Exam 14: Language and Delivery

The National Speakers Association surveyed nearly 4,000 members about the skills they rely on for success. Which skill came out first in importance?

Most of our hand gestures are culturally determined.

There is nothing wrong with occasional filler phrases, such as you know, uh, um, okay, and like, particularly when you're speaking informally or impromptu.

Rhetorical language does not have to be flowery or grand; it can use an oral style, personal pronouns, and devices such as repetition and metaphors.

Which of the following eye contact techniques should you use when speaking to an audience?

Identify and describe the difference between written and oral styles of communicating.

Kathleen Jamieson, author of Eloquence in an Electronic Age, notes that eloquent speakers use poetic language, but do not disclose their personal experiences and feelings.

Dan is preparing a presentation to his company's five vice presidents in which he will show how much of his total budget is devoted to different functions in his department. What type of presentation aids would best meet Dan's needs?

Tracy is going to give a presentation about the effects of methamphetamines (also known as "meth," "crystal meth," "ice," and "glass") on the brain and body. Identify three types of presentation aids that would enhance his message. Explain what they can do to enhance the message.

In George W. Bush's 2003 State of the Union Address to Congress, he used alliteration as a rhetorical device when he said, "The dictator of Iraq is not disarming. To the contrary, he is deceiving."

Speakers who cannot be heard are a common problem; very rarely is a speaker too loud.

When Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, was awarded the Liberty Medal in 1992, he delivered an eloquent acceptance speech. Identify and analyze the ways in which Justice Marshall used many of the effective language strategies discussed in your textbook. The legal system can force open doors, and sometimes even knock down walls, but it cannot build bridges. That job belongs to you and me. The country cannot do it. Afro and White, rich and poor, educated and illiterate, our fates are bound together… We will only attain freedom if we learn to appreciate what is different, and muster the courage to discover what is fundamentally the same. America's diversity offers so much richness and opportunity. Make a change, won't you? Knock down the fences which divide. Tear apart the walls that imprison you. Reach out. Freedom lies just on the other side. We shall have liberty for all.

One of the least effective ways to eliminate unwanted gestures is to record, and then watch, a practice session on video.

Speaking style refers to how you use vocabulary, sentence structure and length, grammar and syntax, and language devices to express a message.

Your textbook emphasizes the importance of effective practice sessions when preparing a presentation for delivery. Identify and describe four guidelines for practicing a presentation.

In general, when speaking into a microphone, put it less than an inch from your mouth to make sure that you will be heard.

"You are the wind beneath my wings" (from "The Wind Beneath My Wings," by Bette Midler) is a metaphor.

A presentation delivered from a prepared outline or a set of notes is known as __________ speaking.

Your textbook recommends five design principles for presentation aids. Choose two of these principles and explain how they can improve the quality of your presentation aids.

In general, a purposeful movement can attract attention, channel nervous energy, or support and emphasize a point you are making.