Employability Skills I: Communication Skills-I

Hello students, welcome to Kwickprep. You spoke to many people today, but did everyone understand you? Good communication is the first skill every employer looks for. Today we will learn the communication cycle, the three methods of communication, the seven Cs, the barriers, and basic writing skills.

Let us start with the meaning. Communication means sharing ideas, feelings or information. It always happens between two or more people. It is complete only when the other person understands the message in the same way we meant it.

Why is communication so important? It informs, like a teacher announcing the exam date. It persuades, like a shopkeeper convincing you to buy a better phone. It builds relationships with family, friends and colleagues. And in every job interview, clear speaking and writing help you get selected.

Communication works like a cycle. The sender is the person with an idea to share. The sender turns the idea into a message, using words, signs or pictures. The message travels through a channel, such as a phone call, a letter or a face to face talk. The receiver is the person who gets and understands the message. The receiver then replies, and this reply is called feedback. Feedback tells the sender whether the message was understood, and the cycle starts again.

Feedback is the most forgotten part of the cycle. It shows the sender that the message was understood. If the receiver is confused, the sender can explain again and correct the mistake. Feedback can be a spoken reply, a written message, or even a simple nod of the head.

There are three methods of communication. Verbal communication uses words, either spoken or written, like a phone call or an email. Non-verbal communication uses the body instead of words, like a smile or a handshake. Visual communication uses pictures, charts and signs, like a red traffic signal that means stop.

Verbal communication has two types. Oral communication is spoken, like a speech in the school assembly, so speak clearly at a steady speed. Written communication uses text, like a leave application to your class teacher, so check your spelling before you send it.

Our body keeps talking even when we are silent. The face shows feelings, and a smile is friendlier than a frown. Eye contact means looking at the speaker, which shows you are listening. Posture is the way we sit or stand, and sitting straight shows interest. Gestures are hand movements, and folded arms can look unfriendly.

Good messages follow the seven Cs. Clear and concise means the message is simple and short. Concrete and correct means using exact facts, like saying the bus leaves at eight, with no mistakes. Coherent means the ideas are in a logical order. Complete means all needed details are there, like date, time and place. Courteous means polite, so say please and thank you.

A barrier is anything that stops the message from being understood. Physical barriers are noise or distance, like loud traffic horns during a phone call. Language barriers happen when the receiver does not know the words used. Emotional barriers come from feelings like fear or anger. Cultural barriers happen when people from different places read the same gesture differently.

Most barriers can be removed. Use simple words that the listener knows. Choose a quiet place for important talks. Stay calm and listen fully before replying. Respect the customs of people from other cultures. And ask questions whenever something is not clear.

Now some basic writing skills. A capital letter starts every sentence and every name, like Riya and Pune. A full stop ends a statement. A comma shows a short pause inside a sentence. A question mark ends a question. Board exams often ask you to correct the punctuation in a sentence.

Every word in a sentence has a job, called its part of speech. A noun names a person, place or thing. A pronoun replaces a noun, so we say she instead of repeating Riya. A verb shows an action. An adjective describes a noun, like a tall boy. An adverb describes a verb, like running quickly.

Sentences also have types. A statement gives a fact and ends with a full stop. A question asks something and ends with a question mark. A command gives an order or a request. An exclamation shows a strong feeling and ends with an exclamation mark.

Now pause and predict. Look at this sentence, please pass the salt. Which type is it? It is a command, because it is a polite request.

Let us revise what we learned today. The communication cycle has a sender, a message, a channel, a receiver and feedback. The three methods are verbal, non verbal and visual. The seven Cs make every message clear and polite. Barriers can be physical, language, emotional or cultural. And good writing needs correct capitals, punctuation and sentence types. Practise by writing a short leave application today.