Oral & Written Communication: A Comprehensive Guide
Unit 5: Oral Communication
Language Choice
When communicating, we choose between written and spoken language. These are two codes with different functions, typically used in different situations, despite sharing some linguistic elements.
Differences Between Oral and Written Language
The differences are:
- Contextual: Stemming from the communication situation.
- Textual: Resulting from the contextual differences and relating to the language itself.
Oral Language
- Contextual: Auditory channel, spontaneous, immediate in time and space, utilizes nonverbal cues.
- Textual: Dialectal variations, less structured ideas, emphasis on intonation, deixis, elliptical constructions, simple syntax, and less precise vocabulary.
Written Language
- Contextual: Visual channel, planned, delayed in time and space, limited use of nonverbal cues.
- Textual: Standardized language, structured ideas, cohesive devices (anaphora, punctuation, connectors), complex syntax, and precise vocabulary.
Features of Spoken Language
- Partners are physically present, sharing the same space and time.
- The speaker can amend, but not erase, what is said. The transient nature of speech makes it more informal.
Oral Text Genres
Spoken language varies depending on the degree of planning and the number of speakers.
- Planned Texts: Discussions, interviews, symposiums, panels, conferences, oral presentations.
- Spontaneous Texts: Conversations.
- Individual Texts: Produced by one person (e.g., conference, presentation).
- Plural Texts: Involve two or more people (e.g., conversation, interview, discussion).
Spontaneous Oral Communication: Conversation
Conversation is an oral exchange between two or more people, alternating turns. It’s unplanned, incorporating multiple viewpoints and developing through turns of speech.
The Noun Phrase
A noun phrase has a noun or nominal element as its nucleus.
- Determiners: Articles, demonstratives, possessives, indefinites, numerals, interrogatives, exclamations, distributives.
- Core: Noun, pronoun, substantivized elements.
- Complements: Adjectival phrase, prepositional phrase, noun phrase in apposition, adjectival clause, substantive clause.
The Noun
The noun has gender and number variations and is the nucleus of a noun phrase.
Semantic Classification of Nouns
- Common/Proper: Common nouns refer to general categories, while proper nouns name specific entities.
- Concrete/Abstract: Concrete nouns refer to tangible things, while abstract nouns refer to intangible concepts.
- Individual/Collective: Individual nouns refer to single entities, while collective nouns refer to groups.
- Countable/Non-Countable: Countable nouns can be counted, while non-countable nouns cannot.
- Animate/Inanimate: Animate nouns refer to living beings, while inanimate nouns refer to non-living things.
Determiners
Determiners modify the noun and specify its meaning without adding lexical meaning.
- Definite Articles: Indicate a known noun.
- Indefinite Articles: Indicate a non-specific noun.
- Demonstratives: Indicate location in space or time.
- Possessives: Indicate ownership.
- Indefinites: Quantify or qualify the noun.
- Numerals: Indicate quantity or order.
- Interrogatives/Exclamations: Used in questions or exclamations.
The Adjective
The adjective modifies a noun, agreeing in gender and number. It functions as a complement, attribute, or predicate complement.
Degrees of Adjectives
- Positive: Expresses the quality without comparison.
- Comparative: Compares the quality to another.
- Superlative: Expresses the highest degree of the quality.
Types of Adjectives
- Specifying: Differentiates the noun from others.
- Explanatory: Emphasizes a known quality.
Other Noun Complements
- Prepositional Phrase
- Noun Phrase in Apposition
- Relative Clause
Functions of the Noun Phrase
Noun phrases can function as: subject, vocative, direct object, indirect object, adverbial complement, attribute, complement of a preposition, régimen prepositional, circumstantial complement, agent complement, predicate complement.
Unit 6: Planned Oral Texts
Planned Oral Communication
While spontaneous oral texts like conversations are fundamental, planned oral texts are increasingly important in professional, academic, and media settings.
Singular Planned Oral Communication
These are communicative acts where one person presents ideas or knowledge in an orderly manner to inform, convince, or persuade an audience. Examples include conferences, speeches, presentations, sermons, meetings, and reports.
Types of Singular Planned Oral Communication
- Conference: A dissertation on a scientific or cultural topic.
- Speech: A formal address to a general audience.
- Oral Report: A detailed exposition of facts or activities.
Communication Dynamics
The speaker and audience share time and place, but roles are not exchanged. The speaker manages all aspects of the presentation, while the audience listens and their influence is limited.
Structure and Linguistic Forms
Planned oral communication requires knowledge of the topic, careful planning, and command of formal language.
Structure
- Introduction: Greeting, topic introduction, explanation of importance.
- Development: Orderly presentation of ideas, supported by evidence and examples.
- Conclusion: Summary of main points, potential opening for discussion.
Extralinguistic Techniques
Nonverbal aspects like body language, facial expressions, gestures, and pronunciation are crucial.
Planned Plural Oral Communication: The Debate
A debate is a confrontation of differing viewpoints on a topic. It aims to analyze a problem from multiple perspectives.
Roles in a Debate
- Moderator: Introduces the topic, manages the discussion, and summarizes key points.
- Secretary: Takes notes and assists the moderator.
- Participants: Present arguments and opinions.
Other Forms of Plural Oral Communication
- Discussion: Exchange of information or opinions.
- Round Table: Experts share diverse perspectives without hierarchy.
The Verb Phrase: The Verb
The verb phrase functions as the predicate. The verb is its nucleus.
Verb Structure
A verb consists of a lexeme (carrying the meaning) and morphemes (providing grammatical information).
Person and Number
Verbal morphemes indicate the person (first, second, third) and number (singular, plural) of the subject.
Tense, Mood, and Aspect
- Tense: Indicates when the action takes place relative to the speaker.
- Mood: Expresses the speaker’s attitude towards the action.
- Aspect: Indicates the internal development of the action (completed or not).
Verb Forms
- Personal Forms: Have person, number, tense, mood, and aspect.
- Impersonal Forms: Infinitive, gerund, participle. Primarily express aspect.
Infinitive, Gerund, and Participle
- Infinitive: Expresses imperfective aspect (action in progress or finished).
- Gerund: Expresses imperfective aspect (action in development).
- Participle: Expresses perfective aspect (completed action).
Regular and Irregular Verbs
- Regular Verbs: Follow standard conjugation patterns.
- Irregular Verbs: Deviate from standard conjugation patterns.
Defective Verbs, Irregular Participles, and Double Participles
- Defective Verbs: Have incomplete conjugations.
- Irregular Participles: Do not end in -ado or -ido.
- Double Participles: Have both regular and irregular forms.
Verbal Periphrasis
A verbal periphrasis uses an auxiliary verb and a non-finite verb form (infinitive, gerund, or participle) to express a single meaning, often nuanced aspects.
Types of Periphrasis
- Mood Periphrasis: Express obligation or probability.
- Aspectual Periphrasis: Indicate the progress of the action (e.g., beginning, ongoing, completed).
Voice
Voice indicates whether the subject performs (active) or receives (passive) the action. The passive voice is formed with the auxiliary verb “be” and the past participle. Reflexive passive constructions are also common, where the agent is omitted.