JOURNAL ENTRY 1
Communication skills are essential in every day interactions. With effective communication skills one can easily voice his or her concerns without any worry of being misconstrued by the recipient of the information. Communication skills encompass verbal and nonverbal cues that are integral for relaying of information . Further, these cues make communication a two-way process which as profound impact on the quality of delivery of information as well as decoding of information by different parties. I lacked much of these strategies to inculcate good communication in my interactions with different people. I endeavoured to enhance my skills through elaborate steps.
The first changes that I factored in my communication were keen listening. Initially, I rarely took time to listen well to whoever am communicating with. By working on my listening I established good rapport with many people. It also made me cognizant of various facts and understand that everybody feels appreciated when listened to keenly. I further established that it was essential to interject when one was speaking as it comes out as a plain rude. I learned how to interject politely for clarification in the course of conversing.
I also learnt to read body cues in order to understand somebodys body language. I also got to comprehend people can say a lot without uttering even a single word. Eye contact, for instance, showed keen interest. Facial expressions are also important in communication. By looking at somebodys facial expression I can confidently structure my message without worry. Head nods, for instance, indicate that one is following the conversation and agreeing with what the speaking party is saying. I also understood how best to use tonal variation in voicing my concerns to the other party. By stressing certain phrases and words was essential in highlighting the gravity of such words. I also understood the essence of firm handshakes as well as managing my space when talking or engaging with somebody else in conservation.
JOURNAL ENTRY 2
Writing skills are essential in the day-to-day life be it business or personal engagements. Writing shows ones literacy levels. Writing focuses on structure, information flow and clarity of information. With emphasis on these three core foundations, I have established areas of improvement in my writing.
When it comes to structure, I have endeavoured to incorporate short sentences instead of long ones. Short sentences are easy to understand and effective in enhancing the literal structure of written prose. I have also understood how best to break my text into compact and clear paragraphs. The paragraphs act as logical literal self-contained units that convey specific and intended message. Structure further focuses on the need to establishing a framework or organization for a certain piece of literature. A report, for instance, has various chapters that cover specific information. Structure thus ensures that valid and important points are conveyed in a seamless manner.
I further understand that information flow is integral for any written literature. Information flow focuses on diction and used. It also translates to logical connections when it comes to ideas by using transitional phrases or words. Use of topic sentences is essential in initiation of paragraphs in writing. They act as pointers of the logical connections and ideas in writing.
I have further improved on clarity. In the past, my writing used to incorporate incomprehensible diction. The misuse of vocabularies was prominent. This led to a lot of my literature being misconstrued or rarely understood by my target audience. Currently, I use simple diction that is essential in ensuring clear communication is enhanced. To make writing clear, there is also need to trim down wordy phrases. For instance, because can be used instead of due to, in the light of et cetera. Clarity further can be fostered through cutting of redundant phrases such as true facts, free gift and each individual.
JOURNAL ENTRY 3
Reading is one of the literal skills that are necessary for any learned individual. I have established shortcomings in the manner how I perceive reading and reading skills. I have understood that improvement of reading skills is essential in enhancing levels of concentration and understanding. Reading should be founded on goals, context and content being read.
Academic reading demands one concentrates more and commits information to memory. There is thus need to take down notes. It entails underlining and highlighting relevant information. One also has to read with pre-set questions. These questions are essential in the follow up reading as they can act as prompts. After every chapter it is essential for one to summarize in ones words. Key words can also be used to highlight relevant information in the case where on does not want to mark text. Reading speed is also essential but it is highly dependent ones capabilities. 240-300 words per minute is advisable for many individuals. However, clear reading objectives are more essential as compared to speed. Reading speed is highly dependent on the goals of a reader. If I was reading a telephone directory Id skim through it rather than pay keen attention on the various phrases posited within the text.
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