What are you saying meaning

"What say you?" | Britannica Dictionary

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"What say you?"

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"What say you?" is an odd construction.

It's used to ask someone "what do you think about this?" It is certainly not as common as "What do you say?" or "What do you think?" or "What is your opinion?" -- but it is idiomatic English. It is old-fashioned and appears mostly in spoken English these days.

It has a slightly urgent but familiar tone:

What say you, Mr. Brown? Will we have an early frost this year?

I think she should take a semester off before returning to college. What say you?

The expression can also be a slightly aggressive way to ask a question. In this context, "what say you?" means "what do you say in response?" Here's a couple of examples:

You made your choice, but what say you to young people who struggle with that dilemma even as we speak?

You've heard all the evidence. What say you to that?

It is also part of the old-fashioned and more formal language of courts of law, and is used to ask about decisions or to ask a defendant to issue an official plea of "guilty" or "not guilty":

To the charge of murder in the first degree, what say you?

What say you, foreperson? Is the defendant guilty or not guilty?

[Thanks to editor Kory Stamper for some of this information.]

"You don't say" as statement and question
"What do you do"
"Under someone's thumb"
"The elephant in the room"

I hear what you are saying, BUT… – Et maintenant in English

(Giving your opinion B1+)

Giving an opinion can be quite easy. Simple expressions are:

I agree or I disagree, or I don’t agree (NOT I am agree).

I totally agree with you George.

I disagree. I don’t think it is a good idea.

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Simple options to introduce your opinion are:

I think / I believe / In my opinion / Personally, I feel…

I think plan A is great.

In my opinion, plan B is the best option.

Personally, I feel/think/believe that plan C would be better.

However, when we give our opinion, we must be careful that we do not sound too cold and insensitive. And we often also need to give more subtle and nuanced replies.

We can partially agree or agree to some extent, and totally agree and completely disagree

This is where the famous BUT comes into play.

I agree with your George, but I am not sure about the pricing.

I think the idea is great, but I am not sure about the timeline.

The British are the masters of the BUT. How does it work?

The first sentence is a mini-compliment, but when we hear the BUT we know something less complimentary (negative) is coming.

I see what you mean (I understand what you are saying), but I don’t think we have the people to do it.

I think that’s a good point, but it’s not really our decision.

The BUT quickly changes the meaning.

Compare:

That’s a good idea.

That’s a good idea, but there is no way the marketing team will agree.

A lot of the language used in giving your opinion is coded. It can drastically change meaning depending on the tone and intonation of the speaker.

Let’s look at the expression: I hear what you say

You might think it means I understand you. In fact, the expression is coded.
For a native English speaker, I hear what you say, means I understand what you are saying, but I don’t agree with you… because nine times out of 10 it is followed by that word but…

I hear what you say, but unfortunately the deadline cannot be extended.

A similar expression is: I see what you mean

Once again, you can say this if you understand why somebody thinks something, but you probably do not agree.

Alain: We can’t force her to leave him. It’s her decision.

Beatrice:”I see what you mean, but we’ve got to do something. We can’t let him treat her like that.

Senior trainer at The Language House Sian Tobin, who is from the UK, had this to say:

A British person is unlikely to ever say ´I disagree with you’ or ´I don’t agree’. We will mostly employ ‘I’m not sure about that’ , which means ‘I am 100% unsure, I’m just too polite to say it directly’. In a business meeting you might hear someone say: ´I would challenge that idea’. Translation: ‘I think you are 100% wrong.‘

Sian says (tongue in cheek) Brits strive for diplomacy at all times, ‘whilst secretly expressing that we are 100% right, 100% of the time‘.

Then there is the word the word interesting.
Interesting can mean a lot of different things.
Depending on the tone and intonation, interesting could mean anything from very positive – “Yes that’s got potential” to extremely negative – “What a stupid idea”.
Nine times out of 10, sorry to say, it has a definite negative meaning. It is often used as a polite reaction to say thank you for your input, BUT it’s not particularly interesting or relevant.
English speakers use it in many different situations especially when they can’t think of anything else to say. The tone of voice will show the listener whether its positive or negative. Better to use it when you are genuinely interested.
“That’s interesting!”
But, more often that not, you will hear:
Mmmm… interesting. Maybe we can talk about that in the next meeting. (Coded meaning: It is not relevant, and this is the not the right place or time).
Interesting… it might be worth a look. (Coded meaning: It’s very low priority)

Exercise 1: Match the phrases A – E with the phrases 1- 5 below:

(In cases more than one response is possible)

a. That’s a great idea!

b. I hear what you are saying,

c.Now, that’s really interesting!

d. Mmmm.. interesting,

e. Do you agree?

I’ll ask George to start work on it right away.
We definitely should do that.
but I don’t think she will agree.
but there is no way we can afford it.
Yes, to a certain extent.

Answers:

a: 1 or 2 b: 3 or 4 c: 1 or 2 d: 3 or 4 e: 5

Exercise 2: Giving your opinion

Meeting to decide on re-opening English school after the coronavirus.

Present: Susan (trainer), Mary (director of studies), John (trainer).

Put the following expressions in the right space in the exercise below. The first two have been done for you.

I totally agree
That’s a great idea! In my opinion
I think
Interesting… BUT
I see what you mean Susan, BUT
On the one hand,
BUT, on the other hand
I agree
we all agree on
I agree 100 per cent.
I agree to a certain extent

Susan: (a) Personally, I think all students and teacher must wear face-masks when we reopen.

Mary: (b) I hear what you are saying, BUT it’s impossible to learn a language if your mouth is covered.

Susan: Yes, I suppose you are right. But we must be safe.

John; Yes, (c)…………………………. with Mary. We have to come up with another alternative to make students safe.

Mary: What about putting transparent screens in the classrooms to separate the teacher and students?

John: (d) Yes! ………………………..this would protect both the students and teachers.

Susan: (e)…………………………… we should also ask students to bring a doctor’s certificate.

Mary: (f)……………………….that’s not practical. Not many people have had tests. Personally, I don’t know anyone who has had a test.

John: (g)………………………………………..if we ask students to wear masks and have medical certificates, I think we might as well close down the school.

(h) …………………………. we might be 100 per cent safe, (i) …………………………… we will probably have no students and no jobs.

Mary: (j) ………………. with John. So, do (k) ………………………….the screens?

John: (l) ………………………… It’s a brilliant idea!

Susan: (m) ……………………………but I still think it’s important to wear masks.

(Check your answers at the bottom of the page)

Expression to learn and use:

to agree to disagree

agree to disagree – to accept that there are two different views. And stop arguing and agree to have different points of view.

After their discussion about politics intensified, Fred and Sue decided to agree to disagree before it affected their friendship.

I’m sick of arguing with you, so let’s just agree to disagree and move on.

Answers to exercise 2:

Susan: Personally, I think all students and teacher must wear masks when we reopen.

Mary: I hear what you are saying, BUT it’s impossible to learn a language if your mouth is covered.

Susan: Yes, I suppose you are right. But we have to be safe.

John; Yes I totally agree with Mary. We have to come up with another alternative to make students safe.

Mary: What about putting transparent screens in the classrooms to separate the teacher and students?

John: That’s a great idea! In my opinion this would protect both the students and teachers.

Susan: I think we should ask students to bring a doctor’s certificate.

Mary: Interesting… BUT not at all practical. Not many people have had tests. Personally, I don’t know anyone who has has a test.

John: I see what you mean Susan, BUT if we ask students to wear masks and have medical certificates I think we might as well close down the school.

On the one hand, we might be 100 per cent safe, BUT on the other hand we will probably have no students and no jobs.

Mary: I agree with John. So, do we all agree on the screens?

John: I agree 100 per cent.

Susan: I agree to a certain extent. I still think it’s important to wear masks.

Paul Valéry quote: Everything you say says about you, and especially…

— Paul Valéry

Last updated 28 October 2022

Paul Valéry

49 French poet, essayist, philosopher 1871 - 1945

"The way you look at others tells what is going on in yourself."

- Liz Bourbeau 1941

- Konstantin Semyonovich Melikhan Russian writer, author of humorous books, pop performer of his own works, cartoonist, TV presenter, . .. 1952

“He who does not tell the truth about himself cannot speak it about others.”

— Virginia Woolf British writer, literary critic 1882 - 1941

“If you want to be spoken well of you, do not speak badly of others. “

— Epictetus Greek philosopher 50 - 138

“The only thing that matters is you. If you think you look good, you look good. Don't let other people say bad things to you. This is what I tell myself every morning.”

- Phoebe Tonkin, Australian actress and model playwright, writer, essayist 1854 - 1900

“When in doubt you say one thing, but your heart says another.”

— Anin Sheer

sometimes you say things you don't really mean, just to hurt someone else."

- Jared Padalecki 1982

"In a family, children and dogs always know everything, especially what they don't talk about."

- Francoise Dolto 1908 - 1988

— Nicholas Serbian Bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bishop of Ohrid and Zhichsky 1880 - 1956

About other people's sins and their own victories.

“Willpower is when your brain tells you: “That’s it!” and you say: “No, that’s not all.””

- Walter Wriston 1919 - 2005

"Do you want to know what your friends say about you? Listen to what they say about people who are better than you.”

— Maria von Ebner-Eschenbach Austrian writer, playwright 1830 - 1916

“A gossip is someone who talks to you about others; bore - the one who talks to you about himself; and a brilliant conversationalist is one who talks to you about you.”

— Lisa Kirk 1925 - 1990

“If you want to know a person, don't listen to what others say about him. Better listen to what he says about others.“

- Woody Allen (Allen Stewart Koenigsberg) You speak with words, but you can’t write, but your heart says something else.”

— Anin Sheer

Butler says, "Wise men never say what they think of women"? Wise men never say anything else, apparently.”

- Virginia Woolf British writer, literary critic 1882 - 1941

"If people say bad things about your children, it means they say bad things about you. "

- Vasily Aleksandrovich Sukhomlinsky Ukrainian Soviet teacher you were told “on an equal footing” you need A. Learn to speak and B. Become equal.”

— Marina Matisse Belarusian and Spanish singer, poetess and composer 1991

Weightlessness

another, for your conscience will convict you.
When in doubt, you say one thing, but your heart says another.”

— Anin Sheer

friend, word, appearance, doubts, heart, speech, conscience, justification, Twitter, Facebook, vkontakte

“Hide what you say yourself, learn what others say and you will become a true prince.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli Italian thinker, philosopher, writer, politician 1469 - 1527

No source

What are you talking about! - Tutors Association Blog

Have you ever noticed how your attitude towards the interlocutor changes depending on how he speaks? A lively, rich and competent speech makes us, willy-nilly, feel sympathy for the speaker, even if the subject of the conversation is not close to us. The culture of speech and the culture of the language are the two most important aspects of language education, which are often forgotten when delving into the thicket of grammatical rules. We asked teachers of the Association of Tutors Irina Igorevna and Ivan Andreevich about how to develop this culture.

More than just a way

“ The language is a complex sign system, naturally or artificially created and correlating conceptual content and typical sound (writing),” the dictionary tells us.

What he does not tell us is that with the help of this sign system one can change ideas about the world, that it keeps a reminder of past eras, and also that it helps to understand a person much more than is written in his summary.

The idea of a culture of speech spread in the Soviet era as a response to the need to fix the norm. This norm is based on literary, “pure” language. As a reference example of what this norm is not, one can cite a letter from an “honest citizen” from the story of the same name by Zoshchenko. It ridicules all the language habits of the newly-minted city dweller at once - clichés, clericalism, borrowings and dialect words, mixed into a bizarre something.

But is it necessary to observe the culture of the language at school? Is it not enough just to have a good knowledge of grammar?

“This is very important, ,” says Irina Igorevna, teacher of Russian language and literature. - And the role of the teacher in this matter is great: it is with his help that children should realize the importance and necessity of language in the culture, development and future of society. They must understand the role of their native language in their lives, appreciate its great meaning. "In the beginning was the word..." is the truth.

Ivan Andreevich, a graduate of Moscow State Pedagogical University teaching French, explains this need even more specifically, using the example of learning a foreign language:

“It would be strange if a foreign language teacher in the 21st century would focus his course on strengthening grammar. Language is a set of skills, and for speaking a foreign language, knowledge of the culture of the country of the language being studied is required. Now it is fashionable to talk about the so-called "socio-cultural competence". The concept implies a feeling of the culture in which the language is born and lives. Understanding why we use this or that word, set expression, phraseological unit. In a broad sense, by instilling the notorious “sociocultural competence”, we let students understand where the language they are taught at school came from. And such learning cannot be limited to fixing grammar.

"But what to do with grammar" - the question arises. We, private teachers, must understand very clearly. We do not help school teachers to “give the program”. We help the student to master it. “Reinforcing grammar” is a task that a school teacher does well in 45 minutes. The task of the tutor is to give more than the school gives. We do not duplicate the school teacher, we tell what is not told at school. At the same time, answering the most uncomfortable questions of a modern student: why learn a language? How to speak the language? Where did this or that language turn come from? Why is everything not the same as in Russian, but in a different way? Here, in my opinion, is the basis for the formation of a language culture. And we should be guided by the formation of such a base.”

"Let's talk right!"

At the mere sound of the words “culture of speech”, a portrait of a strict lady with pursed lips inevitably arises in the head, uttering “puts, not lies” through her teeth. An adult who confuses “put on” with “put on” is unlikely to be corrected by anyone: this is considered a manifestation of tactlessness. But with children it’s a completely different story: they still have a university and their first career steps ahead, which means a lot of opportunities to prove themselves from a not very attractive side by saying something wrong (or rather, “wrong”).

“It is necessary to correct mistakes in oral speech ,” says Irina Igorevna. — Otherwise, the child's speech will be seriously affected. The form of correction is light, non-obvious mentoring. Just correct: "There is such an emphasis ..." or "The case is incorrect, listen, you need to like this ...". Do not focus on the mistake, immediately go further on the topic of the lesson.

Do not forget that in adolescence, speech will inevitably change: during this period, belonging to a group becomes a priority value, and often the jargon and slang adopted in this group occupy 80% of the entire language used.

Carl Sandburg, an American poet, said that slang is a language that took off his suit, spat on his hands and got to work. Keep this in mind when you listen to your teen talking to his peers - but take it upon yourself to remind him that there are many other situations besides "work" in which a suit is vital.

The culture of the language is cultivated in the same way as any other - by immersion in the context. And in this sense, the study of a foreign language, Ivan Andreevich believes, is no different from the native: in order to speak it correctly and beautifully, it is best to come into contact with its direct manifestations as often as possible.

“I try not to correct any of the student's statements (especially retellings) in French. The extreme exception is when I don't understand what the student is talking about. In other cases, I wait until the student finishes and point out the mistakes at the end of the statement. Communication should be communication, even in a foreign language. We, when talking in Russian, do not correct each other. For us, the main thing is mutual understanding, and not the purity of the speech of the interlocutor.

Perhaps they will ask me, what if the student “remembers it wrong if he doesn’t correct it in time”. I hasten to note that the formation of communicative competence has nothing to do with the growth of bone tissue. It is only in the bones that it can "grow together incorrectly, and you have to break it. " Foreign speech is acquired in a completely different way. The priority for the teacher is to teach to speak. The quality of speech is the result of a long work on the formation of the internal culture of this speech. Culture is not achieved through situational corrections by the teacher. And with the help of reading books, newspapers, watching movies, author's blogs and other resources of a foreign language. "

But if the teacher is an authoritative person who “knows how to do it”, then what is the role of a parent?

And my mother said…

Like any other personality trait, language habits originate in the family. Children are taught to speak by their parents, and it is their manner of speaking that largely influences how children speak at school (and, by the way, all typical verbal reactions are also “sewn” at home; think about it the next time you decide to say “like a wall” peas").

"Parents can do a lot. But, alas, they do not have enough time, energy, or desire. Almost everyone, - Irina Igorevna is sure. And the method is simple: you need to read with your child, share your impressions , analyze to the best of my ability ... Look for obsolete words, synonyms, neologisms, tropes, language features of the author ... The main thing is that the child should see the genuine interest of parents in his books. I had one mother who read and studied with her son " Eugene Onegin. "Unfortunately, only one ... ".

As far as a foreign language is concerned, according to Ivan Andreevich, parents have only one way to get through to their child - to make the language a family interest.

"Parents can influence a child's interest only in one case: if it is interesting to them. I often observe a situation where parents assure a child that it is necessary to learn two foreign languages, as this will be "useful for a career." However, the child sees in practice how parents build their careers without any foreign languages.Knowing "a little bit of English", parents can speak on vacation abroad, the lack of knowledge of the language does not prevent them from solving simple communicative tasks. If the child sees just such picture, he will see no reason to learn languages more deeply.Second example.Parents motivate the child to learn a foreign language in order to help them solve some of their speech problems on a trip abroad.I will say from my own experience, such motivation is not the best.Learn a language for The teenager will not become parents, because he will not see his personal goals in this.0127

So, parents can raise their child's interest in language only in one case: if such interest lives in them. This interest can be helped. For example, organizing family lessons of a foreign language. Or teaching parents and children in parallel. The only contraindication here may be the wrong motivation of the parents. If parents say they want to learn a foreign language just to help/supervise/check their child's lessons, this motivation is wrong. Personally, I tell my parents directly that I do not work under such conditions. If parents want to learn a foreign language with their child, I am always for it.
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