©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Study Skills Topic 4 Communication Skills PowerPoint by JoAnn Yaworski

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Good Communication Skills are Needed for...  Participating in class discussions  Asking and responding to questions in class  Communicating with classmates in both formal and informal situations  Making oral presentations

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Critical Listening Avoid:  Closed mindedness  Selective listening  Oversimplifying difficult ideas  Judging the speaker instead of the message

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Evaluating the Message  Identify the speaker’s main point or position on an issue.  Develop a mental outline of the speaker’s message.  Identify the speaker has supported his/her position with reasons and evidence.  Identify unanswered questions.  Identify opposing viewpoints.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Preparing for Class Discussions  Read the assignment.  Ask critical questions.  Review and make notes for discussion.  Get involved in class discussions.  Make effective contributions to the discussion.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Asking Critical Questions  How can I use this information?  How does this information compare with what I already know about the topic?  What is the source of the material?  Is the material fact or opinion?  What is the author’s purpose? Is the author biased?  Is relevant and sufficient evidence provided?

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Making Notes for Class Discussion  What ideas, concepts, or points of view from the reading did you not understand?  With which ideas or points do you agree or disagree?  Which examples are good and which are poor?  Which arguments are strong and which are weak?

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Getting Involved in Class Discussion  Ask a serious, thoughtful question.  Answer someone else’s question.  Supply additional information that helps clarify the topic under discussion.  Supply information that corrects an error or misunderstanding.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Suggestions for Class Discussion  Make notes during the discussion.  Organize your remarks before you speak.  Make your comments brief and to the point.  Do not interrupt others.  Avoid talking when others are speaking.  Be sensitive to the feelings of others.  Don’t become aggressive, insistent, or overly emotional.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Asking & Answering Questions  Write questions as you read your assignments.  In class, state your questions clearly and concisely.  Ask questions when you do not understand an explanation or any part of a discussion.  Listen carefully to the instructor’s questions before you respond.  Ask the instructor to restate the question if you do not understand it.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Communicating during Group Work  Select serious-minded classmates as group members.  Be an active, responsible participant.  Accept your share of the work.  Accept a leadership role is possible.  Suggest that specific tasks be assigned to each group member and that the group agree upon task deadlines.  Assess individual strengths and weaknesses before assigning tasks.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. What should you say if a group member...  Hasn’t begun to do the assigned work?  Complains about the workload?  Misses meetings?  Seems confused about the assignment?  Is uncommunicative and doesn’t share information?  Is letting you or other members do all the work?

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Planning Oral Presentations  Understand the purpose of the assignment.  Research your topic thoroughly.  Collect and organize your information.  Prepare outline notes.  Use visual aids.  Anticipate questions your audience may ask.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Delivering Oral Presentations  Practice the delivery.  Maintain eye contact.  Speak slowly and clearly.  Be enthusiastic and energetic.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. How can I make my presentation interesting?  Vary the content.  Start with an interesting story.  Start by asking a thought provoking question.  Use visual aids (overheads, PowerPoint slides, charts, pictures, etc.)

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Visit the Longman Study Skills Web Site