Communicating

Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?

            I do find that I communicate differently with people from different groups and cultures. I speak differently when I am surrounded by people of my own culture than when I am not. There are cultural ways of speaking that I tend to use more around people that belong to the same culture as I do. For example, it would be appropriate to use slang words if I wanted to.  If I am communicating with people that I am unfamiliar with, I tend to not speak very much. If I do need to speak, I do not use slang words. I tend to use a more proper English.

 I also communicate differently with people in professional setting versus a nonprofessional setting. There are terms and ways of communicating that each work setting uses to communicate among its employees. I have learned the ways that my current job uses to communicate among my colleagues.

Three strategies that I could use to communicate better:

·         I could get to know others and how they communicate

·         I could utilize the Platinum Rule to communicate more effectively with people of other groups and cultures.

·         I could also take more time and learn about my own communication styles to learn how to communicate more effectively with others.

Nonverbal communication

Watch the show with the sound turned off.

I watched a show that my husband chose for me that I have never seen before. Its called Gavin and Stacy. It’s a British show.

·         What do you think the characters' relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating?

o   There is a guy and a girl on the phone together. They seem to know each other very well. They are laughing and seem to have a good relationship.

o   The girl gets off the bus and is greeted by an older woman. They seem to know each other. They may be neighbors.

o   Girl goes home to roommate/mom and has dinner. They have a regular dinner conversation.

·         What are they feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing?

o   I think that the girl is feeling happy and she seems to have people around her that support her and care for her.

Now, watch the show with the sound turned on.

·         What assumptions did you make about the characters and plot based on the ways in which you interpreted the communication you observed?

o   I assumed that the guy and girl on the phone were close friends and that they knew each other well. They have never met before. They only spoke on the phone and are going to meet for a blind date.

o   I assumed that the older woman was having normal neighborly conversation with the girl. I was right about them being neighbors, but the old woman had a bit of a foul mouth.

o   I also assumed that the girl went home to a roommate, but it was her mother and they do have a good relationship. The dinner conversation was a normal one that could have been between a mother and daughter. It was a very comedic conversation though.

·         Would your assumptions have been more correct if you had been watching a show you know well?

o   I do think that my assumptions would have been correct if it had been a show that I know well. I would have known the relationships between the characters and may have been able to guess what the conversations would have been about.

·         I found that reading body language/nonverbal communication is not very hard when the sound is off, it is easier to focus on facial expressions and gestures. When the sound is on, I found that I paid more attention to the dialogue.

Communication

For your blog this week, think of someone (e.g., family member, celebrity, politician, friend, or professor) who demonstrates competent communication within a particular context. What behaviors does this person exhibit that make him or her effective? Would you want to model some of your own communication behaviors after this person? Why or why not?

My dad is someone who demonstrates competent communication within a business setting. He is very smart and has a wealth of knowledge about the topics he discusses at work. He uses good communication skills and maintains eye contact and uses good body language. He is able to listen to others and work with them to come up with solutions to problems.

I would like to model some of my own communication behaviors after him because I feel that they are effective. He is able to communicate with many different people in many different settings. I think that this is a great quality to have.