Word Formation English Blend & Clipped Words

 Word FormationEnglish Blend  & Clipped Words

advertainment, from advertising and entertainment

advertorial, from advertising and editorial

affluenza, from affluence and influenza

alphanumeric, from alphabetic and numeric

anacronym, from anachronism and acronym

apronym, from appropriate and acronym

automagic(al), from automatic and magic(al)

backronym, from back and acronym

bit, from binary and digit

blaxploitation, from black and exploitation

Bollywood, from Bombay and Hollywood

Bootylicious, from booty and delicious

boxercise, from boxing and exercise

britcom, from British and comedy

brunch, from breakfast and lunch

cellophane, from cellulose and diaphane

chortle, from chuckle and snort

cineplex, from cinema and complex (building)

cocacolonization, from Coca-Cola and colonization

codec, from coder and decoder

cryptex, from cryptology and codex

cyborg, from cybernetic and organism

dancercise, from dance and exercise

datacasting, from data and broadcasting

Diamat, from Dialectical Materialism

digerati, from digital and literati

digipeater, from digital and repeater

docudrama, from documentary and drama

docusoap, from documentary and soap opera

dramality, from dramatic and reality

dramedy, from drama and comedy

dumbfound, from dumb and confound

ebonics, from ebony and phonics

ecoteur, from ecological and saboteur

edutainment, from education and entertainment

emoticon, from emotion and icon

faction, from fact and fiction

fantabulous, from fantastic and fabulous

frankenfood, from Frankenstein and food

frankenword, from Frankenstein and word

fraudience, from fraud and audience

freeware, from free and software

ginormous, from gigantic and enormous

greenwash, from green and whitewash

guesstimate, from guess and estimate

infomercial, from information and commercial

infotainment, from information and entertainment

intercom, from internal and communication

Internet, from inter and network

jazzercise, from jazz and exercise

knowledgebase, from knowledge and database

malware, from malicious and software

mantastic, from man and fantastic

melodrama, from melody and drama

mobisode, from mobile (phone) and episode

mockney, from mock and Cockney

mockumentary, from mock and documentary

modem, from modulator and demodulator

moped, from motor and pedal

motel, from motor and hotel

multiplex, from multiple and cineplex

Muppet, from marionette and puppet

napalm, from naphthene and palmitate

netiquette, from Internet and etiquette

netizen, from Internet and citizen

Oxbridge, from Oxford and Cambridge

paratroops, from parachute and troops

pixel, from picture and element

pizzone, from pizza and calzone

portmanteau, from the French porte (carry) and manteau (coat)

posistor, from positive and thermistor

procrasturbate, from procrastinate and masturbate

prosumer, from either producer or professional and consumer

qubit, from quantum and bit

rockumentary, from rock and documentary

sexcellent, from sex and excellent

sexercise, from sex and exercise

sexploitation, from sex and exploitation

shareware, from share and software

shockumentary, from documentary and shock

sitcom, from situation and comedy

skort, from skirt and short

smog, from smoke and fog

smudgemate, from smudge and estimate

soundscape, from sound and landscape

spork, from spoon and fork

squiggle, from squirm and wiggle

stagflation, from stagnation and inflation

streetball, from street and basketball

swaption, from swap and option

tangelo, from tangerine and pomelo

teensploitation, from teen and exploitation

televangelist, from television and evangelist

terrist, from Terra and terrorism

thermistor, from thermal and resistor

voxel, from volume and pixel

 Word Formation

List of English Clipped Words

advertisement – ad

alchemist – chemist

alligator – gator

automobile – auto

bicycle – bike

cabriolet – cab

chrysanthemum – mum

cleric – clerk

coeducational student – coed

delicatessen – deli

dormitory – dorm

examination – exam

fanatic – fan

gasoline – gas

gymnasium – gym

hamburger – burger

influenza – flu

laboratory – lab

limousine – limo

luncheon – lunch

mathematics – math

memorandum – memo

moving picture – movie

pantaloons – pants

photograph – photo

pianoforte – piano

promenade – prom

public house – pub

raccoon – coon

referee – ref

refrigerator – fridge

reputation – rep

situation comedy – sitcom

submarine – sub

telephone – phone

typographical error – typo

university – varsity

zoological garden – zoo 

QUESTIONING - Types of Questions

QUESTIONING - Types of Questions

So far, we have looked at 2 types of questions: open and
closed. Other more advanced types of questions include
the following:
• Probing/clarifying Questions
• Reflective Questions
• Direct Questions
• Hypothetical Questions

Some of these are extensions of the open and closed type,
but are worth looking at in their own right. They are all of
value and come into their own in different situations and
circumstances.

Probing/Clarifying Questions
In reality, these are open or closed questions that serve to
build on the person’s previous answers, comments and
responses. They use information already established in
order that we can explore further. These questions also
demonstrate to the person that they are being actively
listened to.
Some examples of probing questions include:
Tell me more about that?
What happened next?
What did you do next?
How did that happen?
Can you tell me why?
How do you mean?
Can you give me an example?
Who else was involved?
And where were you at that stage?
Dissatisfied? In what way were you dissatisfied with
your performance?
However, probing needs to be tackled carefully in order that
the student does not feel interrogated. Imagine that you
were on the receiving end of all of the above questions,
asked in turn after you had given the questioner some
information. The likelihood of you beginning to feel defensive
to this aggressive sounding barrage is high.

Reflective Questions
Reflective questions or statements are really comments
made before another type of question, which serve to
soften the questioning as well as demonstrate to the
speaker that they are being well and truly listened to. They
typically constitute a short summary of what the other
person has said, and may also be considered as a type of
paraphrasing

Hypothetical Questions
Hypothetical questions can be an excellent way to
encourage your student to reflect on issues through
thinking through previously unconsidered options. They are
also often used in interview situations to test the creativity
and mental agility of prospective students or employees

Direct Questions
Direct questions can be either open or closed questions.
However, they tend to have the following characteristics:
1. When posing a direct question, you always use the
name of the other person
2. You pose the question as an instruction.

Direct questions are especially helpful when you need to
get the other person’s attention and acquire specific
information. A direct question tends to begin with phrases
such as:
Tell me Jane, .......
Explain to me John, .....
Describe to me Jill, .....
Use of the other person's name tends to grab their
attention, while phrasing the question like an instruction
(‘tell me’ etc) gives a specific command.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS - ROLE OF QUESTIONING

COMMUNICATION SKILLS - ROLE OF QUESTIONING

Every day of our lives, we use questions. Much of our day
to day conversation involves either asking or answering
questions. Often however, we do not use skills of
questioning to our full advantage.

Some very adept communicators demonstrate a high level
of skill in gathering information from others. Such
individuals are able to maximize the effectiveness of
workplace communication through the use of skilled
questioning techniques.
They are aware that the same question can be asked in many different ways and each of
these ways can achieve a different response. It is possible
to improve on your questioning skills by becoming aware of
the different types of questions that can be asked so that
you can use a variety of questioning styles and know when
a specific type of question will have the most impact

Every day of our lives, we use questions. Much of our day
to day conversation involves either asking or answering
questions. Often however, we do not use skills of
questioning to our full advantage.

Some very adept communicators demonstrate a high level
of skill in gathering information from others. Such
individuals are able to maximize the effectiveness of
workplace communication through the use of skilled
questioning techniques.

They are aware that the same
question can be asked in many different ways and each of
these ways can achieve a different response. It is possible
to improve on your questioning skills by becoming aware of
the different types of questions that can be asked so that
you can use a variety of questioning styles and know when
a specific type of question will have the most impact
meetings, when they really want more elaborate
information or answers.

Conversely, sometimes we just need
the bare facts, or to get straight to the point. Asking open
questions in this kind of situation will not meet our needs.

Feedback-Learning Points

Feedback-Learning Points

• While giving negative or critical feedback can be
difficult, it is nevertheless vital that such feedback is
given honestly, in order to allow the student to know
where they are and what steps they can take to
improve their work.
• People are likely to become defensive when they
feel threatened or attacked, and will be more
concerned with constructing a defense rather than
on listening to you.
• When a person feels put-down or insignificant
because of the communication with you, they are
likely to invest in attempts to re-establish self-worth;
and will be more concerned with portraying self
importance rather than listening to you.
• There are a number of guidelines toward giving
feedback effectively, e.g. being specific, offering a
solution, checking it is understood, being
descriptive, supportive, validating, open to receiving
feedback and focusing on the problem rather than
‘attacking’ the person, etc.
• Steps for giving more formal feedback include
agreeing when & where the meeting should occur
and what will be discussed; beginning by asking
open questions; emphasizing the constructive
purpose of the feedback; being open to receiving
both positive and critical feedback from the student;
and developing a plan for improvement.
• It is important to monitor, evaluate and continue to
develop feedback effectiveness.

Feedback a Part of Communication Skills

Feedback a Part of Communication Skills

Feedback can also be reinforcing. If given properly,
feedback is almost always appreciated and motivates
people to improve. Honest feedback can also strengthen
the credibility of the  educator.
However, it is also important that feedback is given in a
supportive and encouraging way, so that the student does
not feel constantly criticised, afraid and tense.
There are a number of guidelines toward giving feedback
effectively, i.e. so that it can be used constructively rather
than incurring overly defensive reactions.

• Be Specific: Feedback should highlight specific
events or examples rather than just general advice.
It should also be specific about what the person
did. (Avoid generalizations i.e. words such as
‘never’, ‘always’, ‘all’ etc).

• Offer a solution: Feedback should suggest ways of
resolving any problems. There is little or no point in
offering negative feedback where there is no way
that a person can improve.

• Deliver the feedback face to face.

• Be sensitive: This is simply a reminder that
feedback, even negative feedback, should be
delivered in a positive way rather than simply
attacking the other person.


• Be problem oriented, not people oriented:
Feedback should focus on issues, not the person
since the individual usually has little control over
personality. It is important that we refer to what a
person does rather than to what we think he is.
(Thus we might say that ‘the patient’s fears about
the procedure were not listened to and addressed
by the student’ rather than calling the student
’insensitive’).

• Be descriptive, not evaluative: People more readily
receive information if the sender describes what
happened and communicates the personal effect it
had, as opposed to evaluating its goodness or
badness, rightness or wrongness.

• Own rather than disown the feedback. Use "I have a
problem with your work", not "others have been
complaining".

• Check with the other, that they understand what
has been said. Check whether they are willing and
able to accept it. One way of checking
understanding is to have the receiver try to rephrase
the feedback. No matter what the intent, feedback
is often threatening and thus subject to
considerable distortion or misinterpretation.

• Be open to hear new and possibly disconfirming
information: Non-verbal behaviours such as tone of
voice, facial expression, posture and gestures, as
well as choice of words are crucial here.

• Be Validating, not invalidating, and supportive. It is
important to acknowledge the other person's
uniqueness and importance.

• Feedback should be helpful to the receiver and
directed toward behaviour which the receiver can
do something about. A person gets frustrated when
reminded of some shortcoming over which he has
no control. Ideally feedback should be solicited, not
imposed.

• Feedback is useful when well timed (soon after the
behaviour; depending, of course, on the person's
readiness to hear it, support available from others,
and so forth). Excellent feedback presented at an
inappropriate time may do more harm than good.

• It involves the amount of information the receiver
can use rather than the amount we would like to
give. To overload a person with feedback is to
reduce the possibility that he may be able to use
what he receives effectively. When we give more
than can be used, we are more often than not
satisfying some need of our own rather than helping
the other person.


• Feedback should be regular.
• It should be reciprocal.
• It should include recommendations for
improvement.
• It should deal with decisions and action rather than
assumed intentions or interpretations.
• It should be based on information which is objective
by first hand observation.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS-Giving Constructive Feedback

COMMUNICATION SKILLS-Giving Constructive Feedback

 Some of the most difficult
communication issues practice Managing people face; - providing
constructive, effective and assertive feedback to others.

This may be for example, through informal or formal
supervision, or through performance appraisal processes.
We will also highlight insights that we have gained in
previous sections to understand the rationale behind
feedback strategies.

Why it can be difficult to provide honest feedback
It is normally not difficult to give positive feedback to people
doing well or in general, to give information that people want
to hear. Most of us can do this fairly well. However, giving
negative or critical feedback, or information that people do
not want to hear, can be much more problematic.
Nevertheless, it is critical that feedback be honest.

Why are practice educators – and others, so reluctant to
provide feedback? The reasons are many:

• Fear of the other person's reaction. People can
become defensive and emotional when confronted
with critical feedback, as their basic needs to feel
competent and accurate are threatened. Some
practice educators are fearful of the reaction.

• The practice educator may feel that they do not
have enough concrete, objective evidence to back
up their feedback, should the student refuse to
accept it.

• Fear of causing tension in the work environment.

• Many practice educators would prefer to take on
the role of a supportive coach rather than a judge.
However, giving feedback often forces a change in
this role.

Active Listening - Learning Points

Active Listening - Learning Points

• Effective communication is heavily dependent on
effective listening; however most conversations
do not take place with the full attention of those
taking part.
• Effective listening is a specific skill that can be
consciously developed and practiced. It is an
active psychological process which enables us to
attach meaning to all the information we receive.
• Developing effective listening skills involves two
specific steps: dealing with barriers that prevent
you listening; and developing and using listening
behaviours.
• There are various barriers to listening, including
jumping to conclusions; hearing what we want to
hear; rehearsing our response and being
inattentive.
• Active listening skills include using attending skills
(e.g. maintaining an open posture, comfortable
eye contact, leaning forward); delaying evaluation;
maintaining attention; reflecting back or
paraphrasing; giving feedback; listening for feelings;
asking appropriate questions etc.