A brief introduction...

This blog is part of the course requirements for a university module I am taking at the National University of Singapore. The course is entitled "Professional Communications", and aims to develop students' communications skills in a context-sensitive manner. Future blog posts here will follow a fixed series of topics, related to the course content.

I decided to take up this particular module because it seemed like it would teach me skills which would actually be relevant outside of academic life. Good communication skills are critical to all our relationships, be they at home, work or play. The importance of good communication skills has been made exceptionally clear to me this past year or so, as I take up various leadership roles in school and in church. Several times, I have asked other people to complete certain tasks, only to find that the result is something completely different from what I expected. I am only now beginning to understand that communicating well involves far more than good language skills - in fact, simpler words tend to convey meaning more effectively. As a friend of mine once told me, "Eschew obfuscation*." This is a habit which I hope to unlearn. :)

Another bad habit which I have developed over the years is the tendency to communicate primarily by email and by sms. This is mainly because I find it very emotionally draining to talk to people. I am an introvert, and can happily spend many days cooped up in my house with no one to talk to. However, conversations by email take forever, and smses can get lost or ignored, and are hence ineffective in accomplishing tasks, and nearly useless for relationship-building. Over the years, I have become better at making small talk with people, and carrying on meaningless conversations in general, but when I am tired (which is often), my facade slips, and I become the silent observer in the group. Hopefully, this course will help unearth the more sociable part of me.

Last, but not least, this course promises to teach specific career-related skills such as report-writing, resume-writing etc. Also, as an MOE scholar and teacher-to-be, good speaking skills are a necessity. Again, I hope to improve these skills here.



*To obfuscate means to obscure one's meaning by using complex language. To eschew means to avoid. The phrase is meant to be ironic. Think about it. :)