Category: Communication

Portfolio Assignment

People use nonverbal and verbal means in order to reach an enormous number of personal objectives and deliver meaningful messages. Communication can take different forms depending on whether it occurs in everyday or organizational contexts and the presence of technology applications and tools. This papers purpose is to summarize and discuss my skills in interpersonal, group/organizational, and technology-mediated communication with reference to models of communication.

Interpersonal Communication

Just like other individuals, I have to apply interpersonal communication skills linked to speaking, listening, and building relationships to deal with everyday tasks and be able to transform my efforts and ideas into tangible and substantial results. Speaking about the general trends related to my performance, despite occasional difficulties and the cases of misunderstanding due to value differences, I usually succeed at performing tasks that require well-developed interpersonal communication skills. As an example, I am capable of getting across to people of different generations, including children, adapting to various speech patterns when listening to my partners in conversation, and managing conflicts to maintain productive relationships.

The application of interpersonal communication skills is always aimed at receiving the expected reaction, and it is reasonable to use the concept of the looking-glass self to conduct self-evaluation. As Cooley suggested in 1902, individuals self-concept is a combination of their self-image and others reactions to their behaviors (Jones, 2015). Basically, with reference to the reactions component, I am quite successful at exchanging messages with other people.

Since I live in a multinational country, I have to verbally communicate with individuals from different linguistic backgrounds, which requires the presence of well-developed spoken language skills. When engaging in communication with non-native speakers of English, I rarely observe confusion and puzzlement as a reaction to my words since I strive to formulate verbal messages with attention to my interlocutors characteristics, including age, a field of expertise, and ethnicity. In business, educational, and everyday contexts, my interlocutors usually get at the intended meanings of my phrases effortlessly, which is clear from their substantive responses.

My listening skills can also be evaluated with reference to the looking-glass self. As a woman, I fulfill multiple social roles, including those of a daughter, a relative, a mother, a friend, a student, and a professional on a daily basis, and it requires being an active and reflective listener. An important component of active listening, behavioral processes, involves the use of verbal and nonverbal signals to demonstrate that the message has been understood (Jones, Bodie, & Hughes, 2016).

In my conversations with people from different cultures, I may use nonverbal signs, such as nodding and maintaining eye contact and also paraphrase some parts of what my interlocutors have just said to show mutual understanding. It is worthy of notice that my interlocutors in business conversations react to these strategies in a positive way, which is evident from their willingness to continue speaking and sharing their ideas. Basically, I find pleasure in listening to others and trying to understand different worldviews as it often helps me to find inspiration for working on my creative projects, including a poetry book and a podcast.

When it comes to relationship skills, my acquaintances would probably describe me as a friendly and polite person capable of softening sharp corners. Others usually manifest emotional openness and readiness to discuss their successes and failures with me, which is, to some extent, the result of my self-improvement efforts. Before studying communications and media and getting experience in podcasting, I was more selfish when applying interpersonal skills to relationship building. Applying Lasswells sentence-based model, it is possible to say that I express willingness to understand others and avoid judging them using both online channels and real-life communication in order to build and improve relationships (Tinianow & Fairley, 2015).

In the Relating Through Communication Assignment completed before, I reflect on my communication issues in the past, including being less understanding and trying to stay quiet instead of voicing my position in case of conflicts. Today, both personal experience and new knowledge from the course prevent me from repeating the mistakes of the past.

Group and Organizational Communication

Organizational and group communication, as is clear from the term, refers to the coordination of efforts to pursue the goals of groups or organizations. Basically, to practice this form of communication, a person should be a good team member and demonstrate awareness of his or her groups objectives and the desired vector of growth. Throughout my life, I have been a part of multiple groups, including hobby groups at school, sports teams, groups of employees, and so on. I have experience in the roles of both team leaders and usual members, and it makes me quite good at communicating with others to organize their work and sharing information with team members to be a cog in the wheel.

Five characteristics that would describe me as a communicator include politeness, attention to details, readiness to built rapport, emotional intelligence, and IT literacy. According to the symmetry model proposed by Newcomb, there are reciprocal links between two communicators and the subject of communication (Tinianow & Fairley, 2015). As Newcomb explains, the way that one communicator feels about the other influences his or her orientation towards the subject of communication, and this is why I apply situational awareness and my knowledge of specific details when formulating messages.

For instance, when acting as a team leader, I make any conversations about common goals aligned with my interlocutors personal circumstances and problems. Building rapport and digital literacy are believed to be critical to success in organizational communication, and I demonstrate these characteristics by using proper body language and active listening and engaging in online communication (Powless & Schafer, 2016). Finally, as a group member, I apply emotional intelligence skills to prevent conflicts and reduce emotional overload.

Summarizing my learning and work-related experiences, I can say that my most frequent roles in groups and organizations include acting as an intermediary between conflicting parties or individuals and creating a sense of unity. The details of these informal roles may vary from one group to another. Territoriality in the workplace is inherent in psychological ownership and sometimes leads to conflicts (Brown & Zhu, 2016).

When acting as a team member, I avoid engaging in territorial behaviors to prevent creating the imbalance of power and barriers to communication. Also, my personal space bubble is quite small since I have enough resistance to stress needed to work hard as a team member and fulfill my parenting responsibilities on a daily basis. This has not always been the case, but today, this fact makes my communication with others more productive and prevents me from having emotional outbursts.

Family communication constitutes a large and important part of my life, and the willingness to maintain healthy relationships shapes my approaches to conflicts with relatives. In family communication, I usually act as an understanding and uncomplaining person but never allow others to ignore my needs and take my care and support for granted. Therefore, as a family member, I am capable of balancing between common goals and my own psychological health, which is embodied in specific characteristics, including self-management, positive self-esteem, and tolerance to stress.

As a single mother of two children, I am often one on one with people who have not mastered the art of negotiation yet, and it requires me to apply both communication and teaching skills to ensure common understanding.

Technology-Mediated Communication

Technology-mediated communication or TMC is aimed at using the most recent technology to facilitate the exchange of information. TMC is broadly defined as any type of communication that uses technology (Tinianow & Fairley, 2015). I resort to it every day to stay in touch with interlocutors that are far away from me and continue working on my projects. Overall, I consider my TMC skills to be rather good since I am aware of differences between offline and online communication etiquette and quickly become familiar with new services for communication and how to use them.

It is challenging to engage in TMC without having proper technological skills, and I devote enough time to develop and improve my practical knowledge. According to the mathematical model of communication, the receivers ability to get the message as soon as possible is influenced by the presence of noise sources or factors that delay message delivery (Tinianow & Fairley, 2015). From my experience, such delays can be costly, and I prefer to use my technological skills to reduce the influence of noise sources.

For instance, to increase the chances that an important message is received as soon as possible, I approach an intended recipient using a number of channels, including short message service, social media, e-mail, and so on. Other technological skills that are worth mentioning include my ability to use plenty of programs and services to present my messages in an appropriate format. For instance, I actively use Microsoft Office to format and improve my future poetry book and have experience in creating presentations, audio and video files, surveys, and other information products.

My communication skills related to TMC are based on a good knowledge of the netiquette. It is known that business communications via social media are less open than personal ones, and I always consider these differences when formulating my messages (Linek & Ostermaier-Grabow, 2018). According to Schramms model, for the signal to be decoded in an intended way, there should be commonness between the two communicating parties, and these communicators fields of experience must overlap (Tinianow & Fairley, 2015).

I make quite successful attempts to create this commonness when engaging in TMC with different populations. As an example, I avoid youth slang or Internet abbreviations in conversations with older adults that are new Internet users. Overall, as a social media user, I demonstrate knowledge of the emoji language and online etiquette when exchanging messages with relatives, any business partners, and friends.

Considering my preferred channels for TMC, I am an experienced user of social networking websites, mobile communications, and programs for video conferencing. In particular, I often use Facebook to stay connected with friends, check out the latest news in my city, and search for like-minded people all over the world. Using mobile services, I make calls and send short messages to my relatives and friends on a daily basis. Finally, I use Skype primarily for personal purposes, including virtual meetings with relatives living outside of my state.

Broadly speaking, TMC services available today meet the majority of my needs related to communication and enable me to form new relationships and maintain older ones. However, I would be more satisfied if there was a social networking service for amateur and professional poets for communication, sharing ones works with more experienced colleagues, and receiving feedback and recommendations. I would use such social networks to win a reputation in the community, learn from other poets, and develop a more unique style of writing.

TMC is commonly associated with multiple issues, but from my experience, it facilitates information exchange and destroys distance barriers effectively. The recent increase in TMC accessibility is believed to contribute to isolation, decreased social interaction, Internet addiction, and depressive disorders (Tinianow & Fairley, 2015). From my perspective, TMC use can have such consequences in people that are initially incommunicative, whereas this communication modes effect on privacy is more dangerous because it affects everyone equally. Thus, in the Comparing Modes of Communication Assignment, I discuss confidentiality issues associated with TMC and argue that face-to-face interactions offer more privacy.

Conclusion

To sum it up, despite some areas for improvement, I consider myself a good communicator when it comes to establishing and maintaining contacts with particular individuals or entire groups of people. Moreover, adequately developed communication abilities are used in combination with appropriate technological skills. Therefore, I manage to make use of modern means of communication to remove physical barriers to information exchange and establish new liaisons.

References

Brown, G., & Zhu, H. (2016). My workspace, not yours: The impact of psychological ownership and territoriality in organizations. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 48, 54-64.

Jones, J. M. (2015). The looking glass lens: Self-concept changes due to social media practices. The Journal of Social Media in Society, 4(1), 100-125.

Jones, S. M., Bodie, G. D., & Hughes, S. D. (2016). The impact of mindfulness on empathy, active listening, and perceived provisions of emotional support. Communication Research, 1-28.

Linek, S. B., & Ostermaier-Grabow, A. (2018). Netiquette between students and their lecturers on Facebook: Injunctive and descriptive social norms. Social Media and Society, 4(3), 1-17.

Powless, S., & Schafer, S. (2016). Eroding business communication skills among B-students: Causes, effects, and suggestions to consider. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 16(6), 127-136.

Tinianow, D. E., & Fairley, M. S. (2015). Messages in context: An introduction to human communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgeport Education, Inc.

Introduction

The phenomenon of language is not unique to humans. To some degree, vocal communication is developed in many species. However, the complexity and the variety of human language far supersedes that of even the most developed and complex animals. The reasons for this, as well as the most common prerequisites, are debatable. Most of the scholars ascribe the language to the intricate social structures unique to humans and the inevitability of the emergence of the sophisticated signal system to support the society.

Others point to the evolutionary nature of the phenomenon, citing the evident benefits of the communication means both for the existing socialized species and the purported advantages that were attained by human ancestors as the language developed. In any case, the comparing and contrasting of the vocal communications in humans and non-human primates is the most promising direction for inquiry, as it sheds the most light on the processes that have shaped the language system of humanity.

Production mechanism (anatomy and physiology)

The most influential early approach to the research of human vocal communications was the publication of Darwins On the Origin of Species. It allowed viewing the language as a developed trait. The next question was How did it develop? This part of the research is complicated by two factors. First, the vocal apparatus is made primarily of the soft tissue, which does not fossilize. Second, the spoken language leaves little to no trace in proto-human culture. Thus, the two main means of tracking are unavailable. The best alternative is to review the tendencies in vocal communications of the nearest species  in our case, primates  and extrapolate the conclusions from the results.

Acoustic structure and degree of complexity

Anatomically, the structure of the vocal apparatus is similar throughout the order of primates, including humans. The crucial components are the larynx, the oral and nasal cavities, also known as filters, and the secondary obstacles, like the lips, teeth, and tongue (Ghazanfar and Rendall 457). The basic mechanism for all primates can be described as follows: the air from the lungs goes through the larynx, encounters the vocal cords, which resonate and produce sound. The sound is then further modified by passing through obstacles. Thus, we can say that the mechanism of sound formation is identical in humans and nonhuman primates.

The same can be said about the presence of components crucial for the formation. What sets us apart is the configuration of the equipment. The humans have their larynx sufficiently lowered compared to other species, creating a deeper throat, or pharynx. The oral cavity is also significantly shorter. As the oral cavity serves as a resonant chamber for the modification of vowels produced by the vibrating vocal cords, this change allows for easier manipulation and thus a wider range of sounds. The introduction of the pharynx also contributes to this, essentially creating the second chamber of different qualities.

Furthermore, the velum, which is responsible for separating the nasal cavity, can be locked with epiglottis in non-human primates, limiting their articulation capability. Finally, the primates tongue and lips, while well-suited for their primary functions, are underdeveloped for sound modulation. As a result, the acoustic structure of the humans is far more advanced, with the cross-sectional area and length of the pharynx allowing the wide range of correlation of the fundamental frequencies created by resonating of the vocal cords, and the selective frequency suppression properties of the oral and nasal cavities. Both factors contribute to the voice timbre, which, alongside the voice pitch, is often named the main means of conveying a message (Ghazanfar and Rendall 457).

Range of meanings conveyed by the signals

As a result of the relatively simpler vocal apparatus and the resulting narrow range of acoustic variety, we can assume scarcity of the meanings that can be produced via the vocal constructions of the non-human primates. Besides, the sounds articulated by primates are audibly more primitive compared to the much more complex morphemes used by humans. While a morpheme like a word can carry a very specific and defined meaning, which naturally requires a large amount of them to be utilized in a language, signals used by primates only denote general feelings or concepts, like anger, danger, or attraction.

This aligns well with the limitations of their vocal capabilities. However, the research by Seyfarth, Cheney, and Marler discovered an unexpected depth in the range of meanings such signals can convey. The researchers have recorded several types of alarm signals produced by vervet monkeys as a response to the approaching predator or a hazardous animal. Three types of signals were recorded, corresponding to leopard, martial eagles, and snakes.

The initial assumption was that the monkeys were receiving the generalized alarm signal, looked for additional clues to act upon (identified the type of danger visually), and then reacted accordingly. However, the playback of each of the signals has produced the required reaction (reaching for higher ground for leopard signal or descending for eagle signal) without the actual predator in sight. Additionally, the amplitude modulations applied to recordings showed little change in the response (Seyfarth, Cheney, and Marler 803), which puts the acoustic structure a defining comprehension method.

Social environments of non-human primates

The primary reason for such a complex signal structure is grounded in the complex social structures characteristic for primates. The behavioral models exhibited by them famously include compassion and cooperation.

In some cases, vocal signals play a crucial part in the latter, as shown by the research of the food calls. (Hauser 12137) The monkey who has found food is required to announce the finding to the others. The same research has confirmed the tendency of withholding information from the rest of the group for personal gain (basically, a form of cheating) and revealed the raised levels of aggression exhibited towards the cheaters (Hauser 12138). To handle such a sophisticated social structure, the complex signal system, comparable to the rudimentary form of the human language, is necessary (Pearce 327).

Intentionality in the use of vocal signals

The same research also gave insight into the intentionality of the use of vocal signals. It was initially assumed that monkeys tend to adhere to a certain behavior, with the strict division into cheaters and non-cheaters. However, it was discovered that almost every member of the group has withheld information at least once (Hauser 12139). This means that they decide to announce the food finding or be silent depending on the situation (e.g. the proximity to the group and the odds of being discovered). This, again, puts them on a level comparable only to that of humans.

Conclusion

To conclude, the vocal structures used by non-human primates are sufficiently simpler than those used by humans primarily because of the anatomical construction of the vocal apparatus. Despite these limitations, non-human primates make use of the available range of acoustic signals in a conscious way. Their messages are intentional, recognizable, and diverse enough to account for the majority of phenomena relevant to their environment and social structure. Thus, their signals can be deemed similar to the simple form of human language.

Works Cited

Ghazanfar, Asif, and Drew Rendall. Evolution of Human Vocal Production. Current Biology 18.11 (2008): 457-460. Print.

Hauser, Marc. Costs of Deception: Cheaters are Punished in Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca Mulatta). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 89.24 (1992): 12137-12139. Print.

Pearce, John. Animal Learning and Cognition: An Introduction, New York: Psychology Press. 2013. Print.

Seyfarth, Robert, Dorothy Cheney, and Peter Marler. Monkey Responses to Three Different Alarm Calls: Evidence of Predator Classification and Semantic Communication. Science 210.4471 (1980): 801-803. Print.

Synopsis

The movie is about World War II and it is also about a love story. In fact, it is a love triangle between two men and a woman. The name of the first one is Rafe and the younger of the two is called Danny. They grew up together in the same rural area and because Rafes father is a crop duster they had the chance to learn about airplanes. Thus, when they were older they became licensed pilots. Their love interest is a woman named Evelyn and they met her in the army because they became Army Air Corps pilots. Evelyn is Rafes girlfriend but not for long.

Their individual and intertwined stories became complicated when Rafe volunteered to fight alongside British pilots over in England. At the same time Danny and Evelyn were sent to work at Pearl Harbor a U.S. Naval facility located in Hawaii. While they were there they received news that Rafe was killed in action.

As Danny and Evelyn mourned his death they fell in love with each other. After some time Rafe returned home to the surprise of Danny and Evelyn. The conflict between all three intensified in the exact moment that the Japanese fleet was on its way to destroy Pearl Harbor and everything it contains.

The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the high casualty rate forced former best friends Rafe and Danny to put their differences aside so they can avenge what the Japanese Imperial Army did to America. The eventually volunteered to become part in a suicide raid deep into Japan. Their mission under Col. Jimmy Doolittle, was to bomb Japan by using modified bombers forced to fly out of a aircraft carrier.

Their daring mission proved to everyone that Japan is vulnerable but Danny sacrificed his life to make that raid a success. The United States eventually vanquished its enemies.

The Context of Interpersonal Communication

The main characters interact with each other because Rafe and Danny grew up as if they were brothers. They were neighbors but they became so close to each other  Rafe acted as if he is the older brother of Danny. Their relationship was intensified because Danny had an abusive father who treated harshly.

Rafe always had to come to his aid. When it comes to Rafe and Evelyn the strong interaction requires no further explanation. The pilot fell in love with the nurse. Their relationship blossomed because they were far away from their true families and they were in the midst of a brewing war.

But when Rafe was presumed killed in action, Danny was placed in a difficult position with regards to Evelyn. He realized that from the very beginning, when they were still children, Rafe has always been there for him and it is time to repay the favor. He has to take care of Evelyn. In the process he fell head over heels over her and that is one big problem when Rafe comes home to find his best friend acting like a traitor to him. The conflict begins in the lives of these three people as the conflict of war intensifies around them.

Types of Listening

There are various types of listening such as for enjoyment, to get information, to help others in need and to evaluate something that was said (Kanu, 2009, p.59). When Evelyn listened to the plea of Rafe not to flunk him in the medical exam she was listening to evaluate the truthfulness of what was said and she was listening to help him.

When Danny as a little boy, he listened to the instructions given by the older Rafe, he was listening for information. When the nurses listened to the small talk of the soldiers, they were listening for enjoyment. It is good to listen and not just talk (Collins & ORourke, 2009).

Types of Nonlistening

In the early phase of the movie one can see Rafe and Danny trying to play the game of chicken. But they did not use cars; they used their planes to play this game of bravado. The head of the air base Col. Doolittle was very angry at them especially at Rafe because he knew that he was the one who started it all.

As Doolittle was giving a short lecture it appears at first that Rafe was listening but he was not. It is one what will call as pseudo-listening and he only did it to show respect. He was not really listening because he knew what Doolittle was really thinking that he was just like him when he was a young man.

Positive Listening Skills

There are instances of the display of positive listening skills. This can be seen when a young Rafe was teaching Danny how to fly an airplane. They were in a make-shift plane with wooden implements for rudders and controls but Danny was all ears. He was eager to learn from Rafe and so he was listening intently and hanging on every word that was spoken.

Another example of positive listening skills can be seen when Doolittle would speak up and every soldier in attendance will dare not move because they fear that they will miss what their leader was saying to them.

Emotions

There are different kinds of emotions but the most common are happiness, sadness, depression and joy (Kanu, 2009, p.56). In the movie happiness can be seen in the faces of the children when they were happy with their toys and when they are with their playmates. Happiness was also seen when the nurses get together and talk about boys.

Sadness is seen in the face of Evelyn when she realized that Rafe will have to leave her because he had to volunteer and travel overseas. Sadness was seen in the face of Danny when he was left behind while his best friend had the chance to fight the Germans in Europe.

Depression was palpable immediately after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. There seems to be no hope that they can recover from that devastation. However, this emotion was temporary because the United States had a great leader in the person of Franklin D. Roosevelt who rallied the troops and every American citizen to pitch in and help in the fight against imperialism.

Joy was felt when total victory was accomplished by the Allies against the Axis Powers. There were different emotions in the movie but there are times when the emotions are not as clear cut as the examples given just recently. Sometimes the emotions are mixed, just as in the case of Evelyn when he saw Rafe getting out of the plane safe and sound while at the same time she saw the coffin bearing the remains of Danny.

These emotions are easy to see even if the characters did not say anything to convey what they felt. The listener or the observer will only need to look at the non-verbal cues.

There are many signs such as tears that were shed and this signifies sadness. When it comes to depression no verbal skills are needed because silence speaks and communicates the heavy depression felt in their hearts. This is seen right after the surprise attack by the Japanese Imperial Army.

The bloody aftermath left many at a loss for words. Anger is seen in the wild eyes of the men especially when they are engaged in battle. Joy on the other hand is seen in the outstretched arms of the celebrators as they expressed the happiness brought by victory.

Factors Influencing Emotions

Their emotions and the way they expressed it was greatly affected by the circumstances surrounding them. This is very much evident in the middle portion of the movie when the United States declared war against the Nazis and the Japanese Imperial Army. More importantly the soldiers and their leaders were greatly affected by the events that transpired in Pearl Harbor. The destruction of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii became a rallying cry for many and it was their source of inspiration every time they are in the thick of battle.

The events in the Pacific and in Europe inspired them no end. This is very much evident every time Franklin Roosevelt would call on a meeting with his cabinet and his generals and he would be so emotional as he try to inspire them to fight their enemies. With regards to Rafe, Danny and Evelyn they were also affected by what they had to go through as friends and as lovers.

Conflicts Cues

One of the most common signs of conflict is violence (West & Turner, 2009, p.306). There are plenty of instances of violence in the movie and therefore it is easy to see the relationship with the non-verbal cues that signifies that there is conflict brewing between two persons or two groups (Kalbfleisch, 1993).

Before the raid of the Japanese bombardiers who caught the Americans with their pants down in December of 1941, there was conflict within Japan. This can be seen in the agitated voices of the leaders every time they would talk about the significance of American and their need to defeat them in the Pacific.

Conflict Resolution

The type of conflict that was shown in the movie is not just an ordinary dispute between neighbors. The type of conflict shown happens in a massive scale such as the plan raid on Japanese soil. In this regard war could never be stopped without fighting. It can be argued that national leaders cannot see any other way to permanently end the global conflict. Aside from the war there is also plenty of interpersonal conflict between Rafe, Danny, Evelyn and the people that they love.

Conflict brings with it negative emotions and a lot of animated conversations and facial expressions connoting fear and anger. If there is conflict then there is also negative listening. There are only a few scenes wherein a successful conflict resolution strategy was used.

Most of the time, the conflict between two people pilots and soldiers were ended by applying extreme force killing each other in the process. But there are instances when conflicts were resolved by simply talking and applying the principle of positive listening. The first example is when Rafe and Dannys father fought each other and Rafe made terrible accusations against him. But when Dannys father explained what he went through Rafe understood why he is a difficult person to live with.

The second instance of a successful conflict resolution is when Rafe pleaded with Evelyn for her to look into his eye exam results with favor because he has no problem with his vision but he had problem reading the letters in the chart. He made it a win-win situation for him and for her. She would be instrumental in sending one of the best pilots into the war. When she realized that she has the power to take his wings away she gave her consent and gave him the stamp of approval.

I would do the same thing to resolve this conflict with regards to the initial conflict between Evelyn and Rafe. I would make her understand that the Army Air Corps are in desperate need for fighter pilots and I would be the perfect candidate. But the only problem is a problem with reading letters of the eye chart and not necessarily my vision. I would make Evelyn feel that this is a win-win situation for both of us. Conflict must be resolved to the benefit of both parties (Hargie, Saunders & Dickson, 2000).

Attachment Style

The attachment style that was very much evident in the movie is what was known as anxious-ambivalent (Knapp & Daly, 2002, p.154). This can be seen in the behavior of Danny. He is not secure when it comes to his self-image and this is the reason why he stayed away from forming relationships and in the movie he always stay in the background.

The person who demonstrates a secure attachment style is Rafe. He always comes forward and he always tries to lead his friends and his team. This is why he pursued Evelyn. This is the same reason why he wanted not only to become the best pilot but also to inspire the other pilots who are in the same squadron with him.

Rafes secure attachment style allows him to achieve a level of self-disclosure to his friends and most especially to Evelyn. He demonstrated the importance of self-disclosure (Neff, 2006). He was not afraid to tell Evelyn his dreams and desires for his future. He told her that his intention was to volunteer to the Royal Air Force and this intimate detail of his life he shared to Evelyn without any discomfort.

Conclusion

Watching Pearl Harbor is such a fun activity. I would definitely recommend this movie to my friends and especially to those who are studying interpersonal communication. There are so many scenes and the scope and breadth of the story allows for rich and complex interactions between colorful characters. This will enable any student of communication to find various case studies with regards to the principles of effective communication be it verbal or non-verbal skills.

References

Collins, S. & J. ORourke. (2009) Interpersonal Communication: Listening and Responding. OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Hargie, O., C. Suanders, & D. Dickson. (2000) Social Skills in Interpersonal Communication. New York: Routledge.

Kalbfleisch, P. (1993). Interpersonal Communication: Evolving Interpersonal Relationships. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Kanu, A. (2009). Reflections in Communication: An Interdisciplinary Approach. MD: University Press of America, Inc.

Knapp, M. & J. Daly. (2002). Handbook of Interpersonal Communication. CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Neff, B. (2006) A Pastors Guide to Interpersonal Communication. New York: Haworth Press, Inc.

West, R. & L. Turner. (2009). Understanding Interpersonal Communication: Making Choices in Changing Times. MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Executive Summary

The impact of computer-based communication can be considered as a revolution of communication. Computer based communications are currently the most common tools of communication not only in organizations, but also in social lives. Many people spend most of their time on a computer working, studying or having fun by playing various computer games.

Blogs and Facebook are some of computer-based communication tools, which have had a great impact on communication. Blogs are used as tools through which debate over various issues is conducted. As a result, they allow individuals to participate in debates on subjects of their interest. In business, customer, employees and other groups can participate in debates.

Through blogs, market information related to various issues such as taste, customer preference, competition and customer satisfaction can be obtained. They are also important public relation tools where public relation officers can respond to issues arising from an organization.

Facebook is the most popular social networking tool at present. Through facebook, individuals can share their social lives such as photos, birthday celebrations, updates and events. Facebook has provided an affordable, fast and effective tool through which communication is relayed.

However, it has been noted that long hours spent on facebook and blogs can affect an individuals productivity adversely, however it is clear that if well managed, these tools can enhance the performance of an organization greatly. Some of the areas where they can be effectively be used is in advertisement, public relations and organizational communication.

Introduction

Development in computer and internet technology has had a significant impact on communication. Currently, computer based communication has become very popular. This is evident in its increased adoption by many individuals and organizations on daily basis (Perkins, 2008, p. 44). Many people spend most of their time on the computer working, studying or having fun by playing computer games.

Computer technology has increasingly been integrated into peoples cultures. For example, carrying a laptop has become a norm rather that an exception. Consequently, the computer has become a major tool for communication. Today, using email, instant messaging, Facebook, blogs and other computer-based communications has become very common in that they are almost replacing other conventional means of communication (Kent, 2008, p. 32).

Facebook and blogs have become very common communication tools. This report addresses the impact of these tools on communication. In addition, the report focuses on how these tools are currently being used, the challenges experienced when using them and what can be done in order to effectively address the challenges observed.

Enhanced Business communication through Computer-based Technologies

Importance of Blogs to Business Communication

Blogging involves development of blogs or web logs which are internet-based journals that can be accessed by customers for vital information about an organization.

The impact of blogging in business communication is based on their ability to replace the conventional means of communicating with customers by sending them newsletters through the post office (Cox, Martinez & Quinlan, 2008, p. 4). The main objective of blogs is to support active debates. Blogs allow people from different parts of the world to contribute to various debatable issues of interest.

In this way, a business organization can pose questions to their clients and in turn get a feedback particularly useful in product development and investment ideas (Cox et al, 2008, p. 5). Additionally, through blogs, customers can participate in debates concerning an organizations operations, products or services. However, in order to catch the attention of regular bloggers, the web log or blog must be frequently updated.

From the above discussion, it is evident that blogs have two main roles in business. These include market research and public relation. This is because market information that relate to taste and preference, competition and customer satisfaction is accessible through blogs.

By providing blogs where customers can raise their issues, an organization can succeed in customer relations management. Blogs allow public relation officers in an organization to respond to issues raised in subsequent debates. In addition, their ability to facilitate debates with former employees and loyal customers, they can help create a positive image of an organization (Cox et al, 2008, p. 5).

Another important aspect of blogging entails customer-generated advertising, which can allow a business organization to communicate directly with its clients through blog entries such as opinions, reviews, discussions, and feedbacks.

The Importance of Facebook to Business Communication

Facebook is one of the most popular social networking tools among college students and businesspersons. Currently, Facebook allows subscription from all over the world thus connecting millions of people globally. Through Facebook, people share their personal and business posts on a daily basis (Pannunzio & Nelson, 2008, p. 8). Facebook has thus succeeded in creating a virtual community where individuals can participate as family members. In addition, Facebook support live chats where friends can chat freely.

Furthermore, Facebook consists of useful applications such as MyOffice, which allows users to communicate business posts, news, and ideas to other users at no cost. This is a great business opportunity for organizations looking forward to reach out to their customers on a worldwide platform (Pannunzio & Nelson, 2008, p. 8).

Impended Business Communication through Computer-based Technologies

The negative effects of Blogging on Business Communication

Blogs pose both ethical and business threats to many business organizations. This is because they lack clear guidelines regarding the amount and type of information that an employee or organizations can share with customers. In this case, many organizations and employees have found themselves giving out more information about their practices than required (Cox et al, 2008, p. 6).

Another problem of blogging is related to misguided or malevolent corporation/ employee weblogs. This practice has led to defamation of corporations names including their artistically developed brands.

In addition, employees can be fired or reprimanded for posting damaging information about their organizations. For instance, Google, which forbids external blogging for its employees, fired one of its employees for displaying information about the corporation on an external blog.

Another aspect of blogging which can lead to a damaged organization or brand name is astroturfing. This entails marketing campaigns comprising of paid participants with the aim of deceiving the public. If discovered by the public, the organization stands to loose trust from customers and it may damage the credibility of its blogs (Cox et al., 2008, p. 12).

The negative effects of Facebook on Business Communication

As important as it may seem, Facebook has a variety of negative impacts on business communication. Communication through social networks disrupts normal social interactions between business organizations and their clients. Therefore, this derails social development especially among the young generations (Pannunzio & Nelson, 2008, p. 9).

In addition, lack of normal social interactions such as face-to-face communications can undermine basic communication skills such as negotiation and bargaining skills, which are important in business communication. Moreover, social networks consume a large percentage of employees time and organizational resources thereby lowering productivity, efficiency, and performance (Pannunzio & Nelson, 2008, p. 10).

Furthermore, the probability of giving out personal and corporate information is higher in social networks than is the case with other conventional platforms of interaction. It is also argued that the level of office gossip is bound to be higher through social networks than in real world communication (Pannunzio & Nelson, 2008, p. 8).

The solutions/ risk management strategies

Before joining any social network, it is advisable to consider a number of factors. Experts recommend that these factors should be considered in four major steps which include investigating, observing, joining in and moving up.

However, for many business corporations, it is important to follow certain guidelines which govern the development of internal and external blogs. In addition, these corporations should design plans aimed at assessing the applicability and the level of accessibility of the computer-based technologies amongst their employees (Kent, 2008, p. 35).

On the other hand, because of the sensitivity of the information displayed on social networks, there is the need to select one employee who can be trusted with the corporations internal secrets and with the responsibility of communicating with others and the general public. Finally, business organizations should attempt to monitor their online presence in order to track blog entries that may be malicious and damaging to its brand names (Kent, 2008, p. 38).

Conclusion

This report explores the impact of computer-based technologies on business communication and the possible solutions to the identified impediments. The impact of computer-based communication is evident in various ways. For example, blogs, Facebook and other computer-based communications have become very common in various areas.

Blogs and facebook have become preferred tools in debate, communication and social life. Blogs are used as tools through which debate over various business issues is conducted. On the other hand, Facebook has become an important tool in social life.

Blogs and Facebook can be used for the benefit of an organization. Blogs can be used to facilitate positive debates which lead to product development and service improvement. For example, they can be used by employees, customers and other groups to debate issues of common interest. Through blogs, an organization can be able to keep track of issues affecting its operations.

This will enable the organization to respond effectively. On the other hand, Facebook can be used in various ways for the benefit of an organization. For example, it is used to conduct advertisements, public relations management and communication. However, the two computer-based technologies can also act as impediments to successful business communication. Therefore, there is the need to strike balance between social networking and business practices.

Reference List

Cox, J.L., Martinez, E.R. & Quinlan, K.B. 2008. Blogs and the corporation: managing the risk, reaping the benefits. Journal Business Strategy. Vol. 29, issue 3, pp. 4-12.

Kent, M.L. 2008. Critical analysis of blogging in public relations. Public Relations Review. Vol. 34, issue 1, pp. 32-40.

Pannunzio, C. & Nelson, C. 2008. Leverage the power of social media. Journal of Financial Planning. Vol. 4, issue 1, pp. 1-10.

Perkins, B. 2008. The Pitfalls of Social Networking. Computerworld. Vol. 42, issue 7, pp. 40-44.

Introduction

Culture influences the way people behave. It is thus important to understand it in relation to global work place where professional communication is employed as well as at personal interactions.

Every country that has Multinational Corporation and other businesses dealing with international firms should recognize the fact that cross-cultural differences have a negative impact on the business communication (Hall, 1976). This paper is going to study Americans communication style and how it affects verbal and nonverbal communication style of other cultures.

In addition, it is going to look at how their communication patterns are evident in the workplace and in the personal interactions. Moreover, the similarities between American culture and other communication cultures will be discussed. Finally the paper will conclude by giving recommendations on how to deal with cultural differences in the business and personal interactions.

The Cultural Patterns Attributed to American Culture

Direct communication is one attribute associated with American communication culture. Americans believe that an individual ought to say what they mean and mean what they say. For them, the conversation whether formal or informal should be direct to the point. Reading between the lines during conversations is discouraged. In addition, people should uphold honesty in any communication. To them, other peoples feelings are not concerned; their concern is usually the truth.

American communication culture is the low context culture, that is, it is usually individualistic in that in the conversation, they believe that people are not very much conversant with the agenda. The conversation should thus be explicitly spelled out. In addition, they prefer verbal communication more than nonverbal communication. To them, nonverbal cues result to misunderstanding. For this reason face and its expressions are less important in communication.

They believe that giving and receiving information is the ultimate goal of the communication. They also encourage criticism and confrontations during conversation. Unlike other communication cultures, American values the purpose of communication or the task rather than the person. This is to mean that they dont emphasize on the establishing personal relationships but they dwell on getting the job done.

The American Business communication style encourages them to discuss issues directly. They believe in talking less without wasting time. Moreover, the Americans are polite and friendly but do not keep relationship for a long time. They also use a lot of protocols in their language.

The Americans communication culture is comprised of verbal communication. It is usually task centered and involved the key personnel only. They meet to make decisions and do not consider relationships at all. They do not consult wide sources of information and thus the process is fast

Cultural Patterns in the Workplace and Personal Interactions

The American cultural patterns are normally evident in their work place and at the personal interactions. In the work place, the Americans do not like discussing issues openly. For this reason, they are seen as aggressive and rude by other cultures. Time management is also valued in their communication culture.

They thus discourage verbosity in their speeches in both the workplace and personal interactions settings. This is because they see it as wasting of time. Their culture is also evident during business meetings. That is, they usually tackle the agenda or the issue at hand directly. To them this is a sign of positive progress while to other cultures it is seen as meaningless discussion. In some occasions it may be seen as a way of brushing off the discussion (Hofstede, 1980).

When you meet the Americans for the first time either in formal or informal setting, they are usually friendly and polite. This is seen in their language in which they are usually concerned with the other partys welfare. However, at later stages one realizes that it was just a protocol and they are not seeking long time relationship.

Moreover, Americans ask more personal questions in conversations. This is to mean that when it comes to private affairs they are open as compared to other cultures. This may sometimes be problematic since when involved at young relationships, other cultures may interpret it as intrusiveness.

Similarities and Differences

My cultural behaviors conform to that of Americans when I employ both verbal and nonverbal messages when conveying a meaning. In this way, there is no miscommunication since the Americans understand messages effectively in presence of words.

The two communicating cultures get along when I use direct and informal methods of communication. This is because they are not forced to read between the lines to understand the meaning. To them an effective communication entails putting everything on the table and speaking openly about an issue.

Ineffective communication is also evident when dealing with the Americans. For instance, when it comes to saving a face, for my communication culture, face is important. This means that at no any time does my culture allow confrontation or criticism. This is because it is seen as embarrassing the other person. This is unlike the Americans behavior. To them, face is not important. Their concern is on the task of communication. They thus confront or criticize hence embarrassing others.

My culture also communicate in groups especially to those people they are close to. The communication is always intensive. That is, it is usually comprised of wide and detailed information. This is not the case with Americans. Their communication is basically at personal or individual level.

They give information that is only necessary for their work environment. The professional communication in my culture is thus effective. This is because we are formal and plan our meetings on time. Moreover, we attend meetings once we have agreed on something. The Americans are informal and usually meet without having made the decision on a particular issue.

Conclusions

In intercultural environment, effective communication can be attained by understanding other peoples culture. This means that they know what is expected of them while communicating. This includes the tone, language in terms of formality and body posture when talking to different people. The key point in having an effective communication in a cross-cultural environment; is to understand other peoples cultures and the things that make the difference between your culture and theirs (Moran, 1991).

An individual should be aware of differences that are as a result of different cultural background. First, one should be aware of contextual differences. These are brought about by different cultural contexts. They are associated with interpretation of messages during communication. In such a case, an individual should be able to differentiate a high and low culture context. For example my communication is high context.

For this reason we value and emphasize on non verbal communication unlike Americans who prefer verbal communication. Secondly, one should be aware of social differences as well as non- verbal differences. Socially, one has to know how to behave while communicating. In addition, one should be able to understand the meaning conveyed by non-verbal communications. This depends on different cultural environment.

References

Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond Culture. Garden City, NY: Anchor/Doubleday.

Hofstede, G. (1980). Cultures consequences: International differences in work-related values.Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.

Moran, R. T. (1991). Successful international business negotiations. Houston: Gulf.

A double bind can be said to be a communication dilemma received by a person or a group of persons, whereby the message conceived seems to have more than one message which is conflicting and where one message seems to disagree with another. In a double bind if a person succeeds in complying with one message, then he completely fails in the other message. This means that the person will be put in the wrong no matter what message he responds to and he cannot solve the wrong nor quit the situation. This can be very destructive if frequent double binds are encompassed in a lasting relationship in which the person or group is involved and is committed (Bateson, 147).

It is important to note that human communication is very complicated because it involves a lot of signals being sent to and from one point to another. It involves verbal and other nonverbal communication which has to be put into consideration. Apart from the nonverbal communication signals that have to be carefully looked at, there is also an environment that should be considered when messages are being translated. There are numerous things to consider when human beings are communicating and overlooking one of the factors may lead to very disruptive messages. This can be said to be the basis of a double bind where people send and receive messages with various abstractions and reasoning and sometimes it is normal for a person to overlook one of the various factors to be considered (Watts, 59).

In a double-bind situation, there must be two points of communication that are; the sender and the receiver. In the same respect, the sender may be a group or an individual while the receiver may be also a group or an individual. One person is classified as the victim while the other is generally seen as a person or group in authority with good examples being employers, teachers, and parents. It can be very damaging to the victim if the relationship between the victim and the authoritative group or person is highly valued by the victim. This means that the victim feels like he or she cannot salvage the relationship between the two groups or individuals and hence this means that the double bind is a very destructive albeit a very strong phenomenon (Bateson, 169).

Example

The phrase you must be free can be said to be one of the best examples. Freedom is the ability to do whatever you want at your own time and when you feel like doing it. However, being forced to do something means that you are not free at all and that you have to comply with higher authority or a victimizing body. The phrase contradicts itself because it is forcing somebody to be free while in the real sense being free means that you are not being forced to do anything. This is very contradicting because the first message means that one should be free and this means that he or she has the liberty to do as he pleases and also to do what one wants to do at any time and anywhere. The second message is conceived to mean that the individual should be free and this has no negotiation otherwise there will be some consequences if he or she does not become free. This comes to the basic meaning of the word free and how it is being used in the message. When one is free, he cannot be forced to do anything, but in this case, he is being forced to do something, and that is being forced to be free.

Works Cited

Bateson, G., (1999) Toward a Theory of Schizophrenia, in Part III, Steps to an Ecology of Mind: Collected Essays in Anthropology, Psychiatry, Evolution, and Epistemology. University of Chicago Press.

Watts, A. (1999). The Way of Zen. Vintage.

Animal way of thinking has always been a puzzle for humans. People were sure that there was certain mystery in the silence of animals that was necessary to unravel, and then they would get an access to the new knowledge about the world. At present, it is clear that humans can communicate with animals in a non-verbal way (acoustic, visual, tactile, chemical communication) while there are no possibilities of verbal communication. However, the situation can be changed if a system for human-animal interaction will be developed.

It is not a secret that animals communicate with each other primarily in a non-verbal way. Indeed, the representatives of one species complex understand each other the best but the most of the animals demonstrate the same behavioral signs to such typical emotions as fear (an intent to run away or bend down to earth), excitement (harsh and abrupt movements), and anger (aggression, intent to attack). If we consider humans as the representatives of another species complex, a possibility of first non-verbal communication between animals and humans can be suggested. However, a comprehensive knowledge will not come by itself  people should use their skills in observation and analysis to acquire a substantial data about behavioral signs of various animals.

The auditory or acoustic communication is a vital type of a non-verbal communication. Speaking about people, it is necessary to mention paralanguage. The latter includes the voice quality, volume, pitch, speaking style which the subjects demonstrate during the communication process. In this case, one of the brightest examples of its use in non-verbal communication is a conversation between the dog and its owner. It is possible to suggest that the dog is guilty of chasing the neighbors cat, and this is why the dogs owner scolds the pet. Obviously, the dog is not able to understand the meaning of the words, but it is capable of analyzing the owners voice tone, intonations, and posture. As a result, the dog receives the information and simple listening transfers to the communication process. People can communicate with their pets in many ways; one of the most important things that they can do to establish a contact with an animal is to give it an appropriate name. It is not a secret that animals can demonstrate different reactions to sounds. Choosing a name for your pet, it is extremely important to observe its behavior and define which sounds attract its attention most of all. Then, it is necessary to choose the name that contains these sounds. In this case, it will be easier to attract attention of a pet, and it will be more likely to react to your commands immediately.

To demonstrate acoustic communication, it is also possible to come up with such an example as laughter. For instance, when the dogs owner is playing with it, the dog hears the laughter of the owner and then it gets excited and shares the persons enthusiasm (in such situation, a lot of dogs have a so-called dogs smile). The human laughter is also considered to reduce the animals aggression and fear. Concerning the moments of grief, when the person cries, some pets aim to calm down their owners, lying on their knees, purring, or playing. As for acoustic signs of the animals, one does not have to be a specialist in zoology to decode the wolves howling or the hiss of a snake as signs of aggression. Speaking about acoustic communication, it is necessary to highlight that mutual understanding between the representatives of non-related species and a successful exchange of information are almost impossible.

Numerous systems of signs were shaping during evolution of species in order to provide animals with an opportunity to send messages of vital importance to their conspecifics. These messages are usually pointed at sharing the information on threats and proximity of food resources. In other words, animals tend to share only the information that is able to contribute to survival and growth of their species. Despite numerous cases of symbiosis that occur in animal world, living in natural conditions involves constant battle for resources. Due to that, it is extremely important for different species to have their own systems of signs; the same signs would make it possible to intercept the information that is critical for other animals. Therefore, impossibility of clear communication between different species is caused by the laws of nature that never change. At the same time, human intelligence allows people to analyze and retrieve the meaning of the messages sent by animals. Due to that, the humanity has managed to understand the behavior of many animal species. Nevertheless, conveying the information to an animal still presents a sophisticated task.

Visual communication can be considered to be one of the most critical types of non-verbal communication. As for the animals, visual signals are mostly used by those species that are more active in the daytime. The reason is that there is no need to demonstrate visual signals during the night as they cannot be seen (Friedl). Some animals such as chameleons or some species of squid can change the color of their bodies to avoid danger and stealthily flee away. To continue, gorillas tend to put out their tongues as a sign of anger, dogs bend their bodies to the ground when they are eager to play, and white-tailed deer demonstrate alarm by tossing up their tails (Animal Communication). As for more common examples, cats can snarl to show their discontent, and some dogs start to shiver when they get afraid.

Indeed, humans also demonstrate visual signals that animals can read. For instance, hardly any animal could misunderstand such gesture as flourishing arms like a person aims to chase someone away (Get away!). Furthermore, people usually message physical signals without knowing that  this is the reason why pets can feel their owners grief, pain, or joy. For example, cat owners can confirm that these pets are indispensable when it comes to healing or reducing the pain. However, hundreds of human physical signals, particularly the ones connected with mimics, remain hidden for animals.

One of the most important visual signals produced by humans is connected to the movement of their eyes. People can communicate with animals when they are simply looking at them; nevertheless, the consequences of such communication flow are terrible when it comes to interaction between humans and wild animals. It is common knowledge that the majority of big wild animals cannot stand people looking in their eyes. In such situation, they tend to become extremely aggressive as they consider it to be a direct threat. The same principle often works even with smaller animals such as dogs and cats. The latter tend to regard the discussed signal as a threat if they have been the victims of animal abuse. Unlike other visual signals that have been discussed, a glare is often misinterpreted by animals, and it may lead to drastic consequences.

Regarding tactile signals, they refer to one of the most ambiguous types of communication. On the one hand, it is possible to consider both humans and animals as supremely tactile beings. They tend to use tactile signals to convey mainly positive information. For instance, they can be used to express affection, sympathy, or comfort. As an example, chimpanzees can show affection to each other by touching the hands, and elephants do the same by intertwining their trunks. The ways to demonstrate affection are different for various species. For instance, the giraffes put the necks together, and the horses rub their noses (Animal Communication). As for humans, they also prefer to touch those who appear to be the most agreeable to them, like relatives, friends, and beloved ones. More than that, both humans and animals can use tactile communication to establish their dominance, to state their place in the pack (or society) and the couple.

On the other hand, despite common vision of tactile communication, both humans and animals tend to avoid touching each other. Apparently, a mutual distrust can be considered to be the main reason for that. For centuries, people have been killing animals to get their fur, skin, bones, and use them to produce clothes, jewelry, and household goods. As for animals, being led by aggression, fear, or hunger, they attacked humans countless times. The enmity and fear became part of DNA of animals and humans. As a result, human-animal tactile communication in most of the cases is limited to physical contacts between domestic animals and their owners. In this case, the factor that defines the relationship is the intention to demonstrate dominance. For instance, it is evident in the case of tactile communication between a shepherd and the sheep. Furthermore, it is possible to remember one of the most well-known gestures when the human reaches out and intends to pat an animal to demonstrate both friendliness and superiority. In other words, it is possible to conclude that tactile communication between humans and animals is mainly about dependency and control.

At last, it is necessary to mention one more type of non-verbal communication between animals and humans. Chemical communication might be seen as an efficient way of communicating if a subject needs to send a signal but does not expect to get an answer. Animals use this type of communication extensively to mark territories, transfer the information to other species, attract a partner, and keep away the predators. A skunk can be considered to be an appropriate representative of the animals that widely use chemical signals; if there is a possibility of a threat, it sprays the stream of its natural scent to frighten off the hostile being.

Furthermore, it is also possible to mention cats that tend to rub against the object or use some scent markers to mark the place as theirs (Owens). As for humans, they do not possess the ability either to use scent markers to define the territory as theirs or to deter a foe from harming them with a spray of natural scents. Consequently, the chemical human-animal communication can be defined as the one-way communicational channel. It would be shortsighted to think that in this case there is no place for communication at all, as the animals still have the extraordinarily sensible instruments at their disposal. For instance, a shark is capable of feeling the blood in the water up to three miles away. As for dogs, they can follow one human trail that was made across an overcrowded place more than twenty-four hours ago (Matthews).

After researching non-verbal communication between humans and animals, it is necessary to discover the so-called verbal communication with animals, for the lack of a better term. As it has been mentioned above, animals do not have a language that would allow humans and animals to talk to each other. Apparently, most of the animals are not even able to produce the sounds necessary to build a phrase but some parrot species can be considered as an exception. Nevertheless, long time ago people started to undertake the first attempts to set up a communication channel with animals. Such interjections as meow-meow, bow-wow, and tweet-tweet were meant to imitate the sounds that animals produced and, to some extent, to create a mutual language of humans and animals. However, it is hardly possible to define this type of communication as the efficient one  it is much more likely to remain as one of the numerous forms of one-way communication.

Despite interjections, the commands given to animals appear to bring much better results. Undoubtedly, this type of communication cannot be considered already as a narrow channel  it is evident that animals reply to the commands and obey to the people. It even seems that they understand the human speech. Unfortunately, it is not likely to be true. According to the scientific point of view, animals behave in the way the human needs in response to a particular sound-stimulus. In other words, when the human gives a command to the dog, (such as Up, Down, or Roll over) the dog does not understand the meaning of these words, but it picks up the data of the owners tone of voice and intonations (Yule 15).

However, humans do not give up looking for a way to understand animals. In 2002, Japanese toy company Takara Tomy developed a translator to the dog language, Bow-Lingual. This device was said to analyze the dog barks and categorize them in various emotional segments like happiness, hunger, fear, curiosity, anger, and sadness. After this, the device provides a short sentence which aims to transfer the dogs emotion  for example, Im hungry, Im afraid, Who is this person? The device was considered to be a breakthrough and its developers got a Nobel Prize. Apparently, Bow-Lingual was a trigger  in the following years, scores of similar applications appeared. As the most noticeable of them, it is possible to mention No More Woof, designed in 2014 by the Nordic Society for Invention and Discovery (NSID). According to the NSID, the device aims to record the electroencephalogram (EEG) readings from a dog, which will be analyzed by the computer and translated into short phrases. Also, a great number of copies and falsifications has been presented in these years. Consequently, it is possible to suggest that the idea of understanding how animals think remains incredibly popular (Woestendiek).

As it is easy to notice, such kind of devices do not translate the dogs thoughts because animals, as it was mentioned above, do not use language in its plain meaning. The applications are more likely to analyze the functioning of bioelectric current in the dogs brain and give an answer relying on human knowledge about the human brain. However, as the method of EEG does not seem to be authoritative enough when it comes to humans, its relevance to dogs appears to be even less informative. The truth is that people still possess too little knowledge about cerebration, either the one of the human being or of the animal. Consequently, it might be concluded that devices like Bow-Lingual and No More Woof aim at entertaining much more than at conducting a scientific research.

Nevertheless, it does not mean that humans should leave behind the idea of developing the mutual human-animal language system. On the contrary, it is necessary to progress this goal by all available means, as this scientific discovery could change the contemporary view of the world. For instance, it can turn out that the human being cannot be considered as the most highly-developed creature on Earth. The new answers to the eternal questions of life and death, sense of life can be revealed. However, it is important to understand that mankind needs to travel a long way to reach this aim, and the first step on this way should become the increased number of linguists, exploring animal communication in practice. Traditionally, this field of science is seen as an area of biologists expertise, but only direct involvement of linguists in the exploration process can bring practical results. More than that, it is necessary for scientists to change a line of a research and focus more on exploration rather than on the application of the results. As it was mentioned above, humans still lack crucial information on animals in general and their communication system particularly. Only in case of total concentration on gathering information and its processing, the construction of interactive human-animal language system will be possible.

There is another important question that is necessary to be discussed in connection to the importance of such system. It is the ability of this system to improve the work of veterinary physicians. To be more precise, it often happens that animals suffer from certain diseases that do not involve obvious symptoms. Due to that, veterinary physicians often start working with sick animals when it is too late. Considering that, a special system allowing us to read signals sent by animals would be very important as its use could prevent many diseases in animals and help them to live happier and longer lives.

Finally, it might be concluded that humans communicate with animals mainly in the framework of non-verbal communication  acoustic and visual types of communication appear to be the most fruitful for both sides. Animals do not have a language system similar to one of the humans, and they are also incapable of producing the sounds necessary to build a phrase. Consequently, the verbal communication seems to be impossible at this evolutionary grade. However, humans should aim to create an interactive human-animal language system as it would increase the human knowledge about the world. It is highly important to involve more linguists in the animal observations and concentrate on gathering information for the researches to reach this aim.

Works Cited

Animal Communication.Fact Monster, Web.

Friedl, Sarah. How Animals Communicate: Chemical, Visual & Electrical Signals.Study.com, Web.

Matthews, Susan E. 5 Animals with an Extraordinary Sense of Smell.Popular Science, 2013, Web.

Owens, Crystal. Forms of Animal Communication.Pets on Mom.me, Web.

Woestendiek, John. Do we Really Want to Read Our Dogs Minds? Ohmidog!, 2016, Web.

Yule, George. The Study of Language. 4^th ed., Cambridge UP, 2014.

Introduction

Over the past years, the media has been very efficient as a powerful tool of communication. The introduction of technology has enhanced the communication process to succeed through various forms of media (Wood, p. 105). This has mostly applied for mediated communication whereby technology is often used during one on one interactions. As a result of these, a technological medium can therefore be used to augment the communication process between different personalities. Although interpersonal communication does not entirely depend on a technological medium, there are instances where the media is essential for interaction. According to Corbin and White, the use of media during interpersonal communication has been able to influence peoples attitudes and behavior (Corbin & White, p. 78). Basically, the various forms of media include television, newspaper and radio. For a long time, the newspaper was widely used as the sole form of media; recently new technologies have given way to other mediums. One major impact of technology has been the introduction of internet services which are mainly used for the communication process. Today, online services have enabled people to interact with one another regardless of their geographical background (Corbin & White, p. 43). Social networks have even made it easier for people to interact with each other. This paper will mainly focus on mediated interpersonal communication.

Activity 1: Media inventory

In our daily activities, we often come across different types of communication tools. Even in the rooms within our homes we also have very essential communication tools. Such tools are therefore mediators that normally pass different messages to us. Some examples of these communication mediators include television, radio, and wall clocks in our rooms. Wall clocks are important communication tools that serve the purpose of alerting people at their desired specific time. Normally they are installed with an alarm device that makes certain sounds on an hourly basis. As such the clock has always been used to alert individuals who have difficulties in waking up. This has been practical in schools where it is not the duty of teachers to tell students when they will wake up but the clock has succeeded in waking them up early on time. This also applies to radio stations which often update people on the time through presenters and their news reporters (Corbin & White 81). Other than this task, the radio is a medium through which important information can be conveyed. Advertisers are frequent customers of radio stations as they often this medium to communicate their messages. Instead of advertising directly to clients, the advertisers always use different kinds of mediums to convey their messages. Strangely most of us use such mediums without realizing how many they are. We recognize them with different communication messages but not with their number. To be precise, I was not aware that I had so many communication tools. I just use them without considering their number. Communication tools enable me to have extra time in which I can have enough time to prepare myself.

Activity 2: Mediated interpersonal communication effects

Communication is a fundamental aspect of our daily lives as people must always convey messages to each other. Basically, communication is the process of transferring information from one party to the other party. For effective communication to take place there has to be a medium through which the message is conveyed. As such, it is very important to select an appropriate medium that would be effective. Without an appropriate medium, the communication process would probably fail to attain its goal. However, it is important to note that people can have their interpersonal communication without necessarily using a mediator. Mediated interpersonal communication is especially effective in cases where individuals are in different locations. In other words, people prefer using mediated communication in situations where they cannot meet face to face with their colleagues, friends and relatives. Frequently, most individuals prefer using communication mediums like cell phones, email services, and social networks that promote interactions even in different geographical backgrounds.

Cell phone

Compared to in-person communication, cell phones allow room for immediate feedback between two different parties. Thus, talking through the phone enables individuals to receive feedbacks just like in in-person communication. Depending on the relationship between individuals, language usage during cell phone conversations may tend to vary. Close friends and family members may tend to have casual conversations with one another when engaging in either in-person communication or cell phone conversation. Because of this, a particular language can be used during cell-phone conversations and in-person communication. In some cases, some individuals use official language when talking on their cell phones and casual language when using in-person communication. The official language is commonly used when communicating with the co-operate world. Talking in the official language, therefore, applies both to the cell phone conversation and in-person communication. Unlike cell phone conversation, the in-person conversation is always prolonged with so many words.

According to Wood, most people are always cautious with their language when talking through cell phones than when having in-person communication. He further says that this is because there are charges imposed on cell phone conversation hence it would be important to mind the use of language. Contrary to in-person communication, the cell phone conversation is usually not appropriate for sharing secrets. When revealing information about ourselves, it is better to have in-person communication than a cell phone conversation. This is because in-person communication is more confidential than a cell phone conversation. Moreover, in-person communication enables individuals to have eye contact while interacting, unlike cell phone conversations. Due to lack of eye contact, it is easier for a person to deceive a friend through a cell phone conversation (Corbin & White 90).

Lying to someone during in-person communication may be difficult because of eye contact which can reveal any kind of deception. Most people are fond of creating lies when having cell phone conversations since it would be impossible to confirm their actions. For instance, a man might call his wife and tell her that he is at work when in a real sense he might be somewhere else like a restaurant or at a friends house. In this case, the wife would not be able to see if her husband is telling lies.

Another disadvantage of having a cell phone conversation is that it lacks the ability to interpret nonverbal cues correctly. Meanwhile, in-person communication would be able to interpret nonverbal cues accurately. Through face-to-face communication, an individual will have the ability to interpret nonverbal cues unlike when having a cell phone conversation. If someone was to use unfriendly nonverbal cues during a phone conversation, his/her actions would not be seen by the other person. In addition, this may promote risky or addictive behavior. By encouraging such none verbal cues, it is also possible to be addicted to the behavior. Similarly, both cell phone conversation and in-person communication are essential since they enhance interactions among family members. Family members need to stay in touch even when they are in different places and this can be achieved through the use of cell phones. Using cell phones has proved to speed up life as it saves time in cases where an urgent message must be delivered. An example is where individuals are able to call colleagues to inform them about an urgent meeting. If this individual was to deliver the message in person, it would take much longer time than through a phone conversation.

Email

Email as a written tool of communication has enabled people to communicate with one another across the world. The language used for email services is normally quite different from that of in-person communication. Thus, the email language is usually official and straightforward. In having in-person communication both casual and official languages can be used. Compared to in-person communication, email is more confidential and often used in official matters. We can easily reveal information about ourselves when using in-person communication which is not easy when using emails. This is because people prefer sharing their secrets while they are together than when they just send emails. Deceiving a person can also be easy when an email service is used but not during in-person communication. Unlike email services, it is possible to interpret nonverbal cues during in-person communication. As a matter of fact, email services are based on written messages hence there is no face-to-face conversation. In as much as a person may use nonverbal cues while sending an email, it would never be reflected by the person receiving it. When interacting with family members, it would be suitable to use in-person communication than email services. Similarly, both email services and in-person communication are not very effective in speeding up the pace of life. In the case of in-person communication, delivering a message to a second person may take quite a lot of time. On the other hand, email services may not be effective to individuals who do not check their mailbox frequently.

It is not easy to avoid errors when using both email services and in-person communication. For instance, it is more likely to omit some words while delivering an in-person message. As a message is delivered, someone might forget about key points that he/she was to include and send. Writing an email is also likely to face errors that occur from grammatical mistakes. The grammatical errors are normally caused by technological effects or omissions of some words.

Texting

Compared to in-person communication, texting language is usually very brief and straight to the point. Furthermore, the language may not need any explanations and hence they are written in short forms. An In-person communication however allows room for explanation in cases where a message is not understood. Similarly, both in-person and text messages may reveal information about a person. The only difference is that a text message may not reveal every detail about some information. Individuals who have a face-to-face conversation would be more comfortable sharing their secrets in detail unlike through text messages. According to Wood, individuals who send text messages are more likely to deceive their friends than when having a face-to-face talk with them.

Social Network

Apparently, the language used in social networks is usually similar to the language used in personal communication. Social networks have enabled individuals to talk freely about their life experiences and other issues. In this case, there is the use of a similar language when people are having in-person communication. Examples of social networks include Facebook and Twitter where people can reveal their personal information (Wood 75). Revealing of certain information may occur between close friends or close relatives. In contrast, friends within the social network are more likely to deceive one another than in cases of in-person communication. This is because friends within the social network are normally in different locations and so it might not be easier to detect a lie. Interpreting nonverbal communication is impossible during communication within social networks. On the other hand, it is very possible to interpret nonverbal communication while having in-person communication.

As individuals interact with each other, they can easily interpret their nonverbal communication. In case someone is not happy, his attitude would be reflected by the way he/she behaves. Nonverbal communication is very essential while talking face to face with other people. Unfortunately, this does not apply to individuals within social networks (Wood 120). Communication among family members is usually through in-person communication but is not common within social networks. Most family members live together hence they prefer a one on one conversation rather than using social networks. In the real sense, it would not be appropriate to deliver a message through social networks while staying together in one house. For example, if a husband wants to deliver a message to his wife, it would not be logical to use social networks while they are at the same place. Noticeably, social networks are speeding up life as more people are drastically making new friends across the world..

Conclusion

The media has been very efficient as a powerful tool of communication and the introduction of technology has enhanced these through various forms of media. Using mediators is very important when having interpersonal communication. Communication tools have a big role in our lives yet some people often fail to recognize their importance. Globalization has paved way for new technologies which have brought about numerous mediums like television, radio, newspaper and online services. These mediums have enabled people to communicate with one another irrespective of their geographical backgrounds.

Social networks are rampantly being used as a medium of communication among different kinds of people. Communication is a fundamental aspect of our daily lives as people must always convey messages to each other. Basically, communication is the process of transferring information from one party to the other party. Compared to in-person communication, cell phones allow room for immediate feedback between two different parties. Email as a written tool of communication has enabled people to communicate with one another across the world. Social networks have enabled individuals to talk freely about their life experiences and other issues. In this case, there is the use of a similar language when people are communicating.

Works Cited

1. Corbin, Carol & White Dawn. Interpersonal Communication: A cultural approach by Carol Corbin and Dawn White. US: Cape Breton University Press.2009.
2. Wood, Julia. Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters. Canada: Cengage Learning.2010.

Communication is one of the most important elements in society. There is nothing that can take place without communication. To get the best out of any endeavor, the kind of communication that takes place between the parties that are involved has to be effective. This brings out the fact that communication can be effective or ineffective. It is the responsibility of the people involved to ensure that the communication mode that they have adopted meets the standards of effective communication. What are the characteristics of effective communication and what are the communication strategies that can be employed in ensuring that communication is effective? These are the questions that this essay will attempt to answer in addition to determining whether the team has provided effective strategies for communication and the examples of how the strategies they have an employee can be utilized.

Effective communication is specific and clear. The recipient does not have to struggle to understand the message. The recipient is identified and the sender is identified too. In this way, it is not difficult to tell who is sending the message to. Effective communication is also carried out using the best means. Some messages are better conveyed by word of mouth while others are better when sent through written means such as letters. Also, electronic means such as email may be the best means of communication in some cases. Note that electronic communication exists both in verbal form through telephone and written through email. The strategies for good communication include identifying the recipient, the proper identification of the sender of the message that is the main element of the communication, using the right means in message delivery or in carrying out the communication, and proper identification of the purpose of the communication. Also, there is the usage of appropriate language in carrying out the communication as a way of avoiding being misconstrued. The sender intends to convey the right message and inappropriate language can jeopardize this.

A careful examination of the team reveals that they have provided effective communication strategies as a way of making their teamwork more fruitful. These strategies include the identification of the means of communication whereby they have agreed to use the group forum which is essentially an electronic facility for sharing written messages usually called posts. They have also made it clear that the communication between the members of the group has to be respectful. This is a way of ensuring that the conflicts and misunderstandings that emanate from disrespectful or inappropriate communication are avoided. Other strategies that the team has provided include the people who will be sending the messages; who are all the team members, and the people who will be receiving the messages in the communication process; who again happen to be the members of the team. This is ideal given that they are handling group work.

I used these strategies that this team has come up with, some examples can be used. In the case of being respectful while communicating, team member X can make a phone call to another team member Y and if the caller, X, is prompted to leave a voice message because the intended recipient, Y, cannot take the call, A can leave a message telling team member Y that he or she intended to inform him or her about the latest discovery he or she had made on the subject; but since Y is not accessible, X will try calling another time. This is a respectful message that can prompt Y into calling X in a bid to find out more on the subject in general and Xs discovery in particular. But X yelling at Y for not being there to take her calls will constitute disrespectful or inappropriate communication and this can lead to conflicts.

In terms of identifying the best mode of communication, the best example is the fact that the team has chosen electronic means. They have chosen to use the group forum where each member will be able to post their messages. If group member X finds interesting information about the research subject, all that this member has to do is type the message and upload it for the other members to read.

In conclusion, communication is vital in any undertaking. Effective communication strategies are a sure way of success in any undertaking. The group that has been examined in this essay has effective communication strategies since they identify the sender, recipient, and mode of communication.

Introduction

Coeducation refers to the education system in which students of both sexes are put together in the same educational institution unlike in singe sex schools. This paper seeks to make an argument in favor of coeducation as opposed to single sex schools. The paper will look into the arguments against coeducation and those in favor of the system with the aim of establishing an opinion in support of coeducation.

Arguments against coeducation

There are arguments that single sex schools are better than coeducational schools. Proponents of single sex schools, for example, highlight the fact that every student will perform better in academics in a singe sex school as compared to a coeducational one. This claim is particularly raised with respect to girls (Boarding, 2008).

There are also arguments that students can learn more efficiently in the absence of their opposite sex which is viewed as a distraction. It is claimed that boys and girls learn in different ways thus the need for segregation (Lind & Brzuzy, 2008). Reported cases of sexual harassment by boys over girls in coeducational set ups also triggers arguments against coeducation (Chrisler & McCreary, 2010).

Arguments for coeducation

Research results and expertise arguments have favored coeducation. A number of opinions have at the same time been raised in support of argument that coeducation is the best for children as compared to single sex education.

Proponents of coeducation argue that it develops a level of confidence among the children especially with respect to expressions in the presence of peers of the opposite sex. According to a research that was conducted in schools in Canada, it was revealed that children who attended institutions of coeducation could comfortably express themselves in the presence of the opposite sexes.

This establishes a foundation for development of children of both sexes as their needs in life, whether academic or in work places in future, will require inter-sex relations. A developed confidence and relations with people of the opposite sex is, for instance, a tool to interpersonal relations that helps to eliminate discrimination among individuals.

There is also a recognized level of respect among the sexes in coeducation. This also lays foundations for respect of either sex as the children grow up. Again, this respect will contribute to cohesion between the sexes leading to increased understanding and subsequently reduced conflicts.

The availed opportunity for social interactions between the two sexes in their educational set ups also promotes developments of ability of individuals to easily integrate and make relations with individuals of the opposite sex. This promotes constructive relations such as friendships among individuals of opposite sex. Eventually, these individuals will develop an environment in which girls and boys, men and women can freely solicit for help from one another (Ridley, n.d.).

There are also mutual benefits that both sexes derive from each other as they interact in a coeducational set up. Girls are, for example, identified to be standard setters. Their nature to have the best has been identified to be a source inspiration or motivation that encourages boys to work hard to attain these standards.

Coeducation will with this respect be seen as a tool for shaping the boy child into a focused individual. Girls similarly learn from boys. Their careful nature often limits their explorations into new ventures whereas this is like a hobby to the boys. As a result of the interactions in coeducation set ups, the girls learn the boys moves of explorations into problem solving. The tendency to specialization in some subjects by gender also makes coeducational set ups beneficial to both sexes.

Girls are, for instance, identified to be efficient in organization for instance in time management. Though boys are adventurous into problem solving, they are poor in organization and may not work out their problems in time. Interactions between the two groups can thus be a learning avenue for both parties into success (Pomerantz et al., 2002).

Bernal (2006) argued that coeducation system had the impact of increasing the number of registrations in a particular institution. The diversification attracts both sexes thus increasing diversity into social learning. Respect and appreciation for one another is thus developed for better social interactions in the society (Bernal, 2006).

Apart from the mutual motivational aspects that are beneficial to both sexes, there is a provocative motivation that is induced by females into males. An achievement of a female in a mixed sex set up is for instance identified to force men into extra effort to attain that particular achievement (Bank, 2011).

Discussion and conclusion

Though there are arguments on either side of coeducation, the critics do not have a strong basis for rejecting coeducation. Sexual harassment that is claimed to take place in coeducational setups can still be experienced outside the schools. Besides, there is notable evidence that both boys and girls develop friendly interactions in coeducational set ups. Coeducation is thus better in that it also helps to develop students psychologically into social interactions.

References

Bank, B. (2011). Gender and Higher Education. Baltimore: JHU Press.

Bernal, L. (2006). Challenged by coeducation: womens colleges since the 1960s. Cork, Ireland: Vanderbilt University Press.

Boarding. (2008). Advantages of single sex schools. Web.

Chrisler, J & McCreary, D. (2010). Handbook of Gender Research in Psychology, Volume 1. New York, NY: Springer.

Lind, A & Brzuzy, S. (2008). Battleground: M-Z. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Pomerantz et al. (2002). Benefits of coeducation in the early years of learning. Web.

Ridley, A. (n.d.). The benefits of coeducational environment. Web.