Why does it feel like everyone talks so formally and academically here?
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean this in a bad or hateful way. I actually enjoy reading your comments and seeing your reasoning and thoughts. But as someone who doesn’t have English as their first language and who is also diagnosed with DLD, I sometimes find it difficult to fully understand what people mean.
I know some people might think, “You can just use Google Translate,” and I do, but even translation tools can get things wrong or miss the actual meaning sometimes.
So I’m curious: do you usually talk this way in everyday life too, or is it mostly something people do online?
Maybe “formal” isn’t the right word.? I don’t mean formal in the sense of being polite or respectful — actually, we need more people like that here, because not everyone is.
What I mean is that some people communicate in a very academic way. It feels like the kind of language you would use when writing an exam or a paper even reading articles, rather than in everyday conversation.
That’s why I was wondering if this is how people normally talk in real life, or if it’s just something people do online. If this is genuinely how someone communicates every day (even if I don’t personally understand it, respectfully), then I guess everyone has their own way of speaking, and I can’t really change that — just like I can’t change how my own brain works. (And maybe it’s more of a me problem.)
But if people write like this or when explaining things only for the sake of sounding a certain way… I’m just wondering why?
Like now, when you all answered me i understand you. It is formal yes, in a sense of respectful but you’re not just throwing out words that some people might not understand you know? It’s clear, Understandable and simple.
Also i only see people talk like that here on mangago not like in any other site or social media.
I wish i had an example.. but i hope i made it clear now.
I’m very formal when it comes to people I don’t know, both in English and my mother tounge. And when they talk to me in informal I’d response informally too.
Can you give me some examples?? I'm struggling to understand wym by this
Well generally speaking, from my experience, informal/casual speech is the norm here?? The best instance is the use of slangs and filler words. They're EVERYWHERE and like 90% of the population converse through them. For the most part, I think you're probably confusing it with politeness since a good chunk of us aren't necessarily rude people unless provoked.
The ones who speak "academically" are usually much older folks with a high educational background, idk whether they're doing it unconsciously or not but very few talk snobbish. Some choose to selectively talk this way to prove a point, especially in the forums when the topic of interest is serious and sensitive, it gives off an "ik what I'm talking about" vibe yk?
Another factor is also vocabulary? The lack of emoji usage?? Several things contribute to give off a perceived image, well ultimately everything depends on the individual (￣∇￣")
I think its specifically bc a big chock of active users are non native speakers. I personally dont write as formally anymore but in the past I would do it bc thats what you learn first, the most formal and proper structures. Speaking informally in a second language is harder since we usually dont have casual interactions irl so we cant be caught up with most slangs
I seldom use english irl , it's only when i'm online that i'm comfortable with the language. And i get you , it's not your first preference so it's a given you won't be an ace in it
No!! Don’t be discouraged about your struggles. I think it’s a subculture here to be kind of formal. Most other places online are very informal and not like this at all.
In real life, everyone on this site is probably less formal. It’s like when you write a paper for a class. You use an academic and formal tone. In real life, you don’t talk like that a lot.
For me it's just online, I don't actually talk much irl and English is my 3rd language. So I understand where you're coming from with how people be talking here lol I even get language barrier and misunderstand people and they also do the same to me. Cause I can't like interpret the words I want to clearly that just would work fine in my language.
Messages
Maybe “formal” isn’t the right word.?
I don’t mean formal in the sense of being polite or respectful — actually, we need more people like that here, because not everyone is.
What I mean is that some people communicate in a very academic way. It feels like the kind of language you would use when writing an exam or a paper even reading articles, rather than in everyday conversation.
That’s why I was wondering if this is how people normally talk in real life, or if it’s just something people do online. If this is genuinely how someone communicates every day (even if I don’t personally understand it, respectfully), then I guess everyone has their own way of speaking, and I can’t really change that — just like I can’t change how my own brain works. (And maybe it’s more of a me problem.)
But if people write like this or when explaining things only for the sake of sounding a certain way… I’m just wondering why?
Like now, when you all answered me i understand you. It is formal yes, in a sense of respectful but you’re not just throwing out words that some people might not understand you know? It’s clear, Understandable and simple.
Also i only see people talk like that here on mangago not like in any other site or social media.
I wish i had an example.. but i hope i made it clear now.
I’m very formal when it comes to people I don’t know, both in English and my mother tounge. And when they talk to me in informal I’d response informally too.
Isn't this standard practice?
Can you give me some examples?? I'm struggling to understand wym by this
Well generally speaking, from my experience, informal/casual speech is the norm here?? The best instance is the use of slangs and filler words. They're EVERYWHERE and like 90% of the population converse through them. For the most part, I think you're probably confusing it with politeness since a good chunk of us aren't necessarily rude people unless provoked.
The ones who speak "academically" are usually much older folks with a high educational background, idk whether they're doing it unconsciously or not but very few talk snobbish. Some choose to selectively talk this way to prove a point, especially in the forums when the topic of interest is serious and sensitive, it gives off an "ik what I'm talking about" vibe yk?
Another factor is also vocabulary? The lack of emoji usage?? Several things contribute to give off a perceived image, well ultimately everything depends on the individual (￣∇￣")
I think its specifically bc a big chock of active users are non native speakers. I personally dont write as formally anymore but in the past I would do it bc thats what you learn first, the most formal and proper structures. Speaking informally in a second language is harder since we usually dont have casual interactions irl so we cant be caught up with most slangs
I seldom use english irl , it's only when i'm online that i'm comfortable with the language. And i get you , it's not your first preference so it's a given you won't be an ace in it
No!! Don’t be discouraged about your struggles. I think it’s a subculture here to be kind of formal. Most other places online are very informal and not like this at all.
In real life, everyone on this site is probably less formal. It’s like when you write a paper for a class. You use an academic and formal tone. In real life, you don’t talk like that a lot.
For me it's just online, I don't actually talk much irl and English is my 3rd language. So I understand where you're coming from with how people be talking here lol I even get language barrier and misunderstand people and they also do the same to me. Cause I can't like interpret the words I want to clearly that just would work fine in my language.