1. What do I expect to learn from the podcast project?
Hopefully a lot! I'm really excited not only about what BGB Entertainment (my group) is cooking up but also about what all my other classmates plan to do with their projects. In particular, I want to learn to be more sensitive to cultural differences so that even if I don't know how to behave exactly as custom demands, I can at least act neutrally enough not to offend.
Besides content, working in a team will force me to pick up on universal skills as well: how to edit a video, how to appeal to an audience, how to balance humor and insight, how to act, how to manage time, and how to communicate ideas in Japanese that require more than the structures and vocabulary we've covered in class. As far as I can tell, there'll probably be a steep learning curve, but I'm confident that my teammates and I will pull through with a successful podcast!
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| If you've never seen Susan Cain's TED talk "The Power of Introverts," check it out on YouTube. This woman is the epitome of a good communicator! |
2. What does "communication" mean to me?
In two words: "clarity" and "interest." First and foremost, good communicators get their points across as clearly as possible. Having knowledge and being able to communicate it are two different things entirely. The latter isn't always a corollary to the former. Case in point: Academics may develop many insights from their long hours of research, but academics are also notorious for writing opaque texts that obfuscate rather than elucidate what they know.
Second, good communicators take interest in what they're saying and convey this interest to other people. That is, good communicators have fun and encourage their audiences to have fun, too! There are few experiences worse than sitting through a presentation where the speaker has zero interest in what he or she is saying. It's unfulfilling for the speaker, and it's frustrating for the audience.
Hey, I can't wait to see your group's podcast. I guess it's going to be interesting to present cooking!!
ReplyDeleteI wish we all can become good communicators in Japanese, too.
完璧な日本語のためにがんばりましょう!!
We didn't get to include any cooking (in the traditional sense, at least), but now that the project is over, I think it's fair to say we've become better communicators! :)
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ReplyDeleteI really liked that you specifically pointed out the importance of clarity and interest. I agree that both two points would help you convey your message to them! I also think communication is always mutual exchange, and there are many ways that your peer would take what you say in unexpected way. So I am learning that imagination to think of what sort of background your audience is coming from is also extremely important. I am hoping you and your team mates will enjoy really thinking through it and trying out different ways of expressing your ideas. Ganbatte kudasai! Oh and thanks for the clip! I like the speech very much. TA Murai
ReplyDeleteSo glad you watched the clip! For me, Susan Cain is living proof that clarity, interest, and top-notch communication in general don't always have to come in a boisterous package.
DeleteHi William, nice blog - - i also had to write in english about this, too complicated otherwise! I particularly agree on clarity being important when approaching grammar...i work much better by example than by textbook theory.
ReplyDeleteOh, agreed, particularly when it comes to school. That's why I liked calculus and linear algebra, but wasn't so enamored of abstract math.
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