TECHNICAL er s
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FOR GUJARAT TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
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Meenakshi Raman
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Professor and Head Department of Humanities and Social Sciences BITS, Pilani (K.K. Birla Goa Campus)
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Sangeeta Sharma
Associate Professor Department of Humanities and Social Sciences BITS, Pilani (Pilani Campus)
REVISED 2ND EDITION
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COMMUNICATION
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Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries. Published in India by Oxford University Press Ground Floor, 2/11, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110002, India © Oxford University Press 2008, 2014, 2017 The moral rights of the author/s have been asserted. First Edition published in 2008 Revised Second Edition published in 2017
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by licence, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above.
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You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer.
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ISBN-13: 978-0-19-948296-2 ISBN-10: 0-19-948296-9
Typeset in Baskerville by Ideal Publishing Solutions, Delhi Printed in India by Magic International (P) Ltd., Greater Noida
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Cover image: DiamondGraphics / Shutterstock
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Third-party website addresses mentioned in this book are provided by Oxford University Press in good faith and for information only. Oxford University Press disclaims any responsibility for the material contained therein.
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Preface to the Revised Second Edition
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Today’s professional world demands effective transfer of technical information in the form of correspondence, talks, discussions, and documents more than ever before. Such forms of communication not only reflect the knowledge and achievements of engineers, scientists, and other professionals but also act as the public face for organizations, reflecting their policies and achievements. Technical communication is essentially formal, and hence requires a standard format for disseminating technical messages. Apart from general oral communication, the written aspect holds a lot of importance.
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About the Book
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The latest edition of this textbook has been updated as per the latest communication skills course at Gujarat Technological University (GTU). Accordingly, the book has now been divided into 11 chapters that provide a comprehensive coverage of all the topics included in the GTU syllabus. The contents have been reorganized keeping in mind the role of the four communication skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing (LSRW). In addition to the LSRW skills, this book also aims to introduce the fundamental components of English grammar to the reader, which is essential for effective communication in the academic and professional environment. Various audio and video exercises, to help the students acquire the necessary linguistic and soft skills, have been included in the CD accompanying the text. These activities are designed to fulfil the requirements of the university.
New to the Revised Second Edition • Latest GTU solved question papers at the end of the book
About the CD The CD content is closely linked to the main text and includes the following modules: Videos This module contains videos that can be used to train the readers for group discussions and professional presentations. Listening and speaking practice This module contains various types of audio clips related to telephonic conversation, negotiation skills, role play, and phonetics. Text supplements This module contains supplementary material to the main text, including samples of various formal written documents as well as additional topics of interest.
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iv
Preface to the Revised Second Edition
The videos on group discussion and professional presentations can be viewed with VLC Media Player or Windows Media Player. The file ‘Text Supplements’ is a PDF (Portable Document Format) document. The reader will need either Adobe Acrobat or its Reader to view it.
Coverage and Structure The text has been divided into 11 chapters. Chapter 1 emphasizes and elaborates the basics of technical communication, such as its importance, process, levels, and flow of communication. Chapter 2 explains the importance of developing effective listening skills. Chapter 3 presents effective presentation strategies for various kinds of audience. It also touches upon the nuances of oral communication and body language.
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Chapter 4 highlights all the important aspects of reading, including skimming and scanning, and presents reading strategies that help improve comprehension skills. Chapter 5 covers paragraph development including discussions on topic and supporting sentences.
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Chapter 6 analyses technical letter writing and gives examples of various types of business letters, including claim, adjustment, and sales letters. It also discusses email writing as also the etiquettes to be followed while communicating through it.
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Chapter 7 introduces report writing, including its objectives, types, importance, formats, and structure. Chapter 8 covers the structure and content of a book review. Chapter 9 explains the guidelines for completing a story. Chapter 10 covers the essentials of grammar and vocabulary including tenses, impersonal passive voice, and concord, and listings of idioms, homophones, homonyms, one-word substitutes, and confusables.
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Online Resources
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Chapter 11 on enriching language through literature includes poems and short stories, with detailed explanations and questions.
For Faculty
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The following resources are available to support the faculty and students using this text. • PowerPoint Slides
For Students • Multiple Choice Questions • Additional Text Material
Acknowledgements We are grateful to Professor B.N. Jain, Vice Chancellor, BITS, Pilani, Professor L.K. Maheshwari, former Vice Chancellor, BITS, Pilani, Professors G. Raghurama and K.E. Raman, Directors of Pilani and Goa campuses, respectively, under whose aegis we were provided an environment conducive to complete this edition.
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Preface to the Revised Second Edition v
MEENAKSHI RAMAN (
[email protected]) SANGEETA SHARMA (
[email protected])
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The staff at the Oxford University Press deserves our special thanks for the tremendous effort put forth to constantly update us on all the review matters throughout the making of this edition. We appreciate the constructive suggestions given by the reviewers to add new topics and update the first edition so as to suit the needs of the students. We gratefully acknowledge Ruskin Bond, Random House UK, and Sahni Brothers, Agra for the permissions granted to reproduce their copyright material in this book. Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyright material. We apologize for any error or omission and would be grateful if notified of any correction that should be incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book. At the home front, we sincerely acknowledge the support and encouragement we got from our family members. Meenakshi Raman is running short of words to express her gratitude to her family members for the unstinting cooperation and affectionate concern extended during the course of the project. Sangeeta Sharma would like to acknowledge her husband Suresh Sharma for being a pillar of support at all times and her children Amrit and Anuj for innocently enquiring about the progress of the book and reminding her to complete the task. Her parents-in-law also need a special mention for never complaining about her deep involvement in the work and taking away their time. We sincerely hope that this revised edition, with its updated, comprehensive coverage of all aspects and types of technical communication, will prove to be highly useful to the readers. Any suggestions for improvement are welcome.
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Preface to the First Edition
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The word communication has its roots in the Latin word communicare, meaning ‘to impart’. The reference here is to the sharing of information. Effective communication thus involves effective exchange of information. As an integral part of one’s academic and professional life, this requires a thorough grasp of the language being used as the medium of communication. Even though the majority of tasks performed by an engineer or a scientist are of technical nature, their success to a great extent depends on the effectiveness with which they assimilate or disseminate technical or formal information. It therefore becomes all the more essential for students of science and technology who are instrumental in bringing about significant developments in the society to master English for their technical communication. Technical communication is mostly formal and hence very often requires the use of set formats to get the required technical message across. As compared to general communication which is mostly oral, technical communication necessitates a lot of documentation, which brings into major focus the written aspect. The other major feature of technical communication to be kept in mind is audience specificity. Unlike ordinary day-to-day communication, formal communication is prepared for specific target segments of the society. Accordingly, the language used in such communication involves specific jargon, illustrations, etc. Hence, it is essential for the people preparing these correspondences to understand clearly the intricacies of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the chosen medium. This book aims to facilitate this understanding, in addition to familiarizing the reader with the fundamental components of English grammar. It has been designed to enable students and professionals to disseminate technical and formal information effectively. This book meets the requirements of the first semester course on communication skills at Gujarat Technological University (GTU). The text has been developed based on two decades of teaching experience in the area of communication. Realizing the need to improve the communication skills of engineering students and technologists, the book discusses both oral and written forms of communication in depth. A key feature of this beginner-level book is its user-friendly approach. The language is simple and easy to understand. The technical aspects of communication have been explained through lively and relevant examples and illustrations. A number of strategies have been suggested throughout the book to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of communication in various settings. Important definitions as well as related interesting information have been presented in sidebars and textboxes. Numerous exhibits specific to technical applications have been provided, including presentation styles, formats, and layouts for written communication. The worked-out exercises reinforce the concepts discussed in the book, correlating theory and practice. The text has been divided into 14 chapters. We sincerely hope that this book, with its comprehensive coverage of all aspects and types of technical communication, will prove to be highly useful to readers. Any suggestions for improvement are welcome. MEENAKSHI RAMAN SANGEETA SHARMA
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viii Technical Communication
Features of
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Technical Reports
Introduction
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We see many examples of reporting in daily life. A nurse at the hospital reports to the doctor in the inpatient ward about the condition of each patient. A supervisor, at the end of the day, reports to the manager the progress of the work carried i hi /h ii Si il l h f b k
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Illustrations Illustrations, interspersed with the text in the chapters, make the book a more lively and interesting read.
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INFORMATIVE REPORTS ANALYTICAL REPORTS PERIODIC AND SPECIAL REPORTS ORAL AND WRITTEN REPORTS
INTRODUCTION
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Characteristics of a Report Categories of Reports
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IMPORTANCE OF REPORTS OBJECTIVES OF REPORTS
Chapter Outline All chapters in the book begin with a chapter outline, which gives an overview of the contents covered in the chapter.
‘The report is done, but who am I to give it to?’
it is equally essential to see that no relevant information is M`KT]LML1ZZMTM^IV\NIK\[UISMIZMXWZ\KWVN][QVO#M`KT][QWV of relevant facts renders it incomplete and is likely to mislead.
Reader-orientation A good report is always reader oriented. While drafting a report, it is necessary to keep in mind the person(s) who is (are) going to read it. A report meant for the layperson will be different from one meant for technical experts.
Objectivity of recommendations If recommendations are made at the end of a report, they must be impartial and objective. They should come as a logical
in the main text part of the memorandum, the other parts being the same as the QV\MZWNÅKMUMUWZIVL]U A specimen memo report is given in the CD. Letter format While sending short reports of a few pages to outsiders, one can opt for a letter format. Besides all the routine parts of a letter, these reports may include headings, illustrations, and footnotes. Refer to the CD for a sample letter report. Pre-printed form Reports containing routine matter and which are periodical in nature may be written in a form prescribed by the organization. All one needs \WLWQ[\WÅTTQV\PMJTIVS[QVIXZMXZQV\MLNWZU;MM\PM[IUXTMQV[XMK\QWVZMXWZ\ OQ^MVQV\PM+,.WZQV[\IVKMIZMXWZ\XZM[MV\QVO\PMXMZNWZUIVKMI[[M[[UMV\ WN IVMUXTWaMMIVQV\MZQUZMXWZ\ZMÆMK\QVO\PMXZWOZM[[WN IXZWRMK\WZIZMXWZ\ infor ming the condition of equipment in a laboratory may be presented in a Q LN P Q P L ÅTT Q Q L QT Q P L QT
CD Links The chapters include CD links that aid in better understanding of the concepts discussed in the book. A CD icon in the left margin of the text indicates digital support.
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the Book Exercises A series of practice exercises highlight the major topics covered in the chapter. The questions enhance learning and can be used for review and classroom discussion.
EXERCISES Animals I Have Had As Pets I. Members of the cat family (a) Baby lion 1. Three days old 2. Mother died at local zoo (b) House kittens .Q^MWN \PM[M II. Members of the dog family (a) Two young dogs, mixed breed (b) A poodle (c) German shepherd (d) Other dogs III. Canaries (a) Two males (b) Three females (c) Parakeet IV. Guppies V. Members of the reptile family (a) Young grass snake (b) Green lizard (c) Two snails >1 /WTLÅ[P 6. »
