16 Using Language to Style the Speech
<A> OBJECTIVES
To prepare your speeches using an oral style.
To strive for simplicity.
To aim for conciseness.
To use repetition frequently.
To use personal pronouns.
To use concrete language and vivid imagery.
To choose words that build credibility.
To choose language that creates a lasting impression.
<A> CHAPTER CONTENT OUTLINE
I. Using language to style the speech
A. Words are a speaker’s tools of the trade, and will play a large role in a speaker’s
ability to connect with an audience.
1. Style represents the specific word choices and rhetorical devices speakers
use to express their ideas.
II. Prepare your speeches for the ear
A. Speeches should be carefully prepared to be heard rather than to be read.
1. Speeches require an oral style, which is language that is simpler, more
B. More so than in their written texts, successful speakers do the following:
1. Use familiar and easy-to-follow words, sentences, and sentence fragments.
2. Repeat key words and phrases.
3. Utilize transitions.
4. Make use of personal pronouns, such as “I,” “we,” “you,” and “our.”
5. Adhere to a clear pattern of organization.
C. Speakers should strive for simplicity in word choice. They should avoid jargon, or
the specialized language of an activity or group; terms should be translated for the
layperson.
D. Speakers should be concise, getting their points across using as few words as
possible.
1. Easier–to-pronounce words and shorter sentences aid listening
comprehension.
2. Concise language includes the use of contractions.
E. Speakers should experiment with phrases and sentence fragments in place of full
sentences.
F. Speakers should make frequent use of repetition to emphasize important points
and help listeners follow along.
G. Speakers should take advantage of the more interactive nature of oral style by
including personal pronouns such as “we,” “us,” “I,” and “you” to help the
audience understand what the speaker thinks and feels.
III. Using concrete language and vivid imagery
A. Speakers should use concrete language—language that is specific, tangible, and
definite. Abstract language—general, nonspecific words—should be avoided.
B. Vivid imagery enhances meaning by making ideas concrete and by evoking
feelings and associations. Imagery appeals to the senses: smell, taste, sight,
hearing, and touch.
1. Studies show audience members more easily recall vivid imagery than
colorless language.
C. You can create imagery by using descriptive adjectives and strong verbs in place
of mundane language.
A. Speakers can also use figures of speech—forms of expression that create striking
comparisons to help the listener visualize, identify with, and understand the
speaker’s ideas.
1. A simile explicitly compares one thing to another, using “like” or “as.”
2. A metaphor also compares two things but does so by describing one thing
as actually being the other.
3. 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.
4. Personification is endowing abstract ideas or inanimate objects with
human qualities.
5. Understatement is drawing attention to an idea by minimizing or lowering
its importance.
6. Irony is the use of humor, satire, or sarcasm to suggest a different meaning
than what is actually being said.
7. Allusion is making vague or indirect references to people, historical
events, or concepts to give deeper meaning to the message.
8. Hyperbole is an obvious exaggeration used to drive a point home.
9. Onomatopoeia is the imitation of natural sounds in word form.
10. Conversely, try to avoid figures of speech such as clichés, mixed
metaphors, and faulty analogies.
IV. Choosing words that build credibility
A. Effective speakers are careful to use language that is appropriate to the audience,
the occasion, and the subject matter. As a rule, speakers should strive to uphold
the conventional rules of grammar and usage associated with standard English.
1. At times, a mix of casual language, dialects, a second language, or slang—
called code-switching—can be used to promote a feeling of friendliness,
humor, honesty, and nostalgia.
B. Accuracy is important to building the speaker’s credibility and the audience’s trust
in the speaker.
1. Speakers must be correct in usage and truthful in expression and must
avoid malapropisms, the inadvertent use of a word or phrase in place of
one that sounds like it.
2. Speakers should pay attention to differences between denotative
meanings, or literal meanings, and connotative meanings, or special
associations, for the words they use.
C. Language that expresses confidence enhances credibility. This is best
accomplished by using the active voice. A verb is in the active voice when the
subject performs the action and in the passive voice when the subject is acted
upon or is the receiver of the action.
D. Using culturally sensitive and gender-neutral language can help speakers build
credibility.
1. Speakers should avoid biased language that relies on unfounded
assumptions or stereotypes derived from religion, race, age, class, or
gender.
2. In most instances, speakers should avoid colloquial expressions, the
regional variations in expressions, which might confuse listeners.
3. Speakers should strive to use gender-neutral language, and refrain from
using third-person generic masculine pronouns in favor of inclusive
pronouns.
V. Choosing language that creates a lasting impression
A. Repetition involves repeating key words, phrases, or sentences. This creates a
distinct rhythm that reinforces important ideas in listeners’ minds.
1. Repeating a key word, phrase, or sentence throughout the duration of the
speech stimulates and captures attention, creates thematic focus, and
brings the speaker closer to listeners.
2. Anaphora is a type of repetition in which the speaker repeats a word or a
phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences.
3. Epiphora is a type of repetition in which a speaker repeats a word or a
phrase at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences.
B. Alliteration is the repetition of the same sounds, usually initial consonants, in two
or more neighboring words or syllables. Speakers should avoid alliteration that is
hackneyed, or poorly crafted and lacking in freshness.
C. Parallelism refers to the arrangement of words, phrases, or sentences in similar
form. It helps the speaker to emphasize important ideas and can create a sense of
steady or building rhythm.
1. Orally numbering points is one use of parallel language.
2. Parallelism within individual sentences creates a powerful effect.
a. Antithesis consists of setting off two ideas in balanced (parallel)
opposition to each other.
b. Triads make use of three parallel elements.
<A> KEY TERMS
style
the speaker’s choice of words, rhetorical devices, and sentence structure.
oral style a use of language that is simpler, more repetitious, more rhythmic, and more
interactive than written language.
jargon specialized terminology developed within a given endeavor or field of study.
concrete language specific, tangible, and definite language (nouns or verbs); see also
abstract language.
abstract language language that is general or nonspecific; see also concrete language.
imagery concrete language that brings into play the senses of smell, taste, sight, hearing, and
touch to paint mental pictures.
figures of speech expressions, such as metaphors, similes, analogies, and hyperbole, in
which words are used in a nonliteral fashion.
simile a figure of speech used to compare one thing with another by using the word like
or as (e.g., “He works like a dog”); see also metaphor.
metaphor a figure of speech used to make an implicit comparison without the use of like
or as (e.g., “Love is a rose”); see also simile.
cliché an expression that is predictable and stale.
mixed metaphor a metaphor that juxtaposes or compares unlike images or expressions
(“Before plunging into the pool, let’s walk through these steps”).
analogy an extended metaphor or simile that compares an unfamiliar concept or process
with a more familiar one in order to help the listener understand the one that is
unfamiliar.
faulty analogy a weak, inaccurate, or misleading comparison suggesting that because two things
are similar in some ways, they are necessarily similar in others.
personification a figure of speech in which the speaker endows an abstract idea or
inanimate object with human qualities (e.g., “Computers have become important
members of our family”).
understatement a figure of speech in which a speaker draws attention to an idea by
minimizing its importance (e.g., “Flunking out of college might be a problem”).
irony a figure of speech in which the speaker uses humor, satire, or sarcasm to suggest a
meaning other than the one that is actually being expressed.
allusion a figure of speech in which the speaker makes vague or indirect reference to
people, historical events, or concepts to give deeper meaning to the message.
hyperbole a figure of speech in which the speaker uses obvious exaggeration to drive
home a point.
onomatopoeia a figure of speech in which the speaker imitates natural sounds in word
form in order to add vividness to a speech (e.g., “The rain dripped a steady plop, plop,
plop”).
code-switching the selective use of speech elements, such as casual language, dialects, a second
language, or slang, to encourage identification, friendliness, honesty, and nostalgia with an
audience.
malapropism the inadvertent use of a word or phrase in place of one that sounds like it.
denotative meaning the literal or dictionary definition of a word.
connotative meaning the individual associations that different people bring to bear on a
word.
voice a feature of verbs that indicates the subject’s relationship to the action.
colloquial expressions informal expressions characterized by regional variations of
speech.
gender-neutral language the use of inclusive pronouns, such as his or her, he or she, we, ours,
you, and your.
rhetorical device a technique of language to achieve a desired effect
anaphora a rhetorical device in which the speaker repeats a word or phrase at the
beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences.
epiphora a rhetorical device in which the speaker repeats a word or phrase at the end of
successive phrases, clauses, or sentences.
alliteration the repetition of the same sounds, usually initial consonants, in two or more
neighboring words or syllables.
hackneyed language that is poorly crafted and lacking in freshness.
parallelism the arrangement of words, phrases, or sentences in similar grammatical and
stylistic form.
antithesis setting off two ideas in balanced (parallel) opposition to each other to create a
powerful effect.
CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE
I. SUMMARY QUESTIONS
What is “writing for the ear”? What are some of the ways in which this can be
accomplished?
“Writing for the ear” involves using language in ways that will be best received by listeners
Why is it important that speech language be simple and concise?
Successful speakers strive for simplicity and conciseness. To ensure that they get their message
What is concrete language?
Concrete language is specific, tangible, and definite. In contrast, abstract language is general
and nonspecific, leaving meaning open to interpretation. Abstract words such as power and
How can you create vivid imagery in your speeches?
Imagery is concrete language that brings into play the senses of smell, taste, sight, hearing, and
touch to paint mental pictures. Vivid imagery can be created using descriptive adjectives, strong
How can you use language to build credibility?
Speakers can build credibility with their audiences by using words appropriately, accurately,
assertively, respectfully, and with confidence and conviction. Being appropriate means using
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. Repetition is repeating key words or phrases
II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Think of
some of the most well known and memorable speeches in
American history. Do
you think that the use of language helps explain the lasting impact of these speeches? Why
or why not?
It is very likely that students will mention speeches that utilized the language strategies and
Why is it so important to consider the connotative meanings of words in appealing to an
audience? How can an analysis of audience attitudes, values, and beliefs be used to evaluate
the connotative implications of certain words?
Connotative meanings are created in the context in which words are used, not in the words
themselves. Because individuals communicate in a variety of contexts and situations, it may be
Think of three or four instances in which you could incorporate slang or regional or ethnic
terms into a speech in a way that would be appropriate to the audience, the occasion, and
the topic. Be ready to discuss these in class.
This activity could serve as a group exercise. When students are generating appropriate
Recall an instance in which you observed a public speaker utilizing language that was not
culturally sensitive or was biased. How did you feel as an audience member? How did the
audience respond to this speaker?
Most students will be able to recall a time in which they heard a speaker use language that was
Think of a memorable speech you have witnessed. Can you attribute your retention to the
speaker’s use of language? If so, what strategies discussed in the textbook were used by this
speaker?
Most students have witnessed at least one speech that has really impacted them in one way or
III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may help you illustrate important points in the chapter and facilitate
students’ learning of this material. These questions can also be used as:
homework questions
quizzes
in-class work (individually or in groups)
topics to generate discussion
question-and-answer sessions between instructor and students
Explain what the text means by style.
Style is the specific word choices and techniques of language speakers use to express their ideas
What does it mean to use an oral style?
The textbook talks about using language that is simple and free of jargon, concise, and
concrete. Explain, and give examples of, each of these terms.
Simplicity: Speakers say what they mean in short, clear sentences. They can translate jargon—
What is abstract language? Give two to three examples to demonstrate how you can make
an abstract word more concrete.