Index Non-verbal communication Specific characteristics of my culture Communicating in different contexts Skills and strengths Weaknesses I consider myself a direct and honest speaker, I like to get straight to the point of what I want to say. When I get emotional about something, my voice often gets louder and the speed at which I speak gets faster too. I also unintentionally speak faster when speaking to a group of people and this can be a form of social anxiety. According to Schlenker and Leary (1982) social anxiety seems to arise from people's worries about the impressions others form of them and this resonates with me because when I try to make a good impression, my nerves seem to take over and the my speech becomes Faster. I also regularly change the tone of my voice depending on the person I'm talking to, for example, when I talk to my children, depending on the age of the child I'm talking to, my tone will be more concise or softer and more heat. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Nonverbal Communication I use many nonverbal gestures throughout the day to show affection towards my children and this can range from hugging, waving and blowing kisses. Since I have 4 kids, it stands to reason that most of the time more than one child wants to talk and that leads to a lot of interruptions. When someone interrupts, I use facial expressions to stop them and let them know they are behaving rudely, this is achieved by raising my eyebrows and putting a hand out in front of me, signaling them to stop. Subconsciously they may understand the message and choose how to proceed. When we arrive in the presence of friends or family we can greet each other with a smile or signal a yawning face to let them know we are bored. According to Wood (2016) we can communicate messages through certain channels without saying a word, the non-verbal signals we use provide very effective ways to understand our peers in any environmental context. Specific Characteristics of My Culture The specific characteristics of my culture are: Treat everyone as equal and always show respect. The mannerisms that I would show to an older person, I would also show to a younger person. All people are created equal regardless of gender, age, race and ethnicity, every person should be treated equally. By treating everyone fairly, I can judge certain situations as they arise, without prejudice. If I see someone angry or upset, my communication can adjust and adjust accordingly. If a friend of mine is going through a difficult time, I would offer my support by listening to them, telling them I care, encouraging them to talk, and offering my help. As stated by Omohundro (2008) “Cultures are strengthened by values, or shared understandings of what is good and right to do and be, as well as what is bad and wrong.” This resonates with me because this is precisely the foundation on which I build.Communicating in different contextsThe way I communicate depends a lot on the context in which I find myself. For example, if I were in an environment where a funeral was taking place, I would follow a rule-guided form of communication (Wood, 2016). I would remain silent unless offering my condolences or when spoken to, and if addressed, I would respond in a lowered, sympathetic tone. Another example in a different context is when I attend one of my children's sports games, I am always very loud and very often you will find me shouting encouragement. Encouragement in these contexts can range from clapping and clapping to.