TRANSCODING
Transferring of information from text to graphic forms – bar charts, flow
charts
Transfer of the information from verbal to visual and visual to verbal is an important study
skill. In this chapter, we shall study how to illustrate text with figures and diagrams. Transcoding
is one of the significant features of professional writing. Any report is madeinteresting with a
couple of illustrations. Visual representation is an added advantage to any presentation. There are
two categories of visuals, namely tables and figures. Figures may be further classified into graphs,
maps, drawing, charts, diagrams and photographs.
We shall now learn about the flow charts and bar charts. Engineers and draughtsmen are
often required to prepare charts and diagrams. The bar chart/graph makes it particularly easy to
compare data. Bar graph is used to indicate for the different periods or quantity of different items
during the same period. The length of each bar varies in proportion to the quantity or value they
represent. But the bars have same width.
Flow charts deal with the different steps involved in making/manufacturing some
material or the process of a person’s growth or transfer of some information.
The given flow chart describes the process of manufacturing cement from rice husk by
making use of appropriate technology.
Equal weights
Rice husk, lime sludge from sugar and
other industries
Mixed together
Cakes Prepared
Dried in Sunlight
Burnt
Ashesincollected
the open
Ground into fine powder
Rice Husk Cement
Write a paragraph of 100 words using the data given in the above flow chart.
Answer:
Initially lime sludge is collected from the sugar and other industries while rice husk is collected
from the rice mill. Then equal weights of rice husk and lime sludge are mixed together using
adequate water. From the mixture, cakes are prepared and subsequently dried in the sunlight. Then
they are burnt in the open uniformly well. The ashes resulting from the process are collected either
manually or mechanical means. When they are ground into nice powder, we get rice husk cement.
The charts below show the main reasons for study among students of different age groups and the
amount of support they received from employers. Summarize the information in 150 words
selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Employer Support by Age Group
Age group
70
60
50
40
30 Age group
20
10
Under 26 26 - 29 30 - 39 40 - 49 over 49
Reasons for study according to the age of the student
90
80
70
60
50
Career
40
Interest
30
20
10
Under 26 26 - 29 30 - 39 40 -49 Over 49
Answer
The first chart deals with employer support with age group and the second deals with the
reason of study according to the age group.
The employer support for the different age groups is 65, 50, 35, 38 and 45% respectively.
Career option decreases and interest option increases over the age.
The first graphs shows that employer support is maximum (approximately 60%) for the
under 26years old students. It drops rapidly to 32% up to the third decade of life, and then
decreases inlate adulthood up to 44%. It is unclear whether employer support is only for
career-focused study, but the highest level is for those students who mainly study for career
purposes.
The second graph shows that there is a gradual decrease in study for career reasons with age.
Nearly 80% of students under 26years study for their career. This percentage gradually
declines by 10-20%. Every decade only 40% of 40-49 year olds and 18% of over 49 year
olds are studying for career reasons in the late adulthood.
Conversely, the second graph also shows that study stemming from interest increased with
age. There are only 10% of under 26 year olds studying out of interest. The percentage
increases slowly till the beginning of the fourth decade, and increases dramatically in late
adulthood. Nearly same number of 40-49 year olds study for career and interest. However
70% of over 49 year olds study for interest in comparison to 18% studying for career reasons
in that age group.