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Oral Language. Mrs. Curry lecture notes Ch. 4. 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.
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Oral Language Mrs. Curry lecture notes Ch. 4
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 • 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
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! Grimmsrefuted 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 • Courtesy and Tact- speaker listens empathically, negotiates with respect, disagrees without being rude • 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 • Vividness and Imagery- Speaker expresses ordinary ideas in new and imaginative ways • 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 • Expressing & Responding to Feelings • Informing • Controlling & Persuading • Participating in Social Rituals • 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 • 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?