Communication Skills & Office Practice Module for Ordinary Diploma Academic Programmes

Description

This work has been prepared to help facilitators and students of Communication Skills and Office Practice Module in institutions of Higher Education. The key concepts are Communication Skills and Office Practice. Communication Skills focus on skills that help students in communicating and learning. Students need communication skills because they spend much time in listening to lectures, taking notes and writing academic texts. They also need language skills (speaking, writing, reading, listening and non-verbal communication) for social, academic and professional purposes. They participate in seminar presentations and discussions. After graduation, students need language competence to compete in the local and International labour market.

Office Practice concepts focus on the principles and procedures of running offices. Activities carried out on day-to-day basis within organizations are highlighted. Students learn Office Practice because it is a starting point for any job. It improves efficiency of any office and its staff. Office communication systems covered include: the principles of effective letter and memoranda writing, writing effective curriculum vitae and reports, the barriers for effective listening and listening attentively, English language grammar, delivering correct speeches, and using internet and email in academic and workplace communication.

Dr. Jonathan Kasenene Shishiwa is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Accountancy Arusha in Tanzania. He holds a PhD in Communication Studies from Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya and Master of Education Degree in Educational Management and Administration from Abo Akademi University in Finland. Besides, he holds a Bachelor of Education Degree in English and Education from the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania and a Diploma in Education in English Language and History from Marangu Teachers College, Moshi, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Dr. Shishiwa has been teaching in higher institutions of education since 2002. In addition, he has engaged in administrative work in various posts including; Academic Officer cum Admission Officer, Head of Department of Research and Publications, Campus Manager (Institute of Accountancy Arusha, Mwanza Campus), Director of Undergraduate Studies and Director of Postgraduate Studies. Currently, the author is the Chief Editor of the Editorial Board of the Accountancy and Business Review Journal of the Institute of Accountancy in Arusha, Tanzania. His academic interests include Educational Communication, Communication Studies and Qualitative Research. Dr. Jonathan Kasenene Shishiwa has published widely in both national and international journals as well as attended conferences.