I was born and brought up in Dubai, a
city with a diverse population. Even though Arabic is the official language of
Dubai, it was necessary for me to know other languages in order to effectively
communicate with various population groups. Having lived there for eighteen years I understand the importance of communication. I realized that good
communication does not necessarily require one to be fluent in that language;
rather to have the knack to convey the message using the basic knowledge of the
language.
I feel effective
communication extends this definition to receiving accurate information, as
intended by the sender. Effective communication does not only suggest that one needs to be a good speaker; having the ability to listen to others and interpret their communication accurately plays an equally important role. For one to convey his message, grammar, accuracy, and speed must
be kept in mind.
I
came across a humorous example of misinterpretation and ineffective
communication, in an article I read online.
A
lady from Britain travelling to India inquired about WCs in her room(water-closet/restroom).
The person in charge misinterpreted her query, assuming WC stood for Westside
Church. This is the reply she received: ‘Yes Ma’am, there are many WCs in
India. In fact there’s one near my house. I go to there often. My friends and I
decide a time and go to the WC together. So you don’t have to worry about it.
We have many WCs here.’ (on a side note, the woman never visited India).
This
is a clear example for the complications that can arise if messages are not
encoded-decoded well. Sometimes communication barriers or misinterpretations
can arise due to the accent, gestures, presumptions, or tone.
Effective communication is very essential
today, be it interviews or presentations or relationships. Through the wide
range of communication exercises this module offers, I wish to develop these
skill further.
edited: 2nd Sept, 2012.
