DEFINE TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
What Is Technical Communication?Communication Use words, pictures, video, sound and animation Technical Refer to any body of knowledge not commonly
understood.Information Include user guides, manuals, recommendation
reports, progress reports, SOPs, and so on.Specific purpose Can be informative, instructive, or persuasive.
Specific audience Range from beginners/non-technical to seasoned veterans/technical.
Needs Require specific needs for information. Need background on a topic, instructions for equipment, recommendations on which product to purchase, etc
Specific situation Business, professional or industrial applications – solves a workplace problem or a need.
Tools Use various communication methods to convey their message – print, online, on screen
Types Of Technical Writing
1. Technical object or mechanism description
2. Directional process3. Informational process4. SOP5. Recommendation & feasibility
report
Let’s Speak
• Without naming the object, describe it to your class. Can they guess the object?
• For example: You use this in the kitchen. You use it when you’re cooking potatoes or carrots. It’s easy to use and safer than a knife. It’s made from metal. It doesn’t need batteries. It’s not expensive.
What is Technical Description?• A mechanism or technical description explains and describes an object or a system.
• A mechanism or technical description can vary from basic to elaborate, from miniscule to large, and from inanimate to living.
• A description may have any number of parts, and each part has a specific function. The parts work together toward a definite purpose.
Subject of Description 1. Tools and machinery (a claw hammer consists of
a handle, claw, cheek, neck, and face)2. Organisms (a tree consists of roots, leaves, and
bark)3. Substances (automotive paints contain chemicals
such as toners, reducers, and hardeners)4. Locations (a construction site includes terrain and
buildings) 5. Systems (a plant includes its reproductive
system)
3-minute Talk
Search the internet for a technical description of one of the following objects:1. Claw hammer2. Tree3. Bow saw4. Flower
A Claw HammerFace • Flat surface used to drive a nail
into a material. Cheek • The sides of the hammer head,
between the claw and the face. Eye • Hollowed-out part of the hammer
head into which the handle is inserted.
Claw • The cleaved peen can be used
to extract bent or partially driven nails.
A Tree
LilyCommon names: lily, Asiatic lily, Oriental lily
Description: Trumpet-shaped flowers grow to a 6-inch diameter. Stems grow to 3 feet long, carrying four to eight blossoms. Sparse foliage is dark green. Because blooms open at various times, most lilies live one to two weeks. Colors include white, yellow, pink, red and orange; many have a deeper color (freckles) on the inner petal.
Special care: To prevent pollen from staining petals or clothing, remove stamens.
Sources Of Description
• Purpose • Size• Shape• Color• Texture/Finish – rough,
smooth, wavy, shiny, dull, dark, glossy
• Dimensions – l, h, w, d, w• Materials – wood, steel
• Methods of attachment – screwed, nailed, glued, welded
• Orientation of parts to each other – above, below, to the left/right
• Capacity/Volume/Amount• Pattern/Design• Smell/Odor• Age
Let’s Read
1. Micro Floppy Disc
• Focus on outline, sources of description and language (tense used, active vs passive voice, parts of speech, sentence structures, transitions)
Organizing Technical Description
Spatialtop to bottom
outside to insideexterior to interior
part by partcomponent by
component
Sources of Description1. Purpose 2. Size3. Shape4. Color5. Texture/Finish – rough, smooth, wavy,
shiny, dull, dark, glossy6. Dimensions – l, h, w, d, w7. Materials – wood, steel8. Methods of attachment – screwed,
nailed, glued, welded9. Orientation of parts to each other –
above, below, to the left/right10. Capacity/Volume/Amount11. Pattern/Design12. Smell/Odor13. Age
Organizing Technical Description(part-by-part approach)
See how many parts you can name for one of the following objects:1. Reading glasses2. Camera3. Handphone 4. Watch
Organizing Technical Description(part-by-part approach)
refer Kitchen King Toaster
CONCLUSION
Sum up the main parts and how it works
DESCRIPTION of MAIN PARTS(each part) Details of each main part (purpose, size, shape, dimensions, attachment
methods, color, texture, materials, location, orientation, etc)
INTRODUCTION State definition/purpose of object, general description (color, size, weight, etc), overview of parts
Let’s Read
1. Rayovac Flashlight
• Focus on outline, sources of description and language (tense used, active vs passive voice, parts of speech, sentence structures, transitions)
Let’s Speak
Describe and talk about one of the following:
Time given is three minutes.
1. CAMERA 4. WATCH2. LAPTOP 5. THUMBDRIVE3. HANDPHONE 6. EAR PHONE
Parts of Speech – Basic Building Blocks(adj, adv, art, conj, n, prep, pro, v)
Miriam (n) is (v) a (art) very (adv) nice (adj) young (adj)
woman (n). She (pro) comes (v) from (prep) Iran (n),
and (conj) she (pro) is (v) studying (v) at (prep)
our (adj) school (n).
Parts of Speech• Based on a reading text, list as many nouns, verbs, adjectives and
adverbs as possible within 60 seconds. Refer Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W120.
NOUNS VERBS ADJECTIVE ADVERB
Organizing Technical Description
CONCLUSION
Sum up the main parts and how it works
DESCRIPTION of MAIN PARTS(each part) Details of each main part (purpose, size, shape, dimensions, attachment
methods, color, texture, materials, location, orientation, etc)
INTRODUCTION State definition/purpose of object, general description (color, size, weight, etc), overview
of parts
Organizing Your Speech
Assessment 1 (3-min. presentation of an object)
Contents (8 marks) • Introduction • Main points & supporting
points• Conclusion
Language (16 marks) • Transition signals• Specific language in describing
an object • Tenses • Pronunciation
Delivery (16 marks) • Non- verbal cues - Vocal characteristics- Facial expressions - Postures , gestures &
appearance - Visual aids
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