Why We Hesitate When We Speak

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GENERAL ENGLISH · ENGLISH IN VIDEO · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
WHY WE
HESITATE WHEN
WE SPEAK
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1 Warm up
In pairs, answer the following questions.
• What words and phrases do English speakers use when they are trying to think of what it is they
want to say?
• What words do you use in your language to do the same thing?
• Which of the words or phrases in both languages do you use the most? Why?
• Are there any words or phrases in English or your native language which you don’t like or annoy
you? What are they? Why do they annoy you?
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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
WHY WE HESITATE WHEN WE SPEAK
2 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Match the vocabulary to the correct definitions.
1. renowned (adj.) a. a pause before acting or speaking, or a word said during that
pause
2. lump (v) b. in a manner that may not be true, despite appearing to be
3. seemingly (adv.) c. negative feelings or thoughts attached to something
4. hesitation (n) d. to decide, usually about someone’s attitudes or feelings
5. conscientious (adj.) e. to describe something that has a bad reputation and causes
fear. Often used ironically.
6. gauge (v) f. to group something together with something else, even
though they aren’t very similar
7. dreaded (adj.) g. well-known and well-respected
8. stigma (n) h. when actions are taken in a considered and correct way
Part B: Now complete the following sentences with the vocabulary from Part A.
1. He always looks so serious; it’s difficult to what he is thinking.

2. I saw my Science teacher in town yesterday. He used to put the fear of God into
us as children.
3. She’s a deeply employee and I think will be very successful in the future.
4. If they offer me the job, I’ll accept it without . It looks amazing!
5. In many places in the world, there’s still a lot of attached to women who don’t
want to have children. However, attitudes are slowly changing.
6. The wedding was a nightmare. At dinner, they had to me together with all the
grandparents because there weren’t enough places. We had nothing in common to talk about.
7. At lunch, my boss asked me this innocent question about my plans for the weekend,
but I know he’s planning to ask me to work.
8. It was so embarrassing! My brother made this smart remark that the guy should check his facts,
and then it turned out he’s a scientist.
Now in pairs, answer the following questions.
1. How do you usually gauge what people are thinking or feeling?
2. Were you a conscientious student when you were younger? Or not? Why?
3. In your country, who is renowned for improving people’s lives?
4. In your country, is there any stigma attached to two people living together if they’re not married?
Or not? Why?
5. What were your most dreaded subjects when you were at school? Why?
6. Do you usually make decisions without any hesitation, or do you spend a lot of time thinking
things through?
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3 Listening for details

Listen to the first part of the video (0:00 - 1:08) and answer the following questions.
1. Ancient texts in which languages warned against using hesitations?
a. Latin and Greek

b. Chinese and Latin
c. Arabic and Greek
2. How did Noam Chomsky describe hesitations?
a. As "errors"
b. As "functions"
c. As "components"
3. What word is used to describe "linguistic fillers which distract from useful speech"?
a. Influences
b. Fluencies
c. Disfluencies
4. How often do hesitations occur in natural speech?
a. 3 to 5 times per minute

b. 2 to 3 times per minute
c. 4 to 6 times per minute
5. Do people use hesitations in sign language?
a. Yes, they do.

b. No, they don’t.
c. Only in specific situations.
4 Comprehension
Now listen to the rest of the recording (1:09 - 5:13). Read the following statements and decide if they
are True or False.
1. If we compare hesitations to other spoken words we use daily, it can help us to decide if they have
more meaning than it appears at first.
2. It’s only the tone of someone’s voice that gives hesitations any kind of meaning.
3. Linguists refer to hesitations as "filled hesitations".
4. Hesitations can communicate to listeners that significant information is about to be given.
5. Thoughtful speakers use discourse markers, such as "Firstly" and "For instance...", to aid listeners
to fully understand what is being said.
6. The way the word "like" is used is very limited in practice.
7. A 2011 study showed that toddlers were confused by instructions containing hesitations.
8. As people become better at using a new language, the number of hesitations they use when
speaking reduces.

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5 Rephrasing
Read the sentence and choose the best option which means the same thing.
1. I love the film because it has so many layers of meaning.
a. I love the film because it can be watched repeatedly.

b. I love the film because it can be interpreted in many different ways.
c. I love the film because it is important to me.
2. As a young lawyer, Stacy had been imbued with a desire for justice.
a. As a young lawyer, Stacy had been interested in working for justice.

b. As a young lawyer, Stacy was indifferent to the need for justice.
c. As a young lawyer, Stacy used to be filled with a desire for justice.
3. I’m going to the lakes this weekend; I need some time to catch up with myself.
a. I’m going to the lakes this weekend; I need to stop thinking so much.
b. I’m going to the lakes this weekend; I need some time to think.
c. I’m going to the lakes this weekend; I need to finish some tasks I’ve missed.
4. I see they fished a stolen car out of the river this morning.
a. I see they found a stolen car in the river this morning.

b. I see they lost a stolen car in the river this morning.
c. I see they pulled a stolen car out of the river this morning.
5. Due to the Internet, we’re constantly aware of new cultural phenomena entering our lives.
a. Due to the Internet, we’re constantly aware of new cultural fashions that everyone knows
entering our lives.
b. Due to the Internet, we’re constantly aware of new cultural events that we don’t fully
understand entering our lives.
c. Due to the Internet, we’re constantly aware of new cultural dance crazes entering our lives.
6. You said earlier that you have a lot of experience in sales. Can you elaborate for me?
a. You said earlier that you have a lot of experience in sales. Can you give me more details?
b. You said earlier that you have a lot of experience in sales. Can you give me a definition?
c. You said earlier that you have a lot of experience in sales. Can you give me an example?
7. Can you cue the team when you want them to come in?
a. Can you phone the team when you want them to come in?
b. Can you text the team when you want them to come in?
c. Can you signal to the team when you want them to come in?
8. There were some miscommunications to begin with, but I think we’ve managed to smooth it out.
a. There were some miscommunications to begin with, but I think we know why they happened.
b. There were some miscommunications to begin with, but I think we can communicate now.
c. There were some miscommunications to begin with, but I think we resolved any problems.

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Now in pairs, answer the following questions.
1. Which films or books that you’ve enjoyed have had many layers of meaning?
2. What do you do when you need to catch up with yourself?
3. If someone asked you to elaborate on your experience at school, what would you say?
4. Have you ever had to smooth out a situation? What happened?
6 Talking point
You’ve been watching a video about how people use "hesitations" naturally in speech and how they
can have meaning. In pairs, take it in turns to ask and answer the following sets of questions. For Set
A, try your best not to use any hesitations at all. For Set B, use hesitations as you normally would.
Set A
• What is your earliest memory?

• If you could live in any country except your own, where would you live and why?
• Who is the person you most admire and why?
• Which famous person, living or dead, would you most want to have dinner with? Why?
Set B
• You unexpectedly receive $1 million. What would you do with the money?
• What would your dream job be? Why?
• What is your happiest memory?
• Who is your favourite person? Why?
When you have finished discussing those, answer the following questions.
1. What did you notice about not using hesitations? Was it easy? Harder? What did you do to stop
yourself from using them?
2. Was it easier or harder to follow your partner’s answer when they used hesitations? Why do you
think that is?
3. How much do you think you use hesitations in your natural speech? Too much? Too little? Why is
that?

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7 Extended activity/homework
Now answer the following questions about the video.
1. In the video, it said that hesitation words can take on layers of meaning. What kind of meaning
can you give ’erm’ by saying it in different ways? Find as many examples as you can.
2. In the video, it said that people are more likely to remember a word if it comes after a hesitation.
Why do you think that is?
3. Think of a story that happened to you in your life. If you were going to tell the story to someone,
what discourse markers would you use to help you improve the story?
4. In the video, it said "the dreaded ’like’ ..." . Why do you think they used the word ’dreaded’?
5. What stigma can using hesitations carry? What do you think of someone when you hear them
using a lot of frequent hesitations when they talk?

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TEACHER MATERIALS · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
Transcripts
4. Comprehension
Lorenzo Garcia: For as long as we’ve had language, some people have tried to control it. And some
of the most frequent targets of this communication regulation are the ums, ers, and
likes that pepper our conversations. Ancient Greek and Latin texts warned against
speaking with hesitation, modern schools have tried to ban the offending terms,
and renowned linguist Noam Chomsky dismissed these expressions as "errors"
irrelevant to language. Historically, these speech components had been lumped
into the broader bucket of "disfluencies" - linguistic fillers which distract from useful
speech. However, none of this controversy has made these so-called disfluencies
less common. They continue to occur roughly 2 to 3 times per minute in natural
speech. And different versions of them can be found in almost every language,
including sign language. So, are ums and uhs just a habit we can’t break? Or is there
more to them than meets the ear?
Lorenzo Garcia: To answer this question, it helps to compare these speech components to other
words we use in everyday life. While a written word might have multiple definitions,
we can usually determine its intended meaning through context. In speech however,
a word can take on additional layers of meaning. Tone of voice, the relationship
between speakers, and expectations of where a conversation will go can imbue even
words that seem like filler with vital information.
Lorenzo Garcia: This is where "um" and "uh" come in. Or "eh" and "ehm", "tutoa" and ’oo’, "eto" and
"ano". Linguists call these filled pauses, which are a kind of hesitation phenomenon.
And these seemingly insignificant interruptions are actually quite meaningful in
spoken communication. For example, while a silent pause might be interpreted as
a sign for others to start speaking, a filled pause can signal that you’re not finished
yet. Hesitation phenomena can buy time for your speech to catch up with your
thoughts or to fish out the right word for a situation. And they don’t just benefit
the speaker - a filled pause lets your listeners know an important word is on the
way. Linguists have even found that people are more likely to remember a word if
it comes after a hesitation.
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Lorenzo Garcia: Hesitation phenomena aren’t the only parts of speech that take on new meaning
during dialogue. Words and phrases such as "like", "well" or "you know" function
as discourse markers, ignoring their literal meaning to convey something about the
sentence in which they appear. Discourse markers direct the flow of conversation,
and some studies suggest that conscientious speakers use more of these phrases
to ensure everyone is being heard and understood. For example, starting a
sentence with "Look..." can indicate your attitude and help you gauge the listener’s
agreement. ’I mean’ can signal that you’re about to elaborate on something. And the
dreaded "like" can perform many functions, such as establishing a loose connection
between thoughts or introducing someone else’s words or actions. These markers
give people a real-time view into your thought process and help listeners follow,
interpret and predict what you’re trying to say.
Lorenzo Garcia: Discourse markers and hesitation phenomena aren’t just useful for understanding
language - they help us learn it too. In 2011, a study showed toddlers common
and uncommon objects alongside a recording referring to one of the items. When
a later recording asked them to identify the uncommon object, toddlers performed
better if that instruction contained a filled pause. This may mean that filled pauses
cue toddlers to expect novel words and help them connect new words to new
objects. For adolescents and adults learning a second language, filled pauses
smooth out awkward early conversations. And once they’re more confident, the
second-language learner can signal their newfound fluency by using the appropriate
hesitation phenomenon. Because, contrary to popular belief, the use of filled pauses
doesn’t decrease with mastery of a language.
Lorenzo Garcia: Just because hesitation phenomena and discourse markers are a natural part
of communication doesn’t mean they’re always appropriate. Outside of writing
dialogue, they serve no purpose in most formal writing. And in some contexts,
the stigma these social cues carry can work against the speaker. But in most
conversations, these seemingly senseless sounds can convey a world of meaning.
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Key
1. Warm up
5 mins.
Ask students to answer the questions. If your class is very multicultural, it may be interesting to list all the different
words or phrases people use in different languages when they hesitate. If your class is less multicultural, you could
discuss the hesitations people use more in-depth. You may want to prepare a short video of someone speaking
(for example, from YouTube or anywhere else) and ask students to count how many times they use a hesitation
word.
2. Focus on vocabulary
5 mins.
Ask students to match the target vocabulary to the definitions. Ask them to do it unaided in the first instance
and then check their work with a dictionary or on the Internet if needed. Ensure students are able to correctly
pronounce the vocabulary.
1. g 2. f 3. b 4. a 5. h 6. d 7. e 8. c
Part B:
10 mins.
Ask students to complete the gaps with the target vocabulary. When they have completed that, ask them to
discuss the questions. Circulate and help as needed.
1. gauge 2. dreaded 3. conscientious 4. hesitation
5. stigma 6. lump 7. seemingly 8. renowned
3. Listening for details
5 mins.
Ask students to listen to the first section of the video and answer the questions.
1. a 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. a
4. Comprehension
10 mins.
Ask students to listen and answer the questions. You may want to encourage students to take notes so that they
can qualify their answers. You may want to explain that "discourse markers" are words or phrases that indicate
progress and attitude of some kind when people are speaking. For example, "firstly," and "then," and "later on," are
all examples of discourse markers.
1. True. "To answer this question, it helps to compare these speech components to other words we use in everyday
life."
2. False. "Tone of voice, the relationship between speakers, and expectations of where a conversation will go can
imbue even words that seem like filler with vital information."
3. False. "Linguists call these filled pauses, which are a kind of hesitation phenomenon."
4. True. "... a filled pause lets your listeners know an important word is on the way."
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5. True. "Discourse markers direct the flow of conversation, and some studies suggest that conscientious speakers
use more of these phrases to ensure everyone is being heard and understood."
6. False. "And the dreaded "like" can perform many functions, such as establishing a loose connection between
thoughts or introducing someone else’s words or actions."
7. False. "... toddlers performed better if that instruction contained a filled pause."
8. False. "Because, contrary to popular belief, the use of filled pauses doesn’t decrease with mastery of a language."
5. Rephrasing
10 mins.
Ask students to choose the sentence that means the same as the first. You may want to allow lower-level students
to use dictionaries for this exercise. When they have completed that, ask them to discuss the questions. Circulate
and help as needed.
1. b 2. c 3. b 4. c 5. b 6. a 7. c 8. c
6. Talking point
15 mins.
The focus here is on students having a discussion both with and without using hesitations to observe the difference
and the difficulties. There’s no right or wrong way of doing this, and some students may find it easy while others
may find it virtually impossible. The tone should be light-hearted. It’s merely a fun way to observe themselves
more closely and draw conclusions.
7. Extended activity/homework
10 - 20 mins.
You may want students to discuss this in pairs or groups, or answer in written form individually at home. This
activity gives students an opportunity to revisit the video if needed.
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

GENERAL ENGLISH · ENGLISH IN VIDEO · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

In pairs, answer the following questions.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/6

WHY WE HESITATE WHEN WE SPEAK

Part A: Match the vocabulary to the correct deﬁnitions.

3. seemingly (adv.) c. negative feelings or thoughts attached to something

4. hesitation (n) d. to decide, usually about someone’s attitudes or feelings

1. He always looks so serious; it’s diﬃcult to what he is thinking.

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/6

WHY WE HESITATE WHEN WE SPEAK

3 Listening for details

a. Latin and Greek

2. How did Noam Chomsky describe hesitations?

4. How often do hesitations occur in natural speech?

a. 3 to 5 times per minute

5. Do people use hesitations in sign language?

a. Yes, they do.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 3/6

WHY WE HESITATE WHEN WE SPEAK

1. I love the ﬁlm because it has so many layers of meaning.

a. I love the ﬁlm because it can be watched repeatedly.

a. As a young lawyer, Stacy had been interested in working for justice.

a. I see they found a stolen car in the river this morning.

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WHY WE HESITATE WHEN WE SPEAK

Now in pairs, answer the following questions.

• What is your earliest memory?

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WHY WE HESITATE WHEN WE SPEAK

Now answer the following questions about the video.

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WHY WE HESITATE WHEN WE SPEAK

WHY WE HESITATE WHEN WE SPEAK

WHY WE HESITATE WHEN WE SPEAK

3. Listening for details

WHY WE HESITATE WHEN WE SPEAK

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