The processes of communication The objectives of communication The meaning of words Non-verbal communication The context or situation Barriers to communication Why?Who?Where?When?What?How? Planning the message Basic speaking skills Qualities to aim for when speaking Listening Listening - the neglected skill Reasons for improving listening Are you a good listener? Ten aids to good listening Non-verbal communication Metacommunication and paralanguage The language of silence The language of time Body language or kinesics Conflict between verbal and non-verbal communication Talking on the telephone Telephone problems Basic telephone rules Switchboard operators Making a call Gathering information by telephone Answering the telephone Voicemail Interviewing Interviewwing weaknesses What is an interview? The purposes of the interview Types of interview information How to plan an interview Structuring the interview How to question and probe Being interviewed for a job Preparing - the organisation Preparing - know yourself At the interview Tips to remember Communicating in groups Advantages of groups Disadvantages of groups Factors affecting group effectiveness Running and taking part in meetings Chairing meetings Decision-making methods Responsibilities of participants The agenda The minutes Videoconferencing and audioconferencing Formal procedure Giving a talk Techniques of public speaking Preparation Developing the material Opening the talk Closing the talk Visual aids Use of notes Practising the talk Room and platform layout Delivery of the talk Using visual aids General principles Whiteboards Flip charts Build-up visuals Physical objects Models and experiments Overhead projector Slide projector Videos Closed circuit television and video Points to remember about visual aids Sources of advice, video hire and materials Faster reading How do you read? The physical process of reading Ways of increasing your vocabulary Better reading Determine reading priorities Scanning Skimming SQ3R method or reading Writing business letters Why good letter-writing matters Sending a fax Planning a letter Layoua and style The structure of a letter Dictating Applying for a job What sort of job do you want? What is available and what are they looking for? The application itself Writing reports What is a report? Types of report Essentials of a good report What is the purpose of the report? Fundamental structure Format, lay-out, headings and numering Long formal reports House style How to get started Setting your objective Reserching and assembling the material Organising the material and planning the report Writing the first draft Editing the report Producing the report Other writing tasks Notes and e-mails Memos Postcards and reply cards Fax and telex messages Designing forms and questionnaires Visual communication When to use charts and graphs Presentation of statistical data Presenting continuous information Presenting discrete or non-continuous information Presenting non-statistical information effectively Getting to grips with grammar Why does grammar matter? What is grammar? How good is your english? The parts of speech in brief The framework of english The architecture of the sentence Common problems with english Subject-verb agreement Problems with verbs Problems with adjectives Problems with adverbs Problems with pronouns Problems with prepositions and conjunctions Problems with ellipsis Problems with negatives Revision of grammar