The Dejumo Academy

“We need an eloquent speaker for the presentation.”

This week, practise being that person.
Speak clearly. Speak with purpose.

Here are 5 tips to help you structure your thoughts and words for eloquence:

1. Know your main point first.

Before you speak, ask yourself: “What is the one thing I want people to remember?”

2. Start with the important idea.

Do not go round in circles. Lead with your main message, then explain it.

3. Keep your sentences short and clear.

Long sentences often confuse listeners. Simplicity sounds stronger.

4. Use examples people can relate to.

Good speakers make ideas easy to picture and understand.

5. End with a strong final thought.

Do not let your words fade away. Finish with something meaningful people will remember.

Eloquence is not magic.
It is the ability to organise your thoughts in a way that makes people listen.

The Dejumo Academy
Master the Language. Own the Room.

Can you say what you know in a way that commands attention?

The difference between someone who gets the job and someone who does not is often not qualification.
It is how articulate they are in the interview.

Here are 5 simple ways to become more articulate:

1. Slow down when you speak.
Not too slow, not too fast. Fast talking often leads to unclear talking. Calm speakers sound more confident.

2. Think in simple sentences.
Do not try to impress people with “big grammar.” Focus on clarity first.

3. Practice speaking out loud daily.
Read articles, explain ideas, or answer interview questions aloud. Articulation improves with use.

4. Listen to good speakers.
Pay attention to how strong communicators explain ideas clearly and confidently.

5. Pause instead of using filler words.
Instead of saying “umm,” “like,” or “you know,” pause briefly and continue. Silence sounds better than confusion.

The goal is not to sound perfect.
The goal is to sound clear, confident, and understood.

The Dejumo Academy
Master the Language. Own the Room.

WORD OF THE DAY

Articulate – /ɑ:ˈtɪk.jə.lət/
Adjective

Articulate means being able to express yourself clearly and effectively in speech.

An articulate person does not struggle to find words.
The words come — and they come correctly.

Examples:

1. She is so articulate that everyone enjoys listening to her speak.

2. The young man gave an articulate explanation during the interview.

3. He may be quiet, but when he speaks, he is very articulate.

Have you ever listened to someone speak and thought, “Wow, they explained that perfectly”?

That is articulation.

Being articulate is not about speaking too fast or using complicated vocabulary.
It is about communicating your thoughts clearly, confidently, and in a way people easily understand.

An articulate person makes communication feel effortless.

Can you use the word articulate in a sentence about someone you know or admire?

Drop it in the comments and appreciate someone whose words always make sense.

The Dejumo Academy
Master the Language. Own the Room.

Nigerian English: Words We Say That Don’t Actually Exist

Language is powerful but sometimes, we build our own versions of it. In everyday Nigerian communication, we often use words that sound perfectly normal… until you realise they don’t actually exist in standard English.

This isn’t about “wrong vs right” in a judgemental way. It’s about clarity, especially in professional communication, writing, media, and global spaces where precision matters.

Here are some common examples:

1. Trafficate

What people mean: To turn on or use a car’s indicator (signal light) to show direction

Correct expression: Signal / indicate / use your indicators / turn on your signal light

Example:

The car trafficated to the right.❌
The car signalled to the right. / The driver indicated to the right. ✔️

2. I’m trekking

What people mean: Walking a long distance

Correct expression: I’m walking

Example:

I’m trekking home.❌
I’m walking home. ✔️

3. Flash me

What people mean: Call my number and end the call before I answer, so I see a missed call.

Correct expression: Give me a call / Ping me

Example:

Flash me when you arrive.❌
Give me a call when you arrive.✔️

4. Drop me

What people mean: Take me somewhere

Correct expression: Drop me off at… / Take me to…

Example:
Drop me at the junction. ❌
Drop me off at the junction. ✔️

Nigerian English is rich, expressive, and deeply cultural but in formal writing, media, and global communication, using standard expressions helps your message stay clear, credible, and widely understood.

It’s not about losing identity it’s about expanding communication power.

The Dejumo Academy.
Master the Language. Own the Room.

WORD OF THE DAY

Eloquent – /ˈɛl.ə.kwənt/
Adjective

Eloquent is the ability to express yourself clearly, fluently, and persuasively in a way that moves people, not just informs them.

An eloquent person does not just say words. They make words land.

Examples:

1. She gave an eloquent speech that moved everyone in the room.
2. His eloquent response calmed the angry crowd.
3. The teacher was so eloquent that every student paid attention.

Think about the last time someone spoke and the whole room went quiet not because they were loud, but because every word they said carried weight.

That is eloquence.

It is not about having a foreign accent.
It is not about using “big grammar.”
It is about saying the right thing, in the right way, at the right moment and leaving people changed.

Can you use the word eloquent in a sentence about someone you know or admire?

Drop it in the comments and make them feel valued for their eloquence.

The Dejumo Academy
Master the Language. Own the Room.

Do you say these?

“I never ever want to see him again.”
“Have you ever been to Abuja?”
“I will never never do that.”

“Ever never” … wait, is that even correct? 🤔

Let’s clear the confusion.

EVER

Ever is used to talk about any time at all, usually in questions, comparisons, or emphasis.

Examples:

- Have you ever visited Lagos?
- This is the best movie ever.
- Don’t ever touch my phone again.
- Has she ever tried Nigerian jollof rice?
- That was the funniest thing ever.

Think of ever as:
“At any time.”

NEVER

Never means not at any time.
It already carries a negative meaning, so you usually don’t add another negative word to it.

Examples:

- I have never flown in a plane.
- He never replies to messages on time.
- We never miss Sunday lunch.
- She has never been late to class.
- I never expected that ending.

Think of never as:
“Not once.”

NEVER EVER

“Never ever” means absolutely never or not at any time under any circumstance.

The word ever is added for strong emphasis. It makes the statement sound firmer, stronger, or more emotional.

Examples:

- I will never ever lie to you.
- She never ever forgets birthdays.
- He said he would never ever return there.
- We never ever thought it would happen.

It adds emotion, seriousness, or drama.

NEVER NEVER and EVER EVER

These are non-standard expressions mostly used for extra emphasis in speech, conversations, music, or social media captions not formal writing.

People use them to sound more emotional, dramatic, surprised, or serious.

Examples:

- I will never never forgive him.
- Have you ever ever seen something like this?

They are understandable in informal English, but they are not considered standard formal expressions.

EVER NEVER ❌

This combination is generally incorrect in normal English because ever means “at any time,” while never means “not at any time.” The meanings clash awkwardly.

So instead of:
- I ever never liked it. ❌

Say:
- I never liked it. ✔️
- I hardly ever liked it. ✔️

Tell me, which expression do you often make use of?

The Dejumo Academy
Master the language. Own the room.

BORROW VS LEND

Learn the difference between the two words.

“Please borrow me your pen.”

But wait…
How can you borrow your own pen to somebody?

Here’s the difference people mix up all the time:

BORROW

Borrow means to take or receive something temporarily with the intention of returning it.

You borrow from someone.

Examples :

- Can I borrow your charger?

- She borrowed a book from the library.

- I borrowed ₦2,000 from my friend.

- He borrowed my notes before the test.

- We borrowed chairs for the event.

If receive it, you borrowed it.

LEND

Lend means to give something temporarily expecting it back later.

You lend something to someone.

Examples:

- Can you lend me your charger?

- The library lends books to students.

- My friend lent me ₦2,000.

- I lent him my notes before the test.

- We lent our chairs to the neighbors.

If it goes out, you lent it.

Same situation. Different perspective.

I borrowed ₦2,000 from David.

David lent me ₦2,000.

One person received it.
The other person gave it.

This can be confusing sometimes, but this mistake is easy to fix once you know the difference.

The Dejumo Academy
_Master the language. Own the room._

What is the difference between: PAIN, ACHE, HURT & SORE?

They all describe discomfort — but they're not interchangeable.

PAIN
(noun/verb)

A strong, sharp, or intense feeling of physical or emotional discomfort. It's the most general and serious of the four.

- She felt a sharp pain in her chest.
- It pains me to see you struggle.
- The pain from the injection lasted only a few seconds.
- He winced in pain as the nurse cleaned the wound.
- Losing her grandmother brought her a pain no words could describe.

ACHE
(noun/verb)

A dull, continuous, lingering discomfort — not sudden, but persistent. Often used for body parts or emotional longing.

- My back has been aching all day.
- He ached for home after months abroad.
- She woke up with a dull ache behind her eyes.
- His heart ached every time he saw her photograph.
- After the long hike, every muscle in her body ached.

HURT
(verb/adjective)

To cause or feel pain — physical or emotional. It's the most versatile and conversational of the four.

- My feet hurt after the long walk.
- Her words really hurt him.
- He fell off his bike and hurt his knee badly.
- It hurts to know that nobody believed her.
- Stop pressing there — it hurts!

SORE
(adjective only)

Tender or painful when touched, usually after physical effort or injury. You can't use it as a verb.

- My legs are sore from yesterday's gym session.
- She had a sore throat all week.
- His hands were sore after hours of gardening.
- The blister on her heel made every step sore and difficult.
- He was still sore from the tackle during Saturday's match.

The key rule:

- Use pain for serious or intense discomfort.
- Use ache when it's slow and ongoing.
- Use hurt when something or someone causes the discomfort.
- Use sore when a body part is tender to touch.

If you went to work today, you’ve likely heard of this one.

“I’m coming” while the person is still at home.

A colleague says, “I’m coming,” even though they have not left their location.

Let’s correct it:

Wrong: I’m coming (when you have not left your location)

Right: I’m on my way / I’ll be there soon / Give me some minutes.

Because technically, you are not coming yet. You are still preparing to leave.

Small expressions influence how people perceive your professionalism. Clear and correct communication does not make you sound overly formal; it makes your message easier to understand and more effective.

We all grew up hearing these phrases, but growth is knowing when to adjust them for clarity and professionalism.

The Dejumo Academy

Welcome, May. 🏆

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗼 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆

What if the only thing standing between you and bigger opportunities … is how you communicate?

In Nigeria today, many people are qualified but only a few are truly heard.

Not because others are better, but because they know how to express themselves with clarity, confidence, and structure.

It’s painful when you’ve prepared for it, but in conversations, interviews, or even exams, it just doesn’t come out right. Sometimes you don’t know how to put it or your words are not properly structured in the right strategic order to get results.

That’s exactly what we are built to solve.

The Dejumo Academy (TDA) focuses on one thing and we do it well, which is helping you communicate in a way that gets results.

From how you speak and write, to how you present yourself and handle important conversations, everything we teach is practical, relevant, and designed for your school, work or everyday life.

This is more than learning, it’s positioning.

If you’re ready to stop being overlooked and start being taken seriously…
then it’s time to step into a space built for your growth.

Your Dreams Are Too Big To Be Limited By How You Communicate.

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗼 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆.
𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙜𝙚. 𝙊𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙢.