Communication Skills II - 2nd Semester

 

UNIT: PRONUNCIATION & LISTENING–COMPREHENSION

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1. PRONUNCIATION – INTRODUCTION

Pronunciation refers to the correct way of producing sounds of a language. In English, pronunciation is important because incorrect pronunciation can change meaning and create misunderstanding, especially in professional fields like hotel management and service industry.

English pronunciation is studied with the help of phonetics.

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2. PHONETICS

Phonetics is the scientific study of speech sounds. It helps learners understand:

• How sounds are produced
• How they are represented using symbols
• How to pronounce words correctly

English uses phonetic symbols (International Phonetic Alphabet – IPA) to represent sounds.

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3. PHONETIC SYMBOLS

Phonetic symbols are special symbols used to represent each sound of English clearly.

There are two main types of sounds:

1. Vowel sounds
2. Consonant sounds

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4. VOWEL SOUNDS

Vowels are sounds produced without obstruction of air. English has 20 vowel sounds.

A. Short Vowels (7)

	Example Word	Pronunciation
	sit	sɪt
	pen	pen
	cat	kæt
	cup	kʌp
	hot	hɒt
	book	bʊk
	about	əˈbaʊt

B. Long Vowels (5)

(Long vowels are held longer while speaking)

	Example Word	Pronunciation
	see	siː
	car	kɑː
	law	lɔː
	food	fuːd
	bird	bɜːd

C. Diphthongs (8)

(A diphthong is a combination of two vowel sounds)

	Example Word
	day
	time
	boy
	now
	go
	near
	hair
	tour

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5. CONSONANT SOUNDS

Consonants are sounds produced with partial or complete obstruction of air. English has 24 consonant sounds.

A. Plosive Sounds

Air is released suddenly.

/p/ pen, /b/ bat, /t/ top, /d/ dog, /k/ cat, /g/ go

B. Fricative Sounds

Air passes through a narrow gap.

/f/ fan, /v/ van, /θ/ thin, /ð/ this, /s/ sun, /z/ zoo, /ʃ/ ship, /ʒ/ vision, /h/ hat

C. Affricate Sounds

Combination of plosive and fricative.

/tʃ/ chair, /dʒ/ judge

D. Nasal Sounds

Air passes through the nose.

/m/ man, /n/ net, /ŋ/ sing

E. Lateral Sound

/l/ leg

F. Approximant Sounds

/r/ red, /w/ wet, /j/ yes

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6. WORD STRESS & SYLLABLES

• A syllable is a unit of sound in a word.
• Word stress means giving more importance to one syllable.

Example:

• hotel → hoˈtel
• manager → ˈmanager

Incorrect stress can change meaning and clarity.

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7. LISTENING SKILLS – INTRODUCTION

Listening is an active skill that involves understanding spoken language. It is essential for:

• Classroom learning
• Customer handling
• Professional communication

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8. LISTENING & COMPREHENSION

Listening comprehension means understanding, interpreting, and responding to spoken or written texts.

Types of Listening:

1. Active Listening – Listening carefully with full attention
2. Selective Listening – Listening for specific information
3. Extensive Listening – Listening for general understanding
4. Intensive Listening – Listening for detailed information

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9. INTERPRETATION OF TEXTS (QUESTION–ANSWER METHOD)

Meaning:

Interpretation of text means understanding the passage and answering questions based on it.

Steps for Interpretation:

1. Read or listen carefully to the text
2. Identify main idea
3. Understand keywords and context
4. Answer questions clearly and briefly

Example:

Text: "Good communication improves customer satisfaction in hotels."

Question: Why is communication important in hotels?

Answer: Communication is important because it improves customer satisfaction.

UNIT - 3

VOCABULARY & WORD FORMATION

(From Hospitality Texts and Dictionary Usage)

1. Vocabulary from Hotel Industry Texts

Text-based Vocabulary (with Meaning & Usage)

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning (Hotel Context)	Example Sentence
Occupancy	Noun	Percentage of rooms sold	The hotel achieved 90% occupancy during the festival season.
Coordination	Noun	Organized cooperation between departments	Effective coordination improves guest satisfaction.
Inconvenience	Noun	Discomfort or trouble caused	We apologize for the inconvenience caused to the guest.
Consistency	Noun	Uniform quality of service	Service consistency is essential in luxury hotels.
Preventive	Adjective	Intended to stop problems	Preventive maintenance reduces breakdowns.
Escalation	Noun	Increase in seriousness of a complaint	Prompt action avoided complaint escalation.
Transparency	Noun	Openness and clarity	Transparency builds guest trust.
Compensation	Noun	Something given to make up for loss	The guest was offered compensation for the delay.
Discretion	Noun	Careful behavior to avoid offense	Staff must handle VIP guests with discretion.
Compliance	Noun	Following rules or standards	Safety compliance is mandatory in hotels.

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2. Word Formation (Dictionary-Based)

A. Noun Forms

Verb / Adjective	Noun Form	Dictionary Meaning
Communicate	Communication	Exchange of information
Coordinate	Coordination	Organized effort
Manage	Management	Control and administration
Operate	Operation	Act of functioning
Efficient	Efficiency	Ability to do work well

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B. Verb Forms

Noun / Adjective	Verb Form	Example
Reservation	Reserve	Guests reserve rooms online.
Complaint	Complain	The guest complained about noise.
Maintenance	Maintain	Engineering maintains equipment.
Service	Serve	Staff must serve politely.
Inspection	Inspect	Rooms are inspected daily.

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C. Adjective Forms

Noun	Adjective Form	Usage
Profession	Professional	Professional behavior is expected.
Benefit	Beneficial	Training is beneficial for staff.
Emergency	Emergency (Adj.)	Emergency procedures were followed.
Responsibility	Responsible	Managers are responsible for safety.
Ethics	Ethical	Ethical decisions protect reputation.

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D. Adverb Forms

Adjective	Adverb	Example
Polite	Politely	The guest was addressed politely.
Prompt	Promptly	Complaints were handled promptly.
Clear	Clearly	Instructions were clearly explained.
Efficient	Efficiently	Tasks were completed efficiently.
Calm	Calmly	Staff handled the incident calmly.

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3. Prefixes & Suffixes (Hotel Vocabulary)

Common Prefixes

Prefix	Meaning	Example
Re-	Again	Reassign, Recheck
Mis-	Wrongly	Miscommunication
Over-	Excess	Overbooking
Under-	Insufficient	Understaffed
Pre-	Before	Pre-arrival

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Common Suffixes

Suffix	Forms	Example
-tion	Noun	Reservation, Coordination
-ment	Noun	Management, Improvement
-ity	Noun	Responsibility, Quality
-ive	Adjective	Preventive, Supportive
-ful	Adjective	Helpful, Respectful

 

 

Menu Mechandising & Innovation

 

v Menu Merchandising and Innovation

 

1. Meaning of Menu Merchandising

Menu Merchandising is the art and science of designing, presenting, and promoting menu items in such a way that sales, profitability, and guest satisfaction are maximized.

It involves:

·         Strategic menu layout

·         Psychological menu design

·         Pricing techniques

·         Highlighting high-profit items

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2. Objectives of Menu Merchandising

·         Increase average guest spend

·         Promote high-margin dishes

·         Influence customer choice

·         Improve menu profitability

·         Support restaurant branding

·         Enhance guest experience

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3. Importance in Hospitality Industry

·         Menu is a silent salesperson

·         Direct impact on food cost control

·         Helps in inventory planning

·         Improves operational efficiency

·         Aligns food offering with target market

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4. Principles of Menu Merchandising

A. Menu Psychology

·         Guests read menus in Z-pattern

·         Focus points attract maximum attention

·         Avoid too many choices (menu fatigue)

·         Use descriptive language

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B. Menu Layout & Design

·         Proper font size & readability

·         Use of colors to stimulate appetite

·         Strategic placement of profit items

·         Use of boxes, highlights, and symbols

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C. Menu Pricing Strategies

·         Psychological pricing (₹299 instead of ₹300)

·         Avoid currency symbols (₹) to reduce price focus

·         Bundle pricing (combo meals)

·         Premium pricing for specialty items

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D. Menu Descriptions

·         Sensory words (crispy, tender, aromatic)

·         Origin-based descriptions (Italian, Mughlai)

·         Storytelling to create emotional appeal

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5. Menu Engineering (Core Concept)

Menu Engineering analyzes menu items based on:

1.      Popularity

2.      Profitability

Menu Engineering Matrix

Category	Popularity	Profit	Strategy
Stars	High	High	Promote & maintain
Plowhorses	High	Low	Increase price or reduce cost
Puzzles	Low	High	Improve visibility
Dogs	Low	Low	Remove or redesign

 

6. Meaning of Menu Innovation

Menu Innovation refers to introducing new dishes, ingredients, cooking techniques, or presentations to meet changing guest preferences and market trends.

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7. Need for Menu Innovation

·         Changing consumer tastes

·         Health & wellness trends

·         Seasonal availability

·         Competitive differentiation

·         Cultural and global influences

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8. Types of Menu Innovation

A. Product Innovation

·         New dishes

·         Fusion cuisine

·         Plant-based & vegan options

·         Low-calorie & gluten-free menus

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B. Process Innovation

·         Modern cooking methods (Sous-vide, molecular gastronomy)

·         Improved plating techniques

·         Faster service processes

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C. Presentation Innovation

·         Artistic plating

·         Interactive food presentation

·         Live counters & chef tables

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D. Pricing & Packaging Innovation

·         Tasting menus

·         Chef’s specials

·         Seasonal menus

·         Experience-based pricing

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9. Role of Technology in Menu Merchandising

·         Digital menus & QR codes

·         AI-based menu analysis

·         POS-linked sales data

·         Online menu optimization

·         Dynamic pricing

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10. Challenges in Menu Merchandising & Innovation

·         Cost control

·         Staff training

·         Inventory management

·         Customer acceptance

·         Consistency in quality

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11. Benefits of Effective Menu Merchandising & Innovation

·         Higher sales & profits

·         Strong brand identity

·         Improved guest satisfaction

·         Better cost management

·         Competitive advantage

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12. Practical Application in Hotels & Restaurants

·         Highlighting chef specials

·         Seasonal & festival menus

·         Cross-selling beverages

·         Using menu analytics for decisions

·         Promoting signature dishes

 Decoy Pricing

Meaning

Decoy pricing is a strategy where a third option (decoy) is introduced to make one specific item look more attractive, even if the decoy itself is rarely chosen.

The decoy is intentionally priced or designed so that customers naturally prefer the target item.

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Example (Restaurant Menu)

Option	Price
Pasta (Small)	₹280
Pasta (Medium)	₹420
Pasta (Large – Decoy)	₹450

➡ Most guests choose Medium because:

• Large is only slightly bigger but much costlier
• Medium appears as best value for money

Here, the Large acts as the decoy.

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Purpose of Decoy Pricing

• Push customers towards high-profit items
• Increase average bill value
• Simplify decision-making

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Hospitality Examples

• Combo meals
• Beverage sizes
• Room packages
• Buffet vs à la carte pricing

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2. Anchor Pricing

Meaning

Anchor pricing sets a high-priced item first (anchor), which makes other items appear reasonably priced by comparison.

The first price seen becomes the reference point (anchor) in the customer’s mind.

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Example (Hotel Restaurant)

Item	Price
Premium Steak (Anchor)	₹3,500
Grilled Chicken	₹1,200
Veg Platter	₹900

➡ Guests feel ₹1,200 is reasonable because ₹3,500 set the anchor.

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Purpose of Anchor Pricing

• Changes price perception
• Encourages purchase of mid-range items
• Reduces price sensitivity

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Hospitality Examples

• Chef’s special at top of menu
• Premium wine listed first
• Luxury room category shown before standard rooms

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Key Differences

Basis	Decoy Pricing	Anchor Pricing
Focus	Comparison between options	Reference price
Number of items	Usually 3	Usually 1 high-priced item
Customer effect	Choice manipulation	Price perception
Goal	Push specific item	Make others seem affordable

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Conclusion

Both decoy pricing and anchor pricing are powerful menu merchandising tools that subtly guide guest decisions without force, increasing sales and profitability while maintaining guest satisfaction.