Informality and Indirectness in Irish English
Heather: I think it’s so interesting how culture can impact language and communication.
Heather: Um, I’m from the U.S., obviously, and I- I’ve lived in Ireland for almost 10 years and, um, even though both countries speak English and they are very similar culturally, the differences can really surprise you.
Heather: Um, here, things are quite informal, but also indirect.
Heather: Um, so, for example, the Irish tend to be on a first-name basis with, you know, like, everyone. Um, so even- even people referring to the Prime Minister will often refer to him or her by their first name.
Heather: So if you come in and you are using formal language like Ms. or Mr., um, or sir or ma’am, that kind of comes across as very weird.
Heather: The first name thing can seem very friendly, but it’s- it’s really more of, like, a “we’re all equal” sort of approach, um, because on the other hand, they can be quite indirect.
Heather: Um, so, if- especially if you’re phrasing, like, requests or negative feedback, you don’t just say, like, “Do this,” or “This is wrong; we need to redo it” — that will be received very poorly.
Heather: Um, so if you’re an American manager coming in and telling it- everybody exactly what you think, everyone will be like, “Ugh, who does he think he is?” You know, “Who is he to be telling everybody this?” Et cetera.
Heather: It- it’s expected that you should be using hedging language, so framing things as a question rather than an order, or instead of saying, “This is bad,” you’d say, “Well, perhaps this could use a bit of improvement.”
Heather: And it’s important to recognize that for what it is and not undervalue it, but be able to read between the lines.
Vocabulary:
impact – to have a strong effect on someone or something, “The heavy rain will impact traffic this afternoon.”
culturally – relating to the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a society, “The two countries are very different culturally, especially when it comes to holiday traditions.”
informal – relaxed, casual, and friendly, rather than official or serious, “We had an informal meeting over coffee instead of in the boardroom.”
indirect – not saying something in a clear, straight, or direct way, “She gave an indirect answer because she did not want to hurt his feelings.”
on a first-name basis – knowing someone well enough to call them by their first name instead of using a formal title like Mr., Ms., or Doctor, “I have worked with the boss for so long that we are now on a first-name basis.”
referring to – talking about, naming, or mentioning a specific person, place, or thing, “When he said ‘the best player,’ he was referring to his teammate.”
Prime Minister – the head of the government in many countries, “The Prime Minister gave a speech about the country’s new plans for education.”
comes across as – seems to have a particular quality or makes a specific impression on others, “He comes across as shy at first, but he is actually very funny.”
approach – a specific way of thinking about or dealing with a situation or problem, “Taking a deep breath is a good approach to staying calm during a test.”
on the other hand – a phrase used to introduce a different, contrasting, or opposite fact or idea, “I want to go to the beach; on the other hand, it looks like it might rain.”
phrasing – choosing specific words to express an idea or question, “Careful phrasing can make a difficult request sound much more polite.”
requests – the acts of politely asking for something that you want or need, “The library receives many requests for new books every month.”
negative feedback – comments, reviews, or criticisms that tell someone what they did wrong or how they can improve, “The chef received some negative feedback because the soup was too salty.”
received very poorly – met with a bad reaction, disliked, or rejected by a group of people, “The manager’s new rule about working late was received very poorly by the staff.”
hedging language – words or phrases used to make a statement sound less direct, softer, less aggressive, or less certain (such as “maybe,” “perhaps,” or “I think”), “Using hedging language helps you share a critical opinion without sounding rude.”
framing things – presenting or explaining an idea in a specific way to shape how people think and feel about it, “By framing things as a fun challenge rather than hard work, the teacher excited the students.”
undervalue – to fail to realize how important, valuable, or useful someone or something truly is, “You shouldn’t undervalue your basic computer skills; they are very helpful at work.”
read between the lines – to find a hidden or true meaning that is not openly or directly stated in what someone says or writes, “If you read between the lines, his short message means he is too busy to join us.”