Personal Experiences Learnt in Communication Class
The decision to take up communication classes has proved to be one of the most important focal points in my life. I find my communication class as one of the most helpful sources of knowledge as skills learnt in this class are skills that help an individual expand his/her boundaries in to endless opportunities in the world. Unlike other courses that focus on specialization of certain skills and abilities, communication hones one`s ability to grace all institutions in the world despite their cutbacks on specialization or the requirement to have any type of skill. This attests to communication being the most important aspect of organization, without which organizations and entities would not function. Furthermore communication skills learnt broaden up one`s opportunities in life owing to the dire need of expressing oneself in the time of need. The success of jobs in the world, and even business opportunities often arise out of concise and efficient communication. In my communication class, I have gained immense knowledge and skills in the field of active communication as discussed in detail below.
The first problem that I encountered in my communication class happened to be the public speaking, where I was faced with the challenging task of presenting three speeches. My first experience in presenting a speech proved to be one the most challenging tasks that I have ever encountered in my life. This arose out of the stage fear, or the fear to stand out broadly before an audience, and talk to them confidently. I found it imperative to work on my self-confidence, which would ensure a fearless outlook and approach when presenting speeches before an audience. I therefore ventured into active practice where I would present mock speeches before an imaginary audience, in addition to practicing the perfect way of grooming myself. This ensured my development of self-confidence, that standing in front of an audience did not prove to be as hard as it was before.
My second task involved presenting a speech before an audience of U.S college students who mostly comprised of English Native speakers. Having learnt English as a second language proved to be a huge obstacle that I faced before presenting this speech. Nevertheless, I picked myself together and fearlessly accomplished the task ahead of me. It was not as easy as it sounds. English not being my native language, I knew that my accent was highly detectable. This however did not deter my zeal to accomplish. Equipped with high levels of confidence, I presented the speech that proved to be a huge success I my life.
My third task challenging task involved presenting a speech during a team project. Being in a team of three members, it was important for me to constantly communicate with my team mates on how to find a relevant topic, search for information, and fairly distribute tasks amongst ourselves. This task therefore enlightened me on the importance of communication as a tool for effective management. Had we not practiced effective communication, our project would have been a great fail and even more challenging task to accomplish.
The other important thing that I have learnt in my communication class is the importance of including non-verbal cues as part of effective communication. I have learnt that being fluency and eloquence are not the sole determinants of effective communication. The inclusion of non-verbal cues in the course of oral communication such as the application of relevant gestures, eye contact, and winning the audience`s attention, counted immensely in the delivery of effective communication. It is important for one to apply relevant hand movement, maintain eye contact with the audience, in addition to including attention seekers such as jokes or short stories to ensure your audience is hooked.
As can be seen from the above discussions, my attendance of communication class has helped in the general improvement of my skills. With every problem faced I have learnt a lesson or two that has proved to be useful and important in my life. Communication is the universal channel through which the world grows every day and the tool that facilitates the accomplishments man.
