ORAL COMMUNICATION

DEFINITION:-
Oral communication is all about speaking and sharing ideas and information without
writing, means that can be listened or spoken to.

TYPES OF ORAL COMMUNICATION:-

There are two types of oral communication:

(1) Verbal oral communication

(2) Non verbal oral communication
(1) Verbal oral communication:-
The basis of communication is the interaction between people.  Verbal
communication is one way for people to communicate face-to-face.  Some of the key
components of verbal communication are sound, words, speaking, and language.
(2) Non verbal oral communication:-
Nonverbal communication  is usually understood as the process
of communication through sending and receiving wordless messages. i.e., language is not
the only source of communication, there are other means also. NVC can be communicated
through gestures and touch (Haptic communication), by body language or posture,
by facial expression and eye contact. NVC can be communicated through object
communication such as clothing, hairstyles or
even architecture, symbols and infographics.

SPEAKING {Verbally reporting}

Speaking or verbally reporting is any spoken statement based upon planning and gathered
facts. It ranges from brief discussion to formal speeches or lectures

The preparation for giving a business talk is similar to the preparation for writing letters
memos and reports. Yet the oral and written communication has their differences. Speaking is
important in business. Successful managers have good oral skills they spend 35 % of their
time speaking according to a survey

Strategies for successful speaking

In ancient times writers like Aristotle Cicero and Quintilian names unfamiliar to many people
were some of the Greek and Roman practitioners of the art of rhetoric or persuasion. It roots
are deep its heritage is oral

Our statement suggests that orally moving a message from sender to receiver is not new.
Throughout each day,in your personal life and in the world of business you orally communicate
with customers, colleagues, associates, supervisors, employees and others

Seven steps are essential for successful oral statements, short or long. They more up front
preparation you do the more confidence you will have before a group
 (1) Determine the purpose
(2) Analyze the audience and occasion
(3) Select the main idea for the message
(4) Research the topic
(5) organize the data and write the draft
(6) Create the visual aids
(7) Rehearse the talk
(1) Determining the purpose
Before speaking or making an oral presentation it is necessary to determine the purpose it
determines what to say and how to say

The purpose may be

You are merely informing

You are teaching

You are trying to secure belief or action

You want to convince

You are simply trying to entertain

You are answering to a blame or clarifying your position

You are blaming the audience

You want to motivate guide etc

(2) Analyzing the audience and situation

The following information about the audience aids used in construction the method and style
for speaking

Name and sex of the audience

Age

Education

Experience

Other qualifications

His or their place in the organization

His or their importance and responsibility in the organization

His or their attitude, Knowledge of the problem

The above data will help in trimming our message

(3) Organizing the Data

Organize and arrange the data as follows
Introduction

Text [explanation and discussion]

Conclusion, Suggestion, remedial steps advice etc

(4) Planning Visual Aids

At appropriate times the display of meaningful and visual aids help the audience to understand
the message clearly. Common devices for display are chalkboards, flip sheets, cards and
posters and projectors and VCRs through them we can better convey our message to the
audience.

(5) Rehearse the Talk

The audience judge the speaker by his attitude bodily action tone of voice syntax speech
content and style these all must be natural rather then offensive or aggressive. Proper pause
should be given when speaking you must know your opening sentence word to word you must
be sure that you can deliver the message within the prescribed time

PHYSICAL BEHAVIOUR OF THE SPEAKER :

Behavior is the combination of the following:

1. Facial expressions.
2. Gestures
3. Vocal-tone of voices Physical

The behavior of the speaker is very important. It may attract or distract the attention of the
audience. Proper behavior will augment the message

HOW TO SPEAK OR TALK:

Like written communication oral reporting has three parts

1. Introduction (tell them what you are going to tell them)

2. Text (then tell them)
3. Summary (then tell them what you have told them)

INTRODUCTION
Introduction includes acknowledging the comments of the introducer stating the problem and
briefly describing the methodology.

TEXT
It is telling them what you want to tell them.

Text is the central part of your discussion with the audience. It is the real thing you want to
present-in detail and with elaboration

GUIDELINES FOR SPEAKING:

 Guide your audience through your speech.
  Visual aid is important.
 Eye contact is necessary.
 Use proper facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice.
 Restlessness, excessive doodling and coughing whispering shrugging excessive smiles
suggest the audience isn’t taking interest. In such a case you should adjust your
speech.
 Throughout your speech you should look at your audience.
 Give little pause during the speech.

SUMMARY
Summary is telling them what u has told them. It can also be called conclusion. With summary
you can give your recommendations. The conclusion should be short as it is meant to be.

To speak and to speak well are two things.  A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.  ~(Ben
Jonson)
 LISTENING
According to Dumont and Lennon”listening is the selective and complex process of receiving
Focusing deciphering accepting and storing what we hear Listening may not occur without
these five interrelated, yet distinct processes”

QUALITIES OF A GOOD LISTENER

Identification
 Listening skills are essential in the workplace, the family and in the community at large.
Careers in communications, management, planning, sales, and fund raising, to name a few,
rely on good listening skills. Listening, however, is more than just being able to hear and
understand what someone else says. Listening skills involve etiquette, asking for clarification,
showing empathy and providing an appropriate response .

Body Language
 Good listening skills include using body language that empowers the speaker. You should
make eye contact with the speaker. In a large auditorium or in a classroom, this means
keeping your eyes looking at the speaker, not down or gazing at some daydream. Keep your
hands down, not folded across your chest. Sit up and look alert.

Respect
 People who have good listening skills show respect to the speaker by not interrupting him
while he is talking. Even if the speaker stutters or is slow to speak or select his words,
patience and restraining yourself from finishing his sentences is a mark of a good listener.

Comprehension
 Good listening skills depend on good comprehension. Demonstrate that you understand by
restating what you think you have heard. Then ask if you, in fact, did hear correctly. Ask
questions that request specific clarification on points that you are unsure about. Be cognizant
of the length of time that you speak, making sure not to dominate or usurp the conversation.

Response
 Good listening skills are measured by the response of the listener. First, the response
should validate the speaker with etiquette and empathy. Next, it should show that the listener
understands the message. When the message has been adequately delivered and received,
the result should be an action or statement that demonstrates that there has been a
transaction between the speaker and the listener.

NINE REASONS FOR POOR LISTENING:

1. when you are evaluating a situation)
2. Sluggishness (Competition for attention: (it results when you are overly busy.)
3. Failure to concentrate
4. Emotions and feeling (angry shouting grieved and overly happy people are poor listeners)
5. Evaluation (you stop listening when you let your mind wander or when you just don’t want
to listen or concentrate)
6. Distraction ( when your attention is diverted from the speaker to some other object)
7. Language (when the speaker does not speak the language of the listener)
8. Exhaustion (when you are done up or feel like sleeping
9. Topic (when the topic is uninteresting to you)

RESULTS OF GOOD LISTENING:

 It permits mutual understanding between the speaker and the listener.

 It permits the speaker and the listener to improve communication because both are
receptive to each other.
 It leads to positive attitude
 It shows the speaker that the listener is interested so the speaker is motivated and
encouraged to give his best.
 It results in receiving use full information enabling the listener to make accurate
decisions
 It helps the one speaking especially in an interview to talk out problems.

The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The
best way to understand people is to listen to them."

— Ralph Nichols
 INTERVIEW
Definition

A somewhat formal discussion between two parties in which information is exchanged. For a
business looking to fill an open job position, an employee might interview potential candidates
to gain a better understanding of their backgrounds, qualifications and skills.

1) The Screening Interview

Companies use screening tools to ensure that candidates meet minimum qualification
requirements. Computer programs are among the tools used to weed out unqualified
candidates. (This is why you need a digital resume that is screening-friendly. See our resume
center for help.) Sometimes human professionals are the gatekeepers. Screening interviewers
often have honed skills to determine whether there is anything that might disqualify you for
the position. Remember-they do not need to know whether you are the best fit for the
position, only whether you are not a match. For this reason, screeners tend to dig for dirt.
Screeners will hone in on gaps in your employment history or pieces of information that look
inconsistent. They also will want to know from the outset whether you will be too expensive
for the company.

2) The Informational Interview

On the opposite end of the stress spectrum from screening interviews is the informational
interview. A meeting that you initiate, the informational interview is underutilized by job-
seekers who might otherwise consider themselves savvy to the merits of networking. Job
seekers ostensibly secure informational meetings in order to seek the advice of someone in
their current or desired field as well as to gain further references to people who can lend
insight. Employers that like to stay apprised of available talent even when they do not have
current job openings, are often open to informational interviews, especially if they like to
share their knowledge, feel flattered by your interest, or esteem the mutual friend that
connected you to them. During an informational interview, the jobseeker and employer
exchange information and get to know one another better without reference to a specific job
opening. 

3) The Directive Style

In this style of interview, the interviewer has a clear agenda that he or she follows
unflinchingly. Sometimes companies use this rigid format to ensure parity between interviews;
when interviewers ask each candidate the same series of questions, they can more readily
compare the results. Directive interviewers rely upon their own questions and methods to
tease from you what they wish to know. You might feel like you are being steam-rolled, or you
might find the conversation develops naturally. Their style does not necessarily mean that
they have dominance issues, although you should keep an eye open for these if the
interviewer would be your supervisor.

4) The Meandering Style

This interview type, usually used by inexperienced interviewers, relies on you to lead the
discussion. It might begin with a statement like "tell me about yourself," which you Companies
use screening tools to ensure that candidates meet minimum qualification requirements.
Computer programs are among the tools used to weed out unqualified candidates. (This is why
you need a digital resume that is screening-friendly. See our resume center for help.)
Sometimes human professionals are the gatekeepers. Screening interviewers often have
honed skills to determine whether there is anything that might disqualify you for the position.
Remember-they do not need to know whether you are the best fit for the position, only
whether you are not a match. For this reason, screeners tend to dig for dirt. Screeners will
hone in on gaps in your employment history or pieces of information that look inconsistent.
They also will want to know from the outset whether you will be too expensive for the
company.

5) The Stress Interview

Astounding as this is, the Greek hazing system has made its way into professional interviews.
Either employers view the stress interview as a legitimate way of determining candidates'
aptness for a position or someone has latent maniacal tendencies. You might be held in the
waiting room for an hour before the interviewer greets you. You might face long silences or
cold stares. The interviewer might openly challenge your believes or judgment. You might be
called upon to perform an impossible task on the fly-like convincing the interviewer to
exchange shoes with you. Insults and miscommunication are common. All this is designed to
see whether you have the mettle to withstand the company culture, the clients or other
potential stress.

6) The Behavioral Interview

Many companies increasingly rely on behavior interviews since they use your previous
behavior to indicate your future performance. In these interviews, employers use standardized
methods to mine information relevant to your competency in a particular area or position.
Depending upon the responsibilities of the job and the working environment, you might be
asked to describe a time that required problem-solving skills, adaptability, leadership, conflict
resolution, multi-tasking, initiative or stress management. You will be asked how you dealt
with the situations.

7) The Audition

For some positions, such as computer programmers or trainers, companies want to see you in
action before they make their decision. For this reason, they might take you through a
simulation or brief exercise in order to evaluate your skills. An audition can be enormously
useful to you as well, since it allows you to demonstrate your abilities in interactive ways that
are likely familiar to you. The simulations and exercises should also give you a simplified sense
of what the job would be like. If you sense that other candidates have an edge on you in
terms of experience or other qualifications, requesting an audition can help level the playing
field.

8) The Group Interview

Interviewing simultaneously with other candidates can be disconcerting, but it provides the
company with a sense of your leadership potential and style. The group interview helps the
company get a glimpse of how you interact with peers-are you timid or bossy, are you
attentive or do you seek attention, do others turn to you instinctively, or do you compete for
authority? The interviewer also wants to view what your tools of persuasion are: do you use
argumentation and careful reasoning to gain support or do you divide and conquer? The
interviewer might call on you to discuss an issue with the other candidates, solve a problem
collectively, or discuss your peculiar qualifications in front of the other candidates. 
 9) The Tag-Team Interview

Expecting to meet with Ms. Glenn, you might find yourself in a room with four other people:
Ms. Glenn, two of her staff, and the Sales Director. Companies often want to gain the insights
of various people when interviewing candidates. This method of interviewing is often attractive
for companies that rely heavily on team cooperation. Not only does the company want to
know whether your skills balance that of the company, but also whether you can get along
with the other workers. In some companies, multiple people will interview you simultaneously.
In other companies, you will proceed through a series of one-on-one interviews.

10) The Mealtime Interview

For many, interviewing over a meal sounds like a professional and digestive catastrophe in the
making. If you have difficulty chewing gum while walking, this could be a challenge. With
some preparation and psychological readjustment, you can enjoy the process. Meals often
have a cementing social effect-breaking bread together tends to facilitate deals, marriages,
friendships, and religious communion. Mealtime interviews rely on this logic, and expand it.

11) The Follow-up Interview

Companies bring candidates back for second and sometimes third or fourth interviews for a
number of reasons. Sometimes they just want to confirm that you are the amazing worker
they first thought you to be. Sometimes they are having difficulty deciding between a short-
list of candidates. Other times, the interviewer's supervisor or other decision makers in the
company want to gain a sense of you before signing a hiring decision.

HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE INTERVIEWER

Types of Topics in Questions

Patton notes six kinds of questions. One can ask questions about:

1. Behaviors - about what a person has done or is doing

2. Opinions/values - about what a person thinks about a topic
3. Feelings - note that respondents sometimes respond with "I think ..." so be careful to
note that you're looking for feelings
4. Knowledge - to get facts about a topic
5. Sensory - about what people have seen, touched, heard, tasted or smelled
6. Background/demographics - standard background questions, such as age,
education, etc.

Sequence of Questions

1. Get the respondents involved in the interview as soon as possible.

2. Before asking about controversial matters (such as feelings and conclusions), first ask
about some facts. With this approach, respondents can more easily engage in the
interview before warming up to more personal matters.
3. Intersperse fact-based questions throughout the interview to avoid long lists of fact-
based questions, which tends to leave respondents disengaged.
4. Ask questions about the present before questions about the past or future. It's usually
easier for them to talk about the present and then work into the past or future.
5. The last questions might be to allow respondents to provide any other information
they prefer to add and their impressions of the interview.
Wording of Questions

1. Wording should be open-ended. Respondents should be able to choose their own

terms when answering questions.
2. Questions should be as neutral as possible. Avoid wording that might influence
answers, e.g., evocative, judgmental wording.
3. Questions should be asked one at a time.
4. Questions should be worded clearly. This includes knowing any terms particular to the
program or the respondents' culture.
5. Be careful asking "why" questions. This type of question infers a cause-effect
relationship that may not truly exist. These questions may also cause respondents to
feel defensive, e.g., that they have to justify their response, which may inhibit their
responses to this and future questions.

Conducting Interview

1. Occasionally verify the tape recorder (if used) is working.

2. Ask one question at a time.
3. Attempt to remain as neutral as possible. That is, don't show strong emotional
reactions to their responses. Patton suggests to act as if "you've heard it all before."
4. Encourage responses with occasional nods of the head, "uh huh"s, etc.
5. Be careful about the appearance when note taking. That is, if you jump to take a note,
it may appear as if you're surprised or very pleased about an answer, which may
influence answers to future questions.
6. Provide transition between major topics, e.g., "we've been talking about (some topic)
and now I'd like to move on to (another topic)."
7. Don't lose control of the interview. This can occur when respondents stray to another
topic, take so long to answer a question that times begins to run out, or even begin
asking questions to the interviewer.

Immediately After Interview

1. Verify if the tape recorder, if used, worked throughout the interview.

2. Make any notes on your written notes, e.g., to clarify any scratching, ensure pages are
numbered; fill out any notes that don't make senses, etc.
3. Write down any observations made during the interview. For example, where did the
interview occur and when, was the respondent particularly nervous at any time? Were
there any surprises during the interview? Did the tape recorder break?

THINGS TO AVOID IN AN INTERVIEW

 Poor personal appearance
 Lack of interest and enthusiasm; passive and indifferent
 Over-emphasis on money
 Criticism of past employer
 Poor eye contact with interviewer
 Late to interview
 Failure to express appreciation for interviewer’s time
 Asks no questions about the job
 Unwillingness to relocate
 Indefinite answer to question
 Overbearing, aggressive, conceited with ‘know-it-all’ complex
 Inability to express self clearly; poor voice, poor diction, poor grammar
 Lack of planning for career, no purpose or goals
 Lack of confidence and poise, nervous, ill at ease
 Lack of courtesy, ill-mannered

DICTATION
Dictation means to read or speak so that a person or machine can write and record
respectively.

. Dictating becomes effective if following principles are followed

Principles of dictation:-

(1) Enunciate clearly or pronounce. Articulate clearly;A dictating person should speak or read
articulately and distinctly so that the writer can follow correctly. When enunciating a
message candy, gum, cigerrate or pen should not be in the mouth you should be carefull
with plurals and words that sound alike.
(2) Before dictating it is advisable to give any special instructions, such as number of carbon
copies , unusual tabulation of figures etc
(3) Before starting a dictation allow your secretary to prepare
(4) Spell uncommon and difficult words and names when you are using them for the first
time
(5) Always dictate punctuation, and paragraph. In revision it will save your time
(6) Dictate at a proper speed so that the transcriber may not miss any words
(7) During long dictation give proper pauses allowing your secretary to relax and overcome
monoton
(8) You secretary should have attitude to make grammar correction, additional punctuations
and rearrangement of your letters memos reportsand other written communication
(9) By fixing dictation period time and money of the company can be saved
(10) When dictating by telephones or a machine unconcerned comments chats should be
avoided or you will distort the message
(11) Remember the correct dictation saves time and money of the company while faulty
dictation incurs unnecessarily high cost
(12) Edit and revise dictation draft before it is finally typed

Attention to the following points should improve your dictation skills and hence the accuracy of
the transcribed result:

Engage your brain before you mouth

Knowing what you want to say before you start to speak is important. Correcting/changing the
spoken word is easy in conversation but extremely difficult during dictation – better to get it
right first time

Have plans

If you are not experienced at dictating, learn the art. Start by writing out what you want to
say and then reading it aloud to the dictation program. Then try dictating from memory what
you have written rather than actually reading aloud and see if that works better. Practice
makes perfect
Don’t gabble

Speaking slowly and clearly yields better results

Don’t become a metronome

Speaking in phrases, just as you would if giving a speech, is much more effective than s p e a
k i n g s l o w l y a n d c l e a r l y b u t w i t h o u t a n y i n t o n a t i o n or p h r a s i n g.

Don’t speak too softly

If the machine can’t hear you it won’t ask you to speak up

The program will record what you say

Not what you meant to say, so try to speak clearly and only say what you want written

Avoid fillers

You know when we are not sure what to say, you know, we fill the space with, umm, fillers.
Avoid them or, you know, the program will, err, type them.

Use the pause function

If you are not sure what to say next then simply hit pause while you think before starting
again. That sure beats having to go back and edit out all the “you know” type filler words
later. 

If writer’s block strikes dictate an instruction to yourself

Such as “finish this paragraph later” - and proceed with the parts you can get done rather
than sitting worrying about what to say next. You can always fix the order with judicious
cutting and pasting during editing

Don’t use truncated speech

Written language differs from common speech and if “ya wanna look OK written” dictate that
“you want your wording to look appropriate when written”

Remember to punctuate as you dictate

When you want a comma or a full stop inserted or a new paragraph started, include the
instruction in your dictation. Various programs may handle this in different ways so take the
time to learn what your program does and where possible change the settings to the version
of punctuation (US English, Australian English etc