Module-2

Barriers to Effective Use of Language

By: T.S.Narayanan
Cliché:
 A phrase or expression that has been used so often that it is no

longer original or interesting. Eg: think out of the box.

 Something that is so commonly used in books, stories, etc.

 Overused in writing or speech, and so have become

meaningless.
Effect on communication:
 Symptom of lazy communication

 Readers and listeners tend to gloss over them

 No originality of words to convey the intended meaning

Jargon
 Is a specific language used by people in a given profession.

 Jargon does not necessarily imply formal education.

 Jargon exists in just about every occupation Eg: acute, comorbid

Effect on communication:
 Readers/ listeners may not understand all the engineering and

schematic detail terms involved in the product or service.

 To be effective in communication, challenge is to strike a balance

between using jargons or cliché.

Slang
 Is the use of existing or newly invented words to take the place

of standard or traditional words . Eg: wanna, gotta

 Differs from jargon in that it is used in informal contexts,

among friends , members of a certain age group.

Effect on communication:
 A slang word runs the risk of creating misinterpretation.

 It’d be better to stick to clear, common words that are easily

understood.
Redundancy
 Redundancy is when we use two or more words together that

mean the same thing. Eg: 'adequate enough’, end result.

 A component is duplicated so if it fails there will be a backup.

Effect on communication:
 If redundancy is too high convey, it’d convey highly

predictable information to the receiver.

 It can result in overlook of particular intended meanings or

inferences.
 Verbosity
 Means wordiness-using more words than are needed to convey a

message.
 Often done when we want our writing to sound formal and

intelligent, but can make our writing confusing and ineffective.

Eg: due to the fact that, at the present time

Effect on communication:
 Wordy statements can distract and detract readers from the

quality and coherency of writing .

Pomposity
 Speaking or behaving in a very serious manner which shows

too much of self-importance and obsession.

 It conveys over-sized self-confidence. Eg: the millionaire

was a pompous man who believed he should never wait in

line for anything

Effect on communication:
 It sends a sense of arrogance and superiority which can have

a negative effect on the receiver of the communication.

Terminology
 Is a discipline to ascribe certain meanings to concepts by

labeling such concepts based on the context in which they are

used. Eg: gastritis, penalty corner.

Effect on communication:
 Helps us to fully understand specific topics.

 Helps people across various industries communicate more

efficiently
 Reduces ambiguity and increases clarity
Euphemism
 Refers to those words or a phrase that can be used to convey

something unpleasant, sad or considered taboo.

 It is the art of communicating something in a less annoying and

much lighter tone or in an indirect manner. Eg: “Passed away” for

“died”/“Let go” for “fired

Effect on communication:
 Has the function of politeness and beautification.

 The essence lies in the use of inoffensive words or phrases instead

of offensive or harsh ones.

Colloquialism
 Is an informal expression that is more often used in casual

conversation than in formal speech or writing.

 Refers to types of speech or to usages not on a formal level. Eg:

Flat and football in UK are known as apartment and soccer in the

USA.

Effect on communication:
 Colloquialism can have a very negative effect

 It may not only be understood in the appropriate way, it could also

be construed to be something or grossly misunderstood.

End of Lecture