When speaking to people who represent institutions, we frequently encounter the detached, scripted, robotic, customer-service speak that is designed to find out what you want so that it can be provided to you or not without the inconvenience of acknowledging that humans are involved. The song...
I the only person who is annoyed with this: “…and you are…?” as a method of learning about another person? I mention it because, as an introductory communication, I feel it lacks a sense of collegiality or even cordiality, which characteristics can lend a measure of grace...
There are many things that are challenging about learning a language. A big challenge is the gap between printed language and spoken language. The good news for audio learners is that the spoken language is probably more useful since we are more likely to be...
In one of my language classes the students and I chuckled at a cartoon showing a large pile of trash next to which was a sign that read “Fine for Dumping.” ‘Fine’ isn’t the only word in our wonderfully rich and confusing language that has multiple...
Today is the widely accepted anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare, who, if he were here listening to us today, might mutter to himself, “He is winding the watch of his wit; by and by it will strike.” Many times I hear myself and other...
Fifteen minutes into the body conditioning class at the gym, a woman entered and worked her way to the front of the group. She asked my friend, puffing away next to me, to move over. My friend glanced at the woman and at all the...