Oral Communication

Oral Communication in Context

Quarter 2 – Module 13: Principles of Effective Speech Writing: Word Choice
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education - Schools Division of Pasig City

Development Team of the Self-Learning Module

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 Oral Communication

Quarter 2
Self-Learning Module 13
Principles of Effective Speech Writing:
Word Choice
Introductory Message

For the Facilitator:

Welcome to the Oral Communication Self-Learning Module on Principles of

Effective Speech Writing: Word Choice.

This Self-Learning Module was collaboratively designed, developed, and reviewed

by educators from the Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its Officer-in-
Charge Schools Division Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A. Agustin, in
partnership with the City Government of Pasig through its mayor, Honorable Victor Ma.
Regis N. Sotto. The writers utilized the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum using
the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) in developing this instructional
resource.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners in guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st-century skills especially the 5 Cs, namely: Communication,
Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Character while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body
of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage
their learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners as they
do the tasks included in the module.
For the learner:

Welcome to the Oral Communication Self-Learning Module on Principles of

Effective Speech Writing: Word Choice.

The hand is one of the most symbolized parts of the human body. It is often used
to depict skill, action, and purpose. Through our hands, we may learn, create, and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner is
capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and skills at
your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities
for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning material while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectations - This points to the set of knowledge and skills that

you will learn after completing the module.

Pretest - This measures your prior knowledge about the lesson at

hand.

Recap - This part of the module provides a review of concepts and

skills that you already know about a previous lesson.

Lesson - This section discusses the topic in the module.

Activities - This is a set of activities that you need to perform.

Wrap-Up - This section summarizes the concepts and application

of the lesson.

Valuing - This part integrates a desirable moral value in the

lesson.

Posttest - This measures how much you have learned from the
entire module.
 EXPECTATIONS

This is your self-instructional learner module in Oral Communication. All

the activities provided in this lesson will help you learn and understand
Principles of Effective Speech Writing: Word Choice.
After completing this module, you will be able to:
1. Identify words to use in writing an effective speech;
2. incorporate the importance of word choice to elaborate effectively the
message that needs to be conveyed to the audience; and
3. deliver a speech with proper word choice depending on the target audience.

PRETEST

Read and analyze the following: Encircle the word(s) that does/do not go along
with the transition word. Write your answers on a separate sheet or notebook.

1. Show time: Before, During, Next, Immediately, To the left

2. Compare: Likewise, If so, In the same manner, Also, Therefore
3. Contrast: Finally, On the other hand, On the contrary, but, However
4. Summarize or Conclude: In summary, in conclusion, Beyond, to sum up,
To the left
5. Show Place or Direction: Above, Besides, Beyond, Closed, Nearby

RECAP

From your previous lesson, you learned about the principle of effective
writing which focused on logical organization.

1. What are the logical organization patterns we discussed? Enumerate them.

 2. Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow.

The lack of rain and snow has horrible effects on farmers. With no
rain their land dries up, and it is very difficult to grow anything. When the
crops fail, the farmers haven't any choice but to get a second job in order
to make the money they need. Farming is a full time job and with a second
job, farmers are overworked, stressed and even depressed. Many farmers
end up selling their land. Some farmers have accepted the government
program the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which is the land is left
idle to let the grass grow and must be left idle a certian number of years.
While the land is in the CRP program, some farmers have taken outside
jobs. That is why when it doesn't rain, you notice that most of the farmers
are very crabby. As a farmer's daughter, I have experienced some good
times and some bad times. I have gained a great respect for farmers
everywhere. ~(c)2005 Laura White~

3. What organizational pattern is used in the paragraph?

LESSON

For sure you have experienced being an audience of an effective writer and
speaker. How do these speakers catch the attention of the audience? A speaker
has different ways of capturing the attention of their listeners or audience in order
to make them read or listen from the beginning till the end of their articles or
speeches.
What do they mostly care about? A speaker, in general, is most careful
about the word choice. What will happen if they do not pay attention to the word
choice? An improper word choice leads to a certain misunderstanding and
conflict. Some of them may even leave the hall or that place. So, it is very
important to consider the words appropriate to use in a sentence. Today, we are
going to study word choice including its importance.
Let’s start with 4 PICS ONE-WORD!

From the set of letters given below the pictures, work out what the word is.

______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=4+pics+one+word&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjRtsWsg7jrAhUGeZQKHbzmDY4Q2
https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=4+pics+one+word&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjRtsWsg7jrAhUGeZQKHbzmDY4Q2-
https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=4+pics+one+word&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjRtsWsg7jrAhUGeZQKHbzmDY4Q2-
https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=4+pics+one+word&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjRtsWsg7jrAhUGeZQKHbzmDY4Q2-

Those pictures may imply a different meaning; but looking at the oneness
of the picture may lead to one answer or one word. Same thing with choosing a
word that fits the sentence and its appropriateness to the message to imply.

Word Choice
A word is the simplest part of any language. While communicating or
delivering ideas or thoughts, one must use a proper word. Word choice is a
person’s choice or selection of words. There are many factors which determine
or compel a person for a word choice. A word choice is an important part of
any communication.
It is a manner in which something is expressed in words. The choice of
words is the style of expression. A person, in general, chooses words to which he
feels comfortable, confident, and simple enough for a general audience to
understand.

Factors That Influence Good Word Choice

When selecting words to achieve the maximum desired effect, a writer
must take a number of factors into consideration:
 1. Meaning: Words can be chosen for either their denotative meaning, which
is the definition you'd find in a dictionary or the connotative meaning like
the emotions, circumstances, or descriptive variations the word evokes.
e.g.
WORD DENOTATION CONOTATION
Brutal Extremely Cruel Violent to the point of
entertaining
Tight Fixed firmly in place Good, fantastic,
awesome
https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=denotative+and+connotative+examples&rlz=1C1CHBD_enPH865PH865&tbm=isch&source=iu&ic
tx=1&fir=malxq0p4AwGgeM%252CfER0Y2GWhj

2. Specificity: Words that are concrete rather than abstract is more powerful
in certain types of writing, specifically academic works and works of
nonfiction. However, abstract words can be powerful tools when creating
poetry, fiction, or persuasive rhetoric.
e.g.
I am getting _________. married marriage wedding

Although all may refer to a couple’s union, remember that specificity

of the word is necessary to be understood.

It is hard to _____ things tidy, especially when you have plenty of

things to do. remain keep stay

3. Audience: Whether the writer seeks to engage, amuse, entertain, inform,

or even incite anger, the audience is the person or persons for whom a
piece of work is intended.
e.g.
Friendly, words that would reinforce their beliefs.
Apathetic, use words that would convince that it matters to them.
Uninformed, the goal is to educate before any course of action.
Hostile, Giving respect to their viewpoint.
 4. Level of Diction: The level of diction an author chooses directly relates to
the intended audience. Diction is classified into four levels of language:
A. Formal which denotes serious discourse
B. Informal which denotes relaxed but polite conversation
C. Colloquial which denotes language in everyday usage
D. Slang which denotes new, often highly informal words and phrases that
evolve as a result sociolinguistic constructs such as age, class, wealth
status, ethnicity, nationality, and regional dialects.

FORMAL INFORMAL COLLOQUIAL SLANG

Much, may A lot, lots Wanna Groovy
Garment Dress Gonna Radical

5. Tone: Tone is an author's attitude toward a topic. When employed

effectively, tone—be it contempt, awe, agreement, or outrage—is a
powerful tool that writers use to achieve a desired goal or purpose.

6. Style: Word choice is an essential element in the style of any writer. While
his or her audience may play a role in the stylistic choices a writer makes,
style is the unique voice that sets one writer apart from another.

The Appropriate Words for a Given Audience

To be effective, a writer must choose words based on a number of factors
that relate directly to the audience for whom a piece of work is intended.
For example, the language chosen for a dissertation on advanced algebra
would not only contain jargon specific to that field of study; the writer would also
have the expectation that the intended reader possessed an advanced level of
understanding in the given subject matter that at a minimum equaled, or
potentially outpaced his or her own.
On the other hand, an author writing a children's book would choose age-
appropriate words that kids could understand and relate to. Likewise, while a
contemporary playwright is likely to use slang and colloquialism to connect with
the audience, an art historian would likely use more formal language to describe
a piece of work about which he or she is writing, especially if the intended
audience is a peer or academic group.
"Choosing words that are too difficult, too technical, or too easy for your
receiver can be a communication barrier. If words are too difficult or too technical,
the receiver may not understand them; if words are too simple, the reader could
become bored or be insulted. In either case, the message falls short of meeting its
goals . . . Word choice is also a consideration when communicating with receivers
for whom English is not the primary language [who] may not be familiar with
colloquial English."
(Krizan, et.al. 2011)

Word Selection for Composition

Word choice is an essential element for any student learning to write
effectively. Appropriate word choice allows students to display their knowledge,
not just about English, but with regard to any given field of study from science
and mathematics to civics and history.
The challenge for teachers of
Choose
Understandable Words composition is to help students
understand the reasoning behind the
Six Principles of Word Choice

Use Specific, Precise

Words specific word choices they've made
and then letting the students know
Choose Strong Words whether or not those choices work.
Simply telling a student something
Emphasize Positive
doesn't make sense or is awkwardly
Words
phrased won't help that student
Avoid Overused Words become a better writer. If a student's
word choice is weak, inaccurate, or
Avoid Obsolete Words clichéd, a good teacher will not only
explain how they went wrong but ask
( from "Business Communication, 8th Edition," by A.C.
Krizan, Patricia Merrier, Joyce P. Logan, and Karen Williams. the student to rethink his or her
South-Western Cengage, 2011)
choices based on the given feedback.
Word Choice for Literature
Arguably, choosing effective words when writing literature is more
complicated than choosing words for composition writing. First, a writer must
consider the constraints for the chosen discipline in which they are writing. Since
literary pursuits as such as poetry and fiction can be broken down into an almost
endless variety of niches, genres, and subgenres, this alone can be daunting. In
addition, writers must also be able to distinguish themselves from other writers
by selecting a vocabulary that creates and sustains a style that is authentic to
their own voice.

Importance of word Choice

Being a speaker, you must develop the habit of using correct words. While
speaking or writing, you must use the most appropriate word. You must also
learn the importance of correct word choice. Some of them are:
 If you use an incorrect word, the message you deliver will not be understood
as it meant to be.
 Incorrect word choice leads to the misunderstanding among the audience.
 It sometimes makes a situation awkward and unclear.
 Sometimes, an incorrect word makes no sense.
 Correct word choice increases the impact on one’s mind.
 It reveals the attitude and personality of a person.

Ways of Improving the Choices of Words

There are many words available to express your emotions. You as a speaker
or a writer thus feel the trick of using the correct word amongst the given one.
There are many ways in which you can choose a word more appropriately. Some
of them are:
 Focus on the tone of diction or communication.
 Pick words that match with the tone.
 Use a dictionary or thesaurus for finding synonyms and antonyms.
 Focus on the age-group of the audience.
 Improve your vocabulary.
 Learn some metaphors.
  Learn the meaning of the words as much as you can.
 Use new words in sentences for practice.
 Differentiate between parts of speech. Learn the difference between the
words used as a noun, adverbs, verbs or adjective.
 Avoid redundancies.
 Avoid awkward, vague and unclear word.
 Do not use the word only because others are using it.
 Replace general words with more specific ones.
 Learn to use a single word in different situations to give different
meanings.
 Use bias-free language or word.
 Use politically correct words.
 Try to use words clearly and only when needed.
 Try to simplify your content or writing before delivering.
 Use proper diction.
 Avoid slang.
 Avoid jargon.
 Practice a lot.

Solved Example on Word Choice Problem: Substitute correct words for the
following. Write your answers in your notebook.
1. Regardless of the fact 5. In the process of
2. Concerning the matter of 6. During the course of
3. Due to the fact that 7. I came to the realization that
4. At that point in time 8. In the event that
Solution:
1. Regardless of the fact – Although
2. Concerning the matter of – About
3. Due to the fact that – Because
4. At that point in time – Then
5. In the process of – During, while
6. During the course of – During
7. I came to the realization that – I realized that
8. In the event that – If
Guided Practice: Denotation
Body organ
1. HEART
Connotation
Love, Romance

The meaning of the word changes whether it’s Denotative or Connotative.

2.

scared afraid petrified

It is important to specifically choose a word in giving attention to details

especially when setting up a scene, for example, in conveying how scared
the character is.
3.
“I’ll call you later and “At the next meeting, I plan
ARTICULATE what to YAK about the new
happened at the beach.” strategic plan.”

A word like “talk” might have many synonyms, or words with similar
meanings. Remember that no two words are exactly alike. They all have
different shades of meaning in different situations. Which means you have
to choose the right word for the situation.

4. Tone = emoticon, attitude, adjective. The following can be used to clearly

express the author's attitude toward a topic.
5.
Emily Dickinson = uses 1st person point of view, rarely titled her
poems, strong use of metaphor
Edgar Allan Poe = every word must contribute to its purpose, unity
of effect, uses violence and horror to explore the
paradox of love, grief and guilt.

The way an author uses tone, themes, topics and many other, shapes the
author’s style.
 ACTIVITIES
Activity 1: CHOOSE THE BEST WORD
Choose the letter of the appropriate word that best fits the sentences below. Write
your answer on the space before the number.

1. Trish and Gio were (living, leaving) in a hurry.

2. Marta is not so (keen, kin) on the present situation.
3. Eric James was (sending, sanding) some furniture when I called.
4. He is a medical frontliner and had a six day (ship, shift) in a week.
5. He is catching his (breath, breed) after running a kilometer.
6. The truck that runs 120 km per hour accidentally (heats, hits) the center
island.
7. The hikers were (wandering, wondering) in the mountain.
8. Charisse gave King a (pat, pot) on the back and bid him good luck.
9. Jess (taught, thought) well in Social Science.
10. While Marianne was riding in a Jeepney on her way to work, she became
a victim of a gang who (gip, gyp) ignorant people by showing fake jewelry.

Activity 2: PHRASE TO WORD!

Match the phrases in column A with their corresponding words in column B.
Write the letter of the answer on the space before the number.
A B
1. In view of the fact that A. Because
2. Was observed to be B. Delete
3. In the near future C. Evidently
4. In most cases D. If (Should)
5. It would appear that E. Mostly
6. Is suggestive of F. Near
7. As to whether G. Soon
8. In the vicinity of H. Suggests
9. It was evident that I. Was
10. In the event that J. Whether
Activity 3: AVOID REDUNDANCIES
Rewrite each phrase to eliminate unnecessary and redundant words. Write your
answers on a sheet of paper.

1. Carefully investigate = ____________________

2. Past History = ____________________
3. Mix together = ____________________
4. Human Volunteer = ____________________
5. Advance Planning = ____________________

WRAP-UP

To wrap-up everything that we discussed in this lesson, do the 3-2-1

Important Things activity:
The three important things I learned for today’s lesson are …
1. _______________________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________
The two things I realized in today’s lesson are …
1. _______________________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________________
One important thing I pledge to share to others is …
1. ______________________________________________________________

VALUING

None wants to be misunderstood by the way he/she speaks or choose

words. Being concise on the words, tone, theme and meaning to conveyed, the goal
is to facilitate better communication to your reader.
Think of an appropriate quotation for the sentence above.
 POSTTEST

Avoid Euphemisms. Choose the letter of the answer that corresponds to the
underlined word. Write your answers on a separate sheet or notebook.

1. The patient expired.

A. passed away C. Left
B. died D. Both A & B

2. He is a little drunk.
A. Alcoholic C. Intoxicated
B. Drunken D. Tipsy

3. He got the job despite being stupid.

A. Crazy C. Mentally Challenged
B. Disable D. Special Child

4. Our teacher is pregnant.

A. Conceived C. In the family way
B. Expecting D. Having a baby

5. She just turned 60 and now a senior citizen.

A. Elder C. Oldie
B. Gray haired D. Retiree
 KEY TO CORRECTION

5. B 5. Planning 10. D 5. B
4. C 4. Volunteers 9. C 4. E
3. C 3. Mix 8. F 3. G
2. D 2. History 7. J 2. I
1. D 1. Investigate (study) 6. H 1. A
POSTTEST ACTIVITY3 ACTIVITY2

10. Taught 5. Shift 5. Besides, closed

9. Pat 4. Sanding 4. Beyond, To the left
8. Wandering 3. They 3. Finally
7. Hits 2. Bought 2. If so, therefore
6. Breath 1. Leaving 1. To the left
ACTIVITY 1 PRETEST

References
Unknown, Essentials of Good English.https://www.toppr.com/guides/business-
communication-and-ethics/essential-of-good-english/choice-of-words/. Accessed 22
August 2020
Nordquist, Richard,”Word Choice in English Composition and Literature”Word Choice,
2019. Retrieved from: https://www.thoughtco.com/word-choice-composition-
1692500. Accessed 22 August 2020
Riordan, Rick., “The Lightning Thief, 2015. Retrived from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfQF47YpiU4. Accessed 22 August 2020
Prof Myhren, “Creative Commons Attribur=tion Licence. 2019 Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urEh4_fTtao. Accessed 22 August 2020
Peeples, Scott. “Why Should you Read Edgar Allan Poe, 2019. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lgg-pVjOok. Accessed 22 August 2020
Unknown, Äuthor’s Style, 2017, Lincoln Learning Solutions, Retrived from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3r_uS0EPqc. Accessed 22 August 2020
Unknown, Word Choice,
https://www.polyteknisk.dk/related_materials/9789810224660_Chapter_01.pdf
Boghandel&Forlag,”Word Choice”, Retrieved from:
https://literarydevices.net/euphemism/. Accessed 22 August 2020,. Accessed 7 July
2020.
Almodiente, Jhoanna D., Types of Speech Style with Assessment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxSTOQ7N9xE. Accessed July 13, 2020
http://english120.pbworks.com/w/page/19006810/cause%20and%20effect%20para
graphs, Accessed September 13, 2020