| Circumlocution - Has this ever happened to you? You | | | | some sort of charades. Pictionary, Scattergories along |
| are conversing smoothly with your daily improving | | | | with the old "$20,000 Pyramid", and other such games |
| Japanese language skills and bam! Your mind goes | | | | are excellent for developing your circumlocuting skills. |
| blank and you totally forget the word that just | | | | The best way to learn what circumlocution is and how |
| yesterday you thought you had memorized so well. If | | | | to use it properly is by doing a little practice. Take for |
| this has happened to you then you are well learned in | | | | example the word hot air balloon. If we didn't know the |
| your language arts. Now let us learn how to do | | | | exact term of 'hot air balloon' in our target language |
| something about this memory lapse if it should ever | | | | we would commence to describe it in any terms that |
| happen again! Webster's New World defines | | | | we have already under our memory belt in our |
| circumlocution as "1. a roundabout, indirect, or lengthy | | | | personal list of usable words. So I might say, Ex.1 it is |
| way of expressing something; periphrasis. It comes | | | | round like an egg and it rises in the sky. People can |
| from the Latin circum (meaning around) + locution (to | | | | ride in or on it. However, we are going to need to |
| speak). Now, you may be asking, "what in the world | | | | know the words for round (adj.), egg (n), to raise (v) |
| does this have to do with me being able to speak | | | | and sky (n) in order to use that approach. Even if lets |
| Japanese well (or any language for that matter)? It | | | | say, you only knew one of those describer words in |
| has everything to do with being able to communicate | | | | the target language, then do what you can in the |
| well at the beginning stages of second language | | | | cleverest way possible. In Japanese, I might say the |
| acquisition. I recommend that you become acquainted | | | | following to circumlocute the word 'hot air balloon'. In |
| with the way in which circumlocution is used, for it can | | | | Japanese the above might be Ex.1 Marui de atte |
| be a powerful ally in your struggle to master a second | | | | tamago no yo na katachi o shite iru. Soshite sora ni |
| language. This article will help you gain a better | | | | agaru. Hito wa noru koto ga dekiru. Any word, phrase, |
| understanding of circumlocution so you can put it to | | | | or set of words you know that will help you to more |
| use in your everyday language study. There are times | | | | accurately describe a word that has escaped your |
| when we must explain the meaning of a word but we | | | | memory, and all other means necessary to describe |
| have yet to learn the best word for what we want to | | | | those word in a roundabout way, that is circumlocution. |
| say. The workaround for this is to use circumlocution. | | | | Circumlocution is necessary for any serious language |
| Substitute known words for unknown ones and | | | | learner and should be regarded as a helpful second |
| through describing and explaining in a round about sort | | | | language-learning tool. It has literally saved me |
| of way, we one-way or another get our message | | | | repeatedly. Memory loss is a common occurrence and |
| across, phew...! This whole article is an attempt to | | | | should be prepared for in advance and circumlocution |
| explain or describe circumlocution to you in such a | | | | will help. No matter how much you try to remember |
| way that I would not have to use the word | | | | something, it is not guaranteed that the word will be at |
| circumlocution in the description. The idea behind | | | | your disposal every time you need to use it. Beginning |
| circumlocution is this: For every word that you don't | | | | to intermediate language learners are on a vocabulary |
| know in the target language but have the need to say | | | | budget. Until the second language develops a wide and |
| it, simply take the long way around and circum locute | | | | varied vocabulary which extends beyond simply |
| the word by describing it in terms that you can say. | | | | knowing the basic most common words circumlocution |
| When you describe a word that we do not know yet, | | | | will prove a handy little language weapon. The need to |
| we may use every faculty available to us, including but | | | | employ circumlocution in our interactions with native |
| not limited to, hand gestures, facial expressions, writing, | | | | speakers of our target language should by this point |
| miming, and anything else that helps us get our point | | | | be established. No expensive back of the dictionary |
| across. In circumlocution, we describe an unknown but | | | | words are going to be extravagantly slung around a |
| much needed term with other words that we do know | | | | young learner's mouth. So instead, use the words that |
| until we see the lights go on in our audience's head. It is | | | | you do know and you will be surprised how effectively |
| not as elegant a method as knowing the original word | | | | you can communicate what you want without actually |
| or having your dictionary on hand to look the right | | | | knowing many fancy words. Break it down into |
| word up, but circumlocution works, and in a pinch, it | | | | descriptive terms like balloon we could say that it is |
| works well. By simply circumventing the actual word | | | | something that is round. . Circumlocution works, and in |
| and speaking about it describing it the best you can by | | | | a pinch, it works wGo ahead try it today and may |
| using words you know, the receiver of your message | | | | your all your second language acquisition goals be |
| will usually 'get the idea.' To which you use your circum | | | | fulfilled. ell (I must give credit to and I am very thankful |
| locuting powers and set the man straight. They will | | | | to my sensei tachi Allred, Mills and Wilson Sensei who |
| totally get what you are talking about, as long as you | | | | showed me how to use circumlocution to my |
| just play a little game of reverse 20 questions, or | | | | advantage). Ganbatte ne! Do your best. |