Week 3 using language to style the speech
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This document discusses strategies for effective oral communication and language use. It addresses differences between oral and written language and provides tips for public speaking. Some key points covered include using familiar words and repetition to aid comprehension, being concise yet using transitions to link ideas, and avoiding jargon. The document also discusses using unbiased, non-stereotypical language and concrete words to enhance meaning. Rhetorical devices like imagery, similes, metaphors and analogies are presented as ways to make ideas more vivid and memorable.
Week 3 using language to style the speech
- 1. ENG366 Week 3 Using Language to Style the Speech DR. RUSSELL RODRIGO
- 2. Meanings Are in People, Not in Words Answer the following questions: 1. What is the most beautiful word you know? 2. What is the softest or gentlest word? 3. What is the ugliest word? 4. What is the most frightening word? 5. What is the harshest or sharpest word? 6. What word makes you feel lonely? 7. What word makes you feel angry? 8. What is the most overused or trite word? 9. What word makes you feel happiest?
- 3. Why is “writing for the ear” important, and what are some of the ways in which this can be accomplished? A. Speakers should realize that oral and written language are different. B. Successful speakers use familiar and easy-to-follow words and sentences and straightforward syntax. They also repeat key words and phrases. C. Repetition figures more prominently in oral than in written language. Many speakers will repeat key words and phrases to reiterate points and weave them into a central theme. D. Oral language is more often interactive and inclusive of the audience than is written language, with personal pronouns such as I and you appearing more frequently. E. One difference between oral and written communication is the frequent use of transitions to tie ideas together and enable listeners to follow the flow of the speaker. F. Although oral communication is generally informal, public speaking is expected to be more organized, clear, and formal than everyday conversation.
- 4. Using language that encourages shared meaning A. Speakers should be culturally sensitive and use unbiased language. 1. Language creates and defines culture. 2. Culture is transmitted through the distinctive words, phrases, and colloquialisms that define and perpetuate that culture. 3. Cultural sensitivity is a conscious attempt to be considerate of cultural beliefs, norms, or traditions that are different from one’s own. For speakers, it exemplifies trustworthiness, responsibility, respect, and fairness. 4. Speakers should always avoid biased language that relies on unfounded assumptions or stereotypes derived from religion, race, age, class, or gender. a. Biased language includes any terminology that is sexist, ageist, or homophobic. b. Speakers should avoid the use of sexist pronouns when referring to both men and women. B. Speakers should strive for simplicity in word choice. They should avoid jargon, or the specialized language of a profession; terms should be translated for the layperson. C. Speakers should be concise, striving to get their points across effectively using as few words as possible. 1. Shorter sentences aid listening comprehension. 2. Concise language includes the use of contractions, phrases, and sentence fragments. 3. Verbal fillers (e.g., “um,” “uh”) and the overuse of conjunctions can distract and annoy listeners; thus they should be avoided. D. Speakers should use concrete words—words that are specific, tangible, and definite. Abstract language—general, nonspecific words—should be avoided. 1. Research shows that listeners retain concrete nouns and verbs more easily than abstractions. 2. Listeners will attach their own meaning to abstract language, even if it does not match the meaning the speaker has assigned it.
- 5. Vivid imagery enhances meaning by making ideas concrete and by evoking feelings and associations. 1. You can evoke vivid imagery by using words that are colorful and concrete. a. Countless adverbs and adjectives are available to make language colorful and concrete. 2. You can evoke imagery by appealing to the senses. a. You can create images that evoke the sense of smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch.
- 6. 3. You can evoke vivid imagery by using figures of speech —forms of expression that create striking comparisons to help the listener visualize, identify with, and understand the speaker’s ideas. a. A simile explicitly compares one thing to another, using like or as. b. A metaphor also compares two things but does so by describing one thing as actually being the other. c. An analogy is an extended metaphor or simile that compares an unfamiliar concept or process to a more familiar one to help the listener understand the unfamiliar one. d. Personification is endowing inanimate objects with human qualities. e. Irony is the use of humor, satire, or sarcasm to suggest a different meaning than what is actually being said. f. Hyperbole is an obvious exaggeration used to drive a point home. g. Understatement is drawing attention to an idea by minimizing or lessening its importance. h. Allusion is making vague or indirect references to people, historical events, or concepts to give deeper meaning to the message.
- 7. 1. They fought like cats and dogs. 2. I'm drowning in a sea of grief. 3. That joke is so old, the last time I heard it I was riding a dinosaur. 4. Your explanation is as clear as mud. 5. A marriage counselor files for divorce. 6. If I can't buy that perfect prom dress, I'll die! 7. The thunder clapped angrily in the distance. 8. His words cut deeper than a knife. 9. The run-down house appeared depressed. 10. A man who needs medical assistance is run over by the ambulance. 11. It’s raining men. 12. The police station gets robbed. 13. I am so hungry I could eat a horse. 14. She's going through a rollercoaster of emotions. 15. Life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get 16. Rhea heard the last piece of pie calling her name. 17. A fire station burns down. 18. It was so cold, I saw polar bears wearing hats and jackets.
- 8. Irony Examples 1. A snobbish woman - who perceives moonstone to be a poor man's gemstone - is given a pair of moonstone earrings by her fiancé. When she opens the box, she says, "Thank you, honey. I just love moonstones. They're so... simple.“ 2. A writer is working on his manuscript, and it's a comedy. The days have been fraught with rain and clouds, bringing down his mood and hampering his ability to craft witty scenes. As he opens his blinds one morning, he sees the dark clouds outside again and says, "Great. Another rainy day. How wonderful."
- 9. Understatement Examples 1. You just hit the biggest lottery of all time! An understatement would be: "I'm kind of excited." (Modest) 2. You are out to dinner with a friend who spills food down the front of her white shirt. An understatement would be: "Really, it's hardly noticeable." (Polite) 3. You get the highest grade in class. An understatement would be: "I did OK on that test." (Modest) 4. You land your dream job after endless interviews and get offered a generous salary with lots of benefits. An understatement would be: "I am pretty happy with my new job offer." (Modest) 5. Referring to Oprah Winfrey, an understatement would be: "She has some money." (Comedic) 6. Your team wins the biggest game of the season. An understatement would be: "Yeah, we played pretty well today." (Modest) 7. On the coldest day of the year with record low temperatures an understatement would be: "I might need a jacket today." (Comedic)
- 10. Allusion An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a reference to a place, person, or event. This can be real or imaginary and may refer to anything, including fiction, folklore, historical events, or religious manuscripts.
- 11. Types of Cultural Allusion 1. Biblical Allusion A statement that refers to the bible without directly mentioning it. He was a good Samaritan yesterday when he helped the old lady cross the street. It’s been raining so long that pretty soon we’re going to need an arc. 2. Literary Allusion A statement that indirectly refers to well-known literary works. Are you sure you didn’t eat the last cookie? Your nose is growing. I went to bed with my hair wet and I wake up looking like Medusa.
- 12. Types of Cultural Allusion Cont. 3. Historical Allusion A statement that refers to history. There is a civil war going on in my family. Millions of innocent lives were lost due to prejudice views of a ruthless German ruler. 4. Pop Culture Allusion An association of a person, place, or event within a specific community or culture. She acts like that because haters gonna hate hate hate hate. Something weird is going on – my spidey sense is tingling.
- 13. Figures of Speech: Similes, Metaphors, and Analogies Practice: Construct similes, metaphors, and analogies for the following:
- 14. How can you use language to build credibility? Speakers can build credibility with their audiences by using words appropriately, accurately, grammatically, and with confidence and conviction. Being appropriate means using language that is suited to the audience, the occasion, and the topic; and refraining from using inflammatory and libelous language.
- 15. How can you use language to create a lasting impression? Three effective strategies for using language to make speeches memorable are the rhetorical devices of repetition, alliteration, and parallelism. 1. Repetition is repeating key words or phrases at various intervals to create a distinct rhythm and thereby implant important ideas in listeners’ minds. Repetition is often used to create a thematic focus. 2. Alliteration is the repetition of the same sounds, usually initial consonants, in two or more neighboring words or syllables. When it is done well, alliteration lends a speech a poetic, musical rhythm or cadence. 3. Parallelism is the arrangement of words, phrases, or sentences in similar form. Parallel structure can help the speaker emphasize important ideas in the speech. Like repetition, it creates a sense of steady or building rhythm. Two of the most common types of parallel language are pairs and triads. Pairs take two ideas or phrases to create a powerful idea; triads, three.
- 16. Examples 1. If you think you can do it, you can do it. 2. She sells seashells by the sea-shore. 3. "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." -Neil Armstrong 4. The general said to his army, “Men — You must fight for the life of your people, your family, and your country.” 5. The boy was a good footballer, because his father was a footballer, and his grandfather was a footballer. 6. Can you keep the cat from clawing the couch? It's creating chaos. 7. "We've seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers." -George W. Bush 8. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. 9. "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." -John F. Kennedy 10. I don’t sing because I am happy, I am happy because I sing. 11. While walking wearily home I wondered where Wally was. 12. My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors." -Barack Obama
- 17. Terms 1. Style—the specific language and techniques used to express a speaker’s thoughts. A speech is a mixture of substance and style. A speaker’s style is his or her choice of words and sentence structure. It is the specific language a speaker selects and the techniques he or she uses to express it. 2. Cultural sensitivity —a conscious attempt to be considerate of cultural beliefs, norms, or traditions that are different from one’s own. 3. Biased language —any language that relies on unfounded assumptions, negative descriptions, or stereotypes of a given group’s age, class, gender, or geographical, ethnic, racial, or religious characteristics; also includes language that is homophobic. 4. Sexist pronouns —the exclusive use of he, she, him, her, and so on when referring to both men and women.
- 18. Simplicity: Speakers say what they mean in short, clear sentences. They can translate jargon—the specialized language of a given profession—into commonly understood terms. Conciseness: As a rule, speakers should strive to use as few words as possible to express their thoughts. Being concise means eliminating unnecessary conjunctions between sentences, as well as ridding remarks of “vocal fillers.” Concreteness: Concrete language is words that are specific, tangible, and definite. Speeches that contain a majority of concrete words and phrases have a better chance of succeeding in getting a message across than speeches that rely solely on abstract language. Abstract language —words that are general and nonspecific.
- 19. Figures of speech —forms of expression that create striking comparisons to help the listener visualize, identify with, and understand the speaker’s ideas. Simile —an explicit comparison of one thing to another, using like or as. Metaphor —a direct comparison of two things in which one thing is described as actually being the other. Analogy —an extended metaphor or simile that compares an unfamiliar concept or process to a more familiar one to help the listener understand the unfamiliar one. Inflammatory language—language that incites others to anger and that creates disorder or tumult. Slanderous or libelous language—false and malicious statements that defame the reputation of others.
- 20. To build trust and credibility, language must be accurate. When considering accuracy, a speaker must consider the meaning of words. Explain the denotative and connotative meanings of words and give an example of each. Denotative meaning—the literal, or dictionary, definition of a word. Sometimes more concrete words have mainly denotative meaning (e.g., surgery and saline). Connotative meaning—the special associations that different people bring to bear upon a word; for example, someone may like to be called “slender” but not “skinny,” or “thrifty” but not “cheap.” What two things can a speaker do to convey confidence and conviction? Use the active voice. Use personal pronouns—I, me, my, our, we, us.
- 21. The Meaning of Words: Denotative and Connotative Words Identify the denotative and connotative meanings of each of the following words. Then, come up with five of their own words and give both meanings for each. 1. girl or boy 2. gay 3. thrifty 4. skinny 5. drugs—high 6. bitch 7. surfing
- 22. Practice Deliver ONE MINUTE speech with ONE of the topics below. Use any of the figures of speech discussed and narratives. 1. Raising awareness against fake news 2. Encouraging a colleague to stay motivated despite the demotion he/she received. 3. Encouraging your team to reach the sales target. 4. Encouraging your classmates to stay engaged and motivated towards learning through online platform. 5. Convincing a girl/boy to be a in a relationship with you. 6. Women are not damsels in distress. 7. You can easily escape reality. 8. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
- 23. Class 2
- 24. Practice 2 Generate between five and ten sensitive words for which more appropriate language can be substituted. Each group should report its results to the class. To spur your thinking, consider the following substitutions:
- 25. Practice 2 In a team of four or five people, locate a selection of newspaper or magazine articles and select a text that could be appropriately used as spoken language in a speech. Next, find a text that would be ill-suited for use as spoken language. Report your results to the class.
- 26. Practice 3: Identifying Biased Language Identify biased language and choose bias-free replacements for those words. Replacement words should not change the overall meaning of the passage. Also, identify the words that imply stereotypical behavior.
- 27. Practice 4: Gender-Based Communication Styles Half of the students should bring to class a videotape of a man that represents the masculine communication style (e.g., news anchors, actors in a movie, politicians). The other half should bring a videotape of a woman that represents the feminine style of communication. Answer questions 1 and 2 after each tape. Answer questions 3, 4, and 5 after the class has viewed all the tapes. 1. Which style of communication does this speaker use? (Remember, not all males use the masculine style and not all females use the feminine style.) 2. What characteristics of this individual’s speaking style led you to think this? 3. Which style of communication commands more respect from the audience? 4. Which style invites relational closeness or friendship? 5. Which style do students prefer? Why?
- 28. Short Speech Presentations and Peer Evaluation