Communications entails passing on information through a medium, different ways exist in relating information, it could be through conversation, drama, radio, television, talking, shouting, crying, laughing are methods of communicating with people. This involves people and a language, it is impossible to talk to a book, a bed, a cupboard, a house etc. Communications involves talking or relating information to a person or people, the languages differ and the emotions differ. People speak strange languages all over the world; French, English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Finnish, Norwegian, German, Pidgin (broken-English i.e. from English), Ngemba, Lamnso,Megaca etc. Emotions vary depending on people’s moods: sad, happy, excited, miserable, lonely, depressed, stressed-out, oppressed, obsessed, guilty, frightened and angry. In most languages there is some consistency in verbs and pronunciations, generally it is important to know the verbs and tenses. The spellings of words and short phrases, idioms/similes give the language the kind of meaning and understanding behind the words.
Read between the lines!
English is the most wide spread language spoken the world over and this gives a majority of English speaking countries added advantage in communicating with other countries. American English differs a little bit from British especially in spelling and pronunciation. The Americans are free people and are very relaxed whereas the British are strict.
However English is English!
E.g. A phrase like this sends different messages when just one word changes
The fee has increased — — — — — — — — — — -50.000 FRS CFA
a) To b) by c) from
People are identified by who they are, a language does not identify people, a language is spoken by a people from the area of origin. Through communications they pass on different messages to each other. A nation is a larger group of people with 1, 2, 3 etc language(s) in common e.g. Cameroon has 2 national languages English and French like Canada, whereas British speak English only and France speak French only, Cameroon has many other vernaculars belonging to the various tribes
Disparities in expressions in the English language.
1 When someone sneezes
a) The American says “bless you”
b) The British says “Excuse me”
c) The French says “A te souhait”
d) The Nkwen says “Tip tip” like heaving a sigh
2 When a baby has hiccups guardian
a) puts a strand of thread on the baby’s head
b) puts a stick of match on the baby’s head
c) gives the baby a drink of water
3 Introduction to story telling
a) Arabian nights entertainment
b) Nnkwa leeh, leeh Nnkwa
4 Caution
a) Watch your tongue!
b) Ferme ta gaule!
c) Shut up!
d) Nkente!
5 Days of the week
The western world has 7 days in a week but Nkwen people named the days otherwise.
a) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
b) Lundi Mardi, Mercredi, Jeudi, Vendredi, Samedi, Dimanche
c) Names of some days in Nkwen include Zetieh, Zekah, Zezieh, Zekiakah, Zengefenkwen
6 Hours of the day
a) The English people both in Britain and America look at the time in the same way 1am — — — — 12 noon then 1pm — — — — -12 midnight
b) The French people from France see timing like this
1 heure — — — — 24 heures .
c) The ancestors of the Nkwen land used the sun and the shadow lengths to determine the time. They also watched the birds rising/singing and retiring to their nests.
Communications is a way of relating with people to express, instruct, assess, evaluate and handle many situations in life. The medium of communication varies today with the changing times. There are cell phones, fixed phones, bells, internet, radio, television, post office, telegram, telex and fax to use in communicating. Business is part of communications, the whole world uses all these methods to reach and relate / interact properly. There is proper and improper use of communications media because of the lack of adequate education on how to use the various media. The truth is that someone has to make the message clear; in a company generally speaking the receptionist will announce the name of the company followed by a greeting. So do many families and residences e.g. Digital Services-DIS good morning.
