Table of Contents
Communication Skills Class 12 Note
Communication Skills Class 12 Notes: Unit 1
Class XII | NCERT Employability Skills | Chapter Notes with Visual Explanations
These illustrated notes follow the three sessions in your NCERT textbook: Active Listening, Parts of Speech and Writing Sentences. They include diagrams, examples, revision tables and examination questions.
Introduction to Communication
Communication is a two-way process through which information or messages are exchanged between individuals using language, symbols, signs or behaviour.
The four essential language skills are:
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Elements of Communication
Sender
Message
Channel
Receiver
Feedback
The sender encodes and sends a message through a channel; the receiver decodes it and provides feedback.
Why is feedback important? It helps the sender know whether the receiver has understood the message.
Session 1: Active Listening
1.1 Characteristics of Effective Communication
The textbook emphasises three essential qualities of a good message.
| Quality | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | Conveys the exact intended message | “I will arrive at 11 AM.” |
| Concise | Brief and to the point | “Your request is approved.” |
| Accurate | Contains correct, verifiable information | “50% of the work is complete.” |
Lack of effective communication can result in confusion, frustration, wasted effort and missed opportunities.
1.2 Meaning of Listening
Listening is the process of paying attention to spoken information to understand its meaning.
Why Do We Listen?
To obtain information.
To understand.
To enjoy.
To learn.
To build and maintain relationships.
To resolve conflicts.
1.3 Meaning of Active Listening
Active listening involves paying full attention to the speaker, understanding the message and responding appropriately with support and empathy.
Factors Affecting Active Listening
Eye contact: Shows attention and interest in the speaker.
Gestures: Appropriate body movements show that you are listening.
Avoiding distractions: Reduce interruptions from mobile phones, noise and other activities.
Giving feedback: Respond politely and constructively.
1.4 Five Stages of Active Listening
01
Receiving
Listening attentively to the speaker
02
Understanding
Comprehending the information
03
Remembering
Retaining and recalling information
04
Evaluating
Judging the value and importance of information
05
Responding
Providing an appropriate response
1.5 RESPECT: The Active Listening Technique
The textbook uses the acronym RESPECT to remember good listening practices.
| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| R | Remove distractions |
| E | Eye contact |
| S | Show that you are listening |
| P | Pay attention |
| E | Empathise with the speaker |
| C | Clarify doubts |
| T | Tune yourself to the speaker’s timing; wait before responding |
Example
When a friend is explaining a problem, put away your phone, maintain appropriate eye contact, listen without interrupting, ask questions and respond respectfully.
1.6 Barriers to Active Listening
| Barrier | Effect | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Being preoccupied | Reduces attention | Put aside distracting thoughts and devices |
| Noise and visual distractions | Makes understanding difficult | Choose a quieter environment |
| Past experiences or mindset | Creates bias | Remain objective |
| Personal feelings | Interferes with listening | Let the speaker finish before responding |
Exam Tip
Remember the five stages in order: Receiving → Understanding → Remembering → Evaluating → Responding.
Session 2: Parts of Speech
2.1 Meaning of Parts of Speech
Parts of speech are categories of words classified according to their functions in a sentence.
They are the building blocks of language.
Sentence and Phrase
A sentence is a group of words that communicates a complete thought.
Example: Raju goes to school.
A phrase is a group of words that does not necessarily express a complete thought.
Example: Near the school.
2.2 Capitalisation Rules – MINTS
The textbook introduces MINTS to remember the rules of capitalisation.
M
Months
I
I
N
Names
T
Titles
S
Start
| Letter | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| M | Capitalise months | January, August |
| I | Always capitalise the word I | I am a student. |
| N | Capitalise names, places and days | Rahul, Jaipur, Monday |
| T | Capitalise titles before names | Dr Sharma |
| S | Capitalise the first letter of a sentence | She is reading. |
2.3 Punctuation Marks
Punctuation marks help communicate meaning and organise written language.
| Mark | Symbol | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full stop | . | Ends a statement | She is a teacher. |
| Comma | , | Separates items or marks a pause | I bought pens, books and pencils. |
| Question mark | ? | Ends a question | Where are you going? |
| Exclamation mark | ! | Expresses strong feelings | What a surprise! |
| Apostrophe | ‘ | Indicates possession or contraction | Riya’s book |
| Colon | : | Introduces a list or explanation | Bring these: pen, paper and ruler. |
| Semicolon | ; | Separates closely related clauses | I studied; she revised. |
| Quotation marks | ” “ | Enclose direct speech | He said, “Hello.” |
The textbook also lists the dash, hyphen, parentheses, brackets, braces, ellipsis and bullet point.
2.4 Main Parts of Speech
A. Noun
A noun is the name of a person, place, animal, thing or idea.
Examples: Teacher, Delhi, dog, book, honesty.
Riya reads a book.
Here, Riya and book are nouns.
B. Pronoun
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.
Examples: I, we, you, he, she, it, they.
Riya is a student. She studies regularly.
Here, She replaces Riya.
C. Adjective
An adjective describes or gives more information about a noun or pronoun.
Examples: Beautiful, tall, honest, five.
She bought a beautiful dress.
Here, beautiful is an adjective.
D. Verb
A verb expresses an action or state of being.
Examples: Run, write, speak, is, are.
The children are playing.
Here, are playing is the verb phrase.
E. Adverb
An adverb modifies a verb, adjective or another adverb.
Examples: Quickly, slowly, carefully, very.
The athlete runs quickly.
Here, quickly describes how the athlete runs.
2.5 Supporting Parts of Speech
| Part of Speech | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Articles | Words used before nouns | A, an, the |
| Conjunctions | Join words, phrases or clauses | And, but, or |
| Prepositions | Show relationships such as position or time | In, on, at, under |
| Interjections | Express sudden or strong emotions | Wow!, Oh!, Ouch! |
Example: Identifying Parts of Speech
The smart student answered the question quickly.
| Word | Part of Speech |
|---|---|
| The | Article |
| Smart | Adjective |
| Student | Noun |
| Answered | Verb |
| The | Article |
| Question | Noun |
| Quickly | Adverb |
Source: NCERT Employability Skills – Class XII
Complete Syllabus(Click here)