- Nikko Scelzo
- Staten Island, NY
- United States
This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »
I believe the reasons for effective communication is an important idea that should be taught.
I have observed that many people try to correct others and such without even knowing why. There are people who say "spelling is important" or "grammar is important" but why? It is important because it helps you more clearly say what it is you are trying to say with as little misinterpretation as possible. The problem is we do not all define things in the same way so the words we use are all flawed. When reading something it is your job to try and understand what it is that was going through the other person's head when they were communicating with you, just as much as it is their job to clearly say what it is they are trying to say. It is a joint effort that must be made not only by one party, but both. That is why there is such emphasis on communication, because without clarity we are not able to express our intentions. If we did not have one another then we would not be able to make our world a better place. Communication is not only important between you and another but within yourself as well, what are thoughts but just you communicating with yourself? I believe that every problem that has ever occurred in our society has been due to clarity in one way or another.
jimmy kraktov
Being from Canada, what I learned was still referred to as "The King's English". Being close to the American border exposed me to Radio and Television from all major U.S. networks. I do remember conflicts arising from confusion over some words used and displayed in print form on TV. For example, Americans say "ZEE" while we in Canada say "ZED". We spell words like "favour" and "honour" using the letter "u" but those words in the U.S. drop the "u". There are many other examples here, but my point is that there is no standardization for English. At least not one that's adhered to by many.
Going from one geographical area to another, one can observe different dialects where words sound different than they do "at home". Sometimes whole new words appear, while others aren't used at all. Sometimes you don't have to go very far. People in and around the city of New York have several distinct dialects, some so unique, you could almost be forgiven for thinking you had entered a different country! In the United Kingdom, home to the English language, many regional distinctions are heard. If you try reading a novel written 4 or 5 hundred yrs ago, you'd have trouble.
In England's quest for colonial expansion, they inadvertently started a leak in the language vault. If you go to India, Hong Kong, North America, much of Africa, you'll hear people speaking English that you might not understand.
Instant, always on worldwide communication has made our ability to speak proper English a real challenge. Emphasis on teaching needs a kickstart.
Albert Hong
Communication is essential not only in real life but also to the learning experience in schools.
I think the biggest part of learning to communicate is learning to listen to someone else.
Very often people hear ideas they do not like, and they fail to truly listen to the person. Listening is the gateway to an open mind.
Nikko Scelzo
Steve Cho
And you're right a lot of people are ineffective communicators, often obscuring the concept with unnecessary words and sentence structures.
Communication is the most important skill to have.
John Locke
Many times the best way to share information is to expalin it in different ways. Each person is different and sharing information from a different point of view is a great strategy to communicate complicated information.