Do you ever, like, wonder why some people use the word “like” so often?
This humble four-letter word has become ubiquitous in the speech of many young people — and a new study shows this is certainly the case in the UAE.
Researchers found that students at the American University of Sharjah uttered “like” no fewer than 3,937 times during 58 interviews, making it the third most-used word.
In 2,951 of those instances, it was being used as what academics call a discourse marker, a word that breaks speech up into segments.
If you look at who’s using it, it has nothing to do with speakers who aren’t intelligent
Dr Eliane Lorenze,
Justus Liebig University Giessen
There are many discourse markers — others include “you know”, “I mean”, “well” and “as I say” — and we often use them without realising we are doing so.
With young people, the word “like”, which is thought to originate from American English, often appears to reign supreme. In fact, among the 17 to 24-year-olds interviewed, it had an average frequency of 19.5 per 1,000 words spoken — which is considered high.
One student used “like” just 0.51 times per 1,000 words, but another uttered it 55.14 times every 1,000 words.
The interviews were actually carried out to analyse attitudes to English by the students, who came from a variety of South Asian and Arab countries, including the UAE, and were typically multilingual.
Dr Eliane Lorenz, a senior lecturer at Justus Liebig University Giessen, in Germany, and the study’s author, noticed how commonly young people used the word and decided it was worth analysing.
Word transcends nationality and culture
“Like was such a prominent feature,” she said. “We realised this was super interesting, there was so much more to this data.”
Like’s ubiquity in the interviews may be partly because the discussions were relatively informal and because the people interviewed were young.
Previous studies found a frequency of “like” per 1,000 words of 4.38 in Canadian English, 2.23 in Philippine English, 2.18 in New Zealand English, 1.51 in Indian English and just 0.49 in British English, all a fraction of the average in the new research.
But these figures are from studies carried out several years ago — perhaps before “like” became as popular as it is today — and that were not focused on younger people.
The use of "like" is, Dr Lorenz said, “controversial”.
The word is often, she said, associated with “valley girl” speak and can even make people perceive the user to be less intelligent, which Dr Lorenz suggested was unfair.
“If you look at who’s using it, it has nothing to do with speakers who aren’t intelligent,” she said.
In the new study, females on average said like more often than males — 21.1 times against 18 times per 1,000 words — but the difference was not statistically significant.
The new study has been published as, “We Use English But Not Like All the Time Like — Discourse Marker Like in UAE English,” in the journal Frontiers in Communication.
Discourse markers have two key functions, according to Michael Handford, professor of applied linguistics and English language at Cardiff University in the UK.
One is as cognitive filler, meaning they give the speaker thinking time to formulate what they are about to say.
The other centres on the interpersonal relationship side of communication, as discourse markers can soften what is being said and ensure that the other person does not take offence.
Prof Handford gave the example of a person declining an invitation to a party. Using “filler” makes the rejection less direct.
“People often use this filler in order to hedge or downplay the potential threat to the other person’s self image,” he said.
“If you remove discourse markers from your speech, you’re going to sound very abrupt.
Discourse markers are not unique to English, with Prof Handford citing the example of Japanese, which he speaks, in which “etto” is used as filler.
While “like” is much maligned, Prof Handford said it has long tended to be the case that language used by young people has been considered inferior.
“Like” typically fulfils functions, he said, that would otherwise probably have to be fulfilled by other words. As with other discourse markers, it is used as filler, and is additionally often employed to introduce direct speech.
One subject Prof Handford teaches is professional communication, and because the use of “like” may create a negative impression, he helps people find alternatives.
“We talk about other words that you might use other than 'like' to introduce reported speech,” he said.
“Personally, I don’t have any problem with 'like'. Not everybody shares that view.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
Star%20Wars%3A%20Episode%20I%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Phantom%20Menace
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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%3Cp%3EChris%20Jordan%20insists%20Sanchit%20Sharma%20will%20make%20an%20impact%20on%20the%20ILT20%2C%20despite%20him%20starting%20the%20campaign%20on%20Gulf%20Giants'%20bench.%3Cbr%3EThe%20young%20UAE%20seamer%20was%20an%20instant%20success%20for%20the%20side%20last%20season%2C%20and%20remained%20part%20of%20the%20XI%20as%20they%20claimed%20the%20title.%3Cbr%3EHe%20has%20yet%20to%20feature%20this%20term%20as%20the%20Giants%20have%20preferred%20Aayan%20Khan%20and%20Usman%20Khan%20as%20their%20two%20UAE%20players%20so%20far.%3Cbr%3EHowever%2C%20England%20quick%20Jordan%20is%20sure%20his%20young%20colleague%20will%20have%20a%20role%20to%20play%20at%20some%20point.%3Cbr%3E%22Me%20and%20Sanchit%20have%20a%20great%20relationship%20from%20last%20season%2C%22%20Jordan%20said.%3Cbr%3E%22Whenever%20I%20am%20working%20with%20more%20inexperienced%20guys%2C%20I%20take%20pleasure%20in%20sharing%20as%20much%20as%20possible.%3Cbr%3E%22I%20know%20what%20it%20was%20like%20when%20I%20was%20younger%20and%20learning%20off%20senior%20players.%3Cbr%3E%22Last%20season%20Sanchit%20kick-started%20our%20season%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%20with%20a%20brilliant%20man-of-the-match%20performance.%3Cbr%3E%22Coming%20into%20this%20one%2C%20I%20have%20seen%20a%20lot%20of%20improvement.%20The%20focus%20he%20is%20showing%20will%20only%20stand%20him%20in%20good%20stead.%22%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
