Individual Essay

8. Write an essay in which you explain why our society might especially need to improve communication between and among people. .

Effective Public Communication (FCOM0102)

Class Assignment 1

Lim Pui Yee (0313 0!)

F"#E $%LY 2013 & FCOM0102 Effective Public Communication

Communication is the performance, by one or more person, of sending and receiving messages that are distorted by noise, occur within a context, have some effect and provide some opportunity for feedback. The elements present in every communication act are context source-receiver, competence, field of experience, messages, channel, noise, sending or encoding processes, receiving or decoding processes, effects and ethics. Generally, it is important to communicate well between and among people. It can help us to understand what a person is saying which also means that they can express their own needs and concerns through communication. There are several reasons why society might especially need to improve communication between and among people. irstly, society needs to improve communication between and among people because it will help to avoid misunderstandings. Communication helps us to get what we want by expressing ourselves appropriately. !hen we get to express ourselves, there will be fewer misunderstandings. There are a few skills that we can apply when expressing ourselves such as nonverbal messages. "onverbal communication is communication without words# it is communication that takes place through bodily gestures, facial expressions and others. $esearchers identified five ma%or types of body movements# emblems, illustrators, affect displays, regulators and adaptors &'kman( riesen, )*+*# ,napp ( -all, )**+.. The affect displays are movements of the face but also of the hands and general body that communicate emotional meaning. !e use it to reinforce our verbal messages or substitute for words. or example, we might %ust smile
F"#E $%LY 2013 & FCOM0102 Effective Public Communication

while saying how happy we are to see our friend or we might %ust smile. /y smiling we will definitely avoid some misunderstandings such as we do not really want to meet with that person. 0econdly, communication helps to do our %ob well. 1ne of the communication skills we should improve is interpersonal communication. Interpersonal communication is an extremely practical art and our effectiveness as a friend and especially coworker will depend mainly on our interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills are crucial to professional success. There was once an article about an issue titled, 2-ow to get hired3 !e asked recruiters what 4./.5 graduates are doing wrong. Ignore their advice at your peril6 &5lsop, 7889. published by the !all 0treet :ournal. It was soon found out that 2communication and interpersonal skills6 was at the top of the list. 'mployers identified work ethic, communications, information gathering and people skills at the top of the list followed by analytical and problem-solving skills. These capabilities apply through all fields. Interpersonal skills can also be said as to play an important role in preventing workplace violence. Clearly, interpersonal skills help us to become a more effective relationship partner and a more successful professional, regardless of our specific professional goal. Thirdly, communication should be improved between and among people so that we are able to get our messages to others clearly. !ords are supposed to be a means to an end, but without them we are unable to effectively communicate our thoughts and ideas. ;ltimately the listener should be only interested in the content of our speech, but the truth is we are more likely to listen to somebody who speaks clearly than somebody who might have the best ideas but can<t communicate with them properly. In
F"#E $%LY 2013 & FCOM0102 Effective Public Communication

communication, there are two ma%or signal systems which are the verbal and nonverbal. The verbal system consists largely of signals we send through air that are received through hearing. !e can speak both denotatively and connotatively. 4ost of the time we will communicate with a clear recognition of the grammatical and the cultural rules of the language. !e will focus not only on words but on the person communicating, recogni=ing that meanings are largely in the person. >eople will understand what we are trying to deliver as our communication is clear enough. ourthly, we can build trust and respect when society improves their communication among people. ?istening is an important key to successful communication where we are able to build trust and respect among one and another. It is one of the primary ways in which we discover others, enrich our relationships and broaden our knowledge. /eing a good listener involves actively attending to and understanding the messages we hear. ?istening is defined as the active process of receiving, constructing meaning from and responding to spoken and or non-verbal messages. ?istening helps us build and uphold relationships and can even help us determine whether the person we are talking to is being deceitful &di /atista, )**@.. or example, we should practice active listening in our life. 5ctive listening is 2involved listening with a purpose6 &/arker, )*@).. It comprises of four steps which are listening carefully, paraphrasing what is heard mentally and verbally, checking our understanding and providing feedback. Through this skill, less misunderstanding will occur and both speaker and listener will gain respect from each other. In conclusion, learning to communicate well is an essential skill. !e are able to avoid misunderstanding, do our %ob well, get our messages to others clearly and build
F"#E $%LY 2013 & FCOM0102 Effective Public Communication

trust and respect among each other when we communicate well. Therefore, society might especially need to improve communication between and among people to create a better environment.

&AB* words.

F"#E $%LY 2013 & FCOM0102 Effective Public Communication

$eferences ). CeDito, :5. &788@.. The Interpersonal Communication Book. ;nited 0tates of 5merica3 >earson 'ducation, Inc. 7. CeDito, :5. &)***.. Essentials of Human Communication. ;nited 0tates3 5ddison !esley ?ongman, Inc. E. >earson, :, "elson, >, Titsworth, 0 ( -arter, ?. &788+, 788E.. Human Communication. "ew Fork, "F3 The 4cGraw--ill Companies, Inc.

F"#E $%LY 2013 & FCOM0102 Effective Public Communication