Tag Archives: language

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Lockdown Lingo

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Language is constantly evolving.  New words and phrases developed from emerging cultural norms and environmental shifts are really common.

I recently encountered a new term, seemingly quite popular on Facebook, which is the term coronacoasster.  Just a quick way to describe the emotional rollercoaster we are on due to all of the news each day about the Corona virus.

Excitement Every Day

From high numbers of new cases every to, to a drop off in new cases, back to high numbers, the rollercoaster analogy is quite apt.  Although rollercoaster give us a quick thrill I am not sure the corona virus ride will be all that quick or even thrilling.

The daily dose of corona virus news streaming on social media or from emergency press conferences is exciting in a way but not really positive or anticipatory, beyond hope for improvement.

Catch Phrases

Like headlines are to newspapers,  in these days of mutiple social media channels, catch phrases get a special nod from communicators.  It is an easy way  to send a message.

Clarity is not always the intent for these channels, grabbing interest and getting views is often the goal.  For example, Want to hear about my coronacoasting?

You might not be sure what the word means, nor is the author, but it sounds cool.  Here is a phrase that slips off the tongue, people listen because it’s snappy and with it.

Flavor  of the day,  coronacoasting comes and hopefully leaves.  With luck this new phrase won’t hang around for long.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Common Language

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By using words in a structured way we are able to communicate with each other.  As long as the meaning of the words has a common interpretation we can share both concrete and conceptual ideas with others.

Of course the rub occurs when, although we believe there is a common understanding of the words meaning, personal  perceptions and associated bias can result in altered interpretations.

 Validation

Fortunately our meanings can usually be expressed through a variety of words and sentence structures.   This allows for  use to deliver a message (written or verbal) and have the receiver replay it to us with alternate phrasing and structure.

This type of check can result in identification of different interpretations  and ultimately resolve communication disconnects before they occur.

Re-statement is an extremely effective technique I use frequently to avoid confusion.  It does require patience and can be frustrating, often others wonder why you seem to be repeating everything they say, just differently.

Terminology

Words can be very specialized.  On occasion a specific body of terms can be developed solely for a technical application, study subject or profession.

In these cases the words are often not in broad general use as the terminology applies to very specific cases. It is critically important practitioner validate the meaning of such  terms in advance to ensure a commonality of discourse.

Specifc practitioners can often morph their terminology to fit the environment and practitioners with complementary skills, but from different environments, might have developed different meanings for what sound like common terms.

Without validation this can create a very frustrating and volatile situation.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Fait Attention

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Language can be a mirror to culture.  In English we say pay attention.  The implication is there is a cost of your concentration.  In French the term is fait attention.

The literal translation is a command.  Make attention.  Although subtle these slight nuances in terminology can be very telling indications of the associated culture.

Another interesting example is from Japan.  Jidoshu no joshu seki is the Japanese term for the passenger in the front seat of a car.  Literally this translates to the assistants seat.

The concept of passive passenger versus reactive assistant is very noticeable when you are the driver traveling with a Japanese companion.

Multi-Lingual Advantage

Being able to move freely around the planet and interract through direct communications with the inhabitant of any geographic region is obviously a benefit.

The real reward though is the insight it provides to the local culture.  Understanding the local perspective in this way can provide an enhanced ability to fit in.

The Challenge

Unfortunately learning another language is not always an easy task.  I am sure there is  some genetic proclivity associated with this ability, that is some individuals can pick up other languages much faster than others.

Regardless of your ability to learn or speak a variety of lingos, most importantly though, whatever culture you are imersing yourself within, stay in the moment and make attention.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Freedom to Choose

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Yesterday the Quebec national assembly unamiously passed a resolution to request merchants no longer use the currently common greeting “bonjour/hi” but rather replace it with just bonjour.

French is after all the official language of la belle province, and including English in the greeting is annoying, apparently.

A one sided approach

Of course the required greeting for all federal agencies “bonjour/hello” is okay, Canada the nation is bilingual  so this greeting is common sense but it is in fact mandated by the agencies.

Almost all my siblings work for the federal government and they have told me it is a serious offence for any employee to not open the conversation in both official languages.

If the government representative is prompted to continue in a language they do not speak (not all federal employees are bilingual, although many are) they must immediately seek support of a colleague that does speak the language the citizen prefers (English or French)

Contravening this requirement is considered a serious performance infraction and if discovered becomes part of your permanent performance record and if repeated can lead to dire concequences.

Is Quebecs appraoch this really important?

The national assembly is really reinforcing the symbolic importance of language to the culture.  For bilingual Canada reinforcing the multilingual culture is a critical statement for our country.

All provinces come under this bilingual umbrella and although Quebec considers itself unique I find this trivial waste of time on language trivialities insulting to the rest of Canada.

Imagine the furor in Quebec if another province requested their merchants to never greet a customer with bonjour.

Ah the insanity of it all, can’t we just be friends?

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Let me Help

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In his novel “1984, author George Orwell struck new ground and invented some words that have become part of the English lexicon (i.e, the vocabulary of the lanuage.

Orwell used the term doublespeak in reference to deliberately euphemistic, ambiguous, or obscure language.  The novel, published in 1949, was prognostic of the future, that is the year 1984.

Although visioning changes in culture, politics and human behaviour some 55 years in the future, some of the novel was surprisingly accurate.

Fortunately though many scenarios he described , although possibly still on the horizon, have not yet arrived to the extreme  level of the examples in the novel.

Doublespeak Lives

Double speak though,  thrives in our cuurent cultures.  Well, at least in English although I would not be surprised if has permeated most languages.

Examples are things like:

  • passed on instead of dead
  • downsizing instead of firing
  • experienced instead of old
  • ethnic cleansing instead of genocide
  • curvy instead of fat.

For me the concept of softening a harsh reality has always been humerous.   I mean dead is dead however you say it, passed on is still dead.

Amazon Quote

I recently came across an argument suggesting retail and service organizations should adopt the Amazon philosophy to sales.  In 1996  Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon said , “We don’t sell products.  We help people make purchase decisions.

What a great example of double speak.  I m not selling you anything, actually, I am helping you.  Excuse me while I choke on the sentiment. Yuck.

I am sure there is a fine subtly here (which I don’t get).  Perhaps since I decided to buy the product Amazon (or their agent) did not sell it to me.

However, they were motivated by profit for me to buy something using their website. So this was not an altruistic act, as you might ascribe to it by the double speak.

My advice to sales folks out there, offer to help – sure but don’t be dishonest about your motivation to sell.  I don’t think most people are naive enough to fall for that anyway.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Vocabulary Lesson

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My mother held a Bachelor in Arts from the University of Manitoba. She was an English major  and believed her children should become masters of a large vocabulary (among other things of course).

For her, and by association her children, a large vocabulary represented  a key underpinning for reading, writing, and verbal communication skills.

Of course reading itself  is a good way to build vocabulary.  Since I was ten I have read at least 60 books a year, often more.  As a result of my mothers encouragement I often find, in general discourse with others, I am able to use words they are not familiar with.

Who Cares

Todays post is definitely a bit self effacing, so might not strike broad empathy among my readership. It is however prompted by the fact I received an email the other day with a word I was not familiar with.

The word was antithetical, which means directly opposed or contrasted; mutually incompatible.  For example, “people whose religious beliefs are antithetical to mine”

The really cool thing about the English language is it’s specificity.  I would like to say there is a word for everything (probably a bit of an exageration).

This enhances the ability to use English to create a message with extreme clarity and power.  In the case of the note I received yesterday, once I understood the word, the simplicity and clarity of the statement was obvious.

Thanks Mom

So well I did not appreciate it growing up, I owe my Mom a vote of thanks for forcing long strange words on me day in and day out.  Imagine, instead of looking up the odd word occassionally I could be leaping to my dictionary over and over.