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COLIN GODWIN: This
class has shaped

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how I approach communicating
with others in showing me

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how differently languages
that I previously

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understood to be
invalid, including

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Creole, Southern American
English after I hear anything,

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I'm like--

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Stereotypical
languages like that

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are actually very
systematic, and should

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be regarded as languages
in and of themselves that

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should be given
validity inside the US,

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whether that be through court
room interpreters for people

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like Rachel Jeantel, who spoke
primarily African-American

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English, or even just inside
of Haiti teaching classes

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in Creole, as a means to
connect with students better.

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ELENA ALBERTI: Yeah.

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Also I think how this class
shaped my communication

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is it allowed me to discuss
more difficult topics

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without feeling hindered.

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I didn't have to
feel like I was going

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to offend anyone because it
was in the context of learning.

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And I think people were very
open with answering questions

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that might be seen as like,
why don't you know this,

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or stuff like that.

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And further, also
with the presentations

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and with the essays,
I feel like you

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had to develop
your communication

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skills in a bunch of different
ways, not only speaking

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but how we present now, and then
also how do you write an essay.

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I think Dr. Nora Jackson
was really great in helping

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me develop my writing style.

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And yeah, I thought I was going
to say something else, but--

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[LAUGHING]

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LORRAINE WONG: I think
the conversations

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that we had were really
interesting all the time.

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Everyone has some
sort of opinion.

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Some people are more willing to
speak about them than others,

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and personally I feel that
oftentimes in conversations I'm

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more reticent.

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But this class felt
like such a safe space

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that it was possible to speak
about personal experiences

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or opinions on readings
and all of these things.

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And I really appreciated
the presentations

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that we have to do as well,
because as a communication

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intensive course we have to
have some sort of oral component

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and present things, and those
freak me out all the time.

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But it's important to
have this type of practice

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and to be able to have a safe
space in order to practice

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and then be able to do it
better and better each time.

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DANA VIGUE: Yeah.

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And, you know, for me,
starting this summer

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I'm going to be beginning
my M.D. PhD in anthropology.

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And trained as an
anthropologist,

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I've always had this idea
that you don't really

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need interject that much
personal experience into what

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you write, especially if
it's an academic work.

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And from the get-go
in this class,

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we were expected
to draw equal parts

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from the theory with which
we engaged and equal parts

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from our own
experiences and present

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that in the form of a narrative,
that was in conversation

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with the theory.

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And I was uncomfortable
with that.

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I thought that-- I had
this notion that doing so

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would make my writing less
professional, less objective,

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and perhaps less valuable,
because it wasn't

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primarily rooted in theory.

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So much of it was narrative, so
much of it was now subjective.

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But I found that interrogating
my own experiences

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as an academic, who's
engaging with the theory,

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helped me to kind of deconstruct
stereotypes like the ones

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Colin articulated, and
these preconceived notions

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that we inherently
carry in when we're

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trying to do objective
analyzes in a way

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that I had never had the
opportunity to do before.

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And so getting out
of my comfort zone

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by writing these
academic papers that

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were equal parts personal
narrative was something

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that I think will prepare
me well as an anthropologist

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to ensure that, to
a greater extent,

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I'm able to understand
where I stand

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in terms of a particular issue
and perhaps do more justice

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when I do produce a work.

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ELENA ALBERTI: And
on top of all this,

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one way that I would like to
see the course improve-- which

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Colin mentioned in class and
has to do with communication--

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is having difficult
conversations with someone

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who doesn't have your view.

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Something we talked
about in this class

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was that everyone here
is kind of like-minded.

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We all sought out this
class for a reason.

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And I think I didn't
get to challenge myself

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in communicating to someone
who didn't agree with me.

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And that could be a way
that educators can improve.

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LORRAINE WONG: Definitely.