UNIT STANDARD 119467

Unit Standard Title

Use language and communication in occupational learning programmes

NQF Level
3

Credits
5

Purpose
The purpose of this unit standard is to facilitate learning and to ensure that learners are able to
cope with learning in the context of learnerships, skills programmes and other learning
programmes. Many adult learners in the FET band have not been in a learning situation for a
long time, and need learning and study strategies and skills to enable successful progression.
Learners competent at this level will be able to deal with learning materials, to access and use
useful resources, to seek clarification and help when necessary, and apply a range of learning
strategies. They do this with an understanding of the features and processes of the workplaces
of the workplaces and occupations to which their learning programmes refer

Learning assumed to be in place

The credit calculation is based on the assumption that learners are already competent in terms
of the full spectrum of language knowledge and communication skills laid down in the national
curriculum statements up to NQF level 2.

Unit standard range

Learning materials appropriate to the learners in a given context
Specific range statements are provided in the body of the unit standard where they apply to
particular outcomes or assessment criteria

Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Specific Outcome 1: Access and use suitable learning resources.
❖ Relevant learning resources are identified: Resource centres, literature, internet, other
people
❖ Learning resources are used effectively through appropriate selection of information and
acknowledgement of sources.
Specific Outcome 2: Use learning strategies.
❖ Information is summarised for learning purposes
❖ Specific techniques are selected and applied appropriately: Group activities such as
brainstorming, group analysis, peer and self-assessment mind maps, note taking,
memorising, key words, underlining, skimming and scanning
❖ Relevant questions are asked: Checking understanding, clarifying meaning, getting
information, confirm accuracy of information
❖ Texts are read for detail and interpreted and analysed for a given context
❖ Spoken input is listened to for detail, interpreted and analysed for a given context.
❖ Learning takes place through communicating with others in groups or as individuals:
Facilitators, other learners, colleagues
Specific Outcome 3: Manage occupational learning materials.
❖ Occupational learning materials are well organised: Videos, internet, texts, handouts, text
books, charts, maps, plans, diagrams
 ❖ Layout and presentation of learning materials are understood and used effectively: Index,
contents page, or glossaries, electronic texts
Specific Outcome 4: Conduct basic research and analyse and present findings.
❖ Appropriate or relevant topic and scope is identified and defined
❖ Research steps are planned and sequenced appropriately
❖ Research techniques are applied: Gathering information, reading, interviewing, using
appropriate electronic sources
❖ Information is evaluated for relevance
❖ Information is classified, categorised and sorted
❖ Research findings are analysed and presented in the appropriate format
Specific Outcome 5: Function in a team.
❖ Active participation takes place in group-learning situations: Meetings, site/field visits,
excursions, discussions, activities, workshops
❖ Responsibilities in the team are taken up and group work conventi ons are applied in
learning situations: Supervision, mentoring, rotation of roles: conducting, chairing,
recording, reporting
❖ Conflict management and negotiating techniques are practised
❖ Team work results in meaningful product or outcomes: Reaching consensus, completed
projects/assignments
Specific Outcome 6: Reflect on how characteristics of the workplace and occupational context
affect learning.
❖ Features of the occupational environment are described and discussed:
Workplace/occupational focus: Services, manufacturing, financial, educational.
Organisation type: Government, parastatal, heavy/light industry, large organisation,
small business
❖ Ways in which these features affect learning processes and/or application of learning are
described and discussed: Technological resources, communication resources,
communication strategies and multilingual needs in relation to necessary client or
colleague interaction

Unit Standard Essential Embedded Knowledge

Learners can understand and explain that language has certain features and conventions, which
can be managed for learning purposes. Learners are aware that there are skills, strategies and
resources which will facilitate learning. They are familiar with the workplace context in which
their learning will be applied

Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO)

Unit Standard CCFO Identifying: Identify and solve problems: using learning programme
material and learning tasks to solve problems.
Unit Standard CCFO Working: Working effectively with others and in teams: using
interactive speech and roles in activities, discussions and projects.
Unit Standard CCFO Organizing: Organise and manage oneself and one’s activities
responsibly and effectively: through organisation of learning materials and assignments .
Unit Standard CCFO Collecting: Collecting, analysing, organising and critically evaluating
information: through application of information processing skills in study.
Unit Standard CCFO Communicating: Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical
and/or language skills in formal and informal learning situations.
Unit Standard CCFO Science: Use science and technology effectively and critically: using
electronic media for learning.
Unit Standard CCFO Demonstrating: Reflect on and explore a variety of strategies to learn
more effectively.
Unit Standard CCFO Contributing: Explore education and career opportunities.
 LEARNING RESOURCES
Specific outcome
Access and use suitable learning resources

Assessment criteria
On completion of this section you will be able to ensure that:
❖ Relevant learning resources are identified Resource centres, general texts, printed and
visual media, internet, other people
❖ Learning resources are used effectively through appropriate selection of information and
acknowledgement of sources
 Learning Resources
Textbooks
A textbook is a book that is used as a standard work for the study of a subject. We all used
textbooks in school in order to study the grammar, spelling and language rules for English,
Afrikaans, Sotho or Zulu, we also used textbooks to study economics, history, geography and
so on.
Having a textbook for a language is a valuable reference resource, because you can refer to the
textbook to solve issues
Of course, you get more kinds of textbooks than language textbooks. As stated, you get
textbooks about geography, history, architecture, interior decorating, garden landscaping,
computer software and hardware. There are textbooks about arts and crafts, woodworking,
driving, just about anything that you want to learn about.
If you look up the word textbook in a thesaurus, you will find the following list:
❖ Schoolbook
❖ Manual
❖ Workbook
In other words, a textbook, or manual, contains information about a subject. This means that
you can use a textbook to look up information about a subject. This learner guide is an example
of a textbook or manual.

Using Textbooks To Collect Information

You could read the entire book and hope you get the specific information you are looking for,
but there are easier ways.
Textbooks are divided into chapters. Each chapter will contain information about a specific
subject. The chapters can be subdivided into sections and, if the manual is comprehensive,
even sub-sections.

Contents Page
The writers who compile textbooks always try to make it easy for us to find specific information
about a certain subject. Every textbook will have a contents page or table of contents, which
will give the main headings of the different chapters or sections of the textbook.
Each entry in the table of contents will refer to a page number. You can then turn to that page
and look at the contents from that page on.
If you want to get an idea what a textbook or manual is about, the table of contents should give
you the main points of the contents in a simple and understandable format.
Following is a contents page from a textbook about General Management.

Can you see that subjects are grouped together in a sensible manner? Can you see that it is
easy to obtain information about a specific subject?
If I need information about motivation, I will go to page 347, as indicated in the contents page.
Here I will see that the chapter is further divided into sections, which are indicated by text typed
in bold.
Now I can page through the chapter, looking only at the headings of sections until I find the
information I am looking for. Did you notice that the headings in this textbook are also
numbered? All this is done to make it easy for you to find the information again. I would make
a note of the page number, as well as the heading number: p347, 16.2 Meaning of motivation.
All this makes it easy for you to find the information the first time and also to refer back to the
information afterwards.

Index
Most textbooks also contain an Index, situated at the back of the book. Using the Index, you
can look up information by looking for a specific word. The Index is always sorted alphabetically,
so if I want to look up the word motivation, I will have to go to M in the Index.
From the Index, under M, I can see that there are references to motivation on pages 10 as well
as 347. I can therefore find information about motivation on page 10 and 347.
 Encyclopaedia
An encyclopaedia is a book or a set of books giving information about many subjects.
Encyclopaedias are organised alphabetically, according to subject, from A to Z. When you are
looking for information in an encyclopaedia, you have to refer to the Index Book first.
The Index Book is organised like an index in a textbook. It is a lot bigger, since an encyclopaedia
contains information about every known subject.
You will use the Index Book in an encyclopaedia the same way as the Index section in a
textbook. First, you will identify the subject you are looking for: helicopters. Then you go to
the Index Book and look under H for helicopters.
The Index Book will then tell you in which book, on which page and where on the page you will
find the information you require on the subject, in this case helicopters.
From this example of an Index book, you can see what information you can find about
helicopters.

If you want information about military helicopters, you will go to book 2 of the encyclopaedia,
then page 544, section b of the page.
This particular encyclopaedia is called Encyclopaedia Britannica and it consists of 27 books filled
with information, plus the Index book.
Many people are fortunate enough to own encyclopaedias. If you don’t own one, you can go to
your local library and use their encyclopaedias to look for information.
These days you can also find encyclopaedias on DC-ROM and DVD-ROM.
 Internet
You can also search the Internet for information. The Internet is like a very large library. Where
a library is filled with books containing information, the Internet is made up of web sites that
are filled with information.
Searching the Internet is a lot like using an Index book: you go online to a website such as
MWEB or MSN and you will find a Search option somewhere on the first page, that is also called
the Home page of the website.
The Search option will give you space in which to enter a keyword or keywords, just like you
would look in an Index. You then click on a button and the computer searches for webs ites that
contain information about the word you typed in.
Because the Internet is a worldwide resource of information, there is an awful lot of information
to be found out there, so you have to be very specific when you search for information on the
Internet.
If you, for example, enter dogs as your keyword, you will end up with a couple of million hits.
It is impossible for you to visit all those websites, so you have to narrow down your search, for
example by typing in the specific breed of dog you want information on: golden retriever or
whatever breed of dog you want information on. This will give you less hits, hopefully only
about twenty or thirty websites, which is much more manageable.
Some websites you can use:
www.howstuffworks.com
www.answers.com

Magazines And Newspapers

Magazines and newspapers always contain a lot of information. You will find information about
developments in the business world such as labour unrest, technology as well as industry
specific information.
Most newspapers and magazines have sections about: business, sport, new developments,
technology, books, music, art, general news and more.
You will also find industry specific magazines that are about computers and IT, language and
culture, transport industry, training and education, mining, marketing and advertising, the HR
industry, the retail industry, etc.
Then there are magazines dedicated to geography, aviation, wildlife, animals, the Internet,
computer games, sport, fashion, home improvements, gardening – in short for just about any
subject you will find a magazine.

Libraries
Libraries stock most of the magazines and newspapers read in their areas. There are also
encyclopaedias, textbooks on any subject, biographies and autobiographies and, of course
books of fiction available in libraries.
If you are unsure where to find a book about a specific subject, you can ask the librarian to
assist you.
Certain books can be taken out of the library, but the so-called reference books may only be
used inside the library.
Many bigger organisations have in-house libraries. These libraries typically contain books about
the industry in which the organisation operates, as well as operational procedures and training
manuals.

Other People
Friends, family, colleagues at work are all sources of information. Often, if they cannot give
you the information or confirm the information, they can tell you who will be able to give you
the information. Or, they can tell you where to find the information – in the operations manual,
the training manual, the in-house library or which magazines or books contain the information.
Never be afraid to ask someone if you need help to gather information.
 Acknowledgement Of Sources
You will often find information in a book, magazine article or even a web site that someone else
has written. When you use this information, you have to give credit to the person whose written
work you are using, even if you get the information from the Internet.
Sometimes you have to get the approval of the author or publisher of the book before you are
allowed to use the information. If this is the case, you have to contact them and get their
permission before you can use the information.
Mostly, though, it is sufficient to acknowledge the original author and publisher by quoting their
details in your work. This is called a bibliography.

A bibliography is a record of the resources and sources you used during your research. Follow
the following format when quoting the sources of your information:
❖ Author surname and initials
❖ The year it was published
❖ The title of the book
❖ Where it was published
❖ The name of the publisher
When you quote the author directly, you have to add the following to your text where you use
the quote: (Sayles & Chandler, 1971:185)
❖ Sayles & Chandler are the authors
❖ 1971 is the year the book was published
❖ 185 is the page number where the quote appears
Then, of course, you have to add the details of the book to the bibliography.
 LEARNING STRATEGIES
Specific outcome
Use learning strategies.

Assessment criteria
On completion of this section you will be able to ensure that:
❖ Summarise information for learning purposes
❖ Select and apply specific techniques appropriately: group activities such as
brainstorming, group analysis, peer and self-assessment mind maps, note taking,
memorising, key words, underlining, skimming and scanning
❖ Ask relevant questions: Checking understanding, clarifying meaning, getting information,
confirm accuracy of information
❖ Read/ View, interpret and analyse texts for detail for a given context
❖ Listen to spoken input/ view signed input for detail, then interpret and analyse input for
a given context
❖ Ensure that learning takes place through communicating with others in groups or as
individuals: Facilitators, other learners, colleagues
 How You Remember
Association
In the antique world, Aristotle named four kinds of associations that stimulate the memory:
❖ Things that are close to each other, such as the sea and the
beach
❖ Things that happen at the same time, such as teenage years
and pimples
❖ Things that are similar, such as ice skates and roller skates
❖ Things that are different, contrasts such as rural and urban
areas
James D Weinland added a couple of items to this list:
❖ Cause and effect : fire and heat
❖ Part and whole : nose and face
❖ Detail and general: bee and insect
❖ Numbers that lie next to each other: 5 and 6

The Three Stages Of Memory

All the memory stages have two characteristics: how much information can be stored and the
time it can be stored.
❖ The immediate memory: lasts about two seconds and makes it possible for us to
undertake continuous activities such as walking. Volume: thousands.
❖ Short Term Memory: volume 7 things and time stored: thirty seconds to two days.
When you memorise, you transfer knowledge from your short term memory to your long
term memory.
❖ Long Term Memory: Volume unlimited, time stored forever.

The Three Kinds Of Memory

You need to know how you remember things in order to choose the best memorising technique
for you.

Verbal
situated in the left half of the brain. People who remember like this,
see the words L I O N, spelling lion, when someone says “lion”.

Visual
situated mainly in the right half of the brain. This person sees a
picture of a lion, teeth, feet, muscles, etc.
Children usually remember visually until they develop language skills
and then they change to verbal codes.
Kinaesthetic (Muscle Memory)
This is when we remember with our muscles, e.g. when driving a car, playing tennis or tying
shoelaces. Blind people use this sort of memory a lot, as does dancers, athletes, musicians, etc.
How often have you waved your arms in the air to try and describe something? At that moment,
you remembered through your muscles.
Humans tend to remember muscle skills longer and better than visual or verbal skills, just think
of riding a bicycle. Humans cannot really function without a measure of kinaesthetic memory.
It would appear that we actually use all three kinds of memory, which can be an indication that
we use both sides of the brain, but that we use one more than the other. By fitting your
memorising technique to your memory type, you will make the learning process easier for
yourself.
Think about this: is it the thought of the taste of strawberries that recall the word or does the
word remind us of the taste? Smell, taste and touch are all important tools to store information
and recall it at a later stage.

The Three Stages Of Remembering

When you have stored information in your long term memory, you have to be able to find this
information again. It is not good enough just to store information in your long term memory;
you have to be able to recall it again. The steps of learning are mentioned below, very shortly:

Register
You receive the information. You cannot forget something that you never knew to begin with.
Be careful of interruptions when you are busy taking in information

Storing
When you store information, you are creating the ability to recall it. You registered
something and the information successfully completed the trip from your short term to
your long term memory and it has been filed. Now the fun starts.

Recall (Recall, Recognise)

You can find the information later, or recognise it if you come across it. There are two ways
of finding information again – through recall or recognition.
When you recall, the information comes back to your conscious thoughts. You can choose
to recall it, or it can happen spontaneously – a friend’s face or the words of a song.
When you recognise information, you did not try to bring it back, or you were not successful in
bringing it back; but when you encounter it you recognise it. For example, you will recogn ise
the Eiffel Tower when you see it, but without a picture of it in front of you will find it difficult to
draw it.
The biggest part of remembering is recognising and we can also recognise more that we can
recall. This means that when we are studying, we do it in such a way that we can find the
information again when we need it. This is why we use associations and why it is not necessary
to learn your work word for word.
The reason you study for tests and exams is to transfer the information from your short term
memory to your long term memory. As with everything else in life, you need to make the right
choices. You can acquire new strategies and structures or you can carry on as you always have.
Please bear in mind that, if you don’t change direction, you will surely end up where you are
headed! In other words, if your current study method is not helping you get the marks you
can get, and you don’t change it, you will never do as well as you can.
There are many techniques to help you to memorise. We will first focus on strategies to
remember – plans you make in order to better remember things.
❖ Be emotional about what you are studying. We remember the rugby or soccer score
because we get emotional about it!
❖ Be logical and create structures to help you to remember: sequence, categories or
whatever.
❖ Reward yourself: when you have done well, finished your studies on time and you know
the work, reward yourself. Also reward yourself when you have done well in a test.
❖ Use as many senses as you can: see, hear, feel, smell, taste.

Structures To Remember
The brain wants structures in order to store information in the long term memory and to be able
to recall it later.

Sequence
Number the information so that they follow logically; you can number from 1-10, from A to Z,
from birth to death or chronologically. Learn events and happenings in the sequence they
happen, the brain does not like facts that are mixed up.

Exercise 1

Categorise The Information

Group things that is similar together. If you have to remember 25 animals, remember them as
follows: 4 birds, 3 farm animals, 6 reptiles, etc.

Exercise 2

Visualise Similar Things

Connect things that are visually similar, such as everything that is round or red or even
everything that reminds you of Christmas, etc.

Exercise 3
 Associations

Numbers
There are a couple of ways to remember long lists or rows of numbers: One method is
associations.
❖ Think of 1 as a pen,
❖ 2 as a swan
❖ 3 as a double chin
❖ 4 as a sailboat
❖ 5 as a fish hook
❖ 6 as a golf club
❖ 7 as a precipice
❖ 8 as an hourglass
❖ 9 as a pipe
❖ 10 as a bat and ball
These are just examples; you can create your own associations. Of course, this method works
well for a visual memory.
To use the association technique for a verbal memory:
❖ 1 bun
❖ 2 shoe
❖ 3 knee
❖ 4 floor
❖ 5 dive
❖ 6 sticks
❖ 7 heaven
❖ 8 gate
❖ 9 pine
❖ 10 hen
Once again, these are examples; you can create your own associations.

Rhythm And Rhyme

We’re not all poets, but those who are should use this technique to their advantage. A rhyme is
when you take the first letter of every fact and arrange them in a rhyme that i s easier to
remember. When you remember the rhyme during the test, you will also remember the facts.
Rhythm is similar but different. The most well-known example is the spelling of the work
Mississippi: Mr. M Mr. I Mr. S S I Mr. S S I Mr. P P I. If you have the knack of working out a
rhythm, use it to your advantage.

Exercise 4

Abbreviations
Some of us can make abbreviations of the first letter of the facts that have to be memorised.
If you think about well-known abbreviations that we know, like UNISA or CNA and even AIDS,
it is clear that it is a good technique to use. Please ensure that the abbreviations make sense
to you, otherwise you are likely to store the information in the wrong place. Once you have
stored information in the wrong place, chances are that you will not be able to recall the
information when writing the exam.

Exercise 5
Do You Know The Following Study Method?
❖ Overview – quickly scan the chapter to give you a general idea of the contents
❖ Questions – ask yourself general questions about the chapter
❖ Read – now read the chapter with the view to summarising it
❖ Summary – make a brief and to the point summary, preferably using mind maps. Your
summary should not take longer than 5 to 10 minutes for each hour’s worth of studying.
Do not write down whole sentences, use keywords that will help you to remember the
facts.
❖ Memorise – memorise the summary
❖ Revise – test your knowledge through revision

If Your Study Method Does Not Work, Change It!

❖ Move your desk or study in another room
❖ Change the way you are studying.
❖ Change your attitude toward studying
If it’s not working for you, change it!

The Process Of Learning

The learning process works as follows:
❖ Summarise by means of mind maps
❖ Determine how much time you have to memorise and how much work there is per mind
map
❖ Set a time limit per mind map
❖ Memorise
❖ Break
❖ Revise
❖ Memorise new work
When you read through something very quickly, noting only the main points, or to pick out
words in capital letters, bold or underlined, you are skimming. We tend to do this when we are
in a hurry, or when we are not interested enough in the writing to read the whole article. We
skim, looking only for the main points, and do not take notice of the body of the writing.
As an example let’s take a newspaper article about a crime that took place. Very often, I only
read the basic details of the crime: what happened, where and when it happened, were the
criminals caught. I do not read what witnesses and bystanders or even the victims of the crime
had to say about it. I am only interested in certain aspects of the article and I therefore skim
through it.
Skimming allows you to go through a lot of reading material that might not be relevant to your
need for information, in a very short time.

Scanning
Look at quickly in order to find a particular piece of information. This is different from skimming:
when you skim, you look for the main points of the reading material, when you scan you look
for information that is important to you. This information may not be included in the main
points.
For example, this morning I skimmed the newspaper article about the crime, now it’s evening
and I want to know what one specific eye witness said. I’m not going to read the entire article,
instead I scan only for the witness’s name in order to get to the part that I am interested in.

Summaries
A summary is a brief statement of the main points of something.
The purpose of using reading strategies and then rereading a piece of written word is to separate
the main ideas from supporting information and also to identify the author’s purpose.
At the first cracks of gunfire, the villagers of Nyamlell in southern Sudan dropped their hoes and
scattered into the bush. Abuk Marou Keer also heard the guns. But the blind Dinka woman
could only pull her seven-year-old son and twelve-year-old daughter close. Shaking with fear,
they hid in their windowless hut and prayed.
If we take the first paragraph of the article about slavery, we can summarise as follows, using
the who what where when how and why questions:
What happened? Where did it happen? Who fled? Why did Abuk not flee with her children?
During the day, the villagers heard gunfire and fled. A blind Dinka woman could not flee, so
she and her children hid in their hut.
I have now summarised a 54-word paragraph into a 24-word paragraph, quoting only the main
ideas of the paragraph. Everything else is supporting information: the villagers dropping their
hoes indicate that they were working in the fields, so it must be daytime. The blind woman’s
name is supporting information, as well as the ages of her children. The last sentence is also
supporting information.
The purpose of a summary is to take a big piece of text and break it into smaller parts that are
easy to understand and, when you are learning something, memorise it easily, separating main
ideas from supporting information.
In everyday life we break big things into smaller parts all the time: when you have a big piece
of steak in your plate, you don’t put the whole steak into your mouth, you cut it into smaller
pieces so that you can eat it. We also do this with big tasks: doing the weekly washing, we
break it into smaller pieces by sorting clothes into colours and materials and then we wash
them, using more than one load. When we mow the lawn, we start with one piece, once that
is finished we do the next piece, and so on.
It therefore makes sense to do this with reading material as well.
A summary can take many forms:
❖ As per the example above, which is called paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is when you
rewrite something using your own words.
❖ You can summarise in point form
❖ When you summarise a large volume of text, you will make use of headings and sub-
headings. This manual is an example of using headings and sub-headings to break a big
piece of text into smaller pieces.
❖ Another method of summarising is using a mind-map.

Highlighting And Underlining

While you are reading text you are always looking for the main points. You can make notes of
the main points while reading, or you can highlight them. Highlighting can be done by making
a note in the margin of the book, by underlining the relevant passages or you can use a
highlighting pen.
If the book is your property or belongs to your organisation, feel free to highlight important
points. When the book belongs to someone else or a library, please don’t use the highlighting
technique – make photo copies of the pages you require and highlight important points on these.
You can also use various coloured highlighters to distinguish between different main points
or headings and sub headings. How you use the different colours is up to you, as long as there
is method and order in the way you use colour.
You can, for example, highlight all the points relating to one topic in blue, all the points relating
to another topic in yellow and so on. Or you can highlight all the main points, irrespective of
topic, in blue, all the supporting information in yellow.
Feel free to experiment but make sure that you have your system worked out before you start
using your highlighter.

Taking Notes
As mentioned, while you are scanning or skimming or reading a piece of text, always look for
the main points and key words. Key words are words that you have to remember. When you
are summarising, taking notes or drawing a mind map, for the purpose of studying, you do not
have to write down full sentences. Writing down the only the main points and key words will
help you to recall the entire idea when you have to.
Of course, if you summarise this way, you have to understand what you are reading. If you do
not understand, main points and key words will not help you to recall the facts or the main ideas
of the text.

Ask And Answer Questions

Using this technique will help you to recognise when you are confused and it encourages active
learning.
❖ Before reading, think about the subject based on the title, chapter heads and visual
information. Make notes about anything you are curious about.
❖ While reading, pause and write down any questions. Be sure to write
down questions if you are confused.
❖ Look for the answers while reading. Pause and write down the
answers.
❖ Were all your questions answered? Could the answers come from
other sources?
❖ While you are taking notes, make sure that you understand what is
being said.
❖ If there are words you don’t understand, look up their meaning in a
dictionary
❖ Always make sure that your information is accurate. You will do this by checking more
than one source: e.g., not only a website but a textbook as well.

Mind-Map
A mind-map is a summary that looks like a diagram. When you are learning and trying to
memorise facts, a mind-map is your easiest and best method of summarising.
A mind-map is more effective for studying than summarising facts in points, underneath each
other, since the human brain is capable of absorbing facts in all directions, not only from top
to bottom, but also from left to right.
With a mind-map, you follow the same procedures as for any other summary. You take a big
piece of writing, break it into smaller parts by using headings and sub -headings, and then you
summarise in point form or paragraph form.
A mind-map looks different, since it resembles a diagram. The one main point of the summary
is quoted in the middle. This would be a heading in your summary.
The sub-headings are written on lines that flow out of the main point. Any further points would
branch out from the lines that contain sub-headings.
If we were to summarise our example in a mind-map, it would look like this:

Peer
And
Self-Assessment
It is always a good thing to check your notes, summaries, mind maps and understanding of the
work.
You can do a self-assessment by reading through the main text again and comparing your notes
to what you understand from the main text.
Then compare your notes and understanding to the notes and understanding of your colleagues
and fellow students. When you find points that you do not agree on, you then go through the
main text together, ask questions and make notes in order to clarify your understanding.
If you still do not agree, go to the facilitator or another colleague or fellow student. Carry on in
this way until you all agree about what the content of the text is. Use all the strategies you
have learnt to clarify the meaning of text.

Communicating With Others

Studying and the learning process do not have to be an individual activity. In fact, if you do it
alone, without consulting your facilitator, colleagues and fellow students, you are making it hard
on yourself.
There is always a collective knowledge in a group, where the total knowledge in the group is
more than the knowledge of individuals: you might know something about computers that the
other group members do not know, while some other members of the group may have more
knowledge about Labour Law, etc.
Talk to your facilitator, your colleagues and your fellow students if you do not understand a
subject.
In the same way, you must be willing to share the knowledge you have with the group. In the
end, everyone benefits from working in a group.

Brainstorming
This is one technique the group can use to clarify text and make sure that everyone understands
the subject.
It involves the generation of a large number of unconventional ideas whilst eliminating the usual
tendencies to criticise or prematurely reject these unusual ideas.

The Brainstorming Process.

Selection
Select a topic for brainstorming and also select the members of the group.

The Topic
The group is given advance notice of the topic in the form of a brief description of one or two
sentences. The group facilitator discusses with the group a limited amount of background
information relating to the problem.

Warm-Up Session
Members are introduced to the concepts of brainstorming in a relaxed manner. The group
discussion should try to identify the barriers of creative thinking and show how they can be
overcome. The purpose of brainstorming is to generate as many ideas as possible in a short
period of time. It does not matter if the ideas are silly, this is actually the purpose of
brainstorming.
The actual brainstorming process, and the four rules of brainstorming:
❖ Free association: participants must state the first idea that came into their heads, no
matter how silly or absurd it may seem.
❖ Clarification: the person whose idea it was can elaborate on the idea, or someone else
can, as one idea leads to another. No evaluation of the idea is allowed at this time.
❖ Suspension of judgement: nobody is allowed to pass any comment on anyone else’s
ideas. This is not the purpose of brainstorming at all.
❖ Speed: brainstorming should happen as quickly as possible.
Short practice-runs will demonstrate how little time it takes to produce 50 to 100 ideas. At the
end of the warm-up session, the original problem is restarted in as many ways as possible. For
example, the problem of reduced profit could be redefined as how to beat competitors, or how
to improve marketing. All statements are written down by the leader.
It should develop in a light-hearted, easy-going atmosphere. Brainstorming is a fun thing to do
and it should be so for everyone.
The facilitator reads out the statements and calls for ideas. As they flow, they are numbered
and written up on a large flipchart with a large felt-tip pen.
Each sheet is torn off when full and displayed elsewhere in the room. Freedom of expression
should be encouraged. The ideas may number from 150 to 600, or more.
There should be pre-set timescale for this session.
Now the solutions can be considered for practicality and so on.

Listening For Detail

When you are attending a class, a seminar or a workshop, you can bring a lot of knowledge with
you when you leave by:
❖ Taking notes of main points and key words while the
presenter is talking
❖ Summarising what he said
❖ Drawing a mind-map of what he said.
If you are unsure about anything, ask questions of the
presenter. They will usually leave time for a question and
answer session. Do not leave without making sure that you
understand what was said.
Then check your understanding with that of your
classmates and colleagues.

Exercise 6
 MANAGE OCCUPATIONAL LEARNING
MATERIALS
Specific outcome
Manage Occupational Learning Materials

Assessment criteria
On completion of this section you will be able to ensure that:
❖ Ensure that occupational learning materials are well organised: Videos, internet, texts,
handouts, textbooks, charts, maps, plans, diagrams
❖ Understand and discuss the layout and presentation of learning materials and use them
effectively: Index, contents page, or glossaries, electronic texts
❖ Use technical language/ terminology and seek clarification if needed
 Occupational Learning Materials
There are many types of learning materials available:
❖ Training videos and DVD’s
❖ Textbooks
❖ Charts
❖ Maps
❖ Plans
❖ Diagrams
❖ Handouts
❖ Internet

A Filing System
This material has to be stored in a safe place and a record of everything must be kept, so a
filing system for the learning materials is necessary. A good filing system has certain essential
features:
Simplicity Appropriate classification
Accessibility Selection of suitable equipment
Safety in terms of minimizing loss Safety in terms of avoiding damage by fire,
water, dust
Safety in terms of maintaining confidentiality Compactness – using space efficiently
Elasticity – it must be able to expand if Speed of retrieval
required
Trained staff Economical in terms of time, cost of
equipment and accessories
Sufficient cross-referencing An “out” guide or “tracer” system should be
incorporated
Thinning out should be performed on a Daily filing
regular basis
 Methods Of Classification
Alphabetical Order
❖ Items are grouped alphabetically. The file for Mahotsi would be placed before that for
Ndengwe, because m comes before n. Baker would be placed before
Barker, as bak comes before bark
❖ Should more than one client have the same name, their files would
be arranged in order of initials: Mahotsi, C would be placed before
Mahotsi T
❖ Short before long: if all the other letters in a name are the same,
you arrange the shorter name in front of the longer: Cole will be placed
before Coleman.
❖ Prefixes before surnames, such as de der le van von O, etc are
considered part of the name: du Plessis will be placed alphabetically with D and not P, so
will van der Merwe be placed with V.
❖ Should more than one client have the same name and initials, a number could be added
after the initials: Mahotsi T1 would be followed by Mahotsi T2
❖ Impersonal names, such as company names are placed in the order they are written:
Gilbert Enterprises will be filed with G and Tiger Brands with T.
❖ Official or descriptive names: the most important word is the first filing unit: The Hotel
Shelly will be filed as Hotel (The) Shelly and City of Durban will be filed as Durban City
(of).

Numerical Order
❖ A number is allocated to each item, regardless of surname and
initials. This is how banks file our records.
❖ Files are then arranged numerically
❖ As it is not possible to remember each client’s number, a separate
card index is kept to record clients’ personal details and file
numbers
❖ New clients receive the very next number after the last allocated
number. The new file is placed last in the drawer.

Alpha-Numeric Filing
❖ This consists of a combination of alphabetical
and numerical filing systems
❖ Files are placed alphabetically, but not strictly
so
❖ Each file is labelled with the client’s name and
a number, e.g. J Maxwell could be M5. The next
file could be B Mason, with the number M6
❖ You will find this form of numbering used for example for spare parts of cars or motorbikes
❖ A separate index system is used to record files and this will be arranged alphabetically.
Then there must be a form of control over the “lending” of the material by individuals, so that
the material can be traced if someone else needs it.

Selecting A Classification System

Occupational learning materials will usually be sorted according to subject, with cross -
references to the authors, publishers and date of publishing.
If you have access to a computer, draw up a database of learning materials, so that items can
be searched for according to subject, author, publisher, etc.

Lending Of Learning Materials

❖ Ensure that the “out” cards are completed and signed for before handing over the files.
 ❖ It will also be your responsibility to ensure that the item is returned. Follow u p on
outstanding items on a weekly or daily basis, depending on the procedure in your
organization.
❖ When the item is returned, remember to sign it in again.
OUT CARD
NAME OR DATE TAKEN BY DATE
SUBJECT RETURNED
AND INITIALS
Smith James 15/05/05 NDP 31/05/05 NDP
Tiger Brands 15/05/05 BJP 26/05/05BJP
ABC Trading Co 26/05/05 ISN

Exercise 7

Technical language
The terminology used in a field or understood by a trade, profession or group of people e.g. in
metal -working, the term "pig" means a mould for casting metal. It differs from jargon in being
more generally understood and used, for example, by many people rather than a few and it
does not have the negative connotations that the word "jargon" carries.
For example, the locksmithing trade has specific terms and language, such as:
❖ Mortise locks
❖ Cracking a safe
❖ Key duplicating
❖ Coded keys
❖ Unsafe acts
❖ Unsafe conditions, etc.
The IT industry also has specific terms and language:
❖ Hard drives: storage devices
❖ Motherboard
❖ Expansion slots
CONDUCT RESEARCH AND PRESENT FINDINGS
Specific outcome
Conduct basic research and analyse and present findings.

Assessment criteria
On completion of this section you will be able to ensure that:
❖ Identify and define the appropriate or relevant topic and scope
❖ Plan and sequence research steps appropriately.
❖ Apply research techniques: Gathering information, reading, interviewing, using
appropriate electronic sources
❖ Evaluate information for relevance
❖ Classify, categorise and sort information
❖ Analyse and present research findings in the appropriate format
 Sources Of Information
Before you start writing your document, you have to plan what you are going to write. First,
you are going to define the topic and then you have to gather information about the topic.
Information can be gathered from: In the case of business correspondence,
you will find information in:
Libraries Minutes of meetings.
Encyclopaedias Correspondence with clients and suppliers.
Manuals Operations and procedures manuals
Magazines Internal correspondence between
departments, branches and regions.
Newspapers Correspondence between management and
their departments.
Interviews with experts
Internet
When doing research about a topic it is important that you gather as much information about a
subject as possible. The more information you have, the better. Of course, the information
and data must be relevant to the topic that you are going to write about.

Organise The Material

Once you have gathered information, the material you have collected has to be organised.

Sorting And Categorizing

Arrange or organise the information with common features or characteristics systematically in
groups.
All the information with similar content is grouped together. Your classification will depend on
the order in which you are going to write the document: you can sort the information
chronologically, using contrast or cause and effect.
You can use cause and effect, and contrast to help you arrange your paragraphs in a logical
way.
❖ Contrast is when you contrast one theme, thought, opinion or product with another.
Refer back to the introduction of the article about the gorillas: you can contrast the
concern of conservationists who were worried about the gorillas, with the views of
humanists who were more concerned about the people being killed.
❖ Cause and effect: referring back to the same text, you can progress from the causes
of the war to the consequences (effect) of the civil war on ordinary people.
If you are writing about something that happens over a period of time, you can arrange your
paragraphs chronologically: start with the earliest date and end with the latest date. When
writing about droughts in South Africa you can start with the big drought in the 1930s and end
with the current drought.

Sifting For Relevance

Once you have classified the information and data, you have to sift through it for relevance.
You should keep only the information that is relevant to your topic, everything else can be
discarded. In other words, if you are writing about plants that flower in summer, all information
about plants that flower in autumn is not relevant, you cannot use it to enhance your writing
and you should discard it.

Validity And Reliability

Now you have to check your information for validity and reliability. The obvious way of doing
this is to check your facts with more than one source:
 ❖ check more than one manual,
❖ talk to more than one person,
❖ visit more than one website,
to ensure that your facts are correct.
Preferably, you should use more than one manual, more than one website and the knowledge
of more than one expert for each aspect that has to be checked. If most or all you sources
state the same basic fact, you can be reasonably sure that the fact is correct.

Recording
Once you have sifted and verified your information, record it in the categories you have selected.
This recording is in draft form, usually in the form of rough notes.
Any arguments used in your document must be supported by sound reasons and facts. You
have to justify your feeling about the matter with facts in order to persuade the reader to your
point of view. Something your neighbour said about the matter is not fact – you have to verify
the statement your neighbour made.
Now you are ready to draft your first copy of the final document.

Write Effectively
Reasons Why Authors Write Texts
❖ To persuade readers to his/her point of view: When an author is writing to persuade,
he wants you to accept his opinion about issues, policies and
situations.
❖ To inform readers: in SA Computer you will find a
lot of articles that inform readers about new developments
in Information Technology. In other magazines you will find
fashion articles, articles about healthy eating and fitness,
etc. These articles were all written to inform readers.
❖ To entertain readers: the short stories found in
magazines were written to entertain. Fables, fairy tales,
fictional novels, cartoons, short, funny pieces in magazines
were all written to entertain.

Plan Your Text Before Writing

❖ Who will you be writing for: your friends and family, the general public, a business
document, a newspaper or magazine article, etc.
❖ In which register will you be writing the text: formal or informal
❖ Which writing style will you use: narrative, discursive, expository, etc.
❖ Will you write in the first person or the third person?
❖ Determine the research you will do
❖ Organise your writing: make sure ideas and facts flow logically

Make Your Writing Interesting:

❖ Use punctuation correctly
❖ Use titles, subtitles, headings, contents and index
❖ Use an introduction and a conclusion
❖ Use visual images and captions with these images
❖ Vary the length of your sentences
❖ Structure your paragraphs correctly
❖ If any action is required, make suggestions about the
actions
❖ Put ideas forward
❖ Use appendices or addenda if required
 Diction
❖ Choose words that are familiar and easy to understand
❖ Make sure that you are using the correct words
❖ Do not use technical language, legalisms, etc. when writing for the general public. When
it is a business document, use of technical terms and jargon will be acceptable
❖ Do not use slang or write in dialect unless you are writing to entertain

Always
Be ethical: readers must be able to trust your writing
Quote facts and substantiate your facts with evidence so that the readers can believe you
Be sensitive to the reader’s point of view, culture, etc.
 FUNCTION IN A TEAM
Specific outcome
Function in a team.

Assessment criteria
On completion of this section you will be able to ensure that:
❖ Ensure that active participation takes place in group-learning situations: Meetings,
site/field visits, excursions, discussions, activities, workshops
❖ Ensure that responsibilities in the team are taken up and group work conventions are
applied in learning situations: Supervision, mentoring, rotation of roles: conduc ting,
chairing, recording, reporting.
❖ Practice conflict management and negotiating techniques
❖ Ensure that team work results in meaningful product or outcomes: Reaching consensus,
completed projects/assignments
 Purpose Of A Team
Teams are responsible for attaining the goals of different departments and, of course,
ultimately, the goals of the organisation.

In other words, teams are started in order to work together to achieve

the specific goals of the team, which are linked to the goals of the
department, in order to achieve the goals of the organisation in the
end.

The workplace environment has become very competitive in the twenty first century: South
African companies have to compete with international organisations and they therefore have to
think up new ways of improving productivity. South African companies also have to train and
develop their human resources and reward employees for their achievements.
This is an area where teams are very effective.

Team Members
The Lesson Of The Geese
Every year, just before winter, the geese in the northern hemisphere fly south for the winter.
They always fly in a V-formation and scientists have discovered the reason why they fly this
way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying
in a V-formation, the flock adds at least 71% more flying range than if each bird flew on its
own.
When we apply this to teamwork, we can say that people who share a commo n
direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier
because they are travelling on the thrust of one another.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to
fly alone and it quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the li fting power of the
bird immediately in front.
There is strength, power and safety in numbers when travelling in the same
direction as others with whom we share a common goal.
When the goose in the lead gets tired, it rotates back in the formation and anoth er goose flies
in front.
It is worthwhile taking turns doing the hard jobs.
The geese from behind honk to encourage those in the front to keep their speed.
We all need to be encouraged with active support and praise.
When a goose gets sick or is wounded and falls out, two geese fall out of the formation and
follow it down to help and protect. They stay with the goose until the problem is resolved and
then they fly out on their own or with another formation to catch up with their group.
We must stand by each other and help each other in times of need.
(SOURCE: LUSSIER, RN. 1997, MANAGEMENT : CONCEPTS, APPLICATIONS, SKILL DEVELOPME N T .
CINCINNATI, OH: SOUTH WESTERN, PP418-419)
To summarise, when you are working in a team each team member has to comm it to the
following in order to ensure the team functions effectively:
❖ Commit to work together in a team, commit to the goals and purposes of a team, find
your place in the team so that you can also feel you belong.
❖ Ensure that all team members are travelling in the same direction – working towards the
same goals and purposes.
❖ Take turns doing the hard jobs; it will benefit the team in the long run and therefore also
benefit individual team members.
❖ Encourage, support and praise each other.
❖ Stand by each other and help each other in times of need.

Work Toward a Mutual Goal

The team should have a clearly defined purpose. The purpose should be stated in goals and
these goals should be defined clearly, the goals should be measurable and the team should be
able to attain the goals. These goals should be aligned with the vision and mission of the team,
which, in turn is aligned with the vision of the department and finally the organisation as a
whole.
The goals should be important to each individual team member as well as this will lead to
combined efforts to achieve the goal.
Examples of goals:
❖ A production team might have a goal to achieve normal production against a tight
deadline.
❖ Heavy duty vehicle drivers may have a goal regarding accidents or fuel usage and
maintenance cost saving to a specific amount.
❖ The soccer team may have the goal of winning the 2010 Soccer World Cup, and are
working towards this goal.
❖ The church may have a goal to collect a specified amount by a certain date in order to
enlarge the church.

Accept Responsibility
Team members have to take responsibility for their own jobs as well as the achievement of the
goal or purpose of the team. Members support each other so that the objectives and goals can
be met by entire team.
There should also be a culture of respect for each other and this is the responsibility of the
entire team.

Motivating the team

When people are valued and rewarded for their knowledge and skill, they become self -
motivating. Motivation also comes from sharing responsibility. Team members should always
motivate each other through communication, acceptance and support of the team.
When a team successfully achieves it goals, every member in the team is highly motivated.

Team Vision
Every team should have a clear vision and meaningful purpose to which all members work. This
vision should provide direction and guidance under all conditions.
The team vision should support the vision and strategic objectives of the organisation, so the
team cannot draw up a vision in isolation.
Once the team has established a clear sense of its own purpose and reason for existence, it can
begin to focus on the goals it has to achieve.

Roles and responsibilities of team members

When you are working in a team each team member has to commit to the following in order to
ensure the team functions effectively:
 ❖ Commit to work together in a team, commit to the goals and purposes of a team, find
your place in the team so that you can also feel you belong.
❖ Ensure that all team members are travelling in the same direction – working towards the
same goals and purposes.
❖ Take turns doing the hard jobs; it will benefit the team in the long run and therefore also
benefit individual team members.
❖ Encourage, support and praise each other.
❖ Stand by each other and help each other in times of need.
❖ Team members have to take responsibility for their own jobs as well as the achievement
of the goal or purpose of the team. Members support each other so that the objectives
and goals can be met by the entire team.
❖ There should also be a culture of respect for each other and this is the responsibility of
the entire team.
If team members commit to the above it means that they will actively participate in
❖ Meetings
❖ Site visits
❖ Excursions
❖ Discussions
❖ Activities
❖ Workshops
Participating in group activities means that you also take part in discussions by saying your say,
agreeing or disagreeing with someone. It also means that at times you keep quiet and listen
to what someone else is saying, without interrupting that person. You can have your say when
that person has finished talking.
In effective teams, the roles of the team members are also rotated. Of course, specialist roles
are not included, but the following roles should be rotated among the team members:
❖ Chairman of meetings: each member should get an opportunity to preside as chairman
of a meeting
❖ Secretary: each team member should take a turn in arranging the agenda, taking the
minutes and circulating the minutes of a meeting
❖ Mentor: each team member should be a mentor for one other team member. A mentor
is a trusted advisor who helps to develop the professional and personal skills of another
team member.
❖ Coach: the job of coaching other team members or newcomers to the team should be
shared equally amongst team members
❖ Team leader: this is not always possible, but if it can be done, each team member should
be the team leader of the team for a period of, say, two weeks or a month
❖ Reporting: each team member should get an opportunity to report to management about
the progress of the team

The Role Of The Team Leader

What can you, as team leader (when your turn comes), do in order to promote the effectiveness
of the team?
❖ Be tolerant towards the team members, and promote and demonstrate this attitude of
tolerance
❖ Acknowledge you own faults and shortcomings. If team members have an insight into
the mistakes of the team leader, they will be more inclined to confide their own mistakes
to their leader.
❖ Create a learning culture and not a knowing culture. The result of any exercise or task
should be a learning result
❖ Give credit and show appreciation for all contributions.
 ❖ Stop taking decisions on behalf of team members. Involve the team in the decision
making process.
❖ Accept decisions made by team members.
❖ Encourage differences of opinion.
❖ Be consistent. Do not say one thing and do something
else.
❖ Trust your team members and encourage them to trust
each other. It is important to note that when team
members agree that trust is important, they
invariably win. Teams that try to ignore the issue of trust
rarely work. Trust is like customer relations. It takes a long
time to achieve but it can be destroyed in a few
seconds. Trust cannot be imposed and it only comes
through experience some say.
❖ Definition of Trust: “Trust is the belief that words will be translated into action
and that others will take your interest into account”
❖ Support your team members and encourage them to support each other. Support and
trust go together for without the one the other cannot exist. Both can best be achieved
where individual members do not feel they have to protect their territory or function, and
feel able to talk straight to other team members. With trust people can talk freely about
their fears and problems and receive from others the help which they need to be more
effective.
❖ Do not avoid conflict, address the problem. Conflict and avoidance in the name of support
is like building relationships on sand. People working together must sense that their
shortcomings or mistakes will be accepted along with their strengths and weaknesses, if
a healthy supportive climate is to exist.

Conflict
Conflict can be good or bad, productive or destructive.

Constructive Conflict
Positive conflict deals in facts. It helps individuals or the team to improve by talking problems
through until a sound understanding is reached. This kind of conflict encourages both
OPENNESS and trust.
To promote constructive use of conflict, team members should be encouraged to express their
views and concerns.

Negative Conflict
Negative conflict relies on rumour and opinion. It wounds and
divides team members and it breeds mistrust and hostility.
When you have a problem, don’t just moan and groan about it
in corridors, voice your problems at the appropriate time,
usually in meetings. This way the problem might actually be
solved. If you, as a team member, to choose to complain to
the wrong people, the problem will not be solved.
To be an effective team, the atmosphere surrounding the team
needs to be characterised by an open dialogue in which there
is a certain amount of conflict, confrontation and differing points
of view to encourage new ideas and patterns of behaviour so
that the organisation will not lose its ability to adjust to external
competition.
 Deal With Conflict Situations
Most of us would agree that we do not enjoy being involved in conflict situations, and sometimes
it’s even more challenging when you are called to moderate a conflict situation between a
candidate and an assessor.

Conflict Management Styles

According to Thomas Killman there are five basic approaches to managing conflict:
❖ Competing
❖ Accommodating
❖ Avoiding
❖ Collaborating
❖ Compromising

Competing
Competing is assertive and uncooperative - an individual pursues his own concerns at the other
person’s expense. This is a power-orientated mode in which one uses whatever power seems
appropriate to one’s own position - one’s ability to argue, one’s rank, economic sanctions.
Competing might mean “standing up for your rights”, defending a position which you believe is
correct, or simply trying to win.

Accommodating
Accommodating is unassertive and co-operative - the opposite of competing. When
accommodating, an individual neglects his own concerns to satisfy the concerns of the other
person; there is an element of self-sacrifice in this mode. Accommodating might take the form
of selfless generosity or charity, obeying another person’s order when one would prefer not to,
or yielding to another’s point of view.

Avoiding
Avoiding is unassertive and uncooperative - the individual does not immediately pursue his own
concerns or those of the other person. He does not address the conflict. Avoiding might take
the form of diplomatically sidestepping an issue, postponing an issue until a better time, or
simply withdrawing from a threatening situation.

Collaborating
Collaborating is both assertive and co-operative - the opposite of avoiding. Collaborating
involves an attempt to work with the other person to find some solutions which fully satisfy the
concerns of both persons. It means digging into an issue to identify the underlying concerns of
the two individuals and to find an alternative which meets both sets of concerns.
Collaborating between two persons might take the form of exploring a disagreement to learn
from each other’s insights, concluding to resolve some condition which would otherwise have
them competing for resources, or confronting and trying to find a creative solution to an
interpersonal problem.

Compromising
Compromising is in the middle of both assertiveness and co-operation. The objective is to find
some expedient, mutually acceptable solution which partially satisfies both parties. It falls on
a middle ground between competing and accommodating. Likewise, it addresses an issue more
directly than avoiding, but doesn’t explore it in as much depth as collaborating. Compromising
might mean splitting the difference, exchanging concessions, or seeking a quick middle-ground
position.
Usually, after getting back the results of any test, people first want to know: “What are the right
answers?” In the case of conflict-handling behaviour, there are no universal right answers. All
five modes are useful in some situations: each represents a set of useful social skills.
 ❖ Our conventional wisdom recognises, for example, that often: two heads are better than
one” (Collaborating).
❖ But it also says, “Kill your enemies with kindness” (Accommodating),
❖ “Split the difference” (Compromising),
❖ “Leave well enough alone” (Avoiding),
❖ “Might makes right” (Competing).
The effectiveness of a given conflict-handling mode depends upon the requirements of the
specific conflict situation and the skill with which the mode is used.
Each of us is capable of using all five conflict-handling modes and none of us can be
characterised as having a single, rigid style of dealing with conflict. However, any given
individual uses some modes better than others and, therefore, tends to rely on those modes
more heavily than others, whether because of temperament or practice.
The conflict behaviours which an individual uses are, therefore, a result of both his/her personal
pre-dispositions and the requirements of the situations in which he finds himself. The Thomas-
Killmann Conflict Mode Instrument is designed to assess this mix of conflict -handling modes.

Which style is appropriate for a specific situation?

To help you judge how appropriate your utilisation of the five modes is for your situation, we
have listed a number of uses for each mode - based upon lists generated by company presidents.
Your score, high or low, indicates its usefulness in your situation. It is, however, possible that
your social skills may lead you to rely on some conflict behaviour more or less than necessary.
To help you determine this, we have also listed some diagnostic questions concerning warning
signals for the overuse or underuse of each mode.
Competing
Uses:
1. When quick decisive action is vital - e.g. emergencies.
2. On important issues where unpopular courses of action need implementing - e.g. cost
cutting, enforcing unpopular rules, discipline.
3. On issues vital to company welfare when you know you’re right.
4. To protect yourself against people who take advantage of non-competitive behaviour.
Collaborating
Uses:
1. To find an integrative solution when both sets of concerns are too important to be
compromised.
2. When your objective is to learn - e.g. testing your own assumptions, understanding the
views of others.
3. To merge insights from people with different perspectives on a problem.
4. To gain commitment by incorporating other’s concerns into a consensual decision.
5. To work through hard feelings which have been interfering with an interpersonal
relationship.
Compromising
Uses:
1. When goals are moderately important, but not worth the effort or potential disruption of
more assertive modes.
2. When two opponents with equal power are strongly committed to mutually exclusive
goals - are in labour-management bargaining.
3. To achieve temporary settlements to complex issues.
4. To arrive at expedient solutions under time pressure.
5. As a backup mode when collaboration or competition fails to be successful.
Avoiding
Uses:
1. When an issue is trivial, of only passing importance, or when other more important issues
are pressing.
2. When you perceive no chance of satisfying your concerns - e.g. when you have low power
or you are frustrated by something which would be very difficult to change (national
policies, someone’s personality structure, etc.)
3. When the potential damage of confronting a conflict outweighs the b enefits of its
resolution.
4. To let people cool down - to reduce tensions to a productive level and to regain
perspective and composure.
5. When gathering more information outweighs the advantages of an immediate decision.
6. When others can resolve the conflict more effectively.
7. When the issue seems symptomatic of another more basis issue.
Accommodating
Uses:
1. When you realise that you are wrong - to allow a better position to be heard, to learn
from others and to show that you are reasonable.
2. When the issue is much more important to the other person than to yourself - to satisfy
the needs of others and, as a goodwill gesture, help maintain a co-operative relationship.
3. To build up social credits for later issues which are important to you.
4. When continued competition would only damage your cause - when you are outmatched
and losing.
5. When preserving harmony and avoiding disruption are especially important.
6. To assist in the managerial development of subordinates by allowing them to experiment
and to learn from their own mistakes.
 Outcomes Of Conflict

The outcome of conflict will largely depend on the way people

communicate in the process of dealing with the conflict.

Outcomes are what you create

Conflict may produce three distinct outcomes, depending on the approaches taken by the people
involved.

The first situation is termed ‘lose-lose’ (L- L)

Lose Lose

A conflict deteriorates to the point that both parties are worse off than they were before. An
extreme example is the case of an executive who dismisses the only person who knows the
secret formula for the organisation’s most successful product.

The second outcome is ‘lose-win’ (L – W)

Lose Win

One person (individual A) is defeated while the other one (individual B) is victorious. This is the
outcome programmed in our minds when involved in conflict. It is often conceptualised by
managers who use power as a tool for managing conflict.
The third outcome is ‘win-win’

Win Win

Both parties perceive that they are in a better position than they were before the conflict began
and the relationship is strengthened. This is the ideal outcome to try to achieve.
When we approach situations with a win-win philosophy we tend to focus on

❖
❖ Compromise as disagreement is more costly
❖ Involving all parties concerned and searching for mutual solutions
❖ Preserving the relationship
❖ Attempting to understand the other’s needs and objectives
❖ The creation of a free flow of information
❖ Emphasise common ground
❖ Expressing outcomes in the positive. Moving towards something you want,
rather than away from something you don’t want. (‘Satisfied clients’ rather than
‘Don’t disappoint the client’)

The common consequences of unresolved conflicts:

 ❖ The conflict often escalates in people’s minds
❖ The unresolved conflict resurfaces each time a new conflict occurs
❖ Strained relationships and mistrust develop
❖ Prejudiced attitudes restrict the exchange of views and information
❖ Co-operation suffers and opportunities are missed
❖ Problems are not resolved and productivity suffers
❖ The conflict expands to other people and cliques are formed
❖ Performance declines and parties try to prevent one another from achieving their goals
❖ In business situations the customer suffers and finds another supplier

Steps in conflict resolution

The following steps should be taken to facilitate collaboration:
1. Ask person A to state his/her side of the conflict and get person B to paraphrase in
his/her own words
2. Confirm that person A is satisfied that person B understands his/her side of the conflict
3. Ask person B to state his/her side of the conflict and get person A to paraphrase in
his/her own words
4. Confirm that person B is satisfied that person A understands his/her side of the conflict
5. Focus on common goals
6. Decide on a strategy
7. Develop an implementation plan

Negotiation
Broadly speaking, negotiation is an interaction of influences. Such interactions, for example,
include the process of resolving disputes, agreeing upon courses of action.
To negotiate means to trust in others for a solution that is easier to reach and works out
better for everyone.
Negotiation should be
❖ a voluntary process
❖ which involves joint decision-making.
Negotiation takes place where two or more people with different views or interests
❖ meet to find a common solution to a problem or a dispute
❖ and decide what to do and how to go about it.
In this way an agreeable common ground or solution can be found. Importantly negotiation
only takes place between people who have different ideas or views which they want to
implement in a fair manner.

Characteristics of the Successful Negotiator

❖ Naturally seeks the win / win solution which means separating the customer from the
problem
❖ Seek only the facts, then logic can determine the next steps
❖ Aim for a No Blame attitude
❖ Develop as many options as possible
❖ Recognize the emotional states of yourself and your customer, seek a compromise that
is acceptable to all parties

Preparation
The first step in the bargaining process is to prepare. Follow these steps:

Gathering Information
You have to be clear about ideas and views held by others and you must also identify the
position of others before beginning to negotiate. You also have to clarify where a common
ground can exist).
Find out what they think and where they stand so that you
can find a point where you all agree. Always make sure
that you are well prepared so that you are not caught off
guard.
Define goals
• What do you want to achieve?
• Which issues are not negotiable?

Which issues are negotiable

Clarify the issues
In most conflict situations realistic negotiators are
interested only in the most relevant circumstances. A broad
understanding of the background is important, particularly a
knowledge of any previous attempts at negotiation..
However, getting bogged down in arguments about history
is usually a waste of time. Your main need is to understand
the mood and the aspirations of the individuals that you will
be talking with so that the common interests and common
hopes can be put in the foreground.
As a negotiator one of your prime responsibilities will be to
present your group's perception of the conflict. Discussion
may occur at formal meetings round a negotiating table or in
a street-corner cafe, but whatever the surroundings, your
objective is always the same.
You want to put your case across in such a way that your opponents cannot fail to understand
more clearly than before the needs and aspirations of your group. Their reactions cannot be
predicted but it is your task to give them the clearest possible picture to st art with.
Compromise/resolution
You have to determine what is vital for the success of the organisation and keep these points in
mind when going into negotiation. However you should also remain realistic and think about
both the ideal agreement or conclusion and the worst possible settlement which might have to
be accepted.
At this stage you should also consider the disadvantages of each party to each bargaining
position.
If we use a wage increase example, what happens to the business and the
employees if an agreement is not reached and the employees go on strike:
❖ The business has a shortage of skilled workers and has to
employ workers who are not trained in the company’s procedures.
The business will lose money while the matter is sent for
mediation or arbitration. This is not ideal, if an agreement can be
reached with just little effort.
❖ The employees will not be paid for the entire period they are on strike.
Can they really afford to do that for a mere 1% or 2% extra on their wages?
To calculate the impact on the employees, let us take a salary of R5000 per month. The offer
on the table has gone up from 6% to 8%. The union, on behalf of employees, is demanding
10%. A 10% increase on R5000 would be R500 per month, or about R22,73 per day. If the
union accepts the offer of 8%, the increase would be R400 per month, or about R18,18 per day.
If the employees go on strike for a period of two weeks, they will lose R5400 per month, or
R245,45 per day, of which R18,18 per day would be the value of their increase, in order to gain
R4,55 per day – the difference between a 10% increase and an 8% increase.
If the strike lasts for fourteen days, the worker will have lost R3436,30. How long must he now
work to make up this loss if he gets an increase of 10%? He lost R3436,30 in order to gain
R4,55 per day, so R3436,3 divided by R4,55 means that he must now work for 755 days to
make up the loss. This is a period of more than two years.
So, the question remains, was it worth it? Should the workers not have settled for the 8%
increase?
There would also be a cost to the business as production will be lower, there is negative publicity
which impacts on the name of the business and there is a loss of faith between management
and employees. In the end, taking a hard-line view means that everyone loses.
Always consider the disadvantages of not reaching a compromise as disadvantages impact
negatively on both parties.

Building Understanding
Once the negotiation process has started, you have to build understanding between yourself
and the other party. You can do the following to ensure that
you build understanding:
❖ Communicate main points effectively by paraphrasing,
summarising, etc
❖ Listening to the other party
❖ Ask questions
❖ When the discussion is becoming heated, consider
adjourning the discussion for a body break, tea break, etc.
❖ Testing arguments and positions: you have to test the other
side’s arguments and bargaining positions. Remember that
negotiation is a process of giving and taking until a mutual
agreement is reached.
When preparing your proposal, keep these guidelines in mind:
❖ Know what you want to say and what you do not want to say
❖ Use words that tell what is on your mind in such a way that the listener will get the same
picture
❖ Provide actual examples to make your point
❖ Separate what you think (assumptions and opinions) from what you know (facts)
❖ Encourage feedback. Check for understanding
❖ Keep the talk centred on the main problem, not side issues
❖ Try to make the other person feel good, and important
 Bargaining
Negotiation is about listening and exchanging views – it is not about winning! When
negotiation is taking place it is important that neither party takes over the discussions and puts
their own views forward without the consent of others.
The bargaining process usually includes:
❖ Getting and making concessions. Here you will refer back
to your bargaining objectives. From these you will know which
concessions you can make and which objectives are really not
negotiable.
❖ Breaking deadlock: at times during the negotiation process
it could look like agreement cannot be reached. There are
strategies for trying to break this deadlock.
❖ Moving towards agreements: once the concessions have
been made and given and deadlocks have been broken, the
parties will start moving towards agreements on the issues at
hand.

Closing
When closing negotiations, do the following:
❖ If an agreement has been reached, summarise the agreement points and get
commitment from both parties to uphold the agreements. Ideally, these
agreements should be put on paper and signed by both parties.
❖ If an agreement has been reached but the negotiators have to go back to
their organisation or members to confirm, set a follow up date to finalise the
proceedings.
❖ If an agreement has not been reached, both parties have to agree on the next
step: set a new meeting to discuss issues that have not
been resolved, maybe using a facilitator, mediation or
arbitration
❖ Walking out of the negotiation procedure is also a way of
ending negotiations, but this is a very negative step.
❖ Strikes and legal proceedings should really be a last resort,
once all the other options have been tried and no
agreement was reached.
❖

Exercise 8
 WORKPLACE CHARACTERISTICS
Specific outcome
Reflect on how characteristics of the workplace and occupational context affect learning

Assessment criteria
On completion of this section you will be able to ensure that:
❖ Describe and discuss features of the occupational environment: Workplace/occupational
focus: Services, manufacturing, financial, educational. Organisation type: Government,
parastatal, heavy/light industry, large organisation, small business
❖ Describe and discuss ways in which these features affect learning processes and/or
application of learning: Technological resources, communication resources,
communication strategies and multilingual needs in relation to necessary client or
colleague interaction
The characteristics of a workplace vary according to the industry in which the organisation is:
You will find that the workplace of a services organisation, a manufacturing organisation, a
financial organisation and an educational organisation will differ in terms of the following
resources:
❖ Technological resources : such as computers, machinery and equipment
❖ Communication strategies and resources : how the employees and different
departments communicate with each other, as well as how the organisation
communicates with the world outside the organisation
❖ Multilingual needs regarding the interaction between clients and employees as well as
between employees in the organisation: how languages differ in the organisation as well
as between the organisation and the rest of the world.
The workplace of different types of organisation will also differ:
❖ Government: the workplace of government organisations differ vastly from those in
private enterprise.
❖ Parastatal: a semi-government organisation such as Telkom
❖ Heavy industry: mining, car manufacturers and so on
❖ Light industry: providers of packaging materials,
❖ Large organisation: such as De Beers, Putco bus company, etc
❖ Small business: such as a hairdresser, taxi service and so on.

Exercise 9
 FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS WORKBOOK

Unit Standard 119457

Exercise 1
❖ In a group, find other words that you don’t know the meaning of and then try to determine
the meaning by looking at the whole sentence.
❖ In a group, make a list of at least five words that your native language has borrowed
from other South African languages.
❖ In a group, make a list of at least five known acronyms. Also write down what they mean.

Exercise 2
❖ What happened to the villagers of Nyamlell?
❖ Who did that to them?
❖ Where were they forced to go?
❖ Where did the invaders come from?
❖ Why did the invaders take the villagers with them?
❖ How did the invaders overpower the villagers?
❖ When did it happen – during the day or the night?
❖ How do you know this?
❖ What were the invaders wearing?
❖ Which weapons did they use?
❖ Why couldn’t Abuk run away with her children?
❖ How many invaders were there?
❖ What did the invaders take with them when they left the village?

What happened to the villagers of Nyamlell?

Who did that to them?

Where were they forced to go?

Where did the invaders come from?

Why did the invaders take the villagers with them?

How did the invaders overpower the villagers?

When did it happen – during the day or the night?

How do you know this?

What were the invaders wearing?

Which weapons did they use?

Why couldn’t Abuk run away with her children?

How many invaders were there?

What did the invaders take with them when they left the village?

Exercise 3
❖ Refer back to the section where you answered the who, what, where, why and how
questions and write a summary of the article in your own words.
❖ Remember to use headings, sub-headings and paragraphs.
❖ Compare your summary with the rest of the class.
❖ Write the summary in points form.
❖ Summarise the article as a mind map. Compare your mind-map with that of the rest of
the class.
❖ Now, paraphrase the following paragraph in your own words. You are welcome to use
slang, or to write exactly as you speak.

Exercise 4
❖ Read the cartoon and then, in a group, discuss how the author uses a cartoon to
demonstrate the corruption of traffic officers.
❖ As an experiment, look at something that is low down on the ground – a flower, a dog or
a cat or anything else – from above. You can stand on a chair or something high if you
want to, then stand upright and look down on the subject. Lastly, lie down on your
stomach and look at the object from its height. Can you see how different the views are?
In photography, it is called perspective.
❖ Write down in your own words what the object looked like from above and how different
it was when you were lying on your stomach.
❖ Find two photos or pictures: one that has a high viewpoint and one that is on the same
level as the subject. Compare what they look like. Glue and stick the pictures on a blank
piece of paper for inclusion in your portfolio of evidence.
❖ In a group, discuss how the photos differ.
 Exercise 5
What do you think of when you look at the following pictures? Write down your observations.
Also write down why you think so.
Picture 1 Picture 2

Picture 3 Picture 4

Picture 5

Exercise 6
Look at the advertisements on the following pages and answer the following questions about
them:
❖ What is being advertised?
❖ What was the first thing you noticed?
❖ How did they make use of font types and sizes to make key points stand out?
❖ Is the layout of the page done in a way that is interesting and gets your attention?
❖ Was it easy to understand the message?
Then look at the cover page of a novel that tells you at a glance what the story is about. The
novel is called “THEY’RE ALL MY CHILDREN”. Answer the following questions:
❖ Who wrote the book?
❖ What do you think the book is about? A mother writing about her children, a grandmother
writing about her children and grandchildren, a teacher writing about the schoolchildren
she taught or someone saving war orphans?
❖ Why do you think so?
❖ There are two clues in this cover page that helps you identify what the story is about.
What are they?
❖ What do you think of the page layout?
The next piece of writing is called: “Notes from all over”.
Note how titles, subtitles and visual aids are used to highlight main points and helps you to
decide whether to read the article or simply skim until you get to something that interests you.
❖ Which part of the written piece would you read first?
❖ Why?
Which technique is used to indicate main points in the article: “Tips for Beating the Clock”?
On the next page is the first page of a magazine article about slavery.
Answer the following questions about this page:
❖ Who wrote the article?
❖ Which techniques are used to catch your attention and encourage your to read further?
❖ To which continent did slavery return, according to the author?
❖ Why do you think so?
❖ Who is being taken prisoner?
 Exercise 7
❖ In a group, find the equivalent in your mother tongue (home language) of at least three
of the previously mentioned expressions.
❖ In a group, quote at least three other expressions from your mother tongue. State them
in English and also explain what they mean.
❖ In a group, give three examples of generalisations.
❖ In a group, give three examples of stereotyping.
❖ In a group, give at least three examples of figurative expressions.
❖ In a group, think of more examples of repetition.
❖ In a group, add some captions to the following picture:

❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖

What was your most painful experience as a result of bias? You must also state whether the
bias was due to cultural differences, religious beliefs, racist or sexist beliefs, due to
discrimination or due to peer pressure.
Give one example of each of the following biases:
❖ Cultural
❖ Religious
❖ Peer pressure
❖ Racial discrimination
❖ Discrimination due to your sex
❖ Discrimination due to age
❖ In the article about slavery, the slave traders discriminate against the Dinka tribe. At
least two forms of discrimination are mentioned. Identify them.
Following is a quote from a book called My Family and Other Animals, by Gerald Durrell. The
book contains short stories about his family’s move from England to Greece, in the time before
the Second World War. They took their dog, called Roger, with them. Gerald had two older
brothers, Larry and Leslie.
This is an example of humour. Did you find the piece funny? Motivate your answer.
“That dog’s been a nuisance all the way from England,” said Larry. “I had hoped to give an
impression of gracious majesty, and this is what happens … we arrive in town like a troupe of
medieval tumblers.”
“Don’t keep on, dear,” Mother said soothingly, straightening her hat: “we’ll soon be at the hotel.”
So our cab clopped and jingled its way into the town, while we sat on the horsehair seats and
tried to muster the appearance of gracious majesty Larry required. Roger, wrapped in Leslie’s
powerful grasp, lolled his head over the side of the vehicle and rolled his eyes as though at his
last gasp. Then we rattled past an alley-way in which four scruffy mongrels were lying in the
sun. Roger stiffened, glared at them and let forth a torrent of deep barks. The mongrels were
immediately galvanized into activity, and they sped after the cab, yapping vociferously. Our
pose was irretrievable shattered, for it took two people to restrain the raving Roger, while the
rest of us leaned out of the cab and made wild gestures with magazines and books at the
pursuing horde. This only had the effect of exciting them still further, and at each alley-way we
passed their numbers increased, until by the time we were rolling down the main thoroughfare
of the town there were some twenty-four dogs swirling about our wheels, almost hysterical with
anger.
 Exercise 8
❖ Still working with the article on slavery, what do you think is the author’s purpose in
writing this article? Motivate your answer by quoting from the article.
❖ Identify at least two examples of explicitly stated facts in the article about slavery.
❖ Identify at least three examples of implicitly stated points in the article about slavery.
 Unit Standard 119465
Exercise 1
The facilitator will hand out copies of an article called Good Neighbours? From the Clicks
ClubCard magazine of October 2005.
Do the following:
1. Identify the style of writing.
2. Identify the structures and features of text that was used.
3. Do the visual aids add to your understanding of the article?
4. How are sentence lengths varied to capture and hold your attention? Use any paragraph
as an example.
5. Do the author’s paragraphs flow logically?
6. How does the author link paragraphs? Use the first and second paragraphs as an
example.
7. Do the paragraphs vary in length? Motivate your answer.
8. Where do you think the author collected information and data from?

Exercise 2
Refer back to the article called Good Neighbours? From the Clicks ClubCard magazine of October
2005. Paraphrase this article. Ensure that you use language structures and features as well as
text structures and features. Vary the sentence length, vary the length of the paragraphs, pay
attention to your first and last paragraph and make sure that your paragraphs follow each other
logically.

Final formative assessment

Handout 4
The facilitator will hand out a copy of an article from SA Computer magazine of September 2005
about a Panasonic DV Camera.

U/S 119457 Outcome 1: Use a range of reading and viewing strategies to

understand the literal meaning of specific texts.
• Unfamiliar words are identified.
• Different options for the meaning of words are tested and selected
meanings are correct in relation to the context.
• The purpose of visual and/or graphical representations in texts are
recognised and explained.
2. List at least three examples of jargon contained in the article. (3)

3. Use at least two word-attack strategies to identify these words. Add your (6)
notes to the assessment.
4. There are four examples of acronyms in the article. List two. (2)

5. What do the acronyms stand for? (2)

6. Discuss the photos included in the article with specific reference to the
following: (2)
• Do the photos enhance the article? Motivate your answer.
• Do the photos contribute towards persuading you to read the article? (2)
Motivate your answer.
• Why were photos of the product included in the article? Give at least one
reason.
(1)

U/S 119457 Outcome 2: Use strategies for extracting implicit messages in texts.
• Source of text is identified and discussed in terms of reliability and
possible bias.
• Author’s attitude, beliefs and intentions are explored in order to determine
the point of view expressed either directly of indirectly.
• Author’s techniques are explored and explained in terms of purpose and
audience.
• Promotion of or support for a particular line of thought is identified and
explained with reference to selection or omission of materials.
U/S 119457 Outcome 4: Explore and explain how language structures and
features may influence a reader.
• The choice of words, language usage, symbols, pictures and tone is
described in terms of how a point of view is shaped or supported.
7. What are the purposes of the article? List at least one. (1)

8. Do you think the author of the article is reliable? Motivate your answer. (2)

9. Do you think the author is biased? Motivate your answer. (2)

10. Does the author try to persuade you to buy the camera? (1)

11. Would you buy the camera after reading this article? Why? (2)

12. How many short sentences are there in the article? (1)

13. How many longer sentences? (1)

14. Did the variation in sentence length make the article easier to read? (1)

15. Which text features are used to capture your attention? List at least three. (3)

16. Is this article written in the formal or informal register? (1)

U/S 119465 Specific Outcome 1: Write for a specified audience and purpose.
Specific Outcome 2: Use language structures and features to produce coherent
and cohesive texts for a wide range of contexts
• Meaning is clearly expressed through the use of a range of sentence
lengths, types and complexities.
• The use of paragraph conventions, including links between paragraphs in
texts, promotes coherence and cohesion in writing.
• The overall structure of a piece of writing and the conclusion is clearly
formulated.
Specific Outcome 3: Draft own writing and edit to improve clarity and
correctness.
• Writing produced is appropriate to audience, purpose and context.
Corrections are an improvement on the original.
• Control of grammar, diction, sentence and paragraph structure is checked
and adapted for consistency.
• Logical sequencing of ideas and overall unity is achieved through
redrafting.
• There is clear evidence that major grammatical and linguistic errors are
edited out in redrafts.
• Inappropriate or potentially offensive language is identified and adapted
or removed.
• Experimentation with different layout and options for presentation are
appropriate to the nature and purpose of the task.
17. Which style is the article written in: narrative, discursive, reflective, (1)
argumentative, reflective or expository?
.
18. Summarise the article. Use a mind map to plan your summary. (1)
.
19. Vary the lengths of your sentences. (1)
.
20. Vary the types of sentence. (1)

21. Include an introductory paragraph. (1)

22. Remember the conclusion. (1)

23. Formulate your conclusion clearly. (1)

24. Ensure that your paragraphs follow each other logically. (1)
.
25. Did you redraft your rough copy? Attach evidence. (1)

26. Is your use of grammar correct? (1)

27. Did you use the correct register? (1)

28. Did you take out inappropriate or offensive language? (1)

29. Did you experiment with the layout of your summary? (1)
TOTAL (28)
 Unit Standard 119472
Exercise 1
1. Choose a sport, music or movie star; or a politician that you would like to interview.
Draw up a list of questions that you would like to ask this person. You have to list at
least ten questions. Give the person’s name and indicate whether it will be a formal or
informal interview and also where and when the interview will take place.
2. What are the duties of a chairman during a formal meeting?
3. What are the duties of a secretary during a formal meeting?

Exercise 2
1. Name and describe three barriers to effective communication
2. Give an example of how cultural differences can cause a barrier to communication

Exercise 3
1. Give at least two examples of nonverbal clues that will tell you when someone in the
audience is not paying attention
2. Give at least two examples of clues that will tell you when someone in the audience is
paying attention
3. Give two examples of ensuring continuity and interaction throughout your presentation
4. List two strategies that you can employ to capture the attention of the audience

Exercise 4
1. Write down at least one instance where you were in trouble and did not tell the whole
story. Tell us what happened, which details you gave and which details you left out.
Also explain what would have happened if you had given all the details
2. Find a newspaper or magazine article where you think certain facts have been left out.
Cut the article out or make a photo copy and paste it in on paper to include in your POE.
Explain why you think certain facts were left out.
 Final Formative Assessment

Specific Outcome 1: Interact successfully with audience during oral

communication.
Assessment Criterion: Interviews successfully to establish a relationship appropriate to
the context, and provide a non-threatening opportunity for participants to share
information: Range: Formal and informal; plans, background research; ordering of
questions; flexibility in the situation when sequence or focus is disrupted; organisation of
data elicited; and conclusions drawn
1. Watch an interview on TV. This can be any interview that you would like to
watch. Give the background of the interview: who was being interviewed,
who was doing the interview, when and where did the interview take place, 6
was it a formal or an informal interview

2. Did the interviewer (the person giving the interview) establish an appropriate
relationship with the interviewee (the person being interviewed)? Why do
you think so? 2

3. Did the interviewer do background research? Why do you think so? 2

4. Were the questions asked in a logical order? Give an example of two

questions that followed each other logically. 3

5. Did the interviewer draw the correct conclusions? Why do you think so? 3

6. List two questions asked by the interviewer and the answers given by the
interviewee 4

Specific Outcome 1: Interact successfully with audience during oral

communication
Assessment Criterion: Contributions to group work are appropriate to the task and
nature of the group, and promote effective communication and teamwork. Range:
Contributions include: Identifying purposes, agendas, procedures and schedules;
monitoring developments and retaining focus; drawing conclusions; preparing and
delivering feedback and ensuring group ownership of conclusions.
Assessment Criterion Participation in formal meetings is appropriate to the purpose
and context of the meeting. Participation is consistent with meeting procedures and
contributes to the achievement of meeting objectives.
Assessment Criterion Responses to the ways others express themselves are sensitive
to differing socio-cultural contexts.
Specific Outcome 2: Use strategies that capture and retain the interest of an audience.
Assessment Criterion: Visual aids are appropriate to topic and context, and enhance
the presentation and the transfer of information and understanding. Range : Cue cards;
visual aids; handouts; multi-media.
7. As a group you have decided to do something special on Youth Day. The
group will be holding a meeting to discuss options. In a group, identify the
purpose of the meeting. Is a meeting the best option to discuss the matter? 3
Why do you think so?
8. One person in the group must draw up an agenda which must include
everyone else’s suggestions for the activities on Youth Day. Attach a copy
of the agenda and note the name of the person who drew up the agenda. 2

9. Nominate a chairman for the meeting. Note the name of the chairman 1

10. Nominate a secretary for the meeting. Note the name of the secretary 1

11. Prepare a short presentation to support your favourite suggestion. The

presentation must include at least one visual aid and should not take longer
than 2 to 3 minutes. One point will be given for each of the following: proof 4
of background research, logical ordering of ideas, facts quoted (only one
point for all the facts), the visual aid.
12. Conduct the meeting. Everyone at the meeting should take minutes. Attach
the minutes to the assessment. 1

13. Comment on how the chairman monitored the meeting:

• Was discipline maintained? (1) Why do you think so? (1)
• Did all members get a fair chance to speak? (1) Why do you think so? (1) 6
• Were motions put to the vote and were the results pronounced? (1) Why
do you think so? (1)
14. Was everyone in the meeting sensitive to socio-cultural issues? (1) Why do
2
you think so? (1)
Specific Outcome 3: Identify and respond to manipulative use of language
Assessment Criteria
• Facts and opinion are identified and distinguished.
• Omission of necessary information is noted and addressed.
• The implications of how the choice of language structures and features, specifically
tone, style and point of view affect audience’s interpretations of spoken texts are
explained.
• Distortion of a contributor’s position on a given issue is explored with specific
reference to what has been selected and omitted.
15. Refer to the meeting that was conducted and your personal choice of
activities for Youth Day and analyse your choice: identify facts that were
given. List two 2

16. Identify opinions. List two 2

17. How did the tone of the presentation affect your interpretation? (1) 1
18. How did the style of the presentation affect your interpretation? (1) 1
19. How did the point of view of the presenter affect your interpretation? (1) 1
20. What information was omitted? Give at least one example. (1) 1
21. How did the facts, opinions and omissions distort the presenter’s point of
view? Give one example. 2

Total 50
 Unit Standard 119467
Exercise 1
Write down some examples of sequences.

Exercise 2
Write down some examples of categorisation.

Exercise 3
Write down some examples of visualisation.

Exercise 4
Write down some examples of rhythm and rhyme.

Exercise 5
Write down some examples of abbreviations.

Exercise 6
Have a brainstorming session about ways to improve the behaviour of bus and taxi drivers.
After the brainstorming, have a short discussion about the suggestions. Make not es about the
ideas that are considered the best.

Exercise 7
In a group, develop a lending sheet for the video list below

Corporate Training Video Database

Programme Name Videos
Integrated Management Development Programme Unorganised Manager (1-4)
I'd like a word with you
How am I doing?
Dealing with conflict
Finance for Non Financial Managers Income Statement
Balance Sheet
Cash Flow
Budgeting
Control of working capital
The Balance Sheet Barrier
Coaching for improved performance
 Negotiating for results Body Language

Creative Problem Solving (Supervisory)

Strategic Planning (Managerial)

Project Management Australian Success Video

Report Writing
Project Management (complete)
From No to Yes

Exercise 8
❖ What can you do as team leader to improve the performance of your team? Note at least
five things.
❖ What is the purpose of your work team?
❖ How does your supervisor usually handle conflict?
❖ In groups, negotiate a venue for a year end function

Exercise 9
This is a group activity
Select one organisation from the services industry that is also a small business, such
as a hair dresser. Discuss the following:
❖ Communication channels in the organisation
❖ Communication resources such as telephone, fax, computers
❖ Technological resources used by the organisation, such as computers.
❖ What multilingual needs exist in the organisation
Select one educational organisation that is also a large organisation. In a group,
discuss the following:
❖ Communication channels in the organisation
❖ Communication resources such as telephone, fax, computers
❖ Technological resources used by the organisation, such as computers.
❖ What multilingual needs exist in the organisation
Discuss your own organisation:
❖ Communication channels in the organisation
❖ Communication resources such as telephone, fax, computers
❖ Technological resources used by the organisation, such as computers.
❖ What multilingual needs exist in the organisation
❖ List the similarities and differences between the organisations and how the differences
impact on the occupational learning of the employees.