Technical Communication (AL-301) Unit 2 Notes

How unit 2 is examined

This unit covers verbal versus non-verbal communication, barriers, interpersonal skills, listening and bad news; most marks sit in the verbal/non-verbal comparison and barriers.

Verbal & Non-verbal Communication

<span style="display:inline-block;padding:.16em .6em;border:1.5px solid currentColor;border-radius:999px;font-size:.68em;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.06em;text-transform:uppercase;opacity:.75">High weight</span>

Definition. <mark>Verbal communication uses words, spoken or written, to exchange a message, while non-verbal communication conveys it without words, through body language, gestures, facial expression, tone and space.</mark>

Key points.

Verbal communication is of two kinds: oral (face-to-face talk, phone call, meeting) and written (letter, email, report, memo).
Non-verbal communication uses body movement, posture, eye contact, facial expression, touch, distance, time, dress and the tone of the voice.
Verbal communication follows the rules of a language, such as grammar and vocabulary, whereas non-verbal signals have no fixed rules and depend on culture.
Oral communication gives quick feedback but no record; written gives a permanent record but slow feedback.
Non-verbal cues are mostly unconscious, so they reveal true feelings and are trusted more when they conflict with words.
Non-verbal signals repeat, support, replace or contradict the spoken message, for example a nod that repeats "yes".

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Basis	Verbal	Non-verbal
Meaning	Uses spoken or written words	Uses signs, gestures, tone and silence
Channel	Oral and written	Body, voice, space, time, appearance
Rules	Follows grammar and language rules	No fixed rules; culture-dependent
Speed	Slower, word by word	Instant, several signals at once
Feedback	Quick in oral, slow in written	Immediate, but often unconscious
Record	Written form is permanent	Rarely recorded
Formality	Structured; formal (report) or informal (chat)	Unstructured, mostly spontaneous
Example	Email, meeting speech, presentation	Handshake, dress, eye contact at the same meeting

Answer frame. Open with the two definitions; draw the classification tree; then give the comparison table above (medium, rules, speed, feedback, record, example); close with one line that the two work together and non-verbal cues support words.

Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2022, Dec 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2025) Differentiate between verbal and non-verbal communication. Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2025) What is the difference between verbal and non-verbal communication? Explain with examples. Pitfall: Writing only definitions loses marks; a table with at least five rows and examples is what the examiner expects.

Classification of NVC

Definition. Non-verbal communication (NVC) is a message sent without words; it is classified by the channel that carries the signal.

Key points.

Kinesics is body language, with five sub-types. Emblems replace words (a thumbs-up for "all good"). Illustrators accompany words (hands spread to show size). Regulators control turn-taking (a nod to go on). Affect displays show emotion (slumped posture after bad news). Adaptors are unconscious stress habits (tapping a pen).
Facial expression shows the basic emotions (joy, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust), read alike in most cultures. A smile builds warmth; a frown signals doubt before a word is said.
Oculesics is eye contact: a steady gaze shows confidence; avoiding it suggests nervousness.
Proxemics is the use of space, with Hall's four zones: intimate 0-45 cm, personal 45 cm-1.2 m, social 1.2-3.6 m and public over 3.6 m.
Paralanguage is how something is said: tone shows attitude, pitch shows emotion (rising pitch marks a question), volume shows confidence or anger. Rate, pauses and fillers ("um") show nervousness; a steady rate with planned pauses sounds confident.
Haptics is touch: a firm handshake shows confidence. Chronemics is time: arriving early shows respect. Artifacts are dress and objects: formal wear signals professionalism. Proxemics example: a manager stands at social distance (about 2 m) in a meeting, but moves to personal distance to console a colleague.

Steps. Nonviolent Communication (the other NVC, Marshall Rosenberg) has four steps:

Observation, not evaluation: state only what you saw or heard, as a camera would ("the report came two days late"), not a judgement ("you are careless").
Feelings, not thoughts: name your own emotion ("I feel worried"), not a disguised thought ("I feel you don't care").
Needs: link the feeling to the universal need behind it, such as reliability, respect or support ("I need timely data for the client").
Request, not demand: ask for a specific, doable action that the other may refuse ("could you send it by Monday?").

Example. A team lead tells a late colleague: "Two reports this month came after the deadline; I feel anxious because I need the figures to brief the client; could we agree on Friday noon as your cut-off?" The colleague hears a problem, not an attack.

Applying non-verbal cues at work. At an interview the candidate arrives early (chronemics), dresses formally (artifacts), shakes hands firmly (haptics), sits upright with steady eye contact (kinesics) and speaks calmly without fillers (paralanguage). In a meeting, the chair reads a frown and folded arms as doubt and invites a question.

Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2024) Provide a detailed classification of NVC. How do you apply the NVC process?

Barriers to Communication

Definition. <mark>A barrier to communication is any obstacle that blocks, distorts or delays a message between sender and receiver, so that the meaning received differs from the meaning sent.</mark>

Key points.

Physical barriers are external: noise, distance, poor lighting or faulty equipment. Example: machine noise on a factory floor drowns a supervisor's instruction. Remedy: a quiet room, working equipment.
Physiological barriers come from the body: hearing loss, poor eyesight, speech defects or fatigue. Example: an employee with weak hearing misses half a briefing. Remedy: hearing aids, speak slowly facing the listener, give written backup.
Semantic barriers arise from words: jargon, ambiguity and unfamiliar language. Example: "the API latency spiked" confuses a client. Remedy: plain words, defined terms.
Psychological barriers are inside the mind: prejudice, stress, fear and a closed attitude. Example: an employee afraid of the boss hides a mistake. Remedy: build trust and listen with empathy.
Organisational barriers arise from structure: too many levels of hierarchy, rigid rules, poor channels and information overload. Example: a worker's idea is lost across five levels. Remedy: fewer levels, open-door meetings, a suggestion system.
Cultural barriers arise from different customs, gestures and values. Example: a thumbs-up, friendly in India, offends in parts of West Asia. Remedy: cultural training, avoid stereotypes.
General remedies for all barriers are simple words, active listening, two-way feedback and visual aids. For language barriers add translation tools, cultural-sensitivity training, and empathy and open-mindedness towards a different accent or usage.

Language (semantic) barriers and how to overcome them.

Problem	Example	Remedy
Jargon	"KPI", "ROI" to a layman	Plain words; explain terms; visual aids
Words with several meanings	"Bank" (river or money); "table the proposal"	Give context; confirm meaning
Dialects and accents	Regional Hindi or English accent	Speak slowly; standard language
Translation errors	A slogan loses meaning in another language	Translation tools with human check; back-translate
Idioms and slang	"Break a leg" confuses a foreign client	Avoid idioms; use literal words
Ambiguity	"Send it soon" (when?)	Give exact dates; paraphrase to confirm

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Answer frame. Open with the definition; draw the tree; develop points 1-6 with example and remedy; add point 7 (for the language question, use the language table); close with "clear, two-way communication removes most barriers".

Asked: [7 marks] (Nov 2022, Dec 2022, Jun 2024) What are the different barriers to effective communication? Asked: [7 marks] (Nov 2022, Jun 2024) Explain the barriers of communication in detail. What are the different types of communication barriers? Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2023, Jun 2025) What are the barriers to effective communication? How can we overcome language barriers? What are common barriers to effective interpersonal communication and how can they be overcome? Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2023, Jun 2025, Dec 2025) Explain barriers to communication and methods to overcome them. Pitfall: Listing barriers without their remedies loses marks whenever the question adds "overcome".

Communicating Globally

Definition. Communicating globally means exchanging information across countries, cultures and time zones, mostly through information and communication technology (ICT).

Key points (role of tools).

Videoconferencing (Zoom, Teams) gives live meetings with screen sharing, so distant teams meet face to face.
Instant messaging (Slack, WhatsApp) gives quick questions and group updates in seconds.
Cloud collaboration (Google Drive, SharePoint) stores files online, so several people edit one document.
Email carries formal, recorded messages and attachments; social media (LinkedIn) reaches partners worldwide.

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Advantages.

Real-time connectivity: teams in Pune and London decide in one call.
Lower cost: video meetings replace flights and hotels.
Global reach: a small firm finds customers and talent anywhere.
Productivity: shared files let work continue round the clock.

Challenge	Why it hurts	Solution
Language and culture	Words and gestures are misread	Plain English, cultural training
Time zones	Few common working hours	Fixed overlap hours, recorded meetings
Privacy and security	Data can be hacked or leaked	Encryption, two-factor authentication
Technical glitches	Poor internet stops meetings	Backup channels, test before the call
Overload	Too many messages	Clear channel rules

Answer frame. Open with the definition; draw the hub; name each tool's use; then advantages and the challenge table; close with "technology makes the world one workplace".

Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2024) Discuss the role of technology in facilitating global communication. What are its advantages and challenges?

Culture and Communication

Definition. Culture is the shared beliefs, values and customs of a group; intercultural communication is communication between people of different cultures.

Key points.

Culture shapes language, gestures, eye contact, greetings, dress and the sense of time.
In high-context cultures, such as India and Japan, meaning lies in the situation and what is unsaid; in low-context cultures, such as the USA and Germany, meaning is stated in words.
Avoid stereotypes, learn local etiquette and stay flexible.

Soft Skills: Interpersonal Communication

Definition. <mark>Interpersonal communication is the face-to-face exchange of information, feelings and meaning between two or more people; soft skills are the personal and social abilities, such as communication, teamwork and empathy, that let a person work well with others.</mark>

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Key points (interpersonal).

Interpersonal communication is direct, usually face to face, with continuous mutual feedback, and it uses both verbal and non-verbal signals.
It is relational, since each exchange builds or harms the relationship, and it rests on empathy, understanding the other's feelings.
Model elements: the sender encodes the idea; the message is the content; the medium carries it (speech, call); the receiver decodes it; feedback shows it was understood. Context (place, relationship, culture) shapes meaning; noise (sound, bias) distorts it.
Dyadic communication is between two people, such as a manager giving an employee a performance review or two friends chatting.
Small-group communication is among three to about ten people, such as a project team planning a sprint.
At work it builds cooperation, trust and morale and speeds decisions; in personal life it builds friendship and family bonds.

Key points (soft skills and their workplace effect).

Communication: clear speaking and writing avoid errors and win clients.
Emotional intelligence: managing one's own and others' feelings keeps the team calm.
Teamwork: cooperation and shared credit let a group finish what no one member could.
Leadership: a leader who listens and gives clear direction gets commitment, not just obedience.
Problem-solving: judging facts logically gives sound decisions.
Time management and adaptability: planning and accepting change keep projects on track.
Work ethic: honesty, punctuality and responsibility earn trust and promotion.
Conflict resolution: hearing both sides and seeking a win-win keeps a team together.

Example. Hard skills are technical, such as coding; soft skills are personal. Of two equally good coders, the one who explains designs to clients calmly is made team lead.

Answer frame. For interpersonal: open with the definition, draw the model, explain dyadic and group types with examples, close with its importance at work and home. In short (Dec 2022 part a): "Interpersonal communication is a direct, relational exchange between two or more people using words and body language, marked by empathy and mutual feedback; it builds trust at work and home." For soft skills: contrast hard and soft skills with the example, develop the eight skills with effects, close with "soft skills turn technical ability into career success".

Asked: [7 marks] (Nov 2022, Jun 2025) Briefly describe interpersonal communication. What is interpersonal communication? Provide a detailed explanation. Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2023) How can soft skills contribute to success in one's professional life? Explain. Asked: [14 marks] (Dec 2022) Explain in short: (a) interpersonal communication; (b) persuasive communication; (c) negotiation in communication; (d) difference between communicating good messages and bad messages. (Part a is above, b under Persuasion, c under Negotiation, d under bad news.)

Listening

Definition. <mark>Listening is the active process of receiving, understanding, remembering, evaluating and responding to a spoken message; hearing is only the physical perception of sound.</mark>

Key points.

Receiving: the listener hears the sound and pays attention to the speaker.
Understanding: the listener interprets the words and gives them meaning.
Remembering: the message is stored in memory for later use.
Evaluating: the listener judges the message as true, useful or biased.
Responding: the listener gives feedback by a nod, a question or a reply, which completes the cycle.
Active listening techniques are full attention, steady eye contact, paraphrasing to confirm, no interruption and taking short notes.
Active listening gives accurate understanding, fewer errors, trust (the speaker feels valued) and useful feedback.
Barriers to listening are noise, prejudice, daydreaming, interrupting, preparing a reply instead of listening, and information overload.

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Basis	Hearing	Listening
Nature	Physical, involuntary	Mental, deliberate
Effort	No effort needed	Needs effort and concentration
Focus	No focus on meaning	Focuses on meaning
Skill	Natural ability	Learned skill
Feedback	None	Gives feedback
Type and retention	Passive and involuntary; little is retained	Has kinds (selective, attentive, active); message is understood and retained
Purpose	None; just senses sound	To understand, decide and act
Control	Cannot be switched off	Chosen and directed
Example	Hearing traffic noise	Following a client's requirements and noting them

Worked example. A client says, "Dashboard by the 15th, sales by region." The analyst receives it with full attention; understands "region" as the four sales zones; remembers it by noting it down; evaluates whether the 15th is possible; and responds, "Four zones by the 15th, if I get March data by Friday."

Answer frame. For the process: open with the definition, draw the five-box flow, explain each stage in a sentence and close with the role of active listening. For hearing versus listening: define both, then give the table.

Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2022) Explain the listening process. Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2022) Differentiate between listening and hearing.

Persuasion

Definition. Persuasive communication is influencing or convincing others to accept an idea, belief or action by reasoning and appeal, not force.

Key points.

Aristotle's three appeals are ethos (credibility of the speaker), pathos (emotion) and logos (logic and facts).
The stages are Attention (a striking opening), Interest (facts that matter to the reader), Desire or conviction (proof and benefits that make the reader believe) and Action (a clear call to act).
It is used in sales, advertising, proposals and leadership; a good persuader knows the audience.

Worked example. Asking the manager for a new server: "Our site crashed three times last month (attention); each outage cost about two hours of sales (interest); a new server stops this and pays for itself in a year (desire); please approve the purchase this week (action)."

Asked: [14 marks] (Dec 2022) Part (b) of the short note: persuasive communication.

Negotiation

Definition. Negotiation is a discussion between two or more parties aimed at reaching an agreement acceptable to all.

Key points.

Preparation: gather facts and know your limits and alternatives.
Clarifying goals: each side states what it wants and why.
Discussion and bargaining: explore options and trade concessions, focusing on interests, not positions.
Agreement: settle on terms acceptable to both, ideally win-win.
Implementation and follow-up: put the deal in writing and check that it is carried out.
In a win-win negotiation both sides gain and the relationship survives; in win-lose (distributive) bargaining one side's gain is the other's loss.
Tactics: listen first, stay calm, offer trade-offs, use facts, be ready to walk away.

Worked example. An employee wants a raise; the firm has no budget. They agree on a smaller raise plus two work-from-home days: both gain, a win-win.

Asked: [14 marks] (Dec 2022) Part (c) of the short note: negotiation in communication.

Communicating bad news/messages

Definition. <mark>Bad news is a message the receiver does not want to hear, such as a rejection, refusal or complaint; it is best given with the indirect approach: buffer, reasons, bad news, alternative, positive close.</mark>

Key points.

Choose the approach: normally indirect, but direct when the news is urgent, concerns safety, or the reader prefers it (a recall).
Start with a neutral, positive buffer that shows respect and does not mislead.
Give honest, factual reasons before the bad news, so that the decision looks fair.
State the bad news clearly and briefly, avoiding both ambiguity and bluntness.
Offer an alternative, a solution or the next step, such as re-applying or a different option.
End on a positive, courteous close with goodwill.
Timing and privacy: deliver the news promptly and in private, face to face for serious news such as a layoff.
Constructive criticism targets the work, not the person ("the report has three errors", not "you are careless"), and suggests how to improve.
Factual evidence: support every reason with checkable facts (dates, figures, policy), not opinion.

Sample letter.

Dear Mr Rao,
Thank you for applying to Nova Tech for the analyst post. (Buffer)
We interviewed 40 candidates, and the post needs three years of experience in data tools. (Reasons)
We are therefore unable to offer you the position. (News)
We will keep your CV for junior openings and invite you to apply again next quarter. (Alternative)
We wish you every success. (Close)

Balancing honesty and sensitivity. Tell the full truth, since vagueness destroys trust, but with kind words, empathy and a way forward.

Good news and bad news. Good news (a job offer, an approval) follows the direct plan: main point first, then details, then goodwill; bad news follows the indirect plan above.

Basis	Good message	Bad message
Approach	Direct	Indirect
First line	Main news	Buffer
Reasons	Brief, after news	Before the news
Tone	Pleased	Sensitive, empathetic
Close	Goodwill	Alternative and goodwill

Answer frame. Open with the definition; give points 1-9 in the order of the buffer, reasons, news, alternative, close pattern; for the honesty question add the balancing paragraph; add the good-versus-bad table for part (d); close with "honesty with empathy keeps goodwill".

Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2024, Jun 2025) What are the key principles to keep in mind when delivering bad news in a professional setting? How can a communicator balance honesty and sensitivity when conveying a difficult message? Asked: [14 marks] (Dec 2022) Part (d) of the short note: difference between communicating good messages and bad messages.

Communicating in a global world

Definition. It means working and communicating effectively in a workplace whose people, clients and teams come from many countries.

Key points.

Use clear, plain English and avoid slang, idioms and jargon.
Respect differences in culture, religion, greetings and time, and allow for time zones.
Use suitable tools and confirm understanding by feedback.

Last-minute revision

Verbal is words (oral and written); non-verbal is signals without words and has no fixed rules.
NVC classes: kinesics (emblems, illustrators, regulators, affect displays, adaptors), facial expression, oculesics, proxemics, paralanguage, haptics, chronemics, artifacts.
Barriers: physical, physiological, semantic, psychological, organisational, cultural.
Listening stages: receiving, understanding, remembering, evaluating, responding.
Hearing is involuntary and physical; listening is deliberate and mental.
Aristotle's appeals: ethos, pathos, logos; persuasion stages: attention, interest, conviction, action.
Bad news uses the indirect approach; good news the direct approach.
Negotiation aims at a win-win agreement.

Memory hooks

"Please Pay Special Attention Or Communication Collapses": Physical, Physiological, Semantic, Attitude (psychological), Organisational, Cultural.
"R U R E R": Receive, Understand, Remember, Evaluate, Respond.
"KP-PHCA": Kinesics, Proxemics, Paralanguage, Haptics, Chronemics, Artifacts.
"Elope": Ethos, Logos, Pathos.
"B-R-N-A-C": Buffer, Reasons, News, Alternative, Close.

Coverage checklist

Verbal & Non-verbal Communication: differences (Dec 2022 to Dec 2025).
Classification of NVC: Dec 2024.
Barriers to Communication: all four questions.
Communicating Globally: Dec 2024.
Culture and Communication: key points.
Soft Skills: Interpersonal Communication: Nov 2022, Dec 2023, Jun 2025, Dec 2022 (a).
Listening: Dec 2022 (two).
Persuasion: Dec 2022 (b).
Negotiation: Dec 2022 (c).
Communicating bad news/messages: Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2022 (d).
communicating in a global world: key points.

Account

Technical Communication (AL-301) - Unit 2 Short Notes

How unit 2 is examined

Verbal & Non-verbal Communication

Classification of NVC

Barriers to Communication

Communicating Globally

Culture and Communication

Soft Skills: Interpersonal Communication

Listening

Persuasion

Negotiation

Communicating bad news/messages

Communicating in a global world

Last-minute revision

Memory hooks

Coverage checklist