How do we communicate?

classic33 said:
We lose the regional accents, we stand to lose a lot more besides.
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Right @classic33, regional accents are important and wonderful. Each with its own characteristics, a bit like the character of people,
the belonging to a belonging. I do not know why but accents I portray a bit like a good smell.
 
morning glory said:
That is seriously irritating. I notice a lot of young women speak in that way. I heard something a while back on the radio about this. It is thought to be a sign of submission (non assertive). The apparent questioning of a statement by using an upward inflection implying that 'I may not be right' and seeking assurance from the listener.
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Perhaps it is also a symptom of insecurity and in a sense of defense. "I say something but I am not so convinced because I'm looking for an answer from you.
So eventually you can not attack me thinking that I said something without foundation, because I actually did a camouflaged question" .. .all unknowingly.
 
MypinchofItaly said:
Perhaps it is also a symptom of insecurity and in a sense of defense. "I say something but I am not so convinced because I'm looking for an answer from you.
So eventually you can not attack me thinking that I said something without foundation, because I actually did a camouflaged question" .. .all unknowingly.
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Yes that is it. And it is unknowing. Would such an inflection ever happen in Italian or is it an English affectation?
 
morning glory said:
Don't know - can you post the image?

This one is quite clever:

View attachment 13172
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there was no image but only the writing. with an arrow that indicated the direction in which to go. The object of the dispute was precisely whether to write maybe or perhaps and above all on the fact that it was not a good idea to propose something with a doubt. It came to me differently, I would have just gone to see what it was.
 
I have often noticed that here in Milan, there is a tendency to speak quickly and eat the words. As if the acceleration in speech had the same meaning such as "I speak as fast as if I ran away" or even "I speak quickly because I do not have time to dwell on what I communicate".
Sometimes it's irritating. Sometimes I see and hear advertising speakers that I wonder where they've studied. As well as TV presenters or actresses. Surely it is a characteristic especially feminine. I wonder why.
An entire generation of insecurity? what a worrying thing.
On the phone then it is even worse.
Scan the words well but not as if you were talking in slow motion. During my course of diction, my teacher said "you have to handle words, inflections and intentions and not the other way around"
The first rule of diction is to punctuate the words because you are and you must communicate in the right way, you do not have to keep the words in your mouth.
But it is also in my opinion a matter of common sense and education and character.
Then the dialectal inflections are another thing and I like them so much.
 
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Then there is this ugly habit of not saying the last words, throw away as if they did not have the same importance as the first ones. For example "today I went shopping", often becomes "today I went s ...... g"
 
classic33 said:
To use the words posted earlier, "Nay Lad".
It can be a simple no. As in an answer to a question, "Do you know where the nearest bank is?"
A refute. I did not!, "You said the nearest bank was just over there".
A simple put down. Stop being silly, "Yes you did, you said that it was over there!"

A lot depends on the tone of voice used, speed of delivery and the body language used. None of which carries over into the written word very well, without further additional information.
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Yes, the tone does a great deal, it directs us towards the intentionality and the efficacy of what we want to say, for better or for worse.
In the written words this is more difficult and then the emoticons as @morning glory wrote in a recent post, can help ... for better or for worse. Or even the ellipsis lighten a sentence that the other may seem too emphatic.
 
Another one that irritates me when I hear people being interviewed is when they begin their reply with the word "listen." It comes across as arrogant and gives the impression that you, the interviewee, are superior and speaking to someone who is beneath you. Sometimes you hear people beginning a response with the word "look," which conveys a similar impression.

If I were the interviewer, I would be highly tempted to interrupt them and say, "I am listening and I have been listening, thank you."
 
Duck59 said:
Another one that irritates me when I hear people being interviewed is when they begin their reply with the word "listen." It comes across as arrogant and gives the impression that you, the interviewee, are superior and speaking to someone who is beneath you. Sometimes you hear people beginning a response with the word "look," which conveys a similar impression.

If I were the interviewer, I would be highly tempted to interrupt them and say, "I am listening and I have been listening, thank you."
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Even here many start the sentences with "listen" or "look" .. I thought it was just one of our characteristics. Mah, look @Duck59 .. :happy:
It does not bother me so much, I see it more as an interlayer rather than giving itself a tone of superiority ... and I confess that sometimes I also start with "look", but it is more a "mah, see" a little bit so, light . Am I forgiven? :shy:
 
There are areas in NOLA that require a translator.
howsyomomanddem? How is your Mother and family?
passbymahouse. Visit
putcha chair on the banquette and passdetime - put your chair on the sidewalk and visit

Rural areas in south central LA. have accents that are even more daunting. A mixture of heavily accented Cajun French and English. The last time Brother and SIL from Colorado visited we went to Poche Bridge. A very small community - little more than a crossroad. There is a meat market/plate lunch shop that still prepares Cajun food the way it was 100 years ago. The look on SIL's face was beyond priceless. She did not understand a word that was spoken. Brother understood some but has lost his "ear" for the heavy Cajun accent.
 
ElizabethB said:
There are areas in NOLA that require a translator.
howsyomomanddem? How is your Mother and family?
passbymahouse. Visit
putcha chair on the banquette and passdetime - put your chair on the sidewalk and visit

Rural areas in south central LA. have accents that are even more daunting. A mixture of heavily accented Cajun French and English. The last time Brother and SIL from Colorado visited we went to Poche Bridge. A very small community - little more than a crossroad. There is a meat market/plate lunch shop that still prepares Cajun food the way it was 100 years ago. The look on SIL's face was beyond priceless. She did not understand a word that was spoken. Brother understood some but has lost his "ear" for the heavy Cajun accent.
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Question: Nah then,’ow do?
Answer: Nobbut middlin’.

Although you could drop the first two words of the question and still be asking the same question.
 
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