“Kids today! Why can’t they talk proper? Drives me up the wall.!”
Young people entering the business world frequently have speaking styles that are irritating to older folks, to say the least.
- All the “like”s , and ‘ya know”’s, the up-ending sentences, and the vocal dramatizations.
- Did I mention the hyperbole?
- How about the smarty pants attitude?
- And the language!
Yes, your parents would have knocked you across the room if you talked that way. These young people seem to be poorly educated, disrespectful, immature, and just plain wrong .
Consider another viewpoint: This style is part of their group identity, a dialect, even a code. Most people do speak in a slightly different way, depending upon the situation. Do you speak to the judge the same way you speak to the baby? Thought not. You switch codes, even without thinking about it. The older you get, the more you become aware of the need to modify your speaking style to suit the circumstances.
So too, our younger people will assimilate into the larger culture and they also will adopt the vocabulary and stylistics of the adult culture…..just like you did. The mannerism can be efficiently dealt with directly by a speech coach and a new code or style can be modeled for rapid learning.
You help by making the new work place warm and welcoming ,i.e., give them a chance (and try not to let them catch you making fun of them).
If you are one of these young people, and it appears that the way you talk irritates your new colleagues, please understand that you are using a dialect that they find offensive. To learn more about mannerisms and guidance how to address your speaking concerns, please contact Dr. Carol Fleming at (415).391.9179 or [email protected]
