Language features in oral texts - speech, drama, poetry

Question 1

Alliteration

Answer 1

Starting a sequence of words with the same letter, e.g. ‘beach bunny’. This adds impact and memorability. It can speed up or slow down the phrase and create onomatopoeia.

Question 2

Anecdote

Answer 2

A brief story included in the text. It can make an explanation clearer or more convincing. It can also add interest or humor to the text.

Question 3

Assonance

Answer 3

Using the same vowel sound in two or more words together, e.g. ‘High five. Free as the breeze’. It makes the words striking and memorable. Bright vowels create a bright tone and dark vowels create a dark tone.

Question 4

Feedback

Answer 4

The spoken or body language reactions the listener gives to the speaker. Used to encourage, discourage or change the ideas being expressed. Inviting/reacting to feedback creates spontaneity.

Question 5

Homophone

Answer 5

Word that sounds the same as another. Can be used to emphasize an idea e.g. “‘I’m in love with the principal.’ Audience gasps. ‘The principle of free speech’.

Question 6

Intensifier

Answer 6

Real speech uses pretty simple words. Instead of using better words to emphasize something, real and realistic speech uses the intensifiers ‘very’, ‘really’ and ;so’ to emphasize a point.

Question 7

Listing

Answer 7

Listing facts/figures/examples creates two good impressions: that there is a lot of support for the idea and that the speaker knows heaps about the subject.

Question 8

Non-fluency

Answer 8

Real speech has ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’, pauses in the wrong place, repetitions, mistakes and self-corrections. In a script, these things are either missing or added occasionally to make the script seem real.

Question 9

Nouns and names

Answer 9

Oral texts tend to name things and people instead of using pronounces like it, he/him, she/her, etc. This makes meaning clearer and is vital for radio as there are no sight cues. Local names emphasize relevance.

Question 10

Onomatopoeia

Answer 10

Using a word that sounds like what it means, e.g. the sounds of the word ‘hiss’, ‘meow’ and ‘scratch’ are like the actual sounds a cat makes when hissing, meowing and scratching. It makes description vivid.

Question 11

Parallel structure

Answer 11

Bits of sentence can have the same shape as each other in the same way as parallel lines do, e.g. ‘You snooze, you lose’; or ‘Love me, love my dog’; or ‘Marry in haste, repent in leisure’. This feature makes the speaker sound clever and the message memorable.

Question 12

Pause

Answer 12

A break in the flow of words can point to a range of things: you are trying to let an idea sink in, you are trying to remember, you are trying not to cause embarrassment, you are trying to make a decision, you are trying to make up a lie, you are trying not to say too much, you are finding the courage to say something shocking or you are trying to control strong feelings.
Any one of these possibilities, and not knowing which one it is, makes the pause interesting to the reader.

Question 13

Peroration

Answer 13

The ‘big finish’ of a speech. Here you hit the audience with a laugh line, amazing revelation, challenge, message of hope or warning, etc. in a language chosen for impact.

Question 14

Pronouns

Answer 14

‘You’ (second-person pronoun) involves the audience directly. ‘I’ and ‘We’ (first-person pronouns) make it personal, adding drama and conviction. ‘We’ can be used to make the audience feel included.

Question 15

Pronunciation

Answer 15

Saying words correctly. This matters; pronunciation in a spoken text is like spelling in a written one; errors are annoying and weaken the impact you want to make.

Question 16

Rhyme

Answer 16

Using words that end in the same sound, e.g. ‘op shop’, ‘Dizzy Lizzie’. Rhyme is probably the most striking sound effect. It is so memorable that it is used in hundreds of phrases to help you recall, e.g. ‘I before E, except after C’.

Question 17

Rhythm

Answer 17

Using the natural beat in the syllables of the words to create a striking sound pattern. This gives a pleasing shape to the statement as we hear it. Listen to the beats in this: ‘The bigger they are, the harder they fall’.

Question 18

Statistics

Answer 18

Researched facts usually presented as lists, numbers or percentages. Used both to show and to share the speaker’s expert knowledge. They are very convincing.

Question 19

Stress

Answer 19

Saying certain words louder than the rest to emphasize them. This is shown on paper by using capitals or italics or a larger font. In a drama script, there could be a stage direction like (Angrily).

Question 20

Tone

Answer 20

Showing the speaker’s feeling in the choice of words or the way the words are said. Look for emotive words, italics and clues in the punctuation. Maori/NZ words create a feeling of shared identity.