Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

Descriptive / Narrative Essay:

Details of TV program:Date

: 28 June 2003

Time

: 7.30 8.00 p.m

Program

: The Brand

Channel

: TV3

Overview
In this week, the main topics discussed are the triumph of Muncheys Biscuit, the
market share of Drypers and the implementation of Twinkle 2 Co.
The triumph of Muncheys Biscuit is focused on the target market specifically on
kids product. They planned to implement high scale campaign to fulfill the social
obligation. They also intended to diversify their product and increase the demand by
using suitable promotion.
Drypers also has the intention to increase the market share of baby product. They
assigned many advertisement agencies to promote their product. They also used various
strategies in advertisement with good quality materials. Recently, they got the top ranking
of the market after 3 months being advertised on TV.
Finally, Twinkle 2 Co. showed how they implement their plans in KLCC and
KLIA. They formed a centre for kids toys and kids care products. Their main attractions
were mascots, food court, temporary kid care nursery and playground. They were also
launched Shop N Drop concept for clients and capable to load about 100 kids at any one
time

English For Oral Communication

zamzana0308@oum.edu.my

Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

Principles of Effective Listening

During watching and listening to The Brand, I follow a few principles of
listening effectively. First of all, I have to spare my time to watch and listen the program
showed. In my perspective, spare time need to be taken in consideration because it can
be used to think about what the speaker is saying. Here also, I can anticipate the
presenters next point and then think about or review the points the presenter has
mentioned earlier. By the way, the spare time can be used to improve on our
understanding and retention of what the presenter has said and is saying. Without spare
time, paying attention seems difficult because the human brain is not able to process
information faster than we speak and consequently, we are more preoccupied while
listening and thus our minds tend to wander.
Second, after I spared my time watching the program, I had to pay attention to the
presenter. I fully concentrated on what she said (Deanna Yusoff) and try to catch up what
the ideas or points being told. This method drove me to focus, hear and watch her verbal
communication because sometimes she talked too fast. In order to be consistent on
listening

her presentation, I had to sense her non-verbal message such as body

movements, gestures and body appearances. By this way, Im not at least far from the
main ideas.
Third, listening for main ideas or points helped me to know the whole objectives.
I tried to listen carefully and searching the main ideas or points given. I seek for the
emphasized ideas or points and watched the visual aids used to clarify the important
matters. Sometimes, the presenter used to display the main ideas or points to audiences
using pictures, video and other graphic materials. This will help us to understand more

English For Oral Communication

zamzana0308@oum.edu.my

Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

about the topic discussed. By obtaining these main ideas or points given, if will lead to
the understanding to what has will be discuss and how to encounter problems when
facing a conflict or dilemma.
Fourth, as a listener, I must be patient to what she was going to say. If not, I will
be bored and distracted even though the presenter is beautiful and charming. After that,
be attentive in which to keep in mind on the subject and the presenter because in the end
we are able to give feedback and to be active in listening. To make listening more
interesting, I remained silent and enjoyed listening by reflecting the presenters feelings
as it was mine too. So, this will make me understand more.

Easy or Difficult in Listening Task?

Sometimes, we say that listening task is easy but others felt it is difficult. Which is
true? The question depends on how the subjects was delivered, the arguments or points
offered and the usage of language and intonation. Depending on these factors will lead to
the answer and of course the speaker / presenter should have sufficient knowledge in
communication so that he/she will be able to communicate fluently and using both verbal
and non-verbal communication.
In my opinion by referring to the listening of the program, it is easy to listen and
understand even though there were some words unknown but the ideas or point were
there. She (presenter) used good intonation with appropriate rhythm and her language
was fluent pronouncing each word on top of her lips. She used visual aids to assist in
presenting her ideas. She also brought audience to discover the topic through the video

English For Oral Communication

zamzana0308@oum.edu.my

Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

camera to see the fact and evidence. This is why the program attracts so many people to
watch it.
Her verbal communication was clear and audible. She spoke words clearly and
correctly but in certain slots, she used both dialects of American and British English. The
sentences used are in grammatical and semantically correct but the rest, she used mixed
or street languages like I wanna be.. etc in order to make the delivery of meaning
became more interesting and fun.
The presenter had made the program more lively not dull. It was because she
showed real interest in the topic presented, actively presented and showed dynamism
towards the subject. In other words, she was very enthusiastic which led the topic to be
an entertainment but yet informative. So, in my view if the presenter is lively and
cheerful, the audience could also display the same characteristic and their interest could
be maintained until the end.

Non-Verbal Function
In presenting the ideas or points, she (presenter) not only used verbal
communication. In fact, she performed perfectly in using the elements of the nonverbal
elements such as physical appearance and body movements, body posture, gesture and
facial expression. She dressed nicely and appropriately while presenting. She will make
head movements whenever to emphasize ideas or to make it more understanding. She
used body language to support her verbal language. While presenting sitting, she sat in
an upright position, using helpful gestures such as arm, hand and fingers moved to

English For Oral Communication

zamzana0308@oum.edu.my

Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

encourage the meanings. She used facial expression to denote certain meanings to
audience.

Suggestion for Effective Listening

I would like to suggest several principles for effective listening for such situation
above. There are to be prepared before watching and listening for example, taking time to
listen which is not to rush to finish the listening. Free our mind in order to keep the mind
on the subject and the speaker and avoid pretending to listen because this will cause
distraction.
During listening, avoid concentrating on important details first because it will not
help us to understand the subject delivered. We should listen for main ideas or points first
by motivating ourselves to find it. Finally, try to pay attention on what the presenter says
by listening actively through applying ample time suggested beforehand.
These are the principles I suggest and use to practice in listening effectively but
there are more. The rest can be found in libraries and others sources of reading.

Conclusion
It can be concluded that to listen and watch program such as The Brand, we
need to create the spare and ample, time because it is a talk show, which uses most of its
time talking and sometimes can make us bored. We also have to plan on how to listen and
watch so that we can easily get the ideas or points delivered. Finally, the most important
thing is to understand the language used by speaker and we also must have knowledge in
required language in order to do that.

English For Oral Communication

zamzana0308@oum.edu.my

Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN OUR DAILY LIVES

Introduction
Nowadays, communication takes place in every part of our lives and plays are
very important role in our daily lives. Communication can be defined as the process of
creating meaning between two or more people. Communication can be in verbally or
nonverbally. Verbal message via mouth and pronunciation of voice. While, nonverbal
message uses the element of physical appearance and body movements.

Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

Verbal message is discrete and consists of individual elements. It begins when
sound comes from a person's mouth and ends when that sound stops. Verbal symbols or
words are received in sequence, one at time. It is singlechanneled and can be controlled.
The most important aspect in verbal communication is language fluency which helps to
deliver message and information. Verbal communication helps in conveying meanings of
words and perception, abstract language, making inference and dichotomies and using
euphemisms and equivocal language.
Meanwhile, nonverbal message is a continuous process and begins whenever
two people are together and at least one person is aware of the other. It is seen, heard, felt,
smelled, tasted and it occurs simultaneously with verbal communication. Nonverbal
communication is multichanneled and often cannot be consciously controlled. The
question is how nonverbal helps or hinder communication instead of using verbally. We
can answer by using the nonverbal elements such as physical appearance and body
movements, body posture, gesture, facial expression, nervousness and anxiety.

English For Oral Communication

zamzana0308@oum.edu.my

Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

Elements of Non-Verbal Communication

Physical appearance helps in giving the initial impression that could be positive or
negative. If it is going to be formal speech, then formal attire is expected. Smartness and
neatness are some of the features that assist in conveying meaning. Body posture should
be upright position, standing with body holding the back, head and shoulder erect.
Gestures such as arms, hands and finger movement are encouraged and we will find that
gestures really do help in reinforcing the essence of the content. Facial expression can
denote certain meanings to the listeners too. For instance, blinking the eyes or rounding
lips can clarify more the meanings of the substance. Anxiety and nervousness could lead
to a frowning face and sometimes a blank expression could also be seen. Try not to lose
smile and tone down the facial expression in order to avoid anxiety. Finally, establishing
eye contact can improve rapport with members of the audience. It will also improve our
voice projection because it forces us to raise our heads.

The Importance of Interaction

In the process of creating meaning to people, sometimes things and objectives
can go wrong but the good is that communication skills can be learned. So, to make the
aim and objectives of the communication is achieved, communicators are responsible for
the success of the interaction. Interaction with others is important as to deliver the main
ideas and information. This can be done either via verbal or nonverbal communication.
There are several reasons why we need to interact with others.
We interact to build relationship. This is an important part of the interpersonal
communication process to create relationships. Using this skill, we may build friendship,

English For Oral Communication

zamzana0308@oum.edu.my

Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

get to know the person and meeting people. Even though, relationship often change,
building relationships are a natural part of our lives.
We

also interact with each other because to manage conflict. Through

communicating, we learn to face conflict and manage it. Conflict is a part of living,
which we need to face and deal positively. Avoiding it will not give us the experience and
skills in order to solve it.
Communication can influence others. It can influence the attitudes and the
behaviors of other people. Influencing the people need skill and practice. A person who
can

influence

other people through communication will gain more experience in

decision-making and solving matters.

Sharing communication is a part of interaction. We may share information
through observation, reading, surfing the Internet and mostly through interpersonal
communication. But, what we need here is information regardless of any source and
method used.
We also interact to fulfill social obligation. Here, the obligation refers to human
being as a part of our lives, who needs each other. We do this to meet the obligation. We
feel that we need to acknowledge the person and letting know that we recognize him/her.
In some culture, that is a sign of respect. Recognizing a person serves to show your ties
or relationships with the person.
Finally, we interact to fulfill our psychological needs. We need to interact with
others because we need them in our lives. We need to mix with them as much as we need
air, water, foods and other human needs. Faith decides that human need each other or else
they cannot survive in the world of challenging and adventures.

English For Oral Communication

zamzana0308@oum.edu.my

Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

Problems in Situation
Obviously, interaction is very important as it is the nature in communication and
useful to create meaning between two people. However, there are some arguments, which
led to the problem when describing the communication in a group and intercultural
situation in order to create and perceive the meaning. In intercultural situation, the
question is do we have acceptance in our communication to others, which takes place
between people from different culture. This is because in some cultures, for example, one
is expected to look a person in the eye when talking. Where as in other cultures, looking
straight into the eyes of your communication partner is considered rude. In a group
situation, the problem occurs when person in a group interact verbally and non-verbally
trying to influence one another regardless the perception and action of others. This will
lead to a decrease in our virtue of human dignity. These kind of situation need to be
highly conducted and solved, If not it will cause misunderstanding or miscommunication
to people. In other words, misunderstanding or miscommunication occurs when the role
of communication, perception and interaction are ignored and denied.
Effective Oral Communication
In process of delivering the objectives and aims, sometimes what we say was
wrongly presented but we felt that the presentation is well done. This is a matter for us to
review what was going on and how to overcome it. In this case we can refer to an
effective oral communication in which might help us to guide to a better presentation. It
is advisable that the presenter adhere to some principles that can guide him/her to
produce a successful delivery.

English For Oral Communication

zamzana0308@oum.edu.my

Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

Being credible is to be believable because trustworthiness is exhibited. The

presenter should prepare a content that displays truth-value. The verbal presentation
should be clear and audible whereby clarity is geared towards two aspects that are the
written mode and the verbal mode. One needs to be precise and exact, which lead him to
accuraly. There must be strong agreement between the message conveyed and the subject
matter to which the message refers to. The aims, occasion and audience, appearance and
attire and gestures must be in the context that encompasses the suitability, which is called
appropriation. Finally, the presenter must show real interest in heir topic so that they can
be lively, active and dynamic and this will lead to enthusiasm.
Perception in Communication
In communication, interaction is an important thing in which hold the same role
as perception. In other words, if no interaction build, there will be no perception at all.
Perception is the process of gathering sensory information and giving meaning to it. The
process of gathering information based on our sensory organs including eyes, ears, nose,
skins and taste bud. Brain selects from this information, organizes it and interprets and
values it. What is being produced results is perception. Perception determines how the
relationship between individuals is defined. The determinants exist because of
interference of affecting. Emotional state, assumed similarity, selective perception,
perceptual defense, halo effect and stereotyping are the factors affecting our perception to
others.
Emotional state occurs when someone is affected by happenings or events, which
is negative, the tendency to perceive the people around can also be negative. Therefore,

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Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

before perceiving others around, we should ask ourselves how our feeling may have
affected that perception.
Assumed similarity occurs when someone judge others as being similar to us. If
our perception to others positively, we may probably perceive others positively the same.
When this happens, our observation will match our personalities rather than the actual
personalities of the people.
Selective perception make us likely to think positively of people whom we would
like to be with and the result we will see, could be more towards a person 's positive side.
Through perceptual defense, we tend to dismiss information that is personally
threaten or culturally unacceptable. Meanwhile, halo effect forms perception to others
based on observing and letting it influence our perception without checking to see
whether they are correct or not.
Stereotyping can be formed with little amount information. It a judgment made
about a whole group of people without considering the individual differences within the
group. Our judgment about other people depends on the accuracy and breadth of our
perceptions.
These factors will lead to perception and communication to others. Understanding
the perception will lead in understanding the interpersonal communication generally and
interpersonal relationships in particular.
Conclusion
In conclusion, communication plays an important role in our daily lives. Its a
part, where verbal and non-verbal are using each other to convey the meaning. People
assumes to have communication if one interacts with others. There are a lot of reasons

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11

Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

why we should interact to others and obviously for most, we need to fulfill our
psychological needs. By having communication, the role of perception is established and
has resulted the selection, organization and interpretation of sensory information.
Perceptions continue to play an important role in forming impressions of others. Here
also, we need to be aware of some communication problems that have to do with
perception in order to be effective communicators. In developing communication
competence it involves communicating effectively and effective communication is related
to our intentions, which result in understanding, pleasure, attitude influence, improve
relationship and action.

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zamzana0308@oum.edu.my

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Zamri Hasin

Assingment OUMH 1303

730508035365001

Bibliography
1. Open University Malaysia. 2003. English 1: Oral Communication (Course
textbook)
2. Maker, Janet, and Lenier, Minnette. 1989. College Reading:Book 2.
Wadsworth Publishing.
3. Cook, Guy. 1990. Discourse. Oxford University Press

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