Interpersonal communications is one of those courses similar to health or physical education that students often brush off as just another one of those silly school required classes that are a cinch to pass. You know, the ones you can ace the tests in without studying because the answers are all common sense. Should these interpersonal communication classes be required for all high school students?
After having participated in mandatory Interpersonal Communications class that was part of the curriculum in my Communications College major, I believe that yes, definitely this course should be required. Even though it is in fact true that much of the material is self explanatory and common sense to most, there is likely a large handful of students who do not know these standard guidelines of communicating interpersonally, either because their family never raised them with the knowledge or they had no place to practice the rules.
A required passing grade in Interpersonal Communications would not only teach the uninformed how to manage relationships at home, in school and at a job, but it would give those that already learned the stuff a refresher course.
To be interpersonally effective in communicating one must know how to assert themselves in certain situations, how to confront conflict, and how to moderate their behavior and choice of speech among different people or places. If schools required this course in high school, I firmly believe that the graduation as well as college entry percentages of each class would rise significantly. The new or regained communication skills would surely allow struggling students to take such measures as to ask for help and even aspire to get it while those who are already on the right track will stay on it.
My Interpersonal Communication classes required myself and the other students in my class to team up in groups of two or three on various occasions and practice certain verbal exchanges. The professor would give us scenarios and we would have to act out what we would do and say if that situation occurred. We performed exercises where we had to read skits back and forth with our partner practicing different tones of voices and analyze the change in impression each made to the receiving party. We were also taught various ways to go about sharing our personal information and inner secrets with someone we are interested in dating.
Many people, again, blow Interpersonal Communication classes off as just a filler class to keep kids in school for an entire day, but I don’t think these people realize just how imperative effective communication skills are when entering into the grown up, independent, college or employment world. Being able to communicate well has a huge effect on one’s self esteem, ability to make friends, competence in an employment position, and healthiness of a romantic relationship. Most would agree that everyone needs work in at least some of these areas, and the work is never finished.
But even more important than learning this stuff to have the most friends or dating partners is the facts around what a life lacking these skills would entail. Poor communication skills could potentially affect a person’s satisfaction in life and career, ability to have a family or friendships, and separately or as a result, his or her overall happiness which may prevent the accomplishment of otherwise within reach goals. And the bottom line is that if these other components are not in order in a person’s life, especially the happiness factor, he or she is not going to be able to act as an effective representation of our society, which is a type of figure that we cannot afford to sacrifice much more of at this time.
