Professional English Notes, Lecture notes of English

Download Professional English Notes and more Lecture notes English in PDF only on Docsity! Professional English Module-1 Basics of technical English Objectives ➢ Providing learners with the skills and abilities ➢ Communicate in ways that make learners effective to operate confidently ➢ To develop strong conversation & role play skills ➢ To improve vocabulary Focus on a profession “Professional” is a category. It is a very general term that includes different professions. Professional English classes and courses usually cover the basic ideas, topics and vocabulary that you will need to know as per your required setting. Technical (Noun) connected with the practical use of machinery, methods, etc. in science and industry English is the language, originally of England, and now English language is spoken in many other countries and used as a language of international communication throughout the world. • S/he speaks good English. • I need to improve my English. Extents & Coverage: In technical English, we use words like, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs. It is not restricted to use the formal words in the fields of engineering or technology or in the field of sciences or in the use of law as well. Wherein the speaker use the certain technical or specialized terms to transmit and interchange messages within their own specialization. Technical English is used in both oral and written. It is the construction and presentation of a speaker, he speaks. Dimensions: A reader should understand the nuances or the multifarious aspects of technical English: listening, speaking, reading, writing, (LSRW) skills, grammar and vocabulary etc, these skills are very crucial for a speaker to improve his/her fluency in English. Grammar and vocabulary are the crucial part to improve the fluency and accuracy in your English, there are points that English should be free from all the grammatical errors, these points include the selection of appropriate words according to the contexts. Reading Reading skill refers to the ability to understand written text. It is advisable to develop this skill at early age of schooling. When students comprehend or understand written text, and combine their understanding with prior knowledge, they are able to perform the following three reading-comprehension skills. 1. Read the variety of materials. Do not limit yourself to the textbooks. 2. Circle unknown or unfamiliar words as you read. 3. After reading, recall as much of the information as possible. Jot down points if you like. 4. To enhance understanding of the content in a text 5. To improve attention and concentration while reading Skimming and Scanning Skimming and scanning are reading techniques that use rapid eye movement and keywords to move quickly through text for slightly different purposes. Skimming is reading rapidly in order to get a general overview of the material. Scanning is reading rapidly in order to find facts. You should understand that… • For which audience the text was written (general public, professionals, laymen…) • What type of text it is (report, informal letter, formal letter, article, advertisement…) • What are the purpose of author (to describe, to inform, to explain, to instruct, to persuade) and the general contents of the text? Churning & Assimilation Churning and assimilation are the integral part of reading. While skimming and scanning are the quick processes, and the churning and assimilation are slower. The words ‘churning and assimilation’ are related to the processes of stirring up in our mind the ideas, context, structure, etc., and grasping the contents of the reading text respectively. Writing skill Practice your English writing skills at your level. Writing different types of texts, like emails, text messages, essays and letters, is a very important skill for many learners of English, especially those who are learning English for their work or studies. Choose your level, from beginner to advanced, and start learning today by reading model texts and doing the exercises. Whether you need to improve your English writing skills for work, for studying or to be able to communicate effectively. Methods There are some simple steps that we can take to improve our written English and impress people with our writing skills. Impersonal Language: The use of impersonal language in technical communication involves the use of impersonal passive and the exclusion of personal elements and personal pronouns. The impersonal passive is the most important linguistic device used to make technical communication impersonal, objective, and informal. Impersonal passive may be used to describe scientific experiments, rules, procedures and processes. Listening “Listening is the process of creating meaning in the speaker”-Michael Rost Listening is receiving language through the ears. Listening involves identifying the sounds of speech and processing them into words and sentences. When we listen, we use our ears to receive individual sounds (letters, stress, rhythm and pauses) and we use our brain to convert these into messages that mean something to us. Active Listening Active listening is a particular communication technique that requires the listener to provide feedback on what he or she hears to the speaker, by way of restating or paraphrasing what they have heard in their own words. The goal of this repetition is to confirm what the listener has heard and to confirm the understanding of both parties. The ability to actively listen demonstrates sincerity, and that nothing is being assumed or taken for granted. Active listening is most often used to improve personal relationships, reduce misunderstanding and conflicts, strengthen cooperation, and foster understanding. Passive listening Passive Listening is listening without reacting: Allowing someone to speak, without interrupting. Not doing anything else at the same time. Thinking Strategies: Thinking strategies are very important to us as ideas can be generated by thinking. The mind is never idle and it continuously works with innumerable thoughts, which may be related to anyone or anything. It is difficult to keep the mind blanks with useful or useless thoughts, think positive and logical. Positive thinking It is a mental attitude in which you expect good and favorable results. In other words, positive thinking is the process of creating thoughts that create and transform energy into reality. A positive mind waits for happiness, health and a successful conclusion in any situation. Logical thinking: logical thinking is the process where you work rationally consistently to arrive at the conclusion. In the process you look for a structure for connection between facts and series for reassuring the sensibilities. It is one of the important skills to prove your point. Logical thinking will guide you in smoothly transforming your way of thought and assist you in molding your mind to thinking logically. You really be able to break down complicated problems accurately with the aid of this excellent subconscious. Speaking Speaking is an art of making vocal sounds. We can say that speaking means to converse, or expressing one’s thoughts and feelings in spoken language. To speak often implies conveying information. It may be from an informal remark to a scholarly presentation to a formal address. It is a productive skill in the oral mode. It like the other skills is more complicated than it seems at first and involves more than just pronouncing words. • Interactive • Partially interactive, and • Non-interactive Interactive Speaking Situations: it includes face to face conversations and telephone calls, in which we are alternately listening and speaking, and in which we have a chance to ask for clarification, repetition, or slower speech from our conversation partner. Partially interactive: it is a live situation for the audience, where the convention is that the audience does not interrupt the speech. The speaker nevertheless can see the audience and judge from the expressions on their faces and body language. Non-interactive: radio broadcasting. Speaking in public has more formality than talking. During a speech, you should present yourself professionally. This does not mean you must wear a suit or “dress up” but it does mean making yourself presentable by being well-groomed and wearing clean, appropriate clothes. It also means being prepared to use language correctly and appropriately, for the audience and the topic, to make eye contact with your audience, and to look like you know your topic very well. While speaking has more formality than talking, it has less formality than reading. Speaking allows for meaningful pauses, eye contact, small changes in word order, and vocal emphasis. Objectivity in speaking: speaking is personal and the use of personal pronouns and references help speakers make a point clear, one should try to be as objective as possible during any professional speaking situation like a seminar, a workshop, a meeting, or a discussion. One-way use of personal language during oral interaction in professional situations if one thinks this will improve one’s communicative effectiveness. However, it should be understood that technical communication involves transfer of information without any personal distortion. Impromptu Speaking Impromptu speaking is the presentation of a short message without advance preparation. Impromptu speeches often occur when someone is asked to “say a few words” on a special occasion. You have probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking: “Hi, my name is Rahul, and I’m a volunteer with the Homes for the Brave program.” Another example of impromptu speaking occurs when you answer a question such as, “What did you think of the documentary?” The advantage of this kind of speaking is that it is spontaneous and responsive in an animated group context. The disadvantage is that the speaker is given little or no time to think the central theme of his or her message. As a result, the message may be disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow. Extemporaneous Speaking Extemporaneous speaking is a very popular and effective method when carefully prepared. When speaking extempore a speaker must prepare the notes beforehand and rehearse his/her presentation. There is no need to remember each word line by line. The presentation sound should be quite natural to the audience, as after through the preparation the speaker is speaking while thinking. The advantages are that the speaker has enough time to prepare for the presentation, he works hard on the theme/central idea. He/she can present the theme in the best possible structured way. The delivery sounds natural and spontaneous to the audience as it allows to establish a rapport with the audience and enables to move free with ease. Disadvantages if preparation is inadequate, speaker can get lost and find himself uncomfortable. Speaking from a Manuscript Manuscript speaking is the word-for-word iteration of a written message. In a manuscript speech, the speaker maintains his or her attention on the printed page except when using visual aids. There are costs involved in manuscript speaking. First, it’s typically an uninteresting way to present. Unless the speaker has rehearsed the reading as a complete performance animated with vocal expression and gestures (as poets do in a poetry slam and actors do in a reader’s theater), the presentation tends to be dull. Keeping one’s eyes glued to the script precludes eye contact with the audience. For this kind of “straight” manuscript speech to hold audience attention, the audience must be already interested in the message before the delivery begins. Speaking from Memory This method of presentation is difficult for most of us. Probably only few things can be memorized in an entire speech. We often memories only the main parts that are in the habit of writing key words. Market super- Supermarket Suffixes Suffixes are added to the end of an existing word. For example Word suffix New word Child -ish Childish Work -er Worker Taste -less Tasteless Idol -ize/-ise Idolize/idolize Like -able Likeable Word formation in English The English language has a genius for the formation of expressive compound words. Common examples include sun-stroke, pick-pocket, elbow-room, land-lord, humming-bird etc. The two parts of a compound word are usually separated by a hyphen. However, in the case of many common compound words, the component parts have become so closely connected that they are now written as one word without any hyphen between them. Examples: sunstroke, landlord, pickpocket, overload etc. In addition, in the case of some other compound words, complete integration has been achieved by modifying one or both of the component parts. For example, pass time is now written as pastime. In the same way, holy day has become holiday and prime rose has become primrose. There are different types of compound words Noun + noun Examples: master-piece, table-cloth, maid-servant, bread-winner, shoe-maker etc. Noun + gerund Examples: wool-gathering, snake-charming, bull-baiting, sooth-saying etc. Noun + adjective Examples: court-martial, knight-errant Gerund + noun Examples: piping-hot, walking-stick, drawing-room, laughing-stock, skipping-rope etc. Adverb + noun Examples: out-patient, over-load, fore-sight, under-tone, in-sight etc. Verb + noun Examples: dare-devil, cut-throat, break-fast, spend-thrift, pass-port etc. Adjective + noun Examples: short-hand, free-thinker, lay-man, hard-ware, strong-hold etc. Present participle + noun Examples: humming-bird, flying-fish, loving-kindness etc. Pronoun + noun Examples: he-goat Possessive noun + noun (In this case, the apostrophe is usually omitted) Examples: sportsman, craftsman, statesman, hair’s-breadth, stone’s-throw Abbreviation Abbreviation involves shortening a word. We do this in three main ways: clipping, acronyms and blends. We use clipping when we shorten or ‘clip’ one or more syllables from a word. We also commonly clip proper names for people: such as… ad: advertisement, advert lab: laboratory Matt: Matthew Acronyms are a type of abbreviation formed when the initial letters of two or more words are combined in a way that produces consonant and vowel sequences found in words. Acronyms are normally pronounced as words: RAM: random access memory (RAM is a term used to describe a computer’s memory.) Initials are similar to acronyms but are pronounced as sets of letters, not as words: WHO: World Health Organization, pronounced W–H–O CD: compact disc, pronounced C–D We form blends when we combine parts of existing words to form a new word: blog: blend of web and log motel: blend of motor and hotel Abbreviations, initials and acronyms Back-formation We form words with back-formation when we remove part of a word; usually something, which we think, is a suffix (or occasionally a prefix). We do this commonly when we form verbs from nouns. For example: to liaise (back-formed from the noun liaison); to intuit (back-formed from the noun intuition), to enthuse (back-formed from the noun enthusiasm): Can you link with Tim and agree a time for the meeting, please? She is always enthusing about her new teacher. Loan words and new words English speakers have “stolen” words from other languages and added them to English. Those words are often called “loanwords,” especially if they were added to English recently. (The word “loan” means to give something to someone else temporarily.) Some recent loan words for food taken from other languages include; sushi, tapas, chapatti, pizza. When we use loan words, we do not normally change them, though we do sometimes inflect them if they are singular countable nouns (pizzas, chapattis). We also sometimes pronounce them more like English words, instead of using their original pronunciation. In English words of foreign origin are taken from many languages, including: African, Czech, Malay, Hawaiian, Persian, Tagalog, and many more. Such as… • African - banana, jumbo, yam, zebra • Chinese - ketchup, pekoe, shanghai • French - catalogue, essence, gourmet, justice, massage, perfume, regret, terror • Japanese - anime, karaoke, tycoon, hibachi, sushi • Norwegian - fjord, krill, ski, slalom • Tagalog - boondocks, manila, ylang ylang (a flower) • Welsh - corgi (dog), crag, penguin Homophones Homophones are words that have exactly the same sound (pronunciation) but different meanings and (usually) spelling. For example, the following two words have the same sound, but different meanings and spelling: hour (noun: 60 minutes) our (possessive adjective: belonging to us) bear (noun: large, heavy animal with thick fur) bear (verb: tolerate, endure) bear (noun: large, heavy animal with thick fur) bear (verb: tolerate, endure) bare (adjective: naked, without clothes) One Word Substitutes One-word substitutes as the phrase indicates itself are the words that are replace group of words or a full sentence effectively without creating any kind of ambiguity in the meaning of the sentences. Like the word. A government by the people - Democracy A government by a king or queen – Monarchy A game in which neither party wins- Draw A person who is above hundred years- Centenarian A grass eating animal- Herbivorous Requisites of Sentences A sentence is a group of words that carries a meaningful sense. It delivers the message of the sender/writer/speaker to the receiver/reader/listener without ambiguity or confusion. Sentences of English have S+V+O structure i.e. Subject-Verb-Object structure. It may vary as per the type of sentence/s. Avoid Odd Structures: The position of words in a sentence plays a vital role in inferring its meaning. If the order of words changes, it brings change to meaning as well. For example: Foreigners are hunting dogs. • She is an English teacher. • The passerby helped dog bite victim. All these sentences carry double meanings. Tense of sentence: There are three tenses in English: Present Tense Past Tense Future Tense All these tenses are categorized in sub divisions: Simple/ indefinite /Continuous/ Perfect/ Perfect continuous Types of Sentences There are four types of sentences in general; I.e. Assertive sentences, Interrogative sentences, Imperative sentences, exclamatory sentences The special category under exclamatory sentences is called optative, which deals with wishes and prayers. Structure of Sentences: The sentences according to their structure are categorized into three types: Simple sentences, Compound sentences, Complex sentences, it consists of single finite verb, non- finite verbs can be many *One principal clause+ one/more coordinate clauses= compound sentence ^One principal clause+ one/more subordinate clause= complex sentence Transformation of sentences: The sentences can be transformed from one type into another provided the meaning of the sentences should not change. There are some ways of doing this: Using ‘no sooner’….. ‘than’; hardly; scarcely, etc. Using ‘not only’..... ‘but also’ Using ‘question tags’ Removing or adding adverbs ‘too’, ‘if’ or ‘unless’ Exercise for Learners Transform the following sentences as directed. i. No man can live without air and water. (Interrogative) ii. There are forty boys in the class. iii. The boys of the class are laborious. (One Simple Sentence) IV. As soon as they reached the station, the train left the platform. (Use No sooner). Assignments: 1. What are the characteristics of effective technical writing? Describe a technical document by using the forms of technical writing. 2. What is the primary goal of technical writing, and how will it support to technocratic world? References: Raman. Sangeeta& Sharma. Sangeeta (2019). Professional English, Oxford University press. URL: https://www.slideshare.net/yadavkaushal1/requisites-of-sentence-constructionky https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/word-formation/word-formation https://www.thoughtco.com/word-formation-1692501 http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Words/wordtypes.html MODULE-III BASIC TECHNICAL WRITING SKILLS LETTER Writing Importance of letter writing Letter is an important channel to send information outside an organization. As it helps to reinforce professional and business relations, it is a positive instrument of professional exchange of ideas, opinions, and information. Everyday business dealings and the ordinary dealings of business would not be possible without letters. These days’ emails have replaced letters in many fields however; letters have still their own significances. Types of letters Personal letter: personal letter is an informal letter Business letter: it is a formal written letter, it is written in conventional form for a specific need. Writing effective business letters 1. Process of letter writing: it is easier to write a business letters in systematic way. Somehow, a typical process involves pre-writing, writing, and post writing. • Pre- writing • Writing • Post-writing Form and structure: to write a letter proper format is needed. As a letter with a poor and loose structure cannot get the attention of the reader, correct format and standard writing conventions should be followed while writing a letter. Parts of a business letter: a business letter includes ten elements, namely, sender’s address, date, reference, inside address, subject, salutation, body, complimentary close, signature, and enclosures. Sample Letter Format Contact Information (Your contact information. If you are writing on letterhead that includes your contact information, you do not need to include it at the start of the letter.) Your Name Your Address level or between officers who differ in ranks by one or two levels to seek or provide the pieces of information. There are the characteristics of DO letters: • Addressed to a particular officer by name and should directly reach him/her. It should be ensured that nobody en-route open the letter. • Addressee details are given at the end of the letter • Always end with the complementary close ‘Yours sincerely’ • A personal note could be included at the end if the writer is so desires • Should not be quoted in official letters unless they are included in records Differences between Official and Demi- Official letters Difference between official and demi-official letters:- Official letter Demi-official letter Various official interests are served through official letter To attain official objective through personal relation is the purpose of the demi-official letter. Its nature is official and impersonal. Its nature is a mixed i.e. combination of personal and official. Its size is small It is comparatively large in size. Specific structure is strictly followed. No specific structure is required to be followed. Official style is maintained completely Official style may not be maintained or not necessary to write such letter. Official systems provide the basis for salutation Personal relation influences the salutation It may be copied for various purposes No Copy is made of such letter. Notice can be described as a written or a printed information or news announcement. It is written in for informing people or pupils (in a school) about an activity or an event and is specifically only meant for a select group. Since a notice is a formal announcement or piece of information, and it could also be school activities like an outing, a meeting or show. You need to write the word NOTICE at the top. Name of the issuing agency (school, etc) Subject and date of issue/release of the notice Event (what?) Date/time/duration (when?) Place/Venue (where?) Features of a good notice 1) Brief: A notice has to give the information in a minimum number of words. All the sentences need to be short. There cannot be any repetition; no introduction; only to-the-point information. 2) Complete: Notices should give complete information about the concerned event. If you are writing a notice about a sports competition, then needs o talk about the participation criteria like age limit, date, venue, fees if any, invited chief guests, prize, etc. 3) Authority: Notices have to contain the name of authority who is issuing the notice. It could be you, as a head engineer, secretary of departments, etc. 4) Clarity: Avoid any kind of ambiguity in the information. Therefore, conciseness, clarity and completeness are the main elements of a good notice. Agenda It means things to be done. It is usually sent along with the notice of the meeting. It is a list of the topics to be discussed in a meeting. Importance of agenda • As it is circulated in advance, the members of the committee or meeting can take preparation to discuss the topics accurately. • It helps to take a prompt decision. • Since it has a set of order, it helps the chairperson to conduct the meeting smoothly. • It can ensure covering all the topics that will be discussed in a meeting. • It helps to control the unnecessary talking in the meeting. • It helps to write the minutes and resolution of the meeting. • As it is served earlier, the members of the meeting can exchange their thought and ideas informally before holding the meeting. Minutes of meeting: Meeting minutes are the written or recorded documentation that is used to inform attendees and non- attendees about what was discussed or what happened during a meeting. Meeting minutes or notes are generally taken by a designated meeting minutes recorder during the proceedings so that an accurate record exists of what transpired during the meeting. Minutes usually include: ➢ Names of participants ➢ Agenda items covered ➢ Decisions made by participants ➢ Follow-up actions committed by participants ➢ Due dates for the completion of commitments Other events or discussions worth documenting for future review or history may take place for the requirements; and it can include the ability to: ➢ Record accurately the decisions, commitments, and major discussion points made at a meeting ➢ Record the action items and due dates that meeting members committed to (action items have names attached, but the minutes don't state who said what in informal workplace meetings) ➢ Review the major decisions and assignments or voluntary commitments and action items at the end of the meeting so participants can agree on them before leaving ➢ Be a team player and be flexible because attendees can add or correct anything they disagree with in the minutes Work expediently to distribute copies of the meeting minutes within the meeting. Sentence structure Sentence structure is the way a sentence is arranged, grammatically. Sentence structure depends on the language in which you are writing or speaking. It is common in English for a simple sentence to look like this: "She throws the ball." In this case, the sentence structure is "Subject, verb, object." Simple sentences: A simple sentence has only one clause: which case the difference will cause attention. Bold It is clearly visible when you first look at the whole page. It can create a image and the read can pay attention. Size Bigger fonts stand out more and small fonts recede. But beware of reducing font sizes too much. Punctuations Be very careful while you use punctuation marks. The Society of Technical Communication as broadly defines technical writing “any form of communication that shows one of more of the following qualities: • Communicating about technical or specialized topics, such as computer applications, medical procedures, or environmental regulations. • Communicating by using technology, such as web pages, help files, or social media sites. • Providing instructions about how to do something, regardless of how technical the task is or even if technology is used to create or distribute that communication.” This writing style covers any type of text that aims to explain detailed information. A technical writer communicates in a way that presents technical information so that the reader can use that information for an intended purpose. There are the keys to write technical documents, a writer should be aware of and practice 1. Be clear and logical 2. Focus on the audience 3. Consider every word 4. Keep it brief 5. Be active and engaging Assignments 1. How do you create coherence unity and emphasis in writing a technical document? 2. Explain the components are discussed in minutes of meeting and also explain the mean of agenda in it. 3. What are the differences between official letters and demi-official letters and also draft a sample of demi-official letter. Best of luck!! References: Raman. Meenakshi, Sharma. Sangeeta (2019). Professional English. Oxford university press. New Delhi. URL: https://thebusinesscommunication.com/what-is-agenda-characteristics-of-agenda/ https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar/sentence-structure https://www.aresearchguide.com/phrases-vs-clauses.html https://www.instructionalsolutions.com/blog/become-a-technical-writer Module-4 Common Grammatical Errors & Technical Style Subject Verb Agreement The subject should agree with the verb in number and person. A sentence that has a singular subject is accompanied by a singular verb. Subject verb agreement should be in between words in gender, number, case, person, or any other grammatical category, which affects the forms of the words. Example :He plays in the playground. (singular subject) They play in the playground. (plural subject) Words are divided into different kinds or classes, called Parts of Speech, according to their use; that is, according to the work they do in a sentence. The parts of speech are eight in number: 1. Noun 2. Adjective 3. Pronoun 4. Verb 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection A. A Noun is a word used as the name of a person, place, or thing; as, Akbar was a great King. Kolkata is on the Hooghly. The rose smells sweet. The sun shines bright. His courage won him honor. Note: The word thing includes (i) all objects that we can see, hear, taste, touch, or smell; and (ii) something that we can think of, but cannot perceive by the senses. B. An Adjective is a word used to add something to the meaning of a noun; as, He is a brave boy. Articles An article is a word used to modify a noun, which is a person, place, object, or idea. Technically, an article is an adjective, which is any word that modifies a noun. Usually adjectives modify nouns through description, but articles are used instead to point out or refer to nouns. English has two types of articles: Definite Article and Indefinite Article. Definite Article: The definite article is the word ‘the’. It is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific or particular. It refers to a particular member of a group. • Example: The apple I ate was testy. Here, the apple is a specific, which is testy. • The police caught the boy who stole my purse. Here, the boy is specific who stole the purse. ‘The’ is used before names of rivers, oceans, globe, geographical areas, deserts, forests, gulfs, peninsulas, and seas. ‘The’ is not used before names of most countries, territories, cities, towns, states, cities, streets, lakes etc. Indefinite articles: These are the words 'a' and 'an.' Each of these articles is used to refer to a noun, but the noun being referred to is not a specific person, place, object, or idea. It can be any noun from a group of nouns. For example: o a Mercedes from the car lot o an event in history Clichés Clichés are expressions that either have a general meaning or have “lost their meaning” over time. These overused phrases do not provide a specific meaning or image. Examples of clichés: • In modern society • In this day and age • In the current climate • Good things come to those who wait • Every cloud has a positive aspect • Little did I know? • I learned more from them than they did from me • Every rose has its thorn Why should not use clichés? Clichés are usually not acceptable in academic writing, although some may be effective in daily conversation and less in formal writing. • By using a cliché, you are telling your reader that you lack originality, making them want to yawn and stop reading your paper. • Clichés are vague. Specific details and explanations make better evidence than generalizations and trite phrases. • Clichés make you seem lazy. They are a hedge when you do not want to do creative work. • Clichés make you lose credibility. • Clichés are poor substitutes for actual evidence. Redundancy Writing concisely involves avoiding redundancies. Redundancy is when you use more words than necessary to express something, especially words and/or phrases in the same sentence that mean the same thing. Try to double-check them for unnecessary phrases that you can omit or edit. There are some common examples of redundant phrases: “Small in size” or “large in size” “True facts” “Basic fundamentals” “Past history” “Smiled happily” “Evolve over time” “Consensus of opinion” Sentences Paragraphs are constructed out of various sentences. Depending upon the types of sentences, paragraphs are classified as descriptive, narrative, expository, definition, and classification paragraphs. Description : The description mode of paragraph development uses descriptive prose to provide a physical picture or a functional vie of the subject. Description develops a picture by identifying the shape, size, color, material, volume, texture, position, etc., one on functional description provides a clear and concise views of the various functions on the subject. Narrative: Narration is the form of spoken or written English. When you speak or tell the real or imaginary events in the sequence, in an interesting or in dramatic manner. A narrative is the story (fiction or non-fiction) told and the order in which it is told. The narrative is shaped by details. These details offer clues about the author’s purpose. Clearly, the author who emphasizes the hardships of an engineer wants to show us that this person overcame adversity to succeed. Narrative writing is very important in your day-to-day life. For the rest of your life, you will write texts, e-mails, cover letters, blogs, etc. about your beliefs, your ambitions, information you know, and feelings you have. Definition: It is the term of technical writing. A precise set of terms is used in technology, and only with common understanding of those terms can be communicated clearly. In a broad sense, a definition is a set of statement giving a meaning of a word or term. It is used to clarify the meaning of a term in a compact and straightforward manner. Classification: A classification of paragraph is developed by breaking the main idea into specific categories. It is generally used when we want to introduce a variety of ideas. Length of Paragraph: The model regarding paragraph length that involves a topic sentence, a number of facts that support that core idea, and a concluding sentence. The basic rule for determining paragraph length is to keep each paragraph to only one main idea. If a paragraph contains multiple ideas, it is likely that the ideas aren’t fully explained or supported. It is beneficial to keep the paragraph to one main idea in which most of the paragraph is dedicated to supporting this idea through a variety of evidence: examples, illustrations, statistics, quotes, paraphrases, causes, effects, and/or definitions, as necessary. Writing of introduction and conclusion: introductory sentence gives the purpose/ essence of the paragraph, an introductory paragraph of an essay presents the main topic of the essay. In the introduction the first or the two sentences aims to introduce the core idea by catching the attention of the readers. An introduction performs the actions: • Serves as a preview to the rest of the text • Grabs the attention of the reader • Develops an interest in the reader to read the rest of the text • Defines the purpose and scope of the topic of the text At the last part of your writing the last one or two sentences of a paragraph. It summarizes the entire text to bring the reader again to focus on the main idea. You can conclude by effective words and phrases in your sentences so as to leave a lasting impression in the minds of your readers. Some points should be remembered while concluding your topic: • Serves as a summary of the text Presentation is to be made. The content of the presentation should be organized in three parts1. Introduction – What you wants to say? • Main Body – Say it. • Conclusion – Repeat what you have said. Audience’s Confidence: A good introduction builds up high credibility of the speaker so that he can be more persuasive. To earn the confidence of the audience, many ways may be adopted. The simplest way is that someone introduces the speaker, tells them about his qualification etc or the speaker introduces himself in a realistic manner by referring to organization, profession, position and so on. Introduction of the presentation: A good introduction should serve is to give the audience a preview of what is going to be presented. When the main points of the presentation are summarized, the audience can know what lies ahead. It keeps him alert and attentive to the presentation that’s ahead. 2. Main Body: The main body, the discussion or the text part follows subsequent to introduction and supports your aim or specific purpose. The major points you highlighted in your opening will be expanded upon here. Depending upon your topic and your introduction, you can choose from any of the following patterns to organize the main body of your speech. A. Inductive order – in this order the presenter moves from particular statements to general statement. B. Deductive order – in this order the presenter moves from general statement to particular statements. C. Question to Answer Order: in this order the presenter begins with certain questions, which are soon answered. To make the presentation effective the speaker should keep in mind the audience for whom he designs the entire presentation. Selecting the right visuals: Once the presenter identifies the points, which he wants to present with more clarity with the help of visual support. He should choose the type of visual aid for his presentation an ideal blend of verbal and visual information and the visual information should flow as naturally. Visual Aids used in Presentations: 1) Overhead transparencies 2) Power point presentations 3) Black board or white board. 4) Flip charts Methods of Presentation: Good planning is the backbone of good presentation. Equally important or perhaps more important is the manner of delivery. It is, of course, the power of speech that may turn a dull topic into interesting one whereas poor delivery or bad presentation may spoil the entire presentation howsoever significant it is. So, once the speaker has planned and developed the content of his presentation, he should begin practicing his delivery, since it is not as important as, what to say, as it’s how to say? Kinesics: Often the physical movement of the body and their study is known as body language or kinesics. No doubt, we express our emotions through words but often the inner states of emotion are expressed through different parts of the body and their physical movements. We can communicate or send the message even by nodding the head, blinking the eyes, shrugging our shoulders or waving our hands. the presenter should pay attention to his body language, for this following parts of kinesics should be considered: 1) Maintain eye contact 2) Face and eyes 3) Gestures 4) Body shape and posture 5) Appearance Accent: Accent is a manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation. The region to which you belong affects your accent. Not only the locality but the economic status, ethnicity, caste etc. all make an impact on the accent. Accent mainly includes pronunciation, which also has correlation with stress. Pitch: (Loudness) Pitch is a property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale. Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower". The rise and fall of the voice conveys various emotions. ‘Thank you’ is such a phrase. Lowness of pitch can indicate sadness, shock, dullness, guilt etc. if you are excited, joyous, ecstatic, triumphant and even angry then your pitch automatically becomes high. A well balanced pitch results in a clear and effective tone. It helps you avoid being monotonous. A variety of pitches should be used to hold listener’s attention. Avoid raising the pitch of the voice at the end of a sentence. Rhythm: Rhythm refers to a pattern of sounds. Maintaining a rhythm in a speech makes the speech sound natural and fluent. Rhythm is produced by stressed and unstressed words in a sentence. Using only the stressed words in a sentence may make a speech sound dull and artificial. To achieve good rhythm in speaking we should know which words to be stressed and which are not to be stressed in a sentence. Intonation: The intonation in a language refers to the patterns of pitch variation or the tones it uses in its utterances. In normal speech, the pitch of our voice goes on changing constantly – going up, going down, and sometimes remaining steady. Different pitches of the voice combine to form patterns of pitch variation or tones, which together constitute intonation. Intonation is GALGOTIAS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY Knowledge Park – II, Greater Noida, (U.P) 201306 A COURSE FILE (Theory) OF Department of Humanities SESSION 2019-2020 - (KAS204P) DEPAERMENT OF HUMANITIES COMMUNICATION CULTURE & SOCIAL SCIENCES Coordinator (Dr. Vinod Pal) PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH SYLLABUS KAS204 Module 1- Basics of Technical English [08] Technical English: Definition; Extent& Coverage; Dimensions; Reading; Skimming; Scanning; Churning & Assimilation; Writing: Methods: Inductive; Deductive; Exposition; Linear; Interrupted; Spatial & Chronological etc; Technical Communication; Approaches: Brevity; Objectivity; Simplicity; Utility & Clarity. Listening: Active; Passive; Thinking strategies: Positive & Logical thinking; Speaking: Essentials Nuances & Modes of Speech Delivery. Module 2- Components of Technical Writing [08] Vocabulary Building: Select words; Concept of word formation; Word formation; Root words from foreign languages & their use in English; Prefixes & Suffixes: Derivatives; Synonyms; Antonyms; Abbreviations. Homophones. One word substitutes; Requisites of Sentences. Module 3- Basic Technical Writing Skills [08] : Business writing: Principle; Purchase & Sales Letters; Drafts; Official Writing: Official Letter; D.O. Letter; Notices; Agenda; Minutes of Meeting; Sentence Structure; Phrases & Clauses in sentences; Coherence; Unity; Emphasis in Writing; Devices; Use of Writing methods in Documents; Techniques of writing. Module 4- Common Grammatical Errors & Technical Style [08] Subject-verb agreement; Correct usage: Noun; Pronoun; Agreement; Modifiers; Articles; Prepositions; Cliches; Redundancies; Technical Style: Features; Choice of words; Sentences: Descriptive; Narrative; Expository; Defining & Classifying; Length of paragraph; Writing of Introduction & Conclusion. Module 5- Presentation Strategies & Oral Communications [08] Analysis of locale; Audience; Modulating Style & Content; Speaking with confidence; Kinesics; Paralinguistic features of Voice-Dynamics: Pitch; Intonation; Stress & Rhythm; Conversation & dialogues; Communication at work-place; etc. COURSE OUTCOMES 1. Students will be enabled to understand the basic objective of the course by being acquainted with specific dimensions of communication skills i.e. Reading, Writing, Listening, Thinking and Speaking. 2. Students would be able to create substantial base by the formation of strong professional vocabulary for its application at different platforms and through numerous modes as Comprehension, reading, writing and speaking etc. 3. Students will apply it at their work place for writing purposes such as Presentation/official drafting/administrative communication and use it for document/project/report/research paper writing. 4. Students will be made to evaluate the correct & error-free writing by being wellversed in rules of English grammar & cultivate relevant technical style of communication & presentation at their work place & also for academic uses. 5. Students will apply it for practical and oral presentation purposes by being honed up in presentation skills and voice-dynamics. They will apply techniques for developing interpersonal communication skills and positive attitude leading to their professional competence. Text Books: 1. Technical Communication – Principles and Practices by Meenakshi Raman & Sangeeta Sharma, Oxford Univ. Press, 2016, New Delhi. 2. Improve Your Writing ed. V.N. Arora and Laxmi Chandra, Oxford Univ. Press, 2001, NewDelhi. Reference Books: 1. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, W.R.Goyal Pub. & Distributors, 2009, Delhi. 2. Manual of Practical Communication by L.U.B. Pandey; A.I.T.B.S. Publications India Ltd.; Krishan Nagar, 2013, Delhi. 3. English Grammar and Usage by R.P.Sinha, Oxford University Press, 2005, New Delhi. 4. English Grammar, Composition and Usage by N.K.Agrawal&F.T.Wood, Macmillan India Ltd., New Delhi. 5. Effective Communication Skill, Kulbhusan Kumar, RS Salaria, Khanna Publishing House 6. English Grammar & Composition by Wren & Martin, S.Chand& Co. Ltd., New Delhi. 7. Communication Skills for Engineers and Scientists, Sangeeta Sharma et.al. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd, 2011, New Delhi. 8. Personality Development, Harold R. Wallace &L.Ann Masters, Cengage Learning, New Delhi 9. Personality Development & Soft Skills, BarunK.Mitra, Oxford University Press, 2012 New Delhi. 10. Business Correspondence and Report Writing by Prof. R.C. Sharma & Krishna Mohan, Tata McGraw Hill & Co. Ltd., 2001, New Delhi. 11. Developing Communication Skills by Krishna Mohan, Meera Bannerji- Macmillan India Ltd. 1990, Delhi. 12. Spoken English- A manual of Speech and Phonetics by R.K.Bansal&J.B.Harrison, Orient Blackswan, 2013, New Delhi. 13. Business English by Ken Taylor, Orient Blackswan, 2011, New Delhi.