by Jane Mays-Evans

Created on: July 14, 2009

What if wedding vows would have been written to include to love, honor, obey and communicate with daily? I think people would better understand how important that aspect is in a marriage. I wish our marriage vows had contained the word "communication as I am sure many other men and women do to. Maybe my husband and I would be a little more keen to the idea of talking more regularly if we had vowed to do so. I cannot stress the importance of communication in a marriage. Communication is key and must be used in order to make the marriage last.

I think it is a great idea for couples to attend communication classes. In fact, I think it should be mandatory in marriages. As a recipient of a Masters in Communication Studies, i am aware of the skills that must be learned and used. I think there are things that people who have not had these classes are generally unaware of when it comes to interpersonal communication. These are ideas and skills that can only be acquired through classes and education. Couples can get a full dose of learning interpersonal communication, advantages of speaking effectively, and communicating thoughts in communication classes.People have to take the time and effort to learn how to communicate more effectively and establish a pattern of communication in the household and these skills can also be learned in classes.

There are three things we must consider that communication classes will do for marriages. First of all, couples have to learn how to communicate. Classes will give them the education they need in order to learn how to talk effectively, how to say enough without saying too much, how to express feelings with words, and how to control anger through talking. They will also teach them how to provide feedback and to pay more attention to the things that are coming out of their own mouths.

Secondly, people need the classes in order to obtain a mentor. Sometimes we think we are always right or we are saying things that others should understand, a mentor or teacher may be able to counsel couples by watching how they communicate and assist them in communicating more effectively. A mentor or teacher can point out the existing communication problems and work with couples to fix them. A mentor can also help couples develop a communication pattern which they can use on a daily basis.

Finally, communication classes may help couples become better listeners. Not only is communication important verbally, but nonverbal communication is just as important. People need to learn how to listen to their partners and provide them with reasonable feedback.

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