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Speaking the Same Language

Addressing the issue of miscommunication in climate science due to diverse backgrounds and differing interpretations of language. Tips on effective communication, cultural contexts, and embracing diverse perspectives for better understanding.

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Speaking the Same Language

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  1. Speaking the Same Language Gina Eosco, Chris Vaccaro, Julie Demuth 2008 Summer WAS*IS, August 8, 2008

  2. If only he had WAS*IS…

  3. Why address this issue • We come from different places (geographically, academically, experientially, …) • We use different languages!

  4. Perhaps more important… • Is not what we know we don’t know, but what we don’t know we don’t know • And/or what we don’t make an effort to realize • And/or what we don’t bother to fully address even if we do realize Even if we use the same language, the words may have different meanings!

  5. Wisdom from your fellow WAS*ISer… Karen Pennesi, Linguistic anthropologist extraordinaire! • Distinctions salient to one group may be meaningless to another. • It is not enough to clearly define scientific terms, it is also important to find out what they mean to other people.

  6. Proceed with caution… . . . • Cultural context • Multiple definitions • Validity of non-scientific concepts • Education vs translation • Explain limitations • As Pennesi notes in her paper, “…there is no simple formula for effective forecast communication.”

  7. Some helpful suggestions… • Assumptions – I don’t know what you know and/or what you think • Clarity – Wise use of jargon! • Culture – We’re not all from the same place geographically, academically, experientially, we’re all members of multiple interpretive communities… Language is understood in the context of its usage!!

  8. More suggestions • Bravery – There are no stupid questions/comments, so tell me if you don’t understand/agree • Patience – There are no stupid questions/comments, so let’s talk about it if you don’t understand/agree . . . You’ll learn more!

  9. #1 Suggestion -- Be aware! If you’re talking to me and I’m looking at you like this… …it could be that I don’t understand what you mean or that I don’t agree.

  10. What do these mean to you? Layperson / users Experts Decision makers Stakeholders Practitioners Vulnerability/ resilience Impacts Forecasting / observation / prediction / outlook / projection Service Policy Empirical Disaster / hazard Risk Confidence / certainty Uncertainty / probability/ deterministic / accuracy Threat / warning / watch / advisory Climate / weather Mitigation Social science

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