"So, like um... like, yeah..." - Learn to speak

<p>lol...my spanish teacher last year did that...she said umm so many times it was so funny, but we got used to it by the end of the year and for some of us, we started saying umm often...lol. this year, my study hall teacher says "a ver..." so many times it's not even funny - (a ver - means let's see in spanish), and 95 percent of the time, it's out of context! lol</p>

<p>lol you pretty much hit it dead on...he would start a sentence, say about two words, pause with a drawn out ummmmm....then an ahhhmmmm....and if we were lucky, we might get a "you know" in there, too...what made it even better was his deep booming voice that you can literally hear all the way across the school :D</p>

<p>it took three days to discuss a short story called "The Lottery" bc of all his random pausings and fillers, and on the third day, I couldn't take it anymore and became so bored that I managed to start bouncing my head up and down on my hand...the whole class had been watching me for about five minutes 'til the other teacher (team-taught class) said, "(my last name), stop it! You look like a bobblehead!" That effectively ended the discussion of "The Lottery", too.</p>

<p>I don't like it when people talk like this, but I don't mind so much if they at least know what they're talking about.
On the other hand... "I did my presentation on the Vietnam war, which was in like the 60s, and it was about communism, like, well umm..."
And then when you ask them questions afterward, they know nothing, because history and world affairs and current events are not important to them because to actually know something about the planet would cut into the time they spend buying $50 shirts and fixing their hair and makeup.</p>

<p>omg missmichelle, that is sooo funny! lol, u just made my day! haha</p>

<p>Haha MissMichelle, the good part about all his pausings would be taking a lot of time to get to homework and tests?</p>

<p>yesss!!! Our favorite thing to do was distract him so we didn't have time to take tests :D</p>

<p>I'm the story made ya'll laugh :)</p>

<p>I have to admit that I am sometimes guilty of this mainly because I have a HUGE fear of public speaking (I'm trying to get over it) but I would never use that when writing a paper.</p>

<p>And most ppl I know that use like a lot in school assignments are people that aren't native englsih speaker and are somewhat unsure of whether the point they are trying to make is being made so I can understand why they use it.</p>

<p>I started saying "like" when I moved from Sweden to the US in middle school because it gave me time to stall and think of a word in the middle of a sentence. I've been trying to break the habit, though, and I'd certainly never do it in writing.</p>

<p>I am probably guilty of a couple of those filler words, but I would never use them in any formal writing. I find the OP's story really amusing though: it is true that many teachers say "write like you speak" and I guess she took it literally :p</p>

<p>I must admit is sometimes hard to not use those filler words when you are put on the spot when you least expect it. However, to use that type of language in any form of writing makes the writer seem uneducated and rather stupid. That's just my opinion. Although I must admit I'm not that great of writer.</p>

<p>


</p>

<p>wow....................................</p>

<p>

Exactly my first reaction!!!</p>

<p>I don't know...when it comes to talking and not saying 'like' it is nearly impossible for me. My friends and I decided to go a day without saying it and we seriously couldnt last more than 2 minutes.</p>

<p>But I don't think we sound dumb. It's more of a problem when someone says things like (haha):</p>

<p>"Well, like, I was totally like no but he was like totally not understanding me so like, i had to like, totally like..." </p>

<p>When you say 'like' when it is totally inapropriate, then it sounds dumb. This is a convo with mi amigo:</p>

<p>"Well like we never went over any of that homework." </p>

<p>Okay...it still sounds kind of dumb, but I think tthat if you heard me you wouldnt think so. Because when I read these horrible, like-filled sentences, I imagine a blonde girl twirling her hair with a dazed look on her face, chewing bubble gum and giggling a lot. </p>

<p>But in an essay.........there is absolutely no reason to pause.</p>

<p>I realized in ninth grade I said "like" too much and being mortified, I stopped altogether (instead of saying "like" I would have a certain second pause...). I say "yeah" a lot, though, but not in the same way as "like" is used.</p>

<p>Jesus, just let people speak however they want. Stop being all elite about the english language.</p>

<p>i can't survive a day without using these words, but i DO agree that it can get annoying when someone starts using these words too much. but when it comes to essays or the like, using these words are like putting yourself to death especially on stuff like college admissions, contests etc. they make you sound stupid.</p>

<p>I have my Dartmouth interview in three days and I think I say "ummm" too much -- especially when I'm asked questions which I'm unprepared to answer. Hopefully, she won't catch me offguard or I'll probably end up "umm"-ing my way out of the question. :(</p>

<p>My AP Lit teacher this year completely cuts us off if we use the words: like, um..., uh, ya know
and there are a few other ones that I can't remember.</p>

<p>I was never too bad at any of them, but I say "like" a little more often than I probably should. Ha but the way he'll just call on a new person when the first person says "Um" is pretty funny.</p>

<p>Hahah, I love seeing teenaged grammar and English Nazis. It warms my frozen heart.</p>

<p>Anyway, I have friends with degrees from top schools of every shade, and most of them say "like" and "umm." I suppose it's just here to stay, folks.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I have my Dartmouth interview in three days and I think I say "ummm" too much -- especially when I'm asked questions which I'm unprepared to answer. Hopefully, she won't catch me offguard or I'll probably end up "umm"-ing my way out of the question.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I defintely do that too. Mostly when I'm nervous... So if you add in the I'm already nervous from being interviewed, plus toss in unexpected questions, and the entire process will be 90% "umms" from me.</p>