You know...

5 replies

GameofPhones · 31/01/2017 21:21

I had the impression that 'you know' was used less as a filler recently, but now it seems to be coming back. I was interested to hear an American academic using it prolifically on radio today. It made me wonder what the equivalents are in other languages? Perhaps 'weisst du' in German? That phrase is certainly used, but perhaps not as a filler in quite the same way?

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VintagePerfumista · 04/02/2017 08:06

Cioe' is used in Italian.

I make my language students record themselves so they hear just how often initially they plop a "cioe'" into a gap.

I notice I say "I mean" in the middle of almost every sentence

Original poster

GameofPhones · 04/02/2017 20:58

How is "cioe' pronounced?

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VintagePerfumista · 05/02/2017 07:57

Cho- and then (IME) an interminably long, irritating "eeeeeeeeeee" while the kids think of what to say next!

Original poster

GameofPhones · 05/02/2017 21:41

Language teaching has become much less prescriptive than in the past. I wonder if any have gone so far as to teach these fillers? (If you can't think of how to say something, stall for a while with 'You know' or 'I mean'),

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VintagePerfumista · 06/02/2017 06:57

Definitely! I do it all the time, it makes the kids sound more natural.

There is a book actually called Slots and Fillers (Italian publisher I think, as it is used in Italian universities) massive thing- my uni students do a whole term's exam based on it. The book itself is crapola but the concept is good.

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