A Descriptive Reflection in the Form of a Formal Letter

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Dear Professor Blackstone,

 

My name is Clement Ten, from your effective communication class (T3). I am writing this letter in hopes that you will get to know me a little better. I graduated from Temasek Polytechnic with a diploma in clean energy engineering. Though I am currently pursuing my degree in sustainable infrastructure engineering, about two years ago, I had ambitions to study criminology due to my fascinations with problem-solving and analytical work. However, through much deliberation and wise counsel from friends and family, I thought it best to tread on a more familiar path.

 

One of the strengths that I have in communication is my ability to adapt to different communication styles according to my audience. As I was working in a café-bar as a barista two years ago, I had to converse with customers from different walks of life. During the day, the café-bar served cakes and tarts to casual coffee-loving customers; in the evening, we served main courses and wines to dignified businessmen and the occasional wine appreciators.

 

As to my weaknesses, I have to say that they are unfortunately apparent. I tend to struggle to project my voice across a room. Perhaps it has something to do with my confidence or the fact that I am often in my head because I find it hard to gauge the volume required to project my voice when I speak to a person or a crowd.

 

My goal in your effective communication class is to be able to project my voice better when speaking. On top of that, I would love to improve my communication skills as a whole and learn more about the art and science of effective communication. I have been enjoying your lessons and the pace of it so far and I am excited for the next dozen or so weeks!

 

Sincerely,

Clement Ten


(Blogs read: Junying, Rue Hong, Jin Han)

Comments

  1. Brad Blackstone17 September 2020 at 01:58

    Thanks much for the effort with this letter, Clement. I look forward to seeing feedback from your blogging group members, and I'll give comments in more detail after that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rue18 September 2020 at 07:20

    Hi Clement,

    I've taken the time to read through your letter and it seems that we have much in common. I had to converse with guests of different backgrounds as well. Needless to say, I believe we have both learned greatly from our experiences.

    I like how you expressed interest in criminology, which is not a common topic many people talk about. The flow of your letter is really structured with good use of vocabulary.

    I hope by the end of this module, you will be able to achieve what you desire!

    Regards
    Rue Hong

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clement Ten4 October 2020 at 05:38

      Dear Rue Hong,

      Thank you for reading my letter! I pray that you achieve what you desire by the end of this module too!

      Kind regards,
      Clement

      Delete
  3. Junying20 September 2020 at 22:25

    Dear Clement,

    I've read your formal letter and I think I know you better now despite meeting for few hours in a week. Your barista working experience definitely paid off as I feel like you are able to converse with anyone pretty well.

    For content, everything you have written is relevant and you have provided experiences like your past job as a barista which makes it more concrete.
    The flow is really smooth and every information is provided with clarity.
    I could not find any fault in your grammar and I'd like to say that its pretty well done.

    I hope to work with you more in the future.

    Best regards,
    Junying

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clement Ten4 October 2020 at 05:35

      Dear Junying,

      Thank you for the detailed and gracious feedback! I hope to work with you again in the future too!

      Warm wishes,
      Clement

      Delete
  4. Nad21 September 2020 at 10:23

    Hi Clement,

    I have read your introduction and it was unique. Your interest in criminology was something new and unexpected but its kind of unfortunate that you chose not to continue on that path. Although this is a much familiar route to you but I hope that in the future when you are brave enough, you will be able to take the leap of faith and jump to pursue this passion that you had and have the sparks and interest like you did two years ago.

    I think that your strength is amazing and to be able to adapt to different communication styles would honestly be something that you would have picked up during your experience working in a cafe. As someone who had worked part-time in a fast food restaurant for 5 years, I believe that adapting to their styles are important and that yes, there are different kind of people who come and dine in to the shop. During the day it would be much more chill and usually full of those who have more time on their hands, and during the evening it would be those who just ended their jobs at the office or wherever they may be based at and to just sit there to take a breather and maybe socialise with their other friends. There is a drastic difference between the vibes during those different times.

    For your weakness, my only input would be that you should never be afraid to speak out and that you should not overthink too much and keep being stuck in your head. Any feedback or opinions should be well received by others and that there is no such thing as a wrong opinion. It is meant to be an opinion because it is what you think you feel about the situation. In terms of projecting your voice, I would say that it would be better to be louder so that your voice can be heard by everyone and that would honestly boost your confidence than when you speak softly and you receive the eyes of those that did not understand the message which you would like to deliver.

    Overall, the organisation and content is great. I sincerely hope to be someone that you can approach and seek for help or to even be a listening ear if it would help with your confidence boost or anything else. I look forward to working together with you throughout this journey.

    Regards
    Nadia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clement Ten4 October 2020 at 05:46

      Hi Nadia,

      Thank you for taking the time to read my letter! You have given me detailed and constructive feedback! I am grateful that you have made yourself available if ever I require help or even a listening ear. I will keep your words and advice in mind, especially paragraph three.

      Many thanks,
      Clement

      Delete
  5. Atiqah24 September 2020 at 08:39

    Dear Clement,

    Thank you for taking the time to write this introductory letter and sharing about yourself. It is fascinating to know that you are into criminology as it a unique interest and planned on to pursue it as a career.

    In my opinion, I find myself unable to critic your letter as it was well written, concise, and organized well. I hope that through this module, you will be able to gain that confidence and overcome that inner voice whispering in your mind.

    Once again, thank you for letting us know you better.

    Regards,
    Nur Atiqah Nadia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clement Ten4 October 2020 at 05:30

      Dear Atiqah,

      Thank you for taking the time to read my letter! You have been too kind with your compliments and feedback. I hope to get to know you more in the upcoming semesters!

      Warm wishes,
      Clement

      Delete
  6. Brad Blackstone2 October 2020 at 22:34

    Dear Clement,

    Thanks very much for this well written letter. You cover the base requirements of the assignment and add some detail for color. I welcome the clean delivery of ideas and your enthusiasm for the module.

    You've also received useful feedback from your peers. Be sure to acknowledge their input just as you would any customer during your cafe barista days. Doing so would be a sign that you're moving toward more mastery of the art/science of communication.

    Cheers,

    Brad

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clement Ten4 October 2020 at 05:24

      Dear Professor,

      Thank you for your feedback! You have brought up an excellent point on acknowledging the feedbacks that my peers so kindly provided. I will keep this in mind.

      Many thanks,

      Clement

      Delete

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