Reflective Practical Essay on Communication Concepts

Running head: REFLECTIVE PRACTICAL ESSAY 1
Reflective Practical Essay
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation

REFLECTIVE PRACTICAL ESSAY 2
Reflective Practical Essay
Introduction
Was it not for the communication breakdown, we would be using an elevator to access
heaven as the tower of Babel would still be standing. Communication is one of the most
important traits in a human society as it is responsible for the creation and maintenance of the
structure and functions of the society, without which human interactions would be virtually
impossible. Communication is a learned trait in human beings though they are born with the
ability to learn and engage in it. Communication is the backbone of a society, and its breakdown
would spell the death knell to social interactions, and by extension the whole society. Reflection
on the various aspects of communication is important as it makes one aware of the mistakes we
commit by taking some it for granted while engaging with our colleagues and people in the
society. In the past ten weeks of my studies, I have learned various communications issues that
affect and have a bearing on my daily interactions with the people I come into contact with.
On week one, the most significant communication concept that I learned was
communication competence. Before coming across the concept, I used to take it for granted that
thorough knowledge of the language (grammar, syntax, and phonetics) was all that was needed
to communicate effectively. Through this concept, I have come to appreciate that a person might
have the best command of the language and still fail to communicate effectively as he or she
does not take the social setting into consideration. On the second week, nonverbal
communication impressed me as I realized I use it daily in my interactions with coworkers
without realizing it. When arguing with colleagues, we use paralanguage aspects such as
shouting, while the supervisor lowers his voice when he is angry with our work. The written
communication genres are one of the most important forms of communication in the workplace,

REFLECTIVE PRACTICAL ESSAY 3
especially regarding communication with my superiors and juniors. I have learned that in
addition to all the grammar rules, there is a need to place the needs of the receiver of the written
communication first. Another communication concept I have learned in the course is plagiarism.
Plagiarism is to academic writing what stealing is in normal social life. Plagiarism involves the
practice of using another person’s work and passing it as your own without acknowledging that it
was not your original work. I have learned that plagiarism is an academic crime as severe as a
crime of stealing other peoples’ property.
On Week five, I learned a lot about the importance and the processes involved in writing
reflective essays. A reflective essay enables an individual to put into perspective all the
information learned and its applicability in real life situations. At the workplace, reflecting on the
issues makes the earning processes easier. Approaches to public speaking are one of the most
important learning experiences that I have received during the course. At the workplace, I have
to present to the department manager and also to other supervisors during meetings. At the same
time, I need to present information coming from my superiors to the people who report to me.
Presentation’s need proper preparations based on the right knowledge on effective public
speaking in order to pass the information in the right way. The content I have learned on
effective public speaking in the course will stand me in good stead when it comes to
presentations at the workplace. Working in a cross-cultural environment is very challenging for
people even when they have adopted a common language like English. Nonverbal
communications have different interpretations in different cultures and misunderstandings
usually occur resulting in conflicts. I have learned not to take offense when communicating with
my colleagues from other cultures as I am likely to either misunderstand their nonverbal cues or
vice versa (Wyman, Tomasello., & Rakoczy, 2013). Organization structure is an important