Coms 101 Reading Analysis 1

3051 Words13 Pages
Ben Graham COMS 101 – D12 LUO Oct. 24, 2013 Reading Analysis 1 Chapter 1 1. Evaluate this chapter’s definition of communication. What are its strengths? What are its weaknesses? If you were asked to improve it in one way, by adding, subtracting, or modifying something, what would you change? Present your answer and explain the reasoning that justifies it in a 100-200-word response. According to the textbook, communication is defined as “…the transmission of meaningful information from one person or group of persons (sender) to another person or group of persons (recipient) in a way that generates shared attitudes, values, beliefs, feelings, or behaviors between the sender and recipient” (Alban 8). The strengths of this definition are the idea that communication is personal; there is a sender and a recipient. Vital to any successful communication is the ability of the sender to relay the information in such a way that the recipient understands the information according to the sender’s given meaning. Through this exchange, the sender can form a common ground based on mutual beliefs, feelings, or desires with a recipient to bring a sense of unity between the two parties. However, as straightforward as this definition sounds, it has one major weakness. It assumes the sender and recipient share common attitudes, values, beliefs, behaviors, feelings, and language. The definition should also incorporate the historical and geographical context of the two parties, so as to help them better understand what is being communicated and how it is being received. 2. Recall an incident in which you or an acquaintance experienced a breakdown because of a verbal linguistic barrier. Chronicle this incident in a 100-200-word response. Living in Singapore, a small nation located in the middle of the trading crossroads of Southeast Asia, verbal linguistic
Open Document