Take for example couples who come from two different ethnic groups that have little or poor command of English. How do such couples then learn to grow and understand each other after so many years, or even learn to live with each other in the early years? They were able to communicate effectively nonetheless despite the language barrier, because for 1) they sought to understand and listen and 2) they sought to find other ways to make each other clearer to the other party. This thus prove that the idea of a “duck talking to a chicken” actually can happen in real life, if they can to communicate effectively.
Also, in a workplace or school environment, a student who can always explain herself better in a clear, understandable way in her writing always gains in any class situation or examination. A person who is applying for a job, definitely scores in an interview if she can present herself as one who can communicate effectively and confidently. My ex-boss at Citibank used to exclaim of how much SMU students were in demand because of the way they were able to carry themselves and speak well. And when such comparisons are made against other local varsity students, it does at times, make me feel that they are somewhat at an advantage in the real world. This, in a sense, really does show how important communication is as it determines your future path in life as well.
It is therefore essential to be equipped with effective communication skills if you want to be successful in just about anything. That is of course subjective to all of us, be it in love, academically or at work or anything under the sun. Hopefully, the end of this course would mean that I'd be able to communicate better in every aspect possible and ready me for more challenges ahead!
/edited/ 1 feb
I would actually hope to improve my communication with others so that I can be understood better! Many a times, I find myself stumbling over words, and being unsure how to phrase what I have to say properly. I also often find myself being overly nervous and speaking too quickly when I'm afraid as Jing Yang had pointed out in our activity in class where I had to recount the story to Nadiah. I was therefore very encouraged when I saw that this module also helped in writing a winning formula for cover letters or resume writing which would be highly essential when work starts. As I have already mentioned in my pre-edited post, it is often that SMU Students are in demand, because they are able to impress the wow the panel of interviewers and articulate their ideas well. Knowing that the workforce will be a highly competitive environment in the future, I want to be sure that I would have, by then, cultivated the necessary skills for effective communication so that I will not be on the losing end! Afterall, though being able to communicated effectively might not be innate for all of us, I am sure it can be nurtured! (:
