I used to think that communication was a natural process that did not require much teaching or learning. Thus, when faced with a communication breakdown I would wonder “Why doesn’t he get me?”. According to me the message seemed clear enough so I would push the blame to my partner thinking that he was not paying attention. ES2007S covers the fundamentals of communication as a scientific model. This allows me to see communication in a rather different light as opposed to a natural process. The use of a model allows us to pinpoint exactly at which point in the communicative act, a hindrance has occurred causing a communication breakdown.
The course also highlights the factors other than the actual message that can greatly affect the interpretation of the message by the receiver. These include non-verbal cues, tone and context. Majority of people, including me, tend to overlook the weight these factors bear. The importance of these factors shows up clearly, for instance, when resolving a conflict. While the message I would be trying to put across might be valid, my tone and facial expressions result in a different message interpreted.
ES2007S also focuses on writing skills in a working environment, for instance, the writing of an application letter. This task has given me sleepless nights in the past. It is a grueling task that holds great significance but is rarely clarified. This course allows us to receive feedback on tasks such as interviews through its mock interview session. This feedback enables us to work on our shortcomings to improve our interview skills in the long run.
Dear Jigna,
ReplyDeleteThank you for a clear and concise first post! You'd provided illustrative examples of the importance of being an effective communicator, and also shared what you hope to gain from the module - good job there. You have written a well-focused post, and the only problem I can find is the lack of a conclusion - what do you think?
Nevertheless, as I re-read your post (and noting your good language skills), I feel sure that you will make a very good blogging buddy to one of your classmates in class =)
Ms. Lim
Hi Jigna,
ReplyDeleteIndeed, communication is not a natural built-in mechanism in us. At least this is the main message I have taken home thus far. Like what you have mentioned, there are actually lots of factors involved in having an effective communication. Factors which include facial expression, tone and body language. The fundamentals of communication is being integrated into scientific model. I am totally amazed at this!
I believe we will greatly benefit from this module not just from learning how to communicate effectively, but also being able to write an effective resume and doing well for interviews.