Interpretive Communication
There are three modes of communication:
Presentational
Communication
one-way communication originating from the subject
Interpersonal
Communication
two-way communication
with two participants
one-way communication directed at the subject
Interpretive
Communication
The topic of this site is interpretive communication. Now, let's move on to less Catholic issues: What does interpretive communication mean in detail?
Interpretive communication is one of the
three modes of communication. It occurs when the subject only acts as a receiver and does not actively respond to the received information. Therefore, there are two major fields of interpretive communication: Listening and reading. Another field is viewing, which is mostly nonverbal and relates to the reception of mimic, gestures, and paraverbal information.
Challenges in Reading and Listening
Listening is one of the hardest forms of communication to acquire because it demands a high degree of attentiveness and the ability to listen closely. Reading, on the other hand, is easier, because it happens at the learner's pace. However, learners might experience struggles in either field.
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For listening, it is helpful to think of the process as containing two different strategies: Bottom-up listening and top-down listening. Bottom-up listening means listening to the single parts of what is heard, the words, the syllables, even the single sounds, and trying to put them together to form meaning. Top-down listening means the using of background knowledge to construct meaning out of what is recieved. This can happen when you listen to a speech that you know the topic of, or when you watch a movie in your target language that you have already seen in your native language. For an ideal reception, both forms should be combined.
Listening also requires at least some knowledge about the speaker's role and cultural background. It is important to know where the speaker is from, so you can understand some phrases they might use, which only make sense in their local culture. This skill is called intercultural competence, read more about it here.
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Reading might be a bit easier for you, since you are able to stop and reread a sentence if you haven't understood it. However, don't fall into the trap of looking up every word you don't understand to simplify your reading process. This will make your reading disruptive and unsuccessful. It is important to develop a flow when reading. Try to highlight unknown words during your first reading of the text, then try to figure out what they mean though the context. If you really can't figure out one of them, look them up in a dictionary, annotate them and read the text again. This way, you can practice fluent reading.
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In the end, the best way to gain skills in interpretive communication is practice. Try to read at least one newspaper article every few days in your target language, and listen to at least one podcast episode every few days. Here, it is important to understand the concept of comprehensible input. This means nothing but listening to and reading contents that are at or slightly above your level of language proficiency. You should not try to read the complete works of Niccolò Machiavelli or try to understand the commentator of a match between Inter and AC Milano after your first Italian lesson.
An activity to practice your reading
Task: You are an American tourist on your long awaited holiday to Italy, and you are sitting on the metro with a nice Italian girl named Maria who you met during your stay in Milan. You told her that you cannot speak Italian, but that you can understand written Italian a bit, since reading is easier than speaking for you. On the seat next to you, she finds a page that was torn out of a newspaper. Unfortunately, the headline is torn off, so you don't know what it is about. Since she wants to test your skills, she asks you to read it and asks you a few questions. Use the aforementioned tips to answer the questions as well as possible, even if you don't understand the entire text. Click on the arrow to the right to reveal the answers.
L’Inter chiude con la terza vittoria consecutiva una settimana perfetta in cui centra gli ottavi di Champions League e riapre il campionato. Il 2-0 senza troppi patemi contro il Venezia permette ai campioni d’Italia di risalire sino a meno uno dalle prime della classe, che oggi avranno modo di rispondere, il Milan con il Sassuolo e il Napoli con la Lazio. Ma intanto la squadra di Simone Inzaghi fila veloce nel segno di Calhanoglu, il migliore in campo, alla terza rete consecutiva dopo quelle nel derby e su rigore contro l’ex Spalletti, la quarta in assoluto. Un giocatore in più per la rincorsa. L’ex milanista non aveva cominciato bene la stagione, sollevando perplessità e ricevendo anche qualche fischio dentro San Siro. Ora è un’arma in più: qualità, gol, anche lavoro difensivo.
Source: Corriere della Sera
Question 1:
What sport is the text about?
An activity to test your listening
Task: Maria and you visit the Last Supper (right), which is exhibited in Milan. At the museum, a guide offers you to tell you about the painting and its history. Unfortunately, he only speaks Italian. Since you want to impress Maria, you tell her that you will understand most of what the guide will tell you. After you leave the museum, Maria asks you a few questions on the painting.
Listen to the audio file and try to answer the questions. Use the tips that were mentioned above for your help.
"Hi, I'd like to book a table for 26."
"But Jesus, we're only thirteen!"
"Yes, but we will all sit on the same side of the table!"
Source: learnamo.com
Question 1:
Who is the artist behind The Last Supper?