Hi everyone welcome to my very first blog! I am Zhiyi, a year 4 Applied Maths major and I would like to know all of you! Do feel free to leave your comments! 
Every time my brother comes home, he will spend all his time with his girlfriend. They went out for dates and they would come home and his girlfriend would stay and accompany him, sometimes till the wee hours of the morning. I found this very normal as I have done this in the past when I was in National Service and my Mum was fine with it. However, she has become emotional lately and refused to talk to my brother or his girlfriend whenever they were in the house. Her silence was a strong nonverbal cue that she was unhappy. This carried on for two weeks.
Finally, my brother broke the cold war and talked to my Mum. She voiced out that she was jealous that she did his laundry, cooked his meals and took care of his every need over the weekend, yet he spent all his time with his girlfriend and did not bother to communicate with her. At this point in time, my brother got angry too and told my Mum that his girlfriend too had not seen him for the whole week and wanted to spend time with him. By maintaining her silence, she was sending signals of disdain for his girlfriend, which he found very rude. He emphasized the point that they had just got together and they needed to communicate more to build a stronger relationship. Since the incident, my brother’s girlfriend has felt awkward and in a dilemma. This is especially so for someone her age, since parents are more senior and thus it is hard to broach the topic.
Till this day, the cold war continues. As an observer in this situation, I empathize and agree with all of them. If you were in my shoes, how would you intervene to alleviate the current problem?
We can work things out.
As a student in my Honours Year as well as a future teacher, I will be required to communicate in various situations and with various audiences. Effective communication skills are required for me to convince my course mates and professors of the merits of my research as well as impart knowledge to my future students. I have identified and shall elaborate on a few concepts that I feel are most relevant to me.
A good understanding of communication networks and channels is important to me as the Honours project presentations are face to face. By circulating hard copy handouts including the important facts and figures, I can help the audience understand and follow my presentation, making it more engaging.
Nonverbal communication cues can be used to convey the right attitude during my presentations and when I am teaching. These include dressing appropriately, using appropriate gestures and maintaining eye contact with the entire audience. This ensures that I showcase a positive attitude and create a good impression on my audience.
Building interpersonal communication skills and fostering intercultural communication are also vital. I would show empathy and respect for my audience by using the right tone and language in the appropriate situations. In consideration of non-Singaporeans in my audience, I would be careful to use Standard English and clarify if I am not understood. This is also relevant in my future career as I would be interacting with a variety of students.
Understanding the need for me communicate effectively is only the first step. Learning about communication tools and applying these concepts, as well as making new friends along the way, will be my aim for this module. Armed with these tools and networks, I feel better prepared to embark on this very important year and my future career.
Labels: communication
We can work things out.
You've got to test it.
Testing 1,2 and 3. Over.
Roger?
We can work things out.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
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