Quick Revision

1. Communication Fundamentals

a. Definition and importance

• Exchange of information between individuals
• Essential for academic success, career development, personal growth
• Helps understanding, bridges cultural differences, builds relationships

b. Main types

• Verbal: Spoken or written words
• Non-verbal: Body language, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, tone
• Visual: Graphs, signs, symbols, images

c. Communication channel

Medium through which message is transmitted

• Natural: Face-to-face using five senses
• Artificial: Electronic media (telephone, TV, computer, webcam, email, internet)

d. Frame of reference

Person's background, experiences, perceptions, attitudes, cultural context that influence message interpretation. Sender must encode message in way familiar to receiver.

e. Feedback

Receiver's verbal/non-verbal response after decoding. Indicates understanding/misunderstanding, acceptance/rejection. Helps sender adjust communication.

2. Noise and Barriers

a. Definition

Any unwanted internal/external interference that disrupts, distorts, slows, or blocks communication.

b. Environmental and physiological

• Environmental: External disturbances (loud conversations, construction, background noise)
• Physiological: Physical conditions (hunger, fatigue, illness, headache, medication)

c. Psychological

Emotional/mental states (stress, frustration, anxiety, irritation, preoccupation). Causes ineffective sending/receiving.

d. Semantic

Receiver doesn't understand speaker's meaning due to poor, ambiguous, or incorrect word choice. Technical jargon or confusing phrases create misunderstanding.

e. Syntactic or organizational

• Syntactic: Incorrect grammar or unfamiliar sentence structure
• Organizational: Ideas presented randomly without logical sequence

3. Listening Skills

a. Definition and importance

Receptive skill requiring focus and mental engagement. Enables understanding, accurate response, effective interaction.

b. Active vs passive

• Active: Full concentration, understanding, responding, remembering; involves feedback and engagement
• Passive: Hearing without response/involvement; information may not be retained

c. Techniques to improve

• Maintain eye contact
• Take notes
• Ask clarifying questions
• Avoid interruptions
• Summarize/paraphrase key points
• Stay focused, avoid distractions

d. Non-verbal cues

Eye contact, nodding, facial expressions, body posture show interest, understanding, engagement.

e. Contribution to success

Helps understand instructions, participate in discussions, improve teamwork, reduce misunderstandings, achieve better academic/professional performance.

4. Speaking Skills

a. Definition and importance

Ability to express thoughts, ideas, feelings clearly through speech. Important for interviews, presentations, group discussions, academic/professional interactions, social situations.

b. Fluency vs accuracy

• Fluency: Speaking smoothly with minimal hesitation
• Accuracy: Correct grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure

c. Pronunciation, stress, intonation

• Pronunciation: Correctly saying words
• Stress: Emphasizing correct syllables
• Intonation: Rising/falling voice patterns that change meaning

d. Non-verbal aspects

Body language, facial expressions, eye contact, posture, tone enhance verbal messages and make communication more effective.

e. Common mistakes and improvement

Mistakes: Translating from Bangla, incorrect verb forms, speaking too fast/slow, poor tone/facial expressions, fear of mistakes Improve: Speak regularly, practice with friends/family, record and listen, watch English videos and repeat, practice daily

5. Presentation and Public Speaking

a. Basic steps

• Start with greeting and introduction
• Speak slowly and clearly
• Use simple language
• Use appropriate gestures and facial expressions
• Practice before speaking publicly

b. Conversation etiquette

Not interrupting, taking turns, using polite expressions, maintaining eye contact, listening actively ensures respectful and effective communication.

c. Structure

• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion

d. Stage fright

Nervousness/anxiety before or during public speaking. Techniques: Thorough preparation/practice, visualization/image streaming, deep breathing, positive self-talk, focus on message not self

e. Storytelling

Conveys ideas through narratives (characters, settings, experiences). Increases engagement, improves memorability, creates emotional connection, simplifies complex ideas, makes presentations more impactful.

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