Assignment Listening SKILLS Video Project Essay

Assignment Listening SKILLS Video Project - Essay Example I ventured to analyze myself in the video critically through four key listening skills of Non-verbal Communication, Verbal Communication, Questioning for Understanding, and Paraphrasing. The very first quality of an effective listener is to create a comfortable environment for the speaker. In this context, I employed non-verbal elements such as body posture, body language, and facial expressions in many ways. In the journal ("Developing Effective Communication Skills", the author states how important it is for the speaker and listener to be in the same posture, that is, sitting or standing (2009). I use this strategy by ensuring both of us were sitting and facing each other and my eyes were at the same level with him. I also made sure there was the right amount of space between us with no tangible barriers like furniture, and my hands were not crossed or clasped behind my neck . All these conveyed to Jimmy a sense of comfort and ease rather than a feeling of hostility or guarded behavior from my side. However, it would have been more ideal to have a warmer environment. I constantly made eye contact and at 1:57, I leaned forward to represent understanding and interes t through my body posture. In order to avoid blank expressions, at points 00:58 and 1:09, I smiled at Jimmy or changed my facial or physical expressions as he did. This is as known as the mirroring technique where I match his physical gestures. Dr. Walker says â€Å"Mirroring someone’s expressions and gestures indicates that you are in step with them† (2009). Another effective skill I used is to nod and emit vocal sounds such as ‘mmm’ and ‘ahan’ during the first minute to demonstrate I was listening and to help him on overcome his hesitation. I took care to not move around too much so as not to distract Jimmy. I kept in mind to smile and laugh at the right time such as at 1:25

Movie Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Movie Journal - Essay Example The movie introduces an aspect of love when Bliss falls in love with a guitarist, Oliver. However, Oliver heartbreaks Bliss by going on a tour around the states with his band. Another turning point suffices when the police unravel the scheme where some roller players like Bliss are underage. Bliss’s parents know about her involvement in Roller Derby. The movie brings the aspect of intimacy where Bliss and Oliver make love (Barrymore Film). Bliss thinks she is old enough to decide on herself while her mother keeps pampering her. Bliss gets heartbroken on realizing that Oliver is cheating on her and seeks comfort from her mother who coerced her to participate in the Blue Bonnet Pageant. However, the pageant and the roller derby match were taking place the same day and Bliss chose to participate in the pageant to please her mother. Nevertheless, Bliss’s father coerced Bliss to participate in the derby to the dismay of Bliss’s mother. Ultimately, Bliss pursues her pa ssion for Roller Derby (Barrymore Film). The movie shows how love supersedes pressure in one’s career and in sports as well as how roller derby solved Bliss’s emotional problems. The movie had 58 songs of different genres. Although the movie received positive reviews, it recorded financial losses thus becoming the greatest underdog sports movie. Personal Best is a 124 minutes movie directed and produced by Robert Towne in 1982 (Towne Film). The movie revolves around the lives of four sports women personalities and their efforts in trying to qualify for the American track-and-field team that would participate in the 1980 Olympic Games. During their preparations, Chris Cahill, a young experienced athlete meets, Tory Skinner, a more experienced athlete where Tory guides Chris on how to improve his performance to qualify for the American track-and-field team (Towne Film). Nevertheless, this generates conflict in the movie where Terry Tinghoff, the coach insists that Chris should only follow the coach’s advice. Moreover, the conflict and anger persists when Tory and Chris develop an intimate relationship and Chris further engages in a heterosexual relationship with Denny (Towne Film). Nevertheless, despite the athlete’s efforts to qualify for the American track-and-field team, United States announced its boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games for political reasons leaving the athletes with only their â€Å"personal best† records from the training sessions and a chattered sporting dream (Towne Film). The movie presents the complexity in relationships between coaches and athletes as well as the challenges of being a woman athlete. Indeed, the movie displays the position of sexuality in spots. More so, the movie depicts distinct sexual relationships in the training camp as well as rewards, uncertainties and risks involved in athletics (Towne Film). Although the movie did not succeed in the box-office, it attracted positive reviews and the refore making a good movie (Towne Film). Sugar is a 120 minutes sports drama film revolving around the life of a baseball player, Miguel (Sugar) (Boden Film). Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck directed and produced the film in 2008 where Miguel seeks to deliver his family from poverty by participating in professional baseball leagues (Boden Film). Indeed, his call to the United States' minor league system marked his breakthrough in sports when he was just 19 years old (Boden Film). As a