THE NATURE OF ORAL LANGUAGE
Oral Language is a language that is spoken and heard rather than
written and read.
Encode means to assign meaning and language to data.
Decode means to assign meaning to someone else’s words.
Standards for oral communication are based on appropriateness,
while standards for writing are based on correctness.
What kinds of standards for appropriateness do we have at school?
Why are these standards needed?
CHARACTERISTICS OF ORAL LANGUAGE
• Meaning
• Vocabulary: all the word symbols that make up a particular code
or language.
• Structure: the way different parts of a language are arranged.
• Grammar: the basic understandings and rules that regulate the
use of language.
Why are structure and grammar important parts of language?
CHARACTERISTICS OF SPEECH SOUND
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Diction is the degree of clarity and distinctness in a person’s speech.
Pronunciation of some words can differ. Give an example of a word that
can be pronounced in more than one way.
Articulation is the act of clearly and distinctly uttering the consonant
sounds of a word.
What are the 4 problems that can interfere with articulation?
Omission- “bi’ness” “he’p” “dolla”
Addition- “warsh” “Florider”
Substitution- “idn’t” “mirra” “liddle”
Slurring- words run together
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CHARACTERISTICS (CONT)
Enunciation- the act of clearly and distinctly uttering
vowel sounds of a word.
Examples- git, get pin, pen jist, just inyone, anyone
CHARACTERISTICS (CONT)
• Dialect- a unique combination of speech sounds that identify
speech with a particular group of people.
• The dialect of a specific region may have different vocabulary,
grammar, and pronunciations from dialects of other regions.
• “southern drawl” (y’all) (fixin’ to)
• New Yorker (youse guys) (drop ‘r’s)
• New Jersey (yins guys)
Describe one communication problem that might result from using a
strong dialect. What is one possible solution to this problem?
GRIMMS’ LAW
Is y’all more correct than youse guys?
Grimm says no! Grimms refuted the notion that one speech pattern
was superior to another.
POWER LANGUAGE
What are the 6 characteristics of power language?
• Clarity- speech is precise, clearly organized & grammatical
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Courtesy and Tact- speaker listens empathically, negotiates with
respect, disagrees without being rude
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Ownership of Thoughts and Feelings- Speaker takes responsibility for
thoughts and feelings “I was bored” rather than “That was boring”
Inclusion of Others- Speaker listens to others opinions
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Vividness and Imagery- Speaker expresses ordinary ideas in new
and imaginative ways
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Appropriate Usage- Speaker uses a level of language that is
appropriate for the specific context.
TYPES OF LANGUAGE
Formal language- language the conforms to a highly structured set of rules
ex: parliamentary procedure
Technical language- language associated with a particular profession, activity, or
field of study. Also called “jargon”
ex: medical field, technology
Standard language: language used by the majority of knowledgeable
communication within a specific language
ex: “correct” speech
Informal language: language most often used in casual situations and close
interpersonal relationships.
ex: friends, family
INFORMAL LANGUAGE
Colloquialism- a term associated with a specific regional culture
“knee-high to a grasshopper” “until the cows come home” “going
to bed with the chickens”
What is a disadvantage to using colloquialisms?
Slang- temporary language used for a brief period of time by a
limited group of people.
Come up with an example.
FUNCTIONS OF ORAL LANGUAGE
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Expressing & Responding to Feelings
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Informing
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Controlling & Persuading
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Participating in Social Rituals
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Creating & Imagining
Which of these 5 functions do you think is the most important? Why?
ORAL LANGUAGE
Denotation- a word’s objective description or meaning (dictionary)
Connotation- emotional feelings with which the word is associated
Why is it important to consider both of these when using oral
language?
LANGUAGE TO AVOID
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Sexist- implies that something is more suited to a specific gender.
Racist- applies labels or behavioral characteristics to an entire race
of people.
Profane or Obscene- vulgar, abusive, defensive
Judgmental- inappropriate evaluation or critique of someone or
something.
Accusatory- Using “you” messages that sound bossy
Assumptive- assuming everyone shares your views
Absolute- assumes there are no exceptions to rules.
Which of these is the worst to use, in your opinion?