COMMUNICATION STUDIES

MODULE ONE: GATHERING AND PROCESSING INFORMATION
GENERAL TOPICS
RESEARCH
NOTETAKING
SUMMARY

MODULE ONE: GATHERING AND PROCESSING INFORMATION
SPECIFIC TOPICS WITHIN THE GENERAL TOPICS
*Methods of data collection or data collection methods
*Strengths and weaknesses of each method
*Contexts for choosing each method or tool or instrument
*Definition of terms; Primary and Secondary Sources, reliability, validity, authority, fact, opinion, bias, data collection method vs data collection instrument, data vs information
*How and why there is a need for verification or authenticity
*What makes a piece or person authentic
*Writer’s main point or purpose
*Strategies and language techniques employed/used by the writer
*Types of writing: expository, descriptive, argumentative, narrative
*Study and summary skills
*Commenting on the reliability of information and evaluation of sources making mention to dates, writer’s qualification/experience, where the information was first published etc.

NB: BEGIN PREPARING FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO AT THIS POINT!!!!

CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC

MODULE 2: LANGUAGE AND COMMUNITY
GENERAL TOPICS
*LANGUAGE
*CREOLE; DIALECT
*REGISTERS
*TECHNOLOGY

MODULE 2: LANGUAGE AND COMMUNITY
SPECIFIC TOPICS WITHIN THE GENERAL TOPICS
* Define and Differentiate between a language and language
* Describe the characteristics of language
* Purpose of language
* Functions or roles of language in society re Identity marker, political role, social, ethical and psychological
* Define dialect
* Concept of Creole history in the West Indian context (influence of colonisers)
* Characteristics or features of Creole languages
* Differences between Creole and Standard English
* Challenges faced by Creole speakers to learn Std English
* Points on the Creole Continuum ( Define and explain Acrolect, Mesolect and Basilect)
* Registers re what are the factors responsible for a person’s choice of register, dialect?
* Attitudes to language and impact of these attitudes eg for regional integration, create sense of marginalization and alienation
* Technological advances and its impact on communication re computer, internet, cell phones, communication gadgets

MODULE 3: SPEAKING AND WRITING
GENERAL TOPICS
COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION CONTEXTS
TYPES OF WRITING
SPEECH
COMMUNICATION AIDS

MODULE 3: SPEAKING AND WRITING
SPECIFIC TOPICS FROM THE GENERAL TOPICS
* Define and describe the process of communication
* Contexts of communication (intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, mass communication etc)
* Forms of communication (verbal, non-verbal)
* Types of writing and speaking (narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive, argumentative
* Audio Visuals
* Elements of speech


On completing your syllabus you should be able to give detailed information on the following:
· Contexts of communication
· Register
· Dialect
· Creole Continuum
· Standard languages
· Interactive settings
· Lexicon
· Characteristics of language
· Features of Creole (any territory)
· Languages of the Caribbean today
· Dialectal Variations
· Attitudes to language re Creoles and Standard
· How these influence language in an interactive setting: audience, message, purpose, occasion, gender and age
· Data and information, investigation and research
· Features of Verbal and non-verbal communication
· Facilitators and barriers to communication
· Speech and speech delivery
· Correlation between author/ speaker, context , text and reliability and validity of sources
· Suitability of data collection methods
· Choosing your medium and channel
· Technology and its impact (positive/negative) on communication