Interpersonal Communication Course Analysis

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Pages: 5

Final Exam
Part One
Question: In what ways has this course changed your perception or actions in regards to communicating with others? When I first started Interpersonal Communications, I was skeptical on what that I could take from this course with me into my own life, as I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about how to communicate with others, and as you have said on more than occasion, we are all experts at communication because we practice it daily. However, what this course has done for me is highlight the ways in which we do subconsciously communicate with others. Knowing this information allows one to improve and create action instead of relying on vague and hopeful steps when attempting to fix or secure relationships with others.
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Nonverbal communication envelopes a lot more than simple facial expressions or handshakes that we think of when interacting in the business world (where I have the most amount of experience communicating with others), but it is also the subtle way we communicated with others throughout our everyday routines. When someone sends an email, when someone uses a turn signal, and when someone put down his or her phone instead of looking at it during a passing conversation, they are communicating on a level that is beyond verbal. An old adage applies here: actions speaks louder than words; indeed, nonverbal communication often replaces verbal communication in some circumstances and can portray just as much meaning as words can portray. When accompanied by verbal communication, nonverbal communication can even amplify or alter the meaning of what a person is saying. For example, if one were to say, “I will get that done as soon as possible,” the meaning is clear based on what is said. However, if one were to say that while on their phone or distracted by other forms of media, then the verbal communication could be seen as dismissive or …show more content…
The thumbs-up gesture has been the victim of many historical inaccuracies, so when we reviewed the article for our class, I was surprised that my prior research into the gesture still was incorrect. The evolution of language, and therefore gestures is fascinating, which is something I know that I will be studying, formally or informally, for the rest of my life. In the article, the etymology of the word “up” being equated to meaning good was interesting also, which I believe is tied to our western culture ideas of heaven, earth, and hell. My understanding of this was mostly reinforced within the article’s text when it states that up common useage of gestures equated up to mean good and down to mean