This paper analyzes the use of idiomatic expressions in the context of Business English. It includes general research into exactly what constitutes and idiom as well as the history of their role in the English language. The paper also contains research in regards to the frequency of chapters and lessons concerning idioms found in in Business English textbooks. Additionally, the paper highlights the current business environment and attempts to quantify the most common idioms used today in company context. The available data is both limited and inconclusive, however some tangible conclusions can be drawn. Finally the paper assess the formality of idiomatic expressions and the appropriateness of which phrases are deemed acceptable, or deemed inappropriate, …show more content…
We use idioms in the English language to either compare or contrast meaning with figurative analogies or to simply replace a literal form with a synonymous meaning. The term ‘idiom’ came from Ancient Greek and at that time these expressions were not a standard of societal language but rather used as an inside or private joke between friends (Bhala, 2009). Idioms, for the most part, follow English syntax. Idiomatic expressions can be placed into five classifications, functioning as: verbs, nouns, adverbs, prepositions and adjectives (Vinogradov, 1977). There are approximately 25,000 idiomatic expressions used in English, although the frequency and usage has varied over time (Wright, 1999). A Study at Benjamin’s University noted that although there are a plethora of idioms in the English language, 104 of the most commonly used idioms found in English are absent from the list of the 5,000 most commonly used English words (Grant, 2005). Idioms are, however, prevalent in both spoken and written English, and perhaps due to the high amount of expressions used means that it is difficult to isolate the most common forms. In the world of business, idiomatic expression exists in both spoken and written form. Idioms are not limited to specific language content, and therefore
is to do what the persuader wants the person to do, or choose otherwise. One way a person can persuade is through the use of words (Lakhani 143), like the words of a slogan. People can also be manipulated to act a certain way or believe in something. When a person is manipulated by someone, he or she hide their intent or real purpose (Sutiu 102). Manipulation is the more devious method of influencing someone. Unlike persuasion, the manipulator 's intentions are not known, and definitely are not good (Sutiu 105). As mentioned above, both are forms of communication with the goal to influence a person 's behavior one way or another. However, they differ because with persuasion, an individual is able to exercise his or her free will (Sutiu 106).
Ultimately, the word choices a writer makes can impact the audience's feelings and expectations. Lunsford helps the reader understand when it is appropriate to use informal and formal language, and the different types of language that can be used to do this such as slang, colloquial, and jargon. Slang as explained by Lunsford, is a particularly informal form of language that has a tendency to change quickly and is used by a minimal amount of people. On the other hand, colloquial language is not as informal in comparison to slang and is more widely used. The author cautions writers' about using these forms of language, as both can cause the audience to misunderstand the intended message and even affect the writer's credibility. Alternatively, jargon is the vocabulary used by various occupations as a way for members of the field to simplify their communication. However Lunsford stresses, this type of communication should only be used for an appropriate audience as jargon can also become a hindrance. She advises the writer to first analyze the audience to ensure their ability to understand the jargon that will be used. Afterward Lunsford transitions into the explanations of pompous language, euphemisms, and doublespeak and when these types of language can be used effectively. As for pompous
Catchphrases change within the English languages just like the tide. One day people may be saying “biting off more than you can chew” (Lasiter) to saying “up shit creek without a paddle” (Martin) the next; both meaning something along the lines of being in an unpleasant predicament. When using a catchphrase one can get across their meaning in a more colorful and youthful manner than just saying “you’re in an unpleasant predicament at the moment.” Another example would be, “looney toons,” (Lasiter) “fruity as a fruit cake,” (Lasiter) and “bats in the belfry” (Martin) all meaning crazy or eccentric. Some of these catchphrases are just passing fades and others timeless and can go on for centuries more. Our catchphrases are influenced by the culture and technology around us; such as “looney toons,” derived from the T.V show, Looney Toons, created by the Warner Brothers Studios. If the television was never developed the Looney Toons characters may have never been created; thus, the phrase “looney toons” would have never been thought of. Formality can have an impact on whether or not a catchphrase is used in conversation.
Watt, Duncan J. 2011. Everything Is Obvious: How Common Sense Fails Us. New York: Crown Business.
"The Meanings and Origins of Sayings and Phrases." RSS. Gary Martin, 1996. Web. 21 May 2014.
Today, the advent of new technologies has changed the way we use our language to talk to others. We are now able to communicate electronically via text which changes the way we use written language. Though technically not written, texting is very efficient for simple conversation with it's frequent use of slang thus making texts shorter while containing the same idea. Texting's popularity has caused much of the slang used to become standardized in our spoken
For example, in the cultures of Asia, Mediterranean, Middle East, and South America prefer to conduct business with people they already have a strong relationship with. For current and future business, the marketing strategy must include a unique approach of networking and establishing a bond with the people in that culture. It is imperative that a part of this effort focus on learning certain words, phrases or clichés that are used on a routine basis in that country to help connect to the target market desired (Iler,
Promisingly, English language idioms have prominent and historical place over the language components which are beautifying by English language ancestors of all ages. Origin structures a kind of universality and pinnacle levels towards language lovers. Undoubtedly and unmatchingly knowing about English language idioms origin pays precocious and prevalent. It is categorically vague to come to a conclusion of an idiom by just reading. It remains just a jest as literally idioms have very profound and hidden meanings which are savory to know. By having a donkeys years, it doesn’t comprehend a donkey has years, in fact that is seclusion to have the same kind of meaning by just reading that idioms. A donkey’s year scrupulously have a clear meaning
language of business has especially been transformed in the last 38 years due to the almost
In the 21st century, globalization has required the formation of cross-cultural communication, in which there are the numerous opportunities for humanity to exchange and communicate with people from other cultures in the world. Intercultural communication is the era trend and plays a crucial role in many aspects of life, especially in business communication. However, to avoid culture shock, people need to comprehend inhabitants’ the basic communication habits in an unfamiliar environment.
Slang is mostly used in informal contexts and it would mostly be inappropriate for business communication. The use of words or expressions that take the place of conventional words may give a negative impression in a business context and so the intended message may not be fully appreciated. For example, using the expression “hey, what’s up” to your supervisor at work is likely not going to be the best way of conveying your
Nickels, W. G., McHugh, J. M., & McHugh, S. M. (2010). Understanding Business (ninth Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin
Business English communication is the act of influencing and inducing others to act in the manner. Business English communication may take the form of notice, notification, intimation, instruction, intelligence and knowledge. To develop sensitivities to issues that arise as you participate in moving information around the world. Increasingly, disseminating information around the world happens in different languages, and several media. The first responsibility is to communicate the information, whatever it may be, and the second, to accommodate the needs of translators, customers, and end-users. There are also some specific things to anticipate for new audiences. Being aware of some of these issues and making the necessary accommodations will save you time, effort, and your company a considerable amount of money in the interest of improved communication and with the sincere hope that better communication will eventually lead to enhanced understanding in the world. http://www.ewinters.com/sect3.htm Business Rule Analysts find a business rule classification scheme to be a useful tool in developing a set of business rules that is complete for the given business domain and consistent with one another. In this series, we have been examining a business rule classification scheme that uses English grammar as a metaphor for an understanding the statements made by the domain area’s Subject Matter Experts. This Business Rule Grammar consists of two primary components: Business Concepts and Business Rules. A Business Concept is something that the business must know to conduct business. They correspond to English language nouns or qualified nouns, typically expressed through the use of adjectives. Business Rules are expressed as statements about the business concepts, usually in the form of individual sentences. The syntax of the sentence is often an indication of what type of business rule the SME is communicating. Consequently, a solid understanding of English grammar can be an important skill for a Business Rule Analyst. The two primary types of business concepts are thingees and characteristics. A thingee is anything that the enterprise must know about to successfully conduct business. A characteristic is something that the enterprise must know about one of those thingees. Each of these business concept categories is comprised of a hierarchy of more discrete business concept categories. Characteristic Business Concepts In most cases, a characteristic specifies the properties about a piece of information about a specific thingee. In this situation, the characteristic is a Knowledge Property because it can take on a value.
The sixth type is called proverbial idioms with a ‘moral’. The idiom is easily recognised and ought to have a ‘moral’ in a form with little grammatical changes for anaphoric omissions, person or tense:
Translation is both a literary activity as well as a creative writing. It is a process of replanting the traditional notion of rendering of Source Language (SL) text in to Target Language (TL) text. In the opinion of Ayyappa Paniker, a notable Malayalam writer, “till the 19th century, Indian translators were not affected unduly by the anxiety of being through to the original and the spirit”. This accounts for the different versions of the Ramayana, The Mahabharata, Upanishad and Gita in different Indian languages. We can see that the Ramayana of Kamban in Tamil is more Dravidian epic than the Sanskrit classic.