“Learning the significance of Effective Communication”

Francis Jose Lean L. Abayata LHS-4
“Learning the significance of Effective Communication”
Effective communication is important because it is a root for good relationship building and a fundamental tool for learning. Communication is a vital aspect that everyone must possess. Communication happens when the process of sharing ideas, messages, and information towards others in a particular place and time takes place. Communication includes writing and talking, as well as nonverbal, visual and electronic communication.
Communication is a vital part of personal life and is also important in all sorts of fields such as: relationships, business, education, and any other situations where people encounter each other. The presence of learning would cease to exist if communication would be terminated. Establishing ties toward a person would depend also on how to communicate effectively towards an individual. In simpler means, effective communication is when the message of the sender is fully understood by the receiver.
We listened to our parents when we started to communicate. We are communicating when we recite in class. Whenever we communicate with another person, both the speaker and listener are talking and listening. Thus communication happens when the speaker gives the message while the receiver is the one whom the message is given. A certain message is the verbal and/or nonverbal content that must be programmed by the source and be deciphered by the receiver. It is somewhat a medium in which the message is received and delivered.
Procuring effective communication will be achieved when the receiver is an active listener. It can also be obtained when the source is reliable and the message is lucidly been programmed. Effective communication will also be achieved when the best channel has chosen and the message has been deciphered accurately. In return, the message will be a form of a feedback. High level of self-awareness is a necessity to attain good communication skills. In creating a good and lasting impressions towards others one must have an understanding in his/her personal style of communicating.
First step to achieve effective communication is to be an active listener. Listening is one of the most imperative skills that we could possess. A person that listens well has a major impact on such fields. These fields are your job effectiveness, acquiring of knowledge or information and on the quality of your relationships with others. We listen in order to obtain information, to understand, to enjoy, and to learn. In order to become a better listener is to practice the concept of "active listening." It is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only to the words that the source is saying but, more highly trying to comprehend the complete message being sent. Paying attention, showing that you're listening, providing feedback, deferring judgment, and responding appropriately are some ways to become an active listener, as stated by an article written by James Manktelow & Amy Carlson (N.D).
In accordance to the content of the book entitled, My Family: A Gift of God, in terms of the reliability of the source that as a person begins to communicate, certain things should be figured out in why and what to say. In communicating, the importance of planning and organizing of thoughts would be noted and this will make the message effective. Keeping the message short and simple will make the receiver easily understand what is trying to convey. Thus less conflicts and confusion would happen.
Next step is to program the message lucidly. After knowing what a person is going to say, the person must decide exactly how they will say it. It is also necessary to consider how the recipient will perceive it. The reaction of the receiver must be forestalled always towards the message of the sender or the source. It should be noted to choose words and body languages that will allow the receiver to really hear and understand what the sender is saying. Choosing the best channel is at the same time prerequisite to obtain effective communication. There are lots of ways to transmit a message. It can be oral, electronic, paper based, image or visual, sound, or silent communication such as colors or using the senses. Within this topic, he/she should be careful to choose the most appropriate communication channel by keeping in mind the sensitivity and the emotional content of the subject, the receiver’s preferences, and lastly the time constraints. As the person is sending text messages or e-mails, though it is fast but when communicating complex tasks then there would be more questions for clarifications. To avoid further questions for further clarifications, then it is a better option to talk personally. Decipher the messages accurately means less conflicts. This means since communication is a two-way process, it is not just the sender who talks all the time but he/she allows the receiver to talk as well. However for a receiver, listening intently is crucial by giving undivided attention to the person talking. The sender should not be interrupted in order to receive the message accurately. Looking the person in the eye, nodding occasionally and paying his/her body language are signs that a person is actively listening to what the person is saying. The ways being mentioned also confirms the value of respect.
Lastly is to function the message as a feedback. According to the Encarta Dictionary; feedback is a return of output or a response. What makes feedback important in the field of communication is that the speaker will be aware that the listener really understands what they are trying to communicate. Feedback could be sometimes verbal and sometimes could also be through body language. Noting facial expressions, posture of the person and the gestures then the person will be noted that he/she is interested with what speaker is trying to say. Nodding, clapping, or meeting of eyebrows are indicators that he/she agrees to what the speaker is saying even the truthfulness of the message. Allowing questions is a good way in order to understand well the message.
On the other hand, to understand the effectivity of communication, a person should also be aware about the levels undergone by communication. Communication could be distinguished into five levels, as stated in the book entitled My Family: A Gift Of God. Phatic communication is a level of communication that uses clichés to start a conversation or to break the ice. It also established rapport at the end of a conversation. Factual communication is used for small talking that offers information or knowledge towards the other person through factual disclosure. Evaluative communication bids ideas, judgments and opinions. Sharing values will strengthened relationships and promotes a good atmosphere to learn. Unlike dissimilar values will do the opposite. Since, others have their own evaluations that may cause conflict then evaluative communication might be risky. Gut-level communication is a sort type of communication that the feelings and emotions are involved. That’s why, a person must be cautious in when and how to express their feelings and emotions. This also would be risky. Lastly is peak communication; the most connected level that is why it is also called communal-level communication that happens in an extraordinary way because both person shares the same emotions and have the same level of intensity.
However, we are on an educational world and reading is not enough to acquire learning. We are no longer living in a traditional society because we are living in a digital one and somehow technology of the modernized world provides us with tools that we use in our daily living; such as the internet that has changed the way we think and, not surprisingly, the way we learn.
Effective communication is essential in all sort of fields. It is needed to maintain good relationship buildings and to the field of learning. To have effective communication in the field of learning, educators use such techniques and the ideas being mentioned above. They also uses technologies that are being developed in this modernized world where technologies are partner to human’s gratification. Communication technologies allow everyone to connect and collaborate with other individuals around the globe. People use internet to communicate each other and we find the information that we need. We keep in touch with our families and peers and also we are constantly acquiring new knowledge and skills online. In order to ensure that active communication and collaboration takes place or happens in a virtual learning environment, it is important for educators to consider and determine which communication technologies best suit their needs and the needs of the students.
According to Smyth (2011), communication technologies have the potential to engage learners while also providing motivation and support for both online teaching and learning. However, it is crucial for students to become engaged in the learning process. Connecting and communicating with their peers and teachers via communication technologies is vital to support the learning process, the mastery of knowledge, and the skills taught online. Students use technology to communicate. Thus they are more comfortable to participate in a technology-driven environment.
Su et al., 2005 supports Smyth’s opinion according to the topic that educators should promote the use of communication technologies to provide new and unique opportunities for interaction. Both asynchronous and synchronous communication can help boost active engagement and participation in the learning process while students are taking an online course. In online education, there are currently several technologies used to promote interactions among students and teachers such as discussion boards, multimedia videos, communication technologies, etc.
Thus, learning effective communication is very important to every individual. It is a vital element towards success of every person. It helps to every career and it helps to promote good atmospheres of learning. Having Effective communication offers lots of opportunities’ especially in applying jobs and helps in attaining strong relationship building. Frankly speaking, effective communication helps every one of us in different aspects or fields of life. As effective communication is concern, conflicts and misunderstanding seldom rises. Having poor communication should be harnessed and be able to learn and be aware of the result of having effective communication as our daily bases of everyday experiences.