How might effective communication skills be important for me? Let me list thy ways. Humans are highly social creatures - no one is an island as the proverb goes for our species thrives on camaraderie. And seeing that knowledge is power, what could be more “powerful” than the effective exchange of information and sharing of ideas. Let us not forget that one of the reasons for the fall of Singapore to the Japanese in the Second World War was the miscommunication of orders within the ranks of the defending British Army.
As a physicist, I have found it necessary at times to explain or write on various concepts for my assignments and will likely have to write a lengthy paper on a topic of my choosing for my Final Year Project when the time comes. These concepts are oftentimes difficult enough to understand due to their mathematical complexity without the added confusion of ineffective communication.
Furthermore, since one career option I am presently considering is teaching, being able to effectively convey information with all 7Cs fulfilled is all the more important for me. Equally important for a teacher is the mastering of EQ and active listening as many of us have at some point in time or another been guilty of rambling on and on without being aware enough of our audience to realise that we have lost them. Finally, important too is the willingness to accept criticism, a quality lacking in many a teacher, as it is through feedback that we improve.
In concluding, I acknowledge that the potential practical applications of effective communication skills in my life as discussed above are specific but not exhaustive. Such skills are also applicable outside of work and school, to our everyday lives. Indeed, I might even go so far as to say that it is an essential and integral part of being able to properly interact with society and to live life to the fullest.
Wow.. I'm really impressed by how quickly you got everything set up! Amazin!
ReplyDeleteWill comment on your post in a few days! =)
Thanks for the clear, concise and concrete post, Isaac. I like the way you relate the value of comm skills to you as both a social creature and as a future workplace participant (as a teacher). You mention a number of specific skills that you (or any teacher) might need, including active listening and EQ. It might have been good to elaborate on those two in particular with more detail, but with the word limit in mind, you've made a valiant effort. Very good effort!
ReplyDeleteHaving been a relief teacher before, I can say that effective communication is vital, especially when you are in a clasroom filled with 40 bored students staring blankly at you. While the 7Cs may help you get the intended (IQ)message across, what i think is more important would be establishing a connection with them (what one would call the EQ). The 7Cs may work in formal writing but some aspects of the 7Cs might not work if you are trying to establish that connection. For instance, throwing in some 'lah' and 'lor' might not be correct and proper english but it might help to connect with students who are weaker in the english language. They key is knowing how to code switch. Of course, active listening would also be crucial in understanding students' needs.
ReplyDeleteHi Isaac!
ReplyDeleteI agree fully with you that teachers require active listening and EQ. My definition of active listening is not limited to physical hearing. Active listening is the attitude of always trying to receive information about students through verbal or non verbal ways. I feel that active listening is probably one of the least used skills for many teachers. It is by listening to students that teachers can find out what students are thinking, and to cater lessons to their needs. A simple example: If a teacher finds out that most students did not understand a previous topic that was covered, he can try to re-teach the topic in another method, so that students will not lose interest in the subject.
EQ is surely an important characteristic in teachers. However, EQ cannot to be learnt by reading books only. The primary way of improving EQ should be to through practice by interaction with people. And after interaction, books will supplement us with ideas so that our interactions can be enhanced!
Since there are so many of us embarking on the teaching route, let us practice our communication skills, listening skills and EQ together.
And yes, thank you for your comment on my post! Will look into my concreteness! =)
In response to Edwin's comment, I concur that EQ is developed primarily through its practical application in interpersonal interactions.
ReplyDeleteThough I am more of a theoretical physicist and am not too fond of actual experimentation, I would have to say that for matters pertaining to EQ-training books discussing the theory are helpful but ultimately, it is still a case of practice makes perfect.
It is true that humans are social creatures and we cannot live without communication. As a future teacher, I agree with you that it is essential for teachers to convey their ideas to students and to ensure the students understand the concepts.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I found some of the sentences too long. For instance, “Equally important for a teacher is the mastering of EQ and active listening as many of us have at some point in time or another been guilty of rambling on and on without being aware enough of our audience to realise that we have lost them” could be rephrased as “... been guilty of rambling on without realising we have lost the audience”. In addition, it would be better to substitute the phrase “in concluding” with “therefore”.
In general, I agree with you on the importance of mastering our EQ. I am an emotional person and my feelings tend to get into my speech. As a result, it causes people to misunderstand my intended message. Well, I hope through this course, we can all grow in our EQ and apply our communication skills to our common career path of teaching.
Cheers!