In reviewing an online course on communication, the authors said that generally our conversations are good, but our dialogue is bad. They did not define their terms, and I couldn't figure out what they meant. When I looked up "dialogue" and "conversation," I saw no real differences. Indeed, "dialogue" was defined as "conversation between two or more persons. "

Any idea on how they are differentiating the two words? How do you differentiate them?

Who knows? I'd ignore them. You should really have asked them to define their terms. I'd say that their own communication wasn't very good because they didn't say what they meant in clear English, which doesn't bode well for their own communication skills.

Wordweb has this North American definition of the verb dialogue: "Have a conversation, discussion or negotiation".

So maybe the authors meant that you were good at conversing but bad at negotiating.

We do not use the verbal form of dialogue in UK English - we would use converse, discuss or negotiate (depending on what we meant) rather than the verbal form of dialogue - which seems to be a rather vague term.

I agree with Arnie - ask them what they mean. Clearly, although they are critical of your own communication skills, theirs are also lacking.

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I'd say that their own communication wasn't very good because they didn't say what they meant in clear English, which doesn't bode well for their own communication skills.

On rereading that, it doesn't bode well for my own skills, judging by that clumsy sentence.

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Originally posted by Richard English:

We do not use the verbal form of dialogue in UK English

Sure you do! Or did.

a1616 Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) ii. ii. 50 Var. How dost Foole? Ape. Dost Dialogue with thy shadow?

1740 S. Richardson Pamela II. 45 Thus foolishly dialogu'd I with my Heart.

I did say do; I didn't say did

There are many words of Shakespeare's time that we no longer use in the UK - but which have remained in use in the USA - "gotten" is one that springs immediately to mind.

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I'd say that their own communication wasn't very good because they didn't say what they meant in clear English, which doesn't bode well for their own communication skills.

Arnie, that is ironic because, while I don't want to post the name of the university that developed this course, let's just say it is from one of the premier universities in the U.S.

We use dialogue a lot here in the U.S., at least in my profession. It's rather an "in" word.

Since the dics maintain both word are interchangable, your speaker must have had some arcane notion of a difference, which should have been spelled out to the audience.

I agree, Proof. I am thinking, though, that there may be some nuance about the definition that they were talking about. This was from an online course.

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I am thinking, though, that there may be some nuance about the definition that they were talking about.

In their minds, there may be. However, they obviously didn't communicate it to you.

So, what would Plato make of that distinction?

Bea

We've missed you, Bea! Check your PMs; I sent you one.

I think Plato would have liked "dialogue" better too, but I just can't articulate the difference. Maybe there is a more in-depth discussion, whereas "conversation" is more mundane ("how are you? I am fine; how are you?" etc.). I am only guessing, though.