A paper that records or presents the author’s opinion and interpretation should be
included in this category, this also includes journalistic pieces.
iii) Technical Paper – describes and evaluates technical products, processes or services. This
paper can be understood by the technical persons or the specialists in the field.
iv) Conceptual Paper – These papers will not be based on empirical research but will develop
hypotheses. The papers are likely to be discursive and will cover philosophical discussions and
comparative studies of others work and thinking.
v) Case Study – Case studies describe actual interventions or experiences within organisations.
They may well be subjective and will not generally report on research. A description of a legal case
or a hypothetical case study used as a teaching exercise would also fit into this category. The cases
of psychological study or medical study come under this category.
****Best of Luck***