Interactive Resource: Spoken language, Genres of speech

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Notes:

Characteristics of unplanned speech

·         Non fluency features – fillers, hesitations, interruptions

·         Usually informal register

·         Often some phatic talk

·         Sometimes there is non-standard English/grammar

·         Deictic expressions

·         Spontaneous

·         Overlaps

Characteristics of semi-planned speech

·         Often follows an order

·         Lots of questions

·         More formal register

·         More standard English/grammar

·         Some phatic talk

Characteristics of planned speech

·         More fluent

·         Formal register

·         Standard grammar

·         Less phatic talk

·         Words are carefully chosen

We want to make contact with others – even if it's only to say ‘hello'. These are known as phatic utterances.

We want to exchange ideas and social information with friends. These are interactional exchanges.

We want to express how we feel. These are expressive utterances.

We want to provide information. These are referential utterances.

We want to get something done. These are transactional exchanges.

Permanence – a conversation is not usually recorded so it only remains in the memory of the people in the conversation. If something is written then it can be re-read as long as the writing exists.

Expressing feelings – e.g. facial expressions, tones of voice, body language to convey feelings. Writing relies on expressive words, punctuation and graphological features to convey feelings.

A moment in time –talking to someone happens during a particular time period, it is immediate. When something is read, you may not have been present when the writing was produced.

Context –where the conversation takes place in a particular situation where all the participants are aware of who is talking and about what. In writing, it needs to be explained more precisely of who or what it is referring to.

Interaction – speech is active, writing is different – can be second person.

Typical features of a news script

·         Planned and rehearsed

·         Formal/informal contradictions to relate to the audience

·         Emphasis on key words adds variety and drama to the delivery

·         Almost colloquial language adds to the effect that it is spoken rather than reading a written text

Public speaking

·         Rhetorical questions can be asked – reply not expected but usually obvious

·         Questions can be asked and answered by the same person

·         Emotive language – powerful with strong connotations

·         Outbursts of emotion

·         Hyperbole – over exaggeration

·         Repetition

·         Techniques – metaphors, similes etc.

·         Emphasis of trustworthiness

·         Don’t trust others

The difference between interviews and spontaneous speech

My answer: Interviews are planned and have a formal register whereas spontaneous speech is more informal with more non-fluency features.

Model answer: In an interview situation the interviewer (e.g. TV chat show host, job interviewer) already has an idea of what questions to ask and therefore is largely in control of the topic and how the interaction proceeds. All parties have an expectation of the pattern to be followed. The talk in this situation is also likely to be characterised by a more formal register and fewer interruptions and overlaps. In contrast, entirely unrehearsed and spontaneous utterances or exchanges are likely to contain more non-fluency features such as – fillers, hesitations, unvoiced pauses, false starts, repetitions, deictic expressions and interruptions or overlaps in conversations.

Analysing spontaneous speech

My answer: This speech is spontaneous and so has a lot of non-fluency features such as hesitations, fillers and voiced pauses. It has an informal register and there are some examples of phatic talk.   

Model answer: One thing that makes a lot of us uncomfortable about the answering machine is that it makes our speech permanent (like writing) – and we can't rub it out or take back our mistakes! We also find it disconcerting talking to someone when they're not present – we want to sound friendly but don't get the usual feedback we'd get in casual conversations. You may have noticed the following in Jo's message: there's no response to the phatic ‘hello', making Jo pause, lots of filled and unvoiced pauses while Jo thinks about what to say next, some sections are more fluent – had Jo pre-planned these? And Jo ends with the usual closure – even though Steve and Jan aren't there.