About Communication

I think that good communication is just as much about form as it is about content. A successful message is best served by careful mediation and presentation, which is to say that ideas must be packaged well in order to be communicated effectively. Certainly, this is not to say that communication is exclusively about persuading others; rather, communication should be about opening up spaces for discussion. Thus, any sort of medium of communication (presentations, papers, this podcast project, or whatever) should help to establish channels for constructive dialogues and the possibility of engaging ideas in conversation. Communication is most effective when all parties involved are willing to learn from each other, and are prepared to participate actively in meaningful discussions. 

Becoming an autonomous learner is, I believe, very much about finding your passion within the broader domain of what you study. There are many possible entry points into the study of Japanese language -- music, film, popular culture, etc., as I have mentioned in earlier posts. 

In terms of this podcast project, I hope that I will be able to learn more about ways of using Japanese to communicate creatively by expanding my vocabulary base and familiarity with elements of Japanese culture that exist in New York. Any group project is, of course, a good lesson in working with others and sorting through ideas and approaches to producing a final product as a team. But, I am most interested in putting my Japanese to independent use, and trying to learn from the process of applying it to situations outside of the classroom/academic setting. Just as listening to music or watching films in Japanese helps to inspire more extensive and creative uses of the language, I hope that doing this project will allow me to further explore ways in which I might use my Japanese independently and creatively.