QUOTE
If we spoke as we write we should find no one to listen; if we wrote as we speak we should find no one to read. — Author unknown
"...The limits of my language mean the limits of my world..."
— L. Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico Philosophicus
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Dear Readers
About Conversation
Good conversation is fun. It helps us to achieve that relaxation, that peace of mind and soul which we all desire.
A pleasurable and valuable talk is like the therapy of gardening, painting, or any other form of recreational activity you enjoy.
Conversational Weak Spots and Strong Points
If you find yourself shying away from conversation, analyze your experiences in recent conversational situations. Ask yourself such questions as:
Did I have trouble starting a conversation?
Did I find it difficult to pick a topic for conversation?
Was adjusting to persons my problem?
Did I adjust well to the attitudes of others?
Did I have a trouble starting a conversation?
Getting others to start?
Did I fail to keep a conversation going?
Was it mis-pronunciation, forgetting names, words?
On the basis of your analysis, give special attention to the points below which most apply to you.
Prepare carefully for the more formal conversational situation.
If you are to go into a conference or an interview, become as well informed as you can about its subject.
Even in casual meetings you can do some planning -- you can think before you speak.
But do not prepare and rehearse phrases to use on a specific occasion. You can never predict the exact turn a conversation will take. No chapter, or book can tell you what to say when one unexpectedly meets with you. But armed with some principles, and some previous practice you ought to be able to make conversation.
If your difficulty seems to be finding suitable topics, the real problem may not be that you thinking about in the wrong way. You may have some misconceptions concerning the things people talk about.
Vastly exciting and amusing events do occur in this world, of course, and people enjoy hearing and telling about them. You will find plenty of material for conversation in the ordinary happenings and problems of everyday living.
As a matter of fact, almost any topic is suitable for conversation. You can discuss books, films, TV programmes, current affairs, national politics, even weather. You can swap stories, observations, opinions.
Voice Production Mechanism [in Bengali]
with English subtitles
Good articulation is important because it enables one to speak with the least muscular effect.
Articulation is the muscular process by means of which we modify voice or breath with tongue, teeth, lips, and speech organs, to produce speech sounds.
Articulation can be improved as some factors influence over it.
Most important factors are:
- The physical make-up of our speech organs such as tongue, teeth and lips.
- To know the reference point for the articulation of English.
- The ear is the most important of all, though it is not considered an organ of speech, for good articulation.
Pronunciation depends almost as much upon the speaker placing the ACCENT on the correct syllable as upon using intelligible speech sounds.
It is the position of the accent which changes the word 'learned' from verb to adjective.
Movement is also allied to speech. It is connected to vocal development. When we speak, the opposing forces necessary to achieve symmetry and balanced tension. If it is symmetrical and balanced, then we need little muscular effort for speech development. The slightest departure from symmetry immediately requires extra muscular control to stop deviation and that results muscular fatigue and rigidity. The fundamental is the acquirement of good speech sounds with least possible muscular effort. This may be best performed in class under the direction of a trained instructor.
There are some key differences in Spoken language. Spoken languages change rapidly than written one. Despite this, some rules are still in use.
If you are very keen to Spoken English and can speak well too then you've probably observed that the word ‘direct’ is pronounced differently by different speakers in different situation. Actually when it is a verb or an adjective it sounds differently than when it is an adverb. Sometimes it depends on the sentence though. It can be explained later.
Now, you may overlook this slight distinction. But your listener may be misled and confused with your speech.
And here is the importance of standard English in public communication.
Language is constantly developing. So one mustn't use the language which is outdated. You will find expressions which were correct and clear at one time but now outdated. In Shakespeare's play “As You Like It”, when Rosalind and Celia enter the Forest of Arden, Celia says, “I cannot go no further.” This type of double negative expressions are not used nowadays.
We can now talk about formal and informal language. People who wish their language to sound informal and casual use their to refer to everybody; but this form should not appear in formal writing. It is important know several levels of language and be able to choose the appropriate one for each occasion. Finally, it is important, if you want your language to be correct and clear, that you use expressions which are in current and reputable use.
We have already mentioned that learning a new language is fun. But there is a big difference between being able to write and speak a language. When you learn a new language other than your mother tongue, the new language occupies some of the space in your brain that the mother tongue occupies. And when you try to speak or write that new language, there is a switching activity in the brain. While speaking the language, the brain has to quickly find vocabulary, grammar and form sentences. But we have more time when writing and we can construct sentences a bit more slowly. This makes writing a language relatively easy. A new language can be learned by listening. But in that case writing the language is difficult. One thing is for sure — there is no way to say with certainty how long it will take someone to learn a new language. It depends on the various criteria of the student. Some may learn it in a year, some may take five years. However, there is no reason to despair. This time can be reduced with a good trainer and proper effort. Learning to speak English is a practical skill. In fact, it is not a good teacher, but a good trainer is needed.
Why is it a good trainer?
- English is a subject-prominent language
- English is a stressed language
- English is a rhythmic language
Note that these three characteristics mentioned above are not to be memorized only, but to be acquired with the help of these three customary practices. A good trainer's job is to get you to use each one, not just explain it.
* Updated on 23 August 2024