Name: Grade Level:

Section: Date:

WORKSHEET NO. 9

TITLE: SHIFTS IN SPEECH CONTEXT, SPEECH STYLE AND SPEECH ACTS

Most Essential Learning Competency:

Explains that a shift in speech context, speech style, speech act
and communicative strategy affects the following:
 Language form
 Duration of interaction
 Relationship of speaker
 Role and responsibilities of the speaker
 Message
 Delivery
Code: EN11/12OC-IIab-22; EN11/12OC-IIab-22.1 -22.6
Sub-Competency
• Determines appropriate language forms considering
sensitivity to gender, race, age, etc.
• Exemplifies shifts in speech context and style through voice
quality and prosodics
• Exemplifies shifts in speech context and style through
paralanguage, proxemics and haptics

DISCUSSION

LESSON 1: APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE

When writing and delivering a speech, it is very important to use

language that fits your audience and matches purpose. Inappropriate language

uses can damage your credibility, undermine your argument, or alienate your

audience.

1. Levels of formality - Use a style that your audience expects and that fits

your purpose is key to successful writing and speaking.

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2. In-Group jargon - Jargon refers to specialized language used by groups

of like-minded individuals. Only use in-group jargon when you are

speaking with members of that group. You should never use jargon for a

general audience without first explaining it.

3. Slang and idiomatic expressions - Avoid using slang or idiomatic

expressions in formal speaking.

4. Deceitful language and euphemisms - Avoid using euphemisms (words

that veil the truth, such as "collateral damage" for the unintended

destruction of civilians and their property) and other deceitful language.

5. Biased language - Avoid using biased language including language with

a racial, ethnic, group, or gender bias or language that is stereotypical.

Examples on how to avoid biased language:

a. Mankind - humanity, people, human beings

b. man's achievements - human achievements

c. man-made - synthetic, manufactured, machine-made

d. the common man - the average person, ordinary people

e. man the stockroom - staff the stockroom

f. nine man-hours - nine staff-hours

g. chairman - coordinator (of a committee or department),

moderator (of a meeting), presiding officer, head, chair

h. businessman - business executive, business person

i. fireman - firefighter

j. mailman - mail carrier

k. steward and stewardess - flight attendant

l. policeman and policewoman - police officer

m. congressman - congressional representative

n. male nurse - nurse

o. woman doctor - doctor

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6. Appropriate pronoun usage - Because English has no generic

singular—or common-sex—pronoun, we have used HE, HIS, and HIM in

such expressions as "the student needs HIS pencil." When we constantly

personify "the judge," "the critic," "the executive," "the author," and so

forth, as male by using the pronoun HE, we are subtly conditioning

ourselves against the idea of a female judge, critic, executive, or author.

There are several alternative approaches for ending the exclusion of

women that results from the pervasive use of masculine pronouns.

a. Recast into the plural.

Original: Give each student his paper as soon as he is finished.

Alternative: Give students their papers as soon as they are

finished.

b. Reword to eliminate gender problems.

Original: The average student is worried about his grade.

Alternative: The average student is worried about grades.

c. Replace the masculine pronoun with ONE, YOU, or (sparingly) HE OR SHE,

as appropriate.

Original: If the student was satisfied with his performance on the

pretest, he took the post-test.

Alternative: A student who was satisfied with her or his

performance on the pretest took the post-test.

d. Alternate male and female examples and expressions. (Be careful not to

confuse the reader.)

Original: Let each student participate. Has he had a chance to

talk? Could he feel left out?

Alternative: Let each student participate. Has she had a chance to

talk? Could he feel left out?

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 e. Indefinite Pronouns - Using the masculine pronouns to refer to an

indefinite pronoun (everybody, everyone, anybody, anyone) also has the

effect of excluding women. In all but strictly formal uses, plural

pronouns have become acceptable substitutes for the masculine

singular.

Original: Anyone who wants to go to the game should bring his

money tomorrow.

Alternative: Anyone who wants to go to the game should bring the

money tomorrow.

An alternative to this is merely changing the sentence. English is very

flexible, so there is little reason to "write yourself into a corner":

Original: Anyone who wants to go to the game should bring his

money.

Alternative: People who want to go to the game should bring their

money.

PREJUDICE AND STEREOTYPING

Prejudice is a baseless and often negative preconception or attitude

towards members of a group. A stereotype is a simplified assumption about a

group based on prior experiences or beliefs.

1. Racism – antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of

their membership to a particular racial or ethnic group

2. Sexism – discrimination on the basis of gender or sex

3. Ageism – prejudice on the grounds of a person‘s age

4. Classism – prejudice against or in favor of people belonging to a

particular social class

5. Religious Prejudice – treating a person or group differently because of the

particular beliefs which they hold about religion

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ACTIVITY 1

NAME OF ACTIVITY: APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE (1)

Directions: Follow the direction for each number.

1. List 5 examples of jargon from a field of your choice. Then list 2

situations in which you could use the jargon and 2 situations in which

you should not use them.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. List 5 examples of slang words or phrases. For each word/ phrase,

indicate where you as a Senior High School student can use the slang.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Write 3 sentences that include euphemism. Then rewrite it using

straightforward language.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Choose 1 among the types of prejudice or stereotype. Make a short plan

on how you will avoid using them in your speech.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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ACTIVITY 2

NAME OF ACTIVITY: APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE (2)

Directions: Create a poster advocating the use of gender-inclusive or

gender-neutral pronouns. Refer to the rubric below for scoring.

Poster Making Rubric

Criteria Score
4 3 2 1
Graphics- All graphics Most graphics Some Graphics do
Relevance are related to are related to graphics are not relate to
the topic and the topic and related to the the topic
easy to easy to topic and
understand. understand. somehow
easy to
understand.
Graphics- All graphics Most graphics Some Many
Clarity are in focus are in focus graphics are graphics are
according to according to in focus not clear or
importance importance too small
Content All facts on Most facts on Some facts on Student have
the poster are the poster are the poster are insufficient
accurately accurately known by the knowledge of
known by the known by the student facts on the
student student poster

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DISCUSSION

LESSON 2: VOICE QUALITY AND PROSODY

Voice Quality

Voice is the sound that we generate to make information audible.

Voice quality can refer to any of the suprasegmental properties of speech

that result from how your vocal apparatus is configured. This changes

depending on one person‘s mood and may also be used to determine accent.

Voice quality is defined by Trask (1996:381) as the characteristic

auditory coloring of an individual's voice, derived from a variety of laryngeal

and supralaryngeal features and running continuously through the individual's

speech. The natural and distinctive tone of speech sounds produced by a

particular person yields a particular voice.

Types of Voice Quality

1. Normal Voice – used when the speaker speaks naturally showing little or

no emotion. This is the normal quality of your voice.

2. Breathy Voice – this is an aspirate quality of the voice using a whispered

type of tone

3. Full Voice – a deep quality of the voice which is used when an occasion is

formal or dignified. This is also called as the ―orotund‖ (round mouth)

quality.

4. Chesty Voice – a deep hollow voice as if coming from a deep and empty

cave. This gives a horror effect.

5. Thin Voice – the quality is thin and high-pitched. This falsetto quality

appears in extreme fatigue, weakening, old-age, ill-health or in extreme

excitement.

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Prosodic Features

Prosodic feature in phonetics, also called suprasegmental, is a speech

feature such as stress, tone, or word juncture that accompanies or is added

over consonants and vowels. There are other aspects of speech such as pitch

and loudness and result in what is sometimes called ―tone of voice‖.

As far as we know, no language is spoken in a monotone. All languages

have variations in pitch, which we hear as the voice going up and down. These

variations in pitch are sometimes called the ―tunes of a language, but they

should not be confused with singing. You cannot speak out of tune. It is more

accurate to refer to pitch patterns or intonation patterns.

1. Intonation – the rise and fall of the voice in speaking

2. Pitch – the degree of highness or lowness of a tone

3. Stress – degree of emphasis given a sound or syllable to provide context

and meaning to its specific usage

4. Rhythm – sense of movement in speech marked by stress, timing, and

quantity of syllables

5. Juncture – refers to breaks or pauses in speech that indicate words or

grammatical units

6. Volume – loudness or softness of the voice when speaking as perceived by

the listener

7. Tempo – the rate of speech and measured in syllables per second

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ACTIVITY 3

NAME OF ACTIVITY: VOICE QUALITY AND PROSODY (1)

Directions: Complete the table below by analyzing the voice quality and

prosodic features that may be observed for each given persons.

Justify your answers.

Type of Person Voice Quality Prosodic Features

Sales Person

Nervous people

Elderly people

Teachers

Rappers

ACTIVITY 4

NAME OF ACTIVITY: VOICE QUALITY AND PROSODY (2)

Directions: Have you watched YOUR FACE SOUNDS FAMILIAR? Submit an

impersonation video of a well-known person that has a distinctive

voice quality and unique style in speaking. This may include

historical figures or real people from different backgrounds

(politicians, musicians, actors, or other celebrities). Video must be

2 minutes long. Refer to the rubric below for scoring.

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 Character Impersonation Rubric

Criteria Score
4 3 2 1
Presentation Masterfully Capably Developed Developed
Skills developed the developed the some of the few of the
character character character character
traits of traits of traits of traits of
personality personality personality personality
Fidelity to Took on the Took on the Took on the Took on the
Character appearance appearance appearance appearance
and and and and
personality of personality of personality of personality of
their their their their
character in a character in a character in character in a
superior capable an acceptable vague
manner manner manner manner
Clarity and Speaks very Speaks Tries to speak Speaks
Projection of clearly and clearly but clearly but unintelligibly
Voice naturally somehow still and character
unnatural to unnatural to is not
character character recognizable
at all

DISCUSSION

LESSON 3: PARALANGUAGE AND OTHER NON-VERBAL SYSTEM

Non-verbal communication is a system that is often used to aid the

listener in his interpretation of the sender‘s message. What is verbally said is

combined with gestures, facial expressions, body language, eye contact, etc.

Paralanguage is the area of non-verbal communication that emphasizes

body language and voice nuances as means of expressing thoughts and

feelings. People normally use paralanguage multiple times per day and are

sometimes not even aware they are doing so. The ability to interpret this kind

of human communication correctly is considered an important competency in

both personal and professional settings. Body language often conveys just as

much meaning as spoken words. Good communicators also have the ability to

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gauge how their own paralanguage affects others and to alter it so as to gain

others' trust and to project confidence.

Various aspects of paralanguage include posture, eye contact, hand

gestures, and tone of voice. Vocal qualities such as volume and tempo are also

part of non-verbal communication. If a speaker changes even one of these

aspects, the resulting meaning can be quite different to listeners. People who

are able to adjust their non-verbal language to the needs of various situations

are generally better at diffusing troublesome interactions such as arguments.

This type of communication skill is known as metacommunicative competence.

KINESICS

Kinesis - Greek word meaning ―movement‖

- Refers to the study of arms, hand, body and face movements

Gestures - movements with some parts of the body such as the head,

shoulders, arms to convey meaning and emphasis.

Three (3) types of gestures: adaptors, emblem, illustrators

a. Adaptors- touching movements and behaviors that indicate internal

states typically related to arousal or anxiety. (ex. Biting nails when

agitated)

b. Emblem- conventional gestures that have meanings on their own (Ex.

Thumbs up)

c. Illustrators – most common type of gestures and employed when a

speaker is describing something like the shape, size, height, curves, etc.

VOCALIC

The tone of the voice, the intonation, the pitch, the loudness and

softness of voice, and inflections give dimensions and meaning to the words

uttered.

Ex. Raising of voice at end of sentence to indicate a question

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OCULESICS

Refers to eye contact and is derived from Latin word ―oculus‖ meaning

―eye‖. It usually denotes sincerity of speaker.

PROXEMICS

This refers to the space one uses when communicating.

a. Intimate distance- for embracing, touching or whispering (0 to 18 inches)

b. Personal distance- for interactions among good friends or family (18

inches to 4 feet)

c. Social distance- for interactions among acquaintances (4 feet to 12 feet)

d. Public distance- used for public speaking (12 feet to 25 feet)

HAPTICS

These are non-verbal signal transmitted through touch.

5 reasons we touch:

a. Positive emotions - support, appreciation, inclusion, sexual interest, and

affection; Communicates composure, affection, trust

b. Playfulness - Tells the other person not to take them seriously

c. Control - touch controls another person‘s behaviors, attitudes, feelings

d. Ritualistic - greetings and departures (examples: shaking hands, kiss,

hug, or put arm on shoulder)

e. Task- related - Touch for a task (examples: removing of a hair on other‘s

shirt, checking fore-head for a fever)

CHRONEMICS

This refers to valuing of time element and communicates the

characteristic of a person.

OLFACTICS

This refers to transmission of message through smell.

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CHROMATICS

This refers to communication of messages through colors (examples:

black for death, white for purity, red for war)

GUSTORICS

These are non-verbal symbols that refer to taste. It can communicate

pleasure or displeasure.

ACTIVITY 5

NAME OF ACTIVITY: PARALANGUAGE AND NON-VERBAL SYSTEMS (1)

Directions: Read the direction for each number.

1. Object language is one type of non-verbal communication. It is the

intentional or unintentional display of material things. Look around you.

List five object or items in your surroundings and describe the message

you received from them.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________

2. Watch a program playing on the television without volume for 10

minutes. After viewing the program, write a description of what you have

observed. Be sure to include the story line, body movements, gestures

and feelings of the characters.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________

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 3. Try to tell someone that you are very busy and cannot be distracted. Tell

this through non-verbal means. Observe the response of the other

person. Was it difficult or easy? Note your observations.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________

ACTIVITY 6

NAME OF ACTIVITY: PARALANGUAGE AND NON-VERBAL SYSTEMS (2)

Directions: This activity is a prelude to your upcoming speech presentation.

Download a song that you like. Record a video of yourself doing

a lip-sync of the song with appropriate facial expressions,

gestures and movements. Make big and exaggerated

expressions and gestures and try to internalize its meaning

through non-verbal means. The video must not be less than 2

minutes. Refer to the rubric below for scoring.

Rubric for Lip Sync Presentation

Criteria Score
4 3 2 1
Memorization Could earn a You would Could have Lip syncing did
of lyrics Grammy have gotten listened to the not occur
Award. Perfect caught, music more,
lip sync. occasionally most lyrics are
forgot the forgotten
lyrics
Showmanship You moved Most moves Few moves are Looks like you
around seemed coordinated; did not prepare
confidently rehearsed and doesn‘t seem at all
and seemed to coordinated to be
be rehearsed rehearsed
Appropriatene All gestures Most gestures Some gestures Ggestures and
ss of Gestures and facial and facial and facial facial
and facial expressions expressions expressions expressions are
expressions are are are not appropriate
appropriate appropriate appropriate at all

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Entertainment I want an Entertainmen I‘m not overly Wake me up
value encore! Totally t value at entertained. when it‘s over.
entertaining. moderate level Totally bored.

LET’S REFLECT!

Summarize what you have learned in this module, using the chart below:

What I KNOW What I WONDERED What I LEARNED

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