How To Start Making Sense (Part One)
My friend (let’s call him Jack) has a unique problem. He has great ideas up his sleeves — ideas which could distinguish him among peers and colleagues as a resourceful and creative fellow — but cannot seem to muster the right words to pass them across. Put differently, Jack has a lot of “sense” but very few of his acquaintances can attest to his ability to make an enjoyable conversation.
Jack’s problem is not peculiar; there are several others in today’s society who know what they are trying to say but are always at a loss for the right expressions to use in conveying their thoughts. Not only is this bad for personal relationships, it even affects performance in the workplace. In fact, a survey of 400 companies with 100,000 employees each cited an average loss per company of $62.4 million per year because of inadequate communication to and between employees.
In this series, I want to share with you a few tips that can help you overcome this thorn in your side that makes you tongue-tied at moments when oratory is required.
First of all, your ability to make sense is heavily hinged on your word bank. Consider every second of a conversation as an expense, which is funded from the vocabulary storehouse located somewhere in your brain. The popular saying that “you cannot give what you don’t have” holds true in this regard. If you want to engage people meaningfully, you need to increase the number of words, expressions, figures of speech and idioms at your disposal.
Meanwhile, you must understand that certain words or expressions are “superior” to others, and they not only help communicate your ideas better, but also make people more interested in listening to what you have to say. There are folks who have PLENTY to say but they are either downright boring, or sound too academic and archaic. If you want to engage people successfully, you must come across as mature and modern in your use of words, and the content of your soundbytes must fit the context of the situation. Let’s compare examples:
- I want to buy a form OR
- I want to obtain a form.
Now, either of the two can pass, but would you agree that the second sentence fits better? Yes! Because “form” goes better with “obtain” than “buy”. This is a simplified illustration that demonstrates the importance of the right kind of words for the right context. I guess that’s why WASSCE had several questions on Lexis and Structure in English Language, lol ;).
It is impossible to improve your vocabulary without actively engaging new words and expressions. And what better way to do that exists than to acquaint yourself with an English Dictionary? A dictionary is not just some fun piece of literature to have fun with strange words; it is an arsenal from where you acquire new and finer weapons to do battle in the arena of conversations. Endeavour to learn at least one new word each day, especially synonyms of words you already know but which refine your use of words.
I will pause here…will catch you in the next episode. See ya!