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  • English Language: Challenge Lies In Using Simpler Words To Communicate

    Kaustubh Katdare

    Kaustubh Katdare

    @thebigk
    Updated: Oct 21, 2024
    Views: 1.1K
    I'll dedicate this debate to all those who're preparing for GRE. I sometimes get frustrated to see most of these guys use totally alien words in their communication - that make no sense to the listener / reader. What's more annoying is that these words are used with some context, which is often skipped. Here's an example -


    I'm flabbergasted to hear this news!
    If your audience (friend, colleague) doesn't know the meaning of the word, they won't make out whether you were shocked, saddened, got happy, got annoyed or whatever. Why not simply say I'm totally 'excited' instead?

    The word is appropriate when you were 'greatly surprised' and not 'just surprised'. My example may not be most appropriate here, but I'm sure you're getting the point. That brings me to the point of debate - Do you think the real challenge in using English for communication (or any other language) likes in using simpler words to communicate than using words that aren't most commonly used (unless you're a native English speaker)?
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  • Jeffrey Arulraj

    Member • Nov 9, 2012

    A speaker must make sure his ideas must reach out to the audience and So it is always better to use simpler language in any presentation

    If too high funda technical terms are used it is better if we give out their meanings also in our speech as this will make it a hell lot clearer to the audience
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  • Saandeep Sreerambatla

    Member • Nov 9, 2012

    Nice topic, I have an emotional hatred towards this so called using tough words.
    I know few people, who believe that speaking english fluently using tough words is called communication.
    And if I dont understand an idiom , then I am dumb!

    I dont understand US accent and I ask them to repeat what they have said, I have given multiple presentations on QTP (testing tool on which I work) and my project. Everything went well. I use only simple words and explain the story in simple words and I hear no complaints. (Doing this since 4 years now).

    I dont blame people using those words as well, since they learn it and they use it. As you stated in the example flabbergasted is used instead of excited by many of people I know.
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  • Ramani Aswath

    Member • Nov 9, 2012

    To facilitate unambiguous transference of cerebration by vocalization or putting pen to paper, it is mandatory for the communicator to eschew polysyllabic obfuscation and confine the communication to monosyllabic verbiage.

    Translation:
    Write and speak in simple words to put across your ideas.
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  • Ramani Aswath

    Member • Nov 10, 2012

    Here is a guide for writers:
    <a href="https://www.tameri.com/edit/usage.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Tameri Guide for Writers: Usage Guide A-M</a>
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  • pratap singh, upendra

    Member • Dec 2, 2012

    i would like to just stress on what communication actually is..

    Communication is basically a way by which you make the other person aware of what you actually feel.
    So, it appears to me that the chief objective of communication should be drawn towards the listener's interest and not your own. So an effective communication is the one that caters to the need of the listener.

    So as a speaker one should first realize the status of the listener, decide whether a word shall be intelligible to the person being communicated. If the answer to the above question is positive then one can go for making use of words that exactly describe the scenario. Under this situation the care must be taken that the message is transmitted as such in its in-situ form without the probability of misinterpretation coming into picture.

    If however, the speaker realizes that the listener is not very conversant with English language, then the main concern should be to make the listener realize about the situation down under. Under this condition, only the basic words must be used as far as possible even if it leads to a compromise in terms of thoughts being transmitted(as there are certain specific terms that describe very specific situations, but the in the present case a simpler word should be used to approximate the current status).

    thanks for making me participate in this discussion...
    regards,
    proffy
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  • Ankita Katdare

    Administrator • Dec 2, 2012

    #-Link-Snipped-# You, my friend, can score really well on GRE's analytical writing section. 👍

    Sticking to the topic, English is a very funny language. We have to change how we use it depending on the audience. For most of the situations, however, simple basic words and to-the-point, non-flowery grammar construction should be good and helpful.
    But, like every language, when it comes to creativity - the language should be bended and molded to give the listener an interesting angle to what's being said by the speaker.
    It is just like an 'accent'. If you have it and you use it at proper times, you can charm people with it. But, when you use it with a foreigner who is already having a hard time forming basic sentences in mind, it is best avoided. 👍
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