Is Climate Change Language a barrier for you?

I am blessed that because of my job, I get to work alongside secondary school students but also the hospitality industry workers, through our Hospitality programmes. 

As an educator, I've always been aware of my own shortcomings. With English being my second language, I've always felt my language is lacking in many areas, and I often wish I could write and speak in a more professional and fluid way. For this reason, I have always felt I wasn’t good enough.

Surprisingly, it is because of my use of layman terms, that makes our programmes more appealing to my students, for young generations and adults alike.

I came across this TedTalk from John Marshall and I was hooked from the first minute, when he he had the following to say about Climate Change:

“What we have here, is a failure to communicate”. The terminology around Climate Change is a difficult one and so it seems a totally abstract concept to people, words become obstacles rather than aids, and this confusion becomes a deterrent to care.”

I must admit I had never thought about words and terminology in that way. My entire family are academics, and I was always the black sheep, never being truly bother by gaining a diploma or a degree. 

I grew up in a household where words, grammar, terminology and speaking correctly were a priority and a way of life. Therefore I was always left feeling like the odd man out because verbose language was “not my thing”. I always felt inadequate and I carried that with me into adulthood.

After hearing John Marshall’s TedTalk and more importantly, my students' feedback, what I thought was one of my flaws has become one of my strengths. If we want people to learn about Climate Change, we need to;

1. Change the language, use regular terms to describe what is going on.
2. Make it personal and relatable.
3. Bring everyone around the table, we can’t continue to talk AT people, we also need to listen to them and their concerns. 

John states that “Confusion and hopelessness are the enemies of understanding”, I couldn't agree more.

The world has changed dramatically, it is us that is refusing to change with it.

We need to start breaking down the barriers of the “old world”, including our language and communication skills, including our educational systems and recognised frameworks.

I used to recoil from referring to myself as an Educator. How could I possibly be without a degree? I felt like an impostor when other people referred to me as an “educator” or an “expert” on anything. That mindset is changing, slowly but surely. I can now recognise the fact that even without diplomas or doctoral studies my mission is to teach others what I know.

My mission is to teach about Climate Change in a way that makes sense to people, both young and old. My mission is to build upon people’s skills and help them adapt to the marketplace of the future.

I want to stop feeling inadequate and start believing I CAN make a difference. More importantly, I want to help others feel the same. Every single person and business on this planet can do something about Climate Change, but it only seems possible when someone shows you how.