Communications VWR100

Course Structure: Communications VWR100

There are 8 lessons in this course:

    1.  Introduction
        Problems with Poor Communication
        Barriers to Effective Communication
        Giving Instructions
        Evaluating Instructions or Orders

  2.   Types of Communication
        What is Appropriate Communication
        Passive, aggressive and assertive Communication
        Listening
        Obstacles to Listening
        Empathic Listening
        Ways to Indicate You are Listening
        Informative Language
        Persuasive Language
        Imaginative Language
        Literal Language
        Figurative Language
        Formal Language
        Colloquial Language
        Communication Channels

   3.   Language Skills
        Reviewing your Writing
        Evaluating your Writing
        Concise Wording
        Condensing your Writing
        Common Problems contributing to Lack of Conciseness
        Clear Wording
        Making Meanings Clear
        Causes of Confusion; homophones, malopropisms, colloquial meanings, ambiguity
        Simplicity

    4.  Writing Skills
        Where Writing Skills are Used
        Writing for a Purpose
        Determining the Purpose
        Knowing Your Reader
        Guidelines for Effective Writing
        Language
        Planning What You Write
        Business Letters
        Writing a Business Letter
        Other Types of Business Documents
        Writing Themes
        Types of Themes: analogy, chronological theme
        Common Gramatical Errors to Avoid
        Punctuation

   5.   Developing Writing Skills
        Writing Fundamentals
        Improving a Piece of Writing
        Newspaper Writing
        Concise Wording
        Magazine Articles

  6.    Visual Communications
        Hand outs
        Visual Materials; illustration, charts
        Digital Technology
        Digital Applications; Graphics, CAD, Multi media, Internet, etc.

   7.   Public Speaking
        Audio Aids
        Recorded Presentations
        Speaking in Public
        Principles of Public Speaking
        Selling

    8.  Committee Meetings
        Functions of a Meeting
        Conducting a Committee Meeting
        Role of Office Bearers
        Taking Minutes in a Meeting

Aims:  Communications VWR100

• Explain the communication process
• Explain the types of communication approaches used.
• Demonstrate language skills that are concise and precise.
• Explain the importance of writing as an effective form of communication.
• Demonstrate writing skills as an effective form of communication.
• Describe various forms of visual communication and how they are generally used to impart messages.
• Prepare for effective verbal communication.
• Conduct committee meetings.

Effective Communication

People can Communicate poorly in many different ways, for example:

• Fragmented Sentence (ie.This is where a writer incorrectly ends a sentence that is not a complete sentence)
• Run on Sentences (ie. Two clauses or sentences are not separated.e.g. I ate this morning my friend ate leftovers).
• Comma Splices (ie. This occurs when two independent clauses are joined together by a comma. e.g. The soup cooked for three hours, it was tasteless.)
• Dangling Modifier (ie. A modifier is a word or phrase that modifies (tells more about) word or phrase. A dangling modifier occurs where the thing being modified is not included.  e.g. Typing at my computer, the foot rail broke off).
• Don't let poor communication create problems in the workplace which can lead to:
• Loss of income
• Loss of time - production
• Loss of respect
• Accidents
• Loss of customers
• Loss of employees

Effective communication means  you are making your message understood without causing any confusion.  All communication is a two-way process i.e. a person is sending a message and another is receiving it.  If communication is only one-way then the  information is sent but not understood by the person receiving it: or alternatively the receiver indicates that they do not understand.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the Academy, marked by the Academy's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.