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Lesson ID: 13935
You talk to your mom while you eat breakfast; you talk to your friend about your favorite movie; then you give a speech in class. Did you know that each of these is a different style of speech?
Imagine this: You are asked to introduce yourself three times.
First, you talk to your best friend.
“Hey, I’m Jack. I like soccer, scary movies, and snacks. Mostly snacks.”
Next, you meet a new teacher.
“Hello, my name is Jack. I enjoy playing soccer, watching movies, and spending time with my friends.”
Finally, you stand in front of a large audience to give a speech.
“Good morning. My name is Jack, and today I am honored to speak with you about the importance of teamwork, respect, and perseverance.”
Each introduction shares the same basic information, but each one sounds different. That is because your speech style changes depending on your audience, purpose, and situation.
Think about how each example sounds.
When you give a speech, you usually use a way of speaking called formal speech.
When you give a speech, such as Jacinda did above, you use a way of speaking called formal speech.
A presentation like this aims to inform, entertain, or persuade an audience. We use a formal speech on these occasions to make a good impression on those who will evaluate our efforts.
Frozen Speech
It might surprise you that there's a type of speech that is even more formal than formal speech. This type is called frozen speech.
Frozen speech is not the way the characters in the movie Frozen speak. It's called frozen because it remains unchanged. It's used in ceremonies, prayers, oaths, pledges, etc.
The Pledge of Allegiance is an example of frozen speech. Although you have probably said it often, take a moment to listen closely to it in the audio below.
The Pledge of Allegiance:
Professional Speech
Professional speech falls between casual and formal ways of speaking. It's used between students and teachers, bosses and employees, doctors and patients, etc.
This kind of speech is more relaxed and friendly than formal, but it is still more respectful and distant than casual or intimate speech.
For example, we usually don't use slang, as we would with friends, or use a nickname like we might with a close friend, brother, or sister.
Imagine a teacher greeting students at the beginning of class.
Teacher: “Good morning, everyone. Please take out your notebooks and open to today’s lesson.”
Student: “Good morning, Mrs. Lopez. Should the assignment be written in complete sentences?”
Teacher: “Yes, please. Use complete sentences and include details from the text.”
Student: “Thank you. I’ll get started.”
This conversation is friendly, but it is not as casual as a conversation between close friends. The student does not say, “Yo, what’s up?” or call the teacher by a nickname. The teacher gives clear directions and speaks respectfully.
Professional speech is useful when you want to sound polite, prepared, and respectful without sounding overly formal.
Casual Speech
We use much more casual language when speaking with peers, classmates, and friends. We may not speak as distinctly as we would in professional or formal speech.
For example, we might say, "I'm gonna..." instead of "I'm going to..." We're also more likely to use slang like "What's up, dude?" instead of "How are you?"
Intimate Speech
When they're alone, close friends and family members speak to each other differently from how they speak in public.
For example, a mom may say, "I love you, sweetie-pie!" at home, but she probably would not say it exactly like that in public!
Now that you know the different types of speech, you're ready to match examples of speech to different situations in the Got It? section!
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