TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE

Module Introduction……………………………………....2
Module Overview…………………………………………..3
Acknowledgement…………………………………………4
Speaking and listening skills…………………………….5
Grammar…………………………………………………….10
Technical English………………………………………….19
Assignment………………………………………………….23
Reports…………………………………………………........24
Assignment…….…………………………………………....37
Reference…………………………………………………….38

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 1
FOREWORD
Module Introduction
Dear Student,
Welcome to this stage of the program. This subject is a very important component for your
program of study as it will enhance the communicative abilities in you at both personal and
organizational level.

MODULE OVERVIEW

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 2
This module offers you vital knowledge to equip you with the necessary skills to be an effective
communicator in the organization and at personal level. The module seeks to expose you to the
fundamentals of effective communication, introduce you to technical English and report writing
in the quest to sharpen your skills in communication.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 3
No idea can really be said to be original-for every ‘new idea’ is a development of the countless
ideas which have been developed by others before. Any work is therefore, merely an expression
of the knowledge, experience and skills acquired during the author’s lifetime of contact with
other people. To all those people who have in any way been influential in my own development
and learning and who have therefore, contributed to the ideas expressed in this work, I owe my
gratitude.

However, my special thanks are due to my colleagues at Northern Technical College and to all
my students with whom over the years I have learnt a lot about the process of communication.

For their patient and tireless, practical and moral support I thank my wife, Sheba as well as my
family, Tika and Wana. You have always been a major part of my professional and personal life.

UNIT 1: SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
LESSON LEARNING OUTCOMES:
M’SAZA PHIRIPage 4
-Define the term effective communication
-Outline guidelines to effective speaking
-Identify qualities of a good speaker
-Outline guidelines to effective listening
-Explain benefits of listening
-Identify types of listening

Definition
Effective communication is communication that achieves the intended objectives of both the
speaker and the listener. It involves a clear understanding and required results for any
communication that takes place for both the speaker and the listener.

Effective communication helps us achieve the intended objectives for our communication with
one another. Therefore, good speaking and listening skills can help us a great deal in being
effective communicators.

GUIDELINES TO EFFECTIVE SPEAKING

Nicky Stanton categorizes speaking skills into two categories:
a) Personal qualities
b) Vocal qualities Stanton [13:1982]
The following are therefore, the basic speaking skills:
i. Clarity
A good speaker must speak clearly. Your language should be simple and your
material organized so that it can easily be followed
ii) Accuracy
You should also make sure that the words you use say exactly what you
mean
iii) Courtesy
Always try to be courteous and friendly. Always be calm no matter your state
of emotions.
iii) Sincerity
This means being natural. Do not put an act by changing your accent or
being stiff depending on situations.
iv) Relaxation
The best way to get rid of these unnatural speech characteristics is to relax.
When our muscles are tense, we have difficulty expressing ourselves
naturally.
v) Eye contact
Eye contact helps to show interest, sincerity and confidence of the speaker

vi) Appearance
How you look can affect how well others understand you. Your appearance
reflects your ‘self Image’. Since your listeners cannot help but notice your
appearance they will receive metacommunication from the way you dress
and your general grooming. Most of us judge a speaker even before they

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 5
 speak.
vii) Posture
Good posture is also important. An erect posture shows that you are alert
and confident
viii) Pitch
A person whose voice has a high pitch may sound thin or squeaky or shrill.
A person with a low pitch will sound deep or throaty. So having a balanced
pitch is ideal.
ix) Audible
Your voice should be audible to those you are speaking to.
x) Diction and accent
Diction is the way in which you say or pronounce words. To some extent it
is influenced by accent. So a good diction and accent will make your
message understood clearly.
xi) Speed
Speak at a speed appropriate to the audience and the nature of the
urgency of the message. You should also make use of pauses.
xii) Tone
Your tone greatly affects the way in which your message is received. Make
use of a tone that conveys your message as intended.

SELF CHECK EXERCISE

1. Identify good speaking skills based on personal qualities
2. Identify good speaking skills based on vocal qualities

QUALITIES OF A GOOD SPEAKER

1. Alertness
-gives your listener the impression that you are aware of and interested in what is
happening around you.
-it makes your listeners feel it is worthwhile to listen.
2. Courtesy
-being polite, pleasant and friendly to the people you are speaking to.
3. Distinctness
-speaking clearly so that your listener can hear and understand your words
without straining
4. Expressiveness
-putting your feelings into words so that people listen to you.
5. Composure
Always be composed to show confidence and inspire your listeners.

GUIDELINES TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING

i) Be prepared to listen
Try to concentrate more on what the speaker is trying to say than what you want to
say.
ii) Be interested

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 6
 Always show interest when listening.
iii) Keep an open mind
Do not be prejudicial in your conversations. This means that you do not take offence
or insulted or show no interest if the speaker says something that is at variance with
your beliefs. This also means not attaching much the way a speaker appears and the
way you consider their message.
iv) Listen for the main ideas
This will make it easier for you to understand what the speaker is trying to convey.
v) Listen critically
Weigh up whatever the speaker is saying. This can help you distinguish important and
un important information, facts or opinions e.t.c
vi) Avoid distractions
Avoid anything that will make you lose concentration or attention
vii) Take notes
If there is information that needs to be recorded take notes.
viii) Encourage the speaker
Give encouragement to the speaker by giving favorable responses as the speaker is
talking i.e nodding your head if you are in agreement or any other short responses to
show you are concentrating.
ix) Reflect back
It is always good to reflect back on what the speaker said. This can reinforce our clear
understanding of the message given to us by the speaker.
x) Hold back
Avoid interrupting the speaker. Always hold back and give chance to the speaker to
finish speaking before you can speak.

BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING

1. Encouragement to others
2. Acquisition of information
3. Improved relationships
4. Resolution of problems
5. Better understanding of other people.
TYPES OF LISTENING
1. Listening for relaxation
2. Critical listening
3. Empathetic listening
4. Aesthetic listening
5. Discriminative listening
6. Listening to organize ideas
7. Listening for information
SELF CHECK EXERCISE
1. Briefly explain the benefits of good listening skills.
2. Briefly explain the nature of the following types of listening:
i) Listening for relaxation
ii) Listening for information
iii) Listening to organize information

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 7
 iv) Critical listening
v) Aesthetic Listening
vi) Empathetic listening

3. Briefly explain FIVE qualities of a good speaker

4. Briefly explain what is meant by the term ‘Turn Taking’ with regard to
communication.
5. Differentiate between listening and hearing

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNT

 Effective communication is communication that achieves the intended objectives of both
the speaker and the listener.
 Good speaking and listening skills can help us a great deal in being effective
communicators.
 Effective speaking skills are as result of both personal and vocal qualities
 A good speaker should be:
-alert
-courteous
-distinct
-expressive
-composed
 A good listener should:
-be prepared to listen
-be interested
-keep an open mind
-listen for main ideas
-listen carefully
-resist distraction
-take notes
-help the speaker
-reflect back
-hold back
 Benefits of effective listening are:
- Encouragement to others
-Acquisition of information
-Improved relationships
-Resolution of problems
-Better understanding of other people.
 There are different types of listening:
- Listening for relaxation
-Critical listening
-Empathetic listening
-Aesthetic listening
-Discriminative listening

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 8
 -Listening to organize ideas
-Listening for information

UNIT 2: GRAMMAR

INTRODUCTION TO GRAMMAR
LESSON LEARNING OUTCOMES:

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 9
-Define the term grammar
-State purpose of grammar in communication
-Describe components of grammar

Definition

1. In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that governs

the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given
natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules.
2. The term "grammar" can also be used to describe the rules that
govern the linguistic behaviour of a group of speakers.

IMPORTANCE OF GRAMMAR

 Grammar is important, because bad grammar can make communication

impossible sometimes. You may find that sometimes someone says
something to you in such bad grammar that you may not understand what
he/she has said.
 Grammar is as important in writing as during a real conversation . In
conversation, at that speed, you may not think about textbook rules.
However, you need to have practiced enough that the grammar rules operate
subconsciously and produce something close to correct speech. And in a
real conversation it is also possible to appear unintelligible due to bad
grammar.

ELEMENTS /COMPONETS OF GRAMMAR

The grammar of a language has a number of components or elements but for

the purpose of this unit we will analyze the following:

1. PARTS OF SPEECH
2. SENTENCE
3. TENSE

1. PARTS OF SPEECH

The 8 English Parts of Speech

These are the words that you use to make a sentence. The following are the
parts of speech:

 Nouns man, town, music ( naming words)

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 10
  Adjectives a, the,big (modifiers of nouns)
 Pronouns you, ours, some (a word standing in place of a noun)
 Verbs be, have, do, work (denoting action)
 Adverbs loudly, well, often (modifiers of verbs)
 Prepositions at, in, on, from( a word showing relationship)
 Conjunctions and, but, though (joining words)
 Interjections ah, dear, er, um

2. THE SENTENCE

In simple terms, a sentence is a set of words that contain:

a. subject (what the sentence is about, the topic of the sentence)

b. a predicate (what is said about the subject)

Look at this simple example:

<----- sentence ----->i

Predicate
subject
Verb

You Speak English.

The above example sentence is very short. Of course, a sentence can be longer
and more complicated, but basically there is always a subject and a predicate.
Look at this longer example:

<----- sentence ----->

Predicate
Subject
verb

Ram and Tara speak English when they are working.

Note that the predicate always contains a verb. Sometimes, in fact, the
predicate is only a verb:

<----- sentence ----->

Subject predicate

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 11
 Verb

Smoke rises.

So we can say that a sentence must contain at least a subject and verb.
However, there is one apparent exception to this – the imperative. When
someone gives a command (the imperative), they usually do not use a subject.
They don't say the subject because it is obvious - the subject is YOU! Look at
these examples of the imperative, with and without a subject:

<----- sentence ----->

Predicate
Subject
Verb

Stop!

Wait a minute!

You look!

Everybody look!

Note that a sentence expresses a complete thought. Here are some examples
of complete and incomplete thoughts:

Complete thought?

He opened the door.

YES
Come in, please.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 12
Do you like coffee?

people who work hard

NO
a fast-moving animal with big ears

Also take note that a sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a full

.
stop ( ) or a question mark (?) or an exclamation mark (!).

Let’s take a look at these examples below:

People need food.

How are you?

Look out!

SELF CHECK EXERCISE

1. Construct two sentences using the imperative verb form

2. Identify ONE Verb, Noun, Adjective and Preposition in the following
sentence:
Engineers have been working on this site for the past two days

TYPES OF SENTENCES

1. SIMPLE SENTENCE
2. COMPOUND SENTENCE
3. COMPLEX SENTENCE
A. SIMPLE SENTENCE
A simple sentence contains a subject and a predicate (independent
clause) only. Take a look at the example given.
Peter bought the tickets
Subject. Predicate
B. COMPOUND SENTENCE
A compound sentence consists of a combination of two independent
clauses joined by a conjunction. e.g:
Peter bought the tickets and Mary packed the bags.
C. COMPLEX SENTENCE
A complex sentence consists of one or two independent clauses which
are joined by a conjunction to one or more dependant clauses existing in
a relationship of dependency.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 13
THE TENSE

Things can happen now, in the future or in the past. The tenses show the time
of an action or state of being as shown by a verb. The verb ending is changed
(conjugated) to show what time it is referring to.

Time can be split into three periods The Present (what you are doing), The Past
(what you did) and The Future (what you are going to do, or hope / plan to do ).

The tenses we use to show what time we are talking about are split into the
Simple, Continuous and Perfect tenses.

In English we use two tenses to talk about the present and six tenses to talk
about the past. There are several ways to talk about the future some of which
use the present tenses, these are:

Present Simple Present

Present Continuous
Past Simple Past
Past Continuous
Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect Simple
Past Perfect Continuous
Future Using the Simple Present
Using the Present Continuous
Using the Present Perfect Simple
Using the Present Perfect Continuous
Using going to
Using shall/will

Active / Passive Verb Forms

Sentences can be active or passive. Therefore, tenses also have "active forms"
and "passive forms." You must learn to recognize the difference to successfully
speak English.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 14
Active Form

In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence
and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.

[Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action]

Examples:

Passive Form

In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the
sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of
the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving
the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the
passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want
to mention who is doing the action.

[Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing
action]

Examples:

Active / Passive Overview

Active Passive

Simple Present Once a week, Tom cleans the house. Once a week, the house is cleaned by

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 15
 Tom.

Present Right now, the letter is being written by

Right now, Sarah is writing the letter.
Continuous Sarah.

Simple Past Sam repaired the car. The car was repaired by Sam.

The salesman was helping the The customer was being helped by the
Past
customer when the thief came into the salesman when the thief came into the
Continuous
store. store.

That castle has been visited by many

Present Perfect Many tourists have visited that castle.
tourists.

Present Perfect Recently, John has been doing the Recently, the work has been being done
Continuous work. by John.

George had repaired many cars before Many cars had been repaired by George
Past Perfect
he received his mechanic's license. before he received his mechanic's license.

Chef Jones had been preparing the The restaurant's fantastic dinners had
Past Perfect
restaurant's fantastic dinners for two been being prepared by Chef Jones for
Continuous
years before he moved to Paris. two years before he moved to Paris.

Simple Future Someone will finish the work by 5:00

The work will be finished by 5:00 PM.
will PM.

Simple Future Sally is going to make a beautiful A beautiful dinner is going to be made by
be going to dinner tonight. Sally tonight.

Future At 8:00 PM tonight, John will be At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes will be
Continuous washing the dishes. being washed by John.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 16
will

Future
At 8:00 PM tonight, John is going to At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes are going
Continuous
be washing the dishes. to be being washed by John.
be going to

Future Perfect They will have completed the project The project will have been completed
will before the deadline. before the deadline.

Future Perfect They are going to have completed the The project is going to have been
be going to project before the deadline. completed before the deadline.

Future Perfect The famous artist will have been The mural will have been being painted
Continuous painting the mural for over six months by the famous artist for over six months
will by the time it is finished. by the time it is finished.

Future Perfect The famous artist is going to have The mural is going to have been being
Continuous been painting the mural for over six painted by the famous artist for over six
be going to months by the time it is finished. months by the time it is finished.

Used to Jerry used to pay the bills. The bills used to be paid by Jerry.

My mother would always make the The pies would always be made by my
Would Always
pies. mother.

Future in the
I knew John would finish the work by I knew the work would be finished by
Past
5:00 PM. 5:00 PM.
Would

Future in the
I thought Sally was going to make a I thought a beautiful dinner was going to
Past
beautiful dinner tonight. be made by Sally tonight.
Was Going to

SELF CHECK EXERCISE

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 17
Convent the following active sentences into passive forms:

1. Right now, Mike is driving the vehicle.

2. Sally is going to sing a beautiful song during dinner tonight.
3. George had driven many cars before he received his driver’s license.

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNT

 In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that governs the

composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural
language. The term refers also to the study of such rules.
 The term "grammar" can also be used to describe the rules that govern
the linguistic behaviour of a group of speakers.
 Parts of speech are a component of grammar and these are the words
that you use to make a sentence.
 A sentence is an expression of a complete thought
 a sentence is a set of words that contain:
- a subject (what the sentence is about, the topic of the sentence)
- a predicate (what is said about the subject)
 the imperative is exceptional in that it consists of the imperative verb
only without the subject because the subject is obvious.

 There are three basic types of sentences:

- SIMPLE SENTENCE
- COMPOUND SENTENCE
- COMPLEX SENTENCE
 Sentences can be active or passive
 In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the
sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object.
 In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the
sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the
end of the sentence
 The tenses we use show what time we are talking about and are split into
the past, present and future

UNIT 3: TECHNICAL ENGLISH

INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL ENGLISH
LESSON LEARNING OUTCOMES:
-Define the concept technical English
-Explain importance of technical English in industry
-Define a technical object
M’SAZA PHIRIPage 18
-Describe a technical object
-Classify technical objects
-Construct good instructions

Definition

This is language used by professionals such as engineers, doctors, accountants

and so on to define and describe processes or operations or even use of
technical terms when giving or receiving instructions in the workplace.

It is important to have specialized terminologies to describe various technical

objects or processes. This can help us in giving or receiving instructions,
sharing work related ideas, passing on information, writing reports and so on.
More terms or words are being added to technical English therefore, it is
necessary for all professionals to keep up to date to these technical
developments and in turn broaden their vocabulary in technical English. This is
possible by understanding principals of technical language.

DIFINING TECHNICAL OBJECTS

Technical objects are in different forms and shapes generally classified into
instruments, tools, equipment and devices which could be pliers, testers, or
screw drivers e.t.c. There are two important things that need to be defined and
these are:

(i) Technical objects

(ii) Technical processes

Defining simply means briefly and clearly say what a word means. For example
A WOODSCREW is a reversible fastening device which is used to fix a material
to the wood.

Aspects of Definition

Whenever you are required to define a technical object take the following
aspects into consideration:

1. Indicate class of the object i.e is it a machine, instrument, device e.t.c

2. Indicate type of object i.e is it power driven, bench mounted or portable
e.t.c
3. State the use of the object

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 19
SELF CHECK EXERCISE

1. Identify the names given to three processes or activities that are common
in your field.
2. Define the following objects by following the three aspects of definitions
discussed above.
3. Give a full description of a hammer.

HOW CAN YOU DESCRIBE A TECHNICAL OBJECT

If you were asked to give a description of a technical object, the following

are the key points one must consider in order to give a good description:

1. Draw the diagram of the object

2. Label the key parts or components
3. Define the object clearly
4. State the composition of the main components of the object
5. Give the size of the object
6. Describe the shape i.e does it resemble a letter, a figure or number e.t.c
7. Add any other points which you may consider important e.g colour,
weight

CLASSIFYING OBJECTS

A good description requires that one is able to classify the object they are
describing. A good classification requires that you distinguish an object in a
particular class from others in the same class. For example, A SPOKESHAVE
is a cutting or shaping tool.

There may be other tools but this particular one is a cutting tool and that is
what distinguishes it from other tools.

Other Examples

1. A bottle is a container used for storage of liquids

2. A hoe is a hand tool used for digging
3. A pen is a writing instrument

GIVING INSTRUCTIONS

Definition

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 20
An instruction is a direction or order on how things should be done.

Significance of instructions

i) They help us have things done in the manner we wanted through

others
ii) They enable us perform certain tasks in a uniform manner as required
by the instructions
iii) Instructions can help us know how to perform a particular task
iv) They make work operations easier and efficient in the workplace

QUALITIES OF GOOD INSTRUCTIONS

i) They must contain simple and understandable language

ii) They must have intended objectives
iii) They must be complete
iv) They must not be ambiguous (must not have multiple meaning)
v) They must follow logical order or sequence
vi) They must be brief and to the point
vii) Good instructions should use the imperative verb
viii) Should not have repetitions

SELF CHECK EXERCISE

1. List at least FIVE qualities of good instructions

2. You are in charge of the workshop at your place of work and you feel you
need to put new instructions to employees so as to enhance safety in the
workshop.
3. Draft a list of instructions for the workshop you operate from.

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNT

 Technical English is language used by professionals such as engineers,

doctors, accountants and so on to define and describe processes or
operations or even use of technical terms when giving or receiving
instructions in the workplace.
 Technical English is important for describing various technical objects or
processes.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 21
  It helps us in giving or receiving instructions, sharing work related ideas,
passing on information, writing reports and so on.
 Whenever we are required to define a technical object we must take the
following aspects into consideration:
- Indicate class of the object i.e is it a machine, instrument, device
e.t.c
- Indicate type of object i.e is it power driven, bench mounted or
portable e.t.c
- State the use of the object
 If you were asked to give a description of a technical object, the
following are the key points one must consider in order to give a good
description:
- Draw the diagram of the object
- Label the key parts or components
- Define the object clearly
- State the composition of the main components of the object
- Give the size of the object
- Describe the shape i.e does it resemble a letter, a figure or number
e.t.c
- Add any other points which you may consider important e.g colour,
weight
 A good classification requires that you distinguish an object in a
particular class from others in the same class. For example, A
SPOKESHAVE is a cutting or shaping tool.
 An instruction is a direction or order on how things should be done.
 Instructions are important because:
- They help us have things done in the manner we wanted through
others
- They enable us perform certain tasks in a uniform manner as
required by the instructions
- Instructions can help us know how to perform a particular task
- They make work operations easier and efficient in the workplace
 good instructions should:
- contain simple and understandable language
- have intended objectives
- be complete
- not be ambiguous (must not have multiple meaning)
- follow logical order or sequence
- be brief and to the point

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 22
 - use the imperative verb
- not have repetitions

ASSIGNMENT ONE

1. Classify the following technical objects:

(i) Hacksaw
(ii) Pen
2. Give a full description of a Screwdriver
3. Identify at least FIVE(5) qualities of good instructions

Due Date 31st May, 2014

UNIT 4: REPORTS
REPORT WRITING
LESSON LEARNING OUTCOMES:
-Define the term report
-Explain purpose of reports in organizations
-Identify report formats
-Describe the parts of a schematic, memo and letter report
-Draft reports

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 23
 Definition

Sillars defines a report as, ‘a document which investigates a specific subject

according to a prescribed format and for a clearly defined readership’. Sillars
[258:1988]

A report is therefore, an account given or opinion formally expressed after

investigations or consideration. A report is considered to be formal and
requires giving an account of the matter covered. At work reports may be called
for in any one of the following circumstances;

a) Something has happened and you are required to say what you
know about it(an eye witness account, accident report, sales report
etc.)
b) You have been given a certain work to do and you are required to
show how you are getting on with it. This is a progress report or a
routine report on day to day matters.
c) You have been instructed to look into a certain matter and now
present your findings. This is an examination report. If you are told
to include you recommendations about what should be done about
the matter investigated, your report is called recommendatory
report.

PURPOSE OF REPORTS

1. Analytical- this is where you analyze a problem. To analyze is to break or divide

into pieces.
2. Some give results of experiments.
3. Some give results of a survey and investigation.
4. Some tell the owner progress being made in the business.
5. Periodical reports.

SELF CHECK EXXERCISE

1. Define the term report

2. Identify at least FIVE purposes of reports

PREPARING A REPORT

There are three main formats in which formal reports can be presented, namely:

i) Schematic

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 24
 ii) Memorandum
iii) Letter

1. SCHEMATIC REPORT LAYOUT

A schematic report should have the following components.

A. Name of the organization

B. A title (summary)
C. Terms of reference-this is an introduction of the report. This should
include:
a) Who requested for the report e.g. “At the request of the
Production Manager the report is hereby being presented…..”
OR “As directed by the Board of Directors, a report on…….. is
hereby being presented e.t.c.
b) The specific area or field to be covered by the report e.g. to
inquire into present salaries and conditions of service.
c) The date on which the instruction to prepare the report was
received. e.g. “the request was made on 7th Feb, 2005.”
D. Procedure-these are the methods you have used to collect
information or data on a particular problem mentioned in your
terms of reference. This is the method of investigation to gather
information. Some of methods include:
a) Experiment- You may carry out an experiment on a particular
machine in order to obtain information.
b) Observation –You may observe how the particular machine
operates etc.
c) Interviews- You may interview the people concerned or who
were present when something happen so that you can get
first-hand information.
d) Survey- these are market surveys, land, soil surveys.
Normally, surveys are conducted through questionnaires.
e) Consultation- this where you consult the expert in a
particular field i.e police who could have had some
experience.
f) Research- this is reading of books, magazines, newspapers
etc. on a given topic being investigated.
E. Findings: Here the findings of the investigation are presented. This
will be the longest section and there should be appropriate
divisions (sections, chapters) with sub divisions.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 25
 F. Conclusion: - conclusion is a summary drawn from the information
gathered and should be stated briefly. No personal opinion or
experience should be written as this will make the report to be
biased.
G. Recommendations: - Recommendations are solutions to problems
that have been identified in a report.
NB A specific numbering system may be used.

H. Signature: - you are supposed to sign the report.

I. Designation: - Title of the person writing the report. E.g. Head of
Department
J. Date: - the date the report was compiled.

EXAMPLE OF A SCHEMATIC REPORT

K.C.M

REPORT ON SAFETY

1.0 TERMS OF REFERENCE

As requested by the Safety Committee on 20th August, 2006, an
investigation has been undertaken into the cause of accidents in the
company over the year ended 31st March, 2005.

2.0 PROCEDURE
2.1 An analysis was undertaken of all reports during the period
under review.
2.2 A detailed survey of the premises was undertaken by Safety
Officers.
2.3 Consultations were held with Union representatives, all levels
of management, the Safety Inspectorate and members of the
Safety Committee.
3.0 FINDINGS
3.1 ANALYSIS OF REPORTED ACCIDENTS

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 26
 Indications show that accidents during the past year have had one
or more of the following causes in common:
3.1.1 Unsafe equipment. There have been four accidents
caused by faulty equipment, one of them very serious.
3.1.2 Failure to comply with safety regulations. Some
employees are still reluctant to use safety equipment or
follow regulations which they often consider reduce the
speed of work thus diminish bonus earnings.
3.1.3 Ignorance. Three trainees were injured because they were
not fully conversant with safety working practice.
3.2 SURVEY OF THE PREMISES.
The information gathered through survey of the premises broadly
showed that the company is complying with statutory health and
safety requirements however, there were a number of problems
identified in the following areas:
3.2.1 Electric facilities in offices are below standard
3.2.2 Gang ways have a lot of obstructions with workshop
equipment and tools lying in the way anyhow.
3.2.3 Workshop equipment is in bad state with THREE Lathe
machines requiring immediate attention
3.3 CONSULTATIONS.
Consultations with Union officials revealed great lapses with
regard to employee sensitization on safety matters. Most Union
officials still feel it’s the responsibility of management to sensitize
workers on safety matters. However, management also blames the
Union for not taking a leading role to sensitize and encourage its
members to abide by safety regulations. The Safety Inspectorate
complained of reluctance on the part of departments to send their
employees for Safety Workshops every month. According to the
Inspectorate, this has also contributed to ignorance on safety
matters
4.0 CONCLUSION:-
4.1 The quality of equipment and safety guards was poor.
4.2 Obstruction from gang ways weren’t removed.
4.3 No employment awareness of the availability of and need
to use safety equipment.
4.4 Management, the Union and employees worked in
isolation with regard to safety issues.
5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 27
 5.1 Improvements to equipment. The unsafe equipment and
inadequate safety guards mentioned in 3.1.1 and 3.2.1 should
receive immediate attention. More plugs are needed to eradicate
the problem of trailing.

5.2 Gang ways. All obstructions should be cleared

5.3 Cordination. More effort needed by management, the union,

workers and the safety inspectorate in coordination of safety

related issues like training, workshops and sensitization

seminars.

5.4 Safety equipment and publications. Each section must have

adequate supply of safety gear like goggles gloves, etc. and the
use of easily available safety posters should be increased.

GK NDLVU

G.K NDLOVU

WORKSHOP FOREMAN

30th August 2006.

2. MEMO REPORT LAYOUT

1. Name of the organization

2. The words ‘MEMORANDUM REPORT’ clearly indicated
3. Title of sender and recipient
4. Date the report was written.
5. Heading- : should be specific and clear.
6. Introduction
 In a memo report, first person pronoun is used in the introductory
paragraph.
 State date report was requested.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 28
  State steps taken to gather information.
7. Findings
 Use sub-headings enumeration for clarity.
 Use past tense or reported speech/third person for the central
body which reports on the results of investigations.
 Here do not state conclusions or recommendations. Only facts
should be stated.
8. Conclusion
 Here state the logical implications of the findings.
9. Recommendations
 Gives suggestions for action to rectify the problem.
 Use an appropriate close or ending in the final paragraph.
 Language style is the first person pronoun.

EXAMPLE OF A MEMORANDUM REPORT

TAZINGWA TECHNICAL COLLEGE

MEMORANDUM REPORT

To: The Principal

From: Secretary –N.S.U
Ref: PB/JM
DATE: 2 AUGUST 2005

REPORT ON COLLEGE CAFETERIA.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 29
On 30 July 2005 I was instructed by the Principal to investigate the services
provided by the college kitchen and submit the report. My investigations
consisted of visiting the Dining Hall during lunch time for a period of three
weeks, observing the way in which the Dining Hall operated and the food was
examined for quality and quantity. Students were also interviewed on the
concerns they had with regard to services

DINING HALL VISITS

At lunch, everyone was able to find table space, but there were not always
enough chairs. The tables were placed fairly close together such that it was
often difficult to get into a chair.

OBSERVATIONS ON DINING HALL OPERATIONS

Sanitation in the kitchen is fairly good. The waiters are smartly dressed and the
premises are clean. However, kitchen management seem not to do much with
regard to the free roaming rats spotted sometimes in the dining hall which is a
source of worry for those eating in the hall with regard to sanitation.

EXAMINATION OF THE QUALITY OF FOOD PROVIDED

Lunch was taken from the Dining Hall for three weeks and it was of good
quality apart from lack of variety of food and unfortunately inadequate to meet
the needs of students. The food portion was less compared to other cafeteria in
town.

INTERVIEWS WITH STUDENTS

Most students interviewed complained about the lack of variety of food and the
small portions given to them. They also complained about delays in serving
food once an order is made especially during lunch time.

In conclusion the following can be noted:

1. Although the meals are well cooked, they are too often inadequate.
2. There is little diversity in food provided
3. The delays in serving during lunch results in students waste a substantial
part of the lunch hour waiting.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 30
 4. The staffing levels are low with only THREE waiters serving more than 45
clients during lunch.
5. The floor space of the refectory is insufficient and the sitting
arrangement is not adequate to cope with the mid-day rush.

The following are the recommendations for possible improvement:

2. The size portion of food should be increased.

3. Management needs to diversify the type of food given to students
in order to give them choice in what they eat.
4. The seating arrangement needs urgent attention. The tables should
be better spaced and extra chairs should be bought to cope with
the mid-day rush.
5. Recruitment of additional staff in serving food so as to bring about
efficiency.
6. Kitchen management should immediately put measures to
eradicate the mice in the kitchen.

I hope you find this report satisfactory, but if you have any queries please let
me know.

JMK

J.K Mulenga

3. LETTER REPORT LAYOUT

STYLE- Normally a letter report is written in first person.

It consists of: -

1. Introductory paragraph.
2. Paragraph showing findings.
3. Paragraph with conclusions.
4. Paragraph with recommendations.

Note: sub-headings may or may not be used. Paragraph maybe numbered.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 31
EXAMPLE OF A LETTER REPORT

NORTHERN TECHNICAL COLLEGE

NORTHERN TECHNICAL COLLEGE

P.OBOX 6504
NDOLA.

2nd AUGUST, 2005.

THE PRINCIPAL,
NOTHERN TECHNICAL COLLEGE,
P.O.BOX 6504

NDOLA.

Dear Sir,

REPORT ON COLLEGE CAFETERIA

I have investigated the services provided by the College kitchen as you

requested on 30th July, 2005. My investigations consisted of visiting the Dining
Hall during lunch time for a period of three weeks, observing the way in which
the Dining Hall operated and the food was examined for quality and quantity.
Students were also interviewed on the concerns they had with regard to services

Lunch was taken from the Dining Hall for three weeks and at lunch, everyone
was able to find table space, but there were not always enough chairs. The
tables were placed fairly close together such that it was often difficult to get
into a chair. It was observed that sanitation in the kitchen is fairly good. The
waiters are smartly dressed and the premises are clean. However, kitchen
management seem not to do much with regard to the free roaming rats
spotted sometimes in the dining hall which is a source of worry for those eating
in the hall with regard to sanitation. Furthermore, lunch taken from the Dining
Hall was of good quality apart from lack of variety of food and unfortunately
inadequate to meet the needs of students. The food portion was less compared
to other cafeteria in town. Lastly, most students interviewed complained about
the lack of variety of food and the small portions given to them. They also
complained about delays in serving food once an order is made especially
during lunch time.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 32
In conclusion it can be noted that, although the meals are well cooked, they are
too often inadequate and there is little diversity in food provided. The delays in
serving during lunch results in students waste a substantial part of the lunch
hour waiting. Furthermore, the staffing levels are low with only THREE waiters
serving more than 45 clients during lunch. The floor space of the refectory is
also insufficient and the sitting arrangement is not adequate to cope with the
mid-day rush.

I therefore, recommend the following for possible improvement:

(i) The size portion of food should be increased.

(ii) Management needs to diversify the type of food given to
students in order to give them choice in what they eat.
(iii) The seating arrangement needs urgent attention. The tables
should be better spaced and extra chairs should be bought to
cope with the mid-day rush.
(iv) Recruitment of additional staff in serving food so as to bring
about efficiency.
(v) Kitchen management should immediately put measures to
eradicate the mice in the kitchen.

I hope you find this report satisfactory, but if you have any queries please let
me know.

Yours Faithfully,

JMK

J.K Mulenga

SELF CHECK EXERCISE

You work for SHENO INVESTMENTS as Projects Officer. Your company has
currently been working on a road project for the government in Kasama over
which you are in charge. Your subordinates have downed tools for ten (10) days
claiming that their salaries have not been paid for three (3) months and their
wages are too little to meet the continued demands of price increases.
Additionally, they also claim that most conditions of service agreed upon with
their union officials have not been implemented.

Your Director of Projects has instructed you to write a report on the cause of
the work stoppage.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 33
 1. Write a memorandum report furnishing him with reasons for the strike.
2. Write a letter report furnishing him with reasons for the strike.

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

Reports are one of the most important means of communicating in an

organization. There are different formats of reports, namely: -

 Letter Format
 Schematic Format
 Memorandum Format

A good student of communication skills must be able to write any report in the
above listed formats.

Another cardinal aspect of report writing is the letter of transmittal. This is a

cover letter that is written to the person who requested for the report meant to
accompany a schematic report.

Note: in exams you may be asked to write a report in part (a) of the question
and write a letter of transmittal to accompany the said report in part (b) of the
question.

Example of a Letter of Transmittal

NORTHERN BREWERIES

NOTHERN BREWERIES
P.O.BOX 6005
NDOLA
1st September, 2006

THE DIRECTOR OF WORKS

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 34
NOTHERN BREWERIES
P.O.BOX 6005
NDOLA

Dear Sir,

REF: REPORT ON SAFETY

Kindly find attached the report on safety as requested. The conclusions have
been given and possible recommendations made for possible improvement.

For any queries do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours Faithfully,

MM

MIKE MULONGOTI

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNT

 A report is an account given or opinion formally expressed after

investigations or consideration.
 A report is considered to be formal and requires giving an account of the
matter covered.
 At work reports may be called for in any one of the following
circumstances;
- Something has happened and you are required to say what you
know about it(an eye witness account, accident report, sales report
etc.)

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 35
 - You have been given a certain work to do and you are required to
show how you are getting on with it. This is a progress report or a
routine report on day to day matters.
- You have been instructed to look into a certain matter and now
present your findings. This is an examination report. If you are told
to include you recommendations about what should be done about
the matter investigated, your report is called recommendatory
report.
 A report serves a number of purposes among them:
- Analytical purposes
- To give results of experiments.
- To give results of a survey and investigation.
- Some tell the owner progress being made in the business.
- Periodical reporting.
 There are three main formats in which formal reports can be presented,
namely:
i) Schematic
ii) Memorandum
iii) Letter

 A letter of transmittal is a cover letter that is written to the person who

requested for the report meant to accompany a schematic report.

ASSIGNMENT TWO

You work for SHENO INVESTMENTS as Projects Officer. Your company has
currently been working on a road project for the government in Kasama
over which you are in charge. Your subordinates have downed tools for ten
(10) days claiming that their salaries have not been paid for three (3)
months and their wages are too little to meet the continued demands of
price increases. Additionally, they also claim that most conditions of
service agreed upon with their union officials have not been implemented.

Your Director of Projects has instructed you to write a report on the cause
of the work stoppage.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 36
Write a schematic report furnishing him with reasons for the strike and
give recommendations.

Due Date 28th June, 2014

REFERENCE
Bovee, L.C (1998) BusinessCommunication Today 5th Edition. New Jersey:
Simon and Schuster.
.
Bradbury, A (2006) Succesful Presentation Skills. London: Kogan Page.

Murphy, A.H et.al (1972) Effective Business Communication 7th Edition.Boston:

Mc Graw Hill.

Sillars, Stuart (1998). Success in Communication. London: John Murray

Publishers.
.
Stanton, Nicky (1982). Mastering Communication. New York: McMcmillan.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 37
Saunders,P.A (1967). Introductory English Course for Technical Students.
London: Oxford.

Taylor,Shirley (1999). Communication For Business 3rd Edition. New Delhi:

Dorling Kindersley.

Woolcoltt and Unwin (1983). Mastering Business Communication. Hampshire:

Macmillan.
.

M’SAZA PHIRIPage 38