Critical reflection on developing communication skill

Communication is a two-way track that involves verbal, non-verbal and written skills. It is the act of getting clear message across in our daily lives. Therefore, the art of effective communication skills are imperative to success. It is one of the most critical and essential skills that can be learned and put into practice.

This trimester has provided me a good learning platform. Through the reader response assignment, I’ve learnt to be a critical reader. A lot of times, journals and articles can be biased and/or myopic. Writers tend to focus too much on their stand that they may miss out on other points that might be important for making effective decisions. Thus, I have learnt to find relevant quotes which strongly support my opposing stand or find quotes which may even challenge the author’s standpoint. On the other hand, while working on the technical report assignment, I brushed up on my technical knowledge while learning the structure of writing reports. Feedbacks from the instructor have also taught me to watch my tone and not to input absolute words which give no room for errors.

Lastly, the oral presentation round gave me the opportunity to work on my confidence level when presenting to a group of audience. It can be nerve-racking knowing that you have to pace your speech, take care of your tone and body language, stay focus on your topic while delivering them with confidence. After the first trial, I was disappointed with my performance. I took the feedback home and rehearsed in front of my family. Along with the encouragement of my peers, I performed better during the final presentation. However there can always be room for improvements. As such, I would like to constantly look out for opportunities where I can practice addressing to a mass audience confidently.