Communication Theory

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Instructor
Course
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A Personal Reflection of Communication Theory Class
Communication both verbal and non-verbal is essential in our daily life either in sharing information and knowledge or in fostering good relationships with others (Hermida 1). From the class work, I have learned that for any communication to achieve its objective, its effectiveness between the parties involved is very crucial. It is only when the recipient of the message understand its original intent that we can describe communication to have been effective. Further as indicated by Ross, communication theory have a significant effect on both academic and social life, in addition, it has an impact on social and interpersonal skills (13). As stated by Ross, the theory should transform a student’s writing, reading, and listen ability academically (11).
First, I will leverage the acquired writing skills from the communication theory in my academic work. As cited by Hermida, excellent writing skills give a student the ability to convey his/ her knowledge with ease, and this will transform to higher grades. By using the skills, I will be able to express my thought and ideas concisely and transparently (6). By applying the acquired knowledge, I will be able to conduct scientific research and prepare quality coursework reports. Also, as indicated by Hermida employers prefer the individual with better writing skills, and thus I believe by putting into practice the theory learned I would have an added advantage in securing a job in summer holidays and after I finish college (6).

Also, the skills will have a positive impact on my social network, especially through informal communication. For example, I have learned the importance of reviewing and proofreading the email content to ensure the intent of message will be achieved efficiently and exclude irrelevant information that may result in ambiguity and confusion.
Secondly, reading skills are essential to any student in acquiring more knowledge. As cited by Hermida, there exists a strong positive correlation between the student reading skills and their level of academic performance (1). I will be in a position to apply the fundamental techniques: skimming, scanning, intensive and extensive reading in my learning. The skills will help save time and improve understanding of comprehension in addition to extracting the necessary information from lengthy documents. The reading skills will improve my learning ability, and I look forward to excelling in my coursework.
On the other hand, the class has furnished my listening skills. Ross argues that listening skills help grasp the necessary information from communication (12). The skills I have acquired will be of much help in academic work, especially in lecture sessions. As explained by Wilson, being an engaged listener it will improve my interpersonal relationship both at college and at home; then it will transform into a better learning environment (343). It will help me to sympathize and understand other people’s feelings and emotions and hence create more interpersonal bonds. Also, I will be keen on non-verbal communication that is vital in enabling an effective communication.
In conclusion, and similar to what Ross stated communications theories are not just crucial for excelling in academics and creating a robust social network but are essential to building a successful profession (12). My opinion is that more emphasis should be given to communication theories in college as its lay the foundation for a successful career in future. The experience and knowledge I have gained in the class were beyond my expectation, and I hope other students will get the opportunity to learn the much-needed skills. Through this experience, I can conclude that the impact of applying communication skills in our day to day life cannot be underrated.

Work cited
Hermida, Dr. Juliana “The Importance of Teaching Academic Reading Skills In First-Year University Courses.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2009. Accessed 11th January 2018, HYPERLINK “http://www.mansfield.edu/fye/upload/Academic-Reading-Skills.pdf” www.mansfield.edu/fye/upload/Academic-Reading-Skills.pdf
Ross, Johanna W. “Introducing Communication Skills.” Specialist Communication Skills for Social Workers, 2017, pp. 11-27.
Wilson, Grace. “A Review of “The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self Regulation.”” Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, vol. 11, no. 4, 2012, pp. 347-348.