Friday, March 6, 1998 at 01:08:38

Very interesting. I note hearing filled pauses most in law classes, expecially with the more terrorizing professors.

- K

This is not the first time I've heard a connection between lawyers and FPs. One trial lawyer wrote that she was instructed to use FPs in her courtroom statements because it 'develops ethos'.  Some evidence supports this tendency on the part of speakers to act with such motivation.  However, I don't know of any research yet which suggests to what degree it is successful with the listener.  However, I find it interesting that you say it is the *more* terrorizing professors who use FPs.  Can you give me any examples of their speech which contains both FPs and an element of terror? I'm curious to see how this might be accomplished in speech.  Normally, it is the fluent speaker who is more intimidating.

I find myself unable to express FPs and terror because these occur when professors scold in the native tongue, using words and phrases that mean nothing in that context.   When speaking English their chastisements are without FPs.  Perhaps because I was not conscious of FPs until I read your work, I did not notice. I will write as soon as I come across an example.

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