Too Tired? Too Anxious? Need More Time? We’ve got your back.
ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Consider a recent conversation with a friend, relative, or acquaintance that was in person or electronically.
2. In what ways did your culture and the other person’s culture affect the communication?
3. Use examples of your personal knowledge of culture and communication competence to support your position.
4. Write a two- to three-page paper, not counting the title page and the references page, that summarizes how culture affected your communication experience.
5. While including cited support for terms and concepts is important, the bulk of this paper should be in your own words about your own experience
HOW TO WORK ON THIS ASSIGNMENT (EXAMPLE ESSAY / DRAFT)
Introduction:
Communication is an essential part of human interaction, and it becomes even more complex when cultures come into play. In this paper, I will reflect on a recent conversation I had with a friend that was in person, and analyze how our different cultures affected our communication. Additionally, I will provide examples from my personal knowledge of culture and communication competence to support my position.
Body:
The conversation I had with my friend took place in person, and we were discussing a recent event we had both attended. My friend is from a different culture than mine, and I noticed that we had different communication styles. For example, my friend was more reserved in expressing their emotions, whereas I was more direct and open about how I felt. I also noticed that my friend was more respectful towards authority figures, while I was more skeptical of them.
These differences in communication styles and cultural values influenced our conversation. While I was speaking, my friend would nod and smile, but I could tell that they did not fully agree with what I was saying. This made me feel like my friend was not fully engaged in the conversation, and I started to wonder if I had offended them in some way.
However, I remembered that in my friend’s culture, it is considered impolite to disagree with someone openly. Instead, they might express their disagreement in a more indirect way or simply remain silent. This helped me to understand my friend’s perspective and made me more aware of my own communication style.
Furthermore, I also recalled a previous experience where I had to communicate with someone from a different culture in a professional setting. I had to make sure that I was using appropriate language and tone, and that I was aware of any potential cultural differences that could affect the communication. In this situation, I had to be particularly mindful of the power dynamics between us and ensure that I was not being unintentionally offensive or dismissive.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, communication is influenced by culture in many ways, and it is important to be aware of these differences to avoid misunderstandings and promote effective communication. Through my personal experiences, I have learned that being aware of your own communication style and being mindful of other cultures can help you communicate more effectively and build stronger relationships.
Too Tired? Too Anxious? Need More Time? We’ve got your back.