COMMUNICATION SKILLS 9.pdf

Unit 1 Communication Skills Introduction Communication skills are those skills which are needed to speak and write proper...

Unit 1 Communication Skills Introduction Communication skills are those skills which are needed to speak and write properly. A person who is able to speak appropriately whilst maintaining eye contact with the audience, uses varied vocabulary and articulate speech to suit the need of the audience is generally said to be an effective speaker. Similarly, an effective writer should be able to use written words in various styles and techniques to communicate his/her message and ideas to the readers. One should have the ability to listen carefully and write and speak clearly in any situation. Therefore good reading, writing, speaking and listening skills are essential for effective communication. As a student, you may study any language, but it is important that you are able to read, write, speak and listen well in order to communicate properly. Speaking more than one language can help you to communicate well with people around the world. Learning English can help you to communicate with people who understand English besides the language you have been exposed to speaking the language from easly childhood, for example, your mother tongue. In the present time, a thorough Unit 1.indd 1 15-03-2021 10:28:04  knowledge of the language with communication skills is very important in any occupation or to set up a business. Session 1: Introduction to Communication You probably hear people talking about communication all the time. Everyone needs it and wants it, but what exactly is communication? Let us try to understand it. The word ‘Communication’ comes from the Latin word commūnicāre, meaning ‘to share’. In Figure 1.1, you can see that communication is the ‘sharing’ of information between two or more individuals or within a group to reach a common understanding. Importance of communication Your ability to communicate clearly and share thoughts, feelings and ideas will help you in all your relationships. For example, you can inform about something or you can also influence others through communication. Communication skills are needed to: Inform: You may be required to give facts or information to someone. For example, communicating the timetable of an exam to a friend. Influence: You may be required to influence or change someone in an indirect but usually important way. For example, negotiating with a shopkeeper to reduce the price or helping a friend to overcome stress due to exam or any other reason. Asking for Information Where I am are you going going? home. Giving Receiving Information Information Figure 1.1: Communication Process 2 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 2 24-08-2018 15:24:21  Express feelings: Talking about your feelings is a healthy way to express them. For example, sharing your excitement about doing well in your exams or sharing your feelings with your parents and friends. Elements of communication Communication is a two-way exchange of information, i.e., giving and receiving (Fig. 1.2). Speaking and writing to someone are examples of giving information. Reading and listening to someone are examples of receiving information. Figure 1.2: Elements of Communication Perspectives in communication Perspectives are ideas, views, or fixed ways of thinking. These sometimes affect our communication. For example, if you have a fixed idea that your teacher or father is strict, even when they are being friendly, you may think they are scolding you even though they are polite. In the same way, others may also have fixed ideas about you, which affect whatever you say to them. Communication Skills 3 Unit 1.indd 3 10/8/2020 2:19:52 PM  Factors affecting perspectives in communication Sometimes, we are not able to communicate clearly because of barriers that stop us from sharing and understanding messages. Some of these are summarised in Table 1.1. Table 1.1: Factors affecting Perspectives in Communication Factor How the factor can become a barrier Language In case of use of incorrect words, unfamiliar language and lack of detail, language can act as a barrier to communicate what one wishes to convey. For example, language can act as a barrier when an Indian who only knows Hindi and Chinese who has the knowledge of Mandarin only want to interact with each other. Visual Perception Visual perception is the brain’s ability to make sense of what we see through our eyes. For example, completing partially drawn pictures with visual perception whereas they may be something else. Past Experience Letting our earlier experience stop us from understanding or communicating clearly. For example, “This shopkeeper cheated me last time. Let me be careful or “I scored low marks in my Maths exam, so I am scared to ask and answer questions in class.” Prejudice Fixed ideas, such as thinking “No one in my class likes me” may stop a student from communicating openly in the class. Feelings Our feelings and emotions, such as lack of interest or not trusting the other person affect communication. For example “I am not feeling well, therefore, I don’t want to talk.” Environment Noise or disturbance in the surroundings may make communication difficult. Example, talking to a friend in a function where there is loud music being played by the orchestra. Personal factors Personal factors include your own feelings, habits and ways of thinking. For example, fear, and low confidence may make communication difficult. Culture Signs’ which have a different meaning in different cultures, such as showing a thumb may mean ‘good job’ done for some people but may be insulting to others. Effective communication Effective communication can happen if we follow the basic principles of professional communication skills. These can be abbreviated as 7 Cs, i.e., Clear, Concise, Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete and Courteous. These are further explained in Figure 1.3. 4 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 4 24-08-2018 15:24:22  Figure 1.3: 7Cs of Effective Communication There are different methods of communication, which include non-verbal, verbal and visual. The teacher will facilitate these activities by showing you the e-learning module for this lesson via http://www.psscive.ac.in/ Employability_Skills.html. The module will include videos and e-content for the above topics as well as detailed instructions for some activities below. Initial thinking activity After watching the initial video in the e-learning lesson for this topic, answer the following question: Why is it important to communicate clearly and effectively? Activity 1 Role Play on Communication Process Procedure Form groups with three students in each group. Act out a conversation between the three people. The situation is that you need to sell some items to an old couple who has come to a shop. One person can act as the salesperson and the other two as an old man and his wife. Discuss what you learned from this. Activity 2 Group discussion and sharing experience on factors affecting perspectives in communication Procedure Form groups with three students in each group. Ask each group to select any one of the eight factors (as given in Table 1.1) which act as barriers to communication. Communication Skills 5 Unit 1.indd 5 24-08-2018 15:24:22  Notes Discuss how the various factors can affect or become a barrier to good communication with family, friends, in school or at a retail store. Each group member shares their experiences related to one of the eight factors. Activity 3 7Cs of effective communication Materials required Pen/pencil, notebook Procedure Write down examples of the 7Cs of communication in their notebook. For each of the 7Cs, a student volunteer to give his/her example of how to communicate well. The other students (with teacher’s guidance) say if it is correct or incorrect. Activity 4 Elements of communication Material required Chart paper, colours and pencil Procedure Make a chart showing the elements of communication in the communication process cycle. Check Your Progress A. Multiple choice questions Read the questions carefully and circle the letter (a), (b), (c) or (d) that best answers the question. 1. What is the purpose of communication? (a) Inform (tell someone about something) (b) Influence (get someone to do something you want) (c) Share thoughts, ideas, feelings (d) All of the above 2. Which of the following methods are used to receive information from the sender through a letter? (a) Listening (b) Speaking (c) Reading (d) Writing 3. How do you receive information on phone? (a) Listening (b) Speaking (c) Reading (d) Writing 6 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 6 10/8/2020 2:20:04 PM  B. Match the columns Notes Column A: Column B: Examples Communication Barriers 1. Language A. Trying to read a book when somebody else is watching TV in the same room. 2. Emotional B. In some cultures, wearing shoes and walking inside the kitchen is considered rude and disrespectful. 3. Environmental C. Talking in Hindi when others know only Tamil. 4. Cultural D. Parent is not talking to the child. C. Short answer question 1. Write down the seven factors affecting perspectives in communication. 2. Give an example of the following: (a) Clear communication (b) Complete communication What have you learnt? After completing this session, you will be able to identify the elements of communication. draw a communication cycle showing all the elements of communication. identify the factors affecting our perspectives in communication. Session 2: Verbal Communication Verbal communication is the sharing of information by using words. It is what most people use as a method of communication. We will learn about non-verbal and visual communication in the next session. Verbal communication is important because if you do not use the right words, you will cause confusion and you will not be able to communicate what you want. The important forms of verbal communication are given in Table 1.2. Communication Skills 7 Unit 1.indd 7 24-08-2018 15:24:22  Table 1.2: Verbal Communication Type of Verbal Examples Communication Oral or Spoken Face-to-face conversation: When you can Communication: see the listener. Communication which For example, group discussion, talking to involves talking family member at home, conversation with public through speeches, etc. Talking on a phone: This is for personal and official communication. Phone conversations should begin with a greeting (Hello), talking and listening to each other. The conversation can end with a ‘Thank you’ and ‘Bye’. Classroom teaching, business discussion and public speeches are other examples of oral communication, where one person talks to many others at once. Written Writing letters, notes, email, etc. Communication: Communication which involves written or typed words. SMS (Short Message Service): These can be sent through a phone to a person or a group. Can be used to send messages to a person or to a group using email to share news, thoughts, documents and files (including photos, videos, music, etc.). Books and newspapers. 8 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 8 10/8/2020 2:20:17 PM  Advantages of verbal communication Verbal communication is easy and quick. You can say what you want and get a quick response. It is an easier form of communication when you have to exchange ideas. You keep changing your communication as per the other person’s reply. Disadvantages of verbal communication The most common disadvantage of verbal communication is the cultural differences between the sender and receiver of the information. These differences may be due to the use of different languages, inability to understand the colloquial phrases used by the other individual, and the accent. Since verbal communication depends on words, sometimes the meanings become confusing and difficult to understand if the right words are not used. Public speaking Speaking in front of a large group makes most people nervous. You can use the 3Ps (Prepare, Practice, Perform) method to get over your fears, and become a confident and effective speaker. These points are shown in Table 1.3. Table 1.3: 3Ps of Public Speaking 3Ps of Public Speaking Prepare Think about your topic Think about what your listeners need to know about the topic Think about the best way to make your listeners understand your topic Write what you plan to say Practice Practice by yourself first, talk in front of a mirror Talk in front of your family and friends and ask them what they think Speak clearly, loudly and at the right speed (not very fast nor very slow) Perform Take a few deep breaths if you are feeling nervous Think about what you have prepared and start speaking confidently The teacher will facilitate these activities by showing you the e-learning module for this lesson via http://www.psscive.ac.in/ Employability_Skills.html. The module will include videos and e-content for the above topics as well as detailed instructions for some activities below. Communication Skills 9 Unit 1.indd 9 24-08-2018 15:24:23  Notes Initial thinking activity After watching the video in the e-learning lesson for this topic write down why do you think Tina’s directions were not understood? How would you give directions on the phone? Activity 1 Role play of a phone conversation Materials required Notebook, pen Procedure Form groups comprising at least three students in each group. Write a script on a phone conversation, based on a scenario given by your teacher. For example, the scenario could be a conversation between a person from the Call Centre and customer talking about the product that is to be delivered at the customer’s residence. One student acts as a caller and the other as receiver. Speak the conversation aloud. The third student gives feedback on the effectiveness of the communication, keeping in mind the 7Cs of communication. Activity 2 Public speaking Materials required Notebook, pen Procedure Form groups of three students in each group. Within the group, choose a topic for a very short speech. Use paragraphs. Each person uses the 3Ps (Prepare, Practice and Perform) method and makes a speech to the others in the group. Others give feedback — was the person able to communicate properly? One student volunteers to give a speech in front of the class. Check Your Progress A. Multiple choice questions Read the questions carefully and circle the letter (a), (b), (c) or (d) that best answers the question. 1. Choose the correct example of oral communication. (a) Reports (b) Newspapers 10 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 10 24-08-2018 15:24:23  (c) Face-to-face conversation (d) Notes 2. When we communicate verbally, we should use _______. (a) difficult words (b) simple words (c) confusing words (d) abbreviations 3. Why do we send emails? (a) To reach on time (b) To share documents and files (c) To talk to each other (d) To meet each other B. Short answer question 1. Write down the different types of verbal communication. Give an example for each type. What have you learnt? After completing this session, you will be able to explain the verbal method of communication. list the 7Cs of communication. speak confidently in public using the 3Ps method. Session 3: Non-Verbal Communication Non-verbal communication is the message we send EXPRESSIONS to others without using any words as shown in PARA- POSTURE Figure 1.4. We send LANGUAGE signals and messages to others, through expressions, NON- gestures and body postures. VERBAL In this session, you will learn EYE GESTURES CONTACT about the non-verbal method of communication, its types and importance. You will TOUCH learn to use the correct body SPACE language, like gestures, eye contact, handshake, etc. Figure1.4: Non-verbal Communication Communication Skills 11 Unit 1.indd 11 24-08-2018 15:24:23  Importance of non-verbal communication In our day-to-day communication, it is observed that most of the communication is done using body movements (face, arms, movements, etc.) and voice control (voice, tone, pauses, etc.). As we can see in Figure 1.5, maximum communication is non-verbal. We communicate using words, tone of voice and body language as shown in Table 1.4. Words (Verbal) Expressions, Movements, Pictures (Non-verbal and Voice Control Visual) (Non-verbal) Figure 1.5: Methods of Communication Table 1.4: Types of Non-verbal Communication Non-Verbal Communication — Exchanging information without words Hand movements (gestures) Raising a hand to greet and body language Pointing your finger in anger Expressions Smiling to show happiness Making a sad face when you are upset Non-verbal communication makes our message stronger. Using the right gestures while speaking makes our message more effective. Knowing non-verbal communication helps us understand our audience’s reaction and adjust our behaviour or communication accordingly. 12 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 12 10/8/2020 2:20:27 PM  Using the right gestures and postures helps us to be professional at work. If verbal messages are blocked by noise or distance, etc., we can use hand movements to exchange our message. Placing a finger on the lips to indicate the need for silence and nodding the head up and saying ‘ yes’. We communicate non-verbally in many ways. Let us learn about some of these (see Table 1.5). Table 1.5: Types of Non-verbal Communication How to make use of non-verbal Type What it implies communication effectively? Facial Expression A facial expression many a Keep your face relaxed times shows the feelings of a Try to match your expression person. For example, when with what you are saying we are happy, we express it If you agree with something, through a smile or when we you may nod while listening, are sad we show a gloomy which indicates that it has face. your assent Postures are positions of Keep your upper body relaxed Posture the body. They show our and, shoulders straight confidence and feelings. Sit straight, rest hands and For example, straight feet in relaxed position body posture is seen as Keep hands by your sides confidence. Holding your while standing head may be taken as tiredness. Gestures describe Avoid pointing at people with Gestures or movements of parts of the your finger Body Language body, especially hands or Instead of keeping your hands head, to express an idea in pocket while talking, try to or meaning. This includes keep your hands on the sides waving, pointing and using Bend your head a little while our hands when speaking. talking or listening to show For example, raising a that you are paying attention. hand may mean asking a question. Biting nails show nervousness. Communication Skills 13 Unit 1.indd 13 24-08-2018 15:24:24  Touch We communicate a great Shake hands firmly. deal through our touch, Avoid other touch gestures, such as shaking hands and such as stroking your hair, patting on the back. For scratching your nose, tugging example, a firm handshake on your clothes, etc., during shows confidence. Sports formal communication. coaches pat on the back of the players to encourage the players. Space The space between Maintain proper space, two persons while depending on the relationship, communicating, generally which could be formal or depends on the intimacy or informal or the closeness with closeness between them. the person with whom you are talking. Eye Contact Maintaining an eye contact Look at the person who is with the person you are speaking. talking indicates interest, Keep a relaxed, pleasant look. whereas, looking away can Break the look every few make the other person feel seconds. ignored. Paralanguage Paralanguage is the tone Use a proper tone and volume of our voice, speed and while speaking volume that makes a Maintain a moderate rate difference in the meaning (speed) of talking of the communication. Speaking too fast may show excitement or nervousness. Speaking too slow may show seriousness, sadness or making a point. Visual communication Another important method of communication is visual communication, which involves sending or understanding messages only through images or pictures. The main advantage of this type of communication is that you do not need to know any particular language for understanding it. It is simple, 14 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 14 10/29/2020 2:27:04 PM  easy to understand and remains same across different places. Table 1.6 shows some common types of visual communication. Table 1.6: Examples of Visual Communication Visual Communication: Exchanging Information through Images Traffic symbol which Traffic Lights—Red for communicates not to Stop; Yellow for Wait and blow horn Green for Go Sign for ladies and gents toilet Sign showing railway crossing Sign for flammable substances Sign for slippery surface Sign used to pause a video or Sign which communicates audio file in smartphone or that the area is a no computer smoking zone The teacher will facilitate these activities by showing you the e-learning module for this lesson via http://www.psscive.ac.in/ Employability Skills.html. The module will include videos and e-content for the above topics as well as detailed instructions for some activities below. Initial thinking activity After watching the initial video in the e-learning lesson for this topic write down how could Rohit understand something was wrong with Amar? Can you understand how your friends are feeling even when they do not tell you anything? Activity 1 Role play using non-verbal communication Materials required Notebook, pen Communication Skills 15 Unit 1.indd 15 24-08-2018 15:24:24  Notes Procedure Form groups with three students in each group. Prepare the script for the role play, based on the scenario given by your teacher. Act it out in front of your group. One of the group volunteers to act before the whole class. Discuss how students used non-verbal communication. Activity 2 Dos and Don’ts to avoid body language mistakes Materials required Notebook, pen Procedure In the same group of three students, as in Activity 1, discuss what things you should do and what you should not do to avoid mistakes in communication. Every student should write down a list of these Dos and Don’ts. Activity 3 Comparing methods of communication Materials required Notebook, pen Procedure In the same group of three students, as in Activity 1, discuss the three methods of communication (Verbal, Non-verbal, and Visual). Prepare a list of the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Check Your Progress A. Multiple choice questions Read the questions carefully and circle the letter (a), (b), (c) or (d) that best answers the question. 1. Which of these is a positive (good) facial expression? (a) Staring hard (b) Nodding while listening (c) Wrinkled forehead (d) Looking away from the speaker 2. What does an upright (straight) body posture convey/ show? (a) Shyness (b) Fear 16 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 16 24-08-2018 15:24:24  (c) Confidence Notes (d) Intelligence 3. Which of these is not an appropriate non-verbal communication at work? (a) Putting arm around a coworker’s shoulder (b) Shaking hands firmly (c) Looking at the speaker with a smile (d) Standing with an upright posture 4. When you are preparing for a presentation, you should __________________. (a) focus on the objectives of the presentation (b) practice your speech in front of a mirror or friend (c) do rehearsals to time your presentation of slides (d) All of the above B. Put a × mark against the actions below which are incorrect for demonstrating the use of non-verbal communication Laughing during formal communication Scratching head Smiling when speaking to a friend Nodding when you agree with something Standing straight Yawning while listening Sitting straight Maintaining eye contact while speaking Biting nails Firm handshake Clenching jaws Looking away when someone is speaking to you Intense stare C. Short answer questions 1. Give examples of any four common signs used for visual communication. What Have You Learnt? After completing this session, you will be able to explain the importance of non-verbal and visual communication. identify different types of non-verbal communication. use the right non-verbal communication at work. avoid common mistakes in non-verbal communication. Communication Skills 17 Unit 1.indd 17 24-08-2018 15:24:24  Session 4: Writing Skills: Parts of Speech When we talk or write in English, we use sentences to express ourselves. Sentences are important because if you do not clearly write sentences then, the meaning of the same cannot be understood clearly. A sentence is a group of words that communicates a complete thought (Example: Raju goes to school). A group of words, which does not make complete sense, is known as a phrase (Example: Raju goes). A sentence always begins with a capital letter, and it always ends with a question mark, full stop or exclamation mark. Read out aloud the examples given below. Did you work on your project? I completed it yesterday. That is good! Using capitals We know that all sentences begin with capital letters. Do you know at what other points in a sentence we should use capital letters? It is easy to know what to capitalise if you remember the word ‘MINTS’. MINTS is a set of simple rules that help you capitalise words correctly. Each letter in the word MINTS refers to one capitalisation rule as shown in Table 1.7. Table 1.7: Capitalisation Rules Alphabet M I N T S What it Months The letter Names Titles Starting shows: letter of sentences Rule Capitalise the Capitalise the Capitalise the Capitalise the Capitalise first letter in letter ‘I’ when first letter in first letter in the first all the names it is used to the names of the titles used letter in of months. begin a word. people, places before people’s every and days. name. sentence. Example I will go to I play tennis This Tuesday, Dr Shah and The cat ran college in with him Vidya will be Mr Patel work out of the June. every day. in Rajasthan. together. house. 18 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 18 24-08-2018 15:24:24  Punctuation It is a set of marks, such as the full stop and the comma, which help us separate parts of a sentence and explain its meaning. Like uppercase letters, punctuation is also a very important part of sentences and has some rules. Some common punctuation marks and their use have been given in Table 1.8. Table 1.8: Punctuation Marks Punctuation Sign Use Examples name Full stop. Shows the end of a sentence. Also This is a sentence. This is used to show short form of long another sentence. words. For example, ‘doctor’ can Sanjay is a doctor. His be shortened to ‘Dr’ when we use patients call him Dr Sanjay. it as a title before a name. Comma , Sometimes, we use a comma to After the waiter gave me a indicate a pause in the sentence. menu, I ordered food. We can also use a comma to I bought apples, oranges and separate items when we are listing grapes. out more than two items in a row. Question ? We use a question mark at the What is your name? mark end of a question. How old are you? Exclamation ! We use an exclamation mark at What a pleasant surprise! mark the end of a word or a sentence to You are late! indicate a strong feeling, such as surprise, shock or anger. Apostrophe (’) We use an apostrophe followed That is Divya’s pen. by an s to show that something Are these Abdul’s books? belongs to someone. We also use an apostrophe to Let’s go. (Instead of Let us indicate the shortened form of go.) some words in informal speech. He isn’t here. (Instead of He is not here.) Basic parts of speech There are eight basic parts of speech in the English language. These are noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. Communication Skills 19 Unit 1.indd 19 24-08-2018 15:24:24  Figure 1.6: Parts of Speech A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are often used with an article (the, a, an), but not always. A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. A verb expresses action or being. An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun. An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence. A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses. An interjection is a word used to express emotion. You should be able to use these parts of the speech in making sentences. The different types of words we use in sentences are called parts of speech. Some examples are nouns, 20 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 20 06-06-2019 11:42:09  pronouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs, as shown in Figure 1.6. Let us read more about them in Table 1.9. Table 1.9: Parts of Speech Example Parts of Speech What they do Example sentences words Noun Nouns are words that In the sentence, ‘Reema wrote Dog refer to a person, place, a letter.’ Both Reema and letter Table thing or idea. These are are nouns. India ‘naming words.’ Sanjay Pronoun A pronoun is a word In the second sentence, I used in place of a noun “Reema wrote a letter. They She is tired.” ‘She’ is used He in place of the noun Reema, You it is a pronoun. Adjectives Adjectives are words In the sentence “Reema wrote Small that describe other a long letter.” Long is an Blue words adjective that describes the Sharp noun ‘letter’. Loud Verbs Verbs are words that In the sentence: “Reema wrote Run show action a letter.” Wrote is the verb. Eat It tells what action Reema did. Think Sit Adverbs Adverbs are words that In the sentence “Reema quickly Easily add meaning to verbs, wrote a letter.” Quickly is an Always adjectives, or other adverb. It tells us how Reema Inside adverbs. They answer did the action (writing). Before the questions — How? How often? When? And Where? Let us now see how these words are used. Read aloud the sentence given below. Wow! Reema went to the studio and met a famous actor. We already know that Reema, studio and actor are nouns. Famous is an adjective here because it describes the noun actor and the words went and met are verbs because they describe an action. What about the remaining words in this sentence wow, to, the, and? What are these words called? We use such supporting words to join the main parts of speech together and to add information to the sentences we make. Let us now look at these supporting words. Communication Skills 21 Unit 1.indd 21 24-08-2018 15:24:24  Supporting parts of speech types Figure 1.7: Supporting Parts of Speech Along with the main ‘Parts of Speech’, there are some more words we need for making a sentence. These are shown in Figure 1.7. Let us learn more about them using Table 1.10. Table 1.10: Supporting Parts of Speech Supporting Parts Use Examples of Speech Articles The words ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ are The car stopped suddenly because known as articles. Articles are a cat ran in front of it. generally used before nouns. A book An is used before words with a An apple vowel (a,e,i,o,u) sound An umbrella A is used before nouns with a The sun consonant (all other alphabets) sound The is used to refer to specific or particular words Conjunctions Conjunctions are words that join Instead of, Sheela went to the two nouns, phrases or sentences. market. I also went to the market. Some common conjunctions are Sheela and I went to the market. ‘and’, ‘or’ and ‘but’. Instead of, “Do you want oranges? Do you want apples?” “Do you want oranges or apples?” Prepositions Prepositions connect one word Some common prepositions are ‘on’, with another to show the relation ‘at’, ‘under’ and ‘in’. between them. They usually The cat is on the roof. answer the questions ‘where’, The shop is at the end of the road. ‘when’ and ‘how’. Rahul is standing under the tree. I live in Delhi. 22 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 22 24-08-2018 15:24:25  Interjections These words express strong Wow! emotions, such as happiness, Oh! surprise, anger or pain. They have Oh no! an exclamation mark at the end. Thanks! Help! The teacher will facilitate these activities by showing you the e-learning module for this lesson via http://www.psscive.ac.in/ Employability_Skills.html. The module will include videos and e-content for the above topics as well as detailed instructions for some activities below. Initial thinking activity After watching the initial video in the e-learning lesson for this topic write down what do you think was wrong with Seema’s letter? Activity 1 Identifying parts of speech Materials required Notebook, pen Procedure Read aloud the paragraph given below. “on sunday, i have an appointment to meet Dr. Patel in delhi. my house is near Mr. Patels shop i went to his shop on friday to buy vegetables I bought potatoes onions carrots and a cabbage Mr. Patel is a friendly man have you met him” This paragraph contains examples of the parts of speech you learnt about in this lesson. Identify as many of these parts of speech as you can and mark them. Write the paragraph with proper punctuation and capitalisation. Activity 2 Constructing sentences Materials required Notebook, pen Procedure Form pairs of students. List out five parts of speech that you learnt in the lesson. Select one of them and create two simple sentences which use these parts of speech. Communication Skills 23 Unit 1.indd 23 24-08-2018 15:24:25  Notes For example, if you have chosen adjectives, create two sentences that have adjectives. Activity 3 Identify name, place, animal, thing Materials required Notepad, pens Procedure Number yourselves from 1 to 5. Each member of a group has to say a word that is either a name, place, animal or thing; the fifth member has to do an action. Each group gets 30 seconds to think what they are going to say and do. Check Your Progress A. Multiple choice questions Read the questions carefully and circle the letter (a), (b), (c) or (d) that best answers the question. 1. What is a sentence? (a) A group of ideas that form a complete paragraph (b) A group of words that communicate a complete thought (c) A set of rules that we must follow to write correctly (d) A set of words that contains all the basic punctuation marks 2. Which of these sentences use uppercase letters correctly? (a) I am Hungry. (b) Divya and sunil are reading. (c) The bucket is Full of water. (d) She lives in Delhi. 3. Which of these sentences are punctuated correctly? (a) Where are you going. (b) I have a pen a notebook and a pencil. (c) I am so happy to see you! (d) This is Abdul’s house. 4. Underline the noun, pronoun, adjective, verb and adverb in these sentences. (a) Sanjay plays football everyday. (b) Divya gave him new books. (c) I opened the red box carefully. 24 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 24 24-08-2018 15:24:25  B. Fill in the blanks Notes Fill correct nouns and verbs from the box to fill in the blanks given below. girl, girls, boy, milk, dog, skipping, riding, running, studying, drinking, barking a. The ____________ is _________________. b. The ____________ is _________________. c. The ____________ is _________________. d. The ____________ are _________________. e. Raju is ____________ _________________. f. The ____________ is ______________. C. Short answer questions 1. Identify the conjunctions and prepositions (Remember, conjunctions join two sentences while prepositions help answer the words ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘how’.). Choose the conjunctions and prepositions from the box given below and list in the correct box. Under, And, In, At, Or, Up Conjunction Preposition Communication Skills 25 Unit 1.indd 25 24-08-2018 15:24:25  What Have You Learnt? After completing this session, you will be able to use capitalisation and punctuation rules for writing sentences. identify the basic parts of speech, such as nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs. explain the usage of the parts of speech. identify the supporting parts of speech, such as articles, conjunctions, prepositions and interjections. Session 5: Writing Skills: Sentences Parts of a sentence As you have learnt in English classes, almost all English sentences have a subject and a verb. Some also have an object. A subject is the person or thing that does an action. A verb describes the action. Object is the person or thing that receives the action. For example, read a loud the simple sentence “Divya reads a book”. Let us see the different parts of the sentence as given in Figure 1.8. Figure 1.8: Parts of a Sentence Read a loud the example sentences shown in Table 1.11 and understand which is the subject, verb and object. Table 1.11: Parts of a Sentence Sentence Subject Verb Object I ate an apple. I ate an apple. He cooked dinner. He cooked dinner. She kicked the football. She kicked the football. Dia and Sanjay broke the bottle. Dia and Sanjay broke the bottle. 26 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 26 10/8/2020 2:20:55 PM  Types of objects The object in a sentence can be either direct or indirect. Direct objects are the ones directly ‘acted on’ by the action word (verb). If the verb is ‘reads’ and we ask “What does Divya read?” The answer is ‘book’ which is the direct object. A direct object answers the question ‘what?’. An indirect object answers questions, such as ‘to whom’ and ‘for whom’. For example, in the sentence “Abdul gave a gift to his mother.” The verb is ‘gave’. and there are two objects here — ‘gift’ and ‘mother’. What did Abdul give? The gift. To whom did Abdul give the gift? To his mother. Here, ‘gift’ is the direct object and ‘his mother’ is the indirect object. Some sentences only have direct objects while some have both direct and indirect objects. Read a loud the examples given in Table 1.12 and practice finding the direct and indirect objects. Table 1.12: Direct and Indirect Objects Verb + By Direct Indirect Sentence Verb Verb + What? whom/to object object whom? Sanjay bought bought Vegetables vegetables vegetables. Fatima and Sonia played Tennis tennis played Tennis. He offered me an offered Orange me orange me orange. The teacher gave us gave Homework us homework us homework. Types of sentences Active and passive sentences Read a loud the sentence shown in Figure 1.9. What is the difference between the two sentences? 1. Sanjay broke the glass. 2. The glass was broken by Sanjay. Communication Skills 27 Unit 1.indd 27 06-06-2019 09:47:30  The action (verb) in both the sentences is breaking of the glass. But the ‘subject’ of both sentences is different. In the first sentence, the subject (Sanjay) does the action. In the second sentence, the Figure 1.9: Types of Sentences subject (the glass) receives the action. Read the sentences in Figure 1.10 again. Sentences where the subject does an action are known to Figure 1.10: Active and Passive Sentences be in the Active voice. Sentences in which the subject receives an action are known to be in the Passive voice. Read aloud some more examples given in Table 1.13. Table 1.13: Active and Passive Sentences Active Voice Passive Voice She wrote a letter. A letter was written by her. He opened the door. The door was opened by him. Mohan played the flute. The flute was played by Mohan. Types of sentences (according to their purpose) Read a loud the sentences in Figure 1.11. How do you think they differ from each other? Figure 1.11: Examples of types of Sentences 28 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 28 24-08-2018 15:24:25  Each of these sentences has a different purpose. Also, notice how each sentence in Figure 1.12 ends. Figure 1.12: Different types of Sentences Read the examples in Figure 1.12 to practice the different types of sentences. Table 1.14: Types of Sentences Types of Sentences Statement or Question or Emotion/Reaction or Order or Declarative Interrogative Exclamatory Sentence Imperative Sentence Sentence Sentence This is the most This type of An exclamatory These sentences common type of sentence asks sentence expresses a show an order, sentence. It provides a question. It strong emotion, such command, request, information or states always ends with as joy, sadness, fear or or advice. It can a fact. It always ends a question mark wonder. It always ends end with a full stop with a ‘full-stop’ (‘.’). (‘?’). with an exclamation or an exclamation mark (‘!’). mark (‘.’ or ‘!’). Read aloud the examples given below I go to school. Did you go to I came first in class! Go to college today. I like eating school? Go eat your vegetables. Do you like eating vegetables. vegetables? It is very cold. How is the Oh, it’s so cold! Wear your sweater. This room is weather? Clean this room. unclean. Could you help clean this room? I completed my Did you complete I completed my project! Complete your project. your project? project. I exercise everyday Do you exercise Go and exercise everyday? today. Communication Skills 29 Unit 1.indd 29 24-08-2018 15:24:25  Notes Paragraphs You have learnt about sentences. A group of sentences forms a paragraph. While writing a paragraph, make sure the sentences have a common idea. When you want to write about a different idea, make a new paragraph. For example, if you are writing about your school, the first paragraph can be of sentences about the name, location, size and other such details. In the next paragraph you can use sentences to describe what you like about your school. I go to Government Higher Secondary School, Balachadi. There are about 100 students and seven teachers in my school. My school is on the main road, very close to the City Railway Station and local hospital. I love going to school and learning new lessons. My school has a playground where I play cricket with my friends at the end of the day. There is a library too and I borrow one book every week. I love my school. The teacher will facilitate these activities by showing you the e-learning module for this lesson via http://www.psscive.ac.in/ Employability_Skills.html. The module will include videos and e-content for the above topics as well as detailed instructions for some activities below. Initial thinking activity After watching the initial video in the e-learning lesson for this topic write down if you think that Sanjay and Dia were able to make correct sentences? Activity 1 Making sentences Materials required Notebook, pen Procedure Form pairs of students. First, write down three sentences that contain direct objects. Then, write down three other sentences that contain both direct and indirect objects. 30 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 30 24-08-2018 15:24:25  Use different colours to mark the different parts of each Notes sentence (Subject, Verb, Object). One volunteer shows their list to the class, who correct if needed. Activity 2 Active and passive voice Materials required Notebook, pen Procedure With the same pairs as above, write a paragraph on any topic. The paragraph should have at least two sentences in active voice and two sentences in passive voice. One volunteer reads out their paragraph to the class. The class gives feedback, if correct. Activity 3 Types of sentences Materials required Notebook, pen Procedure With the same pairs as above, make a list of minimum eight sentences. These should have at least two sentences of each type—declarative, interrogative, exclamatory and imperative. For each type of sentence, different volunteers read out their sentences to the class. The class gives feedback on the correctness of the sentences. Check You Process A. Multiple choice questions Read the questions carefully and circle the letter (a), (b), (c) or (d) that best answers the question. 1. Identify the subject in the sentence, “The children played football.” (a) The children (b) Children played (c) Played (d) Football 2. Identify the object in the sentence, “The children played football.” (a) The children (b) Children played (c) Played (d) Football Communication Skills 31 Unit 1.indd 31 24-08-2018 15:24:25  3. Which of these sentences has both indirect and direct objects? (a) I am watching TV. (b) She bought a blue pen. (c) The girls played cricket. (d) He wrote his sister a letter. 4. Which of these sentences is in passive voice? (a) They are watching a movie. (b) The clock was repaired by Raju. (c) He is sleeping in the room. (d) My pet dog bit the postman. B. Short answer questions 1. Write one sentence of each type—statement, question, exclamatory and order. 2. Which is your favourite festival? Write two paragraphs about your favourite festival. Each paragraph should have a minimum of four sentences. Make sure you follow all the rules about sentences and paragraphs you have learnt. 3. Practice speaking correct sentences with your classmates. Try and find the parts of sentences which you use commonly. What Have You Learnt? After completing this session, you will be able to identify the different parts of a sentence. differentiate between active and passive voice. identify and compose different types of sentences. Session 6: Pronunciation Basics If we do not say (or pronounce) words correctly, others cannot understand what we are saying as in the example shown in Figure 1.13. In this lesson you will learn about the common ‘sounds’ used while speaking English. You will learn and practice how to say common words correctly. Pronunciation is the way you say a word, just as spelling is how you write a word. To communicate well when you speak, you need to know how to pronounce words correctly. Figure 1.13: Importance of Pronunciation Correct pronunciation will help you express 32 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 32 24-08-2018 15:24:25  yourself in a clear and confident manner. It will also Notes help others to understand your words easily. Speaking correctly Say the following words aloud. Ask your teacher and friends if you pronounced them correctly. Your World Chair Wear Also try saying these words aloud Sun Son Sail Sale Tail Tale What did you notice? Sometimes words, which have similar spellings are pronounced differently. Sometimes words, which have different spellings may be pronounced in the same way. The best way to learn correct pronunciation of words is to listen carefully. Phonetics How do we pronounce words? We use sounds to speak. Every word is made up of one or more sounds. We put these sounds together to pronounce words. Phonetics is the study of the sounds that we make when we speak. For example, the word dog is made of three sounds put together: d-o-g. Speak the word aloud as shown in Hindi to help you pronounce it correctly The word cat is made of three other sounds: c-a-t. Speak the word aloud as shown in Hindi to help you pronounce it correctly. The English alphabet has 26 letters, from A to Z. But each of these letters can be pronounced in different ways in different words. We use 26 letters to write in English. But, we use more than 26 sounds when we speak English. This is why a word’s spelling does not always match its pronunciation. Let us take the letter ‘a’ for example. Read the words below aloud. The alphabet ‘a’ is pronounced differently in different words as shown in Table 1.15. Table 1.15: Different sounds of letter ‘a’ Words Pronunciation Pronunciation in of the letter ‘a’ Hindi cat, apple and back ऐ कै ट, एेपल, बैक Communication Skills 33 Unit 1.indd 33 24-08-2018 15:24:25  car, fast and park आ कार, फास्ट, पार्क call, ball and saw आॅ कॉल, बॉल, सॉव् Pay attention to the sound of each word while listening, you will be able to pronounce it clearly. Types of sounds We have now seen how the letters of the alphabet are not enough to exactly match the many different sounds we make when we speak. Let us take a closer look at the sounds we use. All English words are made of three basic types of sounds as shown in Table 1.16. Table 1.16: Different Sounds in English Diphthongs (combination Vowels Consonants sound of two vowels) The English alphabet has We make a diphthong sound A consonant sound is any five vowels (a, e, i, o and u) when we combine two vowels. sound that is neither a but 12 vowel sounds. This Diphthongs start as one vowel vowel nor a diphthong means most vowels can sound and go to another. sound. be pronounced in different ways. We make a vowel sound when we read a vowel in a word. For example, we pronounce For example, the sound ‘ou’ in For example, we use the letter ‘i’ in the word ‘bit’ the word “house” is a diphthong consonant sounds to say by using a vowel sound. or a combination. the letters ‘p’ and ‘t’ in the In Hindi it is िबट In Hindi, it is हाऊस word Pot. In Hindi is पॉट Say the word ‘bit’ aloud and Say the word ‘house’ aloud and Say the word ‘pot’ aloud listen to how you are saying listen to how you are saying the and listen to how you the vowel sound. diphthong. are saying the consonant sounds. Some more examples are given in Table 1.17. Say these words aloud (also given in Hindi to assist pronunciation), listen carefully when others say these words and repeat what you hear. 34 Employability Skills – Class IX Unit 1.indd 34 24-08-2018 15:24:25  Table 1.17: Examples of Different Sounds Vowel Sounds long ‘ee’ sound short ‘i’ sound short ‘u’ sound long ‘oo’ sound Sleep स्लीप Slip िस्लप Book बक ु Boot बटु Keep कीप Dip िनयर Put पटु Group ग्परू Feel फील Fill िफल Foot फुट Two टू Combination vowel (diphthong’) sounds ‘ea’ sound ‘oa’ sound ‘ou’ sound ‘ae’ sound Near िनयर Lateलेट Boat बोट Mouth माउथ Deer िडयर Cake के क Loan लोन Cow काउ Hear हीयर Game गेम Most मोस्ट Cloud क्लाउड Consonant sounds ‘p प’ sound ‘t ट’ sound ‘k क’ sound ‘l ल’ sound Pen पेन Train ट्रेन Book बकु Look लक ु Report िरपोर्ट Story स्टोरी Cold कोल्ड Place प्लेस Stop स्टोप Put पटु Music म्यूिसक School स्कू ल The teacher will facilitate these activities by showing you the e-learning module for this lesson via http://www. psscive.ac.in/Employability_Skills.html. The module will include videos and e-content for the above topics as well as detailed instructions for some activities below. Activity 1 Pronouncing words Materials required Notebook, pen Procedure Form groups of four students in each group. Make a list of five things in the classroom. Identify the vowels, diphthongs and