Have you ever found yourself in conversation with someone, and you realize you have no idea what the other person is saying? When I find myself in conversation with someone from the 'jock' group on the Monday after Sunday night football, I often find myself extremely lost. Touchdown? Hail Mary Pass? Come Again? However, throw me into conversation with an 'AP' student, and I tend to fare better. I can throw around words such as electrons, redox-reactions, oxidation states, ect. without a problem.
The language we use and understand in everyday conversation is often associated with the people we spend our time with as well as the backgrounds we possess. When I 'talk smart' around some friends, they point me in the direction of a science book and ask me to translate. Yet, I feel the same way when someone begins to talk sports and yesterday's Big Game.
The same can be said for where we live in the country. We all speak English in the US, but we often use different words for the same objects. For example, is it pop or soda? If you visit Michigan, they call it pop. However, here in New Jersey, there is no pop. It's soda all the way.
It can often feel as though we all speak a different language, but they can actually all be perceived as different dialects. Although each dialect is different depending on what circle you run in, we all speak the same language.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Dice lo? (Say What?)
English is an easy language, right? Afterall, we use it everyday. However, for non-english speakers, english is actually an extremely difficult language to learn for several reasons. It may come as a surprise because you speak it everyday, but english is one of the hardest languages in the world.
To begin with, our spelling alone is enough to confuse someone. Unlike other languages that spell phonetically such as Spanish, English almost requires the simple memorization of the spelling of words. For example, words like 'through,' trough,' and 'though' all sound so different, and yet, they are spelt in similar ways. The english language is also full of subtle ordering rules and tricks that native speakers aren't even aware of. For instance, you wouldn't say, "a little cute dog." You would say, "a cute little dog." It simply 'flows' better.
English synonyms can also be confusing. The words of the english language come from diverse etymological origins. To become a master english speaker, you must know what words to use when. Native speakers know we can watch TV and and we can watch a movie, but we can only see a movie, not TV. Could you explain exceptions like this to a Spanish speaker?
The way we phrase questions is also confusing. If i were to say, "it is cold," and then ask, "is it cold?" the switch of the is and it is almost unconscious. However, to a person new to the English language, this switch could be extremely confusing.
Overall, the english language is a difficult and confusing one, even though we speak it everyday.
To begin with, our spelling alone is enough to confuse someone. Unlike other languages that spell phonetically such as Spanish, English almost requires the simple memorization of the spelling of words. For example, words like 'through,' trough,' and 'though' all sound so different, and yet, they are spelt in similar ways. The english language is also full of subtle ordering rules and tricks that native speakers aren't even aware of. For instance, you wouldn't say, "a little cute dog." You would say, "a cute little dog." It simply 'flows' better.
English synonyms can also be confusing. The words of the english language come from diverse etymological origins. To become a master english speaker, you must know what words to use when. Native speakers know we can watch TV and and we can watch a movie, but we can only see a movie, not TV. Could you explain exceptions like this to a Spanish speaker?
The way we phrase questions is also confusing. If i were to say, "it is cold," and then ask, "is it cold?" the switch of the is and it is almost unconscious. However, to a person new to the English language, this switch could be extremely confusing.
Overall, the english language is a difficult and confusing one, even though we speak it everyday.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
This Doesn't Even Count!
As seniors, we all should have taken part in the tragedy that is the Saturday morning SATs. Some students obsess and stress over these numbers, while others simply fill in the bubbles. However, it is a common belief that the writing section of the SATs 'don't count' and that they 'don't matter so why should we even try?' Many students stress over the critical reading and cram for the math. They stuff last minute vocabulary words and test-taking strategies into their heads, but they ignore the writing section. Why is this? Does the writing section count? The short answer? Yes!
The writing section measures a student's ability to recognize and conform to the conventions of standard written English. The section consits of a 25 minute student-written essay as well as multiple choice questions. Students often undervalue this section with the thought that it does not count or that colleges do not look at the score. This simply isn't true. Unless a college specifically tells you they only look at the math and reading, they check out the writing too. Why do they check this? Schools have been compiling data from the SATs and the writing tests are shown to be a good indicator of how a student will perform the first year of college. The essay requires a student to think deeply and analytically about a topic and provide multiple examples in a brief 25 minutes.
Writing is also a big indicator because many freshman in college have to write and turn in a lot of papers. I'ts that simple. If you can write well in a 25 minute span, you should write a good paper in the years to come. If a student struggles to write, they may struggle their freshman year and subsequently drop out. This is a risk for schools, and it is exactly the type of student they wish to steer clear of.
So, the writing section does count, and colleges do look at it. It is a good indicator of your writing as well as your ability to think critically in a limited span of time. The writing section does matter afterall.
http://collegeapps.about.com/od/sat/f/sat-writing-section.htm
http://www.proprofs.com/mwiki/index.php/SAT_Myths
The writing section measures a student's ability to recognize and conform to the conventions of standard written English. The section consits of a 25 minute student-written essay as well as multiple choice questions. Students often undervalue this section with the thought that it does not count or that colleges do not look at the score. This simply isn't true. Unless a college specifically tells you they only look at the math and reading, they check out the writing too. Why do they check this? Schools have been compiling data from the SATs and the writing tests are shown to be a good indicator of how a student will perform the first year of college. The essay requires a student to think deeply and analytically about a topic and provide multiple examples in a brief 25 minutes.
Writing is also a big indicator because many freshman in college have to write and turn in a lot of papers. I'ts that simple. If you can write well in a 25 minute span, you should write a good paper in the years to come. If a student struggles to write, they may struggle their freshman year and subsequently drop out. This is a risk for schools, and it is exactly the type of student they wish to steer clear of.
So, the writing section does count, and colleges do look at it. It is a good indicator of your writing as well as your ability to think critically in a limited span of time. The writing section does matter afterall.
http://collegeapps.about.com/od/sat/f/sat-writing-section.htm
http://www.proprofs.com/mwiki/index.php/SAT_Myths
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Say It With Your Chest
Body language is one of the most powerful ways we communicate with one another. Body language is non-verbal communication which involves posture, facial expressions, gestures, or even the twitch of an eye. Body language may provide a clue to the person's state of mind or attitude. It goes furthur than the verbal form of language. It can be said that when we communicate, we express ourselves 90% through body language, and 10% through verbal language.
People often gestulate while talking. Rapid hand motions, pointing, and waving of hands are all common. These actions are just another way for the speaker to get his point across. A speaker can also get his feelings across through unconscious actions. For example, a person crossing their arms over the chest is a very clear sign of putting a barrier in between the speaker and the listener. Boredom can be indicated by a head tilt to the side,and deceit can be inferred from the touching of the face. All of these 'tells' can be used to infer a greater meaning from the words of the speaker.
Your tone also affects what you say. When a writer puts a pen to paper, his tone greatly impacts how the audience percieves and takes in what he is writing. The same can be said for the way we speak. Teenagers are excellent examples of why tone is important to language. There is a difference between saying "Yes Mother," with a sweet-oh-so-innocent-voice and the "Yes Mother," voice that is usually complimented by an eyeroll as well as a voice oozing with sarcasm.
Both tone and body language play a huge part in language and the way we communicate. Whether its the twitch of an eye or the slight sarcasm in a voice, these non spoken forms of communication allow us a greater insight into communication with our fellow human beings.
Source:
http://www.slideshare.net/nas_56/how-body-language-affects-the-communication-process
People often gestulate while talking. Rapid hand motions, pointing, and waving of hands are all common. These actions are just another way for the speaker to get his point across. A speaker can also get his feelings across through unconscious actions. For example, a person crossing their arms over the chest is a very clear sign of putting a barrier in between the speaker and the listener. Boredom can be indicated by a head tilt to the side,and deceit can be inferred from the touching of the face. All of these 'tells' can be used to infer a greater meaning from the words of the speaker.
Your tone also affects what you say. When a writer puts a pen to paper, his tone greatly impacts how the audience percieves and takes in what he is writing. The same can be said for the way we speak. Teenagers are excellent examples of why tone is important to language. There is a difference between saying "Yes Mother," with a sweet-oh-so-innocent-voice and the "Yes Mother," voice that is usually complimented by an eyeroll as well as a voice oozing with sarcasm.
Both tone and body language play a huge part in language and the way we communicate. Whether its the twitch of an eye or the slight sarcasm in a voice, these non spoken forms of communication allow us a greater insight into communication with our fellow human beings.
Source:
http://www.slideshare.net/nas_56/how-body-language-affects-the-communication-process
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)