LESSON 7: Types of Speech Context

Intrapersonal Communication
It was already noted in Unit I that many think of “communication’
as public speaking or as a situation in which one Speaker addresses many
Listeners. Others think of it as involving only two people talking to each
other, but communication can involve more than two people or an
audience. It can be a group discussion on cancer awareness, an
organizational program to save the environment, a radio or TV show
focused on corruption in government, or it could even be a showcase of
tribal dances from all over the Philippines. Indeed, communication may
be classified into different types based on the number of participants in
the Process.
The first Type of Speech Context is INTRAPERSONAL
Communication, meaning communicating with oneself using internal
vocalization or reflective thinking. Like other forms of communication,
intrapersonal communication is triggered by some internal or external
stimulus. We may, for example, communicate with our self about what we
want to eat due to the internal stimulus of hunger, or we may react
intrapersonally to an event we witness. Unlike other forms of
communication, intrapersonal communication takes place only inside our
heads. The other forms of communication must be perceived by someone
else to count as communication. So what is the point of intrapersonal
communication if no one else even sees it?
Intrapersonal communication serves several social functions. Internal
vocalization, or talking to ourselves, can help us achieve or maintain social

1
adjustment. For example, a person may use self-talk to calm himself down
in a stressful situation, or a shy person may remind herself to smile during
a social event. Intrapersonal communication also helps build and maintain
our self-concept. We form an understanding of who we are based on how
other people communicate with us and how we process that
communication intrapersonally. The shy person in the earlier example
probably internalized shyness as a part of her self-concept because other
people associated her communication behaviors with shyness and may
have even labeled her “shy” before she had a firm grasp on what that
meant. We also use intrapersonal communication or “self-talk” to let off
steam, process emotions, think through something, or rehearse what we
plan to say or do in the future. As with the other forms of communication,
competent intrapersonal communication helps facilitate social interaction
and can enhance our well-being. Conversely, the breakdown in the ability
of a person to intrapersonally communicate is associated with mental
illness.

Interpersonal Communication
The second type is INTERPERSONAL Communication which involves
more than one person. Of course, it is not just the number of participants
that determine each particular type of communication. They can be
differentiated by its purpose Remember? Communication is always
intentional.
A. Dyadic Communication involves only two participants forming the
DYAD. One Speaker and one Listener come together to exchange
thoughts, ideas, opinions, and information. The roles of Speaker and

2
 Listener are not fixed, they are interchangeable. Conversation is
informal dyadic communication, while interview and dialogue are
formal dyadic communication. Conversation is the most common, the
most frequent, and the most popular of all dyadic communication.
Talking with others is one way people amuse themselves. Dialogues
usually happen during guidance counselling, consulting with a priest,
or heart-to-heart talks with a trusted person. One bares heart and soul
to go deeper into their motivations, attitudes, and beliefs. Interviews
are almost always highly formal compared to conversation, but not as
in-depth as a dialogue is.

B. Small Group Communication requires from 3 to 15 people to study

an issue, discuss a problem, and come up with a solution or a plan.
This is not just a gathering of people with no goal in mind but to pass
the time. The group has an agenda, a leader, and an outcome to
accomplish. Because everyone can be both Speaker and Listener in this
setting, rules must be followed to facilitate order. Order allows for a
full discussion, which leads to a compromise and the hoped for result:
a solution or a plan. Small groups may be divided into two according
to purpose: Study Groups and Task-oriented Groups. Study Groups are
meant to look into a problem but not necessarily come up with a
solution. It is the Task-oriented Groups that study an issue such as the
perennial traffic problem of Metro Manila or the pollution of Laguna
de Bay to come up with a plan to resolve that issue. Examples of Small
Groups are panel discussions, symposia, roundtables, etc.

3
C. Public Communication is different from Dyadic or Small Group
Communication in that one Speaker addresses many Listeners,
collectively known as an Audience. There is no interchanging of the
Speaker and Listener roles. Many Public Communication events are
formal. The speech is well prepared, the Speaker is dressed
appropriately, and the Listeners are set to listen to the Message.
Moreover, there is usually a stage, a lectern, and a microphone coupled
with a sound system and, sometimes, spotlights. Usually the programs
are formally structured, with a Master of Ceremonies or MC (emcee), a
Welcome Address, an Introduction of the Keynote Speaker, the speech
by the Keynote Speaker or Paper Presenter, and Closing Remarks. The
informal version of Public Communication does not necessarily have a
stage, the Speaker may be dressed informally, and there may or may
not be a microphone or, sometimes, just a megaphone. With no sound
system at all, the Speaker has to protect his/her voice to be heard by
the Audience. This informal form of Public Communication happens
when the gathering is impromptu such as family reunions and is most
often seen during protest rallies, especially while participants are
moving through the streets.

D. Mass Communication is any of the above human verbal interactions

carried out with the aid of mass media technology. Mass media used
to mean only radio and television, which reached more people with
the use of their technical systems. With the advent of the Internet and
the worldwide web, Mass Communication now includes Social Media,
which allow for the use of technology by everyone, not just journalists,

4
 broadcasters, and technical crew. Social Media cover videos that go
viral on the Internet as well as webcasts/podcasts which reach millions,
more than radio or TV ever could. In fact, radio and TV have joined
Social Media by putting up their own websites to communicate to a
larger audience.

E. Organizational Communication refers to the interaction of members

along the links in an organizational structure. There are two variations
of Organizational Communication. Formal Organizational
Communication uses the proper channels graphically illustrated by an
organizational chart. Memos, announcements, and reports are passed
along to the members of the organization following the chain of
command. An example is a memo on salary increase, which is issued
by the company president, then is passed on to the managers, and,
finally, handed on to the supervisors before reaching the employees.
The Informal version bypasses the links, skips forward or backwards, or
even goes sideways just to achieve the same goal: for example, to pass
on a memo, announcement, or a report. The memo on salary increase
will probably reach the employees faster than the formal
announcement because the secretary who typed the memo told
another secretary who told the supervisor who shared it with co-
workers. This is not to say that one is more important than the other,
or that one is bad, the other not. Both types of Organizational
Communication are necessary for the organization to survive.

5
F. Intercultural Communication is the exchange of concepts, traditions,
values, and practices between and among people of different
nationalities and ways of life. It goes beyond showcasing folk dances,
local songs, and native delicacies. To make the exchange more
meaningful, there should be a deeper understanding and awareness of
what makes various nationalities different and unique, but also similar
and familiar. For example, a roundtable discussion to exchange views
about how we relate with our families can show the differences and
similarities in Korean and Philippine Cultures. A lecture on the Chinese
way of doing business might bring out the difficulties of a Catholic
Filipino migrant worker in a Muslim country.
All Communication, whatever the Speech Context, has to have a
Purpose. Each Context that one may be engaged in is according to what
best suits the Purpose and how best to accomplish it, but the Contexts
are not mutually exclusive. Before Public Communication can take place,
the Speaker subjects himself/herself to Intrapersonal Communication by
thinking, writing, and talking to oneself. Small Group Communication
happens because of something that came up in a Dyadic Communication,
and so on. Given the Context and Purpose, Communication Strategies are
also based on different types of Speech Styles.

6
 LESSON 8: Elements of Speech

1. VOICE QUALITY

Quality. It refers to the general characteristics of the tone of the

voice. It is what makes your voice distinct from other voices. To check
the quality of your voice and find out how you sound to others, listen
to yourself on tape. An audience is often more receptive to ideas that
are presented by a pleasant voice.
The quality of the voice may be changed depending on the
speech situation. You make your voice more breathy such as when you
are excited, more tense as when suspense is involved, more resonant
as when you are reading selections written in a solemn language. The
following are the five common voice qualities:
a. Normal. Normal voice is used in conversation when one
speaks naturally, showing little or no emotion. It is also used
in interpreting literary pieces which are designed to express
thoughts rather than intense feelings.
b. Chesty. This is a deep hollow voice as if coming from a deep
and empty cave. This voice quality is particularly effective in
speaking the part of a spirit or a ghost. Its voice quality has
less nasal resonance and it is accompanied by a vibration in
the bony structure of the upper chest.
c. Breathy. A breathy or a whispery voice is used to create an
atmosphere of secrecy and mystery. This breathy, whispered
type of tone is an “aspirate” quality of the voice best heard in

7
 the “stage whisper” in which the sound of rushing air present
in the real whisper is sustained by a partial vibration of the
vocal cords.
d. Thin. This voice quality is thin and high-pitched, the high pitch
being its chief characteristics. This “falsetto” quality occurs only
in extreme fatigue, weakening, old age, ill health, or in extreme
excitement.
e. Full. In many forms of public speaking when the voice must
be projected to a greater distance, or when an occasion is
formal and dignified, you use the full voice. Also known as the
“orotund” (round mouth) quality of voice, it is produced by
opening the mouth somewhat wider and by increasing the oral
and nasal resonance so that the voice acquires a more ringing
tone. Full voice is also used to create a mood of reverence and
solemnity. A melancholy mood, a stirring appeal for justice or
sobriety for example, is appropriate situations for using the full
voice.

(The use of these voice qualities will always depend on your mood
and the speaking situation. In ordinary conversation and in public
speaking, the normal and full qualities are desirable but for acting, oral
interpretation, and role delineation the thin, chesty, and breathy qualities
are useful)

8
 There are FIVE COMMON CAUSES OF POOR VOICE QUALITY.
These are nasality, denasality, harshness, hoarseness, and breathiness.
Nasality. Only three sounds in the English language need to be said
through the nose: /m/, /n/ and /η/. When people pronounce other sounds
especially vowels this way, most listeners find the voice unpleasant.

EXERCISE TO DETECT NASALITY

Identify what the vibration of nasal sounds feels like by laying your forefinger on
the side of your nose as you say, “Mom sang seven songs.” Then keep your forefinger
on your nose as you say hall, boat, set, fix, cut. You should not feel any vibration. If you
do, try to reduce or eliminate it by lowering the pitch of your voice, speaking louder,
and opening your mouth wider.

Denasality. Denasality is stuffy, cold-in-the-head speech. There is a

lack of nasal vibration on the sounds /m/, /n/, and /η/. In extreme cases,
the sentence “Nothing matters now” sounds like “Dothing batters dow.”
If you have fallen into the habit of denasality because of lengthy cold, a
bout with allergies, or imitating the way someone else talks, vocal
exercises can help you.

EXERCISE TO DETECT DENASALITY

1. Hold a plate right under your nostrils and try to blow a cotton ball slowly across the
plate as you hum.
2. Put your forefinger along your nose and say the following word pairs. There should be
no vibration when you say the first word. Try to have vibration when you say the second
word.

bang-bang tap-tan hug-hum

bet-met wig-wing cat-can

9
deck-neck bad-mad pig-ping
 Harshness. A harsh or strident voice is caused by tension in the
throat and neck muscles. A voice may be harsh because a person tries to
speak louder than normal or because of an emotional condition that
makes the throat tighten up.
Hoarseness. A voice that sounds both husky and coarse is a good
description of hoarseness. You hear hoarseness when a person has
laryngitis. Hoarseness is also caused by smoke and dust in the air. It can
also be caused by sinus infection or a growth on your vocal cords.
Breathiness. If you have trouble making your voice carry across
distance, or if you sound as if you have just finished running a race, your
voice is breathy. Persistent breathiness could be caused by a health
problem

2. PITCH – voice level

Pitch. It is the highness or lowness of the sound or tone of your

voice. It depends on the structure of the vocal cords and the larynx,
and the rate of the vibration of the vocal cords. If the vocal cords are
thick, long and lax, the sound they produce is low and if the vocal
cords are thin, long and tense, the sound produced is high.
You rely on pitch changes to make your thoughts emphatic and
to suggest emotional attitudes. You automatically vary your pitch in
conversation. If you are excited, your voice will have a higher pitch.

10
When you are somber and serious, you will use a lower pitch. Since
this is how you naturally speak, be sure you vary your pitch in speeches.
Appropriate pitch is not the same for everyone, nor is it the same
at all times. The pitch of your voice at a funeral will not be suitable at
a party.
a. Too Low. A voice that is pitched too low has a harsh, hollow
sound. It is used for serious and impressive occasions.
b. Too High. A voice that is pitched too high is piercing and
metallic, and it can make you sound immature. Often slowing down
your speech will lower your pitch. It indicates emotions, anger, worry,
and tension can raise your pitch because they tighten the vocal cords.

EXERCISES FOR LOWERING PITCH

1. Yawn several times to relax your throat muscles. Then open your mouth wide
and say, “ah, ah, ah,” 10 times.
2. Say the vowel sounds several times to relax your jaw muscles.
3. Rotate your head from side to side several times to help relax your neck
muscles.
4. Turn on your voice recorder and read a paragraph from a book. Then put
the book on the floor. Bend at your waist, relax your shoulders, and read the
passage. Play the recorder back and listen to the differences in pitch.

c. Monotone. Lack of variation in pitch results in a monotonous

and boring tone. Some people use the same pitch or a limited pitch
pattern when they speak. These monotone speakers sound
disinterested and unenthusiastic.

11
 Pitch patterns are closely related to music. Speaking with a
singing melody in your voice pattern will make your voice more
interesting.

3. VOICE INTENSITY
Volume. It refers to the loudness or softness of your voice. It is
the result of the energy or air behind your voice and it depends upon
breath control in your diaphragm. The throat should be open and
relaxed and the jaw must be loose to let the sounds come out clearly
and distinctively. If you wish to speak loudly, you must increase the
amount of air released when you speak. On the other hand, if you
release too little air, your voice will be too soft. Volume should be
adequate and sustained from the beginning to the end of the phrase.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

1. Always speak loud for the audience to hear you.

2. The volume that you should use depends upon the speech situation influenced by
your purpose and meaning.
3. Vary the volume of your voice; it helps to keep the audience’s attention.
4. Changing volume can also help you call attention to important ideas. You might
speak more loudly to emphasize certain words or phrases or you might speak softly
to make your audience listen more carefully to a point.

4. RATE OF SPEECH
Rate. This refers to the speed at which you talk. The average
rate at which most people speak is somewhere between 140 and 180
words per minute. A speech is usually given at a slower rate than is
used in ordinary conversation.

12
 Your speech rate depends on the speed with which you move
your articulators (lips, tongue, teeth) and the pauses you make
between groups of sounds. The ideal rate is slow enough to be
understood by your listeners and fast enough to hold their attention.
Nervousness often makes people increase their speed. You can
lower your speaking rate by drawing out vowel sounds and lingering
over periods and commas. If you have a time limit, pace the speech
to fit the time. Otherwise, you might have to start speaking fast at
the end of a speech just to get all the material across.

13
 EFFECTIVE SPEAKING RULES
1. Choose the right time to communicate with someone about a certain
topic.
2. Develop a pleasant tone of voice.
3. Be clear and specific.
4. Be positive. In many homes 80 percent of all communication is
negative. Family members become so used to hearing faultfinding,
blaming, judging, name-calling, and other negative elements that
such behavior becomes normal. Be less negative and more positive
and appreciative.
5. Be courteous and respectful of everyone’s opinion.
6. Look at your listeners in the eye, not at the floor, or at the ceiling;
talk to people, not at them. They will be much more interested and
responsive. And you are likely to be much happier than if you were
just pronouncing words in the air.
7. Stay calm. It is natural for you to be nervous the first few times you
speak before a group. Even for many professional speakers,
nervousness is a problem. In your nervousness you may cough, hem,
and haw, play with buttons on your jacket, twist a ring on your finger,
or shift uneasily from foot to foot. But don’t let this keep you from
trying. With experience you will gain confidence, and lose these
distracting mannerisms. You may find it helpful to try to overcome
these habits one at a time. Say to yourself, for example, that the next
time you get up to talk you will not twist your ring, no matter what
else you do. The very best defense against nervousness, as you may
have discovered, is to be well-prepared and to have something to say
that really interests you. Then while you are talking, your mind will be
so busy with your subject that you won’t have time to worry about
being nervous.
14