A SPEAKER’S GUIDEBOOK

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EDITION CHAPTER 16 Using Language to Style the Speech

Using Language in Speechwriting

    Language allows the audience to visualize an image or imagine a scene.

Style involves your word choices that help speakers achieve their speech purpose.

Rhetorical devices are the techniques of language usage that are one component of style.

Speeches are written for the ear, not to be read, so most speakers have to hear their drafts to know what changes to make.

Tips for Effective Speechwriting

       Use familiar words, not jargon and idioms.

Write easy-to-follow sentences.

Use straightforward syntax (subject-verb-object agreement).

Use repetition frequently.

Take the time to make transitions between points.

Have a clear organizational pattern to your speech.

Be prepared to adjust the speech content during delivery as you receive audience feedback.

Strive for Simplicity

 Avoid using jargon of a specialized profession.

 When choosing between two synonyms, choose the simpler word. Essay writing, not speechwriting, requires a larger vocabulary.

 If you really want to use a term unfamiliar to your audience, define it as you’re speaking.

 Be concise; use fewer words rather than more words to share your idea.

Question

Which of the following is not true about writing your speech with simplicity?

A. Use jargon to prove your intelligence.

B. Use as few words as possible.

C. Define words that may be unfamiliar.

D. Use smaller words rather than larger words.

E. Maintain subject-verb-object agreement.

Transition Words and Phrases

  Transition words and phrases help the audience follow your line of reasoning. Enumeration is a type of signpost that numbers the points, steps, or subsequent ideas.

Repetition

    Repeating important ideas infuses your speech with rhythm.

Repetition aids in retention. Listeners retain information that they receive more than once.

Anaphora is when a speaker repeats a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences.

Repeating same sounds, usually hard consonants, in words or syllables in the same sentence is called alliteration.

Unbiased Language

 Biased language makes stereotypes about a group’s demographic characteristics. Speakers should avoid negative references to age, race, or religious beliefs.  Some speakers use sexist pronouns by using the “he” pronoun inappropriately.

 Be careful in how you refer to persons with disabilities (PWD); remembering the order of terms in this phrase often helps the speaker remember to speak of them with dignity.

Establish Common Ground

 Concrete language is specific, tangible, and definite. Listeners will try to think of a concrete word to replace abstract terms that speakers use.  Use colloquial expressions that are shared within the cultural background of your audience.

 Select words that are descriptive.

Figures of Speech

 Analogies, Metaphors, and Similes  Personification  Understatement  Irony  Allusion  Hyperbole  Onomatopoeia

Analogies, Metaphors, & Similes

 Analogies are extended metaphors or similes that compare an unfamiliar concept with something more familiar.  Avoid using metaphors that are clichéd, or so overused that they are boring to your audience.

 Similes differ from metaphors by making a comparison using the words “like” or “as”.

Speech Example

In his “I have a dream” speech given in Washington, D.C. in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. used the metaphor of a “bad check” and then extended the metaphor making references to the “bank of justice.” You can view the televised recording of his speech at: www.americanrhetoric.com

as well as hear other examples of King’s excellent speaking style.

Personification & Onomatopoeia

 Personification is when you endow inanimate objects or animals with human qualities. An example would be, “My cell phone is my best friend.”  Creating a word that imitates a natural sound is called onomatopoeia. An example would be, “They buzzed around her like bees.”

Other Figures of Speech

 Irony uses humor, satire, or sarcasm to suggest a meaning other than what is actually being suggested.  Similarly, an understatement draws attention to an idea by minimizing its importance. In contrast, a hyperbole makes an obvious exaggeration to make a point.

 Making a vague or indirect reference to people, historical events, or concepts, known as an allusion, gives deeper meaning to the statement.

Question

In the film The Joy Luck Club based on the novel by the same name by Amy Tan, one of the characters cooks and serves her best dish to her guests. She then criticizes it in front of them to appear modest. This is an example of: A. A simile B. An analogy C. An understatement D. An anaphora E. A hyperbole

Parallelism – a Rhetorical Device

 Parallel word construction refers to the arrangement of words, phrases, or sentences in similar grammatical form.  Important points are emphasized as the repeated sentence structure creates a rhythm.

 Setting off opposite ideas using parallelism is called antithesis.

 Speakers often make use of three parallel elements or triads.

Question

The quote by Abraham Lincoln “… of the people, by the people, and for the people” is an example of: A. Alliteration B. An antithesis C. Hedges D. A Hyperbole E. A Triad

Chapter 16 Key Terms for Review

style rhetorical device jargon contractions biased language colloquial expression sexist pronoun persons with disabilities (PWD) cultural intelligence concrete language abstract language figures of speech simile metaphor cliché mixed metaphor analogy personification understatement irony allusion hyperbole onomatopoeia malapropism denotative meaning connotative meaning active voice hedges tag questions anaphora alliteration hackneyed parallelism antithesis triad