Chapter 2 page 2

THE AMERICAN ENGLISH EXPRESS Chapter 2 page 2

By now, the idea I am communicating may be clear:

Due to our unique perceptions and, therefore, unique experiences, we all think differently; and this means that in order to understand each other, we need some common ways of expressing ourselves.

For this reason, we have standard language (rules, common ways of speaking) so that we can communicate with each other. Very likely you already communicate informally in English. Now your goal is to learn the standard or formal ways of communication.

Be advised that face-to-face communication between individuals is facilitated (made easier) by the fact that we can see each other and take note of the actions and reactions of the person with whom we are speaking.

For example, as a classroom teacher, I can see which students are looking at me when I speak, which students are sleeping, which are taking notes and which could be daydreaming. This and other ‘body language’ (such as students shifting in their seats or students walking out of the room) assists me; these things give me clues as to how effectively I am communicating.

My audience is my students: if they can’t understand me, or if the manner in which I deliver the knowledge and wisdom I hope to impart interferes with the message, then I must change what I am doing, and how I am speaking, in order to

improve my communication.

There is a well-known story about improving one’s communication skills: an ancient Greek orator (speechmaker), Pericles (approximately 495-429 BC; ‘BC’ indicates ‘Before Christ’; notice how the dates decrease in BC until the year 1).

When he was young Pericles had a difficult time being understood by others. He garbled his words badly when he addressed (spoke to) a crowd. To overcome this deficit (something that is lacking or missing), he filled his mouth with marbles and practiced speaking that way. After a while, he overcame the challenge of being understood while speaking with a mouthful

of marbles and he was able to project his voice without the marbles.

He became a great orator (public speaker).

Fortunately, your task is much more mundane (everyday, ordinary). You need to learn standard, formal English because that is what is expected of you at the college level and in formal settings such as in the courtroom, correspondence with the government or in the workplace.

Speaking, reading and writing standard English is of great benefit when seeking employment, communicating with officials, speaking with customers, explaining situations to patients or clients, and interacting with others in public.

Formal language enables one to be more precise, more specific, and more exact when communicating thoughts to others. In this way, complex ideas, thoughts, judgments, knowledge, and wisdom can be effectively communicated.