Overview
This lecture provided tips on avoiding bad speech habits in professional English to sound more confident, knowledgeable, and concise.
Verbosity and Conciseness
- Verbose speech means using more words than necessary, which can weaken your message.
- Be concise by removing unnecessary phrases and getting straight to the point.
- Replace wordy phrases with simpler equivalents:
- "Due to the fact that" → "Because"
- "In the event that" → "If"
- "For the purpose of" → "To"
- "The fact that" → eliminate or rephrase
Avoiding Filler Words
- Filler words (e.g., "kind of," "like," "you know," "sort of," "so") can make you sound uncertain.
- Use fillers only when they add true meaning (e.g., "kind of like" meaning "similar to").
- In professional settings, minimize fillers to sound more confident.
Side Particles and Disclaimers
- Side particles are empty words like "basically," "technically," "actually," and "essentially" that add no real value.
- Overusing side particles can distract listeners and make you sound less credible.
- Disclaimers (e.g., "This may sound silly but...") weaken your statements and show insecurity.
- Avoid qualifying your points unnecessarily; state your ideas directly.
Practice Techniques
- Practice removing unnecessary words and replace them with a pause to sound natural and confident.
- Say "pause" or "period" out loud during practice, then do it silently in real conversations.
- Taking a silent breath between sentences can also help reduce bad habits.
Building a Strong Vocabulary
- Expanding your vocabulary lets you be more precise and concise in professional communication.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Verbose — using more words than needed.
- Concise — expressing much in few words, getting straight to the point.
- Filler words — unnecessary words that don't add meaning (e.g., "like," "kind of").
- Side particles — habits or repeated words/phrases that add no value (e.g., "basically").
- Disclaimer — a statement that lessens or limits the strength of what follows.
- Qualification (in speech) — limiting or reducing the certainty or value of your statement.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Identify your most common bad speech habit and work on reducing it.
- Practice replacing fillers and extra phrases with pauses.
- Study and expand your English vocabulary for more precise speech.
- Optional: Visit Alex Lyon's YouTube channel, "Communication Coach Alex Lyon," for more tips.