You may already know that many factors must be considered when talking about errors in oral modality. Among these factors is the linguistic variation, that is, the speaker is subject to various influences, whether historical, social or cultural. These influences alter our communication, so since each of us has uniquenesses, it's difficult to determine what's right and what's wrong.
However, although we know that mistakes should be avoided, especially in writing, there are some habits that interfere with our speech and that are not pleasant. We are talking about language tics, a very common phenomenon, a kind of mania that we acquire without realizing it. These tics are considered language vices, as they have no linguistic value, that is, they are usually empty in their meaning. Among the most well-known linguistic quirks are “like this”, “sort of”, “like” and “dude”. There are people who use these terms so much that it is even difficult to talk! Some don't even notice that they are victims of linguistic fads, but for those who are listening, that is, for the interlocutor, it is almost impossible not to notice the irritating constancy with which they appear in the sentences.
To combat linguistic antics, there's nothing better than getting to know them: if they don't have any kind of function in the sentence, there's no reason to use them!
But how about understanding how language antics arise? Well then, tics are a kind of “language crutches”. They appear at a certain time and can be transient, as are fads, or they can also crystallize in the speech of some individuals. Tricks turn into a sneaky enemy and, because they are so intimate, they end up automatically appearing in speech, out of our control. The tics cannot be considered neologisms, but language vices, because unlike what happens with neologisms, they appear out of context and without any kind of function in the sentence.
And when language antics are intentionally used? Yes, this possibility exists and happens when the speaker uses expressions, which do not contribute anything in the context of the sentence, just to “spruce up” the speech. In this situation, language quirks become a “communication trick”, that is, they are intentionally used to rephrase the speech and to impress the interlocutor.
It is worth mentioning what we said at the beginning of the text: several extralinguistic factors must be considered when the subject is the oral modality. The main function of language is communication, that marvel that contributes so much to our social interactions. This does not mean that you cannot adapt your language according to the modality and the communication situation (formal language and informal language), because the ideal is to be polyglot in our own language. Now that you know the language tics, you can try to avoid them, especially in written language, which does not admit any kind of errors and linguistic vices, right?
By Luana Castro
Graduated in Letters
