Lesson 6.1 & Topic Assessment 6
Now that we are done with Chapter 5, you have a better understanding of how to gather materials for a speech. It is the time for us to understand the importance of language in speech-making.
PAGE 1
You may ask any speech writers or speakers, and they will tell you that language matters.
Let us go through some of the beautiful quotes by famous people.
1. “A moment of patience in a moment of anger prevents a thousand moments of regret.” – Ali ibn Abi Talib
2. “The only lasting beauty is the beauty of heart.” – Rumi
3. “The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.” — Albert Einstein
4. “He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.” — Aristotle
5. “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” – Nelson Mandela
To have a better understanding of the functions or elements of language, we must first divide language into two components, which are written and spoken language.
When we use the word “language,” we are referring to the words you choose to use in your speech—so by definition, our focus is on spoken language. Spoken language has always existed prior to written language. Wrench, McCroskey, and Richmond suggested that if you think about the human history of language as a twelve-inch ruler, written language or recorded language has only existed for the “last quarter of an inch.” Furthermore, of the more than six thousand languages that are spoken around the world today, only a minority of them use a written alphabet.
Words consist of sounds (oral) and shapes (written) that have agreed-upon meanings based in concepts, ideas, and memories.