Interpretation of communication

During Sunday nights Skype call we discussed theory of communicating ideas.

After a very interesting discussion, I wanted to look into the interpretation of communication.  Lucian mentioned the conception of the idea of the ‘sender’ and the ‘receiver’ in communication and how each interpret what is being conveyed.

This is something that I have thought about while on this course and being involved in these debates on Skype.  I worry that what I say may be interpreted incorrectly.  However, upon voicing my concerns to Adesola, she reassured me that this group is a safe space where we can be open and share ideas without judgement.  It is this attitude that I choose when joining in our monthly Skype meeting.

I believe this is an issue that can be seen in modern life.  In the recent presidential election in America, the country is quite clearly split with opposite points of views.  I believe that the communication of the messages put out by the election parties can get mixed up.  This is why I like watching the national conferences live, rather than a cut down version portrayed by the media.  This enables me to form my own opinion of what is being said and not be influenced by the opinions of others.  More often than not, stories appear to get twisted by leaving out a portion of the context which can give a different impression or meaning.  So, how is the news being communicated to you?  How is the story portrayed?  It’s time to hire Olivia Pope to spin a story!

George Balanchine's 'Stars and Stripes' 3rd Regiment

Rhoda talked about the meaning of words in different languages.  Her example was, kitchen in English means a place of work, yet in French cuisine translates to a place to create.  Being bilingual myself, I understand this in great depth.  With this in mind, the ‘sender’ needs to consider the ‘receiver’s’ origin, or at least have an understanding of their culture in order to communicate accurately.  Further to this, some languages have words that don’t exist in English, i.e. the German word fremdschämen: to feel ashamed about something someone else has done; to be embarrassed because someone else has embarrassed themselves (and doesn't notice).

I would like to do a special shout out to Lucian here.  English is a second langue to him, yet I think he has better understanding of the English language than me!  With that being said, I think when you learn a second language, you appreciate your mother tongue much more!  With English as a first language, we do not think of grammatical arrangement, passive tense, time preposition or gender (which doesn’t even exist in english) etc.,  as it is all we have ever known.

I think that perception is a big part of communication.  We should not fear contributing to a conversation, as we learn from our experiences, to become better communicators.