Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication1 Analysing and Presenting Complex Communication Outcome 1 Reading

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication2 Assessment You will have to read a complex business document. You will have to summarise the main points and supporting detail. You will have to analyse and evaluate the different writing techniques used in the document. You do all the above by answering a set of questions. The assessment is done under controlled conditions.

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication3 Purpose You have to be able to identify the purpose of a document. This may be for example to: –give information or instructions –persuade or sell –advise or assist –entertain or amuse –highlight an issue

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication4 Target Readership You also have to be able to identify the target readership. You can do this by looking at the following aspects of the document: –format –content –language (register and tone) –structure –layout

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication5 Target reader Please refer to the reading helpnotes, first page…

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication6 Format Format simply means the chosen form of a document. For example a report, a brochure and an internal memo are all different formats in which information can be conveyed. The format should be appropriate to the purpose of the document and the target readership. e.g. Would a report be an appropriate format in which to warn P3 children of ‘stranger danger’? Clearly not: so what might be?

Types of FORMAT ct’d Types of FORMAT include: REPORTS, POSTERS, LEAFLETS, BUSINESS LETTER, E MAIL etc. Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication7

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication8 Content Obviously the content of a document in terms of what it is about will tell you a lot about the target readership. You should ask yourself whether all the content is relevant and whether there is too much or too little information. Think about self assembly instructions or recipes!

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication9 Language Language is what conveys meaning and therefore is essential to communication. Is the vocabulary appropriate? Is the register appropriate? Is the tone appropriate?

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication10 Vocabulary A written document depends a great deal for its success or failure on the vocabulary used by the writer. Again this has to be appropriate to the purpose and the target readership. If a document is intended for the general reader then the overuse of technical terms or jargon would only be confusing.

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication11 Register Register is the level of formality of written or spoken language and can cause problems in communication when inappropriately used. Register ranges from the very formal to the very informal. For example: ‘I trust I find you well?’ to ‘how’s it going big man?’

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication12 Tone Tone is to do with feeling. You are familiar with the meaning of tone when talking about speaking: it is exactly the same in writing. An inappropriate tone can completely change the way (a) communication is received. E mail is responsible for many cases of frustration and misunderstanding due to inappropriate tone.

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication13 Structure Structure means the way a document is constructed i.e. how it is put together. The structure should make it as easy as possible for the document to achieve its purpose and for the target readership to actually read it. This may include for example, ordering the contents in a certain way, providing headings or summarising the information in bullet points.

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication14 Layout Layout simply means the way the document has been set out on the pages and how it looks to the person reading it. Many techniques are used to contribute to layout. Font style, Font size and Font colour. Colour generally. Text boxes. Graphics

Friday, 01 July 2016Core Skills Communication15 Summarising Summarising is a skill that requires practice. Basically, your approach should be to pick out the main point being made in each section of a document (headings will obviously help here) and then pick out the main details used to back up or expand this main point. Get a highlighter! Most important of all is to use your own words as much as possible.