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Comprehension Activity, Convincing Language.
Comprehension Activity, Convincing Language.
English III
Teacher’s name
Carolina Escandón Loaiza
Expert: Well, these are words that might not mean that much literally, but
have a kind of hypnotic power. For instance, the word: empowerment. People
use it a lot in companies, but companies have hierarchy and structures of
power. Most employees don’t really have that much power. You want to give
people the illusion of power by using big powerful words.
Reporter: Exactly. So if you use a fancy expression, it makes some people
feel powerful. Like if you say I’m really ‘in the loop’ or if you have your ‘ear
to the ground’. These expressions mean that you are really conscious and
aware, but the literal meanings are quite strange. So tell me, why are these
expressions so hard to translate or understand for learners of English?