What are your main take away lessons from the assigned reading this week? Describe and explain.

Chapter 3

This chapter focused on providing insight on matters to do with culture as it pertains to communication. Adler at al., (2014) have defined culture as “the language, values, beliefs, traditions, and customs people share and learn” (p. 77). The cultural values and norms that people uphold tend to affect the way they communicate. Failure to embrace the cultural differences that exist might result in communication barrier in one way or another. As a result, Adler et al., (2014) emphasize the importance of developing intercultural communication competence. This is because it helps in ensuring that communication between people is always effective regardless of the cultural backgrounds involved. The ingredients of enhancing intercultural communicative competence include increased contact, tolerance for ambiguity, open-mindedness, knowledge and skill, and patience and perseverance.

Chapter 4

The chapter has helped in showing how language is symbolic. It entails “arbitrary constructions that represent a communicator’s thoughts” (Adler et al., 2014 p. 103). Language is a powerful tool given that it provides people with the opportunity of satisfying basic needs such as making requests, solving problems and describing ideas. Language also has the ability to inform on how an individual feels about you or something else that is at the center of discussion. This is based on the words that they use and how they phrase them. Even while on a date, it becomes easy to ascertain whether someone is attracted to you or not given the language they use.

How will they affect the way you communicate?

Lessons learned from both chapters have the probability of affecting the way that I communicate. One thing I will have to adopt in order to improve my way of communication is intercultural communicative competence. As a student, I have come across people from different cultural backgrounds. Sometimes it has been difficult to communicate efficiently given the differences in perspectives that exist.  In professional life, I will also have to encounter this multiculturalism, and I do not want to experience difficulties with the communication prospects. I need to exercise the art of perseverance more so in communication endeavors that I find challenging.

When it comes to language, I will have to be keener while conversing with other people to deduce their attitudes even when they are not making it clear. This will be aided by the analysis of the language that is being used. This will help in deducing what they think about me or the other relevant issues in our communication subject matter as early as possible.

In what ways do the concepts in the videos and readings relate to your professional life in education?

In addition to this week’s readings, there was also the provision of videos that were very informative. There is a video on “Generation Gaps” that shows how communication can be different between people of different generations. This is due to the different ideologies that these generations possess. This shows the need for developing communication competence to enable the different generations to communicate effectively. The TED talk “It’s not fair having 12 pairs of legs” showcases a similar aspect. Aimee Mullins had some weird interactions with children given that her legs were prosthetic. She has also gone against the norms of having human-like legs to developing legs that were completely different something that has the probability of raising eyebrows among other people, but she feels contented with it since she has developed the ability to deal with people coming from different backgrounds. “Racial Documentary ‘other’ Mixed Identity” showcases the concept of cultural differences too. It shows individuals that have mixed races. When their parents interacted in the first place, they ought to have had intercultural communication competence for their relationships to move forward. This is because this would have enhanced efficient communication regardless of the differences in the backgrounds of origin. The TED talk “Weird, or just different” shows how people from different cultural backgrounds express themselves differently. Derek Sivers has given an example of how people from different countries give directions in different ways. Failure to develop intercultural communication competence is likely to result in communication barrier in such instances.

In the big bang theory video, Penny is showing Howard how to catch and cut fish to help him bond with the father in law. Based on Howard’s language and reaction, it is clear that he hates this activity. However, the fact that he is still willing to go ahead with the process shows the attitude towards the father in law, and that he really wants to bond with him.  Kmart “Ship My Pants” commercial on its part uses a language that might be confusing to the audience depending on how they perceive the message within the first few seconds. Using such language in a commercial might be misleading to some people. In the video “Parents are Gay Bashed in Front of their Children” due to their sexual preference. The language that the waiter uses is a clear indication of her negative attitude towards gays even if she does not say it out loud. Tim Gunn in the “Dictionary” video uses vocabulary often while communicating to people around him. He uses words that are unique, and this makes it easy for the people being addressed to remember the issue at hand. This is an indication of how language can have an impact on how people remember what they have been told in past conversations.

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