Variations in Communication

            Communication is diverse as each individual within our society. Each of us has our own style of communication, as well as our own influences which shape our communication. As a result of the diverse individuals I communicate with on a daily basis, I do find myself communicating differently as I adapt to each situation I am in.

            For instance, at home I am a woman of few words as my husband and I after 10 years together rely on quite a bit of nonverbal communication, yet we understand the message we are trying to state, it just happens to be in a more efficient way for us within lifestyle. We both understand how head nod to the side means, “Hey, it’s time to leave and head back to our house” when we are out with friends, or when the dog barks at the dog and one of us looks at the other and smiles, we know that you just implied it is the other person’s turn to let the dog outside.

            In my professional life, I have a lot more opportunities to communicate with culturally and linguistically diverse individuals due to the wide age range of children I work with, as well as families who are enrolled in our school. When speaking with culturally diverse individuals, I find myself taking more of an active listener role because I want to ensure I remain respectful and also maintain open lines of communication with the people I am speaking with. In speaking with young children, I tend to be cautious of the vocabulary I use and make sure I use nonverbal communication with them in order to help clarify the meaning of what I am communicating to them.

            Three strategies I would like to use to help me communicate more effectively with diverse children and families, as well as individuals within my personal life would be to recognize my own patterns of nonverbal behavior, not attempt to predict a person’s behavior based upon their culture when communicating with them, and try to withhold my judgments long enough to gain a deeper understanding that what a first impression had allowed through active listening skills (Gonzalez-Mena, 2010). I look forward to continually reflecting on each of these strategies  as I feel they will help me to keep an open-mind and to be consciously aware of my own communication style and bias, allowing for me to be a more professional and effective communicator.

Reference

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families.

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201460_02/MS_MECS/EDUC_6165/Week%203/Resources/Resources/embedded/gonzalez_ch15.pdf.