Aug
Speaking, like, up?
Andrew Berthoff
One of the worst communications phenomena of our time is upspeak. In the 1980s it emerged as the comical accent of “Valley Girls,” where ditzy kids would have an interrogative cadence to everything they said.
Now, it’s everywhere. And it must be stopped.
Upspeak makes you sound uncertain, as if every sentence is a question. Almost every candidate for employment whom I interview, who’s younger than 25, seems to have the upspeak problem.
“So I really want to work at Environics? Because you’ve got such a great reputation? And I hear that your clients are really excellent, and, like, you treat staff really well?”
I don’t fault them. My eight-year-old daughter is getting the habit, and I think it’s just the way kids talk now. We’re first trying to disabuse her of the notion that the word “like” doesn’t have to, like, be said, like, three times, like in every sentence. After we gently conquer that, we’ll move on to the idiotic upward verbal rhythm of the schoolyard.
The upspeak cadence communicates a lack of confidence. Imagine Katie Couric or Brian Williams delivering the evening news with a constant upward lilt. “Good evening? This is the CBS Evening News? I’m Katie Couric?”
Since upspeak is becoming a North American-wide accent, it’s a tricky thing to undo. But my advice to you aspiring public relations professionals: practice downspeak. It’s much more convincing and declarative, and people won’t think you’re a ditz.
I hear you. I have been on a personal crusade for the last 10 years to get everyone (including my daughters) to not use upspeak. I must report that I have been successful with them, but not everyone else!
I agree with you and Donna
It looks like (!!!) we all fought with our daughters…
Our youngest just returned to school and the like bug is back in full force…
Amazing.