A. Learning Packet 6: LEARNING THE TYPES OF SPEECH CONTEXT,
SPEECH STYLES, SPEECH ACTS
At the end of this module, you can:
1. Critique specific situations that may use speech contexts through a
group activity/game virtually.
2. Develop a creative speech style of each type through a dialogue or a
paragraph speech.
3. Evaluate and analyze a specific scene in a specific Drama or film.
4. Produce a reflective art through posting pictures of positivity spreading
values (in social media) about good speech and/or communication.
B. Integration of Faith and Learning/Values
Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is
helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those
who listen.
Be polite.
As always, in most communication settings, politeness is very crucial. The only
possible communication setting where politeness may have less importance is
between very good friends who are at ease in teasing or commenting negatively
about each other. Yet, even among very close friends, a level of politeness must
still be maintained. In most settings, showing courtesy and politeness
strengthens social bonds and lessens any existing disagreement. Give the
politeness you expect from others.
Do not talk negatively about others.
This is called backbiting. Backbiting does not really develop relationships.
Instead, when the people you talk with regularly hear you talking negatively
about others, they will wonder what you say about them when they are not
around. Backbiting highlights the negative traits of other people and also affects
your mood making it negative. The worst result of backbiting is when people feel
a sense of exhilaration talking about the negative characteristics or actions of
people. Doing so merely creates a drug-like dependence on negativism causing
people to seek more. Instead of building relationships, back-biting merely creates
division and cultivates ill-feelings toward others.
C. Core Issues
1. How to critique specific situations that may use speech contexts
through a group activity/game virtually.
2. How to develop a creative speech style of each type through a dialogue
or a paragraph speech.
3. How to evaluate and analyze a specific scene in a specific Drama or film.
4. Learn to produce a reflective art through posting pictures of positivity
spreading values about good speech and/or communication.
D. Lesson Content
Teacher’s Note:
It was already noted that many think of “communication” as public speaking or
as a situation in which one Speaker addresses many Listeners. Others think of
it as involving only two people talking to each other, but communication can
involve more than two people or an audience. It can be a group discussion on
cancer awareness, an organizational program to save the environment, a radio
or TV show focused on corruption in government, or it could even be a showcase
of tribal dances from all over the Philippines. Indeed, communication may be
classified into different types based on the number of participants in the Process.
The first Type of Speech Context is INTRAPERSONAL Communication,
meaning communicating with oneself. What does this mean? Intrapersonal
Communication may be seen in situations involving talking to or writing to
oneself, even thinking to oneself. To clarify further, talking to oneself may mean
repeating a song heard while looking in the mirror, memorizing out loud a
dialogue in a play, or berating oneself in a mutter on the way to school for
forgetting one’s homework. A teenager may write in a diary or on a private blog
which nobody else is supposed to read. One also writes on sticky notes to remind
oneself of things to be done. And, of course, there is daydreaming, meditating,
or mental planning.
Clearly, in Intrapersonal Communication, the Speaker and the Listener
are one and the same: YOU. You send the Message to yourself and you yourself
receive that Message.
Example: You spent the night thinking and analyzing why
a student from the other class talked to you on the way
home and you decided it probably meant nothing.
Interpersonal Communication
more familiar with, such as INTERPERSONAL
Communication which involves more than one
person. Of course, it is not just the number of
participants that determine each particular type
of communication. They can each be
differentiated by its purpose. Remember? Communication is always intentional.
Example:
You offered feedback on the speech performance of your classmate.
You provided comfort to a friend who was feeling down.
Dyadic Communication
Dyadic Communication involves only two participants forming the DYAD. One
Speaker and one Listener come together to exchange thoughts, ideas, opinions,
‘ and information. The roles of Speaker and Listener are not fixed, they are
interchangeable. Conversation is informal dyadic communication, while
interview and dialogue are formal dyadic communication. Conversation is the
most common, the most frequent, and the most popular of all dyadic
communication. Talking with others is one way people amuse themselves.
Dialogues usually happen during guidance counseling, consulting with a priest,
or heart-to-heart talks with a trusted person. One bares heart and soul to go
deeper into their motivations, attitudes, and beliefs. Interviews are almost always
highly formal compared to conversation, but not as in-depth as a dialogue is.
Small Group Communication
discuss a problem, and come up with a
solution or a plan. This is not just a
gathering of people with no goal in mind
but to pass the time. The group has an
agenda, a leader, and an outcome to accomplish. Because everyone can be both
Speaker and Listener in this setting, rules must be followed to facilitate the order.
Order allows for a full discussion, which leads to a compromise and the hoped
for result: a solution or a plan. Small groups may be divided into two according
to purpose: Study Groups and Task-oriented Groups. Study Groups are meant
to look into a problem but not necessarily come up with a solution. It is the Task-
oriented Groups that study an issue such as the perennial traffic problem of
Metro Manila or the pollution of Laguna de Bay to come up with a plan to resolve
that issue. Examples of Small Groups are panel discussions, symposia,
roundtables, etc.
Public Communication
Dyadic or Small Group Communication in
that one Speaker addresses many Listeners,
collectively known as an Audience. There is
no interchanging of the Speaker and Listener
roles. Many Public Communication events are formal. The speech is well
prepared, the Speaker is dressed appropriately, and the Listeners are set to listen
to the Message. Moreover, there is usually a stage, a lectern, and a microphone
coupled with a sound system and, sometimes, spotlights.
Usually, the programs are formally structured, with a Master of Ceremonies or
MC (emcee), a Welcome Address, an Introduction of the Keynote Speaker, the
speech by the Keynote Speaker or Paper Presenter, and Closing Remarks. The
informal version of Public Communication does not necessarily have a stage, the
Speaker may be dressed informally, and there may or may not be a microphone
or, sometimes, just a megaphone. With no sound system at all, the Speaker has
to project his/her voice to be heard by the Audience. This informal form of Public
Communication happens when the gathering is impromptu such as family
reunions and is most often seen during protest rallies, especially while
participants are moving through the streets.
Example:
You deliver a graduation speech to your batch.
You participate in a declaration, oratorical, or debate contest watched by a
number of people.
used to mean only radio and television, which
reached more people with the use of their
technical systems. With the advent of the Internet and the worldwide web, Mass
Communication now includes Social Media, which allow for the use of technology
by everyone, not just journalists, broadcasters, and technical crew. Social Media
cover videos that go viral on the Internet as well as webcasts/ podcasts which
reach millions, more than radio or TV ever could. In fact, radio and TV have
joined Social Media by putting up their own websites to communicate to a larger
audience.
Example:
You are a student journalist articulating you stand on current issues through
the school’s newspaper.
in an organizational structure. There are
two variations of Organizational
graphically illustrated by an organizational chart. Memos, announcements, and
reports are passed along to the members of the organization following the chain
of command. An example is a memo on salary increase, which is issued by the
company president, sent along to the vice president, then is passed on to the
managers, and, finally, handed on to the supervisors before reaching the
employees. The Informal version bypasses the links, skips forward or backwards,
or even goes sideways just to achieve the same goal: for example, to pass on a
memo, announcement, or a report. The memo on salary increase will probably
reach the employees faster than the formal announcement because the secretary
who typed the memo told another secretary who told the supervisor who shared
it with co-workers. This is not to say that one is more important than the other,
or that one is bad, the other not. Both types of Organizational Communication
are necessary for the organization to survive.
Intercultural Communication
Intercultural Communication is the exchange of concepts, traditions, values, and
practices between and among people of different nationalities and ways of life. It
goes beyond showcasing folk dances, local songs, and native delicacies. To make
the exchange more meaningful, there should be a deeper understanding and
awareness of what makes various nationalities different and unique, but also
similar and familiar. For example, a roundtable discussion to exchange views
about how we relate with our families can show the differences and similarities
in Korean and Philippine Cultures. A lecture on the Chinese way of doing
business might enlighten Filipino businessmen. Chatting with a friend from Abu
Dhabi might bring out the difficulties of a Catholic Filipino migrant worker in a
Muslim country.
All Communication, whatever the Speech Context, has to have a Purpose. Each
Context that one may be engaged in is according to what best suits the Purpose
and how best to accomplish it, but the Contexts are not mutually exclusive.
Before Public Communication can take place, the Speaker subjects
himself/herself to Intrapersonal Communication by thinking, writing, and
talking to oneself. Small Group Communication happens because of something
that came up in a Dyadic Communication, and so on. Given the Context and
Purpose, Communication Strategies are also based on different types of Speech
Styles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLKSwzZzjUs&t=81s
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY 1
Critique specific situations that may use speech contexts through a group
activity/game virtually.
SPEECH STYLES
According to Martin Joos (1976:156), speech style means the form of language
that the speaker uses which characterized by the degree of formality. He
identified the styles, which he called ‘clocks,’ in five classes such as frozen style,
formal style, consultative style, casual style, and intimate style. These five clocks
are levels of formality in language use, which are determined by the situational
context and degree of familiarity or intimacy between the interlocutors. Each
level determines what kind of language is appropriate to use in a specific context.
Frozen
It is the most formal communicative style that is usually used during
respectful events and ceremonies. It also used when one shows hesitation,
disinterest, or prejudice. Frozen speech is used generally in a very formal setting
and does not require any feedback from the audience. It is the most formal
communicative style for respectful situations.
The frozen style of speech is generally used in print media, rules, or declamation.
The speech is carefully planned and verbalized as it mainly relies on the use of
words. This style discourages feedback or questions for clarifications from the
listeners which is why it is important that words are precise and carefully
chosen.
Intimate
This speech style is for very close relationships like couples, family, and best
friends. It is also used for self-addressed questions or self-talk, etc. Intimate
speech is used in conversation between people who are very close and know each
other quite well because they have the maximum of shared background
information.
This speech style makes use of words at a minimum. The communicators
understand each other even with just a single nonverbal gesture or
behavior such as a rising tone of voice, a grunt, or a raised eyebrow. A child who
often forgets to close the door may be told by his or her sibling to do so just by
saying, “Door.”
This style is private, which occurs between or among close family members or
intimate individuals. The language used in this style may no be shared or public.
Example: Proposing your love to your long-time partner
EXAMPLES: Couple talking about their future plans, family sharing ideas, very
close friends sharing secrets, etc.
Formal
Formal speeches are straightforward speeches. In this speech style, the
speaker avoids using slang terminologies; what the speaker says is something
that has been prepared beforehand. Its complex sentence and noun phrases are
well structured, logically sequenced and strongly coherent.
Communication using the formal speech type is one-way, in which the speaker
simply transmits information to the listener. The formal type of speech style
often does not encourage listeners’ participation or interaction among
communicators. Public speaking commonly makes use of formal, informative
speech. In situations where there is uncertainty in terms of receiving a favorable
response, the speaker also uses this type of speech. For instance, if you are
borrowing money from someone you are not close with, instead of saying, “Can
I borrow sane money,” you may say, “Money is tight these days. Could you
perhaps lend me some money?” Instead of saying, “I don’t understand the
lesson,” one may say, “It is difficult to understand the lesson.” Since the speaker
is somehow detached from the message, it attempts to avoid awkward or
embarrassing situations.
Formal– This style is used in formal settings. Unlike the consultative style, this
is one way. Think of all the formal events that you have attended. All of those
require formal conversation.
EXAMPLES: Announcements, SONA, welcome addresses, etc.
Casual
This is an informal communication between groups and peers. Casual style
is used in conversation between friends and insiders who have something to
share and have shared background information but don’t have close relations.
Casual speech is characterized by slang meanings or expressions that are
easily understood by the communicators without being given too much
information.
For instance, among friends, when one says “Hey, I saw your best friend a while
ago” in a teasing manner and the listener replies sarcastically, it is most likely
that the speaker is referring to the other person’s enemy.
This style is common among peers and friends. Jargon, slang, street language,
gay language or vulgar words are used in this style. This what you usually use
in your daily conversations.
EXAMPLES: phone calls, everyday conversation with friends, chats, inside jokes
of friends, etc.
Consultative
This is used in semi-formal communication, sentences end to be shorter and
spontaneous, the speaker does not usually plan what he/she wants to say, most
operational among others.
Unlike the formal and frozen styles of speech, the level of communication
making use of the consultative style involves cooperation but does not
necessarily require involvement. This means that the listeners are involved in
meaning-making by being allowed to give feedback.
For instance, if the information presented by the speaker is insufficient or
unclear, the listener may ask for elaborations or clarifications. On the other
hand, if there is too much information, the listener may say, “I know” or “I
understand” to imply that the speaker need not elaborate. The consultative style
is the standard or most commonly used style in everyday conversations.
According to Joos, communication using the consultative style is automatic,
since the speaker does not prepare what he is going to say more than three
seconds beforehand and that the listener can interrupt the speaker at any time.
Conversations between strangers, teachers and students, doctors and patients
make use of the consultative style.
Consultative– This style is the standard one. Professional or mutually
acceptable language is a must in this style. Most of the time one person is
superior here.
Example: Students asking her teachers about the requirements in the recent
project.
EXAMPLES: regular classroom discussions, doctor-patient, etc.
These styles are important in speech-making because it will help you choose the
appropriate approach for specific events. Picking the correct speech prevents
misunderstanding and conflicts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRu45y25vQk
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY 2
Develop a speech style from your chosen type. If it is an intimate, casual, or
consultative style—create a dialogue showing the specific style. If you choose a
formal or frozen style—create a one paragraph specific speech about your favorite
theme.
Types of Speech Act John L. Austin (1962) espoused the Speech Act Theory, and this was developed
by John Searle (1969). Austin divided the speech acts into locution or the actual utterance, illocution or the real intended meaning, and perlocution or the actual effect or response.
are Locution, Illocution, and Perlocution. A Locutionary Speech Act occurs when the speaker performs an utterance (locution), which has a meaning in the
traditional sense. An Illocutionary Speech Act is the performance of the act of saying something with a specific intention. A Perlocutionary Speech Act happens when what the speaker says has an effect on the listener.
Locutionary Speech Act
This Act happens with the utterance of a sound, a word, or even a phrase as a natural unit of speech. What is required for the utterance to be a Locutionary Act is that it has sense, and most importantly, for Communication to take place,
has the same meaning to both the Speaker and the Listener. In fact, the utterance gives rise to shared meaning when it is adjusted by the Speaker for the Listener. Even though the utterance might be a sound, a word, or a phrase,
the utterance follows the rules of language.
Examples of Locutionary Acts:
“Doh!” (a favorite expression of TV cartoon character Homer Simpson)
“What?” (when someone is surprised)
“It’s a bird!” (when people see Superman in the sky)
Illocutionary Speech Act
In an Illocutionary Speech Act, it is not just saying something itself but the act_of saying something with the intention of:
• stating an opinion, confirming, or denying something;
• making a prediction, a promise, a request; • issuing an order or a decision; or
• giving advice or permission. This Speech Act uses the Illocutionary Force of a statement, a confirmation, a denial, a prediction, a promise, a request, etc.
Examples of Illocutionary Acts: There’s too much homework in this subject. (opinion)
I’ll do my homework later. (promise)
Go do your homework! (order)
Perlocutionary Speech Act
This is seen when a particular effect is sought from either the Speaker, the Listener, or both. The response may not necessarily be physical or verbal and is
elicited by:
• inspiring or insulting; • persuading/convincing; or
• deterring/scaring. The aim of a Perlocutionary Speech Act is to change feelings, thoughts, or
actions.
Examples of Perlocutionary Acts: “I was born a Filipino, I will live a Filipino, I will die a Filipino!” (inspiring)
“It is the bleak job situation that forces Filipinos to find jobs overseas.” (persuading)
“Texting while driving kills—you, your loved ones, other people (deterring)
For additional information: Go to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmcBz_fZwpI
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY 3
Evaluate and transcribe a specific scene in your favorite Drama or film. Then,
identify the speech acts in the dialogue of the specific character and fill out the
analysis below:
1. Character1 involved:
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY 4
Produce a reflective art through posting One picture of positivity spreading
values (in social media) about good speech and/or communication. Create a good
caption (short explanation) of the selected photo and then tag your teacher and
then include your name and section.
I. Summary and Reflection
Sometimes, you experience difficulty in relating to others because they do not
behave the way you expect them to. Some may show dullness, arrogance, or any
other attitude you dislike. In such cases, you need to be patient because they
may simply be experiencing something negative in their lives. You need to realize
that others have also shown patience toward you when you were not at your
best. Realizing that no one is indeed perfect, we must give some allowance for
each other’s faults. Soon, you will realize that the other person is actually good
to relate to after all.
G. References
Flores, Ramona (2020). Oral Communication in Context Second Edition Rex
Bookstore
https://www.elcomblus.com/the-different-types-of-speech-context/’
https://www.elcomblus.com/using-constructive-feedback-to-resolve-
disagreements/
https://www.elcomblus.com/the-different-types-of-speech-context/