Communicating with others from a difference culture

I work at a center where diversity is welcome and supported each and every day. It is wonderful to work with children, family and colleagues who is different in many ways such as: culture, history, language and the way we live. Learning about various cultural history is a wonderful way to become open-mined of people difference, values and religious background. I love the fact in my classroom we expose children to both the English and Spanish language. There is a Spanish teacher who has just started and we are learning from each other. I find myself asking her a lot how to say certain words and its meaning and she in terms ask me how she say certain words too. Because of her accent I find myself asking her to repeat what she said because I don’t understand what she said. There were time I did not hear or understand a person who spoke with an accent, but stead of saying something I would smile and nod my head like I agree with what was said. O’Hair and Wiemann (2012) notes “Pseudo listening” is pretending to listen by nodding or saying “uh-huh” when you’re really not paying attention.  

The three thing that I use as strategies to help communicate more effectively are:

1.      Listening carefully (being attentive with focus).

2.      Speak slowly and ask question when I do not understand 

3.      Valuing what people  have to say, give good eye contact and respect others opinion

 

References:

 

O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: Am introduction. New York:

            Bed ford/St. Martin’s

The television series assignment: Learning about communication skills and styles

The television series chose to watch during this blog assignment is called “Wentworth”, which is season 1 episode 3: the girl who waited.

“Wentworth is filmed at an all women prison. In this particular episode the relationship seem to be a little confusing especially with no volume, because I did not know if they were being nice or mean to each other. For example: when two lady talk to each the one particular woman in charge had a smile on her face. With the volume up I realize she was talking mean to her, but with a smile on her face. In other words I guess the woman in charge was talking in a pretty nice way. With the volume down I though the conversation was good as the characters talked to each other. With the volume up character in the television episode did not have a good communicative relationship with one another. After looking at the television series in silence, I have noticed various facial expression some of the characters made such as: Smiling, crying, frowning of the face and laughing with their mouth open and there were facial expression of angry as well.

At the beginning of this particular I noticed a little wearing a chef uniform, there was a man looked as though he was yelling and some people seem to be filming it. After then the man/boss finish yelling at this particular Chef, she walked away from him. All of a sudden the lady/chef turned around hit the boss in the face and poured hot butter all over him, which properly the reason why she ended up behind the prison  wall. After going to prison I noticed that this same particular woman seems to come in contact with other women in the prison in both negative and positive way. The woman was helping other prisoner and getting into them as well.          

Now watching the show with the sound turned on was similar to my perception of what I thought was taking place already. I believe the language was convey in a pretty nice way in which someone got angry. With the volume down the body language or cues was slightly difference then what I thought what the way saying. The assumption I made about the characters was on point about my interpretation of what was going on in the plot of this movie.

I fact I like it better with the sound turn down, because it focus to pay close attention to what was happening in the show. I was close to the assumption I had when the volume turned down and up. I am going to go back just to watch other episodes. It is important to be careful in assuming what a personal made be feeling or looking alike. It is better to know the entire story or reasoning behind what they do. If I have watch the show before my assumption would have been clear, correct and to the point.

Demonstrating Competent Communication

The person I think about that demonstrated competent communication within a particular context is President Barak Obama. Listening to some of his pervious speeches I found President Obama to be an interesting and amazing speaker. President Obama is very articulate and words are clear, precise and to the point. During his first inauguration speech President Obama showed competent by the way he recited his speech without putting focus in looking down at the words written on his paper. He seemed to keep eye contact more on the American people/his voters. While looking at the inauguration on television I noticed the crowd of people gave President Obama their full attention. Some people was crying, so looked in awe and other were joyous by the big smile that was on their face. I truly believe President Barak Obama is intelligent, effective in his communication skill and well education. I also think he is good role model in professionalism, because he continue to show self-control and do his best especially when others seems to work against him. Yes, I would like to model some my own communication behaviors after President Barak Obama, because I will be a competent, effective and amazing speaker like him.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjnygQ02aW4