How articulate are you?

Username567

I'm making a conscious effort to become more eloquent. Hearing someone speak with good grammar, concisely and expressively and with nice pauses instead of filler words such as ummm, uhh, ya know is a melody to behold. Contrast that with say Bertie Ahern who literally gives me a headache to listen to.

I think the goal should be to speak concisely as possible while expressing your thoughts as accurately as possible.

I realised recently I've a terrible habit of saying "get here" instead of arrive for example. I think arrive sounds so much better.

Hardonraging

I does be getin by on me luks

Where To

Depends if I'm hooked to a trailer or not.

orestes

Me fail English? That's unpossible.

dub_skav

You say you're trying to become more; eloquent, articulate, concise and expressive.

Ironically enough, they are all different things

Edit: Not having a pop, just that you should probably focus on one at a time

Sofaspud

I can do a pretty good job of bending in the middle.

DipStick McSwindler

This post has been deleted.

Wibbs

Concise I am not.

Dravokivich

Wibbs wrote: »

Concise I am not.

Must be the shortest post you've ever made.

Sergeant

Extremely.

Czarcasm

Username567 wrote: »

Contrast that with say Bertie Ahern who literally gives me a headache to listen to.

I think the goal should be to speak concisely as possible while expressing your thoughts as accurately as possible.

"If you stop waffling we might get some work done. You're a waffler! You've been years around here, waffling."

- Bertie Ahern to Gay Mitchell c. 1994

crockholm

Wibbs wrote: »

Concise I am not.

tell me about it;):D

Procasinator

dub_skav wrote: »

You say you're trying to become more; eloquent, articulate, concise and expressive.

Ironically enough, they are all different things

Edit: Not having a pop, just that you should probably focus on one at a time

I would consider them very interlinked.

Some dictionary definitions of articulate:

• Endowed with the power of speech.
• Expressing oneself easily in clear and effective language: an articulate speaker.
• Characterized by the use of clear, expressive language: an articulate essay.

Being concise and expressive are quite related to being articulate.

Being eloquent isn't a huge stretch from these basics, just need to take into account things like your style, substance of your words, persuasiveness, e.t.c.

wonderfulname

Username567 wrote: »

I'm making a conscious effort to become more eloquent. Hearing someone speak with good grammar, concisely and expressively and with nice pauses instead of filler words such as ummm, uhh, ya know is a melody to behold. Contrast that with say Bertie Ahern who literally gives me a headache to listen to.

I think the goal should be to speak concisely as possible while expressing your thoughts as accurately as possible.

I realised recently I've a terrible habit of saying "get here" instead of arrive for example. I think arrive sounds so much better.

Are you asking for this to be corrected?

Cee-Jay-Cee

I have mastered them all, me.

Username567

dub_skav wrote: »

You say you're trying to become more; eloquent, articulate, concise and expressive.

Ironically enough, they are all different things

Edit: Not having a pop, just that you should probably focus on one at a time

When I say concise I mean say something in 5 words rather than ten words if the same information is communicated. When I say be articulate I mean have an arsenal of vocabulary at your disposal should it be needed.

Username567

wonderfulname wrote: »

Are you asking for this to be corrected?

I'd prefer you didn't embarrass me.

squod

Username567 wrote: »

I'm making a conscious effort to become more eloquent.

.

Please learn to learn to speak in the manner of people the from the D4 area. Put on a fake accent, some fake tan and use fashionable acronyms as often as possible.

Move to Dublin and secure a job in RTE.

dub_skav

Procasinator wrote: »

I would consider them very interlinked.

Some dictionary definitions of articulate:

• Endowed with the power of speech.
• Expressing oneself easily in clear and effective language: an articulate speaker.
• Characterized by the use of clear, expressive language: an articulate essay.

Being concise and expressive are quite related to being articulate.

Being eloquent isn't a huge stretch from these basics, just need to take into account things like your style, substance of your words, persuasiveness, e.t.c.

I would consider them all to be different, though often a person who is strong at one will also be strong at the others.
For me at least:
Someone who is eloquent has an ability to use bright and engaging language, possibly even prosaic
Someone who is articulate has a very broad vocabulary and can express themselves clearly
Concise is obviously short and to the point
Expressive means that you have a variety of adjectives and adverbs at hand to describe things nicely.

There is indeed room for overlap, but being one of the 4 certainly does not have to mean you are master of all.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Username567 wrote: »

I'm making a conscious effort to become more eloquent. Hearing someone speak with good grammar, concisely and expressively and with nice pauses instead of filler words such as ummm, uhh, ya know is a melody to behold. Contrast that with say Bertie Ahern who literally gives me a headache to listen to.

I think the goal should be to speak concisely as possible while expressing your thoughts as accurately as possible.

I realised recently I've a terrible habit of saying "get here" instead of arrive for example. I think arrive sounds so much better.

"Arrive":rolleyes:

"I shall attain to be present at the required location before the hour of eight, half past", my good Sir.

melekalikimaka

Username567 wrote: »

I'm making a conscious effort to become more eloquent. Hearing someone speak with good grammar, concisely and expressively and with nice pauses instead of filler words such as ummm, uhh, ya know is a melody to behold. Contrast that with say Bertie Ahern who literally gives me a headache to listen to.

I think the goal should be to speak concisely as possible while expressing your thoughts as accurately as possible.

I realised recently I've a terrible habit of saying "get here" instead of arrive for example. I think arrive sounds so much better.

elocute*

lesson one

:cool:

squod

Username567 wrote: »

When I say concise I mean say something in 5 words rather than ten words if the same information is communicated. When I say be articulate I mean have an arsenal of vocabulary at your disposal should it be needed.

This is indeed a fine art. Many people fail to interpret and simplify long texts. This is what I call 'college boy syndrome'. Learning is one thing, understanding is so much more.

Wibbs

dub_skav wrote: »

Someone who is eloquent has an ability to use bright and engaging language, possibly even prosaic

Prosaic is the opposite of bright and engaging.

dub_skav

Wibbs wrote: »

Prosaic is the opposite of bright and engaging.

How embarrassing, it seems I have spent my life thinking that meant the opposite of what it does.
Turns out I meant poetic, the ironing is delicious

melekalikimaka

melekalikimaka wrote: »

elocute*

lesson one

:cool:

:eek:

SEPT 23 1989

Lamarr: “My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought, cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.”

Taggart: “Gal-darnit, Mr. Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a 20-dollar whore.

gugleguy

in the prosaic context: artist manquée peut etre
As a little boy, I did own a toy articulated lorry, which tipped the loader, (it was battery power. don't know if that counts.

AnonoBoy

Madam_X wrote: »

No, eloquent is correct; elocute very much isn't.

I think they were joking.


As for me, I'm really really really really really articulate. So I am.

BrensBenz

It might help you to become more eloquent if you had an example to emulate:

• Tune in to Dail Report, listen and learn as our TDs display their finely-honed speaking skills;
• Any sports show will contain an interview with an emmensely-talented sportsman (or manager) who really should stick to the day job and avoid public speaking;
• Our highly-trained TV meteorologists....who missed their elocution classes;
• Or the unfortunate Gortha sorjint being asked to say a few words to camera about dee yincidint.

Failing these suggestions, maybe the BBC could assist....but you run the risk of acquiring that whiney, strangled vowel accent.

No, let's face it, eloquence is soooooo loike dead. Go with the flow an don't be on yur tobler; be like evry other 0 - 30 year-old and loike learn Jedwardese loike.

HHobo

Wibbs wrote: »

Concise I am not.

I share this problem..... *struggles not to write an essay on the topic*

Procasinator

dub_skav wrote: »

I would consider them all to be different, though often a person who is strong at one will also be strong at the others.
For me at least:
Someone who is eloquent has an ability to use bright and engaging language, possibly even prosaic
Someone who is articulate has a very broad vocabulary and can express themselves clearly
Concise is obviously short and to the point
Expressive means that you have a variety of adjectives and adverbs at hand to describe things nicely.

There is indeed room for overlap, but being one of the 4 certainly does not have to mean you are master of all.

I don't see a huge difference between how you described articulate and expressive.

You don't need to be concise to be articulate or eloquent, but it does help to have a clear concise message.

It would be hard to be considered eloquent while at the same time not being articulate and expressive.

I would find it unusual to focus on one area, when improvements in one will often help the other greatly. They are all building blocks of a good communicator.

seven_eleven

Quite indubitably.

*adjusts monocle*

Reoil

Very.

HHobo

Username567 wrote: »

I'm making a conscious effort to become more eloquent. Hearing someone speak with good grammar, concisely and expressively and with nice pauses instead of filler words such as ummm, uhh, ya know is a melody to behold. Contrast that with say Bertie Ahern who literally gives me a headache to listen to.

I think the goal should be to speak concisely as possible while expressing your thoughts as accurately as possible.

I realised recently I've a terrible habit of saying "get here" instead of arrive for example. I think arrive sounds so much better.

There can be problems with speaking clearly to the point. It often requires the use of words which are not in everyone's lexicon.

Some of the words I got "stop trying to sound smart" type resonses to:

"Tautology". I was badly mistaken in the assumption that most adults would know the meaning of this word. It offended someone I wasn't even speaking to so much they felt the need to interject.

"Vice". As in "X is a vice I allow myself". I was quite surprised that an adult could have made it all the way into their 30s and managed to avoid picking this one up.

"Nomenclature". This one was quite ironic. I was called up on this one when pointing out that experts shouldn't deploy too many discipline-specific terms when decribing what their work to lay audiences. I may have been guilty of a similar charge here

If it sounds like I am some kind of vocabulary snob, I assure you, this is not the case. Given the very large number of words in the english language it is not surprising in the least to encounter ones you haven't heard before. I never think less of a person for not knowing what a particular word means, even relatively common words, but I can't help but think a little less of someone who sneers at someone who happens to know a word they don't.
I have had to ask the meaning of words many times in the past and expect I shall have to do so again in the future.

Vocabulary is to some extent the key to articulation. Most words describe something really specific and while other words can be employed in their place, they don't capture quite as precicely your true intent.

As is probably obvious from this post, I do better speaking words than writing them (though I wouldn't rate myself articulate). Grammar is completely mysterious to me and I can't spell to save my life. Spell check is pretty much the only reason that anyone who works with me isn't convinced I'm a little slow. They have many other reasons for suspicion but that's a whole other conversation

AnonoBoy

AnonoBoy wrote: »

I think they were joking.


As for me, I'm really really really really really articulate. So I am.

I don't get the joke though.

Anyway, people often tell me I'm articulate. I suppose I find it quite easy to verbalise my thoughts and I don't do a lot of 'errr', 'ammm', 'y'know'. I do overuse 'like', but it's a bad habit I'm trying to stop.

AnonoBoy

Giselle Hot Necktie wrote: »

I don't get the joke though.

Maybe I'm wrong but I thought it was along the lines of deliberately correcting someone's misuse of a word incorrectly to show that they're not very eloquent at all.

I dunno shure, I don't like big werds at all at all.

HHobo

Procasinator wrote: »

I don't see a huge difference between how you described articulate and expressive.

I think the difference he/she is getting at would be:

Articulate: Use of words that are highly descriptively accurate.

Expressive: Use of words, tone etc. that have an emotional content. Sounding really amazed or interested might be examples. A mode of speech that conveys how the speaker feels about the topic.

Procasinator wrote: »

It would be hard to be considered eloquent while at the same time not being articulate and expressive.

That's probably true. You can be articulate without being eloquent but it would be a challenge to be the inverse*.




* Ok, fess up now, were you wondering if inverse means what I was trying to say there? .......dammit, now I'm not sure myself. - frecken language!

dub_skav

I suppose I'd have to backtrack a little and agree with some of what Procrastinator has said in that it is certainly a useful exercise to attempt to broaden one's breadth of language across all 4 areas.
I originally only meant to highlight that you will not necessarily improve in all those areas at once, there are different methods and indeed thought processes required for each area, some more than others admittedly

When I read the thread title which only mentioned the word articulate and then read the OP which mentioned improving language skills in many different areas, I felt the need to interject with a (I thought so at least) whimsical observation on the difficult task of improving so many areas simultaneously.

The eternal pedant in me really needs to shut up once in a while

Lollipops23

My mother was told at various parent-teacher meetings that I had an extremely advanced vocabulary for my age- at the time they put it down to my being an avid reader (constantly had my head in a book as a kid).

It's something I'd certainly strive to instill in my own children when I have some- reading the facebook messages on my 16 year old brother's page is incredibly depressing. Although maybe it's like when txt spk came out and we all used it, but eventually grew out of it? Perhaps in 10 years' time all those inarticulate morans will be able to string a coherent sentence together..?

cantdecide

To strive to be more articulate is something to be admired, I reckon. It shows you have standards and that 'it'll do' is not the way you live your life. Our language is one of our greatest tools and assets and I don't think it's right to take it for granted.

Agricola

Something I find to be a bothersome quandary is how many posters on After Hours adopt the style of a BBC continuity announcer circa 1954. In the real world, I can say with some assurity that I rarely if ever hear Irish people speak or see them write with such affected panache, unless they happen to have the letters "SC" after their name.

pickarooney

Username567 wrote: »

I'm making a conscious effort to become more eloquent. Hearing someone speak with good grammar, concisely and expressively and with nice pauses instead of filler words such as ummm, uhh, ya know is a melody to behold. Contrast that with say Bertie Ahern who literally gives me a headache to listen to.

I think the goal should be to speak concisely as possible while expressing your thoughts as accurately as possible.

I realised recently I've a terrible habit of saying "get here" instead of arrive for example. I think arrive sounds so much better.

Only synesthetes behold melodies.

Username567

Agricola wrote: »

Something I find to be a bothersome quandary is how many posters on After Hours adopt the style of a BBC continuity announcer circa 1954. In the real world, I can say with some assurity that I rarely if ever hear Irish people speak or see them write with such affected panache, unless they happen to have the letters "SC" after their name.

I've heard a few who speak lucidly, I think it's a breath of fresh air, I plan on doing so myself. I won't say a ridiculously obscure word when their is a simple alternative everyone understands, however if I feel a relatively unspoken word is more accurate I'll say it.

Abi

Lollipops23 wrote: »

Perhaps in 10 years' time all those inarticulate morans will be able to string a coherent sentence together..?

I wouldn't bank on it..

My friends sister has been posting that kind of shït talk for years, and to see her write anything or hear her speak would make your arse twitch.

Much like yourself Lollipops I always had my head in a book as a child. My parents were also told I was very verbally articulate for my age too, so there is a direct link there between reading at a young age and being able to speak articulately I think.

I've been asked by people to make calls or write letters because I'm told 'oh you know what to say', because they're afraid they won't word what they want to say correctly. I don't mind at all, but I think some people should pick up a book every once in a while.

I recall being accused by an ex that I made the word 'audacity' up. Moron.

Lollipops23

Abi wrote: »

My friends sister has been posting that kind of shït talk for years, and to see her write anything or hear her speak would make your arse twitch.

LOL! Even when we have a decent vocabulary and are articulate, it's those types of phrases that make me giggle!

Abi wrote: »

I recall being accused by an ex that I made the word 'audacity' up. Moron.

:eek: I think I would have had to hit him over the head with a dictionary, before force-feeding it to him...

Abi

Lollipops23 wrote: »

LOL! Even when we have a decent vocabulary and are articulate, it's those types of phrases that make me giggle!

Verbally articulate does not mean stiff and humourless

:eek: I think I would have had to hit him over the head with a dictionary, before force-feeding it to him...

If the word had more than four letters in it I MUST have made it up

Chuck Stone

*****.

RainyDay

Username567 wrote: »

I think the goal should be to speak concisely as possible while expressing your thoughts as accurately as possible.

I realised recently I've a terrible habit of saying "get here" instead of arrive for example. I think arrive sounds so much better.

The goal should be effective communication - t hatthe people you are speaking to will understand what you're saying. Keep it simple - Plain English all the way;

http://www.simplyput.ie/

Holsten

I'd say I'm a tad bit more than the average person anyway.

Eschew obfuscation

Procasinator

bluewolf wrote: »

Eschew obfuscation

Espouse elucidation.