Skills in communication

1. COMMUNICATION SKILLS
LISTENING SKILLS
Listening is the process of receiving, constructing meaning from and responding to
spoken and/or non-verbal messages (Brownell, 2002).
Listening and hearing are considered different processes. While hearing is considered as
physical, passive and natural process, listening is physical & mental, active and learnt
process and is defined as a skill.
LISTENING STEPS
There are nine Listening steps towards achieving effective listening skills.
Step 1: Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.
In most Western cultures, eye contact is considered a basic ingredient of effective
communication. This shows that you’re being attentive and actually care about what they
are saying. By no means should you engage in other activities like texting, reading,
writing or gazing at the television. Stay focused on the conversation at hand and nod
accordingly to let the person know you’re getting what they’re saying.
Step 2: Keep an open mind.
Listen without jumping to conclusions. Remember that the speaker is using language to
represent the thoughts and feelings inside his/her brain. You don't know what those
thoughts and feelings are and the only way you'll find out is by listening.
Step 3: Listento the words and try to picture what the speaker is saying.
Allow your mind to create a mental model of the information being communicated.
Whether a literal picture, or an arrangement of abstract concepts, your brain will do the

2. necessary work if you stay focused, with senses fully alert. When listening for long
stretches, concentrate on, and remember, key words and phrases.
When it's your turn to listen, don’t spend the time planning what to say next. You can't
rehearse and listen at the same time. Think only about what the other person is saying.
Finally, concentrate on what is being said, even if it bores you. If your thoughts start to
wander, immediately force yourself to refocus.
Step 4: Don't interrupt and don't impose your "solutions."
Children used to be taught that it's rude to interrupt. I'm not sure that message is getting
across anymore. Certainly the opposite is being modeled on the majority of talk shows
and reality programs, where loud, aggressive, in-your-face behavior is condoned, if not
encouraged.
Interrupting sends a variety of messages. It says:
 "I'm more important than you are."
 "What I have to say is more interesting, accurate or relevant."
 "I don't really care what you think."
 "I don't have time for your opinion."
 "This isn't a conversation, it's a contest, and I'm going to win."
We all think and speak at different rates. If you are a quick thinker and an agile talker, the
burden is on you to relax your pace for the slower, more thoughtful communicator—or
for the guy who has trouble expressing himself.
When listening to someone talk about a problem, refrain from suggesting solutions. Most
of us don't want your advice anyway. If we do, we'll ask for it. Most of us prefer to figure

3. out our own solutions. We need you to listen and help us do that. Somewhere way down
the line, if you are absolutely bursting with a brilliant solution, at least get the speaker's
permission. Ask, "Would you like to hear my ideas?"
Step 5: Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions.
When you don't understand something, of course you should ask the speaker to explain it
to you. But rather than interrupt, wait until the speaker pauses. Then say something like,
"Back up a second. I didn't understand what you just said about…"
Step 6: Ask questions only to ensure understanding.
This particular conversational affront happens all the time. Our questions lead people in
directions that have nothing to do with where they thought they were going. Sometimes
we work our way back to the original topic, but very often we don't.
When you notice that your question has led the speaker astray, take responsibility for
getting the conversation back on track.
Step 7: Try to feel what the speaker is feeling. (Empathy)
If you feel sad when the person with whom you are talking expresses sadness, joyful
when she expresses joy, fearful when she describes her fears—and convey those feelings
through your facial expressions and words—then your effectiveness as a listener is
assured. Empathy is the heart and soul of good listening.
To experience empathy, you have to put yourself in the other person's place and allow
yourself to feel what it is like to be her/him at that moment. This is not an easy thing to
do. It takes energy and concentration. But it is a generous and helpful thing to do, and it
facilitates communication like nothing else does.

4. Step 8: Give the speaker regular feedback.
Show that you understand where the speaker is coming from by reflecting the speaker's
feelings. "You must be thrilled!" "What a terrible ordeal for you." "I can see that you are
confused." If the speaker's feelings are hidden or unclear, then occasionally paraphrase
the content of the message. Or just nod and show your understanding through appropriate
facial expressions and an occasional well-timed "hmmm" or "uh huh."
The idea is to give the speaker some proof that you are listening, and that you are
following his/her train of thought—not off indulging in your own fantasies while she
talks to the other.
In task situations, regardless of whether at work or home, always restate instructions and
messages to be sure you understand correctly.
Step 9: Pay attention to what isn't said—to nonverbal cues.
If you exclude email, the majority of direct communication is probably nonverbal. We
glean a great deal of information about each other without saying a word. Even over the
telephone, you can learn almost as much about a person from the tone and cadence of her
voice than from anything she says. When I talk to my best friend, it doesn't matter what
we chat about, if I hear a lilt and laughter in her voice, I feel reassured that she's doing
well.
During face to face interaction with a person, you can detect enthusiasm, boredom, or
irritation very quickly in the expression around the eyes, the set of the mouth, the slope of
the shoulders. These are clues you can't ignore. When listening, remember that words
convey only a fraction of the message.

5. LEVELS OF LISTENING
1. Ignoring
The lowest level of listening is called ignoring – not listening at all. If you are
distracted by anything while talking to a user, they can get the impression that you
are ignoring them. For example, while the user is speaking, you start a
conversation or interject a comment with another IT support tech. You are
ignoring your user.
2. Pretend Listening
Pretend listening is most easily explained in the face-to-face conversation. You’re
talking to the other person and they have that “backpacking in Brazil” look in their
eyes. On the phone it happens when you say things like “I see” and “OK,” etc.
while working on an unrelated email or playing a computer game. People can tell
you’re distracted.
3. Selective Listening
During selective listening we pay attention to the speaker as long as they are
talking about things we like or agree with. If they move on to other things we slip
down to pretend listening or ignore them altogether.
4. Attentive Listening
Attentive listening occurs when we carefully listen to the other person, but while
they are speaking we are deciding whether we agree or disagree, determining
whether they are right or wrong. Instead of paying close attention to the other
person, we’re formulating our response to what he or she is saying. At all four of
these levels it should be evident that we are listening to our own perspective, and
in most cases with the intent to respond from our experience.
5. The fifth level of listening is Empathic Listening Empathic listening, also known
as empathetic listening is the top level of listening. To be successful in providing
IT support to end users, you must teach yourself to treat every call as though this
is the first time you’ve ever heard this problem, even though you may have heard

6. it many times before. Discipline yourself to see it through the eyes of the user.
This is called empathic listening. Empathic listening is the highest level of
listening, and the hardest to accomplish.
To achieve empathic listening, slow down, be patient, talk less and listen more, repeat
back what was said to ensure you don’t overlook anything.
5 Barriers to effective listening
1. Being preoccupied and distracted
When you’re preoccupied, your mind wanders. While you think you look engaged,
you’re actually ‘faking attention.’ You can hear what the other party is saying, but you’re
not really taking anything in. You might think they have no idea that you are not
absorbing what they are saying, people are quite perceptive and can usually tell exactly
what is going on.
There are plenty of factors that can cause us to be distracted or preoccupied, including:
 Phones and devices
 Your emotions
 Visual distractions
2. Communicating in a noisy environment
It is impossible to truly listen effectively when you can’t actually hear what is going on.
The nuance gets lost, and it becomes very easy to mishear what someone is trying to tell
you.

7. If you find yourself struggling and straining to hear the words the other party is speaking,
it’s likely that you're also going to misinterpret their body language.
3. Your personal mind set
Our own mind set can be one of the biggest barriers to effective listening. Here are just a
few of the factors that can play into our personal attitudes and judgements.
 Prejudice
 Bias
 Jealousy
 Boredom
4. Interrupting the other person
Nothing makes a speaker feel more disrespected than being constantly being interrupted.
Of course, a conversation is usually a ‘2 way street,’ and you are meant to share your
own thoughts and opinions. The problem starts when you accidentally monopolies the
conversation and constantly interject your own opinions.
Are you just waiting for the speaker to stop talking?
Fight the urge to over-empathize by sharing your own experiences
5. Your physical state
Here are just a few of the physical issues that can negatively affect your listening skills:

8.  Hunger
 Tiredness
 Physical pain
 Depression/Anxiety
 Being too hot or too cold
 Sitting on an uncomfortable surface
IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS
1. Demonstrate Your Listening Skills by Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing and summarizing are both fantastic communication skills that help you to
make sense of a speaker’s points and also allow you to demonstrate that you are listening
closely.
2. Make Consistent Eye Contact
Learning how to listen isn’t just about what you say to others. Body language also has a
major role to play.
3. Adopt an Open Posture
Another tool in your attentive listening skill set involves paying close attention to the way
you’re standing or sitting.
For example, it’s common knowledge that folding your arms, tapping your feet or
pursuing your lips are all ways of showing displeasure, impatience or disinterest.
In contrast, effective listening can be communicated by a soft, open posture. Keep your
body loose, and consider learning forward to demonstrate that you’re eagerly taking in
information.

9. 4. Ask Open Questions
When you ask closedquestions it can seem like you just want to get specific information
from the other person. Or, that you only have limited time for them. On the other hand,
open questions show your desire to engage in a proper discussion and your interest in
getting into the speaker’s mindset.
5. Remember Past Details
Take any opportunity you can to add a comment that proves you have listened and
remembered something from a past conversation. This makes people feel valued and
proves that you really do pay attention.
6. Show you are A Good Listener by Nodding
If you monitor your body language, you might realize you nod and smile a lot less often
than you assume. This is the best way to show you agree and want to hear more, as it
doesn’t require interrupting in any way.
7. Communicate Active Listening withMirroring
It is an excellent interpersonal skill that works at a subconscious level to convince your
conversation partner that you are empathizing with them.
8. Listen to Understand
Finally, it’s vital that you not only act like you’re listening to the other person but that
you also bring an authentic desire to listen to your conversations. Many people are just
waiting to interject, change the subject to themselves or air their views, and this is
obvious to others

10. PATTERNS OF COMMUNICATION
Communication means transferring messages from one to another and it has several
forms such as intrapersonal, interpersonal, group and mass communication. While it
comes to group communication it has a certain pattern in its own. Few patterns are
popular in mainstream communication studies. Such as
 Circle
 Chain
 Y
 Wheel
All communication patterns are all have certain problems with each other. In circle,
Chain and Y patterns all group members can’t directly communicate with the group
leader. They can communicate to leader only through group members. In Wheel, all the
group members can communicate directly with the group leader.
– Leader
– Group Members
Fig. A. Circle Pattern

11. In Circle pattern, the sender (Group Leader) can communicate with the receivers (group
members) who presents next to him/her. No others group members can’t receive the
sender’s message directly and they receive messages from the other group members who
sharing the message from the sender. In this pattern of communication the sender
messages travels all over the group through sharing by its members will take time to
reach sender again.
Fig. B. Chain Pattern

12. In Chain pattern, the same problems were appearing as like a circle pattern. The worst
part in the pattern is the last member receives the modified messages from the leader. In
this case the leader can’t find whether the last member receives the correct information or
not because there is no feedback to identify the message distortion.
Fig. C. Y Pattern

13. In Y pattern, it’s more complicated pattern and also has the communication problem
which appears in both circle and chain pattern. The group is separated into three and the
group members can communicate with the other members group through leader only.
Fig. D. Wheel Pattern
In Wheel pattern, one of the best pattern while compare to other three. The leader has
direct contact with all the group members and there are no communication problems,
time issue and feedback from the group members. But all the group members can’t
connect with one another.
STRATEGIES OF IMPROVING COMMUNICATION
Here are the 9 Tips for Improving Your Communication Skills:
1. Make communication a priority. Take classes, read books, magazine articles or
learn from successful communicators around you. Seek a mentor or coach.

14. 2. Simplify and stay on message. Use simple, straightforward language. Remember
that Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was 286 words, about two minutes long.
3. Engage your listeners or readers. Draw your listeners and readers into the
conversation. Ask questions and invite opinions. Solicit their feedback.
4. Take time to respond. After you’ve listened (and understood) take time to “draft”
in your head what you want to say.
5. Make sure you are understood. Don’t blame the other person for not
understanding. Instead, look for ways to clarify or rephrase what you are trying to
say so it can be understood.
6. Develop your listening skills, too. The best communicators are almost always the
best listeners. Listen without judgment and don’t be distracted by thinking about
what you want to say next. Then, respond, not react.
7. Body language is important. Studies show that 65% of all communication is
non-verbal. Watch for visual signs that your listener understands, agrees or
disagrees with your message. And be aware that your body is sending signals, too.
8. Maintain eye contact. Whether speaking to a crowd or one-on-one, maintaining
eye contact builds credibility and demonstrates you care about your listeners.
9. Respect your audience. Recognize your message is not just about you or what
you want. You should sincerelycare about the needs and the unique perspectives
of those to whom you are communicating. One of the best ways to show your
respect is simply by paying attention to what they say.
READING AND WRITING SKILLS
INTRODUCTION TO READING
While a strong direct systematic phonics program establishes the foundation of correct
phonologic processing, this is only the beginning. The student still needs to develop
advanced skills. These advanced skills are all enhanced by direct instruction. You can
effectively help your child or student acquire important higher level reading skills.

15. READING SKILLS
1. Skill inhandling multi-syllable words
The student needs to capture all the appropriate sound hunks in the word without missing
one or adding one that should not be there. It is tricky and it absolutely takes practice to
master this complex skill.
Many struggling readers have difficulty with multi-syllable words. Also some students who
have a strong reading base run into problems with higher reading levels as they begin to
face many multi-syllable words. These students need to learn strategies for handling multi-
syllable words.
A student develop proficiency in reading multi-syllable words by directly teaching
strategies to handle these longer words and by providing guided practice in reading multi-
syllable words. Direct instruction in reading multi-syllable words is important when
helping beginner readers advance and when remediating struggling readers.
2. Fluency
Fluency is ‘fast’ or ‘automatic’ reading. Fluent readers are able to read quickly and
accurately without effort. Fast oral reading with proper expression is a trademark of fluent
reading. Fluency is critical to skilled reading and comprehension.
Fluency is build word by word and entirely dependent on repeated, accurate, sounding
out the specific word.
3) Vocabulary
As can be expected, vocabulary knowledge is important to reading development.
Vocabulary is beyond correct decoding. It is understanding the meaning of the
word. Expanding the student’s knowledge bank of vocabulary words is important to
comprehension. The greater the student’s vocabulary the easier it is to make sense of and
understand text. Vocabulary is generally related to understanding individual words where

16. ‘comprehension’ generally refers to understanding larger parts of the text. Vocabulary and
overall comprehension are related.
4) Comprehension
Comprehension is deriving meaning from the text. Obviously, comprehension is critically
important to the development of skilled reading. Comprehension is an active process that
requires thoughtful interaction between the reader and the text. Vocabulary development
is critical to comprehension. Comprehension, or reading for meaning, obviously is the goal
of reading instruction.
Remember, to achieve comprehension, the student must first develop accurate
phonological decoding skills and build fluency. Fluency and accuracy are critical toreading
comprehension. If the student struggles with accurate fluent decoding this inability to easily
convert print into language will continue to limit reading comprehension. If decoding takes
significant effort, the student has littleenergy left to devote to thinking about what they are
reading. When the student can easily, accurately and fluently decode the printed text, he
then is able to focus energy on higher level comprehension skills.
Reading comprehension is a skill that needs to be developed. Comprehension is a complex
higher level skill that is much greater than decoding. It is important for students to develop
comprehension strategies. Comprehension strategies focus on teaching students to
understand what they read not on building skills on how to read/decode. While readers
acquire some comprehension strategies informally, explicit or formal instructionin the
application of comprehension strategies has been shown to be highly effective in
enhancing understanding
The four main types of reading techniques
Skimming

17.  Scanning
 Intensive
 Extensive
Skimming
Skimming is sometimes referredto as gist reading.
Skimming may help in order to know what the text is about at its most basic level.
You might typically do this with a magazine or newspaper and would help you mentally
and quickly shortlist those articles which you might consider for a deeper read.
You might typically skim to search for a name in a telephone directory.
You can reach a speed count of even 700 words per minute if you train yourself well in
this particular method.
Comprehension is of course very low and understanding of overall content very
superficial.
Advantages of skimming
Skimming will certainly save you a lot of time.
But as stated above, it is not the best way to read because your comprehension will be
lowered.
However, skimming is useful when your goal is to preview the text to get a better idea of
what it’s about. It will help prepare you for deeper learning.
As learning expert and author Pat Wyman says in her book, Instant Learning for Amazing
Grades, skimming is a terrific idea to get an overview and mental picture in your mind.
This strategy makes it much easier to recall what you’re about to read.
1. Take a look at the table of contents first.
2. Review the subheadings in each chapter
3. Quickly read the first paragraph in that section
4. Check out anything in your text that is in bold or italics
5. If there is a chapter summary, now is a good time read it over.
This completely prepares your brain to have an overview of what this chapter is about.

18. You can then go on to use scanning to find specific important ideas.
Scanning
Picture yourself visiting a historical city, guide book in hand.
You would most probably just scan the guide book to see which site you might want to
visit.
Scanning involves getting your eyes to quickly scuttle across sentence and is used to get
just a simple piece of information.
Interestingly, research has concluded that reading off a computer screenactually inhibits
the pathways to effective scanning and thus, reading of paper is far more conducive to
speedy comprehension of texts.
Something students sometimes do not give enough importance to is illustrations.
These should be included in your scanning. Pay special attention to the introduction and
the conclusion.
Intensive Reading
You need to have your aims clear in mind when undertaking intensive reading.
Remember this is going to be far more time consuming than scanning or skimming.
If you need to list the chronology of events in a long passage, you will need to read it
intensively.
This type of reading has indeed beneficial to language learners as it helps them
understand vocabulary by deducing the meaning of words in context.
It moreover, helps with retention of information for long periods of time and knowledge
resulting from intensive reading persists in your long term memory.
This is one reason why reading huge amounts of information just before an exam does
not work very well.
Students tend to do this, and they undertake neither type of reading process effectively,
especially neglecting intensive reading.
They may remember the answers in an exam but will likely forget everything soon
afterwards.

19. Extensive reading
Extensive reading involves reading for pleasure.
Because there is an element of enjoyment in extensive reading it is unlikely that students
will undertake extensive reading of a text they do not like.
It also requires a fluid decoding and assimilation of the text and content in front of you.
If the text is difficult and you stop every few minutes to figure out what is being said or
to look up new words in the dictionary, you are breaking your concentration and
diverting your thoughts.
Is the ability to learn and assimilate information also genetic?
It is not uncommon for people to associate intelligent or bright kids with their equally
intelligent parents.
Often children of parents who have a profession appear to be more intelligent.
However, it is important to note first and foremost, that academic intelligence is only one
form of intelligence and even a university professor who scores high on academic
intelligence, might be the most impractical person, finding it difficult to pragmatically
solve problems to simple everyday tasks.
The notion of intelligence is an extremely complex and diverse one and to pin it into just
a single word means whipping out the multitude of connotations and meanings that it
actually embodies.
Scientists have found no plausible relationship between our genes and our ability to learn
or our intelligence.
There is no genetic DNA test that can predict intelligence because intelligence is due to
your environment. It is likely that children with parents who exercise a professionappear
more intelligent because their parents directly or directly encourage it.
Likely, it is also evident that parents who neglect their children and do not enforce their
schooling commitments (doing their homework, study periods etc) will perform less well
in school and appear “less intelligent”.

20. Again, it is evident why children who have had no opportunity for schooling might be
considered anything but “intelligent”.
Use these tips for skimming and scanning to help enhance all your reading and especially
when you are studying for an exam.
PRESENTATION SOFT SKILL TRAINING
1. Practice!
Naturally, you'll want to rehearse your presentation multiple times. While it can be
difficult for those with packed schedules to spare time to practice, it's essential if you
want to deliver a rousing presentation. If you really want to sound great, write out your
speech rather than taking chances winging it – if you get nervous about speaking, a script
is your best friend.
Try to practice where you'll be delivering your talk. Some acting strategists suggest
rehearsing lines in various positions – standing up, sitting down, with arms open wide, on
one leg. The more you mix up your position and setting, the more comfortable you'll feel
with your speech. Do a practice run for a friend or colleague, or try recording your
presentation and playing it back to evaluate which areas need work.
Listening to recordings of your past talks can clue you in to bad habits you may be
unaware of, as well as inspiring the age-old question: "Is that what I really sound like?"
2. Transform Nervous Energy into Enthusiasm.
Studies have shown that an enthusiastic speech can win out over an eloquent one
3. Attend Other Presentations.
If you're giving a talk as part of a conference, try to attend some of the earlier talks by
other presenters to scope out their presentation skills and get some context. This shows

21. respect for your fellow presenters while also giving you a chance to feel out the audience.
What's the mood of the crowd? Are folks in the mood to laugh or are they a bit stiffer?
Are the presentations more strategic or tactical in nature? Another speaker may also say
something that you can play off of later in your own presentation.
4. Arrive Early.
It's always best to allow yourself plenty of time to settle in before your talk. Extra time
ensures you won't be late and gives you plenty of time to get adapted to your presentation
space.
5. Adjust to Your Surroundings.
The more adjusted to your environment you are, the more comfortable you'll feel. Make
sure to spend some in the room where you will be delivering your presentation. If
possible, practice with the microphone and lighting, make sure you understand the
seating and be aware of any distractions potentially posed by the venue (e.g., a noisy road
outside).
6. Meet and Greet.
Do your best to chat with people before your presentation. Talking with audiences makes
you seem more likeable and approachable. Ask event attendees questions and take in
their responses. They may even give you some inspiration to weave into your talk.
7. Use Positive Visualization.
When we imagine a positive outcome to a scenario in our mind, it's more likely to play
out the way we envision.

22. Instead of thinking "I'm going to be terrible out there" and visualizing yourself throwing
up mid-presentation, imagine yourself getting tons of applause. Positive thoughts can be
incredibly effective – give them a shot.
8. Remember That Most Audiences Are Sympathetic.
One of the hardest fears to shake when speaking in public is that the audience is secretly
waiting to laugh at your missteps or mistakes. Fortunately, this isn’t the case in the vast
majority of presentations.
The audience wants to see you succeed. In fact, many people have a fear of public
speaking, so even if the audience seems indifferent, the chances are pretty good that most
people listening to your presentation can relate to how nerve-racking it can be. If you
start to feel nervous, remind yourself that the audience gets it, and actually wants to see
you nail it.
9. Take Deep Breaths.
The go-to advice for jitters has truth to it. When we're nervous, our muscles tighten--you
may even catch yourself holding your breath. Instead, go ahead and take those deep
breaths to get oxygen to your brain and relax your body.
10. Smile.
Smiling increases endorphins, replacing anxiety with calm and making you feel good
about your presentation. Smiling also exhibits confidence and enthusiasm to the crowd.
And this tip works even if you're doing a webinar and people can't see you.
Just don't overdo it – no one enjoys the maniacal clown look.

23. 11. Exercise.
Exercise earlier in the day prior to your presentation to boost endorphins, which will help
alleviate anxiety. By moving your body and increasing your heart rate with
cardiovascular exercise you can stimulate the production of endorphins in the blood
stream;
 Eat chocolate and chili peppers
 Drink wine (ONLY individuals who are of age to consume alcohol legally)
 Get a massage
 Meditate
 Laugh
 Have sex (ONLY for consenting adults who are practicing safe sex)
12. Work on Your Pauses.
When you're nervous, it's easy to speed up your presentation and end up talking too fast,
which in turn causes you to run out of breath, get more nervous, and panic! Ahh!
Don't be afraid to slow down and use pauses in your speech. Pausing can be used to
emphasize certain points and to help your talk feel more conversational. If you feel
yourself losing control of your pacing, just take a nice pause and keep cool.
13. Don’t Try to Cover Too Much Material.
Yes, your presentations should be full of useful, insightful, and actionable information,
but that doesn’t mean you should try to condense a vast and complex topic into a 10-
minute presentation.
90 slides in 30 minutes?

24. Knowing what to include, and what to leave out, is crucial to the success of a good
presentation. advocating for a rigorous editing process. If it feels too off-topic, or is only
marginally relevant to your main points, leave it out. You can always use the excess
material in another presentation.
14. Actively Engage the Audience.
People love to talk and make their opinions heard, but the nature of presentations can
often seem like a one-sided proposition. It doesn’t have to be, though.
Asking the audience what they think, inviting questions, and other means of welcoming
audience participation can boost engagement and make attendees feel like a part of a
conversation. It also makes you, the presenter, seem much more relatable.
15. Be Entertaining.
Even if your presentation is packed with useful information, if your delivery bombs, so
will your session.
I find that including some jokes and light-hearted slides is a great way to help the
audience feel more comfortable, especially when presenting them with a great deal of
information. However, it’s important to maintain a balance – after all, you’re not
performing a stand-up routine, and people didn’t come to your presentation with the sole
intention of being entertained. That said, don’t be afraid to inject a little humor into your
talk. If you’re not sure about whether a presentation is “too much,” run through it for a
couple of friends and ask them to tell it to you straight.
16. Admit You Don’t Have All the Answers.
Very few presenters are willing to publicly concede that they don’t actually know
everything because they feel it undermines their authority. However, since we all know

25. that nobody can ever know everything about a given topic, admitting so in a presentation
can actually improve your credibility.
If someone asks a question that stumps you, it’s okay to admit it. This can also increase
your credibility with the audience, as it demonstrates that, no matter how knowledgeable
a person might be, we’re all learning, all the time. Nobody expects you to be an
omniscient oracle of forbidden knowledge – they just want to learn from you.
17. Use a Power Stance.
Practicing confident body language is another way to boost your pre-presentation jitters.
When your body is physically demonstrating confidence, your mind will follow suit.
Studies have shown that using power stances a few minutes before giving a talk (or
heading to a big interview) creates a lasting sense of confidence and assurance. Whatever
you do, don't sit--sittingis passive. Standing or walking a bit will help you harness that
nervousness.
18. Drink Water.
Dry mouth is a common result of anxiety. Prevent cottonmouth blues by staying hydrated
and drinking plenty of water before your talk (just don't forget to hit the bathroom before
starting). Keep a bottle of water at arm's reach while presenting in case you get dry mouth
while chatting up a storm.
19. Don't Fight the Fear.
Accept your fear rather than trying to fight it. Getting yourself worked up by wondering
if people will notice your nervousness will only intensify your anxiety. Remember, those
jitters aren't all bad – harness that nervous energy and transform it into positive
enthusiasm and you'll be golden.

26. COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Course description
Year 1 Semester 1
Module 1: Communication
Code: COM 1103
Hours: 30
Credits: 3
Module Competence
This module is designed to enable the learner apply concepts and principles of
communication to enable them communicate effectively in their respective profession.
Module Outcomes
By the end of the module, the learner should;
1. Apply various theories and models and models in the process of communication.
2. Apply different modes of communication for effective communication
3. Implement the different patterns of communication.
4. Demonstrate active listening
5. Demonstrate skills in report writing
Module Units
Number Name Theory Hours Practical
1. Introduction to communication 4 0
2. Modes of communication 10 0
3. Patterns of communication 4 2
4. Listening skills 4 0
5. Reading and writing skills 4 2
Module Content
Introduction to communication; Communication, theories, model, elements, stages,
process and importance, One way – Two-way communication, advantages,
disadvantages, effective communication, characteristics, advantages and barriers to
effective communication.
Modes of communication; Intrapersonal, Interpersonal and mass communication, Kinds
of communication: oral, verbal, written, interview, public speaking, elements of non-
verbal, importance of non-verbal.

27. Listening skills; Listening steps, levels of listening, barriers to effective listening skill,
improving listening skills.
Patterns of communication; Patterns, direction of communication, strategies to
improving communication.
Reading and writing skills; Introduction to reading, reading techniques, critical reading
and presentation, soft skills training.
Teaching Strategies
Group discussions, Lectures, Demonstrations, Role Plays.
Teaching and learning resources
Pen and whiteboard, Text books, Flip charts, Posters

28. 7 SOFT SKILLS YOU NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL
 Leadership skills
 Teamwork
 Communication skills
 Problem solving skills
 Work Ethic
 Flexibility/adaptability
 Interpersonal skills
1. Leadership skills
Companies want employees who can cultivate relationships up down and across the
organizational chain, supervise and direct other workers, Assess, motivate, encourage and
discipline workers, build teams, resolve conflicts and help to create the desired cultures.
2. Teamwork
Most employees are part of a team/department/division. You may prefer to work alone
but it is important to demonstrate that you understand and appreciate the value of joining
forces and working in partnerships with others to achieve the company’s goals
3. Communication skills
Successful communication involves five components;
 Verbal communication your ability to speak clearly and concisely
 Non-verbal includes the capacity to project a positive body language and facial
expression.
 Aural communication – Is the ability to listenand actually hear what others are
saying.
 Written communication – refers to your skillfulness in composing text messages,
reports and other types of documents.

29.  Visual communication – Involves your ability to relay information using pictures
and other visual aids.
4. Problem solving skills
Many people shirk from problems because they don’t understand that companies
hire employees to solve problems. Glitches, bumps on the road and stumbling
blocks are part of the job. Formulating workable solution will demonstrate that
you can handle and excel in your job.
5. Work ethic
While you may have a manager, companies don’t like to spend time micro-
managing employees. They expect you to be responsible and do the job that you
are paid to do which includes being punctual when you arrive at work and making
sure your work is error free and going an extra mile shows that you are committed
to performing your work with excellence.
6. Flexibility/adaptability
In the 21st century companies need to change at the speed of light to remain
competitive. So they want workers who can shift gears or change directions as
needed. Also when the economy may be recovering many companies are not fully
staffed so they want employees who can wear more than one hat and serve in more
than one role.
7. Interpersonal skills
Broad category of “people skills” and includes ability to build and maintain
relationships, develop rapport and use diplomacy. It involves the ability to give and
receive constructive criticisms, be tolerant and respectful regarding opinions of others
and empathize with them.
You can learn these skills by observing people who excel in these 7 areas.
(DEVELOP EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE)