Words, Words, Words

Abstract

Language is the primary currency of communication, yet young professionals often lack the awareness for everyday language that they have for the terminology of their profession. This chapter considers ways to encourage greater awareness and proficiency with language. Young professionals often tend to speak too quickly and with excessive detail. They forget that reception of information is more important than transmission, and that they need to become able translators from their specialist language into the vernacular. Detail is often confusing unless they also provide a clarifying model. They may not realize that their words reveal intention, personal beliefs, fellow feeling, or its lack, and that words vary in meaning depending on the back story of the speaker. Most of all, effective communication presupposes a clear and appropriate objective.

In this chapter, we focus on the use of language. We are often relatively unaware of the ways we use words to build relationships, elicit information, and communicate important messages. This chapter considers ways to encourage greater awareness and proficiency with language. Examples refer to the world of clinical medicine, but I am sure that most of the issues are relevant to other professions which similarly generate their own culture and language.