Understanding of Language

After all is said and done, of the last semester I have come to understand just how important our use of words can be. The way you say something can be taken totally the wrong way by just the tone of your voice and your posture. The way people communicate in certain settings differs, and the way in which people interact with certain people in certain circumstances is very different. The relationships you have outside of work with co-workers can influence the way in which you interact and communicate at work with those same people. Body Language is a very vital way in which our true intentions and true meanings behind things are seen and understood. How personal you can be in talking to someone even if you are in different places I have a better understanding of now. Most everything I ever thought about language has either been confirmed in the last semester of class or totally been wrong and now I understand why and can see why. All things regarding communication I feel I have a better understanding of and love the fact that as I now more on will be a better communicator and I as well as the people in which I communicate with will appreciate.

Being Deaf

Can language be used and comprehended in the same way by deaf people as it is by hearing people? Do they understand all the tools in which we use to comminicate everyday as tools that they can use as well. I understand that their sences change because some have to be stronger then the others, but when it comes to language is there a way for them to uderstand its meaning in the same ways as we have for our entire lives? Some things will have to be different of course but can it (language) in the end be understood in its fullest the same way as we the hearing population of the world use and see it? I find this to be a rather fascinating question and what the answer may be is quite interesting to me. I would hope that even though they can't hear that no one would be deprived of being able to hear as well as being able to understand the language they can speak to its fullest.

Sign Language

Many times I have wondered how sign language came to be. I know that deaf people have to use sign language to communicate but where did sign language come to be used for people that aren't deaf and need to use sign language. When did it become something that should be used on the playing field? Was it always something that could give you and edge in keeping your plays and intentions secret from the other team? Who decided which symbol stood for which word? Is it better to use sign language in certain situations, or is it better to use words to get across the same message? I feel that in certain situations like uncomfortable ones or any situation like that, that the use of sign language is better because you can get the same message across without hurting anyones feelings. Sign language is a key way of communicating for most all people. I believe that everyone uses sign language in very different ways. To better their ways of communicating yes, and in many ways it can get you into trouble when people talk with their hands to much. But overall sign language is a key way to the use of our language and an asset to our language.

Body Language

In many different times of communication body language is the most important part of the communication process. Take at a wedding or when a man is going to propose to his hopefully future wife, body language is something that is very noticeable. If they mean what they say at the wedding their body language should show that. They should be happy, very easy going at times and a little nervous as everyone normally is. When proposing the man should be a little nervous, maybe a little sweating going on, but the body language is something that should be noticeable before the words are even being spoken. Because the mind is thinking about what will be happening next, meaning words or feelings will be being processed before they even come out into a sentence or form of communication. Body Language is the key to a successful communication between people in any setting from buisness meeting to just a causal conversation between friends.

LIES

Where is and or should lying be acceptable or more culturally acceptable? We all know that in a relationship hoesty is the best policy. But do we always follow that? People are caught in lies all the time. But are they caught in more lies when telling them in FTF communication or CMC? When telling a lie is it easier to tell it when the person is directly in your face or is it easier done over the computer or text? Most often times people feel that the text or computer based communication would be the easier route to lie to someone. Lying is never the way to go, but in the circumstance that it is necessary, I feel that FTF is never the way to go. It is a lot harder when communicating FTF to not have facial expressions and or body language change in a way that it is easy to tell that you are lying. Body language and temperment is the best way in telling what someone feels and or is trying to get across is very noticeable. Thus I ask the question when is lying easiest and should it be used?

LOVE

In the last week of our discussions we talked about love and whether or not it is considered to be an emotion. Everyone I have talked to has said that it is one of the most or the biggest emotion we have as human beings. Love is something that can make you smile, laugh, cry, and feel hearbroken. What other emotion or feeling can make you do all of those things? Love is something that you feel everyday if there is a person who you love. Love doesn't only have to be between people, it can be something that you love. A team in a professional setting, or a college team. People love sports, they love animals they love the outdoors. Love is one of the biggest if not the biggest emotion that we have because it isn't limited to just one thing. Love covers a lot of different things. Most of all love is something that can be shown to a person everyday, and Love is one of the best feelings or emotions we have.

Touch

I have mixed feelings in regards to this weeks reading on touch in middle schools by teachers. I feel that touch is a very effective way of communicating and getting across positive reinforcement when it comes to preforming a task correctly. I feel that at that young of an age students aren'y fully capable of understanding non-verbal cues as well as say a highscooler. But at the same time, not all teachers who want to hug children when they walk in the class-room want to sexually assault them. Some teachers are more hands on with students and I don't really see how that has to effect all the other teachers. Touch and feeling is one of the best non-verbal ways of communicating there is. When you are given a hug for a job well done, there is no better gratification then getting that hug meaning what you are doing isn't going un-noticed. I feel that the doing away with of touch in the school system may end up hurting more then doing good.

American Language

In recent times we have been reading an article about how the use of IM or other CMC forms of communication can have impact on our language as we use it today. I see how in many ways text (talk) or IM (talk) can hurt our language and the youth that use it most. When speaking and using abbreviations in texts or cmc communication that can and more then likely will spill over into our everyday speach. I can remember times when I have use the letter "u" to mean "you" in a paper. Or in my public speaking class used it in short hand to look over when giving a speach. The amount of time youth and people in college settings spend on the computer is outrageous. The amount of times during the day where they are using text short hand is also outrageous. Over time this will and probably has in many circumstance spilled over into meetings and or other forms of buisness in everyday life. What can we do to help stop this from taking over completely if we do think that it will?

Similarities

Hello all, I hope this semester is going as planned for everyone. I have enjoyed a lot of the topics we have covered so far in class. I feel that this most recent on siblings and twins has a special place for me. I have two twin sisters and two twin boy cousins. So I see a lot of the similarities and differences that take place with siblings. My cousins are Identical as well are my sisters, and in both circumstances I feel that there is one that stands out more then the other in different aspects of life. There is one that is a little more talented in sports and one that is a little more outgoing when it comes to certain things. In most circumstances that person who is a standout in athletics is the same person that is a little more outgoing as well. I wonder if that is because the sibling feels that they don't have the spot light in sports thus they feel that no one would see them as a outgoing person in the social scene. But as time has gone on the roles have been reversing. The one that in the beginning was the more shy one, now has all the friends and is excelling at a different sport then the other. Take my sisters for example. Taylor has the ability to go anywhere and cheer for a college team. They cheer competitively for a gym in raleigh. While Taylor is on all the best teams and over all she is on 7. Haley is on all the best teams to but not in the front where everyone can see her. Taylor is the flyer, while Haley is the base in most all the stunts. While they moved into highschool this year, Haley has been playing volleyball. Thus volleyball practice started a few weeks before school this year, helping Haley to meet people before Taylor did. Now making her the more shy and not so outgoing person. But Haley now has all these friends and is the outgoing one leaving her sister behind. I feel that they aren't any different, but that they are just catching up to one another at different times. This makes the talk about environment having more of a role on similarities between siblings seem a lot more possible then it is learned.

First Post

Hello everyone, My name is Robert Ellstrom but everyone calls me Bobby. I have never blogged before but lets hope this one goes well. After looking over the syllabus and other things surrounding the class I am looking forward very much to what I will be learning from this class. I am majoring in Sport Management and like how communication is surrounded in the every day aspect of work. I am looking to become a Event/Facility Manager. In this kind of field I will be dealing with all kinds of groups, and colleagues. I would be in-charge of a lot of people in their respected fields. Like dealing with a way to clear out all the people in the stands of a stadium in case of a bomb threat or any other threat to the players and spectators. After taking a public speaking class at the previous University I attended I always thought about minoring in Communications, but unfortunately never got around to taking more of the classes. This is my way of getting back into it and looking to see if that thought was infact a good one or not. I look forward to the activities that will be coming up and look forward to learning a lot from this class.