Practical Applications of an Introductory Course in Communication - Term Paper Example

What are the Practical Applications of an Introductory in Communication? Communication is one of the things in our everyday lives that many people take granted for (Wood 3). It is also one of the most essential elements to successfully keep up with day-to-day living. It is the process of an information exchange by which two parties swap roles of being a sender and a receiver of data, and each would be reacting in accordance with whatever information was sent and received. Exchanges of communication can be in many forms, such as spoken communication, written communication, and even body language, which make communication something that is automatically done by anyone, even without much deliberate thinking. Aside from being an integral part in the functioning of societies, communication is also powerful. Civilizations were made possible through communication exchanges within various levels as well as the passing on of legacies to the future generations. Thus, it can be implied that being able to communicate something which the culture of its people had created, based mostly on their unified ideas, customs, and traditions. Communication is able to bridge the gaps between races, cultures, and even among generations within each civilization, provided that each group has a clear understanding of the common language being used. However, due to the lack of proper communication and understanding between a group of people and others that have different traditions and cultures, these same civilizations crumbled and died down. The results of such miscommunications can range from anything like wars, invasions, or simple civil disobedience from society members. Therefore, it is very important that people are able to exchange their thoughts in ways that can be understood by others, as well as decreasing ambiguities and increasing specificities in the language being used without compromising respect (Wood 72). By being able to communicate effectively with others, misunderstandings can be put to a minimum, and in return could produce a society that highly reflects the values and the people living in it. These are strong reasons why studies regarding how to communicate effectively to all levels of people or entities are relevant, especially in a fast-paced world where people have strong tendencies to interpret things based solely on their own experiences and ideas, while discounting ideas from others. Being able to communicate is one of the hardest things to learn, at least for most people. While some people could easily speak their mind, many others are scared to do so, or even the thought of doing it. Many factors can be attributed to this, such as fears of the unknown and the unsure, especially when this involves having to immerse or interact with unfamiliar settings, groups, or environment, or even in trying to acclimatize to a new age or era (Frey 7). Other problems can also come from privacy dilemmas, painful memories associated with communicating, or simply lack of bonding from others (34). Still other factors would be language barriers, traditions and customs that may not be easily translated into another language due to its uniqueness in that particular culture, or even just the various experiences that each person has. However, sooner or later these fears must be faced, if not for the convenience of the person, for safety as well as preservation of life. In an example of a life or death situation such as a conversation between paramedics and a person that just got into an accident, there must proper communication from both parties. Given the scenario that the injured person is conscious and able to hear a bit and talk even in a not-so fluent way, he or she must be willing and able to communicate with the paramedics about some basic information such as name, address, how the accident occurred, what body parts are in pain, etc., or whatever other information the paramedics needed to know, whether or not the victim understands the language being spoken by the relief team. On the other hand, the paramedics must also be able to decipher body language cues from the victim, aside from verbal cues from the patient, especially when the patient is close to becoming unconscious or if there is a possibility of a language barrier. If either one of the party chose not to communicate in any way, the accident victim risks dying as a result of not getting proper help needed, and the paramedics would have let a person die because they did not understand what the other person wanted. Challenges such as being unfamiliar with the language and cultures of others, appreciation of complex human viewpoints, or even ignoring changing situations in the society could greatly affect the communication exchanges between peoples from various ethnic backgrounds (Wood 12). While it does not require for people to be in a life-or-death situation to be able to communicate, it is essential that knowledge of communication be known, as well as the positive and negative impacts of exchanging information and ideas and conveying them (Wood 7). Being able to communicate effectively with others can be a lot helpful not just in getting things done or having things that a person would want, but it would also help build meaningful relationships with many people, as well as allowing the world to become much more open-minded. Let us say in the basic unit of society such as the family, it is very relevant that each member works hard in altering the communication style to suit the needs and understanding of each member they interact with (Frey 27). There is also emphasis on building better communication skills as one gets older, since it is expected that older people have much more experiences compared to younger ones, and thus must be a bit more patient (Wood 51). Simplifying things for children in a way that they would be able to understand instructions or messages better is an effective communication skill that would help in strengthening the family unit, and by constantly reinforcing this kind of exchanges among family members, family values, customs, and traditions can be successfully passed on from each generation to the next, while the members are being able to communicate openly with one another. In order to cite examples which I have personally experienced, I shall be mentioning some situations that entail me to communicate properly as well as being able to understand people based on our shared experiences and bonds. As a member of a family unit with many members, I personally had to deal with the different ages of my family members. For example, I only use simple terms and words for my younger siblings, as well as being discreet and polite with my speech patterns so that they would not become confused and that they could also emulate it. In communicating with my elder siblings, while a little respect is still there, I could easily change my communication style such as using terms and tones that we could similarly relate to, including more complex words. Every now and then I could easily relax a bit when around them, since at present our experiences are similar, which gives for a much more open communication style. In dealing with the parents however, a balance between saying what I wanted to say while being polite is needed. While I do not need to speak like a toddler or a child in front of them since I am already an adult, but because the parents are older and much more experienced than I am, my choice of words are carefully selected so as not to give them the wrong idea, or offend them in any way. By being able to convey my thoughts effectively towards each family member, there is a decrease in misunderstandings, which is essential in keeping the ties within the family strong and reliable (Frey 29). Also, communication boundaries are set on the early stages of childhood, as well as being implemented consistently all throughout the family’s growth, which would further solidify the values and beliefs within the family unit. Aside from the practical applications of good communication skills in the family and its effects in building a relationship with openness and strong family ties, as a Division I or DI hockey player I also realize the importance of being able to convey thoughts effectively within our team. Because we are united in having a common goal of winning the championship, as well as being in the same group of hockey players, the whole team would need to have a language of our own, that everyone in the team would understand (Caruso 79). While our strategies would often be based on who the competing team would be, we would also be relying on how our coach brings up his game strategy, and by having a set of meanings and terminologies that everyone understands and agrees upon, his explanations would be clear for each team member. In order for us to successfully execute a game plan, the coach must be able to say what he thinks is a good strategy in order to win a game, and he accomplishes this by speaking in what I would refer to as “game language”, which the whole team relates to. If our coach used another kind of language, say a language full of mathematical terminologies, it would make it harder for some members to understand what the coach is trying to tell us, especially with members that do not have mathematical inclinations. Thus the importance of having a common language within the group and each member being able to fully understand it would give us a higher chance of winning the game, which is also the team’s common goal. While our coach’s responsibility would be adjusting his “game language” in order to effectively illustrate his thoughts and ideas as team members, we are responsible not just for trying to understand the whole “game language”, but also for listening carefully to what our coach is trying to tell us, so as not to commit mistakes, especially during the crucial parts of each match. Since we all share a similar “game language”, there is no excuse for anyone in failing to understand what coach expects us to do, after all pertinent questions have been asked. It is not prohibited to ask coach for any clarifications, since it would help a lot in clearing things that might be vague for others, and this could help greatly for the whole team to get a much more understandable picture of what needs to be done (Caruso 79). Also, because effective communication requires people to focus on how to deliver as well as how to receive all kinds of information as best as possible, it is necessary that each member contributes to our victory not just by being able to communicate verbally but also doing that successfully through body language. This is especially true when we are already in the rink and there is a limitation for verbal cues. Each member must also be aware of what takes place during the match so as to react accordingly to each situation that might happen. Being able to read and make non-verbal cues with my team mates as well as doing our best in each game not only gives each member a chance to talk or communicate with each other, but it is also essential for use to become an even more solid team, bringing us closer and tightening our bonds. Communication is an elaborate process that requires its participants to act deliberately in receiving and transmitting information. However, it is also important that each member that transmits the information (sender) also keeps in mind who will the receiver be, as well as the experiences, memories, and beliefs that this person has. If the sender is not careful, misunderstandings, incorrect received information, or other problems would be the result. However, not all responsibility rests on the shoulders of the senders, but also the receivers of the information must be able to interpret this shared knowledge, and be open to clarify things should some distractions or noise arose during the course of the information exchange. By being alert and at the same time being courteous to the verbal and non-verbal cues of each party, as well as giving respects to the boundaries set forth, misinterpretations can be minimized, if not prevented. Thus, after having an introductory course in communication, I was not only able to understand the importance of successfully communicating with others, but I also learned how to communicate properly with different people, especially to those which I have strong bonds with. Works Cited Caruso, Andrew. Sports Psychology Basics. Spring City, PA: Reedswain Publishing, 2005. Print. Frey, Lawrence R. Group Communication in Context: Studies in Bona Fide Groups. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Inc., 2003. Print. Wood, Julia T. Communication Mosaics: An Introduction to the Field of Communication. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, 2010. Print. Read More