Terms For Communication

Chapter 3 Activity 1 - Powerful/Powerless Language

Purpose:

1. To expand understanding of powerless and powerful language.

2. To use language that takes rather than avoids responsibility.3. To identify types of powerless language and language lacking in responsibility.

Instructions Part One:

1. Read the sentences in the first chart. Identify the type of powerless languageused by writing the type of language in the left column.

2. Then re-write the sentence in the right column expressing the idea in more powerful, but not rude or offensive language. See Table 3-1inthe textbook.

|Type of |Less powerful |Rewrite using more powerful |
|language ||language |
|usage | ||
| | | ||polite forms |Ms. Smith, I wanted to ask |I wanted to ask about the |
| |you about the assignment|assignment. |
| |ma’am. ||
| | | |
|HESITATION|There’s probably a better |There’s a better way to do it, I’ll show you. |
| |way to do this, but let me |...