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This month, you'll be taking a look at stressing and how it affects what we say. Have you ever heard anyone tell you that they didn't like your tone of voice? In this issue, you'll learn why stressing and "tone" of voice is so important. Also, continue building your vocabulary with synonyms and idioms!
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| It's Not What You Say, But How You Say It. |
| Have you ever hear the saying, "It's not what you say, but how you say it?" Let's focus on what this statement means, and why it is so important in oral communication. When we speak, we use many ways to express ourselves in order to get our message across. The words we chooose, our gestures, and our facial expressions are all important aspects of oral communication.
The "emphasis" or how we stress important words influence what we say. When we stress a word, we raise our pitch and say it just a little bit slower than unimportant words. In this way, we are telling our listener to pay attention to those words, because they are important. These are the words they will remember. So, HOW we saying something really does matter! Pay attention to which words you stress in a sentence, because your listener may misunderstand or misinterpret what you really mean to say.
Let's practice stressing in the sentence, "I want a new ring", and how the meaning can change by stressing different words. The words in bold print below are the stressed words.
"I want a new ring." Emphasizing the word "I" in the sentence puts the focus on the subject. I am the one who wants a new ring. It's all about me.
"I want a new ring." Stressing the word "want" puts the focus on the verb. A new ring is what I want, even if I don't need one.
"I want a new ring." Stressing the word "a" puts the focus on a single item. Now it means that I only want one single new ring, but I didn't tell you which kind.
"I want a new ring." Emphasizing the word "new" places the focus on a particular feature of the ring. The ring I want has to be a new one. Nothing else will do.
"I want a new ring." Now the important thing here is what I want, the object. The only thing I want is a ring; nothing else will do. |
| Expanding Your Vocabulary |
 As you continue to expand your speaking vocabulary, try using these words this month:
1. scrumptious: This word means delicicous, splendid, mouthwatering, tasty, yummy
Ex: The gourmet meal was so scrumptious, that I couldn't stop eating!
2. straggly: This word means dirty, cruddy, filthy, unkempt, yucky, not clean.
Ex: The chil's straggly hair was filled with dirt and grass.
3. boisterous: The word means loud, noisy, screaming, clamorous.
Ex: The teenagers' were so boisterous, we could hear them all the way down the street. |
| Idiom of the Month |
Have you ever heard anyone tell you when you were speaking that they were "all ears"? It doesn't mean that they have a lot of ears on their head so that they can hear you well!
If you are "all ears" it means that you are listening very carefully to what someone is saying. Sometimes it's used in response to a question, such as, "Do you want to hear how my weekend was?" If you are interested, you might respond by saying, "Yes, I'm all ears!"
Try to think of a situation in which you were very interested in what the speaker had to say; a teacher presenting an exciting new topic, a friend telling you his/her problems, a news broadcaster talking about an awful accident. Whatever situation comes to mind, think of how much you wanted to learn about that situation and how closely you paid attention. You were "all ears!"
This month, try to use this new expression whenever the time is appropriate. Every chance you have to expand your vocabulary is a opportunity you don't want to miss!
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We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter and always look forward to your comments.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Posey
Speaking Your Best, Inc. | | |
| What is a Speech Pathologist? |
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What is a speech pathologist? A speech pathologist is a person who is specially trained to identify and treat speech and language disorders. What does that mean? It means that they work with individuals who have diffficulties pronouncing sounds, understanding language, and expressing themselves appropriately.
Why do speech pathologists work with individuals who want to improve their American English accents?
Speech pathologists are the best trained specialists to work with any type of speech difference, because they understand the mechanics of the language and can help you learn how to place your tongue and where it needs to go in order to pronounce new sounds.
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