My Interest in Communication Studies - Essay Example

My interest in Communication studies developed after I worked as a street cleaner volunteer in Hangzhou. During this time, I cleaned the streets and guided citizens and tourists by giving them any information they needed about Hangzhou. With the example given, the British couple was quick with their questions and went on with their trip, while the American teenager conversed with me much longer. She did not want to go yet, until her friends arrived. She immediately introduced me as a “friend,” as if we have known each other for years.

This interaction made me aware of my own culture and how conservative we can be in dealing with other cultural groups. I see myself as outgoing, but this American girl was an extrovert who loved learning about other people. I would have seen her questions about my job as not necessary, or even disrespectful, but the way she asked questions made me feel comfortable in answering them. She knew how to “connect” with me. Because of her and other people, I interacted with, I became curious about people’s communication approaches and behaviors.

Why was this American girl so warm and open with me? How can I develop such a sociable communication style? These are some of the questions that bog my mind up to now, and I know that a Communication degree will help me answer these questions. Because of this work experience, I was able to interact with different people from diverse genders, religions, and cultures, and I realized how these factors greatly shape how people speak and interact with others. Who I am and who they have an impact on our communication patterns because together, we add to the context of our communication event.

In addition, I learned how interesting communication is. I took communication for granted before because it seems to come so naturally when in reality, it is not a natural process. After all, for me, communication is a social product and a social process. I believe that communication has its elements too, such as the effect of personality on communication styles, but it has its environmental factors also. Thus, my work experience opened my mind to the complex and fascinating world of communication that I now want to pursue as my major.

Prompt 2: I was fifteen when I was looking for my essay on Han culture, specifically our food culture. I already had it typed for our school paper when I saw my father reading it. He said that he liked the sincerity of the writing and asked me who wrote it. He was impressed to know it was me, and it continues to be one of the happiest days of my life, knowing that my father appreciated my writing. Writing in Chinese is my forte. It is a part of me that flows naturally and with pride. I still have much to learn about English, but Chinese, as a first language, is easier for me to use to express my ideas, arguments, and emotions.

The Chinese language is an important part of my Han identity, a way for me to become and develop further as a Chinese and as a global citizen. To become a Chinese Han is to learn and practice our Chinese language and cultural beliefs and practices. Though my parents are not the utmost traditional Hans because of our modern Westernized lifestyle, we speak and write in our local language at home, school, and everywhere else.