Business Communication

Model Question-Answer Bank

School of Business Management

IFTM UNIVERSITY

Business Communication

UNIT I

Q.1.     What do you understand by Communication? Explicate its role in Business.

Ans.    Communication (from Latin commūnicāre, meaning "to share") is the act of conveying intended meanings from one entity or group to another through the use of mutually understood signs and semiotic rules.

The basic steps of communication are:

a.       The forming of communicative intent.

b.      Message composition.

c.       Message encoding and decoding.

d.      Transmission of the encoded message as a sequence of signals using a specific channel or medium.

e.       Reception of signals.

f.       Reconstruction of the original message.

g.      Interpretation and making sense of the reconstructed message.

The channel of communication can be visual, auditory, tactile (such as in Braille) and haptic, olfactory, Kinesics, electromagnetic, or biochemical. Human communication is unique for its extensive use of abstract language.

Communication in Management

Business communications is used for a wide variety of activities including, but not limited to: strategic communications planning, media relations, public relations (which can include social media, broadcast and written communications, and more), brand management, reputation management, speech-writing, customer-client relations, and internal/employee communications.

Companies with limited resources may choose to engage in only a few of these activities, while larger organizations may employ a full spectrum of communications. Since it is difficult to develop such a broad range of skills, communications professionals often specialize in one or two of these areas but usually have at least a working knowledge of most of them. By far, the most important qualifications communications professionals can possess are excellent writing ability, good 'people' skills, and the capacity to think critically and strategically.

Q.2.     Elaborate upon the process of communication.

Ans.    The communication process consists of several components. A sender is the party that sends a message. Lindsey, of course, will be the sender. She'll also need the message, which is the information to be conveyed. Lindsey will also need to encode her message, which is transforming her thoughts of the information to be conveyed into a form that can be sent, such as words.

A channel of communication must also be selected, which is the manner in which the message is sent. Channels of communication include speaking, writing, video transmission, audio transmission, electronic transmission through emails, text messages and faxes and even nonverbal communication, such as body language. Lindsey also needs to know the target of her communication. This party is called the receiver.

The receiver must be able to decode the message, which means mentally processing the message into understanding. If you can't decode, the message fails. For example, sending a message in a foreign language that is not understood by the receiver probably will result in decoding failure.

Sometimes, a receiver will give the sender feedback, which is a message sent by the receiver back to the sender. For example, a member of Lindsey's team may provide feedback in the form a question to clarify some information received in Lindsey's message.

Let's put all these components together to build a model of the communication process:

1.                   A sender encodes information

2.                   The sender selects a channel of communication by which to send the message

3.                   The receiver receives the message

4.                   The receiver decodes the message

5.                   The receiver may provide feedback to the sender

Q.3.     What are the barriers that hinder effective communication?

Ans.    Barriers to effective communication

A. Physical barriers

Internal structure of the organization and layout of office machines and equipments creates physical barriers in communication

a.      Distance: – communication is found obstructed in long distance. Like communication between America and Nepal.

b.      Noise: – it is from external sources and affects the communication process. Noise negatively affects the accuracy

c.       Physical arrangement: – the physical arrangement of organizational sources like men, money, material and machine obstruct the communication process.

B. Semantic barriers

The use of difficult and multiple use of languages, words, figures, symbols create semantic barriers.

a.       Language: – we can find some words having different meaning. As meaning sent by the sender can be quite different from the meaning understood by the receiver. Long and complex sentences creates problem in communication process.

b.      Jargons: – technical or unfamiliar language creates barriers to communication that may be drawn from the literature. So message should be simple and condensed as far as possible so that no confusion creation will be there to the receiver.

C. Organizational barriers

It is raised from the organizational goals, regulations, structure and culture.

a.      Poor planning: – it refers to the designing, encoding, channel selection and conflicting signals in the organization.

b.      Structure complexities:- difficult organizational structure barrier for free flow of information. Appropriate communication process must be used.

c.       Status differences: – it creates barrier for communication. Superior provides information to the subordinate about plans and policies. Different information is provided by different subordinates who create barrier in communication.

d.      Organizational distance:- distance between sender and receiver also creates barriers to effective communication.

e.      Information overload: – if superior provides too much information to the subordinate in short period receiver suffers from information overload which creates barriers to effective communication.

f.        Timing: – communication can be obstructed if not done on time. If the information is not provided in time it creates barriers to effective communication.

D. Psychological barriers

It is the barriers to effective communication created from the lack of interest of the people from whom the communication is meant. People do not pay attention to the communication which are not interesting to them and which do not fulfill their want.

a.      Perception: – it is the process of accepting and interpreting the information by the receiver. People receive things differently for a various number of reasons.

b.      Filtering: – communication some time filters the negative information to make it more favorable to the receiver. In this process, knowingly or unknowingly some valuable information may be disposed.

c.       Distrust: – superior provides information or message to the subordinates to their own view, ideas and opinion which create obstruction in communication.

d.      Emotions: – emotion also creates barriers to effective communication like anger, het, mistrust, jealousy etc.

e.      Viewpoint: – it also creates barriers to effective communication. It the receiver doesn’t clear the message and ignore without hearing, the message may create obstructions.

f.        Defensiveness: – if the receiver receives the message as threat and interprets that message in the same way, it creates barriers to effective communication.

Q.4.     What are the gateways of communication that aid in a more effective communication?

Ans.    In order to enhance the effectiveness of communication, we can focus on the following aspects:

• Plan the message: Before we decide to communicate an idea/information/message, we need to plan it properly. The message should match the purpose and should be transmitted through the appropriate format.

• Use Proper language: The language used for a message should be clear, lucid and appropriate. The density of words used should match with the level of maturity of the receivers.

• Don’t be evaluative: If we listen to somebody with preconceived notions, we wont be able to receive, process and interpret the message properly.

• Give proper Orientation: All the employees should be given proper orientation regarding the objectives, policies, procedures, organization structure and work culture of an organization immediately after they are recruited. This helps in interpersonal communication as well as communication with the people at the higher and lower hierarchies.

• Be an active listener: Active listening is an art which very few people can master. Many of us confuse listening with hearing. But listening demands more attention and interest than hearing, hence very important in communication.

• Have an unbiased attitude: Any person with a biased mind will not be able to communicate properly with others. Hence it is necessary to train people to be unbiased through education, counseling and discussions to help them become good communicators. .

• Respond don't re-act: When we are dealing with a problematic situation or person, we must understand the facts properly and respond appropriately. If we react in a situation like this, our emotions and feelings take an upper hand and we end up as bad communicators. Our negative reaction to people in stressful situations will aggravate the situation and lead to total collapse of communication. We must respond mindfully rather than re-act emotionally. Though it requires self-knowledge and discipline, it allows us to be more effective in our communication.

• Promote congruence: Communication will not be effective unless and until people are willing to communicate. This willingness to communicate needs to be inculcated among people to keep them intact.

• Use the grapevine: The grapevine can be used to predict the responses of the employees regarding a particular issue. This is mainly useful for checking plans which are likely to be implemented in future. On the basis of the responses collected form people, appropriate decisions can be taken.

• Transmit the message in Installments: If too much of information is sent within too short a period of time, it will not be digested by people. SO it is wise to send the information/message in chunks. This makes the transmission of the message more effective and facilitates feedback. Information overload results in miscommunication or a complete collapse of communication.

• Provide feedback: In order to enhance the effectiveness of communication, feedback mechanism should be built into all communication networks so that necessary amendments can be made to enhance the quality of communication in future. Suggestions, clarifications, performance reports, surveys and emphatic listening are some of the feedback mechanism we use to ensure the success of communication.

• Overcome bypassing: When we receive a message, we must respond it appropriately and immediately. Bypassing it will hamper the transmission of the message.

• Maintain semantic accuracy: While using words with different connotations we must make it clear in its meaning by providing contextual clues. Semantic accuracy will improve the effectiveness of communication and will facilitate timely feedback.

• Add some eloquence: While presenting the facts, we should be able to present them in a seamless manner so that there is eloquence and the listener does not have any problem in comprehending the logical link between the facts. This in turn will positively impact communication.

• Improve the ambience: Improper ambience often mars the communication between two participants. If people fight in a meeting where a saint is giving a sermon on world peace, there is no necessity of his sermon. Similarly, if we are speaking in a crowded place with noises flowing in from all corners, we wont be able to drive anything into the minds of the audience. On the other hand, a calm atmosphere will be appropriate for such an act of communication.

• Use proper etiquette: Social etiquettes play an important role in ensuring successful communication. A person may be a master of his/her subject, but his/her lack of etiquette may mar his/her chances of a promotion. Likewise, proper telephone etiquettes are also essential for making an act of communication successful.

•  Watch your language: We should opt for clear, positive language and sincerity to encourage shared understanding and earn the support of our group.

Q.5.     Elaborate upon the role of Effective Communication Skills in business.

Ans.    Swift, clear and precise communication is the foundation of any business operation. Quick, effective communication improves productivity, increases efficiency, and reduces redundancies. Whether you are emailing a colleague, pitching a client, or preparing for a job interview, strong communication skills will help you sell more, get more done, and land your dream job.

Below, we take a look at the seven principles of communication every business must follow:

1. Clarity

Clarity is the number one rule all business communication must follow. A message that leaves the reader scratching his head is a failed message. Clarity springs from a knowledge of the message (what you want to say), the method (how you want to say it), and the medium (what format do you want to say it in). A lack of insight in any one of these components is going to affect the effectiveness of your message.

2. Conciseness

Business communication is founded on the principles of brevity. There is little room for lyrical prose or academic loquaciousness. This applies to not just the length of your message, but also its contents. Try to use short sentences and short words. Avoid jargon and words that send the reader to the dictionary (unless you sell dictionaries!). Adopt this principle for intra-team as well as client focused communication.

3. Objectivity

Business communication must always have a purpose. This purpose must be apparent to any who glances through your message. Before you put a single word to paper, ask yourself: “what am I trying to achieve with this message?”. This will help you stay on course through the message creation process and effect a remarkable improvement in the message efficacy.

4. Consistency

Imagine that you’re reading a book that starts out as a serious medieval romance, turns into a supernatural screwball comedy around the half-way mark, before finally finishing as an avant-garde, high-brow literary exegesis. Without a doubt, such a book will leave you confused and even angry.

This is the reason why all business communication must have consistency of tone, voice and content. A humorous satire on one page, a serious explanation on another will alienate your readers. Although you can stray from the set tone from time to time – a few humorous jokes can help lighten the mood – the overall theme must remain consistent.

5. Completeness

Each message must have a clear and logical conclusion. The reader shouldn’t be left wondering if there is more to come. The message must be self-sufficient, that is, it must hold good on its own without support from other messages. This is particularly apt for blog posts which often end abruptly and leave the reader scratching his head.

6. Relevancy

Every message you send out must be contextually cohesive with previous/future messages. The message must also be relevant to your primary offering. A blog post about Kobe Bryant’s free-throw record followed by a webinar on inbound marketing will only leave your readers confused. So make sure that everything you write in a business setting is contextually related and relevant.

7. Audience Knowledge

Lastly, your message must have a thorough understanding of your primary audience. Everything else – clarity, completeness, objectivity – results from your knowledge of your audience. Always know who you are writing for as it will influence the tone, voice and quality of your message. You can’t write to a company’s SVP the same way you would write to your colleague in the next cubicle, and you can’t write to a client the same way you would write to a SVP.

Your message must reflect the age, education level, aims and objective of your audience. This is possible only if you thoroughly research your readers and can see things from their perspective.

Conclusion

Business communication is dramatically different from casual or literary communication. It has its own principles, objectives, language patterns. Mastering business communication will make you a more effective leader, increase your sphere of influence, and help improve workplace efficiency.

UNIT II

Q.6.     What are the various types of Non-verbal communication?

Ans.    Categories of nonverbal communications

The major categories of nonverbal communications include the following:

Personal space             eye contact                  position

Posture                                    paralanguage               expression

Gesture                        touch                           locomotion

Pacing                          adornment                   context

Physiologic responses

Personal Space: This category refers to the distance which people feel comfortable approaching others or having others approach them. People from certain countries, such as parts of Latin America or the Middle East often feel comfortable standing closer to each other, while persons of Northern European descent tend to prefer a relatively greater distance. Different distances are also intuitively assigned for situations involving intimate relations, ordinary personal relationships (e.g., friends), social relations (e.g., co-workers or salespeople), or in public places (e.g., in parks, restaurants, or on the street.)

Eye Contact: This rich dimension speaks volumes. The Spanish woman in the Nineteenth Century combined eye language with the aid of a fan to say what was not permissible to express explicitly. Eye contact modifies the meaning of other nonverbal behaviors. For example, people on elevators or crowds can adjust their sense of personal space if they agree to limit eye contact. What happens if this convention isn't followed? This issue of eye contact is another important aspect of nonverbal communication.

Modern American business culture values a fair degree of eye contact in interpersonal relations, and looking away is sensed as avoidance or even deviousness. However, some cultures raise children to minimize eye contact, especially with authority figures, lest one be perceived as arrogant or "uppity." When cultures interact, this inhibition of gaze may be misinterpreted as "passive aggressive" or worse.

Position: The position one takes vis-a-vis the other(s), along with the previous two categories of distance between people and angle of eye contact all are subsumed under a more general category of "proxemics" in the writings on nonverbal communications .

Posture: A person's bodily stance communicates a rich variety of messages. 

Paralanguage: "Non-lexical" vocal communications may be considered a type of nonverbal communication, in its broadest sense, as it can suggest many emotional nuances. This category includes a number of sub-categories: Inflection (rising, falling, flat...) Pacing (rapid, slow, measured, changing...) Intensity (loud, soft, breathy,...) Tone (nasal, operatic, growling, wheedling, whining...) Pitch (high, medium, low, changes...) Pauses (meaningful, disorganized, shy, hesitant...)]

Facial Expression: The face is more highly developed as an organ of expression in humans than any other animal. Some of these become quite habitual, almost fixed into the chronic muscular structure of the face. For instance, in some parts of the South, the regional pattern of holding the jaw tight creates a slight bulge in the temples due to an overgrowth or "hypertrophy" of those jaw muscles that arise in that area. This creates a characteristic appearance. The squint of people who live a lot in the sun is another example. More transient expressions often reveal feelings that a person is not intending to communicate or even aware of.

Gesture: There are many kinds of gestures: the different gestures have many different meanings in different cultures, and what may be friendly in one country or region can be an insult in another .

Touch: How one person touches another communicates a great deal of information: Is a grip gentle or firm, and does one hold the other person on the back of the upper arm, on the shoulder, or in the middle of the back. Is the gesture a push or a tug? Is the touch closer to a pat, a rub, or a grabbing? People have different areas of personal intimacy, and this refers not only to the sexual dimension, but also the dimension of self-control. Many adolescents are particularly sensitive to any touching that could be interpreted as patronizing or undue familiarity. Even the angle of one's holding another's hand might suggest a hurrying or coercive implicit attitude, or on the other hand, a respectful, gentle, permission-giving approach.

Locomotion: The style of physical movement in space also communicates a great deal, as well as affecting the feelings of the person doing the moving. A related variable is the time it takes to react to a stimulus, called "latency of response." Some people seem to react to questions, interact in conversations, or are slower or faster "on the uptake" than others.

Adornment: Our communications are also affected by a variety of other variables, such as clothes, makeup, and accessories. These offer signals relating to context (e.g. formal vs. informal), status, and individuality. The ways people carry cigarettes, pipes, canes, or relate to their belts, suspenders, or glasses also suggests different semiotic meanings. (Semiotics is the science of the emotional or psychological impact of signs, appearances-not words-that's "semantics"-- but of how things look.).

Context: While this category is not actually a mode of nonverbal communication, the setting up of a room or how one places oneself in that room is a powerfully suggestive action. Where one sits in the group is often useful in diagnosing that person's attitude toward the situation. Group leaders need to be especially alert to the way the group room is organized.

Physiological Responses: This, too, is an exceptional category, because it cannot be practiced voluntarily. Still, it's useful for therapists and group members to become more aware of these subtle signs of emotion. It often helps to comment on these observations, as it implicitly gives permission to the person experiencing the emotion to more fully open to that feeling; or, sometimes, to more actively suppress it. Either way, the existence of that signal is made explicit in the group process.

Q.7.     Write a short note on Kinesics.

Ans.    How we move, which is often referred to as "body language", is called Kinesics by social scientists. As we have indicated earlier, the interpretation of these body movements is subject to change based on culture and gender. Researchers Ekman and Friesen established five basic purposes that these kind of movement serve, Emblems, Illustrators, Affect Displays, Regulators and Adaptors. Let's look briefly at each in turn.

Emblems

Emblems are nonverbal signals that can generally be translated directly into words. Most people within a culture or group agree on their meaning. A good example is the "A-OK" symbol made with the thumb and forefinger. Because these gestures can be directly translated into words, they are quick to use and unambiguous in their meaning. However, as we noted earlier, culture quickly comes into play when you move outside of your "home" culture. For instance, in many parts of the world this gesture is directly translated as "OK", but in other places it might be translated as "Zero" or "None", and in others it is even understood to represent an obscene gesture representing a body orifice. Quite a different interpretation than being OK!

Illustrators

Illustrators are movements that complement verbal communication by describing or accenting or reinforcing what the speaker is saying. People use illustrators to indicate the size of an object or to draw a picture in the air or to emphasize a key word in what they are saying. These might include pointing to an object in the room or pounding on the table. The frequency of use of illustrators may vary by culture, but they are used widely. Use of illustrators can help indicate interest, efforts to be clear or enthusiasm for the topic being discussed.

Affect Displays

Affect displays are nonverbal displays of the body or face that carry an emotional meaning or display affective states. Our gait (bouncing, suggesting happiness for instance, or slouched and shuffling, suggesting depression), and our facial movements (breaking into a big grin, suggesting pleasure, or frowning suddenly indicating displeasure) send a message about our feelings. Affect displays are often spontaneous and thus they may send signals that we would rather not convey based on social norms or our goals for communication. We will explore facial expressions more in a later section.

Regulators

Regulators are nonverbal messages that accompany speech to control or regulate what the speaker is saying. These might including the nodding of the head to indicate you are listening or understanding something, for instance, and you are encouraging the speaker to continue. Regulars are often associated with turn-taking in conversation, influencing the flow and pace of discussion. For instance, we might start to move away, signaling that we want communication to stop, or we may raise a finger or lift our head to indicate we want to speak, or perhaps show our palm to indicate we don't want a turn at speaking.

Adaptors

Adaptors are forms of nonverbal communication that often occur at a low level of personal awareness. They can be thought of a behaviors that are done to meet a personal need as one adapts to the specific communication situation. They include behaviors like twisting your hair, tapping your pen, scratching, tugging on your ear, pushing your glasses up your nose, holding yourself, swinging your legs, etc. Given the low level of awareness of these behaviors by the person doing them, the observer is sometimes more aware of the behaviors than the doer of them. Adaptors may thus serve unintentionally as clues to how a person is feeling. Adaptors are not intended for use in communication, but rather may represent behaviors learned early in life that are somehow cued by the current situation and which may be increased when the level of anxiety goes up in the situation.

Q.8.     Differentiate between oral and written communication.

Ans.   

Q.9.     Differentiate between Verbal & Non-verbal Communication.

Ans.

Basis for Comparison	Verbal Communication	Non-Verbal Communication
Meaning	The communication in which the sender uses words to transmit the message to the receiver is known as verbal communication.	The communication that takes place between sender and receiver with the use of signs is known as non-verbal communication.
Types	Formal and Informal	Chronemics, Vocalics, Haptics, Kinesics, Proxemics, Artifacts.
Time Consuming	No	Yes
Chances of transmission of wrong message	Rarely happens.	Happens most of the time.
Documentary Evidence	Yes, in case of written communication.	No
Advantage	The Message can be clearly understood and immediate feedback is possible.	Helpful in understanding emotions, status, lifestyle and feelings of the sender.
Presence	The message can be transmitted through letters, phone calls, etc. so the personal presence of the parties, doesn't make any change.	The personal presence of both the parties to communication is a must.

Q.10.   Explain the concept of Semantic Differential with the help of examples.

Ans.    The semantic differential is a scale used for measuring the meaning of things and concepts. There are two aspects of meaning: denotative and connotative. The semantic differential measuresconnotative meaning.

Denotation - what a name or concept refers to (denote - to mark out plainly, to indicate) Connotation - the suggestive significance of a word, apart from its explicit and recognized meaning

denotation = eagle, bird connotation = strength, power

Consider automobiles or school mascots. Names such as "Jaguar" or "Huskies" denote animals. Their connotation is power. In contrast, the "Oregon Ducks" project a different image or connotative meaning.

The semantic differential requires respondents that are intelligent and cooperative. It requires respondents with a good knowledge of language, who are willing and able to make fine distinctions. It would not appropriate for children, unless presented in a simplified form.

Q.11.   Write a note on Proxemics.

Ans.    Basically, proxemics is the study of space and how we use it, how it makes us feel more or less comfortable, and how we arrange objects and ourselves in relation to space. The term was coined by the anthropologist Edward Hall. Hall was interested in understanding how humans use space in communication.

There are 4 kinds of distance that people generally use in communication. This can vary by place and different cultures have different standards. These are known as realms of personal territory. These include:

·       Intimate distance (0-2 ft.)

·       Personal distance (2-4ft.)

·       Social distance (4-12 ft.)

·       Public distance (>12 ft.)

Intimate distance is that which is used for very confidential communications. This zone of distance is characterized by 0 to 2 feet of space between two individuals. An example of intimate distance is two people hugging, holding hands, or standing side-by-side. People in intimate distance share a unique level of comfort with one another. Those who are not comfortable with someone who approaches them in the intimate zone will experience a great deal of social discomfort or awkwardness.

Personal distance is used for talking with family and close friends. Although it gives a person a little more space than intimate distance, it is still very close in proximity to that of intimacy, and may involve touching. Personal distance can range from 2 to 4 feet. Like intimate distance, if a stranger approaches someone in the personal zone, he or she is likely to feel uncomfortable being in such close proximity with the stranger.

Social distance is used in business transactions, meeting new people and interacting with groups of people. Social distance has a large range in the distance that it can incorporate. From 4 to 12 feet, it is clear that social distance depends on the situation. Social distance may be used among students, co-workers, or acquaintances. Generally, people within social distance do not engage in physical contact with one another. 

People may be very particular about the amount of social distance that is preferred. Some people may require much more physical distance than others. Many times, if a person comes too close to another individual, the individual is likely to back up and give himself the amount of space that he feels more comfortable in.

Public distance is measured at 12 or more feet between persons. An example of this is illustrated in the following picture, where two men sit far apart on a park bench, in order to preserve their public distance.
Each of the previous types of proximity are heavily influence by people's perception of what the "correct" type of distance should be in a certain situation.

Culture is one of the factors which contribute to people's perceptions of how proxemics should be used. People from different cultures have different views on what the proper personal space should be.

Q.12.   Write a note on Sign language. Explain with examples.

Ans.    A sign is an object, quality, event, or entity whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else. A natural sign bears a causal relation to its object—for instance, thunder is a sign of storm, or medical symptoms signify a disease. A conventional sign signifies by agreement, as a full stop signifies the end of a sentence; similarly the words and expressions of a language, as well as bodily gestures, can be regarded as signs, expressing particular meanings. The physical objects most commonly referred to as signs (notices, road signs, etc., collectively known as signage) generally inform or instruct using written text, symbols, pictures or a combination of these.

            The nature of signs and symbols and significations, their definition, elements, and types, is mainly established by Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas. According to these classic sources, significance is a relationship between two sorts of things: signs and the kinds of things they signify (intend, express or mean), where one term necessarily causes something else to come to the mind. Distinguishing natural signs and conventional signs, the traditional theory of signs (Augustine) sets the following threefold partition of things: all sorts of indications, evidences, symptoms, and physical signals, there are signs which are always signs (the entities of the mind as ideas and images, thoughts and feelings, constructs and intentions); and there are signs that have to get their signification (as linguistic entities and cultural symbols). So, while natural signs serve as the source of signification, the human mind is the agency through which signs signify naturally occurring things, such as objects, states, qualities, quantities, events, processes, or relationships. Human language and discourse, communication, philosophy, science, logic, mathematics, poetry, theology, and religion are only some of fields of human study and activity where grasping the nature of signs and symbols and patterns of signification may have a decisive value.

            A sign can denote any of the following:

1.      Sun signs in astrology

2.      Sign or signing, in communication: communicating via hand gestures, such as in sign language.

3.      Gang signal

4.      Sign, in Tracking (hunting): also known as Spoor (animal); trace evidence left on the ground after passage.

5.      A signboard.

6.      A sign, in common use, is an indication that a previously observed event is about to occur again

7.      Sign, in divination and religion: an omen, an event or occurrence believed to foretell the future

8.      Sign, in ontology and spirituality: a coincidence or surprising event thought to reveal divine will; see synchronicity

9.      Sign (linguistics): a combination of a concept and a sound-image described by Ferdinand de Saussure

10.  In mathematics, the sign of a number tells whether it is positive or negative. Also, the sign of a permutation tells whether it is the product of an even or odd number of transpositions.

11.  Signedness, in computing, is the property that a representation of a number has one bit, the sign bit, which denotes whether the number is non-negative or negative. A number is called signed if it contains a sign bit, otherwise unsigned. See also signed number representation

12.  Sign, in biology: an indication of some living thing's presence

13.  Medical sign, in medicine: objective evidence of the presence of a disease or disorder, as opposed to a symptom, which is subjective

14.  Sign (semiotics): the basic unit of meaning

15.  Information sign: a notice that instructs, advises, informs or warns people

16.  Traffic sign: a sign that instructs drivers; see also stop sign, speed limit sign, cross walk sign

17.  Sign, in a writing system: a basic unit. Similar terms which are more specific are character, letter or grapheme

18.  Commercial signage, including flashing signs, such as on a retail store, factory, or theatre

19.  Signature, in history: a handwritten depiction observed on a document to show authorship and will

20.  For marketing or advocacy purposes, a signage refers to the collective use of signs to convey a message.

A sign language (also signed language) is a language which chiefly uses manual communication to convey meaning, as opposed to acoustically conveyed sound patterns. This can involve simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to express a speaker's thoughts. Sign languages share many similarities with spoken languages (sometimes called "oral languages", which depend primarily on sound), which is why linguists consider both to be natural languages. Although there are also some significant differences between signed and spoken languages, such as how they use space grammatically, sign languages show the same linguistic properties and use the same language faculty as do spoken languages. They should not be confused with body language, which is a kind of non-linguistic communication.

Wherever communities of deaf people exist, sign languages have developed, and are at the cores of local deaf cultures. Although signing is used primarily by the deaf, it is also used by others, such as people who can hear, but cannot physically speak. Sign languages convey much of their prosody through non-manual signs. Postures or movements of the body, head, eyebrows, eyes, cheeks, and mouth are used in various combinations to show several categories of information, including lexical distinction, grammatical structure, adjectival or adverbial content, and discourse functions.

UNIT III

Q.13.   Illustrate the full format of a business letter.

Ans.    Notes given separately.

Q.14.   State and explain the various types of Business letters.

Ans.    The term “business letters” refers to any written communication that begins with a salutation, ends with a signature and whose contents are professional in nature. Historically, business letters were sent via postal mail or courier, although the Internet is rapidly changing the way businesses communicate. There are many standard types of business letters, and each of them has a specific focus.

a.       Sales Letters

Typical sales letters start off with a very strong statement to capture the interest of the reader. Since the purpose is to get the reader to do something, these letters include strong calls to action, detail the benefit to the reader of taking the action and include information to help the reader to act, such as including a telephone number or website link.

b.      Order Letters

Order letters are sent by consumers or businesses to a manufacturer, retailer or wholesaler to order goods or services. These letters must contain specific information such as model number, name of the product, the quantity desired and expected price. Payment is sometimes included with the letter.

c.       Complaint Letters

The words and tone you choose to use in a letter complaining to a business may be the deciding factor on whether your complaint is satisfied. Be direct but tactful and always use a professional tone if you want the company to listen to you.

d.      Adjustment Letters

An adjustment letter is normally sent in response to a claim or complaint. If the adjustment is in the customer’s favor, begin the letter with that news. If not, keep your tone factual and let the customer know that you understand the complaint.

e.       Inquiry Letters

Inquiry letters ask a question or elicit information from the recipient. When composing this type of letter, keep it clear and succinct and list exactly what information you need. Be sure to include your contact information so that it is easy for the reader to respond.

f.       Follow-Up Letter

Follow-up letters are usually sent after some type of initial communication. This could be a sales department thanking a customer for an order, a businessman reviewing the outcome of a meeting or a job seeker inquiring about the status of his application. In many cases, these letters are a combination thank-you note and sales letter.

g.      Letters of Recommendation

Prospective employers often ask job applicants for letters of recommendation before they hire them. This type of letter is usually from a previous employer or professor, and it describes the sender’s relationship with and opinion of the job seeker.

h.      Acknowledgment Letters

Acknowledgment letters act as simple receipts. Businesses send them to let others know that they have received a prior communication, but action may or may not have taken place.

i.        Cover Letter

Cover letters usually accompany a package, report or other merchandise. They are used to describe what is enclosed, why it is being sent and what the recipient should do with it, if there is any action that needs to be taken. These types of letters are generally very short and succinct.

j.        Letters of Resignation

When an employee plans to leave his job, a letter of resignation is usually sent to his immediate manager giving him notice and letting him know when the last day of employment will be. In many cases, the employee also will detail his reason for leaving the company.

Q.15.   How can one improve upon his/her reading skills?

Ans.    Improving reading skills will reduce unnecessary reading time and enable one to read in a more focused and selective manner. One will also be able to increase their levels of understanding and concentration. Following are certain points on how to read with greater efficiency and effectiveness by using a range of different reading skills.

            Reading for study

You already use a range of reading styles in everyday situations. The normal reading style that you might use for reading a novel is to read in detail, focusing on every word in sequence from start to finish. If it is a magazine you are reading, you might flick through the pages to see which articles are of interest. When you look in a telephone directory for a particular name, you purposefully ignore all other entries and focus your attention on spotting the name you want. These everyday reading skills can be applied to your studies.

To improve your reading skills you need to:

·         have clear reading goals;

·         choose the right texts;

·         use the right reading style;

·         use note taking techniques.

Reading goals

Clear reading goals can significantly increase your reading efficiency. Not everything in print will be of use to you. Use reading goals to select and prioritise information according to the task in hand.

Reading goals can be:

·         an essay or seminar subject;

·         a report brief;

·         a selected subject area;

·         a series of questions about a specific topic.

Use your reading goals to help you identify the information that is relevant to your current task.

Choosing a text

You will need to assess the text to see if it contains information that is relevant to your reading goals.

·         Check the date of publication. Is the information up-to-date?

·         Read the publisher's blurb at the back or inside sleeve for an overview of the content.

·         Check the contents page for relevant chapters.

·         Look up references for your topic in the index.

If the text does not seem relevant, discard it.

Once you have selected a text you can use the following techniques of scanning and skimming to help you identify areas for detailed reading.

Scanning

Scanning is the technique you might use when reading a telephone directory. You pass your vision speedily over a section of text in order to find particular words or phrases that are relevant to your current task. You can scan:

·         the introduction or preface of a text;

·         the first or last paragraphs of chapters;

·         the concluding or summarising chapter of a text;

·         the book index.

Skimming

Skimming is the process of speedy reading for general meaning. Let your eyes skip over sentences or phrases which contain detail. Concentrate on identifying the central or main points. Use this technique to:

·         pre-view a selection of text prior to detailed reading;

·         refresh your understanding of a selection of text following detailed reading.

Detailed reading and note taking

Once you have selected useful information, you can begin to read in detail. Note taking techniques provide a useful aid to reading. Use:

·         underlining and highlighting to pick out what seem to you the most central or important words and phrases. Do this in your own copy of texts or on photocopies - never on borrowed texts;

·         keywords to record the main headings as you read. Use one or two keywords for each main point. Keywords can be used when you don't want to mark the text;

·         questions to encourage you to take an active approach to your reading. Record your questions as you read. They can also be used as prompts for follow up work;

·         summaries to check you have understood what you have read. Pause after a section of text and put what you have read in your own words. Skim over the text to check the accuracy of your summary, filling in any significant gaps.

These techniques encourage an active engagement with the text as well as providing you with a useful record of your reading. Avoid passively reading large amounts of text, it does not make effective use of your time. Always use a note taking technique to increase your levels of concentration and understanding.

Increasing your reading speed

It is more important to improve your reading skills than your reading speed. Being focused and selective in your reading habits will reduce the time you spend reading. If, in addition to using a range of reading skills you want to increase your reading speed, then the following technique will be of use.

The average reading speed is about 240-300 words per minute. For the average reader, the eye fixes on each word individually.

It is easy for your eye to recognise 4 or 5 words in a single fixation without a loss of understanding.

The key to increasing your reading speed is not to increase the speed at which your eyes move across the page, but to increase the word span for a single fixation. A simple way of developing the habit of taking in more than one word per fixation is to take a page of text and divide it length ways into three with two lines drawn down the page. Using a pen or pencil as a pointer, read each line of text by allowing your eye to fall only in the middle of each of the three sections, as indicated by your pointer.

Developing your reading speed

·         Don't worry about how quickly you are reading but instead, concentrate on reading the line in only three fixations.

·         As this becomes more natural, practise without drawing lines.

·         Later, reduce the number of fixations to two per line.

·         Once this increased word span becomes a comfortable habit, an increase in your reading speed will occur.

Summary

·         Have a clear focus for your reading. Set your reading goals.

·         Survey the text before you spend the time and effort involved in detailed reading.

·         Scan and skim to select the text for detailed reading.

·         Scan and skim after detailed reading to reinforce your understanding.

·         Use a form of note taking whilst reading in detail, to keep you concentrating, aid understanding and provide you with a record of your reading.

·         Using clear reading goals and a variety of reading skills is more important than increasing your reading speed.

·         To improve your reading speed, don't increase the speed of the eye across the page, but increase the number of words the eye recognises in a single fixation.

Q.16.   Pen down the Format of the following:

            a)         Memo

            b)         Notice

            c)         Circular

Ans.    Notes given separately.

UNIT IV

Q.17.   What are the points to be kept in mind while preparing a presentation?

Ans.    Guidelines for Designing the Presentation

The design and the layout of the presentation have an impact on how the audience receives it. Therefore, you need to focus more on the clarity of your presentation and the content.

Following are some points you should consider when designing your presentation.

·                      Derive the top three goals that you want to accomplish through your presentation. The entire presentation should focus on achieving these three goals. If you are not clear about what you want to achieve, your audience can easily miss the point of your presentation.

·                      Understand what your audience is. Think why they are there to see your presentation and their expectations. Study the background of the audience in advance if possible. When you do the presentation, make sure that you communicate to them that they are 'selected' for this presentation.

·                      Have a list of points that you want to communicate to your audience, prioritize them accordingly. See whether there is any point that is difficult to understand by the audience. If there are such points, chunk them further.

·                      Decide on the tone you want to use in the presentation. It could be motivational, informational, celebration, etc.

·                      Prepare an opening speech for the presentation. Do not spend much time on it though.

·                      Point out all contents in brief and explain them as you've planned.

·                      Have a Q&A (questions and answers) session at the end of the presentation.

Choosing the Presentation Materials

When your presentation is supported by additional material, you can make more impact on the audience. Reports, articles and flyers are just a few examples.

If your presentation is informative and a lot of data is presented, handing out a soft or hard copy of your presentation is a good idea.

Following are some guidelines on presentation materials:

·                      Make sure that you check the computer, projector and network connectivity in advance to the presentation. I'm sure you do not want to spend the first half of your presentation fixing those in front of your audience.

·                      Use a simple, but consistent layout. Do not overload the presentation with images and animations.

·                      When it comes to time allocation, spend 3-5 minutes for each slide. Each slide should ideally have about 5-8 bullet lines. This way, the audience can stay focused and grab your points.

·                      Do not distribute the supplementary material before the presentation. They may read the material during the presentation and miss what you say. Therefore, distribute the material after the presentation.

Presentation Delivery

Delivering the presentation is the most important step of the process. This is where you make the primary contact with your audience. Consider the following points in order to deliver an effective presentation.

·                      Be prepared for your presentation. Complete the designing phase of the presentation and practice it a few times before you actually do it. This is the most important part of your presentation. Know the content of your presentation in and out. When you know your presentation, you can recover if something goes wrong.

·                      Use true examples to explain your points. If these examples are common to you and the audience, it will have a great impact. Use your personal experiences to show them the practical point of view.

·                      Relax! Stay relaxed and calm during the presentation. Your body language is quite important for the audience. If they see you tensed, they may not receive what you say. They may even judge you!

·                      Use humour in the presentation. Use it naturally to make your point. Do not try to crack jokes when you are not supposed to do it.

·                      Pay attention to details. Remember the old saying; devil is in details. Choose the place, people and materials wisely.

Q.18.   How should one prepare a speech?

Ans.    Preparing a speech isn't difficult. There are tried-and-true steps for putting together a talk, to get a speech in order and speech anxiety under control.

1.         Be clear on the occasion. It's important to know what kind of speech you're giving and why your audience is gathering to hear it in order to get started on the right foot. Understand if your speech is meant to be a personal narrative, informative, persuasive or ceremonial.

·       Personal narrative. A narrative is just another word for story. If you're asked to tell a story about yourself, find out if the intention is to use something that's happened to you in order to teach a lesson, convey a moral, offer inspiration or simply to entertain.

·       Informative speech. There are two kinds of informative speeches: process and expository. If you're charged with doing a process speech, the idea is for you to explain how something is done, how something is made or how something works. You take your audience step-by-step through the process. If your speech is meant to be expository, your job is to take what might be a complex subject and break it down into sections as a way of educating your audience about the topic.

·       Persuasive speech. If you're meant to persuade, then your job is to convince your audience to adopt a particular way of thinking, a belief or a behavior that you advocate for.

·       Ceremonial speech. Ceremonial speeches run the gamut from wedding toasts to eulogies, from graduation speeches to farewell addresses. Many of these speeches are intended to be short and the focus is often on entertaining, inspiring or increasing the audience's appreciation for someone or something.

2.         Pick a topic that will interest your audience. If you have the option, choose to speak about something that your audience will find interesting or enjoyable. Sometimes, you don't have a choice about your topic--you find yourself assigned to speak about something in particular. In that case, you must look for ways to keep your audience engaged in what you have to say.

3.         Set a goal. Write a one-sentence statement about what you want to accomplish on behalf of your audience. It could be something as simple as "I want my audience to learn the four things they should look for when buying a diamond" or "I want to convince my audience to give up fast food for a month." It may sound simplistic, but writing down this kind of goal statement does two thing: it helps keep you on track as you begin putting your speech together, and it helps remind you to keep your focus on your audience as you move through your speech preparation process.

4.         Always keep your audience in mind. It would be a terrible waste of time and effort if you devoted yourself to putting a speech together and the audience tuned out or couldn't remember a word you said by the time you were done. You continually want to think of ways to make what you have to say interesting, helpful, relevant and memorable to your audience.

·       Read the newspaper. If you can find a way to link your speech topic to something that's happening in the news, you can highlight the relevance of what you have to say to your audience.

·       Translate numbers. Using statistics in your speech can be impactful, but they can be even more meaningful if you translate them in a way the audience can understand. For example, you could say that worldwide, 7.6 million people die of cancer every year, but to make it more relatable, you might want to follow it up by saying that that number represents the entire population of Switzerland.

·       Express the benefits. It's a good idea to let an audience know exactly what they'll get out of your speech, so that they're primed to listen. If they'll learn how to save money, tell them. If the information you're about to share will make their lives easier in some way, make that clear. If they'll gain a new appreciation of someone or something, let them know.

5.         Know your subject. In some cases, you might need to do nothing more than sit down, gather your thoughts and put all of your ideas on paper. Other times, your topic will be unfamiliar enough that you must do research in order to speak about it knowledgeably. Most times, you'll fall somewhere in between the two extremes.

6.         Do broad research. The internet can be a great source to find out more about your speech topic, but don't necessarily stop there. If you're a student, use your school's library or library databases. Many public libraries subscribe to databases that house thousands and thousands of articles. I you have a library card, you have free access to those databases. Think about interviewing someone who's an expert in your topic or conducting a survey. The more ways you go at gathering the information you need, the more successful you're likely to be. Plus, using various research sources gives your speech breadth.

7.         Avoid plagiarism. When you do use information you got from an outside source in your speech, plan to give credit to that source. To do so, keep track of where you're getting your information so that you can cite it later on.

8.         Decide if you'll outline or script. Narrative, informative and persuasive speeches lend themselves well to being outlined while ceremonial speeches are best written out.

·       Outline. When you outline, you're simply organizing and structuring your speech as a series of points. For example, if you were giving the speech mentioned above: "I want my audience to learn the four things they should look for when buying a diamond," you might designate one point for "Cut," one for "Color," one for "Clarity" and one for "Carat." Under each of those points, you'd offer your audience more information and detail.

Outlines can be written in complete sentences or they can be a series of abbreviated phrases and reminders. Another approach is to begin by writing complete sentences and then transferring your outline on to note cards on which you abbreviate those sentences using just the words and memory prompts you need.

·       Script. One reason that it makes sense to write out ceremonial speeches is because the words you choose to express yourself in these kinds of speeches are particularly important. You're meant to inspire or entertain or pay tribute to someone, so saying exactly what you mean and have prepared increases your chances for success.

Pull out your old English textbooks and review things like similes, metaphors, alliteration and other kinds of figurative language. These kinds of devices can add to the impact of a ceremonial speech.

Beware one pitfall of the scripted speech: having a page full of words in front of you can cause you to fall into the trap of simply reading from your script without every looking up, making eye contact or engaging with the audience in any way. Thorough practice should help to eliminate your chances of falling into this trip.

9.         Be sure you have all the pieces in place. A speech includes three basic pieces: an introduction, a body and a conclusion. Be sure your speech contains all of these elements.

·       Introduction. There are two things that most good introductions include: an attention-getter and a preview of what's to come in the speech.

·       Give an attention-getter. The most important thing you must do in your introduction is to grab your audience's attention. You can do this in a number of ways: ask a question, say something surprising, offer startling statistics, use a quote or proverb related to your speech topic or tell a short story. Take the time to figure out how you'll grab your audience's attention--it's easier to get them hooked in the beginning than to try to get them interested as your speech progresses.

·       Offer a preview. Think of a preview as kind of the "coming attractions" of your speech. Plan to tell your audience the main points you'll talk about in your speech. There's not need to go into any detail here; you'll get to that when you come to the body of your speech. You can write a preview that's simply one sentence in length to cover what you need to say here.

·       Body. The body is where the "meat" of your speech resides. The points you outlined or the information your scripted make up the body. There are several ways to organize the information within the body of your speech--in time sequence, in step order, from most important point to least important point, problem-solution, to name just a few. Choose an organizational pattern that makes sense based on your speech goal.

·       Conclusion. There are two things to accomplish in your conclusion. this is not the place to introduce any new information; instead, the idea is to wrap things up in a way that's memorable and definite.

·       Give a summary. One of the way an audience remembers what a speech was about is through intentional repetition. In your introduction, you gave a preview of what you'd be talking about. In your speech body, you talked about those things. Now, in your conclusion, you remind your audience what you talked about. Simply offer a brief review of the main points you touched on in your speech.

·       End with a clincher. A clincher is a memorable, definitive statement that gives your speech a sense of closure. One easy way to do this is to write a clincher that refers back to what you said in the attention-getter of your speech. This helps bring your presentation full circle and provides a sense of closure.

10.     Give yourself plenty of time. The more time you have to practice your speech, the more prepared you'll feel, and as a result, the less nervous you'll feel. One guideline for the amount of time to spend on preparing a speech is one to two hours for every minute you'll be speaking. For example, you might want to devote 5 to 10 hours of prep time for a 5-minute speech. Of course, that includes ALL of your preparation from start to finish; your rehearsal would be just a portion of that time.

Leave yourself time to practice. If you're given to procrastinating, you could find yourself with very little or no time to practice before you deliver your speech, which could leave you feeling unprepared and anxious.

11.     Practice in front of people. Whenever possible, give your speech in front of family members and friends. If you want their feedback, give them specific guidelines for what you'd like them to comment on so that you don't feel overwhelmed by helpful notes.

·       Look at your audience. Almost nothing does more to keep an audience engaged than eye contact from a speaker. As you rehearse your speech, be sure to look at the family members or friends who've agreed to be your audience. It takes a bit of practice to be able to look at your outline, script or note cards, capture a thought or two and then come up and deliver that information while looking at your audience. It's yet another reason why rehearsal time is so important.

·       If you don't have the opportunity to practice in front of people, be sure that when you do rehearse, that you say your speech aloud. You don't want your speech day to be the first time you hear the words of your speech coming out of your mouth. Plus, speaking out loud gives you a chance to double-check and correct any mispronunciations, practice articulating your words clearly and confirm the timing of your speech (We speak more quickly when we simply recite a speech in our heads).

12.     Be OK with changes. One thing rehearing your speech allows you to do is to make any necessary changes. If it's running too long, you have to cut some material. If it's too short or some sections seem skimpy, you add more. Not only that, but each time you practice your speech aloud, it will come out a bit differently. That's perfectly fine. You're not a robot, you're a person. It's not necessary to get your speech word-for-word perfect, what matters is conveying the information in an engaging and memorable way.

13.     Reducing Speech Anxiety.  It's common for people to feel physical symptoms of nervousness--rapidly beating heart, quick breathing and shaky hands--before giving a speech. That's a perfectly normal response caused by a release of adrenaline in the body--something that happens when we feel threatened. The key is to engage in physical activity to help move the adrenaline through your system and allow it to dissipate.

·       Clench and release. Ball up your fists really, really tight and hold for a second or two and then release. Repeat this a few times. You can do the same thing by squeezing the muscles in your calves very tightly and then releasing. With each release, you should feel a reduction in your adrenaline-induced symptoms.

·       Take deep breaths. The adrenaline in your system causes you to take more shallow breaths that, in turn, increase your feeling of anxiety. You need to break the cycle. Take a deep breath through your nose and allow the air to fill your belly. Once your belly is full, let your breath fill and expand your ribcage. Finally, allow your breath to move fully into your chest. Open your mouth slightly and begin to exhale starting first with the air in your chest, then the air in your ribcage and finally the breath in your belly. Repeat this inhale-exhale cycle five times.

14.     Focus on your audience. While it might seem difficult to believe, a good speech is really not about you, the speaker. It's about the audience. Plan to put your total focus and concentration on your audience throughout your speech, especially in the beginning. Really take them in and check out the non-verbal messages they're sending you--do they understand what you're saying? do you need to slow down? are they in agreement with you? would they be open to you moving closer to make a stronger connection? If you put your attention fully on your audience, you won't have time to think about your own nerves or anxiety.

15.     Stay positive. Even if you're feeling nervous, do your best not to engage in a lot of negative talk. Instead of saying "This speech is going to be a disaster" say instead "I did the best I could preparing this speech." Replace "I'm a nervous wreck" with "I feel nervous, but I know that's normal before a speech, and I won't let that stop me from doing my best."

Negative thoughts are incredibly powerful--one estimate is that you need five positive thoughts to counteract every one negative thought you have, so steer clear of them.

Q.19.   What is the difference between a speech and a presentation?

Ans.    A presentation usually has visual aids.  A speech is more reliant on the spoken word.  When you give a speech, you are talking to your audience and they are listening. When you give a presentation, your audience is usually learning something from you and you want them to take some kind of action.

A speech is an event where a speaker stands before a group of listeners and transmits information by no other means than speaking to the group. The audience listens passively and may or may not be invited to ask questions at the conclusion of the speech.

A presentation may or may not include a speech. During a presentation, the speaker uses additional media to transmit information to the audience. These media may include visual aids such as PowerPoint or handouts, video clips, audio clips, and other items. The presentation may or may not include audience participation, and questions may occur during or following the presentation.

The main differences really boils down to the connotations of the words themselves. Speech is defined by Merriam-Webster as "something that is spoken,a usually public discourse."A speech is a type of oral recitation, whether from memory or notes. It is a way to communicate ideas auditorily to an audience, with a specific purpose in mind.

Presentation, on the other hand, is usually referred to as a more interactive experience. Salesmen present their sales pitch, showing the item being sold, demonstrating its good qualities, and letting the consumer ask questions. Presentations are about giving the information in a way that appeals to the audience, rather than necessarily speaking the information.

There is really one clear and real difference between speech and presentations. Speeches contain only spoken words. In contract presentation include other methods of conveying information such as flip-charts, slides, power point presentations, videos, physical models and even demonstrations. All other differences between either result from this primary difference or is more a difference in usage of language.

On some occasions presentation are more suited and on others speeches are more suited. For example, when a lot of factual data and analysis is to be conveyed, the additional aids of presentation are very useful, but when the speakers intends to appeal to emotions of the audience only verbal speeches are more effective. For this reasons presentations may be used more frequently when cold logic and data is involved. In other situations speeches are used more often. Because of this some people also differentiate between speech and presentation based on occasion and the subject matter. However, it is worth while noting that in certain type of situations the word presentation is more common irrespective of the format for presenting information used. For example, scholars always make presentation at seminars, even if it consists wholly of words spoken by them, and politicians always give speeches at election rallies, even when they use some presentation aids.

Q.20.   Give some Guidelines for using visual aids.

Ans.    Many of the guidelines for using visual aids in oral presentations mirror those for written documents: they need to fit the needs of the audience; they must be simple; they must be clear and easy to understand.

How many visual aids should I use?

Some kinds of oral presentations will require one kind of visual aid; presentations conveying complex information may require several kinds of visual aids.

What type of visual aids should I use?

You can use drawings, graphs, props and objects, a blackboard with an outline, charts,      demonstrations, pictures, statistics, cartoons, photographs, maps, etc. Use anything that       will help people SEE what you MEAN!

How do I design effective visual aids?

Because your visual aids will be seen while the audience is listening to you, you will need to be sure that all visuals are as simple as possible and as easy to read:

• Avoid too much information on any single visual.

• Use boldface type in a font size that can be easily read.

• Use sans serif type because if produces a sharper image for slides and       transparencies.

• Limit the fonts you use to two per visual.

• Avoid all caps.

• Use a type--size and font--that contrasts distinctly with the background.

• Avoid visuals that use too many colors--more than four on any one aid.

• If you are preparing slides or transparencies for video conferencing, use the plain background and a color--such as yellow or light green--and black text. Color can enhance a visual, but it can also reduce the effectiveness of the message. The point is to use good judgment in visual design. Use visual aids, but don't overdo color or text.

• Templates available in programs such as Powerpoint are tempting, but they may not be readable when text is placed on them!

• Avoid making your audience study your aids. If they are busy trying to decipher your visual aid, they will not be listening to you.

• Bar graphs, circle graphs, simple diagrams, pictures, and lists are standard types of visual aids. Whatever aid you decide to use, limit the aid to only the concept, data, or point you are trying to make. Use bar graphs, line graphs, or circle graphs rather than tables, particularly if the table has more than one column.. Tables are harder to interpret than a graphic presentation of the content. Also, tables can easily contain too much information and are more acceptable in written reports, where the reader has time to study them.

• Be sure that what the visual says is immediately evident.

• Computer graphics and programs such as Harvard Graphics, Powerpoint, and Excel in combination with color printers and slide projection equipment give you the opportunity to experiment with graphic design. Try developing visual aids that are visually pleasing as well as clear.

• Use technology whenever possible. Some web sites have visuals that you can use for presentations about that topic.

• Technology allows speakers to download graphs, drawings, and figures from the World Wide Web. The Web is perhaps one of the richest, newest, most colourful sources of visual aids.

Many presentation rooms now have ethernet connections and even computers that have the appropriate software to run a browser such as Netscape. When the computer is connected to an overhead projector, Web images can be shown on a screen. Because of the increasingly rich range of materials available on the World Wide Web, resources available to enhance any oral presentations are almost limitless. Even if the room in which you will give a presentation does not have ethernet connections, you can still print Web materials via a color copier onto paper or transparency masters.

How do I use my visual aids effectively?

The key to using graphics and visual aids effectively requires using them so that they make the maximum impact. Begin your presentation with no aids, as you want your audience to be listening to you, not looking at props, specimens, or other visual aids. Present the aid at the appropriate point in your presentation, then remove it immediately. Present the aid; give your audience a few seconds to comprehend it, and then comment on the aid. Use a pointer, such as a laser pointer, to focus your audience on the part of the graphic you are discussing.

• Be sure to speak slowly and deliberately as you explain or use a graphic to avoid confusing your audience. In addition, remember to talk to your audience members, keeping eye contact with them, not your visual aid.

• When you use slides, tell the audience what they will see, show them the slide; give them time to digest what they are seeing; then comment on the slide.

• Turn off the projector lamp between slides. Do not begin talking about another topic while a slide, depicting a past topic, is still showing. Remember: people cannot see and listen at the same time.


Following are a few links for MCQs:

https://www.examveda.com/management/practice-mcq-question-on-business-communication/

https://scholarexpress.com/multiple-choice-questions-mcq-with-answers-on-business-communication/

https://www.vskills.in/practice/business-communication

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