OUMH1203- ENGLISH FOR

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Dr Rabindra Dev Prasad
Course Objectives
By the end of the module, you should be able
to:

1. Write different types of essays with a certain

degree of confidence;
2. Come up with a good research proposals;
and
3. Write a properly structured and organised
research paper.
CHAPTER 1
1: Introduction to Communication
 What is Communication?
 The communication process
1.1: Introduction to Communication
What is Communication?
 Communication – act of giving, receiving or

exchanging information, ideas and opinions

 Communication process – sender sends a

message, an a receiver who listens or receives

the message
 If you want to get your message across
accurately, you need to consider 3 things:
i. The message
ii. The audience or receiver
iii. How the message is likely to be received
 Factors affecting communication:
◦ Status/role (equal or different levels )
◦ Cultural differences (within or outside department)
◦ Choice of communication channels-(Inappropriate channel –
wrong signal and confusion)
◦ Length of Communication (too long or too brief)
◦ Use of Language (poor choice of words/weak sentence
structure/inappropriate punctuation)
◦ Disabilities (impaired sight,dyslexia etc – barrier to good
communication)
◦ Known and Unknown Receiver (known or unknown plays
major role)
◦ Individual Perceptions/ Attitudes/ Personalities (the method
of communication needs differs)
◦ Atmosphere/ Noise/ Distraction (surrounding pose as
barrier)
◦ Clarity of Message (is the message clear or ambiguous)
◦ Lack of Feedback (confirmation of understanding)
 When choosing appropriate channel of
communication, heed the following:

I. Consider all aspects of the communication

II. Think carefully about possible barriers
III. Evaluate the complexity of the message and
decide the best
IV. Ask yourself these qualities:
 Who – Characteristics of the receiver
 Why – Purpose of the communication
 What – Content of the message
 How – Oral, written, visual or a combination of all three
 Where – Location of the meeting
 When – timing/time limit/ expected response time
 What is written communication?
 Communication exchanged using written symbols.
 Sharing and exchanging of written symbols between
individuals or groups.
 Presentation of ideas in a coherent manner
 Written communications :
 Letters
 Faxes
 Emails
 Reports
 Memos, and
 Advertisements
 Why do we need written communication?
the message is there for posterity/future generation –
others can read it again, useful for research or build
existing pools of knowledge
Information -stored and transferred from individual to
individual and group to group without relying on memory
to keep abreast of development – sharing ideas,
presenting and defending viewpoints
a form of acknowledgement
 to clarify thoughts and thinking processes
 Writing - complex process.

• No short cut - become good writer.

To write well - read extensively.
Do not - overly concerned with grammar
and spelling -fix those later.
Priority - to put your thoughts down on
paper first.
Next - outline some tips and guidelines to
help you get started.
 The Writing Process
◦ Planning
To write a good report
first - plan .
second - decide on what you want to say, list down all the points and
arrange them in a logical and suitable sequence.

This approach will ensure the clarity of your message and help you to avoid
omitting relevant details.

◦ Writing
 requires careful planning.

 a pre-writing stage - ensure there is substance to your writing

 Start writing - simple and plain English and move from concrete to more abstract

and expressive details.

 Practice makes perfect-practise writing everyday until you are able to express

yourself clearly and meet the needs of your reader.

 Once you start writing, the words, sentences, paragraphs and lay-outs become

writing tools which you can use to convey your message concisely, courteously,
and confidently.
 Adopt a plain, straightforward style when writing as this makes your work easy to

understand and reduces the chances of misunderstanding arising from ambiguity.

 The Writing Process
◦ Editing
- third stage - editing.
- check for grammatical errors
- ensure - smooth language flow.
- The longer the report - more editing –
required.
 Pitfalls in written communication

(a) Confusing Language

 refers to words that mislead the reader and cause communication

breakdown.
 Results in barriers being erected between the writer and the reader.
 Avoid words which are ambiguous, bombastic, vague
 Remember to write in plain, good English.
Pitfalls in written communication

(b) Verbosity use of too many words – interfere with understanding

If verbosity persists, may antagonise, confuse, and
bore the reader.

(c) Poor Sentence Structure

Poor sentence structure often leads to fragmented writing and choppy

sentences that impede understanding. Try to keep your sentence(s) short and
concise to ensure that they are correct, logical and easy to understand. Word
order is important for meaning. Remember that words should be structured in
such a way that those which precede should be in accordance with those that
follow.

(d) Information Overload

Information overload - so much information given –
causes - feeling overwhelmed and confused.
- frustration and cast doubts on the writer's
credibility.

*Therefore, as a writer - decide on the type of information required

- present this to produce a clear, concise
and relevant piece of written work.
Challenges in written communication
New technologies
technology makes writing memos, reports, letters,
and proposals a breeze by providing tools that can
check and even correct mispelt words and incorrect
grammar.
However - these tools are not foolproof and will
require your attention, thus making knowledge in
this area important
 Challenges in written communication
 When others fail to respond
To convey message effectively -you must understand what your
message is, who you are sending it to, and how it will be
perceived

Sometimes, people may not respond to your communication

for the following reasons:
 Their own poor writing skills (for example, language

deficiencies).
 Too much information in the text/message.
 Too many grammatical errors and mistakes.
 Barriers between the sender and receiver (cultural, status, role).
 Message is not clear or precise.
 Wrong choice of delivery channel/ format.
 Past experiences (e.g. treatment received).
 Documents not structured, messy or not laid out well.
Challenges in written communication
Asking the right question
If a channel of communication is blocked or has come to a standstill, you may need to
pause a moment, and re-evaluate the situation.

One way to start doing this is by posing questions to yourself:

 Where did it go wrong?
 Why was the message not understood or misinterpreted by the receiver?

 Was the timing bad?

 Did I use the correct channel to deliver the message?

 Were there many errors or mistakes in the document?

**The answers to these questions may shed some light on where the
communication had gone wrong.
 To make it easy for others to understand your communication and

respond accordingly, you should provide:

 A clear indication of your purpose.

 Accurate and objective information.

 Appropriate headings and sub-headings.

 A suitable order of information.

 Concise and precise instructions.

 Desired action clearly spelled out