Communication Skills- MCM301 Assignment 02
FALL SEMESTER 2010
Q No 1
Read the following article thoroughly and summarize it to one third of the present content while not missing any important point of the article. (10 Marks)
Actions speak louder than words. This phrase can best support and explain the importance and usage of nonverbal communication in our lives. Though Verbal communication is said to be indispensable for the human survival but if noticed, non verbal communication has much greater role to play in the transfer of intended meaning of the message. If you are happy your face smile will say it all, if you are in anger, frowns appearing on your forehead will express your emotions. There are many expressions which even can not be expressed in words and one has to take assistance from non verbal elements. Nonverbal communication can be simply called as the communication without words or it is a form of interpersonal communication which is done with non linguistic means. It includes our gestures, postures, facial expressions, voice tone, proximity, dresses and appearances etc. It has been found that about 60% to 80% of human communication comprises on non verbal communication. Just have a look at your daily routine and you will get to know how much you are incorporating non verbal symbols with your verbal communication in order to convey your message.
For example, some guests have arrived at your home and you are not happy with their arrival. Even then you greet them and welcome them but your facial expressions and body language would convey the unease you are going through by the arrival of the guests. Similarly maintaining an eye contact while speaking conveys that the person is
interested in listening to the other person and it also shows his confidence as well. When a candidate appears for a job interview, his non verbal cues are closely monitored by the interviewee in order to judge his confidence level, the way he has been dressed up also count a lot in interpreting his personality and grooming.
Non verbal communication is dynamic and spontaneous and one of the most important factors that shape the non verbal elements of a ***** of people is the Culture. A ***** of people living in one region establishes a set of norms and values to live their lives. That set of norms can be called their culture. As non verbal communication is all
about actions and these actions are defined under the cultural norms of a society hence these can vary from one society to other. A successful interpretation of the non verbal element of the sender demands that the both sender and receiver should have same understanding of the symbols. It means that in order to perceive the non verbal cue in the right way two persons must have shared common set of beliefs or we can say that they should belong to same culture only then they can not only interpret but can also predict the non verbal cue.
Communication Skills- MCM301 Assignment 02Predictability is tremendously imperative for interpreters. It refers to the interpreters' unconscious or conscious knowledge of the culturally determined non-verbal elements; through which they are able to predict what exactly is going to be said. If we compare the greeting styles adopted in west and here in our country, a great difference will be found there too. In American culture a man can great a woman by shaking hands and even kiss on the check is considered a more formal and decent way to great a woman. But here in our society, keeping a certain distance from the female while greeting her is compulsory otherwise the person will be considered as ill mannered. There are hundreds of non verbal cues that are specific to a certain culture.
Some are given below.
• In Saudi Arabia, Holding hands or taking someone's elbow is a sign of respect and friendship.
• In Egypt, It is rude to show the sole of your shoe.
• In China, Surprise is expressed with a quick and loud inhalation of air.
• In Thailand, It is rude to put your arm behind someone's chair or to pat his or her back.
• In France, The ok sign means, zero
On the whole, we can say that it is not only the language differences that can hamper in the smooth and effective communication process but non verbal part of the communication can equally create problems in misunderstanding the intended message. Therefore, if a person wishes to have an acceptance in another society, he/she is needed to collect the knowledge of the important non verbal cues along with working on the language proficiency of that region.
Communication Skills- MCM301 Assignment 02
Q No. 2
Correctness is one of the important elements of effective written communication.
Now your task is to rectify the errors you can find in the following business letter.
(5 Marks)
January Four, 2011
A & K Sons. Pvt. Limited.
23 Ferozepur Road
Near Metro Cash & Carry
Lahore.
Deer Sir/Madam,
It is a regretful to invite you to the grand opening of our new office. Refreshments had
been served at 7O' Clock, following a short speech from our new president, Mr. tahir
bukhari. The event will be held at Pearl Continental Hotel Lahore.
Your attendance is highly appreciated.
Thank you.
Best regards,
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Communication Skills- MCM301 Assignment 02
Last Date of Submission: 11th January, 2011
Marks: 15
• Make sure that you upload the solution file before due date. No assignment
will be accepted through e-mail after the due date.
Formatting guidelines
• Use the font style "Times New Roman" and font size "12".
• Compose your document in MS-Word 2003. Any file created in any other
version will not be accepted and marked zero.
• Use black and blue font colors only.
Solution guidelines
• The student will work individually and has to write in the form of an
analytical assignment.
• Give the answer according to question, there will be negative marking for
irrelevant material.
• Make sure you are producing the content in your own expression
• First question is opinion oriented. You can either agree or disagree to the
statement but you have to provide logical arguments to prove your point.
Please note that your assignment will not be graded if:
• It is submitted after due date
• The file you uploaded does not open
• The file you uploaded is copied from some one else
• It is in some format other than .doc
• Cheating or copying of assignment is strictly prohibited. The cheated or
copied assignment will be marked as Zero.
