The first pre-test that was given to us was an opportunity for me to really think about something for a moment: What is successful communication? It's been years since I've taken a writing course, but one of the things that I do remember is that successful communication through writing should be clear and concise. What then, should be included in a formal letter to Mrs. Middleton requiring us to answer 3 simple questions? I think the answer to this question is subjective and changes from person to person. I'm curious to know how successful communication is defined and how we will be taught to execute it throughout this semester.
Some of the pointers that we received on the first day of class were that in order to successfully communicate, shocker- you have to talk about something! Sadly, I know people that struggle with this, but as a man of few words, I have never really had a hard time giving significance and meaning to what I say. What I do feel is applicable to me though, is not being vague when communicating. As we saw in class, when the police phone operator told the man to "make sure he was dead" the man understood that he needed to kill his friend to make sure he was dead. The English language unfortunately has a lot of ambiguity and I think it's important that we learn how to avoid that and to be precise as possible when communicating. I intend on applying this by conscientiously paying attention to how I communicate with others and think if I'm being specific enough to successfully communicate my thoughts.
I believe that Professor Middleton is hoping that we pay more attention to and ensure that we mean the words that we use. It is so common for people to slip into informal language that they begin to forget how to speak formally. This is true in both the professional and nonprofessional conversations that take place.
ReplyDeleteAt work, my coworkers and I are required to document various situations that occur in our facility. We are expected to be accurate, concise, and thorough. Often, we slip into using words that could convey the situation appropriately, should the reader know upon which words to put the emphasis and stresses. That being said, it is very important to choose our words wisely, both written and spoken.