Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Modes of Communication

Exploring Culture

I have been to Japan a few times and a great example of a practice common to the Japanese that helped me understand cultural perspectives is bowing. It is very common to bow to strangers in Japan as a sign of honor and courteousness. Often associated with a greeting or used in conjunction with a message of thanks, bowing is reflective of the overall cultural significance of respect and gratitude. Something else I notice is that most Mexican restaurants serve rice and beans. I wondered why that practice exists and what I learned is that rice and beans are often the only food items Mexicans eat. Eating rice and beans is steeped in history, as it is an affordable, abundant, and most importantly delicious combination of food.

Engaging in Communities

It is important to engage with my immediate neighbors and those abroad because life is better as a community. Many philosophers refer to humans as tribal creatures and that is because it has been so important to our survival through the centuries to be a communal species. Part of that is enjoying time with coworkers, family, and the world abroad. On a global scale humanity must engage together if we are to make an impact on humanity’s problems. Problems which will take a global partnership include the fight to end poverty, the fight to curb fossil fuel dependence, and the fight to clean up the world’s pollution. A global community fighting as one unit to solve these problems will see innovation, realization, and a renewed hope for humanity’s future.

Here is a photo from a recent trip to Japan. It’s of the Great Buddha of Kamakura, a spectacle from the 1200s AD.

Interpersonal Communication

I didn’t use TalkAbroad, but I was able to use Lingolearning to develop some of my Spanish skills. Part of this included reading about cultural experiences from those all over Central and South America. These thought provoking activities taught me about the ways social media is used, human interaction in all kinds of relations, and overall the student experience for the average Hispanic young person.

Some of the most helpful experiences have been the oral activities on Flip and with Dr. Guadaño. Getting to practice the Spanish I have learned as well as share a little bit more about myself with my professor and classmates has been monumental. It’s one thing to learn Spanish, but it’s different to put it into practice, talking about my job, my wife, and my family as well as my own student experience.

Presentational Speaking

I got to give a final Flip post about my spouse who is the person I find most admirable. As with learning anything, applying it to your own life can be very effective for learning. So getting to talk about my wife as part of the assignment was very helpful.

A link to my Flip post in Module 4 which is me speaking about my wife.

Speaking in front of a screen is already challenging enough for me but doing so in a new language was even more difficult. It was relieving to see others own the challenge and speak into the screen with no issue. Seeing my peers effectively speak into the camera encouraged me and I was able to grasp the concepts a lot better as a result. I found by the last Flip post, I was able to speak effortlessly. I wish there were more speaking portions like Flip and the Conversations with the Professor.

Presentational Writing

As referenced in previous paragraphs, I have gotten to share a lot through my Flip posts. In addition to posting on Flip, I have had the opportunity to practice with a couple of coworkers who speak Spanish. All of this has been instrumental to my Spanish learning.

A link to another video of me speaking on Flip.

Speaking in Flip has been helpful to put into practice what would be hard to do otherwise. Not for lack of desire, I do not encounter that many opportunities to speak in Spanish. So being able to utilize Flip as a means to practice speaking the language is very important. I have referenced initial difficulties, but to expand I struggled with confidence at first. However by the third post, I was feeling quite confident in my abilities.

Interpretive Listening

For the most part my interpretive listening came through hearing characters speak on Canvas as well as LingroLearning. It was important for me to hear and understand what the communicators were saying to accurately respond to the questions in those sections.

Interpretive Reading

Most of the reading for class this semester was interpreting text messages and emails, as well as letters in the LingroLearning program. I found these to be quite challenging but it was helpful in learning new vocabulary as each word is so important to the message.

I feel like the more I have taken the class the more I have benefited from each aspect. Learning a language is nothing without being able to speak, read, and understand it. Not just little bits but all of it. Each part of this class had the necessary elements to learning the language.