Day Two: The Communication Model, Audience & Purpose

Today we will begin an ongoing discussion about the way that communication actually works, some of the difficulties that can make effective communication more difficult and ways to overcome these difficulties. An outline and objectives for today's class can be found below:

The Communication Model, Audience & Purpose

Objectives: Class participants will be able to...

• demonstrate understanding of one of the various communication models
• demonstrate understanding of the role that audience and purpose play in EAP writing

I. Collecting Homework & Brief Discussion about the Article

Please make sure that you've included your name and date. Answers for the assignment can be found here.

II. Brief Review of the Needs Analyses

Here is a summary of the results of the needs analysis you all filled out as well as short summation of my review of your initial writing samples. As indicated by the results, our primary areas of focus this semester will be: 

1. Academic Essay Structure
2. Writing Academic Articles
3. Presentation Skills

III. Culture & Communication

Let's begin our discussion with a short presentation on the role that culture plays in determining how we communicate. This introduction will be followed by a short discussion. 

IV. The Communication Model

With a new partner, discuss the following questions: 

• How does communication work? Give a step-by-step description of the process. 
• What are some problems in communication that can lead to misunderstanding(s)? Explain
• What role does culture play in the communication process? 

Now let's take a look at a short video that explains the way communication actually works. The video can be found here. Be sure to take notes. After we watch, you will be asked to fill out some comprehension questions with a partner. These questions can be found here.

V. Audience & Purpose

Define the terms "audience" & "purpose". Why are they important to the writing process? Let's look at this concept in greater depth. For each of the two video clips, name a possible intended audience and a possible purpose. 

1. David Gallo & Underwater Astonishments
2. Feist on "Sesame Street"

With both of these examples, it was pretty easy to tell who the intended audience is. You'll notice, however, that it is never directly stated. The same should be true for your writing. You should have a clear idea of who you are writing for (your audience) and why you are writing (your purpose). 

This presentation provides a basic introduction to the concepts of audience and purpose as pertains to academic writing. After discussing this information, we'll do two activities (which can be found below). 

Activity One: Audience & Purpose Comparison

Activity Two: Informal to Formal (Academic Tone Tips)

Homework

There are two assignments this week. The details for each can be found below:

1. Read "Why Academics Stink at Writing (Part 2)". After reading the second part of this article, write a 200-250 summary of the whole article that answers the question: What are some of the major reasons that academics have difficulties writing clearly and in an engaging way? What are some possible solutions to the issues you've chosen? Write your response as a MS Word document and email it to me by Sunday, October 19th, 2014, by 11:55pm. Title your work "Problems with Academic Writing_YourName".
2. Using this image, explain how communication works in 200-250 words. Make sure your response is written using formal academic tone. Write your response as a MS Word document and email it to me by Sunday, October 19th, 2014, by 11:55pm. Title your work "Communication Model_YourName".