Unit 7: Reading 1 How do we communicate?

Unit 7: Reading 1 How do we communicate?

face-to-face (adj. only before n.)

a face-to-face meeting, conversation etc is one where you are with another person and talking to them

•  This was the first face-to-face meeting the two leaders have had.

persuade (v.)

 to make someone decide to do something, especially by giving them reasons why they should do it, or asking them many times to do it

•  I tried to persuade his ex-girlfriend to talk to him, but she said no

convince (v.)

. to make someone feel certain that something is true

•  I knew it would be hard to convince my father, because he wanted me to go to university.

communicate (v.)

to exchange information or conversation with other people, using words, signs, writing etc

We communicated mostly by e-mail.

messaging (n.)

the process of sending someone a short message using a mobile phone or computer

^{Messaging first became popular with teens, but it's now a practical business tool.}

misunderstanding (n.)

a problem caused by someone not understanding a question, situation, or instruction correctly

• There must have been some misunderstanding. I didn't order all these books.

• Listening carefully reduces misunderstandings.

written (adj. [only before n.]

recorded in writing

• Some expressions are more common in spoken English than in written English.

•  The written test success rates are given in the table below.

gesture (n.)

a movement of part of your body, especially your hands or head, to show what you mean or how you feel

•  Someone in another car started making gestures and pointing at our tires.

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express (v.)

to tell or show what you are feeling or thinking by using words, looks, or actions

• Words can't express(=it is impossible to describe) how angry we felt.

• Parents have expressed their concerns about their children's safety.

imitate (v.)

to copy the way someone behaves, speaks, moves etc, especially in order to make people laugh

• He has a unique ability to imitate any sound he has heard.

•  She's really good at imitating our teacher's Scottish accent.

sign language (n.)

a language that uses hand movements instead of spoken words, used by people who cannot hear well

• About half the employees are deaf and all speak sign language.

• Many hearing people assume that sign language is the same the world over.