Saturday, August 23, 2008

1st Blog Entry!

The ability to communicate with others is something innate to us since infancy. Heart rendering cries of the babies will often prompt adults into immediate action. However, most adults tend to be reduced to a state of panic – trying to appease the babies’ desires yet not knowing what the babies want. It goes to show that while communicating with others seem easy, effective communication is anything but easy. Like the babies, effective communication can only be achieved when both parties reach a common understanding. It is a complex operation that requires a huge amount of effort before one can be deemed a competent communicator.

Personally, developing effective communication skills is important to me as it will become a necessity in my career as a prospective teacher. My internship at a secondary school has enlightened me to several components that I have long since neglected – language and non verbal cues. All of us use some form of language in our daily life to communicate to one another, fast and harmless. Yet, language if used inappropriately can be quite hurtful to others. The choice of words and accompanying tone can influence communication. In addition, each individual will react differently to the words since there is no control over how one chooses to interpret them. In class, there will be a huge variety of students who come from different cultures and backgrounds. Though language can help to breach cultural barriers, one has to be wary of any potential miscommunication that may result from it.

Similarly, non verbal communication is another component that most of us have either neglected or ignored. Yet, it is this form of communication that is used majority of the time. In fact, the verbal part of the message means less than the non verbal part. Students, for instance, tend to hide their feelings from others, thinking that it is ‘uncool’ otherwise. As a teacher, one has to be able to read non verbal cues and not simply take the words at face value. A common trap that most of us fall into is the blind acceptance of ‘I am fine’ – usually things are not fine. I believe that one has to understand the importance of non verbal communication in order to be an effective teacher.

Effective communication is essential to numerous aspects of our life. The ability to communicate well with your family, friends, colleagues and even strangers is much desired as it will contribute to a higher quality of life – a life where there is no unnecessary misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Hence, as long as we are willing to spend the time to develop these skills, not only will we succeed in our future prospects, but also in lives.

posted by Max (Zong Neng) at 7:21 AM