Using Language "Style" for Your Speech

The purpose of this lesson is to help you understand and learn how language style influences your speech. Style refers to both the specific words choices and the rhetorical devices (techniques of language) used to express your ideas and achieve your speech purpose.

Of course rhetoric doesn't doesn't move mountains, but it is the catalyst of action.

To quote one of my favorite authors Thomas Sowell, he states, “The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers.”

Good use of rhetoric creates action and results! 

(Quote by me, Professor Brendan Dalley)

Here's a quote from your mother:

"It's not what you say, it's how you say it." 
(This was usually said to me after getting in trouble for back-talking or teasing a younger sibling)

FYI: Giving a speech is not like reading out of a textbook. I have often said to my students that if you were to write like I talk then you would get an "F" on your paper. When giving a speech we can often get away with some run-sentences and grammatical errors, but don't think that writing well doesn't affect your speech. Understanding how language and grammar is used correctly will help you be a better speaker.

Effective speeches:

• Use familiar words, easy-to-follow sentences, and straight forward syntax. (Again, know your audience)
• Make frequent use of repetition and often have more transitions than written text.
• Are clearly organized and have a specific pattern to help listeners follow along.
• Are interactive and can be changed/altered by the feedback (verbals/nonverbals) of the audience.

Here's a Helpful Hint: Keep it Simple Stupid (KISS)

Which is easier to understand?

1. It is of utmost preponderance that the the assemblage apprehends your exposition; do endeavor for elementariness of your elocution. 

Or

2. Make sure your audience understands you. Strive for simplicity of expression in your speeches.

Here are some more Tips on using "Language Style" in your speech:

1. Be Concise in Your Speech

• Use fewer words words to express your thoughts.
• Use contractions
  (I'm instead of I am, he's instead of he is, Dalley's the best instead of Dalley is the best, etc.).

*Being concise in your speech is more easily understood and allows for better flow.

2. Use some Sentence Fragments
It's okay to use sentence fragments and short phrases when giving a speech (but not in written language). Just don't make all your sentences fragments. Actually, I dare you to try and make all your sentences fragments or even simple sentences (you'll sound pretty stupid).

Often sentence fragments coupled with tone and body movement can enhance the "feeling" of your speech and it can give your speech some personality (your personality).

3. Remember that Repetition is the Mother of Skill 
Good speeches often repeat key words and phrases. 
Repetition adds emphasis to main ideas, helps listeners follow the speaker's logic, creates a style to the speech.

4. Use Transitions
Transitional statements help the audience follow along with the flow and intent of the speech. The use of good transitions helps to connect main ideas to supporting details to other main ideas to other supporting details. 
Think of transitions as street signs that are telling you where you are going (or in my case a GPS that talks in a sexy computer voice).

5. Use Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns in speech (I, you, me, we, us) are great to use when speaking because it personalizes the speech and can help audience members connect to you as the speaker and to the message.

6. Use Culturally Sensitive Language (you Hippy!)
As a public speaker it's critical to be sensitive to cultural variations.
Here are some things to be aware of:
Biased Language. This refers to language that relies on unfounded assumptions, negative descriptions, or stereotypes a given group's age, class, gender, disability, geographic, ethnic, racial, or religious characteristics.
Colloquial Language. Refers to language/sayings that are specific to a certain region or group of people. Use of colloquial language can help you "hit the nail on the head" with your speech, or just might make you look as "dumb as a load of coal." If you're not getting what I'm saying than there's a good chance you are "as slow as mud" or just "too dumb to pound sand in a rat hole."
Need some enLightenment, Click Here 

7. Don't be Sexist. Steer clear from referring to everyone as "he" or being generic when referring to stereotypical jobs. All nurses are not females, and not all construction workers are males. No longer is there such thing as "chairmen" it's now "chairperson." If you're struggling with this, then go ahead and struggle, but it's not going to change. 

8. Be Sensitive to Disabilities. A disability does not define a person. There are many different types of mental and physical disabilities, so be aware of language that will accord dignity, respect, and fairness.

9. Choose Concrete over Abstract
Use concrete words that are specific, tangible, and definite. Use a Thesaurus and Dictionary to help you understand and use this.
The opposite of concrete is abstract. Abstract words are general and nonspecific. The problem with using abstract words is these words can be left to the interpretation of individual audience members, which may confuse and frustrate listeners. 

If audience members start of ask questions in their head like, "What did he mean by that?", then they are not listening to what you just said.

Examples of Abstract Words:

• old
• bad
• a lot
• short
• good
• thing
• big
• long
• new
• late

Let me add some clarity by looking at Abstract vs. Concrete phrase.
Abstract: The road was rough.
Concrete: The road was pitted with muddy craters and basketball size boulders.

10. Paint a Picture with Words
Using vivid images to paint a mental picture for the audience will get their imaginations involved. Key words to help you do this: (taken from Dictionary.com)
Similes: a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared, as in “she is like a rose.”
Metaphors: a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”
Analogy: a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based: the analogy between the heart and a pump.

Side Note-Stay away from overly used similes, metaphors, or analogies. These are also known as Cliches.

Select words that are colorful and concrete.

Here are some other words you may want to understand:

Personification 
Understatement 
Irony 
Allusion  
Hyperbole  
Onomatopoeia  

A good rule is to use words that appeal to the 5 senses

11. Use Appropriate Language
Enough said with this. Don't be using language that offends others.
NO *#$%#! SWEARING!

12. Ewes Language Correctly
Credibility can be lost when you use words incorrectly. 
A malapropism occurs when one uses a word or phrase in the place of one that sounds similar but has a different meaning. "It's a strange receptacle" is wrong. It should say, "It's a strange spectacle."

Be careful of connotative meaning of words. A connotative word is a word that will have different associations or feelings when used. For example, you may consider yourself big-boned or husky, but not fat.

13. Be Confident and Convincing
This has a lot to do with how you say it as much as what you say. Be prepared, act like you belong in front speaking, be passionate about what you are speaking on, and convince by connecting with the audience. 

14. Us an Active Voice
Use and active voice not a passive voice. An active voice is when the subject performs the action. An example would be:
Passive: A test was announced by Professor Dalley for Monday.
Active: Professor Dalley announced a test for Monday.

15. Use I, Me, My
The "I" language will often create an impression of conviction and ownership. Remember, act credible, and by using "I" in an active voice, can show confidence. People follow confident people. People believe confident people.

16. Avoid Wimpy Speech
Avoid phrases that show lack of decision, confidence or understanding, such as:
I'm not sure, but…
I may not be right, but…
I think….
This might….
...kind of...
….or at least I thought.
….wasn't it?
….is that okay?

16. Leave a Lasting Impression
This ties into the last lesson on Developing a Conclusion that is Memorable, but it also has a lot to do with how well you have connected with your audience. People will remember how they felt more than they will remember what was said.

17. Use Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
As stated earlier, repetition is the mother of skill and remembering. A form of repetition called anaphora, is when you repeat a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. An example of this is Dr. Martin Luther King's speech, "I Have a Dream" where he repeats the phrase "I have a dream" numerous times.

Repetition reinforces key ideas and can be used to create a thematic focus of your speech.

18. Use Alliteration (Similar to Repetition)  
Alliteration occurs when a series of words in a row (or close to a row) have the same first consonant sound. For example, “She sells sea-shells down by the sea-short” or “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers” are both alliterative phrases.

Word of Caution- when alliteration is poorly crafted, it can distract from from a message.

19. Use Parallelism
Parallelism is not just a mathematical expression. In language it refers to the arrangement of words, phrases, or sentences in a similar form.
For more information on parallelism Click Here  

In conclusion, a well crafted speech that uses appropriate language style and rhetorical devices will help you to convey a message that will be considered unforgettable. 

Rhetoric can be the seed of hope that just may blossom into action and produce the fruit of results! - Brendan Dalley