Getting the gist of things

Week 2

Well it’s been an interesting couple of weeks to say the least, with so many new things and information to take in I almost feel like my head’s going to explode, but I’m sure I’ll get into the rhythm of things in no time.

This was the week when all the serious stuff began. Our tutor Craig gave us an overview of the course we will be learning this semester and he also gave us our first assessment, which requires us to write a letter to him in a future context as if we had already received an A+ for ITC501, this requires a bit of creativity but it really just gives us a chance to show what we expect to get out of this course. We also have to blog about the different things we’ve learnt during the week in a reflective manner, the tutors will then read the post and decide whether there is enough information and the right use of information to progress, this is what you’re reading right now.

Ellie tought us about the importance of grammar; the way you write a sentence can make all the difference in how it is understood, she showed us a good example of this: ‘Let’s eat Grandma’ and Let’s eat, Grandma’. The former sounds as if we are about to have a cannibalistic meal consisting of our parent’s mother, where as the latter is saying to our grandma ‘let us eat’. It’s amazing how something so simple as a comma can change how people understand what the writer is attempting to portray, the same principle goes for speaking; If I were to say “Let’s eat grandma” without a pause in between ‘lets’ and ‘grandma’ then it would be understood by the listener in the wrong context.

Speaking of context, this is another aspect which is just as important in enabling someone to understand us when we write and speak. Context takes into account which audience you are communicating to, the channel that you are using, the purpose of the topic and also the topic itself. An example of this is; if I were texting a message to my mates about what an awesome night on the booze it was last night, the way I wrote my text would be far more casual than if I were writing a business report to my boss. If I were to write the report to my boss the way I text a message to my friends then I’m sure my boss wouldn’t be very impressed, in fact I most likely wouldn’t have my job anymore. This is why realising the desired context in which you write is such an important aspect of becoming and being a professional in a work environment.

It will be good to see what next week will bring.