What are these language based barriers to communication?

One reason to miscommunication is due to jargons. Jargons are specialised/ techinical language that is associated with a trade, profession or a similar group. For instance, the word “authority”.

The government of each college and school is vested in its Faculty, except as limited by the authority of the Divisional Graduate Council and the Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs. Each Faculty is directly responsible to the Division of which it is a committee. The Faculty of the School of Public Health is directly responsible to the Assembly. The Division or the Assembly may impose specific duties on a Faculty.

Organization. Except as otherwise provided, each Faculty may organize, select its officers and committees, and adopt rules consistent with the Code of the Academic Senate . Each Faculty may delegate portions of its authority to its committees or executive officers.

Officers and Executive Committee. Each Faculty shall select the Chair of the Faculty and members of its Executive Committee. The chief administrative officer of the college or school shall be an ex officio member of the Executive Committee but may not serve as Chair of the Faculty or the Executive Committee, except in Faculties of colleges and schools that are substantially coincident with departments of the same name.

Reporting Authority. Each Faculty may present to the agency to which it is directly responsible recommendations and proposed modifications of legislation of that agency or the Senate.

Other sorts of language based barriers are slans and bypassing, whereby, bypassing means the misunderstanding due to misinterpretation.

Culture is learned, shared, dynamic, multifaceted and identites are usually overlapped. Culture values provide the context within which a society’s norms tells s what we can and cannot do. Cultural beliefs represent our understanding about what is true. Culture is passed down the generations. Culture involves the programming of the mind. Once certain patterns of thinking, feeling and acting have been established within a peron’s mind, he or she must unlearn these before being able to learn something different. Edward Hall has a classic dimension of cultures. High context culture which focuses on information preprogrammed in the receiver and in the setting. This high context culture does not focus on the importance on the transmitted message. Of course, the other culture would be the low context culture. Comparing the high context culture and the low context culture. The low context culture does have a great focus on the transmitted message, in order to make sense of the context. Low context cultures uses the direct, explicit and unambiguous verbal communication style. There is great importance in spoken words as speech is use as a tool to express, clarify and influence onself.

Media communication theories are to explain effects of mass communication- intended or unintended on the audiences and to explain how people use or “exploit” the mass media. People have a tendency to refrain from expressing unpopular ideas or views. The decision to speak out one’s view is influenced by changes in public opinion. The media is able to encourage this behaviour by supporting parrticular views. This media communication theory is known as the spiral of silence.

For instance, we can talk about the white gold industry. In the beginning, people thought that white gold was of little worth, however, jewellery companies starts marketing out white gold and people found white gold to be the “in” thing. People who once disapprove of white gold no longer dislike it and sub consciously also begin to like. They were no longer able to say that white gold was worthless. This is an example of the spiral of silence.

As an individual, we are able to make simple decisions with clear rationale, which has very little risk involved. However, as a group, we make complex decisions with complex resources at high risk. The full support of the group is needed in decision making and sometimes, group members might disagree with the discussion. Furthermore, because we are in a group, sufficient time is needed in order to make the right decision for the best of the team. Group pressure, we have to balance between individual and group needs as well.

Source: Youtube
Link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=DjLzZLxxoxM

This video that I found on Youtube is a commercial by FedEx. It is about how a FedEx delivery man had his truck stuck in the mud and how a team of two big muscular men came to lift the truck up and allowing the delivery man to be able to send his parcel to the client. Group synergy can be found in this advertisement, the two men brought together their strength and aimed to lift the truck out of the mud. This brought out the best of the team. There is group communication between all the men as two lift the truck while the other starts the engine. The two strong men are in a group as they interdepend on each other to life the truck together. Furthermore, they have a collective identity; to lift the truck and their physical appearance. This advertisement also shows on how individuals and groups are different and how it illustrates on the point where individuals can make simple decisions will groups make complex decisions, whereby the delivery man will not be able to life the truck out of the mud, but only as a group are they able to deliver the package on time.

Before we associate ourselves with other people, first contact is very important as we have to leave behind a good impression. Also, through the first contact, we may begin to develop a certain amount of curiosity with other people. Engagement, it is through our first contact that we move towards richer interpersonal relationship. After forming a relationship, we manage it through the means of communication and continue to maintain this relationship. This stage is known as management. When we want to disassociate ourselves with people, for instance, a guy and a girl wants to end their relationship, it is called disengagement. Disengagement is the dissolution of relationships. These three stages are a framework used by DeFleur et al(2005).

Unknowingly, we associate ourselves with other people through different ways. Physical appearance is one of the ways on whether or not we will associate ourselves with this particular person. Although, the impact of physical appearance diminishes over the course of a relationship, it is one of the biggest impact during the beginning of relationships. From my personal experiences, I find this to be very true.

Others form relations with people who have common interests with them. People have a tendency to form relationships with people who are similar to them as they are able to relate to them. On the other hand, some form relations with people different to them. Dissimilarity is able to form relationships as complementary differences can sustain a relationship as they function better together than separately. Another reason why people form relationships is because of exchange. We form relationships based on our perceptions of the costs and rewards of the relationships. We enter into a relationship expecting something good to come out of it, this is also know as relational benefits. We are able to benefit, therefore we develop this relationship.

Knapp Model of relational development is about the process of development and dissolution of any relationship in ten different stages. We initiate ( first contact), experiement (begin to have small talks), intensify ( Having physical contact), integrate ( see as “we”; a couple) and bond ( formalise this relationship). When things starts to fall apart we differentiate ( no longer as “we” but as individuals), circumscribe( Limited communication; we restrict our conversations), stagnate( stay as a couple for the sake of staying; not wanting to officially terminate this association with each other), avoid ( withdrawing physically and emotionally) and finally terminate ( end of relationship; break up). These ten stages do not come in order and may skip stages.

I found a video on Youtube and I found it to be really interesting.

Source:Youtube
Link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GsjZrkm-2Tk

The video is on two student who happen to be doing a project on nonverbal communication. In their video, nonverbal communication is by communicating, not using words. Like what we learn in class, the student in the video also talks about why we should learn to use and understand nonverbal communication. The reason is to reinforce and study culture people. The video also said that people tend to believe more in nonverbal than verbal. Actions such as palms up, leaning forward and smiling are signs of an open communication. While, in the video, actions such as arms being folded are a sign of disinterested movements which meant disinterest in the conversation.

These gestures such as leaning forward and palms up in the air are known as body lanuage. This type of nonverbal cues are under kinesics, of which, it is the study of the body movement. Nonverbal cues do not just come from people only, but they can also come from other sources such as vocal nonverbal stimuli (voice) or even environmental nonverbal stimuli (environment). The quality of voice, meaning the pitch, volume and tone, the vocalics( sounds other than words), silence and non-fluencies ( filled pauses) are nonverbal cues and come under a category called paralinguistics, the study of vocal nonverbal cues.

Another type of nonverbal cue which we unknowingly use every often are our eyes. Oculesics, the study of nonverbal meaning associated with the eyes. In the video, the students are unknowingly using oculesics. Our eyes are able to regulate flow of verbal communication, and so the saying goes: “eyes are the windows to the soul”.

Other types of nonverbal communication are chronemics,the study of how time convey meaning, objectics,the study of how physical objects are able to convey meaning, haptics, proxemics and physical appearance. Nonverbal cues can interact verbal cues which allow us to communicate through emotions and relational information.

Source: Youtube.
Link:http://youtube.com/watch?v=A-HruY2S5A4

This is my very first entry and I have decided to write about the latest FedEx advertisement. This advertisement has been showing on TV mobile and sure has been entertaining me, during the bus rides. Personally enjoyed this advertisement because it is very humorous. When I watched it for the first time, I was really caught off guard when there were so many Mr Zhang-s. The facial expression of the poor delivery boy was also very well portrayed. We are able to see his anxiety and fright. Also, we are able to see that he panicked when he went back to the shop keeper as he repeatedly ask for the specific Mr Zhang and was franticly bouncing. The delivery boy’s body language was able to make this advertisement such a success. I also like the beginning of the advertisement and how it came about as a normal average day for the boy with cheerful bell tunes as he made his way across the street. When he finally made his way, the tune became more intense as the workers (apparently all named Mr Zhang) slowly surrounded him. It was really hilarious. Also, I’m glad to say that FedEx’s message to its potential customers really came through to the audience. Its message on how efficient FedEx’s delivery would be came across just perfectly. Honestly, I can watch this advertisement all over again and laugh about it all over again.