Building Communication Skills to Study Abroad: Top 10 Tips for Students
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Building Communication Skills to Study Abroad: If you are going to study abroad as an international student, communication is key to survival. Check out how to build communication skills, overcome the challenges of new language learning and the importance of building communication skills as an international student.
There are different aspects of communication to understand it completely. There is a process of communication, then there are types of communication and then the modes of communication. Along with these comes effective communication and why communication is important in life. All of these areas of communication have been covered in this article to aid students going to study abroad in building their communication skills. Check it out for more details.
What is Communication?
Communication meaning has been derived from a Latin word called ‘communicare’ which means to share. Thus, communication is a form of exchange where there are two or more people involved and there is common sharing of information. Thus, communication is a noun and is a process of expressing thoughts, ideas and knowledge. Students who are going abroad would be required to communicate to explain or ask around. Thus, communication plays a pivotal role for students to be confident enough for this.
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Why is Communication Important?
Language development in earlier times was designated to facilitate communication. The need for communication rose when transferring information from one person to another became important. Thus, this is why communication became important and still is important. Let us look at a few more aspects and understand why communication is important specially for international students. Let us check out the reasons and understand why is communication important:
- Communication is important to express oneself, tell others about what one is feeling, and articulate thoughts so that the other person can understand.
- Sometimes communication is not always about voicing concerns, it is also about sharing thoughts, and ideas and making oneself heard.
- Communication is an important aspect for students, professionals or any individual alike to be able to express themselves, either verbally or non-verbally.
- Communication is also important to avoid conflicts and sort things amicably.
- To build stronger relationships, friendships and team bonding, communication plays a pivotal role in a student’s life.
These are the major reasons why communication is important for international students going to study abroad. Reasons may vary with students based on how they consider communication as an important aspect of their day-to-day life.
Communication Process: Step by Step
Communication is a two-way process, but there are different levels involved in it. In short, the process of communication includes 5-6 levels which a student must understand. Following is how the communication process works, step by step:
- Sender: The communication process begins when a sender sends a message to another person or group.
- Message: The message that is received is the second level in the process of communication. What it means, why it has been sent and if action is required or not. Plus also taking care of the fact that how the message was sent, because replies are given accordingly.
- Receiver: The second major part of the communication process is the receiver to whom the message has been sent.
- Decoding the Message: Based on the reason of the beginning of the communication process, it is up to the receiver how he/she decodes the message and replies back or not.
- Response: Those who wish to give a response to the message sent, will design it based on the type of message received. Plus based on urgency or importance the response will be defined. If it's not urgent, then the receiver can take time to respond.
- Feedback: If sufficient response has been shared or more communication is required. In some cases, a communication may not just settle here, there may be more to it. There can be a beginning of new ideas sharing or questioning something for a better understanding.
Why is feedback important in communication? Feedback may or may not be required at all times, but it is still a part of the communication process, which is why it is important. So when students understand this, they will be able to build their communication skills further.
Types of Communications
Usually, people have heard about two types of communication, but actually, there are five. Based on Drexel University, there are five types of communication and they have been described briefly in the following table:
| Communication Type |
Communication Meaning |
Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Commmunication |
Any communication which happens verbally between people is verbal. It's where talks are exchanged among two or more people. |
|
| Non-Verbal Communication |
Communication which includes non-verbal reactions through either touch, facial expressions or even posture is non-verbal communication |
|
| Written Communication |
Exchange of words through writing - letters, emails or any other media is written communication. |
|
| Communication by Listening |
Active engagement while listening to someone is also a form of communication. Students in a classroom listen and then form their thoughts. |
|
| Visual Communication |
Marketing is the biggest example of visual communication. Thus, by looking at ads on TV, social media is another form of communication. |
|
Thus, in a student’s life, these are the types of communications which exist. Be it in a classroom setting or a personal space students can be exposed to any of these five types of communications.
Different Modes of Communication
There are two modes of communication and they are formal and informal modes of communication. Students who are going to study abroad will benefit when they understand when to use what type of communication from this section. The two modes of communication have been described in detail below:
Formal Communication
Formal communication is a type of communication which are official. Here there are no jokes cracked, they are mostly serious and to-the-point conversations. Formal communication can happen verbally, and non-verbally also. Most of the formal conversations happen in offices, colleges (with professors), government-related works or even there where people are strangers. Thus, this is one of the important modes of communication.
Informal Communication
Informal communications are conversations which happen with people you encounter daily, among friends and even at home with your cousins. These conversations can be both serious and amusing but there is an ease in these informal communications. Ease in communication because conversations can flow easily from one topic to another whether in context or out of context also. Informal conversations can happen anywhere - in the office among colleagues, school, college, cafes, roadside, etc.
Formal Communication vs Informal Communication
There is a different type of vocabulary used for both formal and informal conversations. The differences in talking based on phrases are as follows for making students understand the concept:
| Formal Communication |
Informal Communication |
|---|---|
| Hello! / Good Morning or Evening or Afternoon |
Hi! / Hey! / What’s up? |
| I am fine, thank you! |
I’m good! |
| Join a meeting online, please! |
Hop on a call online |
| Pleasure meeting you! |
Nice to meet you! |
| We should monitor it closely |
Let’s check it out more closely |
| This solution worked out |
This solution finally worked out |
| Will look into it |
Will find a way out |
| Move forward with it |
Go ahead with it |
| Keep me informed |
Keep me posted/keep me in the loop |
| Please repeat! |
Can you tell me again? |
| Thanks for joining in! |
Thanks a bunch for coming in! |
By now students must have got clarity on what is the difference between formal and informal communication with the help of these phrases above.
Top 10 Tips to Build Your Communication Skills
As an international student communicating what they want or wish to do in a new country can be challenging. Here are a few tips to build communication skills while at school or college or at the workplace:
- Build your confidence and self-esteem by identifying your weaknesses and working on them.
- Read self-help books and understand where you lack in communicating things properly.
- Talk, share and be open about your problems with your parents, friends or someone you are close to. This way you will communicate and get help to overcome challenges.
- Engage in communication with classmates and teachers on different topics to understand different perspectives. This will increase your knowledge and communication skills.
- Don’t hesitate to start communication with strangers when in a social gathering. Being a part of the crowd will help you understand many things - culture, background, trends, etc.
- Build your vocabulary and read from time to time so that you have confidence in striking up a conversation with anyone.
- You can also learn a new language, and increase your communication in more than one language.
- Download vocabulary apps and your new language-learned apps to learn new words every day to aid communication skills. Check out Useful Websites for Students
- Identify TV shows in the language of your choice and watch them regularly. This way you will understand the accents of the language and details of the culture and people.
- Be a part of groups where the language you wish to build your communication skills it can be useful for interactions.
By following these tips for communication to overcome stage phobia, build confidence and be able to strike up a conversation a student can improve his/her communication skills. After students can overcome these tips to overcome communication barriers, they will be able to engage in effective communication.
Importance of Effective Communication for Students
Based on different types of communication and modes of communication, students can engage in effective communication with their peers and teachers. For those who don’t know why is effective communication important, here are a few pointers to consider:
- Effective communication is key to ideation, thought exchange and knowledge transfer.
- Effective communication is also important so that everyone in the group/team is on the same page.
- Students should understand the importance of effective communication so that they can put across their points of view in any setting.
- Building confidence is also an important aspect of effective communication.
- Students can effectively communicate when they feel heard and boosting brain power.
Thus, effective communication for students is key to understanding each other or concepts and feeling heard. Most importantly being a part of the team.
In the end, to summarise, communication is an important aspect for international students because it helps them to:
- Cultural adaptability
- Converse a new language confidently
- Effectively communicate with strangers
- Not feel left out despite staying away from home.
Thus, this is why building communication skills is important for students. So if you feel you are lacking somewhere in your communication skills, follow the tips in the article and master your qualities. Keep learning and moving ahead!
Q: Is Torrens University good for international students?
Q: What GPA is required for the University of South Dakota?
The University of South Dakota expects a GPA score of 2.5 from undergraduates and 3 from postgraduates on the 4-pointer scale. Along with the GPA scores, undergraduates must meet the basic eligibility and submit an ACT score of 21 or higher and an SAT score of 1070 or higher. In addition, they must submit the required documents, such as academic history, transcripts, letters of recommendation, English language scores, and more.
Q: How can I get admission in the University of Manchester?
The application process at the University of Manchester may vary depending on the course and level of study. However, here is the application process for UG and PG courses:
The Undergraduate Application Process:
Step 1: You can apply through the UCAS common application portal.
Step 2: Go to the website and select the course you are interested in.
Step 3: Ensure you meet the Entry requirements (Academic qualifications, English proficiency, etc.
Step 4: Once you decide on the course, submit documents such as SOP, Transcripts and personal statements.
Check out: tips to improve your SOP.
Step 5: You can track the application's progress through your given credentials by UCAS.
Step 6: Once the applicant submits the application to UCAS, it forwards to the University, and the admission teams carefully analyse the application document.
Step 7: The university will send you an offer letter once selected. Hence keep checking your UCAS portal for your application status.
The Postgraduate application process:
Step 1: Select the postgraduate course you are interested in from the University of Manchester.\
Step 2: Ensure you meet the entry requirements for the chosen program, as they vary depending on the course.
Step 3: Complete the online application by providing your personal information.
Step 4: Upload the required documents, such as Academic transcripts and proof of English language proficiency ( TOEFL/ IELTS). experience in your fields and references (depending on the course). You also may require Two LORs depending on the course.
To make your admission better, check out the following: How Admission Officers Evaluate your application.
Step 5: If your application is successful, you will receive an offer from the University of Manchester.
Q: Is it hard to get into Newcastle University Australia?
The University of Newcastle is amog the universities that does not publish official data on the acceptance rate. However, as per some unofficial sources, the University of Newcastle Australia acceptance rate is 80%. This makes Newcastle University Australia moderately selective in admissions. Please note that the data on acceptance rate given above is taken from an unofficial source, therefore, it is subject to vary.
Q: Does the University of Essex require IELTS?
International students whose native language is not English must meet the University of Essex English language requirements to get admission. The university accepts IELTS scores as proof of English language proficiency. Mentioned below are the IELTS scores required for UG and PG admission at the university:
English Language Test | Score |
|---|---|
IELTS | Overall score of 5.5 to 8.0 with minimum of 5.5 to 7.5 in each section |
The university also accepts the score of other English language tests such as TOEFL and PTE for admission to undergraduate and graduate programs:
English Language Test | Score |
TOEFL iBT | Overall score of 72 to 114 |
PTE | Overall score of 59 to 84 with minimum of 59 to 80 in each section |
Also read: Required IELTS Score for UK Universities
Q: What GPA is needed to go to Ohio State?
There is no minimum GPA score for UG admission at Ohio State. However, International students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale or equivalent) for graduate admission. Applicants may submit a standardized test score (GRE or GMAT) if their cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for the last degree.
Q: Is it worth studying at Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia?
Melbourne Institute of Technology Australia (MITA) is largely regarded as one of Australia's top institutions. It has a solid reputation in engineering, business, and science.
To begin with, Melbourne Institute of Technology Australia provides a world-class education with an emphasis on hands-on learning. You will be able to gain practical knowledge and abilities in a range of disciplines. Furthermore, the institution provides a wide range of courses and programmes that will provide you with the skills and knowledge required for a successful profession.
Second, the university is well-known on a global scale. It has the highest graduate employability rate in Australia. This is due to the great level of education and possibilities provided by the university to its students.
Third, the university boasts a broad and vibrant culture. While learning, you will be able to pursue your hobbies and meet like-minded people. This will aid in the development of your professional chances and the formation of strong relationships that will continue long after you graduate.
Fourth, the institution provides a wide range of facilities and services to make your studies more pleasurable and productive. You will be able to locate
Q: Is university of West of Scotland good for international students?
The University of the West of Scotland has five modern and diverse campuses in United Kingdom. The University has welcomed more than 3,000 international students which are representing 1/3 of the globe. They also have 130 European partners who are actively in global study and exchange options through the Commonwealth universities programmes. The University also offers study abroad opportunities for UWS who are eligible for the same and also have more than 20 transnational education partners worldwide which helps them deliver UWS Bachelors and Masters Degrees around the world.
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Torrens University Australia is one of the fastest growing universities in Australia. It offers a culturally vibrant and comfortable environment for international students. Each year thousands of international students from all over the world come to study at various courses of the university. currently, there are 3932 total students at Torrens University out of which 986 are international students.