{"id":641,"date":"2015-02-19T23:37:49","date_gmt":"2015-02-19T23:37:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/publicspeaking1xmaster\/?post_type=chapter&p=641"},"modified":"2019-04-12T19:08:36","modified_gmt":"2019-04-12T19:08:36","slug":"chapter-10-constructing-clear-and-vivid-messages","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytechcomm101-publicspeaking-statewide\/chapter\/chapter-10-constructing-clear-and-vivid-messages\/","title":{"raw":"Language: Constructing Clear and Vivid Messages","rendered":"Language: Constructing Clear and Vivid Messages"},"content":{"raw":"

Use Simple Language<\/h2>\r\nWhen asked to write a speech or a paper, many of us pull out the thesaurus (or call it up on our computer) when we want to replace a common word with one that we believe is more elevated or intellectual. There are certainly times when using a thesaurus is a good thing, but if you\u2019re pulling that big book out to turn a simple idea into one that sounds<\/em> more complex, put it back on the shelf. Good speakers use simple language for two primary reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, audiences can sense a fake. When you turn in your term paper with words that aren\u2019t typically used by people in everyday conversation and those words are simply replacing the common words we all use, your instructor knows what you\u2019ve done. Part of having strong credibility as a speaker is convincing your audience of your sincerity, both in terms of your ideas and your character. When you elevate your language simply for the sake of using big words when small words will do, audiences may perceive you as insincere, and that perception might also transfer onto your message. In addition, the audience\u2019s attention can drift to questions about your character and veracity, making it less likely that they are paying attention to your message.\r\n\r\nSecond, using a long word when a short one will do inhibits your ability to communicate clearly. Your goal as a speaker should be to be as clear as you possibly can. Using language that makes it more difficult for your audience to understand your message can negatively impact your ability to get a clear message across to your audience. If your audience can\u2019t understand your vocabulary, they can\u2019t understand your message.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_671\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]\"Al<\/a> \"Al Haig speaks to press 1981\"<\/a> by Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Public domain.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nA good example of a speaker whose communication was obstructed by language use is Former Secretary of State Alexander Haig. Some examples of his problematic language choice include: \u201ccareful caution,\u201d \u201cepistemologically wise,\u201d \u201cexacerbating restraint,\u201d \u201csaddle myself with a statistical fence,\u201d and \u201cdefinitizing an answer.\u201d[footnote]Time.com (1981, February 23). \u201cHaigledygook and secretaryspeak.\u201d Retrieved from http:\/\/content.time.com\/time\/magazine\/article\/0,9171,949069,00.html<\/a> [\/footnote]\u00a0Chances are good that after reading these phrases over and over you still don\u2019t understand him. You can imagine how much harder it would be to understand Haig\u2019s message as it was delivered orally<\/em>\u2014spoken in an instant and then gone! Haig\u2019s language clouds rather than clarifies ideas, but it is easy to make sure your message gets across to the audience by avoiding big words that are not necessary.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re paying attention to the language strategies discussed in this chapter, you\u2019ll find that you won\u2019t need to pull out that thesaurus to impress your audience\u2014your command of language will make that positive impression for you. In addition, when you use language that your audience expects to hear and is used to hearing you may find that the audience perceives you as more sincere than someone who uses elevated language and sounds pretentious. Remember: It is rarely the case that you should use a long word when a short one will do.\r\n\r\nMost of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone. ~ Albert Einstein<\/em>\r\n

Use Concrete and Precise Language<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nHow many times a week do you say something to someone only to have them misunderstand? You believe that you were very clear and the person you were talking to thought that she understood you perfectly, and yet you both ended up with a problem we often deem \u201cmiscommunication.\u201d You said you\u2019d \u201ccall later\u201d and your friend got angry because you didn\u2019t. By \u201clater\u201d you probably meant one time frame while your friend defined that time frame very differently. Often in these cases both people are right. You were<\/em> perfectly clear and your friend did\u00a0<\/em>understand you perfectly\u2014so how did the miscommunication happen?\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_672\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]\"German<\/a> \"German Shepherd\"<\/a> by Magnus Br\u00e5th. CC-BY<\/a>.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_673\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]\"Chihuaha\"<\/a> \"Chopper Bothy 04\"<\/a> by John Hudson. CC-BY-NC-ND<\/a>.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nOne of the primary reasons we miscommunicate is because language is an abstract phenomenon. Meanings exist in people\u2019s understandings, not the words we use. Therefore, if you\u2019re telling a story about \u201ca dog\u201d you could be talking about a German Shepherd while the person you\u2019re talking with is envisioning a Chihuahua. If you do not use concrete language, you risk at least sending a weaker or different message than you intended. When speaking, you want to use the concrete term \u201cGerman shepherd\u201d over the more abstract term \u201cdog.\u201d\r\n\r\nWhen you are writing your speech, look for words that you might need to define more clearly. Instead of talking about \u201cbad weather,\u201d tell the audience that it was raining or that hail the size of golf balls was coming down. \u201cBad weather\u201d means different things to different people. In discussing the aftermath of a natural disaster, rather than saying \u201ca lot of people were affected\u201d say, \u201c25,000 citizens, 1 in every 5, were affected by this disaster.\u201d \u201cA lot\u201d means different things to different people. Most words<\/em> mean different things to different people, so use concrete language over abstract words to better your chances of communicating your message as intended.\r\n\r\nYou also want to make sure that you\u2019re precise. Someone might call a sweater \u201cgreen\u201d while someone else calls it \u201cteal.\u201d Even though those are just differences in perception not purposeful or mindless communication meant to be inaccurate, not being clear about exactly which color you\u2019re talking about can lead to confusion. It is best to remember to be as precise as possible when choosing words. Don\u2019t say something was \u201cbig\u201d\u2014tell us its weight or height, and to be sure you\u2019re communicating clearly compare that weigh or height to something we understand. So, instead of saying \u201cThe piles of garbage I saw in the local dump were really big\u201d say \u201cThe piles of garbage I saw in the local dump weighed about 10,000 pounds, which is equivalent to the weight of the average female elephant.\u201d The more precise you are the less likely it is that your audience will misinterpret your message.\r\n\r\nOur business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon. ~ David Ogilvy<\/em>\r\n\r\nAnother way to avoid language that obstructs communication is to avoid the use of jargon<\/strong>. Jargon is the \u201cspecialized language of a group or profession.\u201d[footnote]Hamilton, G. (2008). Public speaking for college and career, 8th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. [\/footnote] It is appropriate to use jargon when you know that your audience understands the terms you are using. For example, if you are a computer science major and you are presenting to a group of similarly trained computer science majors, using jargon will help establish your credibility with that audience. Using terms even as basic as \u201cRAM\u201d and \u201cbinary code\u201d with a general audience, however, will likely not go over well\u2014you risk confusing the audience rather than informing or persuading them. Even people who can use computers may not know how they work or the technical terms associated with them. So you must be careful to only use jargon when you know your audience will understand it. If you must use jargon while speaking to a general audience, be sure to define your terms and err on the side of over-clarification.\r\n\r\nSlang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands and goes to work.\u00a0~ Carl Sandburg<\/em>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_675\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"200\"]\"Goth<\/a> \"Goth\"<\/a> by Rama. CC-BY-SA<\/a>.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nFinally, another way to avoid confusion is to avoid using slang when it is not appropriate. Slang<\/strong> is language that some people might understand but that is not considered acceptable in formal or polite conversation. Slang may be a poor choice for a speaker because some members of your audience may not be familiar with the slang term(s) you use. Slang is often based in a very specific audience, defined by age, region, subculture and the like. If you are speaking to an audience that you know will understand and respond positively, you may choose to include that language in your speech. Otherwise, do not use slang, or you may confuse and frustrate audience members and cause them to lose interest in your speech. In addition, because slang is often not considered appropriate in formal and polite conversation, using it in your speech may communicate negative ideas about you to audience members. Don\u2019t let a mindless use of slang negatively impact your audience\u2019s perception of you and your message.","rendered":"

Use Simple Language<\/h2>\n

When asked to write a speech or a paper, many of us pull out the thesaurus (or call it up on our computer) when we want to replace a common word with one that we believe is more elevated or intellectual. There are certainly times when using a thesaurus is a good thing, but if you\u2019re pulling that big book out to turn a simple idea into one that sounds<\/em> more complex, put it back on the shelf. Good speakers use simple language for two primary reasons.<\/p>\n

First, audiences can sense a fake. When you turn in your term paper with words that aren\u2019t typically used by people in everyday conversation and those words are simply replacing the common words we all use, your instructor knows what you\u2019ve done. Part of having strong credibility as a speaker is convincing your audience of your sincerity, both in terms of your ideas and your character. When you elevate your language simply for the sake of using big words when small words will do, audiences may perceive you as insincere, and that perception might also transfer onto your message. In addition, the audience\u2019s attention can drift to questions about your character and veracity, making it less likely that they are paying attention to your message.<\/p>\n

Second, using a long word when a short one will do inhibits your ability to communicate clearly. Your goal as a speaker should be to be as clear as you possibly can. Using language that makes it more difficult for your audience to understand your message can negatively impact your ability to get a clear message across to your audience. If your audience can\u2019t understand your vocabulary, they can\u2019t understand your message.<\/p>\n

\"Al<\/a><\/p>\n

“Al Haig speaks to press 1981”<\/a> by Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Public domain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A good example of a speaker whose communication was obstructed by language use is Former Secretary of State Alexander Haig. Some examples of his problematic language choice include: \u201ccareful caution,\u201d \u201cepistemologically wise,\u201d \u201cexacerbating restraint,\u201d \u201csaddle myself with a statistical fence,\u201d and \u201cdefinitizing an answer.\u201d[1]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Chances are good that after reading these phrases over and over you still don\u2019t understand him. You can imagine how much harder it would be to understand Haig\u2019s message as it was delivered orally<\/em>\u2014spoken in an instant and then gone! Haig\u2019s language clouds rather than clarifies ideas, but it is easy to make sure your message gets across to the audience by avoiding big words that are not necessary.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re paying attention to the language strategies discussed in this chapter, you\u2019ll find that you won\u2019t need to pull out that thesaurus to impress your audience\u2014your command of language will make that positive impression for you. In addition, when you use language that your audience expects to hear and is used to hearing you may find that the audience perceives you as more sincere than someone who uses elevated language and sounds pretentious. Remember: It is rarely the case that you should use a long word when a short one will do.<\/p>\n

Most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone. ~ Albert Einstein<\/em><\/p>\n

Use Concrete and Precise Language<\/strong><\/h2>\n

How many times a week do you say something to someone only to have them misunderstand? You believe that you were very clear and the person you were talking to thought that she understood you perfectly, and yet you both ended up with a problem we often deem \u201cmiscommunication.\u201d You said you\u2019d \u201ccall later\u201d and your friend got angry because you didn\u2019t. By \u201clater\u201d you probably meant one time frame while your friend defined that time frame very differently. Often in these cases both people are right. You were<\/em> perfectly clear and your friend did\u00a0<\/em>understand you perfectly\u2014so how did the miscommunication happen?<\/p>\n

\"German<\/a><\/p>\n

“German Shepherd”<\/a> by Magnus Br\u00e5th. CC-BY<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Chihuaha\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Chopper Bothy 04”<\/a> by John Hudson. CC-BY-NC-ND<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

One of the primary reasons we miscommunicate is because language is an abstract phenomenon. Meanings exist in people\u2019s understandings, not the words we use. Therefore, if you\u2019re telling a story about \u201ca dog\u201d you could be talking about a German Shepherd while the person you\u2019re talking with is envisioning a Chihuahua. If you do not use concrete language, you risk at least sending a weaker or different message than you intended. When speaking, you want to use the concrete term \u201cGerman shepherd\u201d over the more abstract term \u201cdog.\u201d<\/p>\n

When you are writing your speech, look for words that you might need to define more clearly. Instead of talking about \u201cbad weather,\u201d tell the audience that it was raining or that hail the size of golf balls was coming down. \u201cBad weather\u201d means different things to different people. In discussing the aftermath of a natural disaster, rather than saying \u201ca lot of people were affected\u201d say, \u201c25,000 citizens, 1 in every 5, were affected by this disaster.\u201d \u201cA lot\u201d means different things to different people. Most words<\/em> mean different things to different people, so use concrete language over abstract words to better your chances of communicating your message as intended.<\/p>\n

You also want to make sure that you\u2019re precise. Someone might call a sweater \u201cgreen\u201d while someone else calls it \u201cteal.\u201d Even though those are just differences in perception not purposeful or mindless communication meant to be inaccurate, not being clear about exactly which color you\u2019re talking about can lead to confusion. It is best to remember to be as precise as possible when choosing words. Don\u2019t say something was \u201cbig\u201d\u2014tell us its weight or height, and to be sure you\u2019re communicating clearly compare that weigh or height to something we understand. So, instead of saying \u201cThe piles of garbage I saw in the local dump were really big\u201d say \u201cThe piles of garbage I saw in the local dump weighed about 10,000 pounds, which is equivalent to the weight of the average female elephant.\u201d The more precise you are the less likely it is that your audience will misinterpret your message.<\/p>\n

Our business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon. ~ David Ogilvy<\/em><\/p>\n

Another way to avoid language that obstructs communication is to avoid the use of jargon<\/strong>. Jargon is the \u201cspecialized language of a group or profession.\u201d[2]<\/sup><\/a> It is appropriate to use jargon when you know that your audience understands the terms you are using. For example, if you are a computer science major and you are presenting to a group of similarly trained computer science majors, using jargon will help establish your credibility with that audience. Using terms even as basic as \u201cRAM\u201d and \u201cbinary code\u201d with a general audience, however, will likely not go over well\u2014you risk confusing the audience rather than informing or persuading them. Even people who can use computers may not know how they work or the technical terms associated with them. So you must be careful to only use jargon when you know your audience will understand it. If you must use jargon while speaking to a general audience, be sure to define your terms and err on the side of over-clarification.<\/p>\n

Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands and goes to work.\u00a0~ Carl Sandburg<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Goth<\/a><\/p>\n

“Goth”<\/a> by Rama. CC-BY-SA<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Finally, another way to avoid confusion is to avoid using slang when it is not appropriate. Slang<\/strong> is language that some people might understand but that is not considered acceptable in formal or polite conversation. Slang may be a poor choice for a speaker because some members of your audience may not be familiar with the slang term(s) you use. Slang is often based in a very specific audience, defined by age, region, subculture and the like. If you are speaking to an audience that you know will understand and respond positively, you may choose to include that language in your speech. Otherwise, do not use slang, or you may confuse and frustrate audience members and cause them to lose interest in your speech. In addition, because slang is often not considered appropriate in formal and polite conversation, using it in your speech may communicate negative ideas about you to audience members. Don\u2019t let a mindless use of slang negatively impact your audience\u2019s perception of you and your message.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div>