Oral Language

He who hasn’t hacked (apart) language as a youth has no heart. He who does so as an adult has no brain.

-John Moore

Characteristics of Oral Language

Meaning: A shared knowledge and understanding of language

Vocabulary: All the word symbols that make up a particular language

Structure: The way different parts of language are arranged

Grammar: The basic understandings and rules that regulate language

Sound: The observable characteristics of oral language

Characteristics of Speech Sound

Diction: The degree of clarity and distinctness in a

person’s speech

Pronunciation – the standard set for the overall sound of a

word

Articulation – clearly and distinctly uttering the consonant sounds of a word

Omission: leaving certain sound out.Addition: adding certain sounds to

a word.Substitution: changing one consonant sound to another.

Enunciation – clearly and distinctly uttering the vowel sounds of a word

Characteristics of Speech Sound

Dialect: A unique combination of speech sounds that identify speech with a particular group of people

Regional Dialect – speech sounds identified

with a particular region

Ethnic and Cultural Dialect –speech sounds identified with

an ethnicity or culture

Implications of Oral Language

Projecting Image: Your use of oral language can lead others to perceptions about

you.

Conveying Attitude: Your use of language tells people What you think of yourself and others.

Determine success: Employers value strong verbal

skills.