Communication and Learning in the Classroom

This assignment delves into the crucial relationship between communication dynamics and effective learning within the classroom setting. It examines how factors like teacher nonverbal immediacy, clarity of instruction, and intercultural communication competence impact student empowerment, engagement, and overall academic success.

Running head: EFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
Effective Business Communications
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
One of the most important skills that a person can hone is communication. The capability
to communicate clearly and effectively in personal and professional environment and outside
one’s comfort zone may appear challenging enough. However, it allows an accurate
representation of the idea that a person wants to convey. There are two aspects of communication
that hold true irrespective of the setting the person is in: verbal and nonverbal communication.
This reflective essay will help me analyse my communication skills based on evidences I have
gathered by using 5 diagnostic tools related to communication that are presented hereafter. The
essay will illustrate 2 major communication issues, which will be identified from the diagnostic
tool results. Moreover, this essay will also elaborate on a literature review that focuses on
essential theories related to communication issues. This reflection process will help me gain
practice in communication assessments and will also include an action plan that I intend to
utilize in future.
5 different diagnostic tools have been used to help me analyse my communication
drawbacks in different environment. The first tool I used was based on Personal Report of
Intercultural Communication Apprehension (PRICA-24). This tool is based on an instrument that
measures apprehensions or uneasiness associated with communication. The high reliability of the
tool (α<0.90) helped me to obtain sub-scores related to dyadic interaction, public speaking, large
and small groups (Blume, Baldwin & Ryan, 2013). I measured my degree of agreement and
disagreement with the 24 statements present in the tool. The second tool I used was Self
Perceived Communication Competence questionnaires. It provided me information on how
competent I felt in different communication contexts and among a plethora of receivers
(McCroskey, 2015). A high SPCC score indicated higher competence as perceived by me.

2EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
Willingness to listen was the third diagnostic tool. I responded to the 24 statements
associated with the tool to analyse whether I was a good listener. Active listening is an essential
prerequisite of effective communication (Goh, 2012). The scores helped me evaluate a high or
low willingness to listen. The fourth tool used was Talkaholic scale. It measured the degree to
which I over communicated in a compulsive and consistent manner. Scores aboe two standard
deviations helped in measuring whether I was talkaholic. The last tool used was Non-verbal
immediacy scale self report that described my behaviour to express positive feelings towards
other person.
The Self-Perceived Communication Competence scores of 88.75 for friends showed that
I feel most comfortable in a one-to-one interaction with friends. Moderate score of 76.66 for
groups and a 63.33 for public demonstrated my uncomfortable feelings while communication in
large groups or in public. The 43 score of talkaholic scale showed that I was a compulsive
communicator and could not control my talking most of the time. Personal Report of
Intercultural Communication Apprehension score of 40 verified that I had moderate levels of
intercultural communication apprehensions. The score 78 for non-verbal immediacy was low.
Willingness to Listen showed a score of 93 indicating a high willingness to listen.
I realized that there was a need to improve my non-verbal immediacy and talkaholic
nature for effective communication. I always continue to communicate my ideas and opinions
even when I know it is not in my best interest. This often leads me to trouble in situations where
I should have kept quite. My peers and friends often become impatient and irritant due to this
behavior of mine. This often acts as a major communication barrier and leads to
misinterpretation of thoughts. My lack of non-verbal immediacy was reinforced by the fact that I
always felt hesitant to express closeness, warmth or positive feelings while communicating with

3EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
another person. I often fail to keep cultural differences in mind and use verbal signals that are
often considered inappropriate.
I would like to reflect on an incident that occurred a month ago, that helped me realize
my shortcomings when it comes to non-verbal immediacy. I wanted to reach out to my friend
who was distressed and upset over some family matters. My friend wanted emotional support as
he trusted me and perceived me competent enough to respond to her worries with a caring
attitude. When my friend started narrating the problems that she faced at home, he became
emotional and started to cry. He was expecting some empathy or attentiveness on my part. I was
should have given my friend a hug or a pat on the shoulder to provide comfort. I failed to
respond accordingly. I leaned forward and tried to show attentiveness. However, I avoided eye
contact when my friend cried, turned my face away and refrained from showing empathy
through my facial expressions. My friend would have felt better had I held his hand to show my
support. Failure to reduce his distress made the situation worse and created a sense of
embarrassment.
The second event was related to my talkaholic nature. The end of a typical day at my
workplace usually involved all colleagues sharing their experiences of the day and what they
intended to do on reaching home. Usually my peers say a few words about their daily experience
and move on. However, when it comes to my turn, I continue sharing my opinion on my
experience at the office, my views on religion, politics, family and friends. This often irritated
my colleagues and it decreased productivity at work. The morale began to decline dramatically.
This continued for several months till the day when one of my close colleagues called me up to a
private meeting and discussed with me the issue. He explained that my compulsive talking was
creating frustration among others. He helped me identify that when others stare out of the

4EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
window, look around or fidget with their phones, I should get the cue that I need to stop talking. I
was also advised by the friend to finish up fast while communicating or else other employees
may complain to the management about my compulsive behavior. I understood that there was a
need to check my level of talkativeness to advance my career.
Literature review- Studies have established that compulsive talkers are self aware of their
habit of talking past a point in all situations. The need to talk and communicate their thoughts
become excess in such person and reaches an extreme level. The problems that others face due to
compulsive talkative behaviors are most often not recognized by the compulsive talker and they
do not find any damaging effects of this behavior. A twofold study was conducted to determine
the negative associations that can possibly occur between the communication satisfaction of a
student and the compulsive behavior of an instructor. The study also used a framework based on
the Expectancy Violations Theory (Sidelinger & Bolen, 2016). This was done to test the extent
of negative association that was mediated by the credibility of an instructor and its effects on
student satisfaction. The study linked low student satisfaction to compulsive communication on
the part of instructors.
Furthermore, four kinds of apprehensions in communication related to anxiety were
identified by a particular study that focused on the audience involved, the context and situation
of the event and the trait observed in the person suffering from it (McCroskey, 2015). Evidence
from studies suggests that a person often become nervous by the fact that he will be evaluated or
scrutinized by others. This leads to stage fright and the person experiences several emotional and
physical changes that create a hindrance while giving a presentation (Vîslă et al., 2013).
Combinations of psychological, social and cultural factors also contribute to making a person
incompetent of speaking before public or groups. Studies have shown strong negative

5EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
correlations between communication ability and its apprehensions in the context of public
speaking (Fall et al., 2013).
A particular study focused on assessing the relationship among ethnocentrism,
intercultural communication apprehensive, communication satisfaction and uncertainity
reduction during interactions that involved various cultures. The Uncertainity Management
Theory (AUM) was proposed that predicted negative effects of ethnocentrism and intercultural
communication on intercultural encounter satisfaction (Neuliep, 2012). The research utilized
uncertainty reduction studies that were conducted earlier and divided participants into
intracultural and intercultural dyads. Regression and correlation analysis negatively correlated
intercultural communication with communication satisfaction. Intercultural communication
competence and apprehensions were measured among Chinese international students in another
study. The PRICA tool was used to measure the degree of apprehension among the participants.
A significant relationship was obtained between Chinese intercultural communication
apprehension and competence (Lin, 2012). The results revealed that age, gender or educational
level don not directly influence such apprehension. However, the frequency of communicating in
English language often acted as a contributing factor. Similar results were obtained by another
study that investigated the variables the affected cultural adjustment of international students.
The PRICA tools were used to measure individual apprehensions while interacting with people
who belong to different cultures. Education levels, travel experience and language proficiency
contributed to cross-cultural adjustment differences and led to apprehensions while interacting
(Mustaffa & Ilias, 2013).
A particular study examined the relationship between learning preferences and
communication apprehension in a workplace setting. The results suggested a correlation between

6EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
concrete experience preference, accommodating learning style and low communication
apprehension (Russ, 2012).
A study examined the role of student’s perceptions of clarity and nonverbal immediacy of
the teachers and their role on empowering learning in students. Structural equation results
revealed that clarity and non verbal immediacy of teachers influenced student perceptions and
improved their learning skills (Finn & Schrodt, 2012). A similar study was conducted to the
effects of nonverbal immediacy behavior on human-robot interaction and found significant
learning gains among children who interacted with robots that exhibited more nonverbal
behavior (Kennedy et al., 2015). Several studies have identified the effect of verbal
communication skills in business performance and have evaluated their expressiveness, precise
nature and aggressiveness (Wright et al., 2013). Most of the time, the expectations of a particular
organization or industry are not met by the communication skills of its employees. Differences in
cultural and educational background play a role in the business context. Nonverbal skills
generally include expressing empathy or concern through facial expressions, listening carefully
by leaning forward, using all forms of tough to demonstrate involvement, looking directly at the
eyes of a distressed person and maintaining close distance.
It was also found that an employee needs to identify the demands of the audience and
make necessary changes in communication style based on ethnic and cultural preferences to gain
benefits. One study conducted by Jia, Cheng & Hale, (2017) demonstrated the positive
implications of non-verbal communication on preventing conflicts and disagreement in
workplace. Such communication skills increase the ability to interact with non-native speakers,
thereby abolishing language barriers. People with such communication skills are more self-aware
of the intercultural aspects in a workplace and are better able to appreciate differences between

7EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
people (Cleveland-Innes & Ally, 2013). Non-verbal skills involve expressing through nods or
smiles. Several studies have shown that good listening forms an active part of business
performance and client satisfaction (Malachowski et al., 2013). Active listening enhances the
ability of the concerned individual to remember events, cope with others and garner customer
trust than the less proficient people (Bodie, 2013). Willingness to listen acts as a motivation and
leads to better socio-economic development and increases the likelihood of higher mobility in
the workplace. Research finds that less willingness to listen negatively impacts interpersonal
relation and the overall wellbeing of an individual (Akdemir, 2016). Incorporation of this skill in
business framework can influence a person to present personal views or speech in a skilful
manner (Bodie, 2012).
I have developed a 6 month action plan to overcome my communication issues. I would
be maintaining a personal diary to keep track my improvements in communication skills. It will
help me identify the areas where I need to emphasize more and would act as a good tool for
future development. Moreover, I intend to attend an online training on verbal and nonverbal
communication at TAFE Queensland to learn tones and words that will help me develop a sense
of effectiveness and leadership. It will help me gain a deeper understanding of verbal and non-
verbal skills that will improve personal and professional interaction. It would provide better
outcomes. I will also read books to improve my verbal and non-verbal communication skills
(Weger et al., 2014). I wish to enroll at a postgraduate course at the University of Queensland on
Language and Intercultural Communication. This course will help me learn the various aspects
of communication related to cultural backgrounds and will assist me in learning non-verbal
communication skills and politeness. I also intend to take training on Active Listening offered by
Professional Development Training in Sydney, Melbourne. It will help me to develop crucial

8EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
skills like attentive listening, and showing interest. It will also help me reduce my compulsive
talking behavior (Figure 1).
Figure 1- Gantt chart for 6 month action plan
Thus, it can be concluded that the essay elaborated on 5 key communication diagnostic
tools that helped me gather knowledge on my communication issues. My communication
shortcomings directly affect my workplace performance and disturb interpersonal
communication. By taking cues from the evidences provided by several studies, I have finally
developed an action plan for improvising my communication incapabilities.

9EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
References
Akdemir, A. S. (2016). The Development and Validation of Willingness-to-Listen in L2 (WTL)
Scale. PASAA: Journal of Language Teaching and Learning in Thailand, 51, 127-154.
Blume, B. D., Baldwin, T. T., & Ryan, K. C. (2013). Communication apprehension: A barrier to
students' leadership, adaptability, and multicultural appreciation. Academy of
Management Learning & Education, 12(2), 158-172.
Bodie, G. D. (2012). Listening as positive communication. The positive side of interpersonal
communication, 109-125.
Bodie, G. D. (2013). Issues in the measurement of listening. Communication Research
Reports, 30(1), 76-84.
Byrne, M., Flood, B., & Shanahan, D. (2012). A qualitative exploration of oral communication
apprehension. Accounting Education, 21(6), 565-581.
Cleveland-Innes, M., & Ally, M. (2013). Affective learning outcomes in workplace training: A
test of synchronous vs. asynchronous online learning environments. Canadian Journal of
University Continuing Education, 30(1).
Fall, L. T., Kelly, S., MacDonald, P., Primm, C., & Holmes, W. (2013). Intercultural
communication apprehension and emotional intelligence in higher education: Preparing
business students for career success. Business Communication Quarterly, 76(4), 412-426.
Finn, A. N., & Schrodt, P. (2012). Students' perceived understanding mediates the effects of
teacher clarity and nonverbal immediacy on learner empowerment. Communication
Education, 61(2), 111-130.

10EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
Goh, E. C. (2012). Integrating mindfulness and reflection in the teaching and learning of
listening skills for undergraduate social work students in Singapore. Social Work
Education, 31(5), 587-604.
Jia, M., Cheng, J., & Hale, C. L. (2017). Workplace Emotion and Communication: Supervisor
Nonverbal Immediacy, Employees’ Emotion Experience, and Their Communication
Motives. Management Communication Quarterly, 31(1), 69-87.
Kennedy, J., Baxter, P., Senft, E., & Belpaeme, T. (2015, October). Higher nonverbal immediacy
leads to greater learning gains in child-robot tutoring interactions. In International
conference on social robotics (pp. 327-336). Springer, Cham.
Lin, Y. (2012). Chinese International Students' Intercultural Communication Competence and
Intercultural Communication Apprehension in the USA (Doctoral dissertation, East
Tennessee State University).
Malachowski, C. C., Martin, M. M., & Vallade, J. I. (2013). An examination of students'
adaptation, aggression, and apprehension traits with their instructional feedback
orientations. Communication Education, 62(2), 127-147.
Mustaffa, C. S., & Ilias, M. (2013). Relationship between Students Adjustment Factors and
Cross Cultural Adjustment: A Survey at the Northern University of
Malaysia. Intercultural communication studies, 22(1).
Neuliep, J. W. (2012). The relationship among intercultural communication apprehension,
ethnocentrism, uncertainty reduction, and communication satisfaction during initial

11EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
intercultural interaction: An extension of anxiety and uncertainty management (AUM)
theory. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 41(1), 1-16.
Russ, T. L. (2012). The relationship between communication apprehension and learning
preferences in an organizational setting. The Journal of Business Communication
(1973), 49(4), 312-331.
Sidelinger, R. J., & Bolen, D. M. (2016). Instructor Credibility as a Mediator of Instructors’
Compulsive Communication and Student Communication Satisfaction in the College
Classroom. Communication Research Reports, 33(1), 24-31.
Vîslă, A., Cristea, I. A., Tătar, A. S., & David, D. (2013). Core beliefs, automatic thoughts and
response expectancies in predicting public speaking anxiety. Personality and Individual
Differences, 55(7), 856-859.
Weger Jr, H., Castle Bell, G., Minei, E. M., & Robinson, M. C. (2014). The relative effectiveness
of active listening in initial interactions. International Journal of Listening, 28(1), 13-31.
Wright, K. B., Rosenberg, J., Egbert, N., Ploeger, N. A., Bernard, D. R., & King, S. (2013).
Communication competence, social support, and depression among college students: a
model of facebook and face-to-face support network influence. Journal of Health
Communication, 18(1), 41-57.