The Non-Verbal me
Day to day we have conversations and interaction with people, but many of us do not pay attention to the non-verbal cues that we portray to others. These cues can be very important when trying to exhibit an emotions or a position u hold on a particular subject. many of these cues can be displayed in with what we consider normal body gestures such as head nods winking of the eyes, scratching of the head or maybe in the way a person walks or looks.
I myself have an array of nonverbal cues that I use. I first want to speak on the use of facial expression by me. Like many people, I use facial expression during conversation to express like or dislike. While in conversation mode, my face tends to be in a relaxed state with certain curiousness to it, my eyes also tend to be glued to that person. This expression or cue signifies that I m am fully engaged with the person who I am having the conversation with. This expression can quickly change to one of confusion or irritation. My face in this instance will tighten up, I am not sure why this happens but I believe it is because I am in thought while that person is talking or relaying info. I also have a bad habit of looking away or focusing other objects or people when I am engaged in meaningless conversation. Most times I try remain focused on the person who I am having a conversation with but sometime other things be on my mind that cause me not to be fully engaged with other people, this sometimes cause people to use words such as arrogant or rude when it comes to describing me. I do feel that sometimes I can be those things and take some responsibility in my actions, but I also believe that it is up to other communicator to recognize the nonverbal cues that are being displayed. This in my opinion is where understanding cultural nonverbal cues comes in handy, with a understanding of different cues communication mishaps can be avoided. I also use hand gesture to communicate also, a simple pound of the fist to a another male that I know, is my way of initiating a conversation or it can be used as just a hello and bye gesture, this gesture will not be used for males that I do not know. I often give them a head nod up. I also use the head nod towards females, this nod is usually a downward nod and I only use it towards females that are my elders. In America the head nod has many uses and I believe how u use it depends on your geographic background and or cultural background. I also give off vibes by the way I walk, when I m in a hurry I walk extremely different then if I had leisurely time. When I’m in a hurry my walk pace is fast an uninterrupted. I usually have my head down, I do this because I want to remain on course for the task, and I do not want to seem like I am open for any conversation. When I do have the leisure time, my walk pace will be slow and my head will be held high with my eyes wondering. During this time, it is usually when my eyes are communication mode. This is another way to communicate nonverbally.
There are many ways to communicate the person you are, the clothes you where can often communicate what mode or state you are in and/ or the type of person you might be. a suit can say that you are a business man/woman or that you mean business, a uniformed person can communicate whatever responsibilities that person dawning the uniform has, a person where sayings on their shirt can portray that you are outspoken. With all the ways I spoke about I hope that you have a better understanding of how I use nonverbal language in my day to day life.

Bonding through Communication

“The person I run to”
I believe everyone should have someone that they can run to when there in time of need. This person should be able to give you insight on difficult situations while providing positive leaderships skills that you your self-can notice. This person is definitely going to be trustworthy and respectful. Some individuals will seek or need multiple persons in order to for fill this need, as they may see more appropriate to do so. I on the other hand have one very special person I run to when I have the world on my shoulders. This relationship is going on twenty-six years old and would not be possible with the excellent line of communication we have with each other. The person who I hold in such high regard is none other than my mother Valarie Small. She has been my rock of my foundation and I will attempt give you some insight on the type of relationship we have and why it has been so important me and the foundation I am building on as we speak.
Every since I could remember, my mom always told me that I could tell her any and everything. I believe this is a common line used amongst most parent/child relationships. However, I also believe that some parents are not truthful with themselves about the things they want to hear come out of their children’s mouth, which could lead to a lack of trust and ultimately corrupt the quality of the communication a parent has with their child. My mom was determined build the communication highway between her and us. My mom went out of her way to reassure us that what she said was what she meant in good or bad context. She has always been able to answer the question I needed her to answers or been able to point me in the right direction to obtain the information needed to answer those questions if she did not know the answer to the question. She constantly explained to us the importance of sharing information with her. This was especially true when it came to school, if I got in trouble or had something going on at school; I had better let her know because if she found out by way of suspension, intuition, or whatever other resources she had it would be trouble for me. Luckily, for me my mom was not an overbearing type parent. She would always sit me down and try to explain while going back through the actions that might have lead up to whatever situation the day had brought us to. My mother was firm but fair and that is always a plus when trying to communicate with children. By remaining consistent in her ways, it allowed me to see that my mom was not my enemy, and in fact, she was my number one supporter and only wanted to see me realize my potential. I learned from her how to be patient by observing her patience with us. I learned how to solve problems and think critically about situations, which made it easier for me to integrate into to society. Being able to be myself and present my ideas to figure that had full control over me was essential in the character I portray today. I am very outspoken but respectful; my opinions are firm but open for discussion and reform. This why she is my number one person to communicate with she keeps me humble and she has more knowledge than I could probably acquire in a lifetime.

from 3-11-10 this post got posted on the wrong blog- I apologize

I believe that all universities and colleges should require foreign language studies for graduation and/or admission. This type of reform, in my opinion, is necessary in order to insure our graduate students are successful in a global economy. This requirement would only strengthen the structure and foundation of any student looking to compete for a position in the global workforce. The world has many different cultures and languages, which can only understand through proper study and instruction.With more than six billion people in the world, I think it is safe to say that there is a definite need for young individual to be more diverse in respect to languages capabilities. The value and demand of individuals who are bilingual has greatly increased in the work force. These individuals are often sought because they have diverse backgrounds, and have demonstrated the skills necessary to be successful employees. One place this trend is highly visible the United States. The use of English has always been the language of choice and still is, but a major influx in southern immigrants has caused a nation to embrace Spanish as its second language (unofficially).Many countries have or use multiple languages in order to conduct business, and successful individual will demonstrate good understanding of various ethnic backgrounds.It is important for young individual to develop global social skills, and the best place for this is at colleges or universities. These institutions have the obligation to prepare our youth to compete on the global scale. The studying of a foreign language allows student to be diverse and increases their knowledge of world cultures and events, it also allows students to be more comfortable when faced with difficult situations. We all know that life is full of adversities and lack of a language skill can greatly complicate things especially in a nation where many different languages are spoken.The foreign language I studied was Spanish. This skill has helped me tremendously; having this skill has allowed me to be a better citizen and employee. During my studies of this language, I became more reluctant to judge people of different ethnic backgrounds. I found that all ethnic backgrounds share the same characteristics, the want for knowledge and the general compassion from those who do not fully understand their culture. Without the college imposing this requirement upon me, I would like to think I would still be oblivious to how other cultures conduct themselves. This is why I think it is a great idea for Colleges and Universities to require foreign languages studies. In fact, I do not have a reason why this requirement should not be in place. Foreign language is a tool that can be used to enhance an individual overall performance in some many aspects. Being able to communicate is the single most important tool a human can have. Without proper communication between humans, no information can passed or received.