Public Speaking

154 CHAPTER 12^ Choosing Effective Language

many topics involve technical terms, you will have to translate jargon terms into

understandable English.

For her speech on stem-cell research, Ciara used a variety of simpler words to

explain technical terms:^21

•   Stem cells (compared to something familiar—a “blank” cell)

•   Blastocyst (defined five to seven days after conception)

•   Embryonic stem cells (defined as a cell from a blastocyte’s inner mass of cells)

•   Pluripotent stem cells (defined as cells that can develop into many types of cells)

•   Adult stem cells (defined as derived after birth, including placenta and umbilical

cord cells)

It helped to write out the words and display a diagram so listeners could see as well

as hear the complex jargon terms.

Be Concrete

Another way to help your listeners form precise understandings is to choose concrete

words that are specific rather than abstract, particular rather than general. Words range

along a scale of abstraction such as this:

abstract/general     animal

vertebrate

mammal

dog

concrete/particular  greyhound

When you say “I adopted a greyhound” your ideas are much more concrete than

when you say “I adopted a dog.” But that is more concrete than “I adopted an animal.”

concrete word specific,
rather than general or
abstract, term

Specifying greyhound
adoption is much more
concrete than pet adoption
in general.

Clella Jaffe

Copyright 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).

Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.www.ebook3000.com