7.Reading Skills for Effective Business Communication

7/30/2019 7.Reading Skills for Effective Business Communication

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Reading Skills For Effective Business Communication Unit 7

Sikkim Manipal University 119

Unit 7 Reading Skills For Effective Business Communication

Structure7.1 Introduction

Objectives

7.2 What is reading?

7.2.1 Purposes of reading

7.2.2 Reading as a skill

Self Assessment Questions 1

7.3 Types of reading

7.3.1 Skimming7.3.2 Scanning

7.3.3 Extensive reading

7.3.4 Intensive reading

7.3.5 Loud and silent reading

7.4 SQ3R Technique of Reading

7.5 Summary

Terminal Questions

Answers to SAQs and TQs

7.1 Introduction

Apart from listening, written and oral skills, business executives also need to equip themselves with

reading skills, in order to succeed in the workplace. These skills are very different from what you

require as a student of management. The types of reading that you will have to do at the workplace

will be varied sometimes you may have to do extensive reading of professional books, magazines

and journals at other times you may be required to study research reports in an intensive manner.

Often, business executives are also asked to scan newspapers and magazines to collect information,or to read and condense business related articles for their busy superiors. Unless you familiarize

yourself with the different techniques of reading, you will not be successful. This unit deals with the

different purposes and types of reading and some special techniques that should be applied, in order

to extract the most out of reading.


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Learning Objectives:

After studying this unit, you should be able to.

1. Read actively, thus enhancing comprehension and retention.

2. Understand the text that is read and relate it to other texts

3. Select and use different types of reading for different purposes

4. Scan passages for specific information

7.2 What Is Reading ?

The following are a few definitions/descriptions regarding the process of reading.

Reading is thinking under the stimulus of the printed page (Webster, 1982:30)

Reading is a psycho-linguistic guessing game (Webster, 1982:19)

Reading comprehension means understanding a written text. Understanding a written text is

extracting the required information from it as efficiently as possible. Francoise Grellet 1991:3)

The above definitions/descriptions suggest that when we read any piece of text, we understand the

given text at three levels-

i) Pure, literal response to the familiar words on the page there is no in-depth understanding.

ii) Recognition of the writers meaning. In other words, we read and recognize the intention of the

author in writing the given text.

iii) Personal experience, which helps you to understand the given matter.

All these three levels could be described thus: When you read, you read the lines, read between the

lines and also read beyond the lines. So reading is nothing but a decoding process.

ENCODER/WRITER MESSAGE DECODER/READER


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7.2.1 Purposes Of Reading

We read many things in our day-to-day lives. Some of them include

Newspapers and magazines

Advertisements, leaflets and pamphlets

Textbooks, novels and short-stories

Letters

Email

Recipes, puzzles, menus

Articles, reports, legal documents

Dictionaries, telephone directories

Cartoons, comic strips

Time-tables, maps, statistical graphs and diagrams

The above items are read either for knowledge, personal interest, pleasure, or to gather information.

For you as students, the purpose of reading is either for interest, pleasure or to acquire information

and knowledge. Reading for interest or pleasure is usually fulfilled through reading fiction, while

reading to learn is associated with informative articles. Reading for information may be both internal

and external. When you read for necessary background information about what is going on within

the company where you work, or within your group, it is called reading for internal information.

Reading for information about what is going on in your field, but outside your own company, is called

reading for external information.

You may also need to do something concrete in the near future after you have read whatever

it is you are reading. This is known as action reading. Professional reading is done when you

need to continue learning and studying, so that you develop your own thinking and skills.

However, you should bear in mind that a text is not written strictly for any one purpose. For instance,

a biography or an autobiography may be read by one person for personal interest, to understand the

life story of an individual. The same book may also be read by a research scholar, for research

purposes. Peoples interest in reading is so varied, that any text could meet any purpose.


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7.2.2 Reading As A Skill

Similar to listening, reading, for many of us, is a passive process, where we sit down, relax and run

our eyes through the words on the page. However, meaningful reading, or reading withunderstanding, is considered an active process. A reader can understand a text only when he/she

actively uses his/her mental faculties. Therefore, to read efficiently, one has to have:

Knowledge of the writing system of the language

Knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary of the language

Ability to interpret

A reason for reading and the appropriate method of reading

Knowledge of the world (experience/background knowledge)

When all these requirements are used efficiently while reading, understanding will be effective and

meaningful. Thus, reading is a skill, which has to be acquired through constant experimentation.

Self Assessment Question 1

Are the following statements true or false?

i) We cannot understand the intention of the author while reading any given text.

ii) A book is read only for the pleasure of reading it.

iii) The intention of reading a medical report is to gain information.

iv) Reading is an encoding process of communication.

7. 3 Types Of Reading

As mentioned earlier, we read in different ways, depending on the purpose for which we are reading

a text. Let us look at a few types of reading.

7.3.1 Skimming

Let us say that you are a student of management and as suggested by your professor, you need to

buy a reference text book on Investment Management, or to write a paper on Computer Graphics.

You go to a book store and see a rack full of books, with the same title, but different authors. You do


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d) The line, rectangle and oval tools are in Flash function, as you would expect from using other

graphic programs.

i) Click the Oval tool.

ii) Drag the work area to the right. Dont worry about the color or fill.

iii) Click the white triangle at the right when you are ready to continue.

e) We are pleased to announce the appointment of Shashank Bhat as our new Director of Human

Resources. Shashank began his career at Nimbus, after leaving University. He has been

working at the Head Office since last year. Shashank is married and has one daughter.

f) Towards the end of the year, we saw a slight improvement in our market share in the United

States. A more optimistic economic situation there helped our sales to grow by just under 15% in

the second half of the year. This was partly due to some very strong competition from other

firms.

7.3.2 Scanning

As you read a text, editorial or an article, you may suddenly come across a word that is not familiar to

you. Naturally, you would like to know the meaning of the word, for your own benefit. So you get the

dictionary and carefully find the word. You see the spelling, pronunciation, meaning and also the

various uses of the same word (if any). This type ofcareful reading to find out the specific, clear

details, is known as scanning. In this case, you do not just run your eyes across the page, but look

into the information for specific details. Let us go through the following exercise, to be familiar with

what scanning is all about.

Activity 2 ( An exercise in scanning)

Read the article and answer the questions that follow:

Simon Harris, a senior executive in the London branch of the computer firm Samex Systems,

regularly arrives at work wearing jeans, trainers and a colorful pullover. His secretary, Martine, is

seen dressed in a bright yellow T-shirt and designer jeans. Samex Systems recently decided to


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allow its 1,500 employees to leave their pin-stripe suits and smart frocks in the wardrobe and to wear

casual clothes to work.

Samexs Human Resource Director, Norma Leaman is responsible for introducing the new policy. Itravel quite a lot to the USA. Many of the companies I visit there no longer have strict dress codes.

In fact, many employees wear practically what they like.

Norma decided to introduce casual dress as an experiment in the company. We started off by

allowing people to dress in a more relaxed way once a week. Then we extended it to two days a

week. Now most employees can wear more relaxed dress when they like.

There are, of course, still some rules. Dirty or untidy clothes are not allowed. Male employees are

told not to wear earrings at work. And for some people, there is till a dress code. Sales staff do not

go out on visits wearing jeans. Overseas visitors especially if they come from the Far East are

not welcomed by executives in Bermuda shorts and beach shirts.

The fashion for casual dress at work started on the west coast of the United States. American hi-tech

companies found that younger employees were happier with a less formal style. In the information

technology industry, the division between office and home is not very important, says consultant

Luis Rodriguez. Many people work at home wearing the clothes they feel most relaxed in. When

they are in the office, they just dont see the need to dress very formally. Rodriguez has carried out

a survey on dress among 700 US companies. We found that about 70% of companies allowed

employees to wear casual clothes on some occasions. There are a number of explanations for the

more relaxed modern style, according to Rodriguez. Companies with a higher proportion of women

employees tend to be more relaxed about dress codes.

It is also significant that there are many more younger people in positions of power. You now find

senior managers in their early thirties or even younger. They just dont want to dress like their

grandfather did.

Even the most traditional companies have been caught up in the new fashion. Take MFD Securities,

a City of London investment firm. For many years, executives had to wear white shirts, dark suits,

and ties. Now they are allowed to wear more casual jackets and trousers. Jeans, however, are not

allowed. Our customers are getting younger and younger, says MFD spokesperson Jan Martin.

Often they are happier dealing with someone of their own age and background. And that means

dressing in a more informal way.


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However, not all companies are following the trend. A junior executive in a Paris bank recently

arrived at work to find four brand new white shirts on his desk. This was his companys way of

saying that blue and yellow striped shirts were not acceptable.

Answer the following questions:

1. How have Samex changed their dress policy recently?

2. How was the change introduced?

3. What rules still exist in Samex?

4. What were the results of the Rodriguez survey?

5. Do all City companies have a strict dress code?

6. What experience did a French executive recently have?

(Taken from: Milne John Morrison. Business Language Practice.)

7.3.3 Extensive Reading

As we have already mentioned, our way of reading is influenced by the purpose of our reading. Most

of us have the habit of reading especially when we are free, or have a lot of leisure time. We might

get hold of a novel, a comic strip, or a magazine. When we read for the pure pleasure of reading, it

is known as extensive reading. However, it should not be given less priority, because it is extensive

reading. It is enjoyable, as well as informative. Here, we practice rapid reading to get a

global/overall understanding of the matter.

Activity 3

Read the passage given below and try to insert words in the blanks. The words that you

choose should be contextual based.

In a successful negotiation, no one should feel that they have lost. You should reach a win- __1___

solution. After one side makes a proposal, the other should make a 2___ -offer. If both sides

make 3_ you can work towards a compromise. By making a goodwill ___4___ you may get

something from the other side. It is this __5__ -trading that moves the negotiations along. If you are

not prepared to make a 6_ -off, there is a chance that the talks will break down.


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1. a) lose b) draw c) win

2. a) counter b) condition c) consensus

3. a) priorities b) objectives c) concessions

4. a) gesture b) mannerism c) etiquette

5. a) bull b) horse c) bear

6. a) business b) work c) trade

(Note: Now see the possible answers and try to check whether you have selected the appropriate

words. This exercise proves that you can understand the overall meaning of the passage, even if

some words are missing.)

7.3.4 Intensive Reading

When we read shorter texts like a research paper for getting specific details or information, we read

slowly with a lot of concentration. This is known as intensive reading. When you read a book as a

resource material for research, you read it intensively because the overall understanding is not the

objective or purpose of our reading. When you read an article in order to write a review on it, you

read it intensively. We use all the skills of reading when we do intensive reading.

Activity 4

Read the following paragraph. At the end of each sentence, you will find the letters M (main

idea) and S (supporting detail). Identify in each case, whether it is M or S and tick the correct

letter.

The moon's gravity pulls the earth's oceans towards it, as it moves around the earth. (M/S). Then it

lets them go again. (M/S) These movements of the oceans are the tides. (M/S) The sun also affects

the tides. (M/S) At the seaside, you can see that sometimes the sea covers the beach completely.

(M/S) These are called high tides. (M/S) At other times, the water goes back, leaving the shore

uncovered. (M/S) These are called low tides (M/S) Most seaside places have two high tides and two

low tides every day. (M/S)


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Activity 5

Read the following passage and underline the main ideas.

Every bright star is a sun, like our own sun. This means that stars are huge balls of glowing gases.They are so hot, that if a piece of steel was placed there, it would disappear in a cloud of gas! In

many of the stars, the gases are very thin. This is because the particles or atoms of matter in the

gas are far apart.

But stars do have matter in them. We know for example, that the sun contains more than sixty of the

chemical elements present in the earth. Among the elements in the sun are hydrogen, helium, iron,

calcium and magnesium.

In cooler stars, the matter may be more nearly liquid, somewhat like the boiling iron in a blast

furnace. In some very old and cold stars, the matter may be so closely packed that a cubic inch of it

would weigh a ton. Such stars are called dead or dark stars.

Astronomers can find out all this by using instruments called "spectroscopes". The spectroscope

studies the light a star gives, and from this we can learn what kinds of matter it contains and how hot

it is.

The different colors of the stars-- white, blue, yellow, or red - show us what chemical elements are

present in them. Different temperatures of stars also cause differences in the light they give, in their

spectrum. In this way, the temperature of a star can be determined.

Glossary

Elements - Simple substances

Blast furnace - A steel container, where iron is separated from iron ore, by the action of heat and air

blown through at great pressure.

Activity 6

Now write a paragraph on "What is a star made of?", using only the main ideas you have

identified.


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7.3.5 Loud And Silent Reading

Most of our day-to-day reading is done silently. When we read an article or an advertisement, we are

engaged in the process of deriving meaning from the passage. Actually when we read aloud, our

concentration is divided between reading and speaking. This makes reading difficult and may cause

problems in understanding the matter. However, there are situations when we may have to read

things aloud when others do not have access to them for example, notices and circulars .

We need to read the instructions aloud to students or employees, so that there is no confusion later.

Apart from these extraordinary situations, most of the time the natural way of reading is silent

reading, which is ideal and helps comprehension.

7.4 SQ3R Technique Of ReadingThis technique of reading was developed by Robinson in his book "Effective Study" (1970). SQ3R

stands for the initial letters of the five steps in studying a text-

Survey S

Question Q

Read R

Recall R

Review R

Let us briefly go through these steps in the given order.

1. Survey: Survey refers to a quick glance through the title page, preface and chapter

headings of a text. By surveying, you will be able to gauge the main ideas of the text. Besides, the

authors name, date, place of publication and title page can give you an idea of the general subject

area. The table of contents, preface or foreword in a book would give you an idea of the themes and

how they are organized. A survey of the index or bibliography tells you immediately whether the

book contains what you need.

Let us take an example. Choose the appropriate reference by a quick survey:


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Here is a bibliography (list of books) on POLIMERIZATION. Decide which of the publications in the

list are likely to give you: (encircle the appropriate letter)

A brief introduction to the subject: a b c d e f

Current developments in the field a b c d e f

Historical study of the subject a b c d e f

Various opinions by experts on the subject a b c d e f

Bibliography

(a) Billmeyer, F.W. 1962. A Text Book of Polymer Science

New York: John Wiley and Sons

(b) A condensed Chemical Dictionary

(c) International Encyclopaedia of Sciences

(d) Encyclopaedia Britannica

(e) Stille, J. K. 1962. Introduction to Polymer Chemistry: New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Wassermann, Leonard G., 1974

(f) Chemistry: Basic Concepts and Contemporary Applications California: Wadsworth Publ Co. Inc.

(Adapted from ELT Documents, 1980)

2. Question: The second step in the SQ3R technique of reading is question. A survey of the text

will surely raise a few questions in your mind regarding the text. Some of the questions could

be-


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Is the book useful or relevant to my study ?

Does it provide some guidelines/information on the subject at hand ?

However, as you go through the individual chapters, you might have specific questions regarding the

topic. This will surely lead to gaining some insights into the text, topic and the author's comments.

You will be surprised to see how your questions are answered in the process of reading and

understanding the text. Therefore, don't treat reading as an automatic process. It has to be

conscious and deliberate,.with a definite purpose, where you interact with the topic and the author.

3. Reading: After surveying and questioning, you begin the actual reading. You need to develop a

critical approach to reading anything for that matter. Read the text over and over again, each timewith a different question and a different purpose in mind. "I read it once and understand everything"

kind of attitude is nothing but a myth. Hence, while reading for the first time, you should just focus on

the main points/ideas and supporting details.

4. Recall: The fourth stage in reading comprehension is recalling. Reading is not an isolated activity.

Every reading exercise increases your background knowledge. You should be able to connect the

information gained with the already existing background knowledge. Recalling whatever you

have read will enable you to connect and relate the content with the previous and future learning of

the subject. This leads us to the next stage in reading i.e., review.

5. Review: Reviewing is nothing but checking whether we have followed the earlier stages

promptly and efficiently. Have we surveyed the book, article, or magazine properly? Have we

asked the appropriate questions relating to the content, have we read it critically and have we

recalled the most significant details or information required for our study? These are questions that

should be asked in the final stage of reading. Review will sharpen your critical ability, enable you to

form your own opinions on the topic and express them to others.

Try to practice these stages consciously in your reading and research and you will find this to be a

highly rewarding experience.


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7.5 Summary

Reading is essentially a process of decoding messages, with a view to understanding a written text.

It has various purposes, such as reading for personal interest, pleasure or for gaining information. A

single text is not written for any one purpose, but could meet any purpose, depending on individual

needs.

Reading in the real sense is an active, rather than a passive process. Active reading means reading

to grasp the meaning. It is a skill which has to be developed and practiced.

Based on the purpose for which we are reading, there are five different types of reading

1. Skimming - Quickly glancing over a text to get a general idea of the content

2. Scanning - Careful reading to find out specific details

3. Extensive reading - Rapid reading to get an overall understanding of the matter

4. Intensive reading - Reading slowly with concentration to get specific details

5. Silent or loud reading This depends on whether we are reading to ourselves or reading to others.

An innovative reading technique, known as the SQ3R technique, consists in reading a piece of

written material in five different stages-

Survey, or glancing through a text to get the main idea

Question, or asking yourself if the text is relevant to your needs

Reading the text several times with a critical approach

Recall, or connecting what you read with your previous knowledge on the subject

Review, or cross checking whether the first four stages have been followed correctly

Terminal Questions

1. Read the TV program guides given in a daily newspaper and then answer the following questions

a. Programs of how many channels have been printed?

b. How many channels offer programs in regional languages?


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c. What are the different types of programs that each channel specializes in?

d. Which music channel has a wider variety of programs?

2. Write a short note on the SQ3R technique of reading.

3. Explain how you will practice skimming and scanning in everyday reading activities, using

suitable examples.

Answers to Self Assessment Questions

A. Self Assessment Questions 1

1. False

2. False3. True

4. False

B. Activities

1. 1-c, 2-a, 3-e, 4-d, 5-f, 6-b

2. 1. They now allow employees to wear more informal clothes

2. The change was introduced gradually.

3. Dirty or untidy clothes are not allowed. Some employees still have to dress more formally.

4. Mr. Rodriguez found that most American companies allowed some degree of informal dress.

5. No, they dont.

6. He arrived at work to find some shirts on his desk.

3. 1-c 2-a 3-c 4-a 5-b 6-c

4. The moon's gravity pulls the earth's oceans towards it, as it moves round the earth. (M/S). Then

it lets them go again. (M/S) These movements of the oceans are the tides. (M/S) The sun also

affects the tides. (M/S) At the seaside, you can see that sometimes the sea covers the beach

completely. (M/S) These are called high tides. (M/S) At other times, the water goes back,

leaving the shore uncovered. (M/S) These are called low tides (M/S) Most seaside places have

two high tides and two low tides every day. (M/S)


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5. Every bright star is a sun, like our own sun. This means that stars are huge balls of glowing

gases. They are so hot, that if a piece of steel was placed there, it would disappear in a cloud of gas!

In many of the stars, the gases are very thin. This is because the particles or atoms of matter in the

gas are far apart.

But stars do have matter in them. We know, for example, that the sun contains more than sixty of

the chemical elements present in the earth. Among the elements in the sun are hydrogen, helium,

iron, calcium and magnesium.

In cooler stars, the matter may be more nearly liquid, somewhat like the boiling iron in a blast

furnace. In some very old and cold stars, the matter may be so closely packed that a cubic inch of it

would weigh a ton. Such stars are called dead or dark stars.

Astronomers can find out all this by using instruments called "spectroscopes". The spectroscope

studies the light a star gives, and from this we can learn what kinds of matter it contains and how hot

it is.

The different colors of the stars-- white, blue, yellow, or red - show us what chemical elements are

present in them. Different temperatures of stars also cause differences in the light they give, in their

'spectrum'. In this way, the temperature of a star can be determined.

Answer to Terminal Questions

1. Refer 7.3.2

2. Refer 7.3.5

3. Refer 7.3.1 and 7.3.2