first semester

My first semester in USC was actually great it started off really bad but coming down to the end I met people that was friendly warmhearted and kind like me and I also met people who would want you to help them when they are in situation, but when you are in a situation they are nowhere to be found. So this is what USC taught me this semester that not everyone who talks to you is for you.

communication skills class

When I first started this class, I was shy, I had a low self-esteem and I was totally afraid to talk in front of people. The class isn’t over but I can see changes in myself. I can actually say that this class helped me a lot. I’m not shy as before, I have a high self- esteem and I’m not afraid to talk in front of people as before. I was able to speak in front of people on many occasion and guess what words actually came out my mouth I was surprise and happy with myself. So I really have to thank my teacher for helping me and also for begin patient.

good news

Just recently I did a speech on the shuttle service in my school. When I was finished my communication skills teacher said that plenty student were complaining about the shuttle service and that the school is doing something about the situation. In total we have three shuttles two small one and one big one, she said that the school order two more shuttles but it would be small. When I heard that I was really excited because it would not be a rush for the shuttle anymore. But the shuttle would not arrive until next semester. So I really hope they answer my wish.

technology

New technology such as internet has impact both ethically and unethically on communication practices. These are advantages and disadvantage of communication technologies when using a cell phone it keep the parents in contact with their children, but it emits a small amount  of electromagnetic  radiation, whereas using the telephone it support interpersonal communication, but users can be a bit too casual.  But with the internet it provides up to date news from around the world or it allows you to down load information but the disadvantage is it is no place to check for accurate information. So different technologies have different advantages and disadvantages.

barriers

A barrier to communication is the process which can assure that the sender’s message will be understood by the receiver. Certain barriers present themselves throughout the process; those barriers are factors that have a negative impact on the communication process some are incorrect grammar, words of conflict with body language, the use of an appropriate medium or channel and not understanding the context. There are different type of barriers they are physical, perceptual, emotional, cultural, language, gender and interpersonal barriers.

Language Registers

Language Registers is a kind of language that is appropriate to a particular situation or context. Registers is the levels of formality or informality and the tones that are correct for specific context, registers can be either written or spoken language. There are five types of registers they are frozen, formal or academic, consultative, casual or informal and intimate registers. When people are not familiar with registers they mistakenly treat every situation or person the same way, not realizing one’s eventual choice of registers is made.

genre

I was reading a communication book, where I came across the word Genre. I read that a genre is a word from the French which means “category”. This is a term used in literary criticism to designate the distinct types or categories into which literary works are group according to form or technique. There are fourteen different genres they are epics, lyrics, sonnet, elegies, comedies, tragedies, novels, short stories, vignettes, essays, non- friction prose, and autobiographies. I read most of these genres and did not know they call them genres.

up grade your security system

I was reading the papers on Monday and saw that a teenager boy causes a stir in an all-girl school. The incident occur around 2:30, the boy ran onto the compound, scaled a wall on the south wing and then jumped off the form three block, where he fell 16 feet and broke his leg. But what if he had a weapon on him what would have been the girl’s predicament. The school needs to have a better security system in place for this kind of situation, if it ever happens again.

leave the new generation alone

I was totally upset when I heard on the news that Mr. Sita Maharaj want the principal of the Tunapuna Hindu school to be let go, because she enroll back children into the school. Yes I knew he was a racist, but why can black children go the school. Children do not care whether their friends are Black, White, Indian or Chinese, all children just want to do is to play. Once they a having fun they couldn’t be bother, they may not even know what racism mean. So I think Mr. Sita Maharaj should be at home in his rocking chair waiting to be taken home.

disgusting pastors

I read an article and could not believe what I read. The article was about a Pastor getting caught in a sexual relationship with the wife of a junior pastor. I was in disgust when I read this article. Pastors are the ones to tell us wrong from right and if this pastor is having sexual relations with his members while married what is he telling the youths that is trying to do the right thing. The youths would say if the pastor doing it that means I can do it to because he is supposed to be hearing from God. Come on pastor’s check yourself.

USING SLANG IN EVERYDAY LIFE

When coming to communicating with slangs, I think that it is very easy to speak because you can express yourself perfectly and freely. You would not have to study about use the right tenses or even to pronounce the word properly, with using slangs you just have to open your mouth and people would understand you, if they are also speaking with slangs. But as my mom would say there is a place and time for everything. And in this case there is, when you are around family and friends you can speak the slang, but when you are in public eye, at a fancy restaurant or at a company function you should speak Standard English. When you speak Standard English in these places, people would not have the cause to embarrass in front of important people. So you have to know when you can speak Standard English and when you can use the slangs.

EFFECTIVE VERBAL COMMUNICATOR

 I am a very effective verbal communicator when I am around family and friends, I will make sure and get my point around whether being harsh or soft tone, but I will definitely make them understand what I am trying to say. But when it comes to public speaking or talking to a stranger, I am not an effective verbal communicator, I not sure what to say to get my point across.  Maybe because I not demonstrate linguistic sensitivity enough and I really think that I have to improve on that so I can get my point across to the people.  

AN ARTICLE FROM A LOCAL NEWSPAPER

The article that I have chosen was the story about the sex scandal with the teacher in an all girl school. The public came to the attention of this story, when a 29 year old school teacher sent nude pictures of himself to several of his students in one of the prestige school. To top it off, it is said that he had sexual intercourse with one of the girls twice on the school compound.

One of the girls parent saw the nude pictures on her daughter laptop, which then she proceeded to the police station with the story and pictures. When I heard this story I was disgust to my stomach, I really could not believe that a teacher would take advantage of these girls like that.

Teachers are suppose to be someone that you can trust, someone who can encourage you when you are down, but the most important thing is , they are suppose to care about you. He of should resign in the first place; he should not even become a teacher if his mind was not there for the children. I really could not believe that an incident took place in Trinidad, the teacher should be lock up and put behind bars for life.     

THE CULTURE THAT I PRESENTED

The culture that my group did was Trinidadians East Indians, we learn about there religious beliefs, their food, greetings and the values they uphold. The culture was definitely different from what I thought I knew, especially when coming to the celebration, I had no idea that all the preparation like fasting for six to eight week or the meaning why the keep up the festival. For instant, the Divali festival, the Hindu take this celebrations very serious because, this is the time were they believe that the spiritual darkness has been lifted, and that they well receive wealth and prosperity in the coming of the New Year.   The next thing that I have learned is, in the phagwa festival the music that they dance and sing to is a different type of music. They sing to a special type which is called chowtal and they dance to two instruments which are dholak and majeera. When I am communicating with my fellow East Indian friends, I will have something new to talk to them about and I can get to understand it a little better.

IN CLASS PRESENTATION

The in class presentation was very educational, most of the cultures that we had I knew about them, but it had one culture in particular, that I really did not know much about the way in which they communicate. The Japanese, have different ways in which they communicate to one another, for example, the way that Trinidadians would greet each other is not the same way that Japanese greet one another. The Japanese would bow as a sign of greeting, they would eat with chopsticks instead of using a fork or a knife and when they communicate with others they do not look them directly in the eye. So there communication ways are much different to the communication that I have grown to know. I really have to say that I have learn from the cultural presentation that took place in class

DOES CULTURE IMPACT THE WAY YOU COMMUNICATE

I think my culture impact my communication, according to which part of the world that I am in. if I am in my home country people would understand what I am saying. But when I am in a foreign country, for example Spain, they speak a totally different language from us Trinidadian, so it was very hard to understand what they were try to tell us and even what we were try to tell them. With reference to the example, when to culture collide it is hard to understand what the other person is try to say, when this incident occur your nonverbal action would be place on overtime. This is because you would not have an idea to what the person is say and your face expression would show what you are thinking of the conversation. Which in some country is a total disrespect.  

SELF PRECEPTION

My perception came when I had a bad experience when I was put to sing in front of my old school. Seeing that I really hate public speaking, it never dawn on me that singing in front of people could lead to embarrassment. Many people came up to me saying that it would only happen for the first two times but unfortunately the fear never stop. I guess I have to deal with the public speaking first and the fear of singing would automatically go.

When the fear occurs I feel embarrass, disappointed, and the worst of all discourage. I constantly let myself that I will never get over my fear. But I just have to be patient I try and get over it

THE ARTICLE

 

Upon reading the newspaper today, my just glance across to an article where it says that cops move in on rowdy students. I was totally impressed by the way that the offices handled the situation which was pretty swift. On Friday evening outside Town Centre Mall along Chacon Street Port- of -Spain the offices prevented a minor scuffle among school children which could have led to a violent confrontation.

     The offices which were in the area responded to a report which was made that a fight was in the progress in front of the shopping mall among a group of school children. As a result the offices were able to hold the teenagers that was involve in the fight. However, the offices conducted a search with the teenagers which was held and in the process the recovered a knife in one of the school boys bag. He was arrested and taken into custody. When I read this this article I was felt great inside because it lets me that the offices are doing there jobs and they and is looking out for the youths out their which are liming with the wrong company. I give the police offices a thumb up for a wonderful job that they have done.   

My reaction towards 9/11

When my Communication Skill teacher told the class that we had to write our reaction toward the 9/11, I thought to myself if I should put my mind through this inccident again, but I think that my mind can handle it this time. When I heard that an air-craft had crash into the World Trade Center buildings, my mind went straight to my family and friends who was living in New York at the time, in particular one of my aunt who use to work in that building. It was tramatising, devastating and sad to know that innocent people had to die a cold  gruesome way which they did not deserve. Many people lost there love one's and still up to this day, cry about want happen. I know how they are feeling because I was once in that stituation when my family thought that my aunt did not make it out of the building, but thank God she did. Even after ten years my heart will forever go thought the pain these love one's are feeling because it was not easy to know, that you saw them the morning and to hear that the building in which they were working in a plane crash into it. It is very hard to hardle but I think they would get through the hurt.

Communication Skills Assignment #1

Hi my name is Shannon Lewis, I am currently attending The University of the Southern Caribbean. At this institution I chose to study Elementary Education where my major would be reading. I have a love for children, this started at a very young age where I would imagine that I was the teacher and my stuff animals were my students, there and then I knew what I wanted to become in life. I would rate myself a seven when communication with other, because I love talking to my fellow classmate and family but when coming to public speaking I am a bit shy. To reslove my fears I guess I can interact more with people and be a better listener.c