All interpersonal communication begins with a need to convey a message to another person. Until very recently, this has primarily meant speaking face-to-face, handwriting a letter, or calling by phone. Now, technologies such as e-mail, text messaging, instant messaging, social media, and video chat applications offer even more popular interpersonal communication options. Today, there are a myriad of ways to communicate, but no matter which you choose, you are still faced with the responsibility to communicate well so that others may understand you.

In order to be a clear communicator, you must first understand how interpersonal communication is structured and what elements influence effective communication. This week, you will focus on some of the basic theories, principles, and models of communication. You will consider guidelines for being a more effective interpersonal communicator.

Through the Discussion and the Assignments, you will apply learning and insights to your own interpersonal relationships—a reflective first step to developing new communication skills. You will also be introduced to your Final Project. Work on this assignment begins in Week 1. It is therefore recommended that you carefully review the Final Project guidelines early in this week.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Explain the importance of the principles of interpersonal communication
• Define interpersonal communication
• Apply basic models of interpersonal communication to your own life
• Evaluate the skills of interpersonal communication competence

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Communication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies. Retrieved from http://open.lib.umn.edu/communication/

Landin, M. (2017, November 15). Principles of Interpersonal Communication. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/view/DvZR62AKgrKvDOubGgnc/

Document: Week 1 Application Worksheet: Interpersonal Communication Models and Competency Guidelines (Word document)

Required Media

Laureate Education. (Producer). (2016a).Characteristics of interpersonal communication [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 7 minutes.