Communicating across cultures

          I do believe that I communicate differently with people from different groups and cultures. For those who do not speak English very well, I use simple vocabulary so that they can understand what I am saying. I also use hand gestures and point to written/printed words on paper so that they may read and understand what it is I am saying. When working with younger children, I also simplify my vocabulary so that they can understand what I am saying. I often find myself changing my pitch when communicating with babies. It seems to get their attention more, not saying that they understand what I am talking about. Based on what I have learned this week, three strategies I can use to help me communicate more effectively with people or groups I have identified would be to: be respectful of other cultures decisions even if I don’t agree, take myself out of the equation when communicating with others in order to become more sympathetic, and finally understanding and appreciating cultural differences.

Communication on Television

     For this assignment, I watched an episode of Breaking Bad. I heard about this show and read the bio before watching the show. It is about a Chemistry teacher who was diagnosed with a terminal illness, cancer. He decides to cook and sell crystal meth in order to provide money for his family when he dies. While watching this episode with no noise, it appeared that the relationships between the characters was very stressful, strained, and full of drama. The man appeared to be yelling at the woman about something and at that same time, he stormed out of the house and threw a pizza pie on the roof of his home in frustration. He got into his car and slammed the door then pounded his fists on the steering wheel. I would suspect that there was an argument that occurred between the two characters and the man expressed his anger in a different manner than did the female.

     After seeing this episode with the sound turned on, I was correct about them having a disagreement. The woman had come into the house after assuming her husband was having an affair because he was out all night cooking crystal meth. He would not tell her where he had been for all those hours and she told him that she wanted a divorce. At that point, he stormed out of the house and proceeded to throw pizza on the roof of the home and slamming his car door. I think my assumptions were on point with this show and it has a great plot and is filled with suspense. I think that watching a show I am familiar with would cause me to predict what the episode is about based on the previous episode. I like the idea of finding new shows to watch and viewing their communication styles.

Competent Communication

          When I first read the guidelines for this blog, I thought who is it that I know who is a competent communicator within a specific setting. The first person that comes to mind is President Barack Obama. I truly enjoy listening to President Obama speak. He is a very articulate and educated man who knows his stuff. He knows how to gauge his audience, use hand motions to get his point across, and he has a charm that makes me want to listen to what he has to say. I like how prepared he is when he comes into press conferences or anywhere he has to speak. He uses eye contact with his audience and always seems to have great body language. I would definitely model some of my own communication behaviors after President Obama. The way he speaks reminds me a lot of former Civil Rights activists and so if I could use some of his effective communication styles into my communication, I am certain I would have more individuals interested in what I have to say. I also feel like this would help me increase the rapports I develop with the parents in my childcare center.