Words to Know
Non-Acknowledgement
not recognizing the other person or their message, not giving attention or a response to the conversation
Your math teacher used a new vocabulary word that you have never heard before.
What is addition of content - ask them to explain what the word means
"Can you say that a little bit louder please? I missed the second part," is an example of which communication repair strategy?
What is repetition
You missed two answers on a study guide in social studies class.
What is ask the teacher to repeat the information (repetition) or ask for the information to be written down (recast).
You're sitting in the cafeteria and cannot hear your friends at lunch. Why? What caused this communication breakdown?
What is Non-acknowledgement: too much background noise
Request for clarification
not understanding a message the first time even though you heard it
Your mom quickly gave you a list of things to get at the grocery store for her. You cannot remember the entire list.
What is repetition - ask for her to say it again more slowly
Student A in this conversation uses which repair strategy when Student B does not understand? Student A: "I learned about cells in Science class yesterday" Student B: "You learned about what in Science class?" Student A: "Cells -- you know, the things that make up people, animals, and plants"
What is addition of content
During language arts class, your teacher introduces a new vocabulary word. The words that she uses to explain the new vocabulary word are unfamiliar to you. What should you do?
What is recast: ask her to explain it in a different way so that you can understand.
You're riding in the backseat of the car and your parents are asking about your day at school. You only heard the word school and missed their question. Why did this communication breakdown occur?
What is Request for clarification: you couldn't see their mouth to speech read, there was too much noise from the road and the radio
Wrong shift
change the subject to something that isn’t being talked about, change the direction of a conversation, talking about something that’s not related
As your teacher is writing a math problem on the board, she finishes the problem verbally. You miss the last part of the problem.
What is repetition or recast. Ask for the teacher to say it again or ask her to write it down on the board
Pointing, gestures, miming, signing, or writing when you give a message a second time are examples of this kind of communication repair strategy
What is recasting.
While you're walking out the door, your dad says, " ________ ______ ______ after school." How should you repair this communication breakdown?
What is Repetition: "What do you want me to do after school?" -- ask him to repeat the information.
During biology, the teacher is talking about cell reproduction. You hear two new words that sound similar (mitosis and meiosis) but do not understand how they connect to cells or reproduction. What caused this communication breakdown?
What is Request for clarification: you are unfamiliar with the vocabulary being used
The difference between repetition and recasting
Repetition - repeat the same message the same way
Recast - restate the message in a different way
You should check for understanding after both!
When you ask Ms. Kellogg what time you need to be back in class from interviewing someone for Viper News, she gives you information about what's going on the rest of the class period but you don't hear a specific time. What repair strategy should you use?
What is recast and reduction of content. Ask her to give you a specific time.
This is an example of which communication repair strategy? "I'm sorry, I didn't understand what you said. Could you explain that vocabulary word in a different way, please?"
What is revision
You're telling a story about something that happened and your friend says "huh?" because she couldn't understand what you said. What should you do?
What is Repetition: repeat your story more slowly and more clearly.
You're at lunch talking with a friend and telling them about a gift you got from your grandma this weekend. They respond by telling you how excited they are for their big soccer game this weekend. What caused this communication breakdown?
Non-acknowledgement and Wrong shift: your friend shifted topics to soccer without even recognizing what you had said about your gift.
When do we use addition of content and reduction of content to help the people we are speaking to?
Addition: give more details, add important information
Reduction: saying a message with fewer details, keep important information and get rid of the extra fluff
A friend asks you for directions to your house. While you're explaining, you can see that they don't understand what you are saying by their facial expression. How can you help them understand?
What is recast and addition of information. Draw a map or give them more information to help them understand where they need to go.
Which repair strategy is the most useful to you at school?
Answers will vary
(Repetition, recast, addition of content, reduction of content)
While you're at a restaurant, you ask your server what the cost of your meal will be. You cannot hear what he said because it is too noisy. What is a way to repair this communication? (Choose a strategy other than repetition.)
What is Recast - ask your server to write it down for you.
During language arts, you missed the definitions for half of the vocabulary words. You smile politely and nod your head as if you understood, even though you are very confused. Why did this communication breakdown occur?
What is non-acknowledgement and request for clarification. You didn't let your teacher know you were confused so they didn't try to help you understand the new vocabulary