Saturday, September 8, 2007

How to Use the English Language

Language is about codifying certain sounds and/or symbols into a collection of words which eventually forms a vocabulary. Communication between two or more people is built on a foundation of mutually understandable signs and sounds.

A person who is fluent in a particular language is one who has developed a skill at organizing the words, notes, or symbols that comprise that language in such a way that he can communicate his thoughts to others. One's fluency in any language (combined with one's grasp of idiomatic and/or regional uses of the language) can dramatically affect one's ability to achieve full comprehension of written and/or spoken text.


Certain languages (math and music) transcend nationalistic borders. Words generated in a more ethnically-defined language (Italian, Farsi, Mandarin) should be understandable to anyone who speaks that same language.

As with any language, "Medicalese" involves a complex vocabulary which can concisely convey certain pieces of information. One's ability to communicate clear and concise thoughts using medical terminology depends upon the clarity with which one expresses one's self.

In theory, this sounds simple enough. In reality, it's a lot more difficult due to the human factor (as demonstrated by this classic Abbott & Costello routine):





[Language Skills Worksheet #9 ]

Next: Mistakes That Metastasize

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