Unit 2 Understanding Communication
Every tale can be told in a different way.
—— Greek proverb
Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.
—— Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Unit Goals
· To understand the term of communication
· To learn to explain the process of communication
· To understand the features of communication
· To learn some useful words and expressions about communication and improve language skills
Before You Read
Study the following case with your partner and work out the following questions.
A Turkish university student in the United States shared a room with an American. One day his American roommate went into the bathroom and completely shaved his head. When the Turkish student visited the bathroom, he saw the hair everywhere and was very uncomfortable with the mess his roommate had made. He returned to their room and said to his roommate. . .
If you were the Turkish student, what would you say to your roommate?
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The Turkish student said to his roommate, “You've shaved your head”. The American replied, “Yeah, I have”.
What did the Turkish student mean by saying“You've shaved your head”?
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The Turkish student waited a little and then said, “I discovered you'd shaved your head when I went into the bathroom and saw the hair”. “Yeah”, the American confirmed. What did the Turkish student expect from the American?
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The Turk was at a loss. He believed he had communicated in the strongest possible language his wish that the American would clean up the mess he has made in the bathroom.
What is wrong in the communication between the Turkish student and the American? What elements are necessary for a successful communication event to take place?
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Start to Read