Module-1 Introduction to
Technical Communication
Fundamentals of Technical Communication Skills
Technical communication is a means to convey scientific, engineering,
or other technical information. ... Technical communicators may put the
information they capture into paper documents, web pages, computerbased training, digitally stored text, audio, video, and other media.
accurate, clear, concise, coherent, and appropriate- the main features.
General VS Technical Communication
• General Communication
• • Contains a general message
• Informal in style and approach
• No set pattern of communication
• Mostly oral
• Not always for a specific audience
• Does not involve the use of technical vocabulary or graphics etc
• Technical Communication
• • Contains a technical message
• Mostly formal
• Follows a set pattern
• Both oral and written
• Always for a specific audience
• Frequently involves jargon , graphics etc
Verbal and non-verbal communication
• Verbal communication uses language, words, sentences, and voice as
the medium of communication. Nonverbal communication uses
body language, facial expressions, tone, and pauses in speech as the
medium of communication.
• Oral and Written Communication
Oral communication
• Oral communication is the process of verbally transmitting information and ideas
from one individual or group to another. Oral communication can be either
formal or informal. Examples of informal oral communication include:
• Face-to-face conversations
• Telephone conversations
• Discussions that take place at business meetings
More formal types of oral communication include:
• Presentations at business meetings
• Classroom lectures
• Commencement speeches given at a graduation ceremony
Advantages of Oral communication
• Less expensive
• Saves time
• Immediate feedback
• Personal contact
• Useful in difficult situations
• Co-operative spirit
• Useful in secret matters
• Persuasive
• Useful for all kinds of audiences
Disadvantages of Oral communication
• No legality
• Lack of accountability
• Low reference value
• Greater scope for errors
• Easily forgotten
• Not useful for long distance
Written Communication
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Clarity
Conciseness
Tone
Grammar and punctuation
1. Know your goal before you begin writing
2. Include only need-to-know details
3. Make use of outlines
4. Keep it professional
5. Edit thoroughly
Advantages
1. It
is suitable for long distance communication and repetitive standing orders.
2. It creates permanent record of evidence. It can be used for future reference.
3. It gives the receiver sufficient time to think, act and react.
4. It can be used as legal document.
5. It can be sent to many persons at a time.
6. It is suitable for sending statistical data, chart, diagram, pictures, etc.
7. Order, allocation of work, job distribution, etc. in written form reduce
ambiguity and help in fixation of responsibility.
8. Uniformity in work procedure can be maintained through written
communication.
9. It is easy to send unpleasant or bad news through written communication.
10. A good written communication can create goodwill and promote business.
Disadvantages
1. It is time-consuming. Composing a message in writing takes much
time.
Writing letters, typing orders, notices, etc. and sending to appropriate
destination require time.
Feedback process also is not instant.
2. It is expensive not so much due to postal charges but in terms of so
many people spending so much of their time.
3. It cannot maintain strict secrecy which would have been possible in
oral communication.
4. Written communication has no scope for immediate clarification if
not understood properly.
5. Being written in nature it is less flexible and cannot be changed
easily.
6. It is not effective in the case of emergency.
Non-verbal communication
• Nonverbal communication refers to gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice,
eye contact (or lack thereof), body language, posture, and other ways people
can communicate without using language.
• Facial expressions. The human face is extremely expressive, able to convey
countless emotions without saying a word. ...
• Body movement and posture. ...
• Gestures. ...
• Eye contact. ...
• Touch. ...
• Space. ...
• Voice. ...
Barriers to Effective Communication
• The use of jargon.
• Emotional barriers and taboos.
• Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver.
• Differences in perception and viewpoint.
• Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.
• Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar
accents.
• Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or
stereotyping.
• Cultural differences.
Interpersonal communication skills
• When you have the opportunity to observe some interpersonal
communication, make a mental note of the behaviours used, both
verbal and non-verbal.
Observe and think about the following factors:
• Who are the communicators?
• What messages were exchanged?
• What (if any) noise distorts the message?
• How is feedback given?
• What is the context of the communication?
• You probably do this all the time, subconsciously, but when you
actively observe interpersonal communication you can more fully
appreciate its mechanics.
• By observing others - making a conscious effort to understand how
communication occurs - you will think about how you communicate
and be more aware of the messages you send. This provides a perfect
opportunity for you to develop your interpersonal communication
skills.
Interpersonal communication is a key life skill and
can be used to:
• Give and collect information.
• Influence the attitudes and behaviour of others.
• Form contacts and maintain relationships.
• Make sense of the world and our experiences in it.
• Express personal needs and understand the needs of others.
• Give and receive emotional support.
• Make decisions and solve problems.
• Anticipate and predict behaviour.
• Regulate power.
Interpersonal communication
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The Communicators
The Message
Noise
Feedback
Context
Channel
Nine Tips for Improving Your Interpersonal Skills
• Cultivate a positive outlook. ...
• Control your emotions. ...
• Acknowledge others' expertise. ...
• Show a real interest in your colleagues. ...
• Find one good trait in every co-worker. ...
• Practice active listening. ...
• Be assertive. ...
• Practice empathy.
• Maintain your relationship
Grammar
• THE EIGHT PARTS OF SPEECH
• There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb,
preposition, conjunction, and interjection.
• 1. NOUN
• A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.
• man... Butte College... house... happiness
• A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are often used with an article
(the, a, an), but not always. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter; common nouns do
not. Nouns can be singular or plural, concrete or abstract. Nouns show possession by
adding 's. Nouns can function in different roles within a sentence; for example, a noun can be a
subject, direct object, indirect object, subject complement, or object of a preposition.
• The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared.
Oh my!
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2. PRONOUN
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.
She... we... they... it
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. A pronoun is usually
substituted for a specific noun, which is called its antecedent. In the
sentence above, the antecedent for the pronoun she is the girl. Pronouns
are further defined by type: personal pronouns refer to specific persons or
things; possessive pronouns indicate ownership; reflexive pronouns are
used to emphasize another noun or pronoun; relative pronouns introduce
a subordinate clause; and demonstrative pronouns identify, point to, or
refer to nouns.
• The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and
then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!
• 3. VERB
• A verb expresses action or being.
• jump... is... write... become
• The verb in a sentence expresses action or being. There is a main verb
and sometimes one or more helping verbs. ("She can sing." Sing is the
main verb; can is the helping verb.) A verb must agree with its subject
in number (both are singular or both are plural). Verbs also take
different forms to express tense.
• The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and
then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!
• 4. ADJECTIVE
• An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.
• pretty... old... blue... smart
• An adjective is a word used to modify or describe a noun or a
pronoun. It usually answers the question of which one, what kind, or
how many. (Articles [a, an, the] are usually classified as adjectives.)
• The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and
then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!
• 5. ADVERB
• An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another
adverb.
• gently... extremely... carefully... well
• An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another
adverb, but never a noun. It usually answers the questions of when,
where, how, why, under what conditions, or to what degree. Adverbs
often end in -ly.
• The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher,
and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!
• 6. PREPOSITION
• A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a
phrase modifying another word in the sentence.
• by... with.... about... until
• (by the tree, with our friends, about the book, until tomorrow)
• A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase
modifying another word in the sentence. Therefore a preposition is always
part of a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase almost always
functions as an adjective or as an adverb. The following list includes the
most common prepositions:
• The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then
she quickly disappeared. Oh my!
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7. CONJUNCTION
A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses.
and... but... or... while... because
A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses, and indicates the
relationship between the elements joined. Coordinating conjunctions
connect grammatically equal elements: and, but, or, nor, for, so,
yet. Subordinating conjunctions connect clauses that are not equal:
because, although, while, since, etc. There are other types of conjunctions
as well.
• The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she
quickly disappeared. Oh my!
• 8. INTERJECTION
• An interjection is a word used to express emotion.
• Oh!... Wow!... Oops!
• An interjection is a word used to express emotion. It is often followed
by an exclamation point.
• The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and
then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!
The Process of Communication
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The Sender – encoding
Message
Channel
Receiver – decoding
Feedback