Jan 26 - Communication Model & Writing Across Borders

Today we will...

1. talk about the Communication Model and take a brief look at different writing styles

2. reflect on how we should write

Warm-up Questions

1. Have you ever experienced any miscommunication or misunderstanding when you communicate with others (especially with someone from a different country, a different ethnic group or a different cultural background)?

2. What do you think are the causes of miscommunication? How would you try to resolve that?

Introducing the Communication Model

When you talk to other people, you wish they would understand you 100%. However, the reality is that we don't get ourselves understood 100%; in fact, we can't even understand the other person 100%.

Writing Across Borders

This picture shows the difference in writing between different cultures

Therefore, in order to avoid miscommunication (what we focus on is in writing in this class), we need to conform to one specific writing style in order to get the message across.

Personality Test

In order to help me get to know you better, here is a personality test you need to do. It is fun and you will learn more about yourselves as well.

First, you need to open this color images file and choose the color that best describes you.
Second, you need to open this color text file and choose the description that best fits you.
Last, open this color survey file and fill it out following the instructions.

Notifications

1. Please send your gmail accounts to my email so that I can create individual folders for all of you in Googledrive.

2. Please go and purchase the "Writer's Help" ebook. The following are some instructions on how to get the book.

1) The place to get the book is here.
2) Writer's Help Student Orientation Video
3) Student Guide to the book
4) Student FAQs
5) How to switch instructors

Please remember to add me Xin Liu as your instructor, and my email address is xinliu6@illinois.edu