Did I Address ALL Parts of the Assignment?

For Example: HCA#4  Analyzing use of verbal communication  Message communicated  How verbal communication shaped perceptions  Impact of experiences, cultural identity, etc.  Comparison to other artifacts

Did I Go Beyond Common Knowledge and Basic Explanation? Did I incorporate information from the chapter and provide detailed examples?

Example: HCA #4 The song “We Need Good People” is powerful because it uses verbal communication to talk about needing kind and polite people in the world today. Keep going…..

Example: HCA #4  The song “We Need Good People” is powerful because it uses verbal communication to talk about needing kind and polite people in the world today. The artist uses both descriptive language and ambiguity at different points in the song to help tell a story.  Ok. Keep going…

Example: HCA #4  The song “We Need Good People” is powerful because it uses verbal communication to talk about needing kind and polite people in the world today. The artist uses both descriptive language and ambiguity at different points in the song to help tell a story.  For example, the title of the song, which is also repeated in the chorus, ties in a level of ambiguity. The way that I define “Good People” may be different from others definitions. Although ambiguous language can sometimes lead to misinterpreted messages, I think the use of wording here is helpful. It allowed me to understand the artist’s message while also tying in my own subjective understanding. It helped me relate the song more directly to my life.

Example, continued  The artist continues the song by using descriptive language and imagery. One example of this strategy is the line, “Imagine being in a world where our days are as Magical as Christmas morning and are nights are as fun as a trip to Disney on Ice” (cite lyric)  This description and comparison helps show that…

Are my arguments connected?

Example: HCA #5 (Disconnected/Lack of Detail)  Language can be powerful. This song is a good example of how we can use words to inspire. I have had experiences where I needed inspiration. Words can really help to inspire people (seems out of place; also discussed earlier). I know firsthand. When someone uses their verbal communication to inspire me, I am always appreciative. The song talks about a world where people should help others. I can relate to this song because I know how it is to want to become a better person (did the song mention that, as well?).

Remember…  Don’t add fluff  Redundancy?  Organize your thoughts  Logical flow  Don’t make reader guess about the connection; make it explicit

Let’s try this again: Language can be powerful when it is used to inspire others. The song, INSERT TITLE, is a good example of this power of verbal symbols. The song discusses a world where people grow through our good deeds. It encourages people to become better individuals through our willingness to help others. I can relate to this song because I have had experience where I needed inspiration. I was always appreciative when someone used their words to help encourage me. I can also relate to the song because of its message about becoming a better person through helping others… Once you’ve organized your thoughts you’ll also have to consider going through and addressing issues of redundancy and look at your word choice. For example, what do you need to keep or cut from the above excerpt? Is it good to go and absent of fluff? Of course, you would also need to offer more analysis, detailed examples, etc. to complete the assignment. See previous slides.

Additional Examples from Dr. G’s COMM 1500 Class (Application Activity; very similar format)

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT “I saw a lot of nonverbal communication when the women were talking” – Such as…? Give me examples of the nonverbal communication; break it down using what was discussed in the chapter “In terms of similarities both the men and women used words” – And…? Remember, you should give me the answer beyond common knowledge. How did they use their words? Go back to the chapter; what did you learn about how we use language—how does it match what you observed? “Culture played a role in a major way” – What do you mean by a “major way”—what made it major? What role did it play?

ALMOST The women used a lot of nonverbal communication when discussing their trip to Cancun. I could apply paralanguage, kinesics, and haptics to this observation. – Ok, you use terminology from the book, which is great. But you string them together AND you don’t show me that you know what they mean. Give me an example of how you can apply paralanguage and see that the use of their voice communicated they were upset or happy. Consider this, if I’m completing the assignment 5 minutes before class I could try to string some words together, right? Show me you know how to apply those words correctly. The guys sat real close to each other, used a lot of hand gestures, and used a lot of eye contact. – Good, you’re on the right track. Take it a step further for me and go beyond that common knowledge. What did those hand gestures or eye contact seem to communicate. OR how can you factor in concepts from the chapter. For example: “They used a lot of turn taking gestures throughout the conversation such as when….” OR “they used their gesturing to help regulate the conversation, which is a common function of nonverbal communication. For example….” OR “when considering proxemics I could draw a lot of meaning from the way they were sitting with each other. The fact that they were close together hints to their closeness”

GOOD I could tell that the women had a close relationship. This was communicated through their use of playful touch. For example, they often would slap each other on the arm and the other person didn’t seem upset or alarmed. They were also sitting very close to each other—within the intimate space zone-- and no one seemed upset, so there was no issue with territoriality. – Here you provide examples and factor in terminology. You discuss the function of touch and give me an example; you mention territoriality and your description helps me see that you know what it means. While observing, it was easy for me to decode the information because the women used connotative meaning that I understood. For example, when they said that “the party got live fast” I knew what subjective meaning they were attaching to the word “live.” This could be because of the speech community we share, both being from the same generation. – Again, you factor in terminology and show me that you know what the terms mean through your discussion and/or examples.