Communications elements by Isnaldo Piñero Isnaldo Piñero magazine | Page 4

influenced by the environment. As a speaker, your environment will impact and play a role in your
speech. It’s always a good idea to go check out where you’ll be speaking before the day of the
actual presentation.
Context
A professional communication context may involve business suits (environmental cues) that
directly or indirectly influence expectations of language and behavior among the participants.
A presentation or discussion does not take place as an isolated event. When you came to class,
you came from somewhere. So did the person seated next to you, as did the instructor. The
degree to which the environment is formal or informal depends on the contextual expectations for
communication held by the participants. The person sitting next to you may be used to informal
communication with instructors, but this particular instructor may be used to verbal and
nonverbal displays of respect in the academic environment. You may be used to formal
interactions with instructors as well, and find your classmate’s question of “Hey Teacher, do we
have homework today?” as rude and inconsiderate when they see it as normal. The nonverbal
response from the instructor will certainly give you a clue about how they perceive the interaction,
both the word choices and how they were said.
Context is all about what people expect from each other, and we often create those expectations
out of environmental cues. Traditional gatherings like weddings or quinceañeras are often formal
events. There is a time for quiet social greetings, a time for silence as the bride walks down the
aisle, or the father may have the first dance with his daughter as she is transformed from a girl to
womanhood in the eyes of her community. In either celebration there may come a time for
rambunctious celebration and dancing. You may be called upon to give a toast, and the wedding or
quinceañera context will influence your presentation, timing, and effectiveness.
In a business meeting, who speaks first? That probably has some relation to the position and role
each person has outside the meeting. Context plays a very important role in communication,
particularly across cultures.
Interference
if you drove a car to work or school, chances are you were surrounded by noise. Car horns,
billboards, or perhaps the radio in your car interrupted your thoughts, or your conversation with a
passenger.