The Language of “Women in a Meeting"

               “I’m sorry,” “would you mind,” and “this might sound stupid but..” are all common phrases that people hear on a daily basis. Think about it, how many times have you uttered any of those phrases this week? How many times this week did you hear a woman start her sentence off with one of those phrases? Most likely, you had a solid number as an answer to either of those questions. These phrases can be heard in various environments, but are more specifically identified in the work place with a female speaker.

        The Washington Post identifies this type of linguistics as the “Woman in a Meeting” speech, which “is a language of its own”. This specified speech defines how women could be judged on what they say in a work environment, even if it is exactly how a man would say it. The Washington Post also reports that Jennifer Lawrence initiated the spotlight on this topic when she wrote an essay and her male teammate seemed offended by her opinion. As a result, the article concludes that women in the work place need to follow a process when speaking, where they start with a thought and then tweak it to apologize for any errors. To further prove this point, the author incorporates several famous quotes (spoken by men of course) and how they would be changed if a woman had spoken them. The picture below shares just two of the various quotes: 

            An article posted in The Guardian supports the language of “women in a meeting” by adding in evidence from linguistics expert, Dr. Judith Baxter. Through this research, it was found that women are more likely to use  "double voice discourse" (DvD) to approach difficult subjects in the workplace that could lead to confrontation.” The article concludes by stating it is difficult to overcome this language therefore it is more difficult for women to advance to a higher position. In other words, women are having a harder time moving up in a business because they are not communicating in a more forward way like most men do.

            In contrast, however, there are ways in which women can improve their language to better fit the workplace. Time magazine, for example, shares an article on the word “sorry” and why women should stop the use of it throughout employment. The article put out by Jessica Bennett provides insight that women do not use the word “sorry” because they actually want to apologize, but rather because it is “another way of downplaying our power, of softening what we do, to seem nice.” This is where Bennett steps in to empower women to stop saying sorry when they do not actually mean it. Bennett includes a YouTube video by Pantene, which encourages all women to “shine strong” whether in the workplace or at home.

            Overall, the articles share realistic situations to prove women have their own language in a meeting. Women need to stop apologizing for things that they aren’t truly sorry about, such as asking a question for clarification. Women and men have the same right to speak directly about their thoughts so there should be no need for “women in a meeting” language. By overcoming this idea, women can speak in the same way men do without feeling judged.

How do you spell orthography?

The least taught literacy skill in school is spelling, yet it is one of the most tested areas in English classes and an area which students are held accountable for on state standardized tests. Spelling is also an impossible feat for those students who encounter reading disabilities. Annie Paul suggests in her New York Times article, "Dyslexia is the most common learning disability in the United States, affecting more than 10 percent of the population." How then are students with dyslexia expected to master a spelling test when they are not first taught how to decode the spelling words?

Teachers ask many students to spend hours looking for spelling errors, written mistakes, and revising their work; yet these practices do not teach spelling. A method of looking for little words hidden inside other words so students can read the larger word is not a method to teach how to decode words, yet this is what students are expected to do when they are taught to read and spell. Furthermore, students spend countless hours trying to complete non-productive word searches, which is really nonessential “busy work” and the exercises do not emphasize decoding strategies. Another imprudent activity many students struggle to complete in order to “enforce their weekly-spelling words” include “to-do” activities: such as, spirals, backwards or alphabetical order. All of these methods to introduce spelling, only frustrate students who have difficulty with phonetic awareness or other reading disabilities.

Spelling tests are administered weekly in elementary schools and students are expected to accomplish these exams. Yet, how do students master the craft of orthography when spelling rules are not taught in school? How do students who can't decode words supposed to feel successful when these tests of mastery occur

The English language is an alphabetic based language where letters are used to write words; whereas, it is not a phonetic language. There is not a simple distinction between the seventy-two phonological sounds and the twenty-six letters, which can arguably be written "more than 1,100 different ways," according to Eric Nagourney of The New York Times.

So, while the many multiple sounds of the language - or phonemes – are important in learning to spell the words found in the English language, yet they are inadequate in identifying the structure of a word. The most common tool given to young children for spelling an unfamiliar word is for them to “sound it out,” which makes a phonological promise to students that the rules of Standard English language simply cannot keep.

How then is a learner expected to express themselves in written form if they are hindered by their ability to excel at an excellent working memory? Identifying orthography within many sub-groups and mentioning the discrepancies in spelling among the various languages, while characterizing orthography as “social practice” is accomplished through the research of Mark Sebba. Social conventions, no matter what language is spoken, expect ideals in the area of orthography.



"Children of the Code"
explains why the field of
orthography is a necessary tool for
children to receive in school
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj2rBxKRZSc  

What happens then to the learner who is disabled to: “sound out” unsoundable words, memorize infrequently used words, or express their thoughts in written expression? Sufferers of Specific Learning Disabilities, such as dyslexia, are at a disadvantage to master reading and writing; and they do not understand ideas and phrases they see written around them every day. This further inhibits their social conversations, which can be heard as labored; due to the fact, they do not have an increased vocabulary or understanding of multisyllabic words. Redirecting SLD learners to excel at “social processes,” in a world where linguistics matter in order to survive socially, begins with introducing orthography.

           

          

Theatre Lingo and Slang

While some language that is used when talking about theatre is common, other things that a Theatre enthusiast, or simply someone who works in theatre are very different. Different terms, phrases, and words are used to describe things that other people would probable label in a very different way.

Firstly, the word Theatre in itself is controversial because there are two different ways of spelling it. It is not something that a person who is involved with theatre would take lightly. If you are involved in the dramatic forms of theatre (i.e. not a movie theater) then it is a well-known fact that the way to spell theatre is with an ‘re’ and not an ‘er’. Most Americans have been taught from childhood to spell it with an ‘er’, however when you are in the field of the dramatic arts, one begins to differentiate the two. Some say that “a theater is a venue while theatre is an art form, or that a theater is a movie theater while a theatre is a drama venue.” Any way of saying it is not wrong, it is just more commonly accepted in the theatre community if it is spelled with an ‘re.’

http://grammarist.com/spelling/theater-theatre/

There are also many different terms that describe the stage that date back to the way a stage was set up throughout history. If I were to say that a chair is placed ‘Upstage Right,’ what would that mean? To someone who does not understand theatre or the workings of it, they may say that upstage right means ‘On the right side of the stage toward the front.’ Well to someone in theatre it is exactly the opposite. Theatre used to be performed on a raised stage, like on a ramp. The stage would raise from the front up to the back. Anyone maneuvering on the stage would be walking up the ramp to get further up the stage. Hence ‘upstage.’ Therefore, upstage, is toward the back of the stage, while downstage is the front. Also when taking blocking and giving stage directions it is done from the viewpoint of the actor. So, someone who is sitting in the audience, and sees a chair on stage to their right, would label that chair as being Stage Left, because to an actor on stage, it is to their left.

Above is how to properly describe the different areas on a stage. teendrama.org

Other terms used by people in theatre are foreign to other people. Words like strike, tech, spiking, blocking, and on-book might be words that other people would find difficult to understand before it is explained to them. Strike means to take down or away. Meaning you strike a set after a show is over, or you strike a table off stage during a scene change. Tech is all of the technical aspects surrounding a show, like lighting, sound, construction. All shows go through a Tech weekend or, more commonly, a tech week, where all of the technical aspects are touched up and finished for the performances. To spike something means to mark where a prop or set piece is on the ground with tape. Blocking is the act of knowing where you are going on stage and when and the different actions you do on stage during a scene. And to be on-book means that someone is reading along in a script during a rehearsal so that if someone forgets their line, they simply have to call out “line” and the person on-book will tell them the line they have forgotten.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl3f2IAhcu4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46eoOPymQoE

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary_of_theatre

The Evolution of Slang and its Usage Today

The use of slang words in today’s society is a fascinating area of language to study because it is so prominent in popular culture. People are either repulsed by it or embrace it as a new way to express themselves and also as a way to create new language. However, slang has deeper roots than people realize. Many slang words we use today have been around for decades. Although, with the growth of social media and the increasing recognition of pop culture, it seems like slang is more commonly used today. It is interesting to see the expansion of slang in our dialects, in marketing, and even on television. The articles I am using today are from the New York Times and The Guardian. 

Slang seems to change over time where new words are created and old ones are discarded, but according to the articles I found, the slang words we use today are derived from words that already existed. Some popular slang words used today that have already appeared in our language include swag, hipster, and bae.  One article mentioned that “sensory slang” such as the word “cool” has a far better chance of surviving because it is more memorable. It states that “psychological processes of memory and transmission shape language” and that this “cultural selection determines what succeeds and what fails.” Basically studies have shown that our brains remember “sensory metaphors” better than others because they can “express abstract ideas by comparing them to bodily experiences.”

As mentioned earlier, some of the typical slang words we use today have already existed. Another article mentioned the slang word “swag” which dates back to the 1640s and was used by Shakespeare’s contemporaries, John Fletcher and Philip Massinger: “Hansom swag fellowes and fitt for fowle play” (The Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt). This same article states that slang often falls prey to what linguists call the “recency illusion” which basically means that people believe a word is new when it actually has been around for quite some time. This illusion causes people to believe that language is static and unchanging when language is actually fluid and constantly evolving with new words produced frequently.

Even though slang has been used for decades, it seems it is more prominent today because of lyrics in songs or social media posts. However, there are people who resist this popularity of slang. The last article I found spoke of the banning of slang in schools in London. The school felt that by banning slang, it would force the students to speak properly and therefore help them compete for jobs as well as university places. However, by banning slang, it was only making certain students feel unwelcome. It situates the school as a place that only invites middle-class students who were brought up using different language.

Slang is mostly ridiculed by the critics who don’t use it and they usually cannot come up with a reason as to why it is so bad. I think we can all agree that there is a time and a place to use slang, but there is no need to shun those who use it in the wrong setting. Students should become aware of the proper language, but an occasional slippage of slang does not warrant marginalization.

This video is from YOUTUBE from the REACT Channel. It shows commonly used slang words today and how older people try to define them. It is actually hilarious! 

Teenagers Use of Slang Within Society

Language in society is constantly changing, especially in the world of a teenager and their communication among their parents and teachers.  New words, known as slang, are invented so frequently that it is the new trend in the world to keep up with it.  Teenagers are the ones that are sucked into slang either from the outlets of social media or daily conversations with their peers.  It is quite difficult for parents to keep up with slang words and often have trouble understanding their teenagers when having a normal conversation with them.  

Phrases, such as, "I literally cannot even," puzzle adults because they are wondering why these teenagers are speaking gibberish.  Also, parents are contemplating the reason behind why teenagers cannot finish their statement with the appropriate verb.  The New York Times' writer Amanda Hess, posted an article on this phrase and stated that teenager's language is a type of rebellion in which the slang presents shelter or it is a defense mechanism from adult scrutiny.  Slang is widely used throughout the media today in which teenagers are thoroughly engaged in due to the popularity of social media networks and even from modern day television. 

According to the article, Language Development in Teenagers, when an individual begins their teenage years, their language development increases and grows into more complex syntax for spoken and written communication.  Teenagers understand the need to use appropriate language because their brains have evolved much from the amount of schooling they have been through.  Even though teenagers have the knowledge for proper language use, they will speak in slang often because it is a way to fit in with their peers.  Yet again, social media has a major impact with teenager's language skills because of the amount of time they spend texting and messaging on these networks.  They get so accustomed to the language they use behind their phone and computer screens that they begin speaking it and even sometimes including it in papers and school assignments.  

http://roedw.blogspot.com/2015/11/1.html

It is important for parents to encourage their teenagers to gradually stop the use of slang in order to help prepare them for their futures.  Webspeak: The Secret Language of Teens, states that parents should help their teenagers to end the overuse of slang in order to prevent any problems with their college careers and employment opportunities.  College professors will not appreciate reading papers that include various slang terms because it will sound and be considered uneducated which will also happen in high school.  Teenagers should be motivated to shut down the slang and proofread every single thing they write to make sure they are prepared for the future.  

Overall, teenagers have invented a new way of speaking language that does not necessarily make sense to adults.  Slang is used frequently in social media networks which is the place teenagers derive it from.  It is not appropriate to incorporate slang into formal papers in their education, but it sometimes occurs because of the numerous occasions where teenagers use it in their everyday language.  It is something that became a regular habit for them.