I just wanted to take the time to say how much I have enjoyed blogging with all of you this summer!!! It was my first experience and I had such fun. Thank you for taking the time to leave thoughtful comments on my blog.
Prof. Perez, this was a fun course and thanks for everything!
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Cheers!!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
A Favorite Concept
There were many interesting concepts covered in the textbook. A concept that stood out for me was the importance of listening in chapter 3.
"We were given two ears but only one mouth, because listening is twice as hard as talking." unknown
The text describes listening as the forgotten part of communication and I think it is true that we tend to not consciously listen at times. According to Trenholm, we assign meaning when we listen and it is influenced by our habits, expectations and desires, (pg 46). Active listening takes skill and a conscious effort on our part. If we make the effort to truly listen we can do better in school, at work and in our personal relationships. How many times have we listened to a song, a professor lecture or our friends talk and not really remember what they just said? Good communicators not only know how to speak well but they know how to listen well too!! Trenholm gives many helpful tips on how to improve this skill, such as avoiding distractions, know why you are listening and to keep biases at bay.
When we actively listen – we not only listen to what the other party says, but we reflect on what has been said to verify. This type of listening is very effective and important, so we understand the message.
Listening is my favorite concept since it is a big part of our communication and we have a lot at stake when we do not listen. So take the time to actively listen!!!
"We were given two ears but only one mouth, because listening is twice as hard as talking." unknown
The text describes listening as the forgotten part of communication and I think it is true that we tend to not consciously listen at times. According to Trenholm, we assign meaning when we listen and it is influenced by our habits, expectations and desires, (pg 46). Active listening takes skill and a conscious effort on our part. If we make the effort to truly listen we can do better in school, at work and in our personal relationships. How many times have we listened to a song, a professor lecture or our friends talk and not really remember what they just said? Good communicators not only know how to speak well but they know how to listen well too!! Trenholm gives many helpful tips on how to improve this skill, such as avoiding distractions, know why you are listening and to keep biases at bay.
When we actively listen – we not only listen to what the other party says, but we reflect on what has been said to verify. This type of listening is very effective and important, so we understand the message.
Listening is my favorite concept since it is a big part of our communication and we have a lot at stake when we do not listen. So take the time to actively listen!!!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
What I Learned
This was my first online course and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Through the textbook, I learned many interesting things about communication and how it is influenced. I also learned how to become a better communicator. The blog posts of my peers taught me to see the many different perspectives on certain topics and helped me to better understand some difficult topics.
My favorite part about this course was the weekly blogs, reading what others had to say and getting comments from them about my posts. This being a communication course, it made sense to have us all participate by blogging anonymously. We had a chance to see different views that we may not have seen in an actual classroom. This class was well organized with chapter notes and a schedule that was adhered to, because of our wonderful professor.
My least favorite part about the course is not having some visual examples of what a cultural event paper and journal entry should look like. It would have helped me. There is nothing like a model to get a sense of the end product! Sometimes words are not enough to get the whole picture, visually seeing something can put ideas or concepts into perspective. I missed seeing the various reactions to some topics and the heated discussions that happen in some of my other classes. I can’t think of improving it any further!!
This course has taught me a lot and I have really enjoyed being a part of it!!
My favorite part about this course was the weekly blogs, reading what others had to say and getting comments from them about my posts. This being a communication course, it made sense to have us all participate by blogging anonymously. We had a chance to see different views that we may not have seen in an actual classroom. This class was well organized with chapter notes and a schedule that was adhered to, because of our wonderful professor.
My least favorite part about the course is not having some visual examples of what a cultural event paper and journal entry should look like. It would have helped me. There is nothing like a model to get a sense of the end product! Sometimes words are not enough to get the whole picture, visually seeing something can put ideas or concepts into perspective. I missed seeing the various reactions to some topics and the heated discussions that happen in some of my other classes. I can’t think of improving it any further!!
This course has taught me a lot and I have really enjoyed being a part of it!!
Interesting Concepts in this Course
There were some interesting concepts that were brought to light in this class. Some I took for granted and I was not aware it had a specific name. I found the concept that anthropologist Ruth Benedict pointed out, “we are the products of our cultures,” (Trenholm, pg 343) to be interesting. Culture is something that is very hard to shed and it functions out of awareness. We live in a global world and fail to realize how our cultures influence what we say and do. It is important to realize that cultures are neither better nor worse, they are simply different. We share basic similarities such as love, family, friendship and joy that are common among various cultures. Communication is strongly influenced by our culture and we need to become more conscious of it as we communicate. The textbook gave some good examples on how people from different cultures can misunderstand each other. After reading the text, I came to realize how much culture can influence what we say and how we say it!!
Here is a link I provided earlier for those who missed on culture’s influence in communication:
The God's Must be Crazy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66pTPWg_wUw
Another concept I found interesting was nonverbal communication. So much of what we don’t say influences what we do say. Our facial expressions, voice projection, emotions, habits, body language, clothing and touch can sometimes mean more than our words. Trenholm gave some good examples of how nonverbal communication affects what we say. I didn’t realize how I communicate verbally is affected by my different nonverbal cues such as how I dress, my expressions and body movements.
For those who missed it in my post from last week, is a link to a hilarious British comedy called “Mind Your Language,” it shows how different cultures communicate in an English class and their varying perspectives influenced by nonverbal cues!!
1. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1038032130269325008#docid=-3160152744456346475
2.http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6737881634317446434#docid=1038032130269325008
Here is a link I provided earlier for those who missed on culture’s influence in communication:
The God's Must be Crazy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66pTPWg_wUw
Another concept I found interesting was nonverbal communication. So much of what we don’t say influences what we do say. Our facial expressions, voice projection, emotions, habits, body language, clothing and touch can sometimes mean more than our words. Trenholm gave some good examples of how nonverbal communication affects what we say. I didn’t realize how I communicate verbally is affected by my different nonverbal cues such as how I dress, my expressions and body movements.
For those who missed it in my post from last week, is a link to a hilarious British comedy called “Mind Your Language,” it shows how different cultures communicate in an English class and their varying perspectives influenced by nonverbal cues!!
1. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1038032130269325008#docid=-3160152744456346475
2.http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6737881634317446434#docid=1038032130269325008
Friday, August 6, 2010
Ch2: What to Look for When Observing Communication
I found Hymes list of things to look for when observing communication useful, (Trenholm, pg38). When observing communication for my journal entry, I found the task to be a little overwhelming at first. I was also uneasy about observing strangers without their knowledge, an ethnographer’s dilemma!! Hymes says it is important to consider the situation where speech takes place, because our communication and what we say or do varies with the environment. For example, our talk at the beach would be different from one at a restaurant or work meeting. We have to consider whether the communication is casual, serious or stressed based on the situation. I agree with Hymes on the importance of knowing who the participants are, observing the act sequences, the tone or spirit (keys) with which communication is done , the instrumentalities (channels) used and the norms regulating the communication and the genre.
However, I do not agree with him about observing the outcome of an interaction until the end. In my opinion, private conversations should not be observed and if they are, the ethnographer should quit before the communication ends, so the people who are being observed are left with some privacy in the end.
However, I do not agree with him about observing the outcome of an interaction until the end. In my opinion, private conversations should not be observed and if they are, the ethnographer should quit before the communication ends, so the people who are being observed are left with some privacy in the end.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Is Communication a Game?
The pragmatic perspective focuses on how people play the communication game. Communication can be thought of as a patterned interaction, since it takes at least two people to interact and can become patterned over time if we continue to interact and behave in a predictable way. It is like a game because communication has goals, rules, challenges and interaction that are found in games too.
While games are over in a short period of time, communication is ongoing and builds on what has been laid down before. Another factor that differentiates communication and games is that communication is influenced by culture, where as a game of chess or soccer does not have cultural influences on how it is played. Cross-cultural communication is very difficult if you do not understand what offends or pleases the other party, since rules are not written down. Lastly communication considers the personality of the person we are communicating with and the context, but when we play a game it is played with anyone and not necessarily based on the personality of the players, for example a basketball game or a video game.
When communicating with someone we need to consider the social and emotional aspects too and understand the consequences of what we say verbally or non verbally. We each have our own unique ways of communicating with others and interpret our interactions in varying ways!!!
While games are over in a short period of time, communication is ongoing and builds on what has been laid down before. Another factor that differentiates communication and games is that communication is influenced by culture, where as a game of chess or soccer does not have cultural influences on how it is played. Cross-cultural communication is very difficult if you do not understand what offends or pleases the other party, since rules are not written down. Lastly communication considers the personality of the person we are communicating with and the context, but when we play a game it is played with anyone and not necessarily based on the personality of the players, for example a basketball game or a video game.
When communicating with someone we need to consider the social and emotional aspects too and understand the consequences of what we say verbally or non verbally. We each have our own unique ways of communicating with others and interpret our interactions in varying ways!!!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
“Building Worlds through Communication”
We “build worlds” using communication tools provided by our cultures, they are language, beliefs, attitudes, values, roles and rules. Our culture influences how we communicate with each other and what roles we will play. Communicating the right message in the right way can be the key to building successful relationships. According to Trenholm (pg 31), “we must take our parts in the social drama our culture has laid out for us.”
In the American culture people are encouraged to speak freely, because freedom of speech is a right. This is not the case in the Asian culture, where freedom of speech is not always a right in public and usually not so for women. Asians consider the interests of others and the implications of what they say or do upon their family and society. Their communication puts the interest of a community ahead of the individual unlike the west, so Asians are forced not to dream for themselves. Thoughtful and self-disciplined silence is often valued above speech and verbalizing thoughts in Asian cultures.
However, times are changing and as people become educated, they are beginning to decide for themselves what is right and not allowing their culture to influence what they say or do. Not everyone in a culture may view the actions of speech and disclosure in a culturally normative way. Each individual’s communication behavior will differ based on that individual’s experience and other factors such as acculturation, environmental influences, personality, and participation in cultural sub-groups.
Here is a link to a hilarious British comedy called “Mind Your Language,” it shows how different cultures communicate in an English class and their varying perspectives!!
1. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1038032130269325008#docid=-3160152744456346475
2. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6737881634317446434#
In the American culture people are encouraged to speak freely, because freedom of speech is a right. This is not the case in the Asian culture, where freedom of speech is not always a right in public and usually not so for women. Asians consider the interests of others and the implications of what they say or do upon their family and society. Their communication puts the interest of a community ahead of the individual unlike the west, so Asians are forced not to dream for themselves. Thoughtful and self-disciplined silence is often valued above speech and verbalizing thoughts in Asian cultures.
However, times are changing and as people become educated, they are beginning to decide for themselves what is right and not allowing their culture to influence what they say or do. Not everyone in a culture may view the actions of speech and disclosure in a culturally normative way. Each individual’s communication behavior will differ based on that individual’s experience and other factors such as acculturation, environmental influences, personality, and participation in cultural sub-groups.
Here is a link to a hilarious British comedy called “Mind Your Language,” it shows how different cultures communicate in an English class and their varying perspectives!!
1. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1038032130269325008#docid=-3160152744456346475
2. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6737881634317446434#
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