The Language of Teachers

Despite our exposure to it at least five days a week, we rarely ever talk about the language that teachers use. Every day, our teachers riddle their lectures and classes with carefully chosen words and phrases in order to get us to behave a certain way. Whether it's emphasizing a fact or trying to get us to start studying, teachers' words are cleverly chosen and utilized.

The first case is when teachers use repetition in order to get us to pay attention to something. Whenever a teacher talks about a particularly important concept or fact, they will make sure to emphasize it by writing it on the board and repeating it for the class. While it's not uncommon for a teacher to simply repeat the phrase of importance, an even more noticeable technique is to use an anaphora. For example, my history teacher told the class, "You need to study the vocabulary, study the maps, and study your notes." Not only does this emphasize the action of studying, but it also makes it sound like a list. This simple use of language makes our brains wake up and notice that we are being given something to pay attention to. If the teacher had instead said, "Look at the vocabulary, analyze the maps, and review your notes," there wouldn't be as many people paying attention. This isn't necessarily because the students are disinterested in the class, but rather that there are certain literary devices that are more likely to capture our attention.

Teachers also carefully choose their diction in order to convince us to do something, such as a project or studying. Two common examples are whenever a teacher says, "We need to have the project in by Friday," or "We should make sure we master the vocabulary." Even though it's usually just the students, not the teacher and the students, who need to complete the assignment, using "we" gives an important attitude. Using "we" gives a sense of community, as if the teacher is just another student in the class (which you could argue that they are, except that they're the one giving out grades). It also avoids the patronizing air of saying "you need to do something," because it's less of a command and more of a statement.

Another interesting element of the language that teachers use is that they say "please" a lot. Whether it's, "Please remember to finish the packet by Monday," or "Please give yourself time to study," teachers are constantly adding "pleases" to their sentences. Why? It's not like teachers have to ask you to do your assignments; if you don't, it's your own fault and you hurt yourself for it. However, by using "please" in a sentence, the teacher is making the sentence into a request rather than a command, just like the use of "we". By making it a request rather than a command, the teacher is also implying a desire for the student to do well. While saying, "Remember this" sounds condescending and detached, saying, "Please remember this" sounds softer and more caring.

Our teachers face the daily challenge of trying to get a bunch of teenagers to learn and get their assignments done. While most students have at least some level of motivation, it's still necessary for teachers to pull out all the tricks they can to get us to pay attention to the right things. By using their language cleverly, the best teachers can motivate you without you even realizing it.