FUNDAMENTAL LANGUAGE SKILLS

KNOWING HOW TO LISTEN MAKES IT EASY

THE COMMUNICATION

WHO THINKS WELL

CAN WRITE WELL

WHO DOES NOT KNOW THE POWER OF WORDS

HE IS UNABLE TO KNOW MEN

WHEN SPEAKING IT IS FUNDAMENTAL TO KNOW

WHY IT IS SPOKEN AND WHAT IT IS SAID

READING IS CULTURALLY REBORN

AUTHOR: IVÁN SANDOVAL FUENZALIDA

3rd VERSION 2000

MATERIAL FOR THE ORAL COMMUNICATION COURSE

TEACHERS: MARÍA ELVIRA GARCÍA
ALEJANDRA RIVEROS
 FUNDAMENTAL LANGUAGE SKILLS 10

INTRODUCTION

The management of fundamental linguistic skills - speaking, listening,

reading and writing - is considered obvious in every human being with a basic level
of schooling. However, in practice this is not the case.

It is common to observe people with a good academic preparation who have

difficulties speaking, especially when it comes to speaking to a group of people;
Likewise, listening is a very rarely practiced skill and for this reason it is a frequent
cause of lack of communication. Reading usually becomes just an act of
deciphering printed signs with a minimal understanding of the text, and the reading
habit is very little spread. Writing, for many, is an intellectual martyrdom, especially
for those who due to work obligations must do it frequently. When they manage to
write, the message appears riddled with errors in substance and form, thereby
causing another factor of lack of communication.

The journalist is a professional who must adequately manage these four

linguistic skills. In this guide you will find information about them and basic
application techniques.

The contents provided in this material correspond to a synthesis of the first

three chapters of the book “Development of Linguistic Skills”, which Professor Iván
Sandoval wrote as a contribution to the Chilean Educational reform.

Objectives: At the end of this guide, you will be able to:

1) Identify the essential characteristics of the four fundamental language
skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).

2) Apply basic techniques that promote mastery of the indicated skills,

and

3) Recognize the value that mastery of the aforementioned linguistic

skills has for a professional.

Procedure
1. Read this material calmly
2. Discuss it in your work group.
3. Clarify doubts in class. See. Participant
4. Develop the exercises outlined in the guide. Remember:

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“THE MASTERY OF LANGUAGE SKILLS

“FACILITATES COMMUNICATION”

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FUNDAMENTAL LANGUAGE SKILLS:

SPEAK - LISTEN - READ - WRITE

Man is usually defined as an essentially social being, that is, he needs

others for his own survival. In his relationship with others, he uses language as an
instrument of communication, which allows him to express ideas, feelings, desires
and emotions.

Speaking is the first linguistic skill that man develops.

The young child learns to speak not instinctively, but according to the stimuli
he receives from the social environment in which he develops. Then, their
expressive development on the oral level will be strongly conditioned by the social
environment in which they live.

From a general point of view, we all know how to speak, however, it is

common that sometimes having something to say is not expressed or at the
opposite extreme, some people talk more than they should. The situation becomes
complicated when it is necessary to speak to a group of people. Other factors come
into play here, such as fear of ridicule, criticism from listeners, not knowing what to
say, etc.

One way to cultivate oral expression is through

conversation

THE ACT OF SPEAKING : Although all human beings normally know how to
speak, they do not always do so with opportunity and with the real intention of
communicating.

When should you speak? The fundamental condition of the speaker is to know the
topic and transmit it to others through a code understandable by both parties. When
the topic is unknown, it is preferable to remain silent and listen to the other person.

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When speaking it is essential to know why you are speaking and

what
It is what is said.

THE ACT OF LISTENING : Knowing how to listen does not consist of remaining
silent with resignation while another person speaks, nor in paying attention only to
what is said, but in elevating attention to the category of a positive act, that is,
paying attention to the tones of voice. and expressions of the speaker, according to
the sequence of their reasoning, the coherence of their ideas and, above all,
listening carefully to what the other person is saying.

Knowing how to listen facilitates communication

It is common that in a conversation the speaker is not given time to finish

expressing what he or she intends to say. They are interrupted, contradicted,
arbitrarily refuted, thereby demonstrating, in addition to not knowing how to listen,
an unacceptable lack of respect on the part of the interlocutor. This negative
attitude bothers the sender, creates tensions and makes the communication
process difficult.

While listening it is not advisable to anticipate opinions

without having all the respective information.

Knowing how to listen implies waiting for the speaker to finish speaking, not
anticipating what the sender wants to say, not trying to guess what is going to be
expressed, but adopting a positive attitude towards the message that is being heard
and respect for the person. that issues it.

Knowing how to listen is a habit that is formed since childhood. Learning and
practicing it teaches you to be tolerant and accept other people's opinions, even
when they are not shared.

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WHO DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO LISTEN:

- Interrupts the speaker to discredit what he says;

- Try to guess what the sender intends to communicate;
- It distorts what the other person said, disorienting the interlocutor with capricious
interpretations;
- Introduces other topics without considering that the previous ones have been
properly explained;
- Try to impose ideas or opinions;
- Ask questions without paying much attention to the answers.

THEN, WHO KNOWS HOW TO LISTEN:

- Wait for the issuer to conclude his presentation;

- Try to understand what is being exposed;
- Try to correctly interpret what the sender expresses;
- Do not try to abruptly change the subject until the previous one has been
exhausted;
- Respect other people's opinions;
- Ask questions relevant to the topic and understand the answers given to the
questions asked.

Knowing how to listen allows us to clarify the issue about which

talks, facilitating relationships with others

THE ACT OF READING : It is defined as the ability to decipher printed signs.

However, reading is something more: it is understanding the meaning of the printed
matter, achieving its comprehensive decoding. This is what is called reflective
reading.

Although the habit of reading is formed from childhood, it is never too late to
acquire it. The child is formed as a reader when the book is brought to him, his
interest centers are stimulated through readings that attract him and he is taught to
enjoy the text.

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A book along with entertaining provides culture

Not all books can be read in the same way. It is very different to read a book
of poetry from one of essays. The important thing is that the reader knows how to
discriminate with respect to how he or she should approach each book.

The first thing is to adopt a positive attitude towards the book. Be convinced
that reading will always be beneficial and that the book is a friend that demands
nothing and gives everything. Secondly, and despite the dizzying pace of the
modern era, it is advisable to “make” time to read and try to do so comfortably.
Afterwards, it is convenient to discriminate between voluntary readings and those
that correspond to school or professional obligations.

In the case of reading for pleasure, we should read what responds to our
interests. If we like adventure, then let's read adventure books; If we are of a
romantic temperament, let's read books with those characteristics.

When it comes to required reading, try to read in small amounts and

periodically. Hopefully by chapters. When you finish a part, reflect on what you
read. Try to locate the central topic that the author raised and compare it with your
own opinions on that subject.

ABOUT HOW TO READ A BOOK : Below are some practical suggestions on how
to read, oriented towards reflective reading.

1. Organize your activity in such a way that every day you can have minutes to
read in peace;

2. Find a comfortable place, ensuring that there are no distractions that will disturb
your reading;

3. Read slowly at first until you reach your own reading pace. Try to enjoy what
you read and not the number of pages you read;

4. When you stop reading, try to get to the end of a chapter, so that you don't have
to go back to pages you've already read.

5. Constantly reflect on what you read. When words appear in the text whose
meaning you do not know, try to find out the meaning of those words.

6. At the end of the book, make a small file about its content. For example:

NAME OF THE BOOK

AUTHOR: _________________________ NATIONALITY: _________________

MAIN CHARACTERS: _____________________________________________

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SECONDARY CHARACTERS: ______________________________________

CONTENT SYNTHESIS: ____________________________________________

THE ACT OF WRITING : Normally many people know how to write and in fact do it,
but when they must express their thoughts in writing in a formal manner, the first
difficulties begin to arise.

The first thing anyone who should write asks himself is: What am I going to
say? How will I do it? How I finish?. These questions, when they do not have
answers, usually discourage those who want to write. Then, it is a good idea to try
to answer these questions before you start writing.

He who thinks well can write well

Before starting to write, it is advisable to think deeply about the content

about which you will write. Think about it, clarify what you want to express.
Afterwards, it is convenient to write down the ideas that will be expressed, ordering
them according to the intention that the author wishes to convey. Finally, the
content will be shaped. It is always advisable to carefully review what you have
written and ask yourself if what is expressed corresponds to what you intended to
write. The above responds to the basic process of written expression:

Review what you wrote and correct it as many times as necessary.

How can fundamental language skills be developed?

Speaking, listening, reading and writing can only be developed through constant
practice. The continuous use of the language allows us to perfect expression and
improve communication.

ORAL EXPRESSION : Speaking and listening are two fundamental linguistic skills
that are commonly present in relationship life. Human beings speak when they want
to convey a message to an interlocutor who is supposed to listen to it. Knowing how
to speak and listen are primary linguistic activities, which despite this characteristic,
do not always favor the communicative process, since sometimes the speaker
distorts the message due to psychological, physical, environmental or linguistic

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obstacles; Either the listener does not know how to do so by not paying due
attention to his interlocutor or by interrupting him before he expresses his idea or,
finally, he is not willing enough to listen to him.

It has been argued that both linguistic activities should be practiced as a

way to achieve better communication between human beings. It is advisable that all
people become aware that speaking and listening, along with promoting
communication, allows for a fuller, transcendent and more meaningful existence.

People understand each other better when they talk and

are listened to with respect

The most common way to apply these language skills is through

conversation. In it, the acts of speaking and listening occur simultaneously, since
each of the interlocutors emits and receives messages according to the
communicative situation in which they participate. In the conversation there is not
much time to reflect, nor to rigorously organize ideas or to apply grammatical
principles of syntactic order in the emission of messages. Due to the personal
nature of the conversation, speakers tend to somewhat neglect the lexicon, which
normally does not hinder communication, since intonation, gestures and even the
hesitations themselves help to better interpret what is intended to be expressed.

From the point of view of the registers or levels of speech, the conversation
is located at the informal level, which can have the character of “cultured” or
“uncultured” depending on the characteristics of the speakers.

There are other instances of oral communication that require more formal
and content rigor on the part of the issuer. This is the case when it is required to
speak in front of a group of people, whether in a class, talk or exhibition. Given this
communicative fact, the speaker adopts a formal speech register. At this level, an
attempt is made to transmit a message that is clear, orderly and coherent, in such a
way that listeners understand the content of the message and are imposed or
convinced of it, according to the intentions of the person speaking.

In the life of relationships, there are many opportunities in which people must
speak in front of a group and it must be recognized that it is not always done with
pleasure. There is a kind of natural fear in these situations and many faced with the
fact will have experienced unpleasant sensations such as rapid breathing,
accelerated pulse, dry throat and lips, trembling of hands and knees or sudden
variations in the volume or timbre of the voice. These not very pleasant experiences
consciously or unconsciously drive people to avoid speaking in front of groups and
to think that they are not capable of doing so. However, all those who for
professional or social reasons must speak in front of an audience, on more than
one occasion will have felt the same sensations and have learned through

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experience to control fear, not eliminate it, as it is assured that it is positive, that
there is a certain degree of tension in the speaker, since that will encourage him to
actively engage in the message he transmits.

In any case, it is advisable to try to identify the cause that causes fear. It is
almost always the fear of making mistakes, of losing the coherence of ideas, of
making linguistic errors, of not responding to the listeners' expectations or simply of
“making a fool of myself.” Once the factor that produces fear has been identified, it
is advisable to try to overcome it by reinforcing the aspect that may cause it. It is
advisable, yes, to keep in mind that fear is usually accompanied by insecurity and
this can be overcome through careful preparation of the content of the message, as
well as the personal aspect of the speaker and the physical environment where it
will be presented.

HOW TO PREPARE A TOPIC FOR AN ORAL EXHIBITION

Regarding the content:

1. Study and analyze the content of the topic in as much depth as possible. Look
for antecedents, reflect on them and compare them with the opinion you have
on the matter.

2. Organize the material. For this purpose it is advisable:

- Determine the objective of the exhibition that will be developed, delimiting the
extent and depth of the topic.
- Set the time you will have;
- Rate the quality of the audience that will listen to it

3. Write down the ideas you intend to present. Then order them rigorously
according to the objective you set. In this planning, try to clearly distinguish
three aspects:

INTRODUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND CONCLUSION

4. Review the planning again. Consider once again the objective, the delimitation
of the topic and the time you will have for your presentation.

5. Observations for the introduction:

- In it try to provide a global vision of the topic.

- Try to present it in a way that arouses interest and attracts listeners. Avoid
advance excuses.
- In general, indicate the objective of your presentation and the approximate time
it will take.

6. Observations for development:

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- Divide the presentation into two parts: presentation of the facts and analysis or
interpretation of them.

- Argue persuasively, but do not try to impose your views on the matter.
- Try to maintain the interest of your listeners through constant motivation. Use as
a resource the tone of voice, digressions on the same topic, but without
deviating too much from it, opinions of other authorized people on the subject,
etc.

7. Observations for conclusion:

- Repeat some ideas that you have raised in the development;

- Formulate a summary of your argument;
- State the conclusion you have reached.

Regarding the exhibitor:

1. Before starting your presentation, concentrate and think that you will do it well;
Be positively predisposed to communicate a message.

2. If you feel too nervous, control your restlessness with a full breath.

3. Speak in a tone of voice that allows you to reach the entire audience. Graduate
your tone, considering the farthest corners of the room and the center of the
room as a reference point;

4. Speak at a pace a little slower than the one you usually use;

5. Personally, take care of the idiomatic use without falling into pedantry;

6. Use the gestures that you usually use. Do not gesticulate exaggeratedly;

7. Look at the listening audience. Locate “nice” faces and fix your gaze on them for
a few seconds. Avoid rotating your head throughout the auditorium. Remember
that you are exposing and not observing a tennis match;

8. Avoid the tics and mannerisms that are usually so frequent and distract the
audience (excessively rubbing your hands, stroking your chin, playing with a
keychain, fixing your tie knot over and over, etc.)

9. If you make a mistake during your presentation........ calm. It is advisable to

conclude the sentence and then rectify it. Did you get tangled up in an
approach...? Well, don't insist, since you may lose the flow of the speech. Stop
for a moment and then start again.

10. And above all... Be sincere, natural and authentic.

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“What is said must be valued by the voice, by the

physiognomy and by gesture” (Cicero)

“Whoever does not know the power of words,

"He is incapable of knowing men" (Confucius)

Regarding the physical environment : If possible, it is advisable to first check

the place where you will speak, even if it is known. It is recommended to adopt
some considerations such as:

1. Make sure the room is comfortable enough for listeners.

2. Depending on the approximate number of people who could attend your

exhibition, make sure that the place is neither too large nor too small;

3. If you will use audiovisual resources, check the proper functioning of the
electrical installations;

4. Try to locate yourself in a place that allows you to adequately cover the entire
auditorium and that is comfortable for you.

Having verified the above aspects... good luck.

Speaking in front of an audience can be more enjoyable if you carefully

prepare the content of your speech, yourself, and the physical environment where
you will speak. Remember in any case that you will communicate a message, so
prepare yourself positively for it.

WRITTEN EXPRESSION : Writing and reading are two fundamental linguistic skills
that are closely related, since the person who writes does so with the intention of

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being read. Some tend to claim that they write for themselves, but this, along with
revealing selfishness on the part of the sender of the message, demonstrates a
denial of the communicative process, since in the depths of whoever writes, sharing
what is expressed with others is always present.

The act of writing, that is, the ease of expressing

writing down what you feel, it can turn out
as natural as the art of speaking.

Strictly speaking, anyone can tell what they have seen, so why shouldn't they
be able to write it? If writing is nothing more than the transcription of the spoken
word, it should, but it doesn't. When faced with the possibility of writing, there are
many people who excuse themselves on the grounds that they do not have the
ability, lack of language skills, or simply do not know how to say it.

Some authors maintain that if someone is capable of writing a letter, that is,
narrating something to a friend, they are capable of writing, because a page of
understanding is a story made to the public. According to this, any person who has
moderate aptitudes and some reading can write if he knows how to apply himself,
and especially if he has the desire to communicate to others what he sees and
express what he feels. However, what appears to be so simple when practiced is
usually not so simple.

In speech – oral or written – understood as the particular and concrete use that
the individual makes of the language, different levels or registers are appreciated.
In the case of written communication, three well-defined levels can be perceived:
the first is usually called informal and corresponds to ordinary messages, family
letters and other forms of communication that do not demand too much rigor from
the sender of the message; The second is the formal one that is seen in articles,
exhibitions, reports and other messages, in which the person who writes does so to
transmit something in accordance with certain conventions that are determined by
the situational environment in which the communicative event occurs; The third
level is the supraformal and is typical of literature, where the act of writing becomes
an art, thanks to the talent of the writer and his possibilities of adding beauty to
what he expresses.

The first two levels will be analyzed, informal and formal, considering that they
respond to the act of writing, the third, the supraformal, enters the artistic field,
where not only the intention to write is required, but something else that not all

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people possess. and that is typical of those who make literature an art.

speech record. Examples:

INFORMAL FORMAL SUPRAFORMAL

Home Home Shelter

Quiltro Dog Dog
Die Die Fencer

However, at the three levels, informal, formal and supraformal, expressions

that do not exactly respond to them can be used as a way, either to give greater
realism to what is expressed or, conversely, more lexical rigor to the message.

From a general point of view, every message is made up of two fundamental

aspects: the FUND and the FORM. The first refers to the content, the set of ideas
that are intended to be expressed, and the second has to do with the way in which
these ideas will be expressed. Both aspects are important, since little can be
achieved if you have a brilliant set of ideas and do not know how to express them.
In the same way, little or nothing is achieved when beautiful forms of expression
are mastered and a clear structure of thought is lacking. Then, the substance and
the form are two inseparable aspects in the message, both one and the other are
important and must be rigorously taken care of so that what is transmitted is
understandable and makes sense for the reader.

Permanent correction is an unavoidable obligation

of who writes.

The Message as a linguistic product: From the linguistic perspective, the

message can be classified according to the following aspects:

1. Its modality : oral or written

2. Its purpose : It corresponds to the content and this can be personal, literary,
scientific or pragmatic.

3. Its structuring : The message is made up of phrases, periods and clauses. The
grammatical sentence is called a phrase and is defined as “the smallest unit of
language with complete meaning”, the period is made up of a series of

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juxtaposed phrases or joined by means of particles (coordinated phrases), and

the clause combines one or several phrases of indeterminate meaning with
another main one of independent value, to close or further determine its
meaning. According to Gonzalo Martín Vivaldi, in his “Writing Course”, “to have
complete meaning” means to declare, wish, ask or command something. Thus
“come” has complete meaning, since it is a phrase with which someone is
ordered to come. On the other hand, if you say "behind the scenes", this phrase
does not have complete meaning, since the person who speaks, affirms or
denies something with these words is missing, that is, the subject and the verb
are missing. Example: “She was backstage.”

Example of period or coordinated or juxtaposed phrases: “Keep that

diploma and hang it in your room as a trophy.” What is characteristic of the
period is that the phrases that form it are separable and simple. (1)

Example clause: ”If the weather is good, we will travel.” Here, if the weather
is good, it is a simple subordinate phrase, with an indeterminate meaning: “we
will travel” is the main one, with an indifferent value. (2)

Strictly speaking, every period, topic or paragraph represents a unit of

thought with a central idea or topic, supported by secondary ideas that, properly
harmonized, make up an expressive whole.

When you write, pay special attention to the elaboration of your phrases,
periods and clauses, so that these elements allow you to structure a clear and
understandable message for the reader.

Reading is the basis of the art of writing...

4. Your Requirements : these are of substance and form. Care must be taken
that the background or content has clarity, unity, coherence and emphasis and the
form , the way in which the content is expressed, is clear, correct, precise and
natural. If harmony, strength and elegance are added to these formal
characteristics, you will undoubtedly be on the right path in the complex but
fascinating world of written communication.

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SUGGESTIONS FOR PREPARING A JOB

OF WRITTEN EXPRESSION

There is no single method for preparing work of this nature. Some suggest what
is often called the “spontaneous method,” which consists of writing as many drafts
on the topic as necessary until the topic is exhausted. This method may be useful
for some people, however, it requires a lot of time and a lot of perseverance.

Others suggest “organization of ideas”, which is based on rigorous planning

that must be carefully respected when writing. This method has positive aspects in
terms of ordering the meaning of the message, but it can make the expression less
natural. Consequently, rather than establishing a method, some practical
suggestions will be advised that will allow anyone who, without literary pretensions,
to prepare a written work and must effectively communicate a written message.

SOME SUGGESTIONS :

1. Think and reflect as deeply as possible about the content you will discuss;
2. Study the issue, analyze it, review reference material;
3. Determine the objective of the work and define the topic;
4. In accordance with the previous point, write down the ideas that you intend to
develop;
5. Plan your ideas, ordering them according to the objective of the work.
6. Review the prepared planning. Don't be afraid to rearrange your ideas;
7. Write an initial draft. Give a basic structure to the content, where the
introduction, development and conclusion can be clearly seen.
8. Correct the background and shape of the eraser. When there are doubts of a
formal nature, clarify them through dictionaries or other texts.
9. Write the paper and... good luck.

Written expression can be developed, like all language skills, through

practice. Writing is not so difficult when there is a real intention to communicate and
an attempt is made to do so in a clear and understandable way for the reader.

Remember: The person who thinks well writes well.

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THE BACKGROUND AND FORM FACTORS IN WRITTEN EXPRESSION

Every message that is transmitted is made up of two factors that are

inseparable: substance and form. The first refers to the content, that is, the set of
ideas that is intended to be expressed, and the form to the way in which said
content is manifested. Although both are important in communicating a message, it
must be recognized that this does not imply neglecting or detracting from one of
them.

“The art of speaking or writing is the art of persuading”

Rafael Seco

COMPOSITION AND DRAFTING

When the message pursues a literary or artistic purpose, we speak of

composition; this means, then, any oral or written linguistic product in which an
aesthetic intention predominates. In composition, the way in which thoughts,
emotions and desires are manifested characterize the message, which does not
mean neglecting the content, but trying to communicate it in the most beautiful way
possible.

However, the person who writes does not always do so with an aesthetic
objective. You can do it in order to inform or convince the reader about something;
Now is when we talk about writing and it is defined as a linguistic product,
preferably written, in which an extra-literary intention prevails: to communicate or
persuade. Here, more than the way it is said, what is said is of interest. Now if what
has been expressed can be expressed beautifully, so much the better.

“Composing is writing with literary intention; write

It is doing it with intention or convincing.”
(Nemesio García)

According to what has been pointed out, composition and writing are not
synonyms, but they are not opposing concepts either, but simply different; Both

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linguistic products pursue the essential purpose of communicating; In this sense,

the substance and the form “play a determining role with characteristics common to
every written message, which only in the case of the artistic work itself, emphasizes
formal idiomatic resources, in accordance with the expressive function that the
language adopts.

Stylistics is the teaching of art

to write correctly

THE BACKGROUND FACTORS IN THE WRITTEN EXPRESSION . The content

of the message that is intended to be communicated must meet some fundamental
requirements so that what is expressed is understood by the reader. These
requirements are:

CLARITY. Whoever writes must know and master the subject ; To achieve this, it is
advisable to gather as much information as possible and reflect on the topic until
you gain full control over it. The error that threatens clarity is called DARKNESS.

UNIT : It refers, first of all, to the content and then to the structuring of the
paragraphs that will make up the message. As far as the subject is concerned, it is
suggested to deal with a single topic until it is exhausted with the capacity,
knowledge or intention of the sender of the message. As for the paragraphs, these
must be prepared considering a main idea, which is supported by a series of
secondary or complementary ideas and whose function is to support the central
topic. The error is called DIFFUSION.

COHERENCE . The subject matter is made up of paragraphs. These will be

organized in such a way that they follow a logical sequence so that there is no
contradiction between them. Coherence is achieved through careful content
planning. Graphically it can be represented as a chain, where each link
corresponds to a paragraph. The error is called INCOHERENCE.
EMPHASIS . It corresponds to those main ideas that the sender wishes to highlight
in accordance with the intention of the message transmitted. It is emphasized
through the reinforcement of these central topics. This requirement is specified in
the form through varied linguistic resources.

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Carefully prepare and organize what you

intends to write; thus
You will be able to communicate your message better.

FORMAL FACTORS IN WRITTEN EXPRESSION. The way in which the content

will be expressed must also meet some language requirements, which the issuer
should consider.

There is some consensus on the following:

CLARITY . The theme is clear when the writer does so in such a way that the
reader easily understands what is expressed without double or equivocal
interpretation. Errors that undermine clarity are:

- Ambiguity by diffusion is a confusion that occurs due to the editor's

carelessness. Example: “All people must have an obvious scale of values so
that they can later act through it in their life of relationships with other people.”
What is an obvious scale of values? Can you act “through” it?

- Syntactic ambiguity is a doubt or misunderstanding resulting from inadequate

grammatical construction. Example: She went to his house in his car. Who
owned the car? To her or to him?

- CORRECTION. It can be defined as respect for current grammatical rules and

norms. However, this cannot be considered absolute, since language is an
essentially dynamic linguistic reality that is subject to constant change. It is
here, then, where a criterion of idiomatic correctness can operate. The
functional one is suggested, which is based on the linguistic importance that a
geographical community has, on the communicative power of the current use
for the inhabitants of that community, a use that, in addition to its validity, is
guided by the people who usually work with the language, who rely on the
normative aspects of the language, adapting them to the linguistic reality in
which they participate.

Although all grammatical errors affect correction, the most significant are:

- Barbarisms. They consist of writing or pronouncing words incorrectly or using

inappropriate words. Example: Nobody attended the meeting.
(correct: no one).

- Solecisms. Offenses committed against the accuracy and purity of the

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language. They can be regime, construction and agreement.

Example of construction solecism: The letter arrived containing the information.

(In this case, the gerund, “Containing” refers to the noun “letter”, which is an
error, since a gerund in an adverbial function can determine a verb, an adjective
another adverb, but not a noun. Correct: “that it contained.”

PROPERTY. It corresponds to the use of words in the meaning they really

have. The words are proper when the idea they want to express has been
represented in them.

According to Emilio Martínez Amador, “It is the quality that words have that, at
the same time that they reveal a state of mind, they do not allow us to doubt
about the thought that we intend to initiate.”

The use of any word, expression or construction that is not used in accordance
with its meaning is inappropriate. The most frequent cause of inappropriateness
is called monotony, which consists of the use of a small number of words, either
for convenience or due to the speaker's ignorance.

Example of monotony: “The doctor examined the patient and told him what he
had.” (The doctor does not review ”, but rather “ examines ” and then “
diagnoses ”.

Another variant of monotony is of a lexical nature and is understood as the

abuse of certain words as fillers. Example: Then I explained to him what had
happened, then he pointed out that I had done wrong, then...

PRECISION . It corresponds to the exact translation of the thought through

words, without excess or lack of words. The person who writes must avoid both
extremes, since an excess of words can lead to diffusion and a lack of them to
laconicism. These two errors seriously affect linguistic precision and, therefore,
are distorting elements of the message.

Precision is the balance between the lack of words

and the excess of them.

Example of diffusion: “I must spend a more or less long period of time to discover
the consequences.” (Every “Lapso” implies time, therefore the turn used is
redundant. What is meant by “more or less long?” A day, a week, a month or a
year? Furthermore, “the consequences” are not “discovered”, but rather produced.

Example of laconicism: “Please bring the folder with the documents.” What folder?

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Which documents?

NATURALITY . Writing naturally is doing it as the person is, without fussing or

affectation. When they write, many people try to impress by using extremely
complicated vocabulary. The reader perceives this situation and it causes him
displeasure, causing a negative reaction towards the writer and making
communication difficult. The error that threatens naturalness is called affectation
and can be defined as a deliberate intention to impress with lexical resources
foreign to normal speech.

Example of affectation: “The steed moved very quickly through the lush
meadow.” (If “steed” and “ubérrima” are not words frequently used by the speaker,
both words can be considered affected).

If to these formal requirements: Clarity, correctness, propriety, precision and

naturalness, the person who writes can add, according to his talent and ability,
harmony, strength, elegance and originality to the expression, without a doubt the
message will be able to better achieve its meaning. Objective: communicate
effectively.

Both the substance and the form must be subject to the necessary review and
correction. Once the person finishes writing, it is advisable to read what has been
written and correct anything that does not appear clear enough. It is advisable to
place yourself in the reader's position and ask yourself if you really understand
what he or she wanted to express. If it is easily understood, it is most likely that the
message written by you fulfills its purpose: to communicate.

“Between two explanations, choose the clearest one; between two

forms,
the most basic; between two words, the shortest one.”
(Eugenio D'Ors, cited by Nemesio García C.)

Do you want to go deeper? See:

Bibliography

- “Writing Course”. Gonzalo Martín Vivaldi. Ed. Auditorium.

Spain 1980.

- “Dictionary of Grammar and doubts about the Language.” Emilio Martínez

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Amador. Ed. Sopena. Spain, 1953.

- “The development of linguistic skills”, Iván Sandoval F., Independent edition,

Santiago, Chile, 1999.

- “Editorial”, Iván Sandoval F., Editions of the Diego Portales University, Santiago,
Chile, 1999.

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