Context and Communication
There is a close link between context and communication. People tend to change the way they communicate based on the environment and setting. Understanding the context or setting and the people one is communicating with is very important in passing the right message. For instance, the tools of communication used at a personal level are always different from those used in the professional setting. In a personal setting where an individual is interacting with close friends, communication is mainly through informal language and non-verbal behaviors may not be put into consideration. A personal social communication may also involve loud voices and jokes especially depending on the locations such as clubs. On the other hand, communication in a professional setting is mainly based on all aspects and tools of communication (Neuliep, 2009). People may be misunderstood based on the use of wrong non-verbal communication. Therefore low and clear voices with direct eye contact are used in this form of communication while a person can use hands movements to illustrate the message.
Communication change is crucial depending on the context, place and time. This is because, different situations require different communication methods, and for instance, chatting with friends will involve jokes which cannot be used in office setting (Neuliep, 2009). Changing the way of communication is necessary to accomplish the goals for the interaction. In a professional setting, communication can be intended to seal a professional matter while in a social setting, friends chat about anything that bids them together.
Learning the way communication changes in various settings is crucial so as to understand the right method to choose when interacting with different intercultural settings. This is because different cultures in terms of age, gender, and race, professional and social relationships among others have a unique mode of communicating and understanding these modes is necessary to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings in the future.
References
Neuliep, J.W. (2009). Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach (4th ed.).Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
