Lesson Plan: Communication Skills

Lesson Plan: Communication Skills

Introduction

Linguistic is mainly a tool for communication. Learning communication skills is essential, especially for students who would pursue a career that deals with dialogue such as journalism. Skills in communication are crucial, but yet most of the students do not have the essentials. Communication skills lessons enable the students to get factual information while different activities such as group discussion and presentation allow the students to practice the skills learned factually. This lesson plan covers the sub-topics in the unit of communication skills unit, which by the end of the group, the student will be well equipped with the skills and ready to practice them. The main section in the unit that enhances excellent communication skills is listening skills.

Objectives

The main objectives that this lesson plan covers fully are to help the students to understand both problems solving and communication skills. Also, assessing both the spoken and non-spoken ability of the students. Furthermore, ensuring that the students have been equipped with reading, listening, and response skills.

Duration

The duration allocated for this unit is 14 weeks, whereby there will be two lessons per week. Each lesson will also be assigned for two hours. In between the lessons, there will be discussion groups and assignments given to the students. Online lessons will also be included in the lesson plan.

Target persons

The unit of communication skills mainly targets students taking leadership courses, broadcasting, and even communication. Students with different abilities will be able to learn the other sections that they are not good at, and finally, all students will have almost the same capabilities.

Lesson Plan

Week 1 will deal with an introduction to communication where it will be defined widely and in detail. The mechanism in which human beings use to relate to each other is communication(Schramm, 1993). The second lesson will also discuss the different types of communication, which include verbal communication and non-verbal communication. Verbal communication is also divided into two where there is oral or spoken communication where words are used, and mostly it involves face to face communication. The other type of verbal communication is written communication, which uses symbols to deliver information or discussion.

Week 2 will deal with the purpose and principles of communication. The laws of communication are the factors taken into consideration when conveying information. The policies also provide the strategies for content and the way of presentation. Also, the seven ‘C’s’ will be discussed in the first lesson in week 2. In addition to that, the purpose of communication will be addressed, which is to deliver one’s message to others precisely without being ambiguous (Manktelow and Carlson, 1998).  The second lesson in week two will be about the importance and also the barriers of communications discussed in detail.

Week 3 will be about study skills. They are plans that are put in place to enhance learning. Tips for effective studying will also be discussed, and the lecture will clearly explain how this enhances excellent communication skills. The presentation of the work will be addressed in the second lesson. This will involve the students presenting presentable work to the lecture with readable handwriting, which the lecturer cannot strain while going through. The students’ details should be indicated.

Week 4 will mainly deal with discussion groups. First, there will be the formation of groups, where an assignment will be given to each group, and the students will be required to discuss the task to present in the next lesson. The second lesson in week four will be about the presentation by the students. Each student will be required to submit the work or assignment because each student will have a section to present.

Week 5 will be learning about library skills. A library being room with organized books. Journals, magazines, reference materials, etc. that provide information (Casson, 2002). The library skills will aid in polishing up the studying skills that will have been discussed earlier on. Lesson two will consist of learning the different sections in the library and the students making a point of visiting the library to practice what they have learned.

Week 6 will be a detailed discussion about listening skills. The listening skills are essential because one can clearly understand what the other person will be saying and, in turn, respond appropriately, thereby enhancing excellent communication skills. The second lesson will discuss the tips toward real and active listening skills. This will be an online class.

Week 7 will finalize on the barriers and the difficulties that are encountered during listening. There are many barriers to listening, such as noise, and many more will be discussed, including the problems. An assessment cat will be done in the second lesson, which will cover all will have been learned.

In week 8, reading skills will be covered, whereby the definition and how reading skills will enhance good communication will be taught in-depth. The second lesson will be about the types and the strategies of reading. Reading requires comprehension of the symbols or letters transformed into words and bringing out a meaning.

In week 9, the importance of reading skills and the barriers to reading will be tackled. Writing skills will be covered in the second lesson, where the students will be taught how to record data in a field diary or for laboratory records.

Week 10 will deal with the practical skills that are required for appropriate communication. In this lesson, there will be both functional and scientific writing or reporting. Also, different types of scientific-practical writing will be taught. Curriculum vitae, copy of abstract, footnotes, bibliography writing, etc. will be taught n the second lesson.

Week 11 will deal with oral communication and organizational skills where students will be taught how to conduct themselves when there is an impromptu presentation. Individual students will also be taught how to present alone and even in a group discussion. The second lesson will be about the students learning to organize sessions and also conferences and also taking part in public speaking. This will be an online class.

Week 12 will mainly deal with proper structural and functional grammar. Students will be taught exclusively on the structures of the sentences, the modifiers, phrases, etc. for the two lessons in the 12^th week. The basics of the English language will be entirely taught. This will be an online class.

Week 13 will deal with all the groups presenting a topic from the unit and presenting before the class for both lessons and also practicing what the students learned from the online course.

Week 14 and the final week will deal with the students being taught about the examination skills in the first lesson and the second lesson, and the students will do an examination.

Conclusion

By the end of this unit, the students will be fully equipped with the required and excellent communication skills.

References

Manktelow, J & Carlson, A (1998) Improve Your Communication Skills With; Society of Education, India: http://www.soeagra.com

Schramm, W. (1993). How Communication Works. In W. Schramm (edn.), The process and effects of communication. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press.

Webb, M. (2006). Eight Barriers to Effective Listening; www.agileadvice.com/2006/04 Wenbin N. (2008).The Advantages and Disadvantages of Written and Spoken Communication: New York, The McGraw-Hill