SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Oral Communication in
Context
Module No. 6
Strategies for Effective
Communication and Principles of
Speech Writing

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 What I Know (Pretest)
Let us check your prior knowledge about this module’s coverage.
Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write it in your notebook.

1. What are you doing when you start a conversation?

a. Nomination c. Repair
b. Restriction d. Termination
2. What refers to any limitation you have as a speaker?
a. Nomination c. Repair
b. Restriction d. Termination
3. What pertains to the process by which people decide who takes the conversation
floor?
a. Repair c. Topic Shifting
b. Topic Control d. Turn-taking
4. What covers how procedural formality or informality affects the development of
topic in conversations?
a. Repair c. Topic Shifting
b. Topic Control d. Turn-taking
5. What strategy involves moving from one topic to another?
a. Restriction c. Topic Shifting
b. Topic Control d. Turn-taking
6. What refers to how speakers address the problem in speaking, listening and
comprehending that they may encounter in a conversation?
a. Restriction c. Topic Shifting
b. Repair d. Turn-taking
7. Which refers to the conversation participants’ close-initiating expressions that
end a topic in a conversation?
a. Restriction c. Topic Shifting
b. Repair d. Termination
8. Which of the following is NOT an example of nomination?
a. Hi! How are you?
b. Have you heard the news today?
c. I have to go now, bye!
d. Can I ask you something?
9. Which of the following is an example of termination?
a. Do you want to say something?
b. I think that is wrong.
c. It’s already time! Let us talk about it next time.
d. Hello Annie!
10. When you say, “Please speak slowly, you are too fast,” what strategy are you
applying?
a. Nomination c. Repair
b. Topic shifting d. Termination

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 LESSON 1:

COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES
Objectives
Here are the things that you are expected to learn at the end of this lesson:

1. List down communicative strategies

2. Find appropriate strategies to use in a given situation
3. Use the strategies effectively in communicating

What’s New
Activity 1. What you do

Fill in the boxes with your own ideas about communicative strategies. There are
no wrong or right answers. Your own ideas matter. List down what you usually apply
when you communicate with others.

Communicative Strategies

What Is It
We need to communicate to others to establish a relationship and to have better
understanding. However, there are times when miscommunication occurs. It is
important that we know how to adjust and be able to communicate effectively.

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Cohen (1990) states that strategies must be used to start and maintain a conversation.
Knowing and applying grammar appropriately is one of the most basic strategies to
maintain a conversation. These are the strategies that people use:

Nomination – employed when you try to open a topic with

the people you are talking to. You may start off with news
inquiries and news announcements as they promise
extended talk. This could signal the beginning of a new
topic in the conversation.
Restriction – refers to any limitation you may have as a
speaker. You are given specific instruction that you must
follow. These instructions confine you as a speaker and
limit what you can say.
Turn-taking – pertains to the process by which people decide who takes the
conversation floor. There is a code of behavior behind establishing and sustaining a
productive conversation, but the primary idea is to give all communicators a chance to
speak.
Topic Control – covers how procedural formality or informality affects the development
of topic in conversations. This is achieved cooperatively. When a topic is initiated, it
should be collectively developed by avoiding unnecessary interruptions and topic shifts.
You can say “Yes,” “okay,” “go on,” or asking tag questions to be actively involved
without dominating.
Topic shifting – involves moving from one topic to another. You
have to be very intuitive. Make sure that the previous topic was
nurtured enough to generate adequate views. You may say, “by the
way,” “in addition to what you said,” “which reminds me of,” and the
like.
Repair – refers to how speakers address the problem in speaking,
listening and comprehending that they may encounter in a
conversation. For example, if everybody in the conversation seems
to talk at the same time, give way and appreciate other’s initiative to
set the conversation back to its topic.
Termination – refers to the conversation participants’ close-initiating expressions that
end a topic in a conversation. Most of the time, the one who initiated the conversation
takes responsibility to signal the concluding cues. You can do this by sharing what you
learned or complete the discussion of the topic.
If you will be able to use these strategies well, you will be good in handling
conversations. You will avoid miscommunication. However, you must also consider
the situation. You must choose your words wisely. What you say must depend on what
the situation calls for.

For example, if you are just talking with friends, then it is alright to be casual and when
you start and end the conversation, you need not be formal. Meanwhile, if you are in a

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formal situation, you must start and control the conversation with care. Be polite
whenever you can. You have nothing to lose when you do that.

What’s More
Activity 2. What Strategy

What type of strategy is used in each statement? Write your answer on a paper.
____________________1. Do you have anything to say?
____________________2. One of the essential lessons I gained from the discussion
is the importance of listening well to others.
____________________3. Excuse me? I think we should talk one at a time.
____________________4. Go on with your ideas. I will let you finish before I say
something.
____________________5. Have you heard the latest news?
____________________6. Hi Jonas! How are you?
____________________7. Send my regards to them! See you next week!
____________________8. Good to see you. Anyway, I came to visit you because I
want to personally offer apologies for what happened
yesterday.
____________________9. Sorry, I can’t decide on that now. Let us discuss it
tomorrow, okay?
____________________10. Now, it’s your turn to ask me a question.
Activity 3. Your Turn

You have identified the communicative strategies. This time give your own
examples of statements in the given situations. You may refer to statements in the
previous activity as samples. Use statements that you often say in normal
conversations.

Strategies Situation Sample Statements

Nomination You want to talk to your teacher.

Restriction You are giving instructions to a member.

Topic Control Your friend is out of topic.

Topic Shift You want to talk about food after

discussing about the news.

Turn – taking You will give your silent classmate a

chance to speak.

Repair The volume of the voices is getting higher.

Termination You want to end the conversation, but your

friend is still talking.

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 What I Know (Post Test)
Let us check how much you have learned in this module’s coverage.
Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer.
1. All of these are affected when there is a shift in speech context and speech style.
Which does NOT belong to the group?
a. Topic Control c. Delivery
b. Language Form d. Message
2. Which of the following is NOT a communicative strategy?
a. Restriction c. Repair
b. Responsibility d. Termination
3. What pertains to the process by which people decide who takes the conversation
floor?
a. Repair c. Topic Shifting
b. Topic Control d. Turn-taking
4. What strategy involves moving from one topic to another?
a. Restriction c. Topic Shifting
b. Topic Control d. Turn-taking
5. What covers how procedural formality or informality affects the development of
topic in conversations?
a. Repair c. Topic Shifting
b. Topic Control d. Turn-taking
6. Which refers to the conversation participants’ close-initiating expressions that
end a topic in a conversation?
a. Restriction c. Topic Shifting
b. Repair d. Termination
7. What refers to how speakers address the problem in speaking, listening and
comprehending that they may encounter in a conversation?
a. Restriction c. Topic Shifting
b. Repair d. Turn-taking
8. Which of the following is an example of nomination?
a. Hello, Jazz! How have you been?
b. Please go back to the main topic.
c. I have to leave. Excuse me.
d. Speaking of fun, there is a carnival in town.
9. Which of the following is an example of termination?
a. No, you got it wrong.
b. The correct answer is “true.”
c. Do you know the latest event?
d. Please excuse me, my mom is calling.
10. When you say, “Please tell Geo that the he has to see Ms. Daisy,” what strategy
are you applying?
a. Nomination c. Repair
b. Topic shifting d. Restriction

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 LESSON 2:

PRINCIPLES OF SPEECH WRITING

Objectives
Here are the things that you are expected to learn at the end of this lesson:

1. Use the principle of speech writing

2. Consider audience profile, logical organization, duration, word choice and
grammatical correctness when writing
3. Write own speech following the speech writing process

What I Know (Pretest)

Let us check your prior knowledge about this module’s coverage.
Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer in your notebook.

1. What refers to looking into your audience’s profile?

a. Selecting a topic c. Determining a purpose
b. Audience analysis d. Identifying a pattern
2. What refers to finding out whether you want to inform, entertain, or persuade?
a. Selecting a topic c. Determining a purpose
b. Audience analysis d. Identifying a pattern
3. What is the focal point of your speech?
a. Audience c. Topic
b. Purpose d. Pattern
4. What can help you organize your ideas?
a. Audience c. Topic
b. Purpose d. Pattern
5. What refers to correcting your speech?
a. Selecting a topic c. Determining a purpose
b. Editing and revising d. Identifying a pattern
6. What is the first thing to do when planning what speech to write?
a. Selecting a topic c. Determining a purpose
b. Audience analysis d. Identifying a pattern
7. Which part grabs the attention of the audience?
a. Introduction c. Conclusion
b. Body d. Title
8. Which part explains the topic of your speech?
a. Introduction c. Conclusion
b. Body d. Title
9. Which part summarizes and emphasizes the topic of your speech?
a. Introduction c. Conclusion
b. Body d. Title
10. What do you call a list of ideas arranged hierarchically?
a. Outline c. Topic
b. Pattern d. Title

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 What’s New
Activity 1. True or False

Identify which statements are true or false. Write your answer in your notebook.

1. An outline must be made before you write your speech.

2. Any speech should have an introduction, body and conclusion.
3. You should know your audience first before you write your speech.
4. Practice is needed.
5. You must choose the right words to write in your speech.

What Is It
Have you ever written a speech? If you have not, do you think it is easy
to write a speech? This lesson will help you go through the process. To be able to write
your speech effectively, you must be able to follow the process correctly. Here is the
diagram of the speech writing process.

The diagram shows that the writing process is not linear but recursive. You go through
it until your speech becomes perfect. Let us discuss each in detail.

1. Audience analysis means looking into the profile of your target audience. You
need to do this so that your speech will fit or match your audience. Profile
includes
a. demography – age range, male-female ration, educational background,
nationality, economic status, and others.
b. situation – time, venue, occasion, size
c. psychology – values, beliefs, attitudes, preferences, cultural and racial
ideologies and needs
2. Determining the purpose is finding out whether you want to inform, entertain,
or persuade. Sounds familiar? Yes, they are the three types of speech according
to purpose. Your purpose can be general or specific but it is better if you will be
specific.
Example:
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 General purpose: To inform
Specific purpose: To inform the students about the benefits of solid waste
management.
3. Selecting the topic and narrowing it are also important. Your topic is your
focal point. You need to make it more specific.
Example:
Topic: Solid Waste Management
Narrowed topic: Benefits of Solid Waste Management
4. Data gathering is the part where you collect information from sources about your
topic. You can research in books or surf the internet. Be sure to site your
sources.
5. Selecting a writing pattern will help you to organize your ideas. You can
choose from the following:
a. Biographical – presents descriptions of life of a person
b. Categorical/Topical – presents related categories to support the topic
c. Causal – presents cause and effect relationships
d. Chronological – presents ideas in time order
e. Comparison-contrast – compares and contrast two or three ideas
f. Problem-solution – presents problem and solutions
6. Making an outline or a hierarchical list of ideas can help you arrange your
thoughts to make it easy for you to write your speech in an organized way. You
can use a table format or a list format.
Example:
I. Problems on Wastes
A. Environment
B. Health
II. Ways to Resolve
A. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
B. Solid Waste Management
7. Creating the body involves writing explanations, examples and details about
the topic you have chosen. Be sure to focus on the main idea.
8. Your introduction must catch the attention of your audience and present the
subject or topic of your speech.
9. The conclusion restates the main point of your speech. You can summarize,
emphasize your point, and call for action. Your goal is to leave a memorable
mark to your audience.
10. Editing and revising is correcting your speech for mechanics such as grammar,
punctuation, spelling, organization and the like. When you edit, be sure to:
a. Edit for focus – check if it focuses on the main topic
b. Edit for clarity – make sure your words are clear and easy to understand
c. Edit for concision – keep it simple and easy
d. Edit for continuity – ideas should flow smoothly
e. Edit for variety – shift in tone and style
f. Edit for impact and beauty – make it memorable

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 11. Practice makes perfect. When you practice you look at the time and how you
deliver your speech. This helps you see yourself and find out how you can
improve.

What’s More
Activity 2. Let’s See

Read this excerpt from Manuel L. Quezon’s speech. Then, fill in the chart with
the needed information based from the speech. Write your answer in your notebook.

My countrymen:
You have called upon me to assume the highest office within our gift. I accept the trust
humbly and gratefully. My sole determination is to be President for the people.
The office of President is the highest in the land. It can be the humblest also, if we
regard it – as we must – in the light of basic democratic principles. The first of these principles
is the declaration of the Constitution that “sovereignty resides in the people and all government
authority emanates from them.” This simply means that all of us in public office are but servants
of the people.
As I see it, your mandate in the past election was not a license for the selfish enjoyment
of power by any man or group of men. On the contrary, it was an endorsement of the principle
– at times forgotten – that the general welfare is the only justification for the exercise of
governmental power and authority.
Your mandate was a clear and urgent command to establish for our people a
government based upon honesty and morality; a government sensitive to your needs, dedicated
to your best interests, and inspired by our highest ideals of man’s liberty.
We have a glorious past. Now, we must build a future worthy of that past.

Audience
profile

Organization

Duration

Word Choice

Grammar

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 LESSON 3:

WRITTEN TO BE SPOKEN
Objectives
Here are the things that you are expected to learn at the end of this lesson:
1. Use the principles of speech writing focusing on:
a. articulation
b. modulation
c. stage presence
d. facial expressions
e. gestures and movements
f. rapport with the audience
2. Plan how to deliver the speech

What Is It
The speech that you have written is not only to be read. It is also meant to be
spoken. How should one deliver a speech? Here are some tips for you!

1. Use conversational style more often. Audience do not like the speaker to sound
too unnatural or exaggerated.
2. Rapport with audience. Look at your audience in the eye so they will feel that
they are part of your speech. This will also keep their attention and you will know
who are paying attention. Use pauses when you emphasize the most important
words, phrases or sentences. Your pauses should not last for three seconds.
3. Modulation. Remember to adjust your volume to the size of the audience and
venue. Modulate your voice but do not shout or yell. Vary your speed or rate to
avoid monotone pattern. This will avoid boredom.
4. Articulation. Pronounce and enunciate words correctly. You might confuse
your audience if you mispronounce a word.
5. Stage Presence. Start your speech by standing straight and balancing your
weight. This will give a positive first impression.
6. Gestures and Movements. Use precise movements. Move your arms with a
purpose. Avoid distracting mannerisms like swaying back and forth, leaning on
the podium, licking or biting your lips, playing with your wristwatch or jewelry,
scratching parts of your body, frowning, and others.
7. Facial Expressions. Avoid having a poker face or highly animated face. Just
smile unless you are talking about a sad subject. Your expression must match
what your message conveys.
8. Dress properly and appropriately.
9. Breathe in and out to relax before your speech. Most importantly, have fun! Keep
these tips in mind when you present your speech. You will do great!

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 What I Know (Post Test)
Let us check how much you have learned in this module’s coverage.
Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer in your notebook.

1. What refers to looking at your audience in the eye and having a good connection
with them?
a. Articulation c. Rapport
b. Modulation d. Gestures
2. Which refers to enunciating the words correctly?
a. Articulation c. Rapport
b. Modulation d. Gestures
3. What refers to making your voice loud enough to be heard?
a. Articulation c. Rapport
b. Modulation d. Gestures
4. What involves adding actions and walking while delivering your speech?
a. Articulation c. Rapport
b. Modulation d. Gestures
5. Which includes standing confidently while you speak?
a. Movements c. Rapport
b. Modulation d. Stage Presence
6. Which should NOT be done when you deliver your speech?
a. Eye to eye contact c. Poker face
b. Have pauses d. Vary the pitch
7. Why should you look at your audience in the eye?
a. It will lessen your nervousness.
b. You can make them feel scared.
c. It will make them feel that they are part of your speech.
d. It adds to the beauty.
8. Why should you pause in some parts of your speech?
a. To breathe c. To relax
b. To emphasize d. To have effects
9. Why is articulation important?
a. To impress the audience
b. To attract attention
c. To make the message clear
d. To give a good impression
10. How can you make sure that you are heard by everyone?
a. Articulate words c. make eye to eye contact
b. Modulate voice d. have good stage presence

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