Category: Communications

A few years ago, we traveled to Nebraska to interview Timothy Schaffert, author of this week’s assigned reading, “The Mermaid in the Tree.” You will enjoy hearing more from him about his perspective and process in the video above.

Our discussion this week allows us to practice, as a group, the kind of analysis required in the . Together, we will compare Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” in The Classic Fairy Tales, to Timothy Schaffert’s “The Mermaid in the Tree” in My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me.

In Kate Bernheimer’s anthology, a personal reflection from the author follows each story. After “The Mermaid in the Tree,” Timothy Schaffert reflects, “In fleshing out the story of the mermaid, I found myself drawn to the bride in the original Andersen talethe girl the prince marries instead of the little mermaid. She’s innocent in the tale, yet we feel compelled to cast her as the story’s villain, due to her beauty and perfection, and the fact that she’s marrying the prince and the mermaid is not” (199).

As we have seen, tellers of fairy tales can use old stories to create new meanings. Schaffert retains some elements from Andersen’s tale, and he changes others. What choices does he make as he reinvents this tale?

“Mermaid in a Tree” by Alice Mason

How has Schaffert refashioned Andersen’s well-known story to get across a new meaning? Consider how all of the elements of the talesuch as are reworked to serve Schaffert’s purpose.

, and view the rubric that shows how your participation in this discussion will be scored ( or ).

---

“The Little Mermaid” Reimagined

How do the changes in the story’s elements and details change the story’s meaning?

You develop communication skills by practicing speaking clearly, listening carefully, improving vocabulary, reading regularly, maintaining confidence, observing good speakers, asking questions, and speaking in English daily without fear of mistakes.

Hey, I need help submiting my ESL Communications 2 assignment for Unit 2.

The professor provided ONLY two approved sources/articles, and I must choose ONE of them only (no outside sources allowed).

The assignment template has 2 parts:

Part 1

• Write the APA citation of the article (author, title, date, source)
• Complete a reverse outline by summarizing the MAIN IDEA of EACH paragraph in ONE sentence only

Part 2

• Write a 200-300 word summary of the article
• The summary must:
  explain the context/topic
  identify the author’s thesis/main argument
  include the key supporting points
  stay objective and neutral
  use present tense
  use my own words only

The professor emphasized academic honesty a lot. AI, copying, plagiarism, or directly rewriting the article is strongly prohibited. The writing must sound natural and humanized, not robotic or AI-generated. We are expected to paraphrase properly and show real understanding of the article.

Also, we should NOT:

• give personal opinions
• analyze or criticize the article
• copy examples/statistics heavily
• use casual language

This is a discussion forum for Week 1. Before entering the forum, be sure to carefully read instructions for participation articulated in Week 1 Discussion Instructions and Requirements. Forum topic for this week include:

• Public speaking
• Understanding general and specific purposes
• Audience analysis
• Nonverbal communication

NOTE: You may conduct research to complete any of these discussions (if you are still waiting on the book), using scholarly sources. Be certain to properly cite your sources and provide APA formatted references. This information is also addressed in this week’s audio lessons.

———————————————————

Please copy and paste the entire question you are answering for your discussion post then write your answer beneath it. You only need to pick ONE question to answer.

——————————————–

Public Speaking

Public speaking is different from conversation. Explain differences and similarities of these two types of speaking by addressing an issue from your personal life or from current events.

Remember that your discussion response must include the following:

1. A reflection on the concept we are discussing. Give us a summary of things you learned about this concept from your assigned chapter readings.
2. A thorough example/discussion to support your reflection.
3. A final statement that tells us what you take away from this week’s lesson.
4. Properly formatted in-text citations and references.
5. Strong grammar, spelling, and mechanics.
6. In total your discussion should be at least 250 words.

Understanding General and Specific Purposes

Write a paragraph describing the process of determining the general and specific purpose of a speech. Begin by selecting a topic that greatly interests you, such as downloading music or perfume creation. Then, using your topic, compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the two processes and list two examples of general and specific purpose statements. Back up your writing with details from your selected topic. Your creativity is encouraged here.

Remember that your discussion response must include the following:

1. A reflection on the concept we are discussing. Give us a summary of things you learned about this concept from your assigned chapter readings.
2. A thorough example/discussion to support your reflection.
3. A final statement that tells us what you take away from this week’s lesson.
4. Properly formatted in-text citations and references.
5. Strong grammar, spelling, and mechanics.
6. In total your discussion should be at least 250 words.

Audience Analysis

Explain the importance of audience demographics. Describe why audience analysis is important and how it can affect or change your presentation. How might the audience demographics change with a change in geographic location–be specific, providing details to support your ideas.

When replying to peers in this forum, share your own experiences with audience analysis and consider how this new knowledge might help you be more successful in public speaking moving forward.

Remember that your discussion response must include the following:

1. A reflection on the concept we are discussing. Give us a summary of things you learned about this concept from your assigned chapter readings.
2. A thorough example/discussion to support your reflection.
3. A final statement that tells us what you take away from this week’s lesson.
4. Properly formatted in-text citations and references.
5. Strong grammar, spelling, and mechanics.

Nonverbal Communication

Describe a scenario in which a person’s nonverbal language says something quite different from the same person’s verbal language. In doing so, be sure to address how non-verbal communication differs from verbal communication. Describe how the speaker’s message differs depending on the following elements of delivery: voice, volume, pitch, rate, pauses, variety, pronunciation, articulation, and dialect.

When replying to peers in this forum, comment on their ideas, and offer additional suggestions for consideration using your assigned readings.

Remember that your discussion response must include the following:

1. A reflection on the concept we are discussing. Give us a summary of things you learned about this concept from your assigned chapter readings.
2. A thorough example/discussion to support your reflection.
3. A final statement that tells us what you take away from this week’s lesson.
4. Properly formatted in-text citations and references.
5. Strong grammar, spelling, and mechanics.
6. In total your discussion should be at least 250 words

Goal:

The goal of the Week 7 Assignment: Final Project is for students to find, evaluate, and use carefully curated information and present this information to an audience to inform and enlighten.

Description:

For the Week 7 Final Project, you will present your topic and communicate it to an audience in a professional and informative manner. The topic for the COMM120 Final Project is typically your program of study and the job you hope to get with that degree or a topic that is unique to you (hobby, activity, non-controversial aspect of history, et cetera).

The presentation should include the following broad ideas:

• Active use of the Big6 Model
• A discussion of the topic that you brainstormed during the Week 3 Assignment
• Effective use of the sources you found and vetted during the Week 5 Assignment
• Effectively communicate the knowledge you have gained during COMM120

When putting together your Week 7 Final Project, please consider the following:

• The Final Project will be a presentation. You can use PowerPoint, Prezi, or some other easily accessible presentation software. Your presentation needs to include the following:
  • Introduction (1 slide)
  • Body (5-7 slides)
  • conclusion (1-2 slides)
  • Reference page (1-2 slides) that are properly formatted in the citation style of your degree program (APA, MLA, Chicago, et cetera)
• Provide clear evidence that the topic was researched and that you built upon the Week 3 Topic and Brainstorming.
• Provide clear evidence that you used the sources you found for the Week 5 Source Evaluation. You need to include at least three vetted quality sources, of which one must be from the APUS library.
• The presentation will provide the audience with information to increase their knowledge of the topic presented.
• The presentation should engage the audience by using elements such as images, graphs, and charts. Appropriate citations must be included.
• Appropriate length: 812 slides.

Optional Multimedia:

If you have multimedia skills (digital literacy) and want to add creative content to your presentation, please do! Try to add any of the following enhancements, and as you do, think about how it will impact your presentation and improve communication with the intended audience.

• Voice narration, closed captioning, script
• Appropriate background music (must be cited on reference page)
• Creative use of slide animations and transitions

Note:

The Week 7 Final Project is a presentation and must be turned in as a PowerPoint, a Prezi, or a different type of presentation software. If you chose something other than PowerPoint, you have to do the following:

• Submit a link to the presentation, such as for Prezi.
• Ensure that the faculty can open the presentation.
• Turn in a document with the presentation material so it can go through Turnitin.
• If you have a question, please contact your faculty member.

---

Assignment Guidelines

• Read all of the Learning Material in Weeks 1 – 7.
• Make sure you followed the directions carefully and each source is fully described.
• Thoroughly edit. One way to catch mistakes is by reading it out loud a minimum of three times.
• Your submission will go through Turnitin and the AI Detector. Review the individual flags, decide why that text is flagged, and make corrections as appropriate.)
• Please double-check that your assignment was submitted.

For more information about how the Week 7: Final Project will be graded, please see the grading rubric.

This discussion aligns with the following:

Resources & Supports

• :You have free access as an APUS student. Sign in with your MyCampus Email credentials.
• : Watch this 3-minute video if you need guidance on submitting your assignment.

Instructions

Sidling Up to Difference: Social Change and Moral Revolutions

Your Task:

• Listen to Krista Tippetts conversation with Dr. Appiah and then reflect on what Dr. Appiah calls conversations across differences and agreement to disagree, silent conversation”, “cosmopolitanism” among other ideas. Refer to your textbook (Chapter 1) to learn about Dr. Appiahs cosmopolitanism. The textbook name is, Martin, J & Nakayama, T. (2011). Experiencing intercultural communication: an introduction.(6th Ed.)

Respond to the following questions:

• How does Dr. Appiah prepare you to get started working on your own intercultural growth? Give examples from the conversation to support your answer.
• What did you take away from this conversation that is important to your own understanding of intercultural sensitivity?

Your response of a short essay: Minimum 250 words-maximum 400 words

write a one page reflection paper. Your paper should be one page (with 12 point type and reasonable spaces and margins). I expect college level writing in your paper. Please be thoughtful and honest in your reflection paper, but avoid uncivil or inflammatory language. Be sure to answer each of the following questions in your paper:

• Overall, what has your experience been like in this class this semester? What was something you learned about yourself?
• What were some things you liked about the class?
• If you could change something about this class, what would it be?
• Would you recommend this class to future students? Why or why not?

Life is often compared to running because both require patience, effort, and determination. In running, there are moments when you feel strong and confident, but there are also times when you become tired and want to stop. Life is the same people experience success, struggles, happiness, and challenges along the way.

Running also teaches discipline and consistency. You cannot become faster or stronger in just one day; improvement happens little by little through practice and perseverance. In life, achieving goals also takes time, hard work, and the ability to keep moving forward even after failures.

Most importantly, running reminds us that everyone has their own pace. Some people reach their goals earlier, while others take more time, but what matters is continuing the journey and not giving up.

Need help completing this assignment as I am working full Time and am putting more effort into the more serious courses I am taking. Requirement – must upload turnitin report.

Preventing solid waste is important to protect the environment and keep communities clean and healthy. One of the best ways to prevent solid waste is by practicing the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Reducing means buying only the things we need and avoiding products with too much packaging. Using reusable bags, bottles, and containers instead of disposable ones can greatly lessen waste. Reusing items such as jars, clothes, paper, and boxes also helps minimize trash. Recycling materials like plastic, paper, glass, and metal allows them to be turned into new products instead of being thrown away. Composting food scraps and biodegradable waste can also reduce the amount of garbage sent to landfills. People should properly separate waste and throw trash in the correct bins to avoid pollution. Schools, homes, and communities can work together by promoting cleanliness and environmental awareness. Through discipline and responsible habits, everyone can help prevent solid waste and create a cleaner, safer, and greener future.