From a newspaper column.....
In one of my classes at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, we were discussing the power of language and the importance of precision. I brought up the rampant use of ''like'' and challenged the students to avoid the word during the remaining 45 minutes of class. We went on to talk about a number of thorny language issues. Despite their best efforts, students participating in the discussions would sometimes let a ''like'' slip in: ''That is, like, terrible.''
Soon enough, though, they became invested in the experiment and deliberately shunned the word. I noticed their discussions became more deliberate, more precise.
At the end of the session, I asked the class if they had noticed anything. One student said, ''Yeah, man, that was hard. I had to slow down and think about everything I wanted to say.''
Another student provided the comment I was going to make: ''Might not be a bad idea all the time.''
I like(d) that!From a newspaper column.....
In one of my classes at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, we were discussing the power of language and the importance of precision. I brought up the rampant use of ''like'' and challenged the students to avoid the word during the remaining 45 minutes of class. We went on to talk about a number of thorny language issues. Despite their best efforts, students participating in the discussions would sometimes let a ''like'' slip in: ''That is, like, terrible.''
Soon enough, though, they became invested in the experiment and deliberately shunned the word. I noticed their discussions became more deliberate, more precise.
At the end of the session, I asked the class if they had noticed anything. One student said, ''Yeah, man, that was hard. I had to slow down and think about everything I wanted to say.''
Another student provided the comment I was going to make: ''Might not be a bad idea all the time.''