Reflection:
My Observation of Communication course required us to write and record a speech for our final presentation project. We were allowed the freedom to choose the subject of our presentation within limits. The subject I chose was how deaf people communicate with emotion because I could tie the content into and support it with the information, I learned in my beginning sign language course. I used memorized vocabulary from this course to further explain my argument in the speech.
The speech focused on the importance of facial expressions, the root of nonverbal expression, and the necessity of emotion. While learning sign language, I have learned how crucial facial and gestural expressions are in conveying a message. The difference between these can mean literal opposites in vocabulary. Emotion is important to strengthen an argument or share a juicy story, but it is also the foundation of language. All verbal language aside, people can communicate non-verbally; and I am not talking about sign language. A whole language exists as strictly emotion, facial expression, and body language. This language is universal, it exceeds the boundaries of cultural perspectives and unites all people. Verbal language is enormously different among cultures, but that does not have to stop us from communicating. Sign language may rely on this nonverbal communication more than other languages or cultures do, but it still connects us all. This presentation widened my understanding of the connection between language and cultures and how they are similar which satisfies Communication Level one.
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