Angela Vargas

This was our first class presentation, and we were all split into groups with assigned chapters 3, 9 

and 10. Since this was our first time presenting in the class, I was extremely nervous to present 

because  I am very shy and I don't like being the center of attention. Just having the feeling of 

knowing all my classmates and professor are watching, and analyzing my presentation, was very 

nerve-racking. I was part of group one, which focused on chapter 3: intercultural communication. 

After we presented, I felt relieved that I got past the hardest part, which was speaking in front of 

the class. That was one thing that I did not like, which was present, but since this is a speech 

class we all are learning how to properly speak in public and overcome our fears. Other than 

that, I was fascinated by everyone's amazing work and I really enjoyed seeing their 

creative slides. This project was an opportunity to practice my public speaking and it 

will benefit you in the future, when we have to give presentations for work or etc.

Chapter 3: Intercultural Communication taught me the definition of culture and the role 

of communication in it. I learned the relationship between dominant and co-cultures, the seven

dimensions in which cultures differ, and practice methods that improve the intercultural 

communication competence. As the first chapter we reviewed, it was very helpful for me to 

dig deep into the meaning of culture and how people communicate, when they come from 

different parts in the world. I believe all cultures are unique in their own way, and it is important

to work on overcoming potential cultural barriers by, respecting other people's cultural values,

practices, appropriate attitude and developing culture centered skills. 

Chapter 9: Communicating In Groups which group 2 presented, identified the

different types of groups, described the characteristics of healthy groups, explained 

the stages through which groups develop and employed strategies that manage group 

conflict effectively. This chapter was very interesting to read about because, I can relate

to it so much. I work best in a group, or a team, I have the ability to work well in groups. 

Communicating with people, friends and family is key. I learned how groups function, and

how to communicate most effectively within them. I found the effective work group team 

goals interesting because, it tells you how effective goals are specific, they serve a common

purpose, they are challenging, and they are shared. 

Chapter 10: Group Leadership and Problem Solving taught me how leadership 

functions in teams, how to run effective meetings, engaging in the six steps of 

systematic problem solving, communicating group solutions in a variety of formats,

and evaluating group effectiveness using key criteria. This chapter is very informational

because it talks about the effectiveness of leadership and communication, the responsibilities

of every group member in achieving it. I would say i'm decent when it comes to problem

solving, the process can become overwhelming, depending on the type of situation. But,

I am glad that this chapter helped me learn the systematic problem solving process.