Discovering the Power of Oral Language:

1
Discovering the Power of Oral Language

• Part 3 Developing Skills for Power Language

2
Characteristics of Power Language

• Clarity
• Courtesy/Tact
• Ownership of Thoughts Feelings
• Inclusion of Others
• Vividness Imagery
• Appropriate Usage

3
Clarity

• What does it mean?
• Speech is precise, clearly organized, and
  grammatical. Speech is easy to understand.
• Whats the effect on communication?
• Speaker may develop an image as a knowledgeable,
  efficient communicator. The audience may
  understand better.

4
Courtesy Tact

• What does it mean?
• Speaker listens empathically, negotiates with
  respect, disagrees without being disagreeable,
  and focuses discussions on issues rather than on
  people.
• Whats the effect on communication?
• Showing respect consideration to others
  promotes positive relationships. Speaker is
  considered professional with social
  professional interactions.

5
Ownership of Thoughts Feelings

• What does it mean?
• Speaker takes responsibility for thoughts and
  feelings. Speaker uses I messages to express
  opinions, ideas, and feelings. Example I was
  bored instead of That was boring.
• Whats the effect on communication?
• When the speaker is seen as responsible,
  self-confident, and nonjudgmental, clarity and
  understanding are promoted. Speaker is viewed as
  someone who gets things done rather than as a
  blamer.

6
Inclusion of Others

• What does it mean?
• Speaker listens empathically and personalizes
  speech with direct references to others. For
  example, you could say, What do you think about
  this issue? or Id really like to hear your
  opinion.
• Whats the effect on communication?
• Including others helps to establish a common
  ground and paves the way for cooperation
  understanding. Speaker is seen as open-minded
  interested in others.

7
Vividness Imagery

• What does it mean?
• Speaker expresses ordinary ideas in new and
  imaginative ways. Imagery is used to help people
  visualize complex ideas.
• Whats the effect on communication?
• Speech is interesting and memorable. People look
  forward to hearing what the speaker has to say.

8
Appropriate Usage

• What does it mean?
• Speaker uses a level of language that is
  appropriate for the specific context.
• Whats the effect on communication?
• Speaker is viewed as reasonable, thoughtful, and
  with a strong command of the language. Others
  trust him or her to communicate appropriately.