Acts of Behavior.

Nonverbal behavior is influenced by gender, culture, and media cues, which can cause confusion with each other. We rely on nonverbal cues when communicating with others because it helps decrease confusion and increase understanding within another. This helps us become successful in our relationships at home, work, school, and socially. What people say could often be very different from what they’re thinking or feeling. Words can be misleading and it’s very easy for a person to say something untrue or insincere, so we cant rely on words alone.

             I like to see things that aren’t being shown. The tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures, and mannerisms say a lot of things. I think nonverbal behavior is influenced by gender. Men are less comfortable with making eye contact than women. It has something to do with power and status because direct eye contact shows a sign of emotion and men don’t like to show emotion like women do.

Women tend to use facial expressions more then men do.  Men seem more relaxed in posture while women appear tenser. I am very big with facial expressions. I love to smile even when they are to random people walking by. I love it even more when they smile back. Facial expressions and gestures can make a bigger statement than actual words. It reminds me of silent black and white movies. There was no color and no sound. These movies were able to captures peoples’ hearts with only their gestures and facial expressions alone. If only we could appreciate these simple things again.

Men also tend to be more uncomfortable with close proximity.  Women are more comfortable with sharing their personal space especially between another female. Both men and women are able to show their interest and affection towards a person they are willing to open and share their personal spaces. The ability to interpret nonverbal communication between people who are attracted to each other often disappears if one or both are trying to hide it. A common situation is when a man and a woman are attracted to each other but aren’t comfortable to tell the other of the feelings they have.  By not being able to tell each other of such feeling, you tend to be blinded by the other person’s cues and signals as clear.

In general, our own body language signals can influence what others may think or feel about you.  

Silent Gestures.

Communication uses both verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Nonverbal behaviors contribute to communication far greater then verbal behaviors. Using nonverbal communication is a powerful tool that can help us connect deeper with others, express what we really feel, work out problems, and build stronger relationships. Gender, culture, and media are great influences for nonverbal behavior which can cause misunderstanding towards each other.

Gender is the biggest influence on nonverbal behavior. As we have noticed in our daily lives we see how different everyone’s perspective of things are. Men and women express themselves in very different ways. I read an article about the differences on how men and women communicate. When a women is asked a simple question such as: “ How was your day?” We like to be very descriptive in telling people how our day was it ends up sounding like a short story. Women like to gather information and dispense it without discrimination. We lack the ability to prioritize information and don’t think life is as simple as men do because we are fascinated by the multiplicity of choices that they see. Men on the other hand are simple and straight to the point. I feel that they like not having to over think about things. The author also questioned why women responded to him joking about girls and math and men didn’t when he commented about boys and English. I found it that women tend to defend themselves on account of who they are as a person. We never like hearing someone say we cant do this or that because we would prove them wrong otherwise. Unlike men, where they don’t care about what others think.

One of the perks of living in the United States is the diverse culture we live in. We encounter people from different cultures and societies that sometimes it is hard to understand them. Some differences are in language, values, gestures, emotional expression, and norms. Culture can make it difficult for us to understand each other and can come off as a culture shock. Nonverbal behavior with touching, emotions, and relationships could be expressed differently. In other countries, certain gestures can be offending and give off different meaning unlike here in the U.S. One example, in the U.S. an OK sign is a rude gesture in Europe because it gives off sexual suggestion.

Nonverbal behavior is an important part of communication. It is a way for a person to connect personally with another. We are able to use our body to communicate and give signals out to others. How we listen, look, move, and react tell the other person whether or not you are interested in what they are trying to communicate to us. A very familiar phrase “actions speak louder then words” is very true. It takes more than words to create fulfilling, strong relationships. Our nonverbal cues show others that we understand, notice, and care.

Successful English.

Over the past few years, I have noticed that whenever I need help from customer service over the phone, it is usually a person with an accent of Indian descent. Also, the older I become, the more I come to notice every time I visit the doctors that there are more and more doctors of Indian descent working in hospitals. What this tells us: the jobs that were once held by Americans are being sent over seas to the people of India therefore making their economy grow. This is a great opportunity for them but it is a constant struggle for us Americans to find jobs. It causes our country as a whole not to expand economically, increase in unemployment rate, taxes, gas prices, foreclosures, and causes stress and turmoil for millions struggling to survive in the U.S.

            The history of the English language in the Philippines has expanded throughout the years. Around 1565, Spanish was introduced after Conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi founded and settled the first Spanish settlement on Cebu. The language began to decrease after Spain left to the United States. This is where the language Tagalog derives from considering that both languages are alike. Tagalog was chosen as the national language in 1937 out of a total of 171 native languages spoken in the country. Tagalog is the official language of education and its major uses are the broadcast of media, cinema, and its use in the military. This native language is often used in the home and communicating with friends and family.

English has strong roots with Philippines and it has been exposed since 1762. Today, it is the dominant language in business, government, the legal system, medicine, the sciences and education. Majority of textbooks are printed in English instead of Tagalog. Filipino’s find English to be more formal and should be used in school, government, and various ceremonies. In America, schools require to take a foreign language mainly the most common one is Spanish and in the Philippines, theirs is the similar but only in English. Sometimes they even speak both at the same time whether its formal or not. It is very common here especially in the United States. Whenever I am around my family they start off in Tagalog and switch to English and then back to Tagalog. This situation has been called Taglish. Representatives view English as the wave of the future, with science, world trade, and the Internet. I agree to this and see how the language impacts the world.

English plays a big role in the world basing it as many see it as a global language and it is needed to succeed. It is the language of business, higher education, diplomacy, aviation, the Internet, science, popular music, entertainment, and international travel. These things could help Philippines in order to gain economically since it has been struggling as a country.

Smaller is Better.

Anyone can be a writer. We all have a different approach to how we want our writing to come off as. The bigger picture is if our readers will be able to understand it. Our job as a writer is to be able to share your knowledge with the reader and persuade them. The reader’s job is to have the ability to open up, listen, and understand what the writer is trying to say even if we don’t agree.

I found my writing to be simple and straight to the point. I’m not fond of those ridiculously complex writings where you have to go more in depth and see the real meaning behind the story. I like putting my life stories into my papers because I find it a way for the reader to connect with not just my writing but also with myself. I am very open to sharing my experiences with people and having them feel as if they are my friend.

Patricia T. O’Conner gave me some great writing tips on her essay “Saying is Believing”. She brought me into her thoughts of what a good writer is. Patricia warns “To not confuse simplicity with simplemindedness” A good writer can express a complicated idea clearly with such ease. She says that if your sentence sounds nice and is easy to understand then there’s nothing wrong with it. Patricia lays out thirteen general principles which were very useful.

The five I found helpful were:

1.      Say what you have to say

Patricia advises that there is no need to prolong what we want to say. If we believe in what we write and lay it all down for the readers’ they will be able to believe it to.

2.      Stop when you’ve said it

When writing I find it hard for me to figure out when I want to stop. I seem to keep going on and on with my sentences fighting the need to put a period. Patricia made a great point and said that we should have one nice inhalation and exhalation per sentence. I think this is very common with some if not most writers because we want to keep going. When its time to start another sentence, do that.

3.      Don’t tie yourself in knots to avoid repeating a word

I see myself getting caught in trying to substitute certain words that I’ve been using in order to change it up. But Patricia says that it’s better to repeat a word that fits then substitute one that doesn’t.

4.    Put descriptions close to what they describe

Writing itself is a battle with me but the biggest problem with writing is being descriptive. I tend to confuse myself and the readers when I describe certain things. Patricia gave great examples to show how a proper descriptive sentence should be.

5.      Put the doer closer to what’s being done

Sentences can be complex and interesting as long as we know how to make it easy to follow for readers. We shouldn’t make it where they have to constantly reread the sentence to finally understand it. This is my second biggest problem because I have a hard time putting the doer closer to what’s being done.

In order to be a good writer you need to be able to express your thoughts and ideas clearly. It is difficult to achieve because to be clear in your writing you have to be clear in your thinking. Patricia opened my eyes to see that writing helps captivate readers and good writing astonishes its writer first and that’s what I want to do. The simplest writing can make such a powerful impact to a reader and it shows that bigger isn’t always better.

Dreams to Reality.

Everyone has dreams. We all have goals and aspirations. We go off to our own world daydreaming about random things such as becoming a doctor, asking that one person out on a date, turning pro in a sport, having a family, buying a nice ride, and so on. We all fantasize what it would be life if we did this or I should have done that. The question is...do we set out to achieve them?

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream and it was a big one. But because of his dream he achieved many other’s as well. His dream was a call for equality and the end to racial discrimination. He launched a non-violent protest to put an end to segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. King believed that there was no need for violence but the use of nonviolent “tension” was necessary for growth. This would help people rise from prejudice and racism, to gain a better understanding, and come together.

King was arrested the day of the march of Birmingham on April 12, 1963. In his time in jail he responded to a letter by 8 clergymen that was published in the local newspaper who said that the march was inappropriate. The famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” clearly states Martin Luther King Jr’s drive to end segregation. He took the letter as an opportunity to have his voice be heard to the public. King speaks out to everyone in his letter that injustice has taken a hold of the Civil Rights Movement and all we could do is fight for our rights with force without the use of violence. He spoke in behalf of those who didn’t have a voice and spoke for those whose voice wanted to be heard.

Martin Luther King Jr. spoke for one purpose and that was to have everyone unite as one. What amazes me is that it only took one voice and one man to create such a big impact to our society and to our culture. His drive and determination inspired other such as myself to get up and follow my dreams. This man’s story inspired me to believe in myself that I can accomplish something, whatever that may be. He gives me the courage to stand up and be willing to take risks. His words speak the truth that there is no time to waste and its time to turn our dreams into reality.

I feel the speech was an eye opener to many Americans’. Martin Luther King Jr. was a wise man who spoke with his heart. His dream was something his heart desired. By knowing what you want you inherit such great motivation within yourself to make a change and he is a good example to that. If it weren’t for him our country would still be waiting for a change to happen. Our time is to act now before that dream dies away.

Literacy.

Literacy is the ability to read and write and is used as part of our everyday lifestyle. I think it is the main part of life and its learning processes such as critical thinking. Without these skills you won’t have common knowledge or sense.

Education takes a big role on literacy. Without education you won’t have the knowledge to read or write. Some people don’t take it seriously such as students. I see students here in America given the opportunity to a free education and they take it for granted. Either they waste years of going or they simply choose not to go at all. I will be honest and say that I was in that place before. I always wondered why I went to school. Was it because my parents’ forced me? Or was it my decision to go? I mean who wanted to wake up and go to school Monday-Friday at 7:30 Am? Not me. If I could go back I would slap myself for complaining because I know somewhere in the world someone would kill to be in my place.  

Growing up it was easy for me to pick up reading. There was something about the contents within the books that fascinated me. After a while other things started to catch my attention such as materialistic things and friends. My social life became my focus and not school. I gave up on a lot of things and before I would blame others for putting me down and look for ways to be noticed. The only person here that is at fault is me and now I see myself trying to find those missing pieces and putting them back in. It’s frustrating to learn information you should have learned years ago and I see why my parents constantly push me about how important education is. I learned to change my attitude towards things and not complain I can’t do this or that. Since I’m in college I have to make up for my lost education because I want to and because I believe I can.

It pains me to see people who suffer with illiteracy. I struggle with certain tasks and feel foolish at times and I wonder what they must feel not being able to communicate other than verbally. It would be difficult to be successful in today’s society given that the advances of technology grow and become more complex. Seems like everyday there is a new update and you need to be able to keep up. I feel like our life is like a sponge. Everything we read, write, or listen to, we absorb into our minds. We gather ideas and build our own opinions of what surrounds us. Babies and toddlers are a good example of that. They may not be able to read or write but by reading to them opens up many doors in discovering it in the future. Their brain is twice as active as an adult’s brain so they absorb knowledge faster. Children are so eager to learn new things and constantly ask questions that people who are illiterate should feel the same way and build that drive to want to learn. I believe it’s a choice within yourself whether or not you want to learn.

Think Critically.

Critical Thinking. What is it? Everyone has their own way of seeing things. I see critical thinking as a way to help us live our day to day lives. We use it to figure out how to get to point A and to point B with lesser traffic, how to use the tiVo so we can record our favorite shows while were out of the house, or battle the next level of Angry Birds on our phone. I see our mind constantly being used to analyze what to feel, hear, say, or do that even when we think we can’t “think”, we are.

Sometimes I feel like being young I would have a broad imagination but that’s not the case here. I feel my imagination has run dry and I can’t find anything to inspire me to get back up again and be creative. I see the shows my little brother and sister watch and I think one word: POINTLESS. What is our generation teaching kids now? I cant stand watching more than 10 minutes of cheesy story lines that anyone can figure out what the ending is going to be. Children are so glued to television its ridiculous! But I got to say, the creators of these shows are smart. They amaze me because behind all this corny nonsense they know what kids like and they give them what they want.

My problem: I can’t answer a simple question without hurting my head and having a huge migrane afterwards. Honestly this blog itself is stressing me out! I think once I get the hang of blogging I’ll be able to enjoy it more than right now. It helps you sit and reflect on everything that is going on in your mind and you are able to express it through writing. I think this class will help me be able to explore my mind and deepen my inner most thoughts minus the migranes.