G'day, what're ya up to mate? Today, I'm gonna tell you, you know, "filler" is useful but should be used effectively, not relentlessly. Clarity in speech is something we all aim for, right? How could we get rid of or minimise filler words? Well, let me elaborate it further.
First of all, "filler" including like, well, kinda, sorta, just, you know, literally, I mean, Look, Basically, the...uh..., so a...etc. needs to be used effectively, not relentlessly. Usually, "filler" is used when you're thinking or searching appropriate words for your talk, or trying to correct grammar, something like that. If it's because of content-related hesitations, then some fillers make sense. However, if it's due to thinking of the use of "filler" being cool, then that's not really effective. I understand that some famous sports players often use "filler", which is considered to be cool. But it depends. I don't really think so. They presumably try to search words or contents for having a smooth speech or interview. They don't wanna show us any hesitation, simply because being hesitated means that they are not confident about themselves. As an athlete, they always wanna be powerful, energetic, and optimistic about themselves, which is why they subconsciously tend to use "filler" a bit more to be able not to stop talking. But nevertheless, for me, even such sports players sound not refined, pedigreed. So, I don't get a good first impression at all.
Second, the reason why we shouldn't use "filler" relentlessly is that you seem to be regarded as a little bit childish or uneducated person. If I dare to criticise them less strongly, they are akin to stammering and also give an unprofessional impression. When you're talking to someone who is professional such as government officials, finance sectors, or university staff, you don't frequently hear many fillers. Of course, that's not always the case, but from my experience this is, to some extent, true, compared to talking to a little bit rambunctious guys or not well-educated ones. They are by no means one of them, because even well-educated people sometimes use too many fillers, so it depends. Nonetheless, on the whole, uneducated people are more prone to use fillers, which is undeniably true. This is partly due to lack of education including English language. "Filler" itself doesn't imply inferiority, but just the excessive use turns people to seemingly uneducated ones.
Tips for getting rid of filler words or minimise them at least:
1. Record yourself and listen to it intently making sure that you are aware of how often you use filler words.
2. Train yourself for oral fluency such as rhythm, chunked speech/phrasing, only necessary pause (which leads to less likelihood of you to have filler words in your talk)
3. Use transitional phrases such as "Let me move on to...", "Let me go back to the..., "As for..., or "When it comes to...", something like that.
4. Try not to be informal or casual. If you keep yourself a little bit nervous, then you will probably be able to choose the word, and expression more carefully, which eliminates the use of fillers.
In conclusion, although you can use "filler" in an appropriate and reasonable manner during your conversation or speech, the overwhelming use of it has an adverse effect on people's first impression. Apart from searching words, contents or grammar things, it's better not to use "filler" relentlessly or unnecessarily, which is precisely what I wanted to underscore today. Ultimately, don't be overly casual, too informal.
Thanks for reading my blog. Have a lovely weekend, everyone!