Jennie: You are listening to Dialogically Minded. Dialogical Discourse for Second Language Learners. In this program we explore the language used in public, civic, and academic discussion for the purpose of achieving various communication goals. Good afternoon David.
David: Hi Jennie.
Jennie: What’s wrong? You keep squinting your eyes.
David: Well, I lost my glasses and so I can’t see very well. I’m having trouble focusing.
Jennie: That’s interesting because this podcast episode is about creating focus in our communication.
David: Oh, my glasses–here they are. So I can focus on today’s topic.
Jennie: We all have friends who tend to cause the conversation to lose focus, by suddenly bringing up a television show or the lyrics of some pop song that may have a similar theme, but doesn’t really add anything to the conversation.
David: Focus in connection to our vision, for example, when we lose our glasses, means that we cannot see clearly. We may not be sure what we our looking at. A conversation loses focus when one or more of the speakers moves away from the main topic. They start to talk about things that do not have any real connection to the issue being discussed. A serious conversation should move in a straight and forward direction, unless there is a good and relevant point that needs to be considered. Now, if you’re out at the bar with friends and enjoying conversation over a few beers, this kind of talk can be fun. But in meetings or when discussing important matters, people who repeatedly cause discussions to lose focus are considered to be unhelpful and unprofessional.
Jennie: And they can drive the rest of the people in the conversation crazy. In order to maintain focus, these are some useful phrases:
David:
That’s just the point.
Above all,
Particularly
Especially,
Chiefly,
The real question is
We must not forget
and
The key to remember is . . .
David: If the other speaker doesn’t seem to understand the importance of what you are saying or continues to unfocus the conversation speaking of matters outside the main area of focus, you can also use these phrases:
Can’t you see that . . . ?
Stick to the point
You just don’t get it, do you?
We recently heard a dialogue where a person used two of these phrases. Let’s listen again to that clip.
[Speaker 1]: _______ we have good evidence that the thief came in through the bathroom window.
[Speaker 2]: _______?
[Speaker 1]: Because of the fresh fingerprints on the window sill. _______ this is how the thief entered the home.
[Speaker 2]: _______. Look at the size of the fingerprints. They seem to be the hand of a small child.
[Speaker 1]: So, the thief was a child, and came in through the window.
[Speaker 2]: But there is no evidence to indicate that the window was unlocked. And the family says, the window was always locked. Besides, can’t you see that no child could have carried the safe box outside. It’s too heavy. To add to the counter-argument, the thief left in a car. A child with hands this small certainly couldn’t drive a car.
[Speaker 1]: _______.
[Speaker 3]: I’d like to say something here. A child might have entered the house, unlocked the door, from inside, and then let in a stronger adult, who could carry the safebox and drive a car.
[Speaker 2]: You seem to be forgetting that the window was never opened. That means these fingerprints are most likely unrelated to this crime. I suggest we consider other possibilities.
David: So you should have heard can’t you see that no child could have carried the safe box outside and; after that You seem to be forgetting that the window was never opened.
Let’s listen to four more dialogues. Listeners, try to catch the phrases used to create focus. We’ll listen to a dialogue in which Speaker 1 is being kind, a second dialogue in which Speaker 1 is being polite, a third dialogue in which Speaker 1 is being a little direct, and a fourth dialogue in which Speaker 1 is being a little rude.
[5:35]
- Outbreak
[An American and German doctor trying to stop an Ebola outbreak in West Africa are discussing the attitudes of the local population]
[Speaker 1]: I am beginning to lose patience with the people in this village. They just won’t listen to us. We tell them, DO NOT TOUCH the bodies of your dead family members, and then they do it anyway. And then next, they get sick and die.
[Speaker 2]: Although we might like to, we can’t force them to do as we say. _______, _______ have traditions about how to treat their family members after death, and it is difficult to change all that in just a few weeks.
[Speaker 1]: I sometimes think it is hopeless, that these people will never understand that we are here to help, and that we won’t be able to stop this Ebola outbreak.
[Speaker 1]: I agree, it is frustrating, _______ we are outsiders to their culture and they will naturally treat us with distrust for some time. In time, they must change their minds though. _______, how long will it take?
David: Listeners, which phrases did you hear that were used to create focus? They were . . . above all, we must not forget, and the real question is. Alright, next dialogue.
[7:11]
- City Planning and Zoning Part 1
[A City Council is discussing the the reformation of their downtown area.]
Speaker 1: _______, but _______ there is a great danger that we may never make back the money that we invested in this project.
Speaker 2: We’ve spent several billion dollars on the reformation of this area of the town. And _______ how many people will want to live there.
Speaker 3: Many of the people we hope might become residents there, work in areas that in the more affluent side of town. They may consider it to be inconveniently located.
Speaker 1: Well, we can’t move the location, so there’s really no point in discussing that. _______ but _______ how many people can afford to live there?
David: Again, in this dialogue, what the second speaker says isn’t foolish or irrelevant. But the first speaker only wants to draw attention to what she thinks is the more central issue, and she does this with–and there’s that phrase again. Did you catch those, listeners?– Not everyone will agree with me, but and later . . . the real question is . . . Notice also how he shows consideration for what others have said by using the phrase, What you say may be true, and signposts his strong level of conviction with . . . It’s my belief that. Let’s go on to the next dialogue.
[8:55]
- City Planning and Zoning Part 2
[The same City Council members are discussing the problem of dishonest construction companies.]
[Speaker 1]: Alright, next on our agenda today, _______, we really need to come to a decision about what to do about construction companies that are cutting costs by using cheaper but less safe materials in their buildings. It’s not safe and could be a fire hazard.
[Speaker 2]: Oh yeah, it’s just like that movie called the Towering Inferno about that same thing that was made back in, oh I think it was back in 1974. The main character in that movie, let’s see, there was Paul Newman and Steve McQueen? I think they were both up for Academy Awards for that movie—just UNFORGETTABLE performances, really. Oh what a movie! Oh yeah–[Speaker 1]: If it’s all the same to you I’d like to get home sometime tonight, and I think the rest of us feel the same. So, _______ on this problem?
David: Listeners, what did you hear? You should have noticed the use, again, of above all, near the beginning, and later you should have heard maintain some focus and stick to the point.
Jennie: And now for the final dialogue.
[10:20]
- Midnight Snack
[Two hikers are lost in the forest at night.]
[Speaker 1]: We’ve been walking for hours and still haven’t reached camp. _______ we’re lost. Soon it will be too dark to read this map. Do you have any ideas?
[Speaker 2]: You know, this reminds me of that T.S. Eliot poem where there are two men walking in the snow. They keep walking and walking silently and after a while they both imagine that there is a third man. There’s that memorable line: Who is the third who walks beside you.”[Speaker 1]: I don’t know who he is, but I can promise you that there’s only going to be me and him _______ we’re lost and it’s getting dark.[Speaker 2]: Well you don’t have to get angry![Speaker 1]: _______ The temperature out here drops to nearly freezing at night, and there are wild animals that would love to have us as a midnight snack.
Jennie: Clearly, the first speaker here is losing his patience. He actually threatens the second speaker saying if you don’t do this, I’m going to do something bad to you.
David: It sounds like he’s saying he might murder him.
Jennie: I think he’s joking, but in a situation like this we might all lose patience.
David: I think he’s joking.
Jennie: All the same, it’s best to just not put yourself in dangerous situations with people who can’t maintain focus in emergency situations. You’re better off alone. Still, I think we can say that it is a rude thing to tell someone you’re thinking about doing away with them.
David: Jennie, I hate to say it but I think we have lost focus ourselves.
Jennie: What do you mean– Oh right I see. What does he say to maintain focus? The phrase was keep in mind.
David: Then to add to that, he says, “You just don’t get it, do you?” This should focus the other person’s attention on the fact that he is missing some important information.
Jennie: And on that note we should keep the time in mind. It’s time we ended this episode, so until next time, think critically
David: And speak dialogically.