Crafting Your Message

#7 Weasel Words

What’s a weasel? A weasel is a small animal from the same family as the ferret. It’s known for being cunning and sly, and that’s exactly what weasel words are… cunning and sly.

Weasel words are everywhere, you see and hear them every day. You’re so used to hearing them that you don’t even notice them. They are words that make claims or promises without any basis.

Like these:

“People say that… Who actually says?
“Everyone agrees that…. Who is everyone?
“Many experts say…. Which experts?
“Guaranteed to… Guaranteed by whom?

A great public speaker once said that the most powerful word in the universe is ‘we’, only one person says it but it conjures up an army I the mind of the listener!

Try weaseling some weasel words into your presentation.

Amber Victoria

Language acquisition and development has always fascinated me which was why I pursued a career in language teaching. For the past 10 years I have pursued my passion in the research and the development of effective language learning programs and material design.
My 18 years of experience in the EFL industry, working with a wide variety of different industries and with an extremely diverse student base, has provided me with valuable knowledge of how companies within specific industries operate and the communication skills needed by their employees. This has assisted me greatly in developing programs and materials that suit specific company needs and individual learning styles.

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