Welcome to all of you, my dear advanced students, newcomers and recidivists, young and, well, not so young. A new school year is about to begin and I'm here for you... again.
So allow me to start with an old reminder. If you left the C1.1 behind you should brush up on your advanced vocabulary and if you're new to the advanced arena, you ought to make sure that you start to work towards acquiring a decent set of fancy words. Why? Because, as you'll soon realize, finer shades of meaning are not only relevant but also necessary.
Having said that, advanced vocabulary doesn't grant your English C1 status. In my experience, many non-experts (including AI models) seem to believe that speaking at a high level consists in bandying about unusual vocabulary. Well, let me tell you right away... it does not. There are plenty of other features that also need attention, not least of all cognitive sophistication. The expression of nuance is a quintessential trait of the truly advanced register if only because granular knowledge and attention to detail demand precise vocabulary. However, substance is also key.
I just used the word quintessential because I feel it is what I need in this particular context. Near synonyms such as essential, vital or key do not carry the idea of "being exemplary or typically representative" of something, in this case a degree of linguistic competency. For analogous reasons a specialist will consistently make use of technical terms. It's not about bamboozling interlocutors. Just consider the difference between an anatomical term like adrenal gland and the explanation that a lay person might find easier to understand:
- adrenal gland (two words)
- the little triangle-shaped hat sitting on top of a kidney (ten words)
I don't need to explain why every surgeon on the planet is partial to the first option.
Obviously, a C1 or C2 student is not supposed to know that kind of technical vocabulary or any kind of technical jargon, for that matter. But similar accuracy can and will become inevitable. Blanket terms such as happy or sad are not exciting nor are they specific. What kind of sadness is your friend referring to when they say they are... sad? Are they bummed out? Clinically depressed? Heartbroken? Nostalgic? Or just upset? As you see, specificity can be rather necessary, which is the reason why I have decided to put a smile on your face by having you watch a gem of an introducion. Don't wince. It will only take 90 seconds of your time.
In the video below Stephen Fry delivers a speech during the celebrations (in the U.S.!) of the 800th anniversary of Cambridge University. Naturally, on such a grand occasion, one expects a speaker to begin by expressing their sheer satisfaction at being where they are. A standard, predictable formula would have been it is a pleasure to be here. But, you know, Stephen Fry is not exactly a predictable speaker. He plays with words as though they were physical objects and, as you're about to see for yourselves, he is more than capable of turning a conventional trope into a glorious masterpiece of oratory. Watch the first minute and a half of this speech and you'll understand what I mean.
