The saying “you are what you eat” is comparable to “you are what you say”. I think in some situations, they differ in the sense that a person’s mediocre vocabulary shows less knowledge compared to an advanced vocabulary. A lot of first impressions are developed on the way you speak, act, and their word choice. When going for an interview it is important to select the words you want to use wisely to both impress and not confuse the interviewer. A vocabulary too advanced can also send a very different and negative message which is not the overall goal of the interview.
My vocabulary throughout the years of college has increased dramatically when looking back through my old English papers. A weak vocabulary often says a lot about the person you are. It usually shows illiteracy, or immaturity when writing essays or speaking in public. It is very difficult to show an impressive vocabulary when the world is based around new types of slang which are becoming more evident over time. In my life I usually based my vocabulary off of others trying to relate to the latest slang phrases. I took many vocabulary classes but didn’t study with enough repetition to learn the material instead of memorizing it to pass the upcoming exam.
I am from a small town in Oklahoma where our southern accents are often looked down upon as you get older. Many people relate southern accents with illiteracy thanks to all the movies and stereotypes developed throughout the years. The process of beating the stereotypical views of a professional organization is difficult, but advancing your vocabulary can help improve the positive emphasis of a first impression.
Throughout my life the particular slang I have used is comparable to the ones my friends and people around me have also used. Spending vast amounts of time around different people helps you to develop slang among your groups of friends. When I was in middle school a popular slang word commonly used by peers and myself was “Sup?”. This expression was in the title of our school newspaper and was used frequently throughout the school. This is just an example of a specific slang expression used when I was in middle school. There are many more slang expressions which were used throughout the years depending on the popularity of such slang words and phrases.
At the time this said I was a follower of the popular crowd in middle school. I was extremely athletic and my friends as well were involved in many different sports. It showed my interests were in sports, as well as wanting to fit in and be included among the more popular crowd in school. Many other terms were used such as quotes from celebrities which we tried to ignorantly model our lives after as well as other popular figures that made an impact. I was first influenced when reading a book which contained many unfamiliar words. I started to study and become more familiar with these words in an attempt to better understand the book. This has helped me in a number of ways to increase my professional standing as well as give me more confidence.
As I grew older I became more aware of why certain slang words were popular to use either by simply copying a popular celebrity figure or fitting in. I also started to develop an interest when I was in high school of furthering my vocabulary. I tried to enhance it so that I would sound smarter and be able to communicate better with my parents and other adults. I wanted to portray myself as a credible individual and I thought the only way to do that was through advancing my vocabulary. It also made me stand out among my peers which are my future competition in the job market.
I now still advance my vocabulary even as I write papers by searching through a thesaurus and finding different words which can elevate my understanding as well. I thoroughly enjoy forcing myself to learn more words and become more familiar with the English language. I now have more confidence in myself to hold a professional conversation with professors and people who are much older. Since I have worked so hard to advance my vocabulary I think my overall first impression is more positive when communicating with adults. I feel as though I put myself at an advantage by caring enough to build my vocabulary over the years. In the long run it has taught me to be patient and that learning new things is challenging but your overall impression will benefit in the long run.
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