Communication is something that is second
in nature to all of us. Sending countless text messages and electronic mails
while waiting for the bus or train to arrive is not something new to many of
us. While communication is easily what we do everyday, I believe that the word
"effective" in "effective communication" changes the crux
of the matter and takes communication to a whole new level.
Effective communication, in my opinion,
is the ability to depict one's ideas in a coherent manner that would elicit the
appropriate response from the listener. It is a pertinent tool to convey
messages in professional and non-professional settings. While many of us can
convey messages easily and effectively in the virtual world, we get stumped
when communicating with someone face to face. Poor verbal cues and nonverbal
cues take the better hold of us, pushing us into awkward scenarios during face
to face communication, therefore highlighting the importance of effective
communication in today’s world. Furthermore, the daily use of shorthands
and Singlish in text messages makes us victims of ineffective communication in
professional settings. While the correct usage of English is a platform for
effective communication, I believe that effective communication can take place
even with Singlish.
A recent incident I witnessed at the wet
market with a foodware vendor can help substantiate this. The foodware vendor’s
choice of words when answering his customer took me by surprise. When one of
his customers questioned him on the instructions on how to use the pan, he
said,” Turn to your backside and look at the wording ah...” While his answer
left me in a fit of laughter, his customers looked happy with the answer and
left with a look of satisfaction. This is a clear example of how effective
communication can be achieved even with Singlish. This example also depicts how
the idea of effective communication varies from one to the other. A Caucasian
with no prior experience with Singlish might have been totally flabbergasted
with the vendor’s instruction but the aunties did not have a problem
understanding the vendor. The vendor, in this scenario, effectively
communicated his idea. Effective communication therefore cannot be limited to
the use of proper English. Maybe, the aunties might not have understood the
vendor if he used proper english. Maybe.
