David Crystal, a much-respected linguist, has given a beautifully-detailed
analysis of Barack Obama's acceptance speech. In his analysis, he focuses on the rhetorical features that made the speech so elegant:
November 26th 2008 |
Speaking skills
Of all the taboo subjects, politics is probably the one most likely to lead to an argument. Your political beliefs say a lot about your personal values, and political discussions can quickly get heated. The office is probably not the best place to discuss politics, precisely because despite your beliefs, you still need to work with the colleagues you might fundamentally disagree with. If politics comes up in discussion, here are some things you can say to avoid getting involved:
Does your work and productivity suffer because your office is too noisy? Do you sometimes wish your colleagues would just shut up so you could concentrate? Here are some polite ways of asking for a bit of peace and quiet in the office:
October 29th 2008 |
Speaking skills
I was reading an article on what you should / shouldn't do when writing company blogs. Then I realised that I was guilty of some of the "no-nos", and it got me thinking about how we admit to mistakes in English.
Earlier this year I was looking forward to a nice, relaxing summer break when I could dedicate myself to nothing more arduous than going to the beach. Instead, my house has been turned upside down by builders, electricians and tilers, and I haven't been able to blog as often - but "normal service" should be resumed next week.
September 2nd 2008 |
Speaking skills
In a recent
article, a man wrote how he had agreed to give some lectures on art, and was asked to include some humour. As he isn't a funny man, he decided to take a course in comedy. Over the course, he learnt about the different types of humour, and how to be funny. And his conclusion? "I will never resort to Powerpoint in a lecture again. I will always talk to, and not at, audiences."
July 22nd 2008 |
Speaking skills
A recent
article from the India Times reports on how business outsourcing companies in India are training their staff in accent neutralisation.
How often do you pay your colleagues a compliment? We all like to receive positive comments about how we look, but how you do it is important. To avoid any possibility that you are making someone feel uncomfortable, men should only compliment men, and women should stick to complimenting other women.
Here are some useful ways you can use to ask people to do things for you. Using the modal verbs could, can, will and would will make what you say polite as well as
concise.
