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class.ix/part.a/unit_01
PART A ▪ UNIT 1
01
Communication Skills – I
The Art of Sharing Ideas, Thoughts & Feelings
Communication is the act of sharing or exchanging information, ideas, thoughts or feelings between two or more people through a common medium. The word "Communication" comes from the Latin word "communicare", which means "to share".
Effective communication is essential in every part of life – at home, school, and work. It helps us express ourselves, understand others, build strong relationships, and succeed in studies and careers.
Learning Outcome 1: Demonstrate knowledge of various methods of communication
1.1 Methods of Communication
Communication can take place in many different ways. The three main methods of communication are:
- Verbal Communication
- Non-Verbal Communication
- Visual Communication
✏️ 1. Verbal Communication
Verbal communication means sending and receiving messages through words – either spoken or written. It is the most common method of communication.
🔹 Types of Verbal Communication
- Oral / Spoken Communication: Face-to-face talks, telephone calls, meetings, interviews, speeches, video conferences, radio, presentations, group discussions.
- Written Communication: Letters, emails, SMS, reports, notices, books, newspapers, circulars, memos, social-media posts.
Saying "Good morning, Sir" to a teacher is oral verbal communication. Writing a leave application is written verbal communication.
🔹 Pros & Cons of Oral (Spoken) Communication
✅ Pros
- Quick and saves time
- Immediate feedback possible
- Easier to convey feelings and emotions
- Doubts cleared on the spot
- Cost-effective
- Personal and builds relationships
❌ Cons
- No permanent record
- Can be easily misunderstood
- Words once spoken cannot be taken back
- Not suitable for long, complex messages
- Language barriers cause problems
- Cannot be used as legal proof
🔹 Pros & Cons of Written Communication
✅ Pros
- Provides a permanent record
- Can be used as legal proof
- Suitable for long, detailed messages
- Can be edited and refined
- Reaches many people at once
- Less chance of misunderstanding
❌ Cons
- Takes more time to prepare
- No immediate feedback
- Cannot show emotions clearly
- Needs good writing skills
- Expensive (paper, printing, postage)
- Difficult for illiterate people
🙂 2. Non-Verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication is the exchange of messages without using words. It happens through our body, facial expressions, gestures, tone, and appearance. Research shows 55% of our communication is body language, 38% is tone of voice, and only 7% is the actual words.
🔹 Elements of Non-Verbal Communication
| Element | Meaning / Example |
|---|---|
| Facial Expressions | Smile shows happiness, frown shows anger, tears show sadness. |
| Eye Contact | Looking into someone's eyes shows confidence and honesty. |
| Gestures | Hand & head movements – waving, nodding, thumbs-up. |
| Posture | Way of sitting / standing – a straight back shows confidence. |
| Body Language | Overall body movement showing feelings. |
| Touch (Haptics) | Handshake, pat on back, hug – all communicate feelings. |
| Space / Proximity | Distance kept from others while talking. |
| Para-language | Tone, pitch, volume, speed, and pauses of voice. |
| Appearance | Dress, hairstyle, cleanliness – create first impression. |
| Silence | Silence can show agreement, disagreement, or thoughtfulness. |
🔹 Pros & Cons of Non-Verbal Communication
✅ Pros
- Supports and strengthens verbal messages
- Useful when people don't share a language
- Expresses true feelings quickly
- Makes communication more lively
- Helps illiterate people
❌ Cons
- Can be easily misunderstood
- Different meanings in different cultures
- Not suitable for long messages
- Cannot be used in written documents
- No legal record possible
🚫 Do's and Don'ts – Avoiding Common Body Language Mistakes
✅ DO's
- Maintain proper eye contact.
- Stand and sit with a straight, relaxed posture.
- Smile genuinely to appear friendly.
- Give a firm handshake.
- Nod your head to show you are listening.
- Keep hands visible and open.
- Dress neatly and appropriately.
- Use a pleasant tone of voice.
❌ DON'Ts
- Don't fold arms tightly – shows you are closed off.
- Don't slouch or lean carelessly.
- Don't stare or totally avoid eye contact.
- Don't fidget with pens, phones, hair.
- Don't yawn or look bored.
- Don't point fingers at others.
- Don't invade someone's personal space.
- Don't chew gum while speaking formally.
🖼️ 3. Visual Communication
Visual communication means sending messages through visual elements – pictures, signs, symbols, charts, maps, graphs, colours, and drawings.
Traffic signals (Red=Stop, Green=Go), road signs, company logos, emojis, maps, posters, and advertisements are all visual communication.
🔹 Advantages of Visual Communication
- Easy to understand – even by people who cannot read.
- Communicates messages very quickly.
- Helps people remember information better.
- Crosses language and cultural barriers.
- Makes dull information interesting and attractive.
1.2 The 7 C's of Effective Communication
To make our communication effective and successful, we should follow the 7 C's:
1. ClearMessage should be easy to understand, with one clear idea.
2. ConciseUse few words; avoid unnecessary details.
3. ConcreteGive facts and figures, not vague statements.
4. CorrectFacts, spelling, grammar must be accurate.
5. CoherentIdeas must flow logically and connect.
6. CompleteMessage must give all needed information.
7. CourteousMessage should be polite, friendly, and respectful.
Learning Outcome 2: Identify elements of communication cycle
2.1 Meaning of Communication
Communication is a two-way process of exchanging information, ideas, opinions, or feelings between two or more people using a common system of symbols, signs, or language so that the message is clearly understood.
2.2 Importance of Communication Skills
Good communication skills are essential in every area of life. They help us to:
- Build good relationships with family, friends, teachers and colleagues.
- Express thoughts and feelings clearly and confidently.
- Understand others better and avoid conflicts.
- Succeed in studies by asking questions and participating in class.
- Get better jobs – employers value strong communicators.
- Work well in teams and lead others.
- Solve problems quickly and effectively.
- Increase self-confidence and develop personality.
- Handle work pressure and deliver good customer service.
- Exchange knowledge and ideas widely.
2.3 Elements of the Communication Cycle
The communication cycle shows how a message travels from the sender to the receiver and back. It has seven main elements:
🔄 THE COMMUNICATION CYCLE
1. Sender
➜
2. Ideas
➜
3. Encoding
➜
4. Channel
➜
5. Receiver
➜
6. Decoding
➜
7. Feedback
| Element | Explanation |
|---|---|
| 1. Sender | The person who starts the communication by sending a message. Also called the transmitter or encoder. |
| 2. Ideas | The thought, information, or feeling that the sender wants to share – the actual message or content. |
| 3. Encoding | Converting the idea into words, symbols, pictures, or gestures so it can be sent. |
| 4. Communication Channel | The medium through which the message travels – face-to-face, phone, email, letter, video, etc. |
| 5. Receiver | The person who receives the message and for whom it is meant. Also called the decoder. |
| 6. Decoding | The receiver understands / interprets the message in his or her own way. |
| 7. Feedback | The response given by the receiver to the sender. Feedback tells the sender whether the message was understood. Without feedback, communication is incomplete. |
Riya (Sender) wants to invite her friend Aarav to her birthday party (Idea). She writes an invitation card (Encoding) and sends it by post (Channel). Aarav (Receiver) reads the card (Decoding) and calls Riya saying "I'll come!" (Feedback).
2.4 Barriers to Effective Communication
Anything that stops the message from reaching the receiver correctly is called a barrier. Common barriers are:
| Type of Barrier | Examples |
|---|---|
| Physical Barriers | Noise, distance, faulty phone, poor network, closed doors. |
| Linguistic (Language) Barriers | Use of difficult words, jargon, slang, or different languages. |
| Interpersonal Barriers | Poor relationship between sender and receiver, lack of trust. |
| Organisational Barriers | Too many levels of authority, strict rules in companies. |
| Cultural Barriers | Different customs, beliefs, and traditions. |
| Emotional / Psychological Barriers | Anger, fear, stress, shyness, lack of confidence. |
Learning Outcome 3: Identify the factors affecting our perspectives in communication
3.1 Perspectives in Communication
Perspective means the way a person looks at, thinks about, or understands something. In communication, different people may understand the same message differently based on their own perspective.
Perspectives are the "glasses" through which we see the world. Two people can hear the same message but understand it very differently because their perspectives are not the same. Perspectives act as barriers when the sender and receiver do not share the same viewpoint.
3.2 Factors Affecting Perspectives in Communication
The following six factors affect the way we communicate and understand messages:
👁️ 1. Visual Perception
The way our eyes and brain interpret what we see. Two people can look at the same picture or scene and understand it differently. First impressions formed just by looking at a person also affect communication with them.
Picture of a glass with water – one person says "the glass is half full" (positive); another says "the glass is half empty" (negative).
🗣️ 2. Language
The words, grammar and style we use. If the sender and receiver don't share the same language, or if difficult / technical words, slang, or jargon are used, the message becomes unclear.
A doctor saying "You have hypertension" to a patient who only understands "high blood pressure" will cause confusion.
📖 3. Past Experience
Earlier experiences shape how we understand new messages. Someone with a bad past experience may view similar situations with doubt or fear.
A child who was once scolded for asking questions may hesitate to ask questions in class even years later.
⚖️ 4. Prejudices
Prejudices are fixed opinions or judgements (usually negative) that we form about people, places, or ideas without real knowledge. Prejudices close our minds and stop us from listening openly.
Thinking "boys are better at maths than girls" or "people from a certain area are lazy" – these are prejudices that harm fair communication.
💖 5. Feelings
Our emotions – happiness, sadness, anger, fear, excitement, stress – at the time of communication greatly affect how we send and receive messages. A happy person communicates positively; an angry person may misread even friendly words.
If you are already upset about a low test score, even a simple comment from a friend may feel hurtful.
🌳 6. Environment
The surroundings where communication takes place – noise, lighting, temperature, crowd, comfort – affect the clarity of the message.
Trying to talk on a phone call in a very noisy market makes communication difficult and leads to misunderstanding.
To communicate effectively, always try to understand the listener's background, feelings, and environment. Use simple language, keep an open mind, and remove prejudices.
Learning Outcome 4: Demonstrate the knowledge of basic writing skills
4.1 Basic Writing Skills
Good writing is an important part of verbal communication. To write well, we must know the basic building blocks of the English language – phrases, sentences, parts of sentence, parts of speech, articles, and paragraph construction.
🧩 1. Phrases
A phrase is a group of words that work together and make sense, but do not contain a subject and a verb together. A phrase is not a complete sentence.
🔹 Examples of Phrases:
- on the table
- a bunch of roses
- in the morning
- a tall boy
- at the bus stop
- behind the door
🔹 Common Types of Phrases
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun Phrase | a beautiful red flower |
| Verb Phrase | is running fast |
| Adjective Phrase | full of joy |
| Adverb Phrase | very carefully |
| Prepositional Phrase | under the big tree |
📝 2. Kinds of Sentences
A sentence is a group of words that makes complete sense. Every sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark.
🔹 A. Based on Function (Four Kinds)
| Kind | Used To | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Declarative / Assertive | State a fact or give information. Ends with (.). | India is a beautiful country. |
| Interrogative | Ask a question. Ends with (?). | What is your name? |
| Imperative | Give a command, order, request, or advice. Ends with (.) or (!). | Please close the door. |
| Exclamatory | Express sudden or strong feelings. Ends with (!). | What a lovely garden! |
🔹 B. Based on Structure (Three Kinds)
| Kind | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Sentence | Has one subject and one verb (one idea). | Ravi plays cricket. |
| Compound Sentence | Two simple sentences joined by and, but, or, etc. | I read the book and enjoyed it. |
| Complex Sentence | One main clause + one or more dependent clauses. | I was happy because I won the race. |
🔧 3. Parts of a Sentence
Every complete sentence has two main parts:
| Part | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | The person, place, thing, or idea the sentence is about. The subject does the action. | Rohan plays football. |
| Predicate | The part that tells us what the subject does or what is said about the subject. Always contains a verb. | Rohan plays football. |
Sentence: The little girl is singing a sweet song.
Subject: The little girl
Predicate: is singing a sweet song.
Subject: The little girl
Predicate: is singing a sweet song.
To find the subject, ask "Who?" or "What?" before the verb. To find the predicate, ask "What does the subject do?"
📖 4. Parts of Speech
Words are divided into eight parts of speech based on the work they do in a sentence:
| Part of Speech | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Noun | Name of a person, place, animal, thing, or idea. | Ravi, Delhi, dog, book, honesty |
| 2. Pronoun | A word used in place of a noun. | he, she, it, we, they, you, I, me |
| 3. Verb | A word that shows an action or state of being. | run, eat, is, play, write, have |
| 4. Adjective | A word that describes a noun or pronoun. | beautiful, tall, red, clever, five |
| 5. Adverb | A word that describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb. | quickly, slowly, here, very, now |
| 6. Preposition | A word placed before a noun/pronoun to show its relation with another word. | in, on, at, under, over, between |
| 7. Conjunction | A word used to join words, phrases, or sentences. | and, but, or, because, so, yet |
| 8. Interjection | A word used to express a sudden feeling or emotion. | Oh!, Wow!, Alas!, Hurrah!, Oops! |
🔹 Types of Nouns
- Proper Noun: Name of a specific person / place (Mohan, Agra, Ganga).
- Common Noun: Name of a class (boy, city, river).
- Collective Noun: Name of a group (team, army, class).
- Material Noun: Name of a substance (gold, milk, water).
- Abstract Noun: Name of a quality / feeling (honesty, love, beauty).
- Countable Noun: Can be counted (book, apple).
- Uncountable Noun: Cannot be counted (water, air, sugar).
🔹 Types of Pronouns
- Personal: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
- Possessive: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
- Reflexive: myself, yourself, himself, herself, themselves
- Demonstrative: this, that, these, those
- Interrogative: who, what, which, whose
- Indefinite: somebody, anyone, everyone, nothing
🔤 5. Use of Articles
Articles are small words that come before a noun to show whether we are talking about something specific or general. There are three articles: a, an, the.
🔹 Types of Articles
- Indefinite Articles – "a" and "an": Used when we talk about any one thing (not a particular one). Used only with singular countable nouns.
- Use "a" before words beginning with a consonant sound. Examples: a book, a car, a university, a one-rupee coin, a European.
- Use "an" before words beginning with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u). Examples: an apple, an egg, an hour, an honest man, an MLA.
- Definite Article – "the": Used when we talk about a specific person, place, or thing, or something already mentioned.
- Used with names of rivers, oceans, mountain ranges, gulfs, deserts: the Ganga, the Arabian Sea, the Himalayas.
- Used with holy books, newspapers: the Ramayana, the Hindustan Times.
- Used with unique things: the sun, the moon, the earth.
- Used with superlatives: the best, the tallest.
- Used with ordinal numbers: the first, the second.
🔹 When NOT to use Articles (Zero Article)
- Before proper nouns (names of people) – Rohan is clever. (not "the Rohan")
- Before names of countries, cities, continents – India, Agra, Asia.
- Before names of meals – I had breakfast.
- Before names of subjects, games, languages – She plays cricket.
- Before uncountable / plural nouns in a general sense – Water is precious.
Remember – it is the sound of the first letter that matters, not the letter itself. We say "an hour" (silent h) but "a university" (yoo-sound).
📄 6. Construction of a Paragraph
A paragraph is a group of sentences that all deal with one main idea or topic.
🔹 Parts of a Good Paragraph
- Topic Sentence: The first sentence that tells the main idea.
- Supporting Sentences: The middle sentences that give details, examples, explanations, or reasons.
- Concluding Sentence: The last sentence that sums up the paragraph or gives a closing thought.
🔹 Essential Qualities of a Good Paragraph
- Unity: All sentences must deal with one main idea only.
- Order: Arrange ideas in a logical sequence.
- Coherence: Sentences should flow smoothly from one to the next.
- Indentation: Begin the first line a little inside the margin.
- Capital Letter: Start with a capital letter.
- Punctuation: Use correct punctuation throughout.
- Length: Usually 5–8 sentences – neither too short nor too long.
- Linkers: Use connecting words – firstly, moreover, however, finally.
🔹 Steps to Write a Good Paragraph
- Select a topic.
- Think and collect ideas about it.
- Write a clear topic sentence.
- Add 3-5 supporting sentences with details / examples.
- End with a concluding sentence.
- Read, check grammar and spellings, and correct mistakes.
Sample Paragraph – "My School":
My school is the best place in the world for me. It is situated in the heart of the city and has a large playground. The teachers are kind, helpful, and always encourage us to do our best. We learn many subjects, play different games, and take part in cultural activities. I feel proud and lucky to be a student of such a wonderful school.
My school is the best place in the world for me. It is situated in the heart of the city and has a large playground. The teachers are kind, helpful, and always encourage us to do our best. We learn many subjects, play different games, and take part in cultural activities. I feel proud and lucky to be a student of such a wonderful school.
Quick Revision – Key Points to Remember
- Methods of Communication: Verbal, Non-Verbal, Visual.
- Verbal = words (spoken/written); Non-Verbal = body language, gestures, tone; Visual = pictures, signs, symbols.
- 7 C's of Communication: Clear, Concise, Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete, Courteous.
- 7 Elements of Communication Cycle: Sender → Ideas → Encoding → Channel → Receiver → Decoding → Feedback.
- Barriers: Physical, Linguistic, Interpersonal, Organisational, Cultural, Emotional.
- 6 Factors affecting perspectives: Visual Perception, Language, Past Experience, Prejudices, Feelings, Environment.
- 4 Kinds of Sentences (by function): Declarative, Interrogative, Imperative, Exclamatory.
- 3 Kinds of Sentences (by structure): Simple, Compound, Complex.
- 2 Parts of a Sentence: Subject and Predicate.
- 8 Parts of Speech: Noun, Pronoun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Preposition, Conjunction, Interjection.
- 3 Articles: a, an, the.
- Paragraph parts: Topic Sentence + Supporting Sentences + Concluding Sentence.