Communication Essentials

W14 Portfolio

Summarizes

The following are the main concepts we studied this semester that had an impact on my professional
learning:

The importance of public speaking

This semester we studied that public speaking is a crucial and highly valued skill in
various areas of life, whether in the personal, academic or professional
sphere. Its importance lies in the fact that the ability to speak in public
allows you to express ideas, thoughts and emotions clearly and concisely.
Effective communication is essential to be an effective leader,
communicating with our team clearly and convincingly, we can influence
the ideas and opinions of others and facilitates the resolution of conflicts
effectively. This semester has been a great challenge for me to overcome
the fear and anxiety associated with public speaking, but in the end, I believe
that my personal growth has been significant, has increased my confidence
and improved my self-esteem. Through the presentations of my speeches, I have
shared my feelings, experiences, and relevant information and persuaded others on
issues that are very important to me.

The importance of self-concept

The week we studied self-concept, I learned that the way we communicate says more about our own
self-concept than it does about the message we're giving. This is because our self-concept plays a
fundamental role in the way we perceive ourselves, evaluate ourselves and relate to the world around
us. It is the mental image and valuation we have of ourselves, based on our experiences, beliefs, abilities,
physical and emotional characteristics, achievements and failures. In short, self-concept is essential
because it affects every aspect of our lives, from our interpersonal relationships to our decision-making
and emotional well-being. With the study of this concept, I understood that I must work on cultivating a
positive and realistic self-concept of myself because it is a valuable investment to achieve a full and
satisfying life.

Informational versus persuasive speech

These were very interesting topics for me, knowing the structure that
each of these types of discourses needs to be what it wants to be. I
learned that clearly knowing the goal you want to achieve by sharing
a speech determines everything. Also know your audience, to know
how to capture attention. This is because the informative discourse
seeks to provide information in an objective way, on the other hand,
the persuasive discourse seeks to convince and persuade the
audience to adopt a certain position or action. Both types of speech
are valuable and are used in different contexts and situations
depending on specific communication objectives.
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Factors that influence the perception of the world around us

When we interact with others, a back-and-forth of thoughts, judgments, and thoughts immediately
come into play, building our perception of what is happening at that moment. If what we perceive is
pleasant, we will have more confidence, but if our perception is negative or threatening, we will be
defensive, so improving our perception of others requires a combination of self-awareness, empathy and
open-mindedness.

The different types of nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is a powerful way to convey information without words. It complements the
verbal message, expresses emotions, reveals intentions and affects personal impressions. It is also useful
in intercultural contexts, adjusting the message according to the audience and increasing persuasion. It is
essential to understand and be understood, improving our interpersonal communication skills.

How to Become an Effective Listener

Active listening involves devoting our full and genuine attention to the person
who is speaking. We strive to understand not only the words being expressed,
but also the emotions, body language, and overall context of
communication. When we practice active listening, we make eye contact and
nod our heads. We avoid interrupting and judging prematurely, allowing the
person to express themselves fully. In addition, we ask questions to clarify
and deepen our understanding, and we practice empathy seeking to
understand and validate the feelings and perspectives of the speaker. I learned
that active listening is a conscious commitment to be present, understand and value the words and
emotions of others, creating a deeper connection, but above all, showing respect for others.

Different types of relationships

The best quote I read this week was, "The key to succeeding in a relationship
isn't finding the right person, it's learning to love the person you found." When
problems and differences arise, I have always thought that "I prefer my
marriage to be right." It's a simple way to always move forward and find
common solutions.

Studying the languages of love gave him a good sustenance idea of how to feed
love and happiness in our relationships.

I learned that a climate of positive or negative communication is mainly formed by what people believe
of themselves to be valued by others, that is, if a climate is positive, it is because the people who
constitute that relationship have positive feelings about me. themselves, and vice versa if the climate is
negative, it is because there are beliefs that are negative within themselves. In other words, everything
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W14 Portfolio

depends on the valuation that each one has of himself. I think this knowledge is important because
modifying these climates will depend primarily on me and not necessarily "on the other."

Conflict resolution techniques

On this topic, I learned that conflicts can have positive aspects, as they
promote personal growth, improve relationships, stimulate creativity,
encourage learning and develop skills. However, it is essential to manage
them constructively to obtain these benefits. Unfortunately, we often
transition from conflict to confrontation without realizing it, especially
within our own homes. Sometimes we pay more attention to our
external relationships than we do to those we have with our loved ones.

I enjoyed reading about the ability to separate people from problems. This allows us to disagree
respectfully and tolerantly, leaving aside pride, anger, and defensiveness. Regarding healthy conflicts, I
realized that I need to work to avoid emotional withdrawal during a conflict.

My Before and After

At the beginning of the semester, I must confess that I was not fully motivated with this course, and I
was only doing it because it was a mandatory class to finish my certificate. My English scared me a lot
and public speaking, sharing my ideas and convincing others in a persuasive speech was not the most
motivating thing for me. I was very nervous to belong to a group that should listen to my speech and
then "criticize" my speech. Also, posting my video speaking on the forum was something that
embarrassed me. However, I must say, while it is true that the course has extremely important aspects
of understanding such as Self-concept, knowing how to listen and creating relationships. The best thing
for me was to gain confidence by speaking in public, because I understood that, if my speech has a good
structure, meets the requirements for my goal, I should not fear, but do it confidently and safely.

The 14 weeks in one sentence

W1 "I am like a suitcase with multiple compartments, I have many interests and skills that make me
versatile and adaptable."

W2 “Successful public speaking is the result of practicing, practicing, practicing"

W3 "Self-concept is my perception and understanding of myself, including my unique abilities, values,

beliefs, and characteristics"

W4 "I should not fear criticism because it helps me improve, I should be humble and listen to what they
tell me to help me and apply it"

W5 "My attitude to life determines my perception of things, so I am often more robust in some
situations than in others, or on different days"
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W6 "We have differences according to our cultures and this should make us think about what we will say
and how we will say it twice."

W7 "When we listen to the opinions of others, we can improve"

W8 "Listening is an act of love and sacrifice, and I would also add the respect that all people deserve.

W9 "Monroe's Motivated Sequence for a Persuasive Successful Speech is: Capture Attention, identify a
Need, Meet That Need, Visualize Results and Call to Action."

W10 "The key to success in a relationship is not finding the right person, but learning to love the person
you found."

W11 "That solving a problem is never more important than loving the other person"

W12 "Practice makes perfect"

W13 "Patience is a heavenly virtue," I thought after giving my speech many times.

W14 "I could"