Topic 3: The Use of

Language in Public Speaking

PEPS1112
 Learning Objectives
• Understand the three elements of language important for public speakers.
• Utilize the three elements of language in your own public speeches.
 Formal Language
• Formal language is characterized by its adherence to grammatical rules, proper syntax, and
vocabulary typically associated with professional or academic settings. When using formal
language in public speaking:
• Grammatical Accuracy: Speakers ensure that their sentences follow proper grammatical structure,
using correct verb forms, subject-verb agreement, and sentence organization.
• Professional Vocabulary: Speakers often employ vocabulary that is specific to their field or
industry, demonstrating expertise and knowledge in the subject matter.
• Polite and Respectful Tone: Speakers maintain a tone that is polite, respectful, and appropriate for
the context of the speech. They avoid slang, casual expressions, or language that may be
considered disrespectful or offensive.
 Informal Languages
• Informal language is more relaxed, conversational, and colloquial in nature. It can be used to
establish a connection with the audience and create a more engaging atmosphere. When using
informal language in public speaking:
• Conversational Tone: Speakers adopt a tone that resembles everyday conversation, using
contractions, idiomatic expressions, and colloquial language.
• Personal Anecdotes: Speakers may share personal stories or anecdotes to connect with the audience
on a more personal level, making the speech more relatable and memorable.
• Humor and Wit: Informal language often includes elements of humor, wit, and spontaneity, which
can help captivate the audience's attention and make the speech more entertaining
 Elements of Language
• Language is a very important aspect of anyone’s public speaking
performance.
• Whether a speaker uses lots of complicated words or words most people
have in their vocabularies, language will determine how an audience
experiences the speech.
 Clarity
• The first important element of language is clarity, or the use of language to make sure the
audience understands a speaker’s ideas in the way the speaker intended. While language,
or verbal communication, is only one channel we can use to transmit information, it is a
channel that can lend itself to numerous problems.
• For example, if people have different connotative definitions for words, the audience can
miss the intended meaning of a message.
• Speakers strive for clarity and simplicity in their language to ensure that the audience can
easily understand and retain the message.
• They avoid using overly complex language or jargon that may confuse or alienate
listeners.
• Imagine you’re listening to a speaker talking and he or she uses the phrase,
“Older female relative who became aerodynamic venison road kill,” or “Obese
personification fabricated of compressed mounds of minute crystals.”
• If you’re like most people, these two phrases just went right over your head.
We’ll give you a hint, these are two common Christmas songs. The first phrase
refers to “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” and the second one is
“Frosty the Snowman.” Notice that in both of these cases, the made-up title
with all the polysyllabic words is far less clear than the commonly known one.
• While you are probably unlikely to deliberately distort the clarity of your
speech by choosing such outlandish words to express simple thoughts, the
point we are illustrating is that clear language makes a big difference in how
well a message can be understood.
 Obscenity
• Obscenity, or indecent language, consists of curse words or pornographic
references.
• While it may be fun to use obscene language in casual conversations with your
friends, we cannot recommend using obscene language while delivering a
speech.
• Even if you’re giving a speech related to an obscene word, you must be careful
with your use of the word itself. Whether we agree with societal perceptions of
obscenity, going out of our way to use obscenity will end up focusing the
audience on the obscenity and not on our message.
 Variety
• Often speakers find one language device and then beat it into the ground
like a railroad spike.
• Unfortunately, when a speaker starts using the same language device too
often, the language device will start to lose the power that it may have
had.
• For this reason, we recommend that you always think about the language
you plan on using in a speech and make sure that you use a range of
language choices.
 Reference
• DeVito, J. A. (2009). The interpersonal communication book (12th ed.).
Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.