The first in a series of manuals designed for instructor/coordinators of Richland College's cooperative education seminars, this volume contains two learning modules focusing on basic communication and speaking and listening skills. First, the manual examines the growing emphasis on communication skills in business, emphasizing changes in corporate structure and philosophy, the amount of work time spent communicating, and the costs of ineffective communication in business. Next, the module on the basics of communication discusses the role of the sender, receiver, message, and environment in the communication process; corporate concerns about this process; and the influences of personal life orientations, perceptions, and expectations, and of position, stereotyping, and individual labels on effective communication. The module on speaking and listening skills examines one- and two-way communication; the speaker's responsibility for creating a climate conducive to effective communication, for being direct, for using specific but simple words and phrases, for requesting feedback, and for listening carefully. It also considers ways of communicating more effectively by adjusting one's attitude, using open-ended questions, and listening; and ways to improve listening habits. Each module introduces basic concepts and principles in an overview for instructors and states objectives, lists additional resources, and contains exercises and other instructional materials. (DAB)