Public Speaking

Use Language Effectively (^153)
When I started [my company], I told people I wanted to make movies I’d pay to
see twice.... Give me movies with stories and ideas that people care about.
You say, yeah, but kids today expect special effects. Well, my kids are 9 and 13.
My daughter has watched Twilight seven times. It has the worst special effects in
the world. The ridiculous way that guy runs looks like the track star with blurry
legs in that TV commercial. But does she really care that the special effects in the
next Twilight movie will be any better?
As if.
What she cares about is that Robert Pattinson fights off the werewolf guy for
Kristin Stewart.
This excerpt contains several elements of oral style.^19 The speaker uses fairly short
sentences—even fragments, and one sentence starts with but. His vocabulary is familiar
and concrete and his words paint vivid pictures. He uses personalized language (you, I)
and repetition. The following section describes several basic principles of effective oral
language: be concise, choose familiar words, be concrete, build in repetition, use vivid
language, and select an appropriate form.
Be Concise
It’s easy to clutter a speech with verbiage—nonessential or “filler” words such as just
and like (“Teens need like about nine hours of sleep.” “All of a sudden it was just, like
quiet.”) The phrase what you want to do is especially common in demonstration speeches,
as this excerpt from a cooking show on television illustrates:
The cake chef said: “What you want to do next is you want to take the coffee and
pour it over the cake.”
He could more concisely say: “Next, pour the coffee over the cake.”
Although brevity or conciseness is valued in the United States, many other cultures
value flowery language. Consequently, what we may consider verbiage, other groups
may regard as essential elements of eloquence. 20
Use Familiar Words
The purpose of public speaking is to clarify ideas, not make them more confusing. So
short, familiar words are part of the oral style. Avoid jargon when you can, but because
verbiage nonessential
language
Figure 12.1
Oral and Written Style^18
Oral Style Written Style
Dynamic and interactive Static
Short, simple, concrete but vivid words More complex words, greater
vocabulary variety
Shorter sentences; fragments
acceptable
Longer, more complex and complete
sentences
Less formal, more personalized
language
More formal, precise language
Repetition of words and ideas Less repetition; readers can stop,
ponder, reread, and look up words
More engaging; speaker adds
nonverbal emphasis
Not able to emphasize meanings
nonverbally
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