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I was listening to Kamla Harris interviewing Brett Kavanaugh.

She says the following to Chuck Grassley :

Mr. Chairman, I would like to be recognized to ask a question before we proceed.

I have seen people in the corporate and business sector speak English in a very professional way.They sound so formal and articulate. Even if they are angry or happy, the way they relay that information sounds so professional.How can I learn to speak like that?

I am not a native speaker. So, I would really appreciate If anyone could suggest any books or course or any method to improve my formal english.

If this is not the right platform to ask such questions, please let me know so that I would delete this.

Sweet_Cherry
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  • Hello! I think it would be better to ask a question like this in https://english.stackexchange.com/ – iiRosie1 Sep 29 '18 at 00:11

2 Answers2

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Professionalism is not defined by use of jargon (as much as it's stereotyped to). It's about straightforward, functional, and formal language. You will occasionally see the use of an abbreviation that is much easier to say in place of its full form (KPI as opposed to Key Performance Indicators, etc), but a faker will pepper their entire dialogue with these things.

A genuine professional is one that uses abbreviations like normal people, but generally doesn't use slang. The quote you provided is honestly too formal and wordy for a businessman:

Mr. Chairman, I would like to be recognized to ask a question before we proceed.

I think this is too rambling to be truly professional. Sounds closer to a wannabe professional (like Patrick Bateman) instead of a true businessman. It needs to be more straightforward to sound authentic. This is how I would make it more businesslike:

Chairman, may I ask a question?

Matthew Dave
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    There is a vast difference between "businessperson" and "going according to committee rules." The hearing was in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Government commmittees have very explicit rules about who speaks, and who is given permission to speak, and by whom. If Sen. Harris had simply interjected with a question, she might have been ruled "out of order" and her question ignored, or she could even have been removed from the room if the Chair was feeling persnickety. The questioner must be "recognized" (authorized) by the Chair to speak. (cont'd) – Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum Sep 28 '18 at 12:25
  • "May I ask a question?" is fine for business situations, I agree, but it is not how the request had to be phrased in that specific setting. So "authentic" is irrelevant to a committee hearing. "Following the rules," no matter how ridiculous they sound to a lay person, is what's critical. And the answer to that is: when you are elected to a government position, you are taught those rules. – Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum Sep 28 '18 at 12:26
  • @LaurenIpsum See, I was going with the question's requirement for business situations, not the Senate Judiciary Committee. Obviously governmental formality is different to business. – Matthew Dave Sep 28 '18 at 12:52
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    Yes, of course. I wanted to underline that the OP's quote is not business. It's government. I was trying to provide context for the OP's quote and explain why it was appropriate in that setting, but not applicable in business. Your rephrase is the one appropriate for business. – Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum Sep 28 '18 at 13:10
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Matthew Dave's answer is correct: the language used in a Senate hearing is far more akin to legal or courtroom jargon, not business jargon; there's a huge specific lexicon, tailored and altered grammar, and a huge whacking load of invariant tradition and etiquette wrapped up in a legal concept called "precedent" behind such legal and courtroom language.

Additionally, in the more specific case of a government setting, there are rules of protocol which apply - as a result, what you reference in your question is in fact not commonly-accepted US "professional" speech or language at all - it's specific to that context.

As to how to learn it? Law school would be a good start, followed by a number of years of government service. You can get some of it from reading Robert's Rules of Order for business and governmental committees.

Hope this helps.

user
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GerardFalla
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    @lea Not enough for an answer:also watch Senate debates on television (CSPAN), Prime Minister's Questions (on Youtube) or your local cable television station. They often televise city & county council meetings. I it quite gratifying to meet someone interested in learning a more elevated register of English! Good luck in your endeavour! – elemtilas Sep 28 '18 at 23:49