Vocabulary Flashcards
accidental communication
when one person stimulates meaning in the mind of another without having any intention of doing so and without necessarily knowing that he or she has done so.
action verbs
verbs found in job application materials that quickly identify a candidate’s skills, achievements, and accomplishments
active listening
engaging with the speaker and the material you hear in an active way, such as by asking questions, paraphrasing ideas, and listening without judgement
active voice
a sentence structure where the subject carries out the action
Advertiser’s Stance
a rhetorical corruption where the speaker or writer undervalues the subject and overvalues pure effect
ambiguity
the quality of being open to more than one interpretation
audience
the receiver or receivers of a message
audience-centred
preparing materials for a speech, report, or job package that a focus on the audience rather the speaker or the message
axiom
a universal principle or foundational truth that operates across cases or situations
back matter
the final part of your report, this is where your reader can find information that will help them learn more information about the topic. The elements are the recommendations, the appendix and the references page
character
the personal history and personality traits of the speaker or writer
chronological résumé
a traditional résumé format whose main section is the “employment experience” section. Jobs are listed in reverse chronological order, with skills/achievements under each position
clause
when a subject and verb are combined in a sentence. There are two types: independent clause and dependent clause.
comma splice
when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined by a comma
communication
the process of one person stimulating meaning in the mind of another by means of a message
conciseness
using the fewest words possible to achieve the goal of communication
connective statements
several types of statements or phrases that are designed to connect part of your speech to make it easier for audience members to follow
constraints
something that makes it difficult for your message to be received, such as beliefs, facts, interests, and motives. These can from both the rhetor and the audience
coordinating conjunctions
a word that joins two clauses. These include words like and, but, for, yet, nor, or, so
credibility
a quality that allows others to trust and believe you
dependent clause
a clause that relies on another part of the sentence for meaning because it cannot stand on it’s own
direct quote
a word-for-word copy of someone else’s words and/or ideas.
ethos
a rhetorical appeal that addresses the values of an audience as well as establishes authorial credibility/character
exigence
a problem that needs to be solved. This “problem” isn’t always negative though. It can be something that needs to be said or a task that needs to be completed
expressive communication
Communication that arises from the emotional, or motivational, state of the individual.
Extemporaneous
a speech delivery method where the presentation is carefully planned and rehearsed, but spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes
extemporaneous speech
a type of speech delivery that is carefully planned and rehearsed, but uses minimal notes and is spoken in a conversational manner
face
our sense of self-worth in a given situation
face loss
the experience of feeling judged, or feeling that people do not recognize us as we perceive ourselves to be
feedback
information that a receiver sends back to the sender
focused topic
a specific topic for a written report or oral presentation that is neither too broad or too general.
footing
the foundation upon which your credibility rests in a given interaction
front matter
the first group of elements that a reader will see of your report. These elements are the cover page, the transmittal document, the title page, the table of contents, the list of
tables and figures, and the summary.
full block format
a standard letter format that has seven elements:
(1) letterhead/logo,
(2) the heading,
(3) salutation,
(4) the introduction,
(5) the body,
(6) the conclusion,
(7) the signature line
functional (skills) résumé
a résumé format whose main section is the “Skills and Achievements” section. Skills are organized into categories. There is still an “Employment Experience” section, but it
only include basic information about each position.
fused sentence
when two independent clauses are combined without any punctuation
gerund
a word ending in -ing that serves as a noun or adjective in a sentence, not a verb
gerund fragment
a type of sentence fragment where the issue is a gerund (an -ing word serving as a noun or adjective) being used incorrectly in a sentence
gifs
an image file that is usually animated in some way
header block
the section of a memo that contains detailed information on its recipient, sender, and purpose
Impromptu
a speech delivery method where a short message is presented without advanced preparation
in-text citation
also called a “citation,” in-text citations are a mechanical way that a writer acknowledges the work of others. An intext citation can take two forms: a parenthetical citation or
a narrative citation.
independent clause
a clause that can stand on it’s own because it conveys a complete idea.
informative report
a report where you establish your credibility so the audience will accept the facts you present
interview
the phase of the job search process where you go from being an applicant on paper to a real, three dimensional person.
Interviewing
the phase of the job search process where you are evaluated on your verbal communication skills through face-to-face (or phone) interaction
iterative
an iterative process is a process for calculating a desired result by means of a repeated cycle of operations. An iterative process should be convergent, i.e., it should come closer to the desired result as the number of iterations increases.
jargon
certain words that are used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand
job package
a collection of documents that are used to apply for a position such as a cover letter and résumé
keywords
words in a job posting that highlight skills, qualities, and values that are important to a company
lead-ins
long strings of words that don’t add much to the overall meaning of the message
Manuscript
a speech delivery method where a message is read word for-word off a written page or autocue device
Memorized
a speech delivery method where a message is presented after being committed to memory by the speaker
memos
full name “memoranda,” these are documents sent within an organization to pass along or request information,
outline policies, present short reports, or propose ideas
modes of appeal
Aristotle’s means for persuading an audience. The modes are ethos, pathos, and logos
netiquette
etiquette for using the internet, or more specifically, communicating in online spaces. This includes
(1) knowing your context,
(2) remembering the human,
(3) recognizing that text is permanent,
(4) avoiding flaming, and
(5) respecting privacy and original ideas
noise
information that is added unintentionally to a message during a transmission
nominalizations
an issue where the main action (a verb) is turned into a noun which overcomplicates the writing
non-verbal communication
a type of feedback where you use your whole body to provide information to a speaker. Some examples include leaning your body in, using eye contact, and nodding affirmatively
oral report
a type of report where a person is using their voice to relay information
outline
a visual structure where you can compile information into a well-organized document
paraphrase
a way to use your own words to present information. This method is more detailed and specific than a summary and retains the length of the original source.
passive voice
a sentence structure where the subject of a sentence receives an action instead of doing it
pathos
a rhetorical appeal that tries to tap into the audience’s emotions to get them to agree with a claim
persuasive report
a report where you want the audience to accept the facts and you want them to change their thinking and actions
phrase
a group of words that are missing a subject, a verb, or both
plagiarism
when a person represents the ideas of another as their own original work
plain words
words that are more common and easier for readers to understand
popular sources
sources that are good for background information and ideas, but not for including in actual research
pre-writing
the first phase of the writing process where you gather information and content from sources to help generate materials in the drafting phase
predicate
the verb that conveys the action or state of being in a clause or sentence
preparation outline
a comprehensive form of outline that includes all of the information in your speech
preposition
words that show relationships between other words. Some examples include in, on, at, of, and under
preposition fragment
a type of sentence fragment where an issue with a preposition makes the sentence an incomplete idea
primary research
research that is often made up of first-person accounts and can be useful for issues where there is little research
available
Projection
a technique for making your voice loud and clear that is more than just speaking loudly or shouting
receiver
a person who receives a message from a sender
reference entry
detailed information about your source that a reader can use to find the information on their own. A reference entry should include, at minimum, the author(s) who generated
the source, the date the source was published, the title of the source, and information on where the source can be
found.
report body
the main portion of the report that has all the content of your findings. The elements are the introduction, the discussion, and the conclusion.
reverse chronological order
a way of organizing your job experiences so that you are starting with the most recent job and working backwards toward your first job
rhetor
a person who uses rhetoric to accomplish a task through communication
rhetoric
a practical, purposeful communication that attempts to create change in the world by enabling a rhetor to persuade people to change their beliefs or solve problems.
rhetorical audience
an audience that can take action to solve a problem and can be persuaded by the rhetor to take action
rhetorical balance
a way to construct a persuasive message that keeps a balance between three rhetorical elements: logos, pathos, and ethos.
rhetorical communication
the process of a source stimulating a source-selected meaning in the mind of a receiver by means of verbal and non-verbal messages
rhetorical corruptions/perversions
any issue that arises when one of the modes of appeal is out of balance. These corruptions/perversions are the pedant’s stance, the advertiser’s stance, and the
entertainer’s stance
rhetorical exigence
a “problem” that can be affected by human activity
rhetorical situation
also known as a “communication context,” this is a complex of persons, events, objects, and relations presenting an
actual or potential exigence which can be completely or partially removed if discourse, introduced into the situation, can so constrain human decision or action as to
bring about the significant modification of the exigence.
scope
elements you must consider that can impact the message you create and how it will be received. For example, the audience, the purpose of your message, and constraints you must work within
secondary research
research the requires searching libraries and other locations for other peoples’ published studies and research
self-inventory
the process of brainstorming your past accomplishments, skills, and achievements
Shannon-Weaver Model
also known as the transmission model, this
communication model shows communication as a linear process where a sender encodes information and sends it
to a receiver who decodes it
SIDCRA
an acronym that stands for the six parts of a report:
(1) summary,
(2) introduction,
(3) discussion,
(4) conclusion,
(5) recommendations,
(6) appendix
signal verb
a special verb that show the reader how an author is expressing their ideas
speaking outline
a keyword outline used to deliver an extemporaneous speech
subordinate conjunction
a word that connects a dependent clause to an independent clause. It shows a cause-and-effect relationship or a shift in time and place between the two clauses
summary
a way to use your own words to present your own information. This method is used for describing an entire source. This means that you will focus only on main ideas and not go into details.
team chat applications
a program, such as Slack or Microsoft Teams, that companies use to promote efficient communication across their workforce
technical communication
any communication on a specialized, technical topic
the advertiser’s stance
a rhetorical corruption that occurs when the speaker or writer undervalues the subject of the message and focuses more on the effect of the message
the entertainer’s stance
a rhetorical corruption that occurs when the speaker or writer undervalues establishing their credibility to an audience
the pedant’s stance
a rhetorical corruption that occurs when the speaker or writer underplays the relationship of the speaker to the audience
the rhetorical triangle
a communication model that states the elements of communication—the speaker, audience, and message—are related to each of the others, showing that
communication is a complex, dynamic system
tone
the attitude of a communicator toward the message being delivered and/or the audience receiving the message
transactional
types of communication that are highly designed to create a purposeful exchange between the sender and receiver of a message
verbal delivery
using your voice to communicate a message through projection, vocal enunciation and punctuation, pace and
rate, and vocal pauses
visual delivery
the way you use elements of nonverbal
communication—eye contact, facial expressions, attire, and movement—to communicate your message
Vocal enunciation
a speaking technique where words are pronounced correctly and expressed in such a way that it draws in the audience
vocal pauses
a strategic pause during a presentation that gives your audience a chance to fully understand what has been said
