Making a speech your own Style Making a speech your own

style What others perceive to be your manner of expression The pattern of choices attributed to a person by others to characterize or to distinguish him or her What others perceive to be your manner of expression A pattern of choices that is not predetermined You don’t have to act like a “politician” if you are running for President Style is always audience dependent Style is perceived by others

Style Continued Used to set someone apart from others or to identify someone with a particular group Individualist style sets you apart from others Patterns of choices make people unique Example: Florence and the Machine have what kind of style? It becomes your SIGNATURE

Style in a speech Not always a positive attribute Example: Filler expressions, “you know” Some speakers the goal is to remove a particular characteristic Nervous, unsure style------smooth, confident style False to think that style is just ornamentation; it is a part of the content as well

Style and Language Strategic planning= Identifying your resources and using them to achieve your purpose Language is most effective way to do this Must pay attention to the words you choose to express your ideas Turns a dull speech into a memorable speech

Perception of Speech A speaker’s word choices direct listeners to view the message in one way rather than another Example: Bill Clinton’s 2012 Democratic National Convention Speech How the speaker feels about the subject

Perception of the Speaker Speaker’s ethos Negative Perceptions Examples: The speaker who needlessly uses obscure words may impress some listeners, but others may see it as arrogant and condescending Speaker whose language offends listeners usually loses credibility

Positive Perceptions Effectively repeating a key word or phrase helps identify what is important Colorful, appropriate language can lead the audience to see things in a different perspective Avoid jargon and technical terms to seem pleasing to hear

Oral style versus written style Listeners are much more independent on the speaker Audience members can’t review the speaker’s main points if they forget them or press “pause” if they need to check a term Simplicity Shorter, common words Descriptions are briefer Sentences are shorter and less complex

Oral style versus written style Cont: Organization of speech is clearly identified through summaries, transitions, and previews If audience members have to puzzle out your speech’s meaning or intention, they have less mental energy for concentrating on what comes next Repetition Informality Reflexivity-Speakers refer to themselves, and the audience, and the situation Speakers intend to have a specific impact on an audience Speakers make organizational structure explicit

Performative vs. conversational style Performative- Performers concerned primarily with expressing themselves and secondarily with establishing a relationship with the audience Conversational style- Listeners are more active participants in a discussion with a speaker and the speaker wants to first create a connection with the audience (Bill Clinton is known for this) Both are effective, make sure to look at purpose of speech

Basic requirements for effective style The accuracy of what you say Example: http://youtu.be/9JhuOicPFZY The appropriateness of what you say Avoid sounding self-important or pretentious Avoid signs of disrespect Avoid inappropriate emotion Example: http://youtu.be/m5063G1ZDzo

Achieving clarity, rhythm, and vividness Concrete Words Maxims- short statements used to describe a situation; examples: “yes we can” “just do it” Limiting jargon, defining technical terms Word economy-using words effectively and avoiding unnecessary words Active voice- who did what, “Black Keys play stone cold rock and roll music”

Rhythm The sound of the message contributes to stylistic effect Pace of the speech Helps convey mood Repetition-tactic to emphasize a key idea or argument’s significance Parallel wording- “Out of luck, out of touch, out of office” Antithesis-pairing of opposites Example: JFK, “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” Inversion of words: “Ask not” vs. “Do not ask”

Vividness Compelling visual images presented in words Pictures that listeners can see in their minds Makes speech easy to understand Description Stories Comparisons: Simile and Metaphor Vivid sounds-The Hiiissssing of a snake Personification-Abstract terms to human terms Reference to hypothetical people-dialogue or asking rhetorical questions

Finding the right pace and proportion Style should be varied; you don’t want to call attention to your style instead of your ideas Balance Conciseness Memorable phrases or “sound bites” Congruence of language and delivery- If your topic and language are serious and formal; your delivery should match that style

Developing and Improving your style Review your outline from the standpoint of style and word choice; incorporate key phrases and stylistic choices into your outline Practice composing speeches in writing Be your own toughest critic when revising your outline for style Are key ideas and arguments worded as effectively as possible? Does your language make the message easy or difficult for the audience to remember? Does the speech seem interesting or tedious?

Developing and Improving your style Practice your speech, not only to become more familiar with its contents and to gain self-confidence but also to listen to its overall rhythm Does the speech ‘move’ in the way you would like it to? Consider how your speech might incorporate the stylistic resources Raise awareness of other speakers’ styles Don’t work on too many things at once