Technical Communication

Unit 1. Concept of technical communication, sources, outcomes.

Communication, derived from the Latin word communis meaning “to share,” is the
process of exchanging ideas, facts, feelings, and thoughts between individuals or
groups. It is a two-way process involving a sender and a receiver and is essential for
effective management functions like planning, organizing, staffing, and controlling.
With various modern modes such as emails, chats, WhatsApp, and video
conferencing, effective communication ensures smooth and efficient work.
Communication Process:-
Communication is a continuous process involving key elements such as sender,
message, medium, and recipient. The sender creates and encodes a message, which
is transmitted through an appropriate medium to the recipient, who decodes and
understands it. Feedback from the recipient completes the process, while any
disturbance or interference during transmission is known as noise. Effective
communication is achieved only when the message is correctly received, understood,
and acted upon.
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Types of Communication
1. Verbal Communication
2. Non-verbal Communication
Verbal communication: Communication occurs through verbal, verbal or written
communication that conveys or conveys a message to others is called oral
communication. Verbal communication is the use of language to convey information
verbally or in sign language.
Verbal communication is important because it works well. It can be helpful to
support verbal Non-verbal communication Any non-verbal communication, spoken
words, conversation and written language is called.
Non-verbal communication: It occurs with signs, symbols, colors, touches, body or
facial features. Insignificant communication is using body language, body language
and facial expressions to convey information to others. It can be used both
intentionally and deliberately. For example, you may have a smile on your face when
you hear an idea or a piece of interesting or exciting information. Open
communication is helpful when you are trying to understand the thoughts and
feelings of others.
Mode Of Communication
1. Formal Communication: Formal Communication refers to communication that
takes place through legal channels in an organization. That kind of communication
takes place between managers or employees of the same class or between high and
low and vice versa. It may be oral or written but a complete record of that
communication is kept in the organization.
2. Informal Communication: Informal communication is defined as any
communication that occurs outside of the official channels of communication.
Informal communication is often referred to as the ‘vine’ as it spreads throughout
the organization and on all sides regardless of the level of authority.
Few Communications Barriers
One sometimes wants to connect with one thing, but he is actually saying something
else that he did not intend. This type of event in communication behavior is known
as the “Arc of Distortion”. The distortion may be the result of some error in any of
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the communication channels. These barriers to communication are also known as

“barriers”.
Some of the barriers to communication:
1. Lack of proper style, feedback.
2. Content is not related to customer requirements.
3. Failure to maintain dual communication.
4. Bad weather.
5. Lack of horizontal flow of ideas.
6. Availability of technical coordinators.
7. Semantic Problems.
8. Lack of leadership.
9. Lack of enthusiasm.
10. Lack of support from heads of institutions.

Objectives:-
The objectives of linguistic ability focus on developing effective communication in
spoken and written forms. They include achieving language proficiency, expanding
vocabulary, and mastering grammar for accurate expression. Linguistic ability also
aims to enhance listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. Another important
objective is understanding cultural and social contexts to use language appropriately.
Overall, it encourages multilingual competence and promotes lifelong learning and
appreciation of languages.
SOURCES –
Technical communication focuses on delivering clear, accurate, and user-centered
information derived from complex concepts to ensure safe, efficient use and easy
understanding. It provides the right information in the right way at the right time,
making users more productive while supporting organizational goals. To
 Technical Communication

communicate effectively, technical communication draws on various sources that

help present information in an accessible and practical manner.

1. Software Tools and Technologies

2. Regulatory Guidelines and Compliance (In regulated industries such as
healthcare, finance, and aerospace)
3. Online Resources and Communities- (Online platforms, forums, discussion
groups, and knowledge-sharing communities provide access to a wealth of
technical information, best practices, and expert insights.)
4. Online Documentation and Help Systems
5. Industry Conferences and Workshops (Industry conferences, seminars,
workshops, and trade shows provide opportunities for technical
communicators to learn about the latest developments.
6. Customer Feedback and Support Tickets: Customer feedback, support tickets,
service requests, and bug reports provide valuable insights into user
experiences, challenges, and concerns. Technical communicators analyse this
feedback to identify common issues, address user needs, and improve the
quality of technical documentation and support materials.
7. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs): SMEs provide the primary source of technical
knowledge.
8. Technical Documents and Research Papers: Technical communicators often
reference existing technical documents, research papers, academic journals,
and other scholarly sources to gather information, verify facts, and understand
the subject matter thoroughly.
9. Social media and Online Forums: provide real tile information

OUTCOMES –
Learning Outcomes
[Link] the definition of technical communication.
[Link] the characteristics of effective technical communication.
[Link] the importance and purpose of technical communication in the workplace.

The Technical Communication curriculum equips students to become creative, scientifically literate
communicators by combining technical communication courses with humanities, social sciences, and
science or engineering studies. It develops skills in writing, speaking, editing, document design, and
multimedia communication. The outcomes include clear understanding of complex information, user
empowerment, safety and compliance, improved productivity, innovation, customer satisfaction, risk
reduction, continuous improvement, knowledge preservation, and professional development
 Technical Communication

Unit-2
Aspects of Technical communication: (do not directly jump listing the importance, its
more conducive to make a good background of the subject’s ideas.)

Technical communication is a central factor in the emerging knowledge society, where

technocrats and professional in different areas face new communication challenges. In order
to be an effective technical communicator, one needs to understand the process of technical
communication. As we have already defined technical communication as a transmission of
scientific and technical information from one individual or group to another. Also, this
exchange of information may include simple definitions of tool, complex descriptions of
machines and processes, or sophisticated explanation and interpretation of scientific principles.
Effective technical communication is a dynamic interchange that may involve a systematic
understanding of scientific and technical subjects.
The three important requirements of effective technical communication are:
1. Subject competence
2. Linguistic competence
3. Organizational competence

1. Subject competence
Ideation in the technical communication process depends on the sender’s subject competence
i.e., his or her professional knowledge, experiences, and abilities. Subject competence is the
first requirement of technical communication. It is the possession of appropriate knowledge of
a particular technical subject matter as well as th possession of highly sophisticated technical
or professional skills. An inadequate background in the subject or lack of information might
lead to incomplete and ineffective communication.
2. Linguistic competence
Linguistic competence, on the other hand is the possession of appropriate language skills and
the ability to present scientific facts or information clearly and objectively. As technical
communication involves technical presentation of data in reports, proposals, research papers,
technical bulletins manuals, and handbooks, linguistic competence includes several functional
skills. Lack of these skill may lead to ineffective or incomplete communication. These skills
include the ability to:
• Analyze facts or information for clear presentation.
• Use appropriate rhetorical devices to present scientific data
• Use graphs, charts, and diagrams systematically.
3. Organizational competence
Since technical communication is a systematic and structured presentation of information, it
involves a process of logical and thematic organization. Organizational competence is the
ability to organize technical information in a logical and structured way. It includes several
skills such as the ability to sequence thoughts in a sentence, organize a paragraph according to
the needs of the reader and the topic, use appropriate logical ordering and provide thematic
coherence to expression
 Technical Communication

Forms of Technical communication

The fast growth of technical knowledge coupled with the development of sophisticated
information technology has changed the way we communicate in professional
situations. We prefer fast, interactive, and result oriented forms of communication such
as voive- mail, email, video transmission, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, intranet
transmission, and so on to the traditional and slow forms of communication such as
letters, memos, newsletters, and so forth. Today, one may find a range of interactive
technologies for communication. However, technical communication still depends on
two basic form of communication: Oral and Written.

1. Oral and Written Communication

Each form of communication has its merits and demerits. While oral communication
provides immediate feedback and promotes better understanding, written
communication provides a permanent record and facilitates the creation of organized
messages. Oral communication gives a personal touch to the communication process
whereas written communication is impersonal as the two communicators cannot see
each other. The choice of an appropriate form of communication may depend on the
need and purpose of the communicative situation.

External and internal Communication :- There are two widely recognized categories
of technical communication: External Communication and internal Communication.
External communication consists primarily of describing the areas of expertise
technical people or professionals provide. This may include any communication that an
organization does with people belonging to other organizations.

Internal communication includes memos describing problems or requesting

additional resources, different kinds of reports and proposals, internal presentations,
company meetings, policy statements, office instructions, and office descriptions to be
used for public releases or company websites.

1. General and Technical Communication

General Communication: general communication is used in common talk, usually, to

mean speaking or writing or sending a message to another person. It only involves
ensuring that your message has reached the target audience, (that is, the persons to
whom it is sent) and the receiver understands and responds as you want them to. It also
involves ensuring that you yourself are able to understand, interpret, and respond to
messages that you receive. Communication is an important aspect of social human
behaviour.

Technical communication is the process of communicating a specific message to a

specific audience with a specific purpose. The repetition of the word specific indicates
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the special nature of technical communication. It is the need-based specific

characteristic of technical. There are several characteristic features of technical
communication that makes it different from general communication. We will notice
below, how both are distinct in content, style, and approach of presentation, attitude,
organization and language.

Importance of technical communication:

(do not directly jump listing the importance, its more conducive to make a good
background of the subjects ideas. )
Technical communication plays an important role in an
organization. All managerial or administrative activities involve communication.
When you write reports, give instructions, or read brochures and manuals you are
involved in the process of communication. The success of any organization is largely
recognized by the quality and quantity of information flowing through its personnel.
Technical communication in an organization can be oral or written. Both are equally
important. It is not necessary that all these forms of communication should exist in
an organization. An organization becomes an organized whole because of its
communication. Therefore, the importance of technical communication can never be
ignored.
Technical communication is a significant factor in your work experience for several
reasons. Business Technical communication is not a frill or an occasional endeavour. It
is a major component of the work environment. Through technical correspondence,
employees
• Maintain good customer–client relations (follow-up letters).
• Ensure that work is accomplished on time (directive memos or e-mail).

• Provide documentation that work has been completed (progress reports).

• Generate income (sales letters, brochures, and fliers).
• Keep machinery working (user manuals).
• Ensure that correct equipment is purchased (technical descriptions).
• Participate in teleconferences or videoconferences (oral communication).
• Get a job (resumes).
• Define terminology (online help screens).
• Inform the world about a company’s products and services (Internet Web
sites and blogs).

Technical communication skills (LSRW):

A technical communication may be oral or written, but it involves all the skills of
language –Listening, Speaking. Reading and writing. Many aspects of there are
applicable to general communication also.
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Listening:
1. Listening skills: Is probably one of the most important language skills that
you need in order to be successful in your academic and professional
pursuits. The students have to listen to lectures, explanations during
tutorials and practical sessions, seminars and workshops, technical
presentations, academic discussions, academic interactions, viva-voce tests
and so on.
2. Joining a profession, one may be required to listen to discussions in
meetings and conferences, seminars, business presentations, news
bulletins, pre-recorded talks, telephonic conversations, teleconferences and
videoconferences and so forth. Hardly is there any academic, professional,
or business work that does not require efficient listening skills.
3. One needs effective listening skills as it is a state of receptivity that
permits understanding of what is heard and fronts the listener’s full
partnership in the communication process. One cannot be an effective
communicator unless one is an effective listener. An oral communication
cannot be complete without listening.
4. For a student his academic success lies in his/her academic performance
partly depends on the quantity and quality of listening. By listening to the
classroom lectures, academic discussions in seminars and workshops and
speeches the student acquires the professional knowledge and expertise
needed to excel in his profession.
5. In the multipurpose function of listening serves individual needs and aids
in implementing oral communication goals. There are many ways by
which decisions are made in an organisation –by discussions in meetings
and conferences, by negotiation in business dealings, by voting in
democratic processes and so on.
In brief we can summaries listening to:
• Makes oral interaction possible.
• Aids in decision making.
• Stimulates others to act to achieve individual as well as professional
objectives.
• Develops information and understanding essential for decision
making in meetings and conferences.

•Leads to unification between the activities of individuals as a work

team, towards achievement of common business, professional, or
organisational goals.
• Promotes maintenance of professional relations.
Good Listening rules:

Listening effectiveness largely depends on an efficient method of listening.

Comprehension of an oral message is more challenging than reading. A text can
be read again if not comprehended in first attempt, but there is no scope in
listening. Taking it as a communication opportunity makes a person a dedicated
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professional.

Mark Twain has rightly said, If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we
would have two tongues and one ear.
A passive listener suffers from lack of concentration, boredom, ineffective
listening and poor comprehension. The following basic rules are must for a good
listening.
1. Stop talking: Do not talk while listening. One cannot be a listener and
a speaker at the same time. The listener should remember his only
role of listening and forget about his response or reaction and
concentrate on the speaker’s words.
2. Stop thinking: It is also important for the listener to stop thinking. He
cannot focus listening 100 percent while thinking. Instant and serious
thinking at the time of listening hinders the effectiveness of
comprehension. It is better to guess the roundabout idea of the
speaker’s message and maintain an optimum pace with him.
3. Remove distractions: in order to focus 100 percent on the speakers
information the listener should avoid all kinds of distractions. He
should not
create any distraction for himself or the others nor let others do so. Don’t
doodle, shuffle papers, look out the window, pick your fingernails or similar. These
behaviours disrupt the listening process and send messages to the speaker that you
are bored or distracted.
4. Do not let your mind wander: one of the main causes of listening
inefficiency is the slowness of speech. We can listen faster than the
speaker can speak. The lag of time may make the listener’s mind
wander or daydream. This can be avoided by concentrating on each
word spoken by the speaker.
5. Put speaker at ease: A conducive environment should be provided to
the speaker in order to enable him to be at ease. If the speaker is not
comfortable, he will not be able to speak clearly.
6. Do not prejudge: Give the speaker a chance to complete what he or
she has to say. Pre-judgment closes the mind and does not allow you to
perceive the speaker impartially. you can make proper judgment only
after you have fully comprehended the information.
7. Be patient: the speaker should be allowed sufficient time and not be
interrupted until he takes a pause and invites the listener to do so(to
ask a question or doubt). Patience is the key to good listening. The
listener may be in a hurry to go somewhere or do something, but good
listening demands that he listens to the speaker patiently.
8. Do not be Angry: the listener should control his temper while
listening. He may not like what the speaker is telling, or he may
completely disagree with his point of view but good listening demands
that he listens to the speaker without making any fuss. The listener
should control his reactions and consider himself in the place of
speaker.
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9. Empathize with the speaker: in order to understand the speaker's

perspective and appreciate his point of view the listener should try to
put himself in the place of speaker. He must reflect a positive gesture
and encourage the speaker with his act.
10. Take notes: the listener should take notes if he wants to keep a record
of what was said and wants to use it at a later stage.

Speaking
Speaking skills are another very important attribute for a person’s professional survival
and growth. One needs them to be successful in one’s academic and professional
pursuits. In fact every academic, professional, or business work requires effective
speaking skills. Whether you are a scientist engaged in technical research, a business
executive involved in business activities, or a student working for a professional degree,
you need effective speaking skills in order to take an active part in oral communicative
processes.

Some of the functions of oral communication are as following:

Asking and Answering Questions

• Asking questions in meetings, talks, business presentations, lectures,
seminars, conferences, training sessions, fieldwork and laboratory work
• Asking questions related to non-verbal data, formulae, equations, measures,
numbers, fractions and cardinal and ordinal numbers
• Answering questions, providing clarification, and giving explanations
in the above situations
Expressing opinions and comments
• Asking for opinions
• Expressing criticism, objections, and doubt
• Expressing general comments
• Agreeing and disagreeing
• Seeking suggestions
• Giving suggestions
• Stating point of view
Academic and professional oral integration
• Interacting during interviews and viva voce tests
• Interacting orally with experts or professionals
Academic and professional discussions
• Discussing academic matter with fellow students
• Inviting to discuss
• Initiating topic shift
• Giving information
• Coordinating in discussions
Meetings/conferences
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• Coordinating in meetings
• Conducting meetings
• Participating in meetings
• Summarising and concluding in meetings
Oral presentations

• Making oral presentations:

Orally describing and interpreting non-verbal data, e..g., graphs, tables, diagrams,
charts, plans, maps, and so on.
• Persuading
• Using visual aids effectively

Several factors have contributed to the increased importance of speaking skill today.

• The information revolution along with globalisation and other social and
economic changes in the new millennium have increased the importance of
speaking skills. Social and professional interactions may not be possible
without this.
• The growth and expansion of service oriented industry has also increased
the significance of oral competence for professionals in various fields.
Today’s economy is less dependent on manufacturing and more dependent
on service, hence need for students with good speaking skills has become
more acute.
• As oral communication is a tool of professional and business interaction, one
should be able to use it fluently, effectively and confidently. A speaker should have a
sound knowledge of grammar and lexical forms and sound (phonetics). One should
have the ability to be an understanding interlocutor, create coherent discourse, and take
appropriate turns in conversations, as well as have the ability to negotiate meaning with
other by creating reciprocity of perspectives on the topics of discussion.

How to develop speaking skills/ strategies for a good speaking skill:

Be an active listener: one should learn to be an active and efficient listener. Whether
communicating in a formal or informal situation, one must listen to the person carefully
and attentively, so that a perfect response can be made. One should not interrupt the
other person while he is speaking. This reflects bad manners of conversation.

Be a subtle (artful/skilful) speaker: one should be careful speaker. What and how one
tells is more important. Thus a speaker must be pragmatic and always speak in terms of
his objective/goal. Appropriate style of speaking marks an image in the listeners mind.
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Speak with clarity: speaker should be clear and effective and should use speaking
techniques. One should take care of articulation, pronunciation and speak distinctly
focusing on his message while taking care of his voice quality accent intonation.

Be simple: it pays to be simple during a conversation one cannot impress others by

being difficult vague and abstract in fact use simple language while talking to people
you may use and informal vocabulary during and casual communication but use only
formal vocabulary during a formal situation.
Use appropriate pauses: speaking to quickly may result in lack of comprehension on
the part of listener. This will result in confusion. there is a General feeling that Indians
speak too fast and there is some truth in this perception. So it is essential to speak slowly
with appropriate pauses.

Be polite: politeness is the key too good conversation someone said that a good
conversation is a good manner. Never be rude or impolite, be courteous and use polite
expressions and phrases during interaction.

Be friendly: it is easy to talk to friendly people. If you are dogmatic and unfriendly
during a conversation other person talking to you might find it difficult to continue
the conversation. so be friendly, be cheerful and smile. It makes other person
comfortable. avoid making remark other person is hurt that hurts other person it is
important to understand other persons it is important to understand other person's point
of view. do not jump on conclusions. do not be in a hurry to make judgements this
might lead to arguments. use moderate statements.
Be positive: one should Express positive feelings during a conversation and avoid
criticizing others it is important to learn to appreciate the good and positive qualities of
other people and Express appreciation.

Be flexible: it is essential to be flexible during a conversation a good conversationalist

remains flexible in approach, attitude and style. rigidity goes against the spirit of good
conversation. we may need to change our approach the topic itself if we are getting
bored or if it is leading to a heated argument.

Be tactful: it is essential to be wise is use of words, during conversation specially

talking to one's teacher, Boss, Senior Colleague, or someone who matters. It is better to
think speaking than to suffer afterwards. Choose the topics carefully and avoid virtual
issues that may lead to unnecessary arguments.
Do not argue: most people argue for arguments sake. they do so without realising what
they intend to achieve by it and end up wasting their strength and time. a good
conversationalist never argues during a conversation. we might disagree with the
person we are talking to but there is no need to impose our point of view on the other
person. Everyone has the right to express his views. it is important to respect the views
 Technical Communication

expressed by other persons. Accept his arguments and reservations in a friendly way.

Be interested: we should be interested in the conversation and our behaviour and

attitude should reflect our interest. you should also take keen interest in the other person
or persons talking to. An eye contact contributes to the conversation in a lively manner.
Some people remain lifeless during a conversation. they just listen without contributing
anything to the conversation that might show lack of interest we should take active part
in the conversation in a meaningful way.

Reading Skill:
Like listening and speaking, reading is crucial to effective communication. Effective
Reading skill is necessary as one may need to read several kinds of reading materials
for different general, academic and professional purposes. To both professionals
and students excellent reading skill are a must for success in their pursuits in
absence of which any academic professional, or business work will suffer.

The changes in business and industrial fields, coupled with the development of
advanced information technology have greatly changed the way we receive and
interpret information. Reading is a special technique that includes receiving and
interpreting sophisticated technical material, email messages, intranet
information, information on websites, and so on. Reading has new dimensions in
industrial and technical organisations. It is important that you attain the ability to read
and analyse scientific texts, instruction manuals, and technical materials in
different forms. Comprehension of technical materials requires basic understanding
of the technical subject, familiarity with scientific/technical terms, words and phrases,
familiarity with scientific formulae/equations/abbreviations and with the discourse
features of technical writing. It also includes the ability to understand and interpret
graphic information.

Developing reading skills:

Reading is a complex process of decoding and comprehending the written message.
reading is a challenging task. the act of understanding is not always simple. depending
on the purpose of reading will require different reading strategies in order to understand
the subject, content and language patterns of a message. these skills include vocabulary
skills, visual perceptual skills, Rapid reading skills and intensive reading skills. Rapid
reading skills include prediction scanning and skimming skills. Intensive reading
involves detailed reading critical reading and inferential skills. we need to polish the
skills to become efficient and active readers.

Vocabulary skills: a good vocabulary skills is essential for effective reading skill the
following are vocabulary skills
Word meaning recognition: it relates to perceive words and phrases used and
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recognize their definitions, developing word meaning skills. The Reader should develop
appropriate sight recognition skills so that he is able to recognize a word or phrase in a
fraction of seconds.
Should quickly recall the meaning of a word: One Should not stop reading if one is
not able to recall the meaning of a certain word or phrase. He should continue till he
completes a reasonable portion of the message. One Should not immediately consult
dictionary because it will be time consuming.
Guessing the meaning from word structure and context: It includes analysis of the
word structure to guess its meaning and identification of context clues and signal words
to understand the meaning of unknown words.

Analysis of word structure refers to the prefixes suffixes and word roots which frame
a complex word. Most words are derived from the same root words. Therefore its wise
to focus the root word of a confusing and long word, in order to guess its meaning.
Eye reading and visual perception:
Effective eye reading requires accurate visual perception of words and phrases faster
eye fixation and complete elimination of vocalization. The following suggestions will
help improve reading skills.
Develop faster eye fixation: Eye fixation is the resting of readers eyes or a particular
word phrase or thought unit. it helps in perceiving word groups and thought units
quickly. Read in word groups instead of word by word. The Reader should try to read
in word groups instead of word by word. the focus should not be on single words instead
it should be on long thought units comprising several words.
Remain concentrated and motivated for faster eye fixation and reading remain
motivated reader for a faster reading
Avoid vocalization and sub-vocalization: vocalization is saying words loudly while
sub-vocalization is reading words silently to oneself both these habits make reading
slow reading can be fast only with eye movements instead of vocal reading.
Rapidly recognize word meaning: try to recognize the word meaning quickly this
requires a good stock of perceptive vocabulary one should try to infer the meaning from
context and clues.
Concentrate while reading: improve accurate visual perception visual perception
while reading. Develop urge to read and understand. Several practices can help one
with this.

Prediction techniques: think ahead hypothesize and predict. Predictions about the
content of a passage are based on headings and subheadings knowledge of the subject.
Graphic or non verbal context such as graphs diagrams charts pay attention the first
paragraph and the first sentence of each paragraph learning skills

Scanning skills:
Scanning refers to the ability to locate specific quickly as possible speed can be
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increased buy regular practice and better concentration. Scanning is a rapid move
through the specific point of fact in text relevant graphic details.

Skimming skills: skimming is a more sophisticated and concentrated skill than

scanning. it involves skills to identify the central idea, recognize main ideas, identifying
the writing patterns of the passage. it helps us to know what is the overall purpose of
the text, what is the central Idea or theme, what is logical organization, what does author
intend to do or say, What are the main points.
Intensive reading skills: it includes distinguishing between facts and opinions drawing
inferences and conclusions is the process of identifying relationships among different
within the text in order to distinguish between
• Relevant and irrelevant information
• Facts and opinions
• Explicit and implicit information
• Examples and ideas
• Princess and conclusions

Writing:
The significance of writing skills cannot be overemphasized because writing is equally
important for students of all kinds and professional in all fields. As a student a person
needs effective writing skills as one has to write examination answers, project
reports, lab reports, summaries, synopsis, abstracts and subject notes.
Professionals are required to write business letters, memos, emails, reports,
proposals, minutes, notes, professional summaries, and so on. Both professionals
and students need excellent writing skills to survive and excel in their pursuits as there
is hardly any academic or professional activity that does not require writing skills.

The purpose of writing any professional document is to communicate specific ideas,

and everything about the document should contribute to this goal. Writing is a skill that
can be learnt and practiced, but to improve our writing skills, we need to be aware of
the elements of effective writing. Choosing the right words and phrases, constructing
grammatically logical correct sentences, and well-developed and coherent
paragraphs— all would contribute to enhancing the quality of writing.

Expressing ideas in skillfully written sentences contributes considerably to the success

of writing as a whole. The ability to construct effective sentences adds value to technical
documents such as emails, letters, memos, reports, proposals, etc. Hence, it is necessary
to learn to write effective sentences in order to construct technical or formal messages.

LINGUISTIC ABILITY: relates to the language skills which are a crucial feature
of technical communication. An Individual’s ability to understand and perform
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both spoken and written language.

A perfect combination of language and its art creates a magic and proves wonders
in communication. The success of communication is a greater share of once ability
of professional language. One can follow the principles of 7Cs to advance with his
Technical communication skills;

Technical communication- written or oral, should be reader oriented, descriptive,

demographic, clear, concise, correct, positive, appropriate (according to need and
purpose), acceptable (related to content) impersonal, formal, free of redundancy (avoid
saying the same thing twice) and accurate.
Communication is effective only when both the sender and the receiver are focused on
the act of communication. While the sender must sharpen and improve skills of
speaking and writing, the receiver must improve skills of listening and reading. The
qualities of

communication which the sender must achieve are called the C's of
Communication because most of them begin with the letter C.
The main qualities are correctness, clarity, conciseness and courtesy. Other related
qualities are completeness, coherence, consideration.
We detail the above Cs’. Examples of each C factor is mentioned at the end.

Correctness
A communication must be correct in every respect:
• Correctness in spelling, grammar, pronunciation, and use of language:.
Incorrect language spoils the message, distracts the receiver's attention, and
creates a poor impression of the sender.
• Correctness in appearance and form of layout: Poor and untidy
appearance, with typing mistakes corrected in ink, uneven spacing or
carelessness in the layout, creates a poor impression of the company's
efficiency in handling its work. Appearance depends on placing the parts
of layout correctly on the letterhead, even spacing between letters, words,
lines and parts of layout, and having proper margins on all sides. Similarly,
shabby appearance of the speaker and lack of attention to body language
creates a bad impression.
• Correctness in the information conveyed: Communicating wrong or
incomplete information is the most harmful thing; it leads to waste of time
in making corrections and will lead to loss of goodwill and loss of business.
All dates and days, time, numbers and facts must be in agreement. Nothing
is more confusing than mismatched information.
• Correctness in tone, formality and style: The tone of every
communication must be appropriate to the occasion, the content and the
relationship between the sender and the receiver. An overdone apology
sounds childish or undignified; a grudging or patronising agreement to grant
a request sounds unpleasant.
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• Correctness depends on completeness. A message is complete when it

presents all the ideas and information required for the particular situation.

Clarity
The message must be clear at the first reading.

Clarity depends upon following factors:

• Use simple, common everyday words which everyone can understand. It
is better to use concrete words with a definite meaning, or to give concrete
examples and description.
• Short and simple sentences. Long sentences confuse the reader, and often
confuse the writer also. Phrases and clauses should not be added on to a
sentence. Each bit of important information should be given in a separate
sentence.
• Proper punctuation and pauses. It helps to provide pauses and stops and
to break up groups of words into sensible units A sentence can often be made
more easy to follow by using a punctuation mark.
• Logical sequence of ideas. Making a clear plan for a presentation or a letter
ensures that the ideas are in logical order; coherence, that is, logical
connection of ideas makes any composition easy to understand.

Conciseness
Conciseness means expressing much in a few words; in business communication it
means keeping to the point, using as few words as possible without sacrificing clarity
or courtesy. It does not necessarily mean being brief; it means making every word
count.
Conciseness can be achieved by: Reducing unimportant ideas to phrases and only the
necessary and relevant details should be included. Using more words than necessary
confuses the idea.
Courtesy
Courtesy is consideration for other people's feelings. It is seen in an individual's
behaviour with others. A well-mannered and courteous person shows consideration and
thought for others. In a letter, the style, the manner and the choice of words reflect the
courtesy of the writer. Some simple rules for courtesy are:
1. Use the courtesy words please, thank you and sorry as the situation requires.
2. Express appropriate feeling according to the situation. For example,
sympathy when someone suffers, good wishes when someone begins
something new, and congratulation when someone achieves something.
3. Make the other person feel comfortable. This is an important factor of
courtesy. Care and consideration for the reader is reflected in the letter.
The opening sentence jtself shows the courtesy of the writer:
• We appreciate your promptness in sending the goods.
• Thank you for sending your quotation so promptly.
• We are sorry to learn that you were inconvenienced.
 Technical Communication

Completeness - The communication must be complete. It should convey all facts

required by the audience. The sender of the message must take into consideration the
receiver’s mind set and convey the message accordingly. A complete communication
develops and enhances reputation of an organization. Moreover, they are cost saving as
no crucial information is missing and no additional cost is incurred in conveying extra
message if the communication is complete. It always gives additional information
wherever required and leaves no questions in the mind of receiver. Complete
communication helps in better decision-making by the audience/readers/receivers of
message as they get all desired and crucial information. It persuades the audience.
Consideration - Consideration implies “stepping into the shoes of others”. Effective
communication must take the audience into consideration, i.e., the audience’s view
points, background, mind-set, education level, etc. Make an attempt to envisage your
audience, their requirements, emotions as well as problems. Ensure that the self-respect
of the audience is maintained and their emotions are not at harm. Modify your words
in message to suit the audience’s needs while making your message complete. Features
of considerate communication are to emphasize on “you” approach, empathize with the
audience and exhibit interest in the audience. This will stimulate a positive reaction
from the audience.
It also requires showing optimism towards your audience. Emphasize on “what is
possible” rather than “what is impossible”. Lay stress on positive words such as jovial,
committed, thanks, warm, healthy, help, etc.
Concreteness - Concrete communication implies being particular and clear rather than
fuzzy and general. Concreteness strengthens the confidence. Concrete message is
supported with specific facts and figures. It makes use of words that are clear and that
build the reputation as the messages are not misinterpreted.

Coherence

When your communication is coherent, it's logical. All points are connected and
relevant to the main topic and the tone and flow of the text is consistent to the central
theme that is the topic.

Style in Technical Communication:

Introduction:

Style in technical communication is the way a person puts words together into
sentences, to frame a piece of writing or an appropriate oral discourse to convey
technical information, clearly and accurately.
It is the manner or the way one speaks or writes when one deals with a technical or
scientific subject. Style could be very formal, as in a technical report or a
 Technical Communication

professional presentation, or very informal, as in personal letter or casual

conversation. The most effective style is the one that accurately encodes the thought
content of the message into appropriate language. It is important to adopt and use
an appropriate style in order to be effective.
A Style refers to the way something is said rather than what is said. For our purposes,
style is the distinctive mode or manner of expressing ideas in language. This distinctive
manner may refer to the process of choosing appropriate:
• Words and phrases (formal, informal, technical, and so on)
• Sentences structure (simple, compound, complex, mixed and so on)
• Sentence type (affirmative, negative, questions, question tags, and so on)
• Rhetorical devices or discourse writing techniques (Description,
narration, explanation, comparison and contrast, and so on)
• Effective logical structure and organisation.

Style in communication depends on several factors, it largely depends on,

• The audience- for example, a message when addressed to a superior is
expressed more diplomatically and tactfully, but when addressed to
subordinates it is more direct and forceful.
• The communication context- for example, conveying routine information
and making requests, communicating good or bad news, conveying
goodwill or trying to persuade someone.
• The purpose –for example, the way one conveys good news is not the same
as conveying bad news.
Technical communication skills can be improved by learning to recognize the essential
features of technical style. The most important elements that one needs to keep in mind
are appropriateness, brevity, clarity, objectivity, and formal language.