Communication (SCQF 4) – Assessor guidance

Both tasks below must be completed

Task 1: Reading and understanding
Read, understand, and evaluate a straightforward document related to your work, for example a detailed letter, e-mail, short report, or leaflet. The document should have simple sentences and words that you are familiar with.

To do this you will have to:
 understand the purpose of the document:
 your assessor will advise you about purpose as part of the assessment instructions
 This will help you understand purpose in the document when you evaluate it
 pick out important ideas and key points in the document
 evaluate the document and provide evidence as to how well it met its purpose, for example:
 is it clear and easy to read?
 does it contain all the information a reader needs?
 does it present both sides of an issue?
 does the style of the document, e.g. the kind of language, pictures, layout, graphics, support the purpose?

Task 2: Writing
Produce a document or related documents that convey several items of information, opinions, or ideas.

To do this you will have to:
 decide who will read your document and your reason for producing it
 choose a format that is appropriate to your readers and the subject matter, for example an e-mail or a letter
 choose layout, order, words, and graphics (if appropriate) that make your piece of writing clear
 select and include relevant information or ideas
 present the information/ideas with some supporting detail in a logical order
 use vocabulary, sentence structure, and punctuation to make your piece of writing clear at first reading
 spell straightforward words correctly and use a dictionary, spellchecker, or thesaurus for words you are unsure of

Task 3: Speaking and listening
Either take part in either a straightforward discussion on a topic related to your work or give a short presentation on a work-related topic to one or more people. To do this you will have to:
 express several pieces of information, opinions, or ideas clearly when speaking, for example:
 giving sufficient information
 ordering and linking the information, opinions, or ideas in a logical way when speaking
 speak in a way that helps your listeners understand you easily, for example speaking loudly enough and at an appropriate speed or varying your tone
 choose words that fit the topic and that your listeners can understand
 use your body language to improve your spoken communication, for example smiling, using gestures, making eye contact
 listen carefully to any questions from listeners and respond accordingly, for example by giving extra information or explaining a specialist word
 pick out the main points another speaker is making
 interpret the way other speakers use their voices and body language to help get their message across, for example the tone of voice that they use
 listen carefully to what others say and ask questions to clarify anything that you do not understand