This is the first part of a series of articles on language functions and the focus of the series is to explain various language functions such as giving advice, offering suggestions and expressing disappointment with examples and list popular expressions used to convey our feelings and attitudes while performing such functions.
Today’s part deals with giving advice. Giving advice is an art. If we want our advice to be accepted by others we should give it in a positive and constructive manner. The person who gives advice should have positive attitude, be an emphatic listener and use positive language. Language is a very powerful tool. Positive language has positive impact on the giver and the receiver. The way we express ourselves affects the way our message is received. The message can be received positively or negatively. Even an unpleasant message can be conveyed effectively with the use of positive language. When we use positive language, we put ourselves in the shoes of the other person. Here sympathy is replaced by empathy. Instead of saying, “Try this…” you can say, “If I were you, I would try this.” The phrase “If I were you” signals inclusion and empathy.
Look at this tight corner situation faced by a student called Suresh. When he was about to complete his third-year engineering programme, he was offered a job by a leading company. The pay package was very attractive. Suresh had two options. The first option was that he could take a break for one year from the college and sign a contract with the company and the second option was to say ‘no’ to the job offer and complete the engineering programme. Suresh is in a dilemma and asks for advice. Here are some useful common expressions that could be used while offering advice to the student:
* If I were you, I’d (would) take a break from the college and join….
* I think the best thing for you to do is to apply for a one-year break and sign a contract with the company.
* It is advisable to …
* I think you should ...
* You’d better … .
— rayanal@yahoo.co.uk