speech on formal language

Formal Vs Informal Speeches: An A-Z Guide

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing , Workplace Communication

A speech is either formal or informal. Meaning, it can either be a formal address delivered to an audience or the daily use of grammar and words to communicate. The only purpose of either of those speeches is to put across a message well enough to invoke the desired response from your audience. Throughout history, humans all across the world cleverly inspired world-wide revolutions solely through the power of speech. Since then, a lot of tools and techniques of speeches have developed to ensure we use this power to its maximum capacity.  

The two broad classifications of events we use speeches are called formal events and informal events. Therefore, depending on the kind of audience, the situation, the message, the tone and the environment, the orator must decide whether they should address a formal speech or an informal speech. Working out where you use what kind of speech is the most important aspect of being a good communicator.

Formal Speeches

What are formal speeches.

Formal Speeches are made when you’re speaking to a sizable audience you don’t personally know. These are professional events where you’re expected to make a good impression on the audience. The nature of these events is often serious and decorous. These events therefore demand a similar respectable tone of language and speech.

For example, while at a job interview, speaking to an individual of authority, delivering a lecture, making a presentation, giving a pitch, motivating the audience, hosting a business event etc., you must ensure you speak formally. 

What makes a speech formal?

Formal speeches are also called orations. They are used in situations that are more ‘serious.’ They project a specific tone and specific characteristics. A few basic tools and attributes of formal speeches are:

The tone of a formal speech is always polite and respectful. Since formal speeches are mainly used to communicate with people in authority or strangers, it is important to structure your sentences suitably. The use of civilised words, appropriate grammar, complete sentences and enhanced vocabulary maintains the decorum of a formal speech.

Objectiveness

A formal communication style usually takes no stances. The sentence is spoken in a passive voice with a minimum use of personal pronouns. When we avoid using personal pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘We’ and ‘You’, the essence of the point changes from being an opinion to a fact. Therefore, the content of your speech sounds more objective than subjective.

Effectiveness

A formal speech is more effective than an informal speech because it comprises longer sentences and clear, non-colloquial phrases. It is well-spoken and the pronunciations are fathomable and precise. Its adherence to the Standard English language makes it comprehensible for the entire audience, even the non-native English speakers. It therefore proves to be extremely effective, suitable for a workplace or a business environment.

Standard English Language

A formal speech naturally follows the standards and rules formally set by the language. Languages tend to have regional differences and additional local slang to them. Even within England, British English and Scottish English tend to have different dialects and colloquial. For example, maybe phrases like “sure-fire” or “works like a charm” are deemed normal at your workplace but you cannot expect a non-English speaking trader to know them. When we adhere to the Standard English prescribed by Oxford, everybody who has academically learnt the English language is able to understand what one is trying to say.

The generous use of long sentences, no contractions, minimum abbreviations, proper grammar, complex sentence structure, clear pronunciation and overall objectiveness of the information brings a lot of clarity to one’s speech. There is seldom any room for doubts or misunderstandings. The extensive use of impersonal and formal language brings out professionalism and makes your information more credible.

What should you NOT include in a Formal Speech

The obvious ways of distinguishing between a formal speech and an informal speech are determined through the process of elimination. The following are a few things that you shouldn’t include in a formal speech:

Casual Greeting

There are a number of ways you can greet a person. Each kind of greeting has formal and informal versions that you can use based on how well you know the person and what degree of professionalism you are required to maintain with that person. For example,

• Formal: Hello, how do you do?
• Informal: Hey, how are ya?
• Formal: Nice to meet you/ Pleased to meet you.
• Informal: Good to see you.
• Formal: How have you been?
• Informal: Long time no see!

Slangs and Colloquialism

Slangs include a language that’s peculiar to a particular group, a regional reference, or even curse words. It’s extremely important to keep slang words at bay when you’re delivering a formal speech. A formal tone prescribes standard, professional English language. For example,

• Informal: Stats say, stress is the reason why this workplace is always screwing up.
• Formal: According to statistics, stress is one of the most frequent factors that disrupts efficiency and encourages problems in the workplace.
• Informal: Know yourself honestly and well enough to find what stresses you out.
• Formal: Being candid with ourselves is the most effective way to establish the triggers of stress we experience.

Contractions

Contracting words and sentences assert an informal and casual tone. If you are aiming to sound professional and polished, avoiding contractions is recommended. For example,

• Informal: I’ve had enough, I don’t think I’m gonna let this slide the next time.
• Formal: Your limit has been surpassed, I do not think this mistake will go unpunished the next time.

Personal Pronouns

The main characteristics of a formal speech are its impersonal nature and the precise, passive and objective delivery of information. While writing a formal speech, avoid using pronouns altogether. However, if required, try using neutral pronouns such as ‘one.’ For example,

• Informal: I was alarmed when I found out the effects of stress.
• Formal: The effects of stress were found to be quite alarming.
• Informal: You shouldn’t stress out about the things you can’t control.
• Formal: One shouldn’t take stress about the things beyond one’s control.

Poor Vocabulary

Gather your thesaurus before you write your formal speech because the better your vocabulary, more formal the content of your speech sounds. While both your sentences would mean the same thing, the tone in which they are delivered would classify them as informal speeches or formal speeches. For example,

• Informal: He took the item back to the shop.
• Formal: He returned the item to the shop.
• Informal: The CEO of this company gave up his position because his mental health was being affected.
• Formal: The CEO of this company relinquished his position due to his mental health being compromised.

How should you structure a Formal Speech?

The basic structure of a formal speech is no different than the structure of an essay. Organising your speech not only improves the clarity of thought but also amplifies the effectiveness of your content. A formal speech includes an introduction, a body and a conclusion.

The Introduction

A formal introduction establishes a respectful contact between the speaker and the listener. The introduction should last for one minute at the most. It should sound deferential and strictly adhere to formal English. How should you begin a formal speech?

The Greeting

The introduction of a formal speech can typically begin with a greeting. After wishing ‘good morning’ or ‘good evening’ depending on the time of the day, you may introduce yourself humbly. You can thank the organisers of the event for inviting you to speak or compliment a senior member of the event to pay respect. 

Acknowledging the Audience

It is polite to thank the audience for gathering to hear you out. Greet them with a genuine smile and express what an honour it is to be speaking before them today. After all, they have sacrificed their precious time to be here today.

Placing your Claim

The introduction is the most crucial segment of your speech. The curiosity you are able to pique in this part decides how much audience you will retain throughout your speech. It is extremely important you place your claim in the most catchy manner. Even in a formal speech, you can use quotes, rhetorical devices, imagery, startling elements, stories or even silence. As long as the language used is respectful, professional and follows the formal English, it can be a good opener for a formal speech. 

In case you’re looking for a few creative ways you can open your speech, you can refer to our blogpost for help!

The body makes up everything you have to say about the claim you placed in the introduction. It can have additional facts, supporting arguments and other temporal modes of organising your information. The temporal modes of organising information can be:

• Cause-effect relation in past, present or future tense
• Effect-cause relation which is basically inverting it and highlighting the effects before you state how they are achieved.
• Compare and contrast your entities.
• Narrate your topics as a story by organising the flow of the speech by finding relation and joint-relevance between two topics.
• Subdividing a large chunk of information into headings and subheadings is also a good topical way to organise your information formally.

The Conclusion

How do you end a formal speech? The conclusion follows the transition that was laid down by the body. The two main aims of a conclusion are to summarise the ideas of the speech and provide a closure. The conclusion of any formal speech can include:

• A summary of the speech.
• A ‘Now-What?’ statement elucidating the takeaway of the speech for the audience.
• A reference back to the introduction of the speech.
• An open-ended question to ponder upon.

If the last line of your speech is as important as the introduction segment where you make the claim. The weight and impact of the last sentence decides how memorable your speech would be. If you don’t feel like dropping the mic after the last sentence of your speech, maybe it’s not as mind-blowing and impactful as it ideally should be. 

If you are looking to seek more advice on how you can structure your formal speeches more professionally , be sure to check out our guidelines.

Informal Speeches

Informal speeches are casual and relaxed. They are made while talking to friends, colleagues or people you personally know. There are no hard and fast rules while making an informal speech other than somehow conveying the message you want to convey. 

What makes a speech informal?

Informal speeches radiate a very comfortable and relaxed energy. They’re friendlier than formal speeches and they often carry the personality of the person addressing them. A few characteristics that can help you identify informal speeches are:

Since casual speeches don’t require a very strict preparation like formal speeches, they are often easygoing. Informal speeches are made sporadically and are mostly off the record. The level of ease informal speeches carry can differ from person to person given how extroverted they are, or how comfortable they are with the audience. 

Informal speeches sound colourful. In the sense, the speaker is given the liberty to express themselves as they truly are. They don’t have a monotonous tone like formal speeches. The speaker can add their own slang, phrases they normally use, their personality, their dialects and in general make the speech as entertaining and fun as they please. 

Informal speeches give you the artistic and comedic liberty to put forth your message. While formal speeches usually adhere to the strictness of sounding ‘serious’ and ‘professional’, informal speeches are like laid back and pleasurable conversations.

You do not normally talk in complex sentence structures or dramatically use vocabulary. Likewise, informal speeches are often simple and straightforward. They use short sentences and terms and references from day-to-day life. You may use words and phrases like ‘that’s dope’, ‘don’t be salty’, ‘bruh’, ‘I’m shook’, ‘No cap’ etc. 

Informal speech is used in day-to-day life. Unlike other languages, most English speakers tend to speak informally with strangers on the street. While they’re friendly, they might not necessarily be polite if the listener cannot interpret the tone of your speech. 

Since informal speeches are more often used in everyday life, they don’t really have a structure. They do not require an introduction, a body or a conclusion. Apart from the unspoken rules of exchanging pleasantries and courtesy, you do not need to ‘prepare’ anything formal, just have the idea of what you want to say in mind.

A few examples of informal speeches would be:

• A Best Man’s Speech for his Brother’s Wedding: In this example, the occasion is properly informal. The speaker is amongst friends and family, speaking about his brother and his new wife. It is hilarious and also contains a poem to deliver the message!

• A Valedictorian Speech for the Class of 2010: In this example, while the occasion is formal, the speaker has very cleverly added a subtle informal tone while still maintaining the collective polite structure. He framed all inside jokes in a way everybody could understand. It was overall confident, humorous, ingenious and a great valedictorian speech.

What are the Main Differences Between Formal and Informal Speeches?

The following table elucidates the main differences between formal and informal speeches, summarising all its characteristics.

Case Study: A Sales Pitch

Let’s study the an applied example of formal and informal speeches. The above video is a sales pitch for electric cars. There are two characters in this video, each used in informal speech and formal speech respectively. Let us analyse both their speeches to understand how you can implement the two styles in your communication. 

Informal Speech

The first man uses an informal style of speech. He begins his speech by saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, electric cars. They’re totally gay.” Naturally, in a work environment where formal tones are expected, the opening statement left all the members of the meeting stupefied. They found his speech disrespectful and all the faces around the room were either shocked, perplexed or disapproving. The casual tone could have easily been found offensive on the pretext of homophobia. He also says things like ‘rock-and-roll-ness’, ‘sexiness of the car’, ‘this model took more virginities than Francis Albert Sinatra’, which can come across as rather controversial in a formal business meeting. Gradually, the informal and blunt approach did work out for the salesperson. However, the chances of it being successful are bleak and you could just be overruled any time. Using a formal tone is therefore a safer option.

Formal Speech

The second man in the film, referred to as Nicholas, takes over and summarises the pitch using formal speech. He uses statements like, ‘We believe we can produce the technology to incorporate an electric motor in your current model.’ He said the exact same thing the first man was trying to communicate but in a far more classy manner. Instead of calling it ‘sexy’ or ‘rock-and-roll’, he refers to its features as ‘exhilarating’ and ‘aggressive’, making the experience ‘visceral’ and retaining a manly retro element of the car than making it look ‘gay’. 

This example distinguishing formal speech with informal speech hopefully gives you a thorough idea of what they are. However, when should you use formal speech? And when should you give an informal speech?

Should you use Formal Speech or Informal Speech?

Knowing what speech is best suited for the given situation always depends on the context. You should be intelligent enough to be able to recognize situations that demand a formal tone and situations that can be handled casually.

Generally, informal speeches are made at weddings while giving a toast or at birthdays to express love etc. Formal speeches are made in professional settings, work places, educational institutes, talking to authorities, job interviews, business meetings, negotiations, elders or people you don’t know.  

However, sometimes in job interviews, the interviewer can be looking for what your personality is like. In situations like this, you need to tone down how formally you talk. Some corporate cultures embrace a casual and informal tone in their business affairs while some companies prefer individuals who can maintain a strong formal and professional persona. 

When you are doubtful about what speech to use, always stick to formal speech. While informal speech is friendly, formal speech is polite. It establishes goodwill and credibility. Although it’s not good to be overly formal either. Saying “Greetings, let me guide you through the floorplans of this building so you can navigate the office easily.” is frankly absurd and foolish. Being too formal can also come across as cold, distant and ironically even impolite. You do not want to be a robot. Sometimes saying, “Good morning, allow me to give you an office tour.” does just the right thing.

To Conclude,

A good communicator can not only convey any kind of message to their audience but also convey their message to any kind of audience. And in order to achieve this, a good communicator is the master of the art of speech as well as the master of knowing the audience and what tone they would appreciate. 

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How to write a good speech in 7 steps

By:  Susan Dugdale  

- an easily followed format for writing a great speech

Did you know writing a speech doesn't have be an anxious, nail biting experience?

Unsure? Don't be.

You may have lived with the idea you were never good with words for a long time. Or perhaps giving speeches at school brought you out in cold sweats.

However learning how to write a speech is relatively straight forward when you learn to write out loud.

And that's the journey I am offering to take you on: step by step.

To learn quickly, go slow

Take all the time you need. This speech format has 7 steps, each building on the next.

Walk, rather than run, your way through all of them. Don't be tempted to rush. Familiarize yourself with the ideas. Try them out.

I know there are well-advertised short cuts and promises of 'write a speech in 5 minutes'. However in reality they only truly work for somebody who already has the basic foundations of speech writing in place.

The foundation of good speech writing 

These steps are the backbone of sound speech preparation. Learn and follow them well at the outset and yes, given more experience and practice you could probably flick something together quickly. Like any skill, the more it's used, the easier it gets.

In the meantime...

Step 1: Begin with a speech overview or outline

Are you in a hurry? Without time to read a whole page? Grab ... The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist And come back to get the details later.

• WHO you are writing your speech for (your target audience)
• WHY you are preparing this speech. What's the main purpose of your speech? Is it to inform or tell your audience about something? To teach them a new skill or demonstrate something? To persuade or to entertain? (See 4 types of speeches: informative, demonstrative, persuasive and special occasion or entertaining for more.) What do you want them to think, feel or do as a result of listening the speech?
• WHAT your speech is going to be about (its topic) - You'll want to have thought through your main points and have ranked them in order of importance. And have sorted the supporting research you need to make those points effectively.
• HOW much time you have for your speech eg. 3 minutes, 5 minutes... The amount of time you've been allocated dictates how much content you need. If you're unsure check this page: how many words per minute in a speech: a quick reference guide . You'll find estimates of the number of words required for 1 - 10 minute speeches by slow, medium and fast talkers.

Use an outline

The best way to make sure you deliver a perfect speech is to start by carefully completing a speech outline covering the essentials: WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW.

Beginning to write without thinking your speech through is a bit like heading off on a journey not knowing why you're traveling or where you're going to end up. You can find yourself lost in a deep, dark, murky muddle of ideas very quickly!

Pulling together a speech overview or outline is a much safer option. It's the map you'll follow to get where you want to go.

Get a blank speech outline template to complete

Click the link to find out a whole lot more about preparing a speech outline . ☺ You'll also find a free printable blank speech outline template.  I recommend using it!

Understanding speech construction

Before you begin to write, using your completed outline as a guide, let's briefly look at what you're aiming to prepare.

• an opening or introduction
• the body where the bulk of the information is given
• and an ending (or summary).

Imagine your speech as a sandwich

If you think of a speech as a sandwich you'll get the idea.

The opening and ending are the slices of bread holding the filling (the major points or the body of your speech) together.

You can build yourself a simple sandwich with one filling (one big idea) or you could go gourmet and add up to three or, even five. The choice is yours.

But whatever you choose to serve, as a good cook, you need to consider who is going to eat it! And that's your audience.

So let's find out who they are before we do anything else. 

Step 2: Know who you are talking to

Understanding your audience.

Did you know a  good speech is never written from the speaker's point of view?  ( If you need to know more about why check out this page on  building rapport .)

Begin with the most important idea/point on your outline.

Consider HOW you can explain (show, tell) that to your audience in the most effective way for them to easily understand it.   

Writing from the audience's point of view

To help you write from an audience point of view, it's a good idea to identify either a real person or the type of person who is most likely to be listening to you.

Make sure you select someone who represents the "majority" of the people who will be in your audience. That is they are neither struggling to comprehend you at the bottom of your scale or light-years ahead at the top.

Now imagine they are sitting next to you eagerly waiting to hear what you're going to say. Give them a name, for example, Joe, to help make them real.

Ask yourself

• How do I need to tailor my information to meet Joe's needs? For example, do you tell personal stories to illustrate your main points? Absolutely! Yes. This is a very powerful technique. (Click storytelling in speeches to find out more.)
• What type or level of language is right for Joe as well as my topic? For example if I use jargon (activity, industry or profession specific vocabulary) will it be understood?

Step 3: Writing as you speak

Writing oral language.

Write down what you want to say about your first main point as if you were talking directly to Joe.

If it helps, say it all out loud before you write it down and/or record it.

Use the information below as a guide

(Click to download The Characteristics of Spoken Language  as a pdf.) 

You do not have to write absolutely everything you're going to say down * but you do need to write down, or outline, the sequence of ideas to ensure they are logical and easily followed.

Remember too, to explain or illustrate your point with examples from your research. 

( * Tip: If this is your first speech the safety net of having everything written down could be just what you need. It's easier to recover from a patch of jitters when you have a word by word manuscript than if you have either none, or a bare outline. Your call!)

Step 4: Checking tone and language

The focus of this step is re-working what you've done in Step 2 and 3.

You identified who you were talking to (Step 2) and in Step 3, wrote up your first main point.  Is it right? Have you made yourself clear?  Check it.

How well you complete this step depends on how well you understand the needs of the people who are going to listen to your speech.

Please do not assume because you know what you're talking about the person (Joe) you've chosen to represent your audience will too. Joe is not a mind-reader!

How to check what you've prepared

• Check the "tone" of your language . Is it right for the occasion, subject matter and your audience?
• Check the length of your sentences. You need short sentences. If they're too long or complicated you risk losing your listeners.

Check for jargon too. These are industry, activity or group exclusive words.

For instance take the phrase: authentic learning . This comes from teaching and refers to connecting lessons to the daily life of students. Authentic learning is learning that is relevant and meaningful for students. If you're not a teacher you may not understand the phrase.

The use of any vocabulary requiring insider knowledge needs to be thought through from the audience perspective. Jargon can close people out.

• Read what you've written out loud. If it flows naturally, in a logical manner, continue the process with your next main idea. If it doesn't, rework.

We use whole sentences and part ones, and we mix them up with asides or appeals e.g. "Did you get that? Of course you did. Right...Let's move it along. I was saying ..."

Click for more about the differences between spoken and written language .

And now repeat the process

Repeat this process for the remainder of your main ideas.

Because you've done the first one carefully, the rest should follow fairly easily.

Step 5: Use transitions

Providing links or transitions between main ideas.

Between each of your main ideas you need to provide a bridge or pathway for your audience. The clearer the pathway or bridge, the easier it is for them to make the transition from one idea to the next.

If your speech contains more than three main ideas and each is building on the last, then consider using a "catch-up" or summary as part of your transitions.

Is your speech being evaluated? Find out exactly what aspects you're being assessed on using this standard speech evaluation form

Link/transition examples

A link can be as simple as:

"We've explored one scenario for the ending of Block Buster 111, but let's consider another. This time..."

What follows this transition is the introduction of Main Idea Two.

Here's a summarizing link/transition example:

"We've ended Blockbuster 111 four ways so far. In the first, everybody died. In the second, everybody died BUT their ghosts remained to haunt the area. In the third, one villain died. His partner reformed and after a fight-out with the hero, they both strode off into the sunset, friends forever. In the fourth, the hero dies in a major battle but is reborn sometime in the future.

And now what about one more? What if nobody died? The fifth possibility..."

Go back through your main ideas checking the links. Remember Joe as you go. Try each transition or link out loud and really listen to yourself. Is it obvious? Easily followed?

Keep them if they are clear and concise.

For more about transitions (with examples) see Andrew Dlugan's excellent article, Speech Transitions: Magical words and Phrases .

Step 6: The end of your speech

The ideal ending is highly memorable . You want it to live on in the minds of your listeners long after your speech is finished. Often it combines a call to action with a summary of major points.

Example speech endings

Example 1: The desired outcome of a speech persuading people to vote for you in an upcoming election is that they get out there on voting day and do so. You can help that outcome along by calling them to register their support by signing a prepared pledge statement as they leave.

"We're agreed we want change. You can help us give it to you by signing this pledge statement as you leave. Be part of the change you want to see!

Example 2: The desired outcome is increased sales figures. The call to action is made urgent with the introduction of time specific incentives.

"You have three weeks from the time you leave this hall to make that dream family holiday in New Zealand yours. Can you do it? Will you do it? The kids will love it. Your wife will love it. Do it now!"

How to figure out the right call to action

A clue for working out what the most appropriate call to action might be, is to go back to your original purpose for giving the speech.

• Was it to motivate or inspire?
• Was it to persuade to a particular point of view?
• Was it to share specialist information?
• Was it to celebrate a person, a place, time or event?

Ask yourself what you want people to do as a result of having listened to your speech.

For more about ending speeches

Visit this page for more about how to end a speech effectively . You'll find two additional types of speech endings with examples.

Write and test

Write your ending and test it out loud. Try it out on a friend, or two. Is it good? Does it work?

Step 7: The introduction

Once you've got the filling (main ideas) the linking and the ending in place, it's time to focus on the introduction.

The introduction comes last as it's the most important part of your speech. This is the bit that either has people sitting up alert or slumped and waiting for you to end. It's the tone setter!

What makes a great speech opening?

Ideally you want an opening that makes listening to you the only thing the 'Joes' in the audience want to do.

You want them to forget they're hungry or that their chair is hard or that their bills need paying.

The way to do that is to capture their interest straight away. You do this with a "hook".

Hooks to catch your audience's attention

Hooks come in as many forms as there are speeches and audiences. Your task is work out what specific hook is needed to catch your audience.

Go back to the purpose. Why are you giving this speech?

Once you have your answer, consider your call to action. What do you want the audience to do, and, or take away, as a result of listening to you?

Next think about the imaginary or real person you wrote for when you were focusing on your main ideas.

Choosing the best hook

• Is it humor?
• Would shock tactics work?
• Is it a rhetorical question?
• Is it formality or informality?
• Is it an outline or overview of what you're going to cover, including the call to action?
• Or is it a mix of all these elements?

A hook example

Here's an example from a fictional political speech. The speaker is lobbying for votes. His audience are predominately workers whose future's are not secure.

"How's your imagination this morning? Good? (Pause for response from audience) Great, I'm glad. Because we're going to put it to work starting right now.

I want you to see your future. What does it look like? Are you happy? Is everything as you want it to be? No? Let's change that. We could do it. And we could do it today.

At the end of this speech you're going to be given the opportunity to change your world, for a better one ...

No, I'm not a magician. Or a simpleton with big ideas and precious little commonsense. I'm an ordinary man, just like you. And I have a plan to share!"

And then our speaker is off into his main points supported by examples. The end, which he has already foreshadowed in his opening, is the call to vote for him.

Prepare several hooks

Experiment with several openings until you've found the one that serves your audience, your subject matter and your purpose best.

For many more examples of speech openings go to: how to write a speech introduction . You'll find 12 of the very best ways to start a speech.

That completes the initial seven steps towards writing your speech. If you've followed them all the way through, congratulations, you now have the text of your speech!

Although you might have the words, you're still a couple of steps away from being ready to deliver them. Both of them are essential if you want the very best outcome possible. They are below. Please take them.

Step 8: Checking content and timing

This step pulls everything together.

Check once, check twice, check three times & then once more!

Go through your speech really carefully.

On the first read through check you've got your main points in their correct order with supporting material, plus an effective introduction and ending.

On the second read through check the linking passages or transitions making sure they are clear and easily followed.

On the third reading check your sentence structure, language use and tone.

Double, triple check the timing

Now go though once more.

This time read it aloud slowly and time yourself.

If it's too long for the time allowance you've been given make the necessary cuts.

Start by looking at your examples rather than the main ideas themselves. If you've used several examples to illustrate one principal idea, cut the least important out.

Also look to see if you've repeated yourself unnecessarily or, gone off track. If it's not relevant, cut it.

Repeat the process, condensing until your speech fits the required length, preferably coming in just under your time limit.

You can also find out how approximately long it will take you to say the words you have by using this very handy words to minutes converter . It's an excellent tool, one I frequently use. While it can't give you a precise time, it does provide a reasonable estimate.

Step 9: Rehearsing your speech

And NOW you are finished with writing the speech, and are ready for REHEARSAL .

Please don't be tempted to skip this step. It is not an extra thrown in for good measure. It's essential.

The "not-so-secret" secret of successful speeches combines good writing with practice, practice and then, practicing some more.

Go to how to practice public speaking and you'll find rehearsal techniques and suggestions to boost your speech delivery from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist

Before you begin writing you need:.

• Your speech OUTLINE with your main ideas ranked in the order you're going to present them. (If you haven't done one complete this 4 step sample speech outline . It will make the writing process much easier.)
• Your RESEARCH
• You also need to know WHO you're speaking to, the PURPOSE of the speech and HOW long you're speaking for

The basic format

• the body where you present your main ideas

Split your time allowance so that you spend approximately 70% on the body and 15% each on the introduction and ending.

How to write the speech

• Write your main ideas out incorporating your examples and research
• Link them together making sure each flows in a smooth, logical progression
• Write your ending, summarizing your main ideas briefly and end with a call for action
• Write your introduction considering the 'hook' you're going to use to get your audience listening
• An often quoted saying to explain the process is: Tell them what you're going to tell them (Introduction) Tell them (Body of your speech - the main ideas plus examples) Tell them what you told them (The ending)

TEST before presenting. Read aloud several times to check the flow of material, the suitability of language and the timing.

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3.3: Formal and Informal Language

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• Page ID 147000

• Lisa Coleman, Thomas King, & William Turner
• Southwest Tennessee Community College

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Learning Outcomes

• Differentiate between informal and formal language.
• Determine the different types of informal language.
• Understand improper language and biased language.

Competent communicators adapt their words to their audience and the communication context. For example, in a text to your best friend, you are going to use more casual words and grammar than in a paper you turn in to your English professor. One of these contexts calls for formal language whereas informal language is fine for the other.

Formal vs. Informal Language

Formal language is official and academic language.  You should use formal language in papers, written discussions, tests, research papers, resumes, and cover letters. 

Informal Language

Informal language is a common, everyday language, which might include slang words. It is casual and continually changing. We use informal language when we talk to others, and when you look at your text messages, you will probably see several examples of informal language.

Jargon is the specialized or technical language of a specific group or profession that may not be understood by outsiders. If you are really into cars or computers, you probably know a lot about the different parts and functions as well as terms or jargon that a general audience wouldn’t understand. Jargon is usually appropriate when communicating with others in your profession or group but should be avoided unless you are certain the people you are speaking to are familiar with the terms. Your Dictionary.com provides a list of commonly heard jargon phrases used in the business world. ( https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-jargon-in-the-workplace.html ). 

• Blue-sky thinking - A creative idea that doesn't always have a practical application
• Think outside the box - Don't limit your thinking; use your creativity
• The helicopter view - An overview of a job or a project
• Drink our own champagne - A phrase meaning that a business will use the same product that they sell to their customers. The champagne is an indicator of a good product.
• Heavy lifting - The most difficult aspects of a project, as in, "Bill is doing all the heavy lifting for us!"
• Hammer it out - To type something up
• Win-win situation - A solution where all parties are satisfied with the results

Chances are you have heard a few of these jargon phrases, but others may be new to you. Take a minute and think through all of the jargon you hear on an average day.

Colloquialisms

What do you call a carbonated beverage?  Is it a soda, soft drink, a Coke, or a pop?  The colloquialism you use is most likely determined by where you grew up. Colloquialisms are informal words that vary from region to region. Examples might be “wanna” instead of “want to” or “gonna” instead of “going to.”

 How many of these colloquialisms do you use?

• Ballpark - used to describe something that is close to accurate
• Bomb - to do terribly on a test
• Flake - a person who cancels plans regularly or the act of regularly canceling plans
• Raincheck - a promise to reschedule plans that had to be canceled
• Ride shotgun - to sit in the front passenger seat of a car
• Go bananas, or go nuts – go insane or be very angry
• Pop into my head – to have a new thought
• Wanna – want to
• Y’all – you all
• Yinz – you all

Slang refers to informal words that are used within certain groups, such as young adults and teens. You most certainly use different slang expressions than your parents or grandparents. Slang is often used in conversations with those who are similar and have experience with each other and should be avoided in academic and professional writing (including emails), speeches and presentations, and even in class and group discussions (unless you are absolutely certain everyone else uses the same slang as you). How many of these slang expressions do you use?

• Bye Felicia (saying goodbye to someone you don’t like)
• The Tea (gossip)
• Bro (typically a male friend)
• Cash (money)
• Cheesy (cheap or tacky)
• Ship (wanting people to be in a relationship, whether real or fictional)
• Frenemy (someone who is both a friend and an enemy)
• Thirsty (being overly eager or desperate)
• Throw Shade (to insult another person)
• YOLO (you only live once)
• Woke (being acutely aware of social injustice within society)

What is common slang today could be completely outdated tomorrow? Dominic-Madori Davis gives examples of slang expressions from Gen. Z (people born 1997 ---) along with their Baby Boomer (people born 1946 – 1964) equivalent.

Gen Z: That movie was fire ; you have to check it out.                    Baby Boomer: I liked that movie; it was groovy .

Gen Z : You really look salty right now.  What happened?               Baby Boomer:  You really look hacked off .  What happened?

Gen Z : Their dress at prom was a lewk.                                        Baby Boomer : Yeah, they were all decked out.

Idioms are expressions or figures of speech that are used in everyday speech that has been given meaning over time because of common usage.  Idioms can be especially hard to grasp for new residents or citizens because the actual words in the idiom have very little relationship to the overall meaning of the phrase. Do you know the meaning of the following idioms?

• Stir up a hornet’s nest
• Bite off more than you can chew
• Under the weather
• Sat on a fence
• The ball is in your court

Clichés

A cliché is a once-clever word or phrase that has lost its impact through overuse. If you spoke or wrote in clichés, how would others react? Let’s try it. How do you react when you read this sentence: “A cliché is something to avoid like the plague, for it is nothing but a tired old warhorse, and if the shoe were on the other foot, you too would have an ax to grind”? As you can see, the problem with clichés is that they often sound silly or boring. Clichés are sometimes seen as a symptom of lazy communication—the person using the cliché hasn’t bothered to search for original words to convey the intended meaning. As a result, they can be obstacles to successful communication. Avoid cliches in academic or professional writing and speeches.

Textspeak is the language and spelling that people use when they are writing text messages.  Textspeak is fine in your personal life but is inappropriate for academic assessments and most communication in the workplace.  Most students realize that textspeak is inappropriate in essays and research papers, but the words and grammar still show up where they shouldn't, such as emails between students and instructors, or on classroom discussion boards.  Although emails and discussion boards are less formal than research papers, they still should be written with care and consideration for the reader.  It is important to use capital letters when called for and to use punctuation appropriately, important details that are often omitted in textspeak.

Mindfulness Activity

Researchers have found that when college students can address their emotions and are mindful of their feelings, it can enhance written communication with others. 31 After doing this activity, try to be more mindful of the things that you send to other people.

Key Takeaways

• Formal language is more careful and more mannered than everyday speech, whereas informal language is appropriate in casual conversation.
• Informal language includes (1) Jargon, or technical language; (2) Colloquialism, or informal expressions; (3) Slang, or nonstandard language; (4) Idioms, or expressions or figures of speech; (5) clichés, or sayings that are overused and predictable.
• Create a list of jargon or slang words that you use and what they mean. Ask your parents or grandparents to share some of the slang they grew up hearing.  Compare your lists. 
• Create a list of colloquialisms or idioms. Find an international student and see if these words make sense. What was confusing or unclear?
• Ask an international friend or classmate to share clichés that are used in his or her culture, or locate clichés through research. See if you can find an American equivalent of each cliché.

Ace the Presentation

Formal Speech Style Examples

Formal speech is used in professional settings, such as business meetings, presentations and job interviews; it’s important to stay aware of your audience when using a formal style of speaking . This article will explain the various types of formal speech style examples available and how they should be used.

Formal speech style examples include using the active voice, avoiding slang and colloquialisms, using precise language to express ideas, and correctly using grammar in written form. When speaking in a formal setting, staying professional is key: use language that is measured and respectful.

If you are looking to improve your formal speech, you’re in the right place! Read on to learn more about formal speech style and how it can be used in the right situations.

4 Main Formal Speech Style Examples

1. using the active voice.

The active voice is when the subject of the sentence performs an action. This makes the sentence simpler to understand and is a common choice when speaking formally. For example: “I took out the trash.” or “The board approved the proposal.”.

This is important because it helps to ensure that your message is clear, and avoids any confusion.

2. Avoiding slang and colloquialisms

Slang and colloquialisms should be avoided when speaking formally in order to present information professionally. Instead of using informal words such as “gonna” or “wanna”, use words that are standard English such as “going to” or “want to”.

Instead of using sayings like “That’s a cool idea!” try using language that is more neutral yet still communicates the same message. For example, instead use: “That’s an interesting idea!”

3. Using precise language to express ideas

Formal speech should be clear, concise and direct – use precise language to effectively communicate your message without any confusion or ambiguity. This means avoiding long and drawn out sentences and using words that are specific enough to get the point across. For example: “The survey results show an increase in customer satisfaction.”

4. Correctly using grammar in written form

In a formal setting, it is especially important to use proper grammar and punctuation – this shows that you are knowledgeable and professional. It’s worth taking the time to double-check your work before submitting it or presenting it to ensure everything is correct.

These are just a few formal speech style examples, but the key takeaway is to stay professional and respectful when speaking in a formal setting.

The 5 Different Types of Speech Styles

How to Prepare and Deliver a Great Memorized Speech

An Easy Guide to All 15 Types of Speech

Why is formal speech important.

Formal speech is important in many situations, as it helps ensure that the messages are clear, concise and respectful. Not only does this make it easier for people to understand what’s being said but it also shows respect for the other person or persons involved.

Formal language can also help create a more professional atmosphere which can be beneficial if you want to come across in a positive light. Additionally, using formal language demonstrates that you have good command of the English language and are knowledgeable on a subject matter – both of which can help you stand out from the crowd!

Understanding how to effectively communicate in a formal setting will show your audience that you are confident and capable, and can help you to make an impactful impression.

The table below shows various settings where formal speech is crucial:

Note: The formal speech examples provided in the above table are hypothetical examples and may not reflect the specific language used in real-life situations. Additionally, the language used in formal speech can vary depending on the specific cultural and social norms of a given setting.

What are examples of formal and informal speech?

Formal speech is typically characterized by precise language, correct grammar and punctuation, respect for other individuals, and an overall professional atmosphere. Examples of formal speech include business meetings, lectures, interviews, presentations and speeches. 

Informal speech is more casual in nature and can be characterized by the use of slang words or colloquialisms as well as a more relaxed attitude towards grammar and punctuation. Examples of informal speech include conversations with friends, family, or acquaintances.

What are the two examples of formal writing?

Two examples of formal writing are business letters and academic essays. Business letters should adhere to a specific format and be written in a professional tone, using appropriate language and grammar. 

Academic essays typically require the use of precise language, correct grammar and punctuation, as well as an overall professional attitude towards the subject matter. Both types of formal writing also require research and the use of reliable sources to back up any claims made.

In conclusion, formal speech is an important skill that everyone should strive to master. Being able to effectively communicate in a professional manner will serve you well whether you are delivering a presentation or engaging in everyday conversations. By following the tips outlined above, you’ll be sure to impress those around you with your confident and polished speaking style !

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Northern Illinois University Effective Writing Practices Tutorial

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• Effective Writing Practices Tutorial
• Formal and Informal Style

Whether you use formal or informal style in writing will depend on the assignment itself, its subject, purpose, and audience.

Formal language is characterized by the use of standard English, more complex sentence structures, infrequent use of personal pronouns, and lack of colloquial or slang terms.

Informal language allows the use of nonstandard English forms, colloquial vocabulary and typically shorter sentence structures.

The choice of formal or informal style will affect the following areas:

• standard or nonstandard English
• choice of vocabulary
• use of contractions
• use of pronouns

Rule to Remember

Formal style affects the form of English, the choice of vocabulary, and the use of contractions and pronouns.

Standard or Nonstandard English

Standard English is the language used in professional and business communication. It is the form of English that follows the formal rules of the language.

Nonstandard English uses regional or social language variations. Nonstandard English should only be used when there is a purpose for it in writing. For example, it can be used in a narrative to describe a person with a specific regional dialect. Otherwise, the standard form of English should be used.

Choice of Vocabulary

Vocabulary  needs to be adjusted depending on the level of formality of any written work.

Consider the following words: investigate, examine, check out . Each of them has a different level of formality. While check out can be used in informal writing and speech, using it in a formal research paper would not be appropriate.

Use more formal vocabulary and avoid the use of contractions in formal writing.

Sometimes the whole sentence needs to be rephrased:

Contractions are more casual, and if you are striving for more formal style, they should not be used. Contractions in negative sentences should be especially avoided since they are easy to miss.

The Use of Pronouns

Formal language tends to be impersonal and precise. The use of pronouns , therefore, is restricted. In formal writing, when addressing the audience, you may use the passive voice or an adverbial clause in place of the personal pronoun:

Restrict the use of personal pronouns in formal writing.

The writer's presence, signaled by the use of the personal pronoun I , or we (if there are several authors), can also make writing more informal and less credible.

The second sentence is more formal and can be perceived by the audience to be more credible.

• Punctuation
• Organization
• General Document Format
• Formatting Visuals
• In-text Citations
• List of Sources
• Bias-free Language
• Sentence Structure

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13.2 Using Language Effectively

Learning objectives.

• Explain what it means to use appropriate language.
• Explain what is meant by vivid language.
• Define inclusive language and explain why using it is important for public speakers.
• Explain the importance of using familiar language in public speaking.

Kimba Howard – megaphone – CC BY 2.0.

When considering how to use language effectively in your speech, consider the degree to which the language is appropriate, vivid, inclusive, and familiar. The next sections define each of these aspects of language and discuss why each is important in public speaking.

Use Appropriate Language

As with anything in life, there are positive and negative ways of using language. One of the first concepts a speaker needs to think about when looking at language use is appropriateness. By appropriate, we mean whether the language is suitable or fitting for ourselves, as the speaker; our audience; the speaking context; and the speech itself.

Appropriate for the Speaker

One of the first questions to ask yourself is whether the language you plan on using in a speech fits with your own speaking pattern. Not all language choices are appropriate for all speakers. The language you select should be suitable for you, not someone else. If you’re a first-year college student, there’s no need to force yourself to sound like an astrophysicist even if you are giving a speech on new planets. One of the biggest mistakes novice speakers make is thinking that they have to use million-dollar words because it makes them sound smarter. Actually, million-dollar words don’t tend to function well in oral communication to begin with, so using them will probably make you uncomfortable as a speaker. Also, it may be difficult for you or the audience to understand the nuances of meaning when you use such words, so using them can increase the risk of denotative or connotative misunderstandings.

Appropriate for the Audience

The second aspect of appropriateness asks whether the language you are choosing is appropriate for your specific audience. Let’s say that you’re an engineering student. If you’re giving a presentation in an engineering class, you can use language that other engineering students will know. On the other hand, if you use that engineering vocabulary in a public speaking class, many audience members will not understand you. As another example, if you are speaking about the Great Depression to an audience of young adults, you can’t assume they will know the meaning of terms like “New Deal” and “WPA,” which would be familiar to an audience of senior citizens. In other chapters of this book, we have explained the importance of audience analysis; once again, audience analysis is a key factor in choosing the language to use in a speech.

Appropriate for the Context

The next question about appropriateness is whether the language you will use is suitable or fitting for the context itself. The language you may employ if you’re addressing a student assembly in a high school auditorium will differ from the language you would use at a business meeting in a hotel ballroom. If you’re giving a speech at an outdoor rally, you cannot use the same language you would use in a classroom. Recall that the speaking context includes the occasion, the time of day, the mood of the audience, and other factors in addition to the physical location. Take the entire speaking context into consideration when you make the language choices for your speech.

Appropriate for the Topic

The fourth and final question about the appropriateness of language involves whether the language is appropriate for your specific topic. If you are speaking about the early years of The Walt Disney Company, would you want to refer to Walt Disney as a “thaumaturgic” individual (i.e., one who works wonders or miracles)? While the word “thaumaturgic” may be accurate, is it the most appropriate for the topic at hand? As another example, if your speech topic is the dual residence model of string theory, it makes sense to expect that you will use more sophisticated language than if your topic was a basic introduction to the physics of, say, sound or light waves.

Use Vivid Language

After appropriateness, the second main guideline for using language is to use vivid language. Vivid language helps your listeners create strong, distinct, clear, and memorable mental images. Good vivid language usage helps an audience member truly understand and imagine what a speaker is saying. Two common ways to make your speaking more vivid are through the use of imagery and rhythm.

Imagery is the use of language to represent objects, actions, or ideas. The goal of imagery is to help an audience member create a mental picture of what a speaker is saying. A speaker who uses imagery successfully will tap into one or more of the audience’s five basic senses (hearing, taste, touch, smell, and sight). Three common tools of imagery are concreteness, simile, and metaphor.

Concreteness

When we use language that is concrete , we attempt to help our audiences see specific realities or actual instances instead of abstract theories and ideas. The goal of concreteness is to help you, as a speaker, show your audience something instead of just telling them. Imagine you’ve decided to give a speech on the importance of freedom. You could easily stand up and talk about the philosophical work of Rudolf Steiner, who divided the ideas of freedom into freedom of thought and freedom of action. If you’re like us, even reading that sentence can make you want to go to sleep. Instead of defining what those terms mean and discussing the philosophical merits of Steiner, you could use real examples where people’s freedom to think or freedom to behave has been stifled. For example, you could talk about how Afghani women under Taliban rule have been denied access to education, and how those seeking education have risked public flogging and even execution (Iacopino & Rasekh, 1998). You could further illustrate how Afghani women under the Taliban are forced to adhere to rigid interpretations of Islamic law that functionally limit their behavior. As illustrations of the two freedoms discussed by Steiner, these examples make things more concrete for audience members and thus easier to remember. Ultimately, the goal of concreteness is to show an audience something instead of talking about it abstractly.

The second form of imagery is simile . As you probably learned in English courses, a simile is a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared. Both aspects being compared within a simile are able to remain separate within the comparison. The following are some examples:

• The thunderous applause was like a party among the gods.
• After the revelation, she was as angry as a raccoon caught in a cage.
• Love is like a battlefield.

When we look at these two examples, you’ll see that two words have been italicized: “like” and “as.” All similes contain either “like” or “as” within the comparison. Speakers use similes to help an audience understand a specific characteristic being described within the speech. In the first example, we are connecting the type of applause being heard to something supernatural, so we can imagine that the applause was huge and enormous. Now think how you would envision the event if the simile likened the applause to a mime convention—your mental picture changes dramatically, doesn’t it?

To effectively use similes within your speech, first look for instances where you may already be finding yourself using the words “like” or “as”—for example, “his breath smelled like a fishing boat on a hot summer day.” Second, when you find situations where you are comparing two things using “like” or “as,” examine what it is that you are actually comparing. For example, maybe you’re comparing someone’s breath to the odor of a fishing vessel. Lastly, once you see what two ideas you are comparing, check the mental picture for yourself. Are you getting the kind of mental image you desire? Is the image too strong? Is the image too weak? You can always alter the image to make it stronger or weaker depending on what your aim is.

The other commonly used form of imagery is the metaphor , or a figure of speech where a term or phrase is applied to something in a nonliteral way to suggest a resemblance. In the case of a metaphor, one of the comparison items is said to be the other (even though this is realistically not possible). Let’s look at a few examples:

• Love is a battlefield .
• Upon hearing the charges, the accused clammed up and refused to speak without a lawyer.
• Every year a new crop of activists are born .

In these examples, the comparison word has been italicized. Let’s think through each of these examples. In the first one, the comparison is the same as one of our simile examples except that the word “like” is omitted—instead of being like a battlefield, the metaphor states that love is a battlefield, and it is understood that the speaker does not mean the comparison literally. In the second example, the accused “clams up,” which means that the accused refused to talk in the same way a clam’s shell is closed. In the third example, we refer to activists as “crops” that arise anew with each growing season, and we use “born” figuratively to indicate that they come into being—even though it is understood that they are not newborn infants at the time when they become activists.

To use a metaphor effectively, first determine what you are trying to describe. For example, maybe you are talking about a college catalog that offers a wide variety of courses. Second, identify what it is that you want to say about the object you are trying to describe. Depending on whether you want your audience to think of the catalog as good or bad, you’ll use different words to describe it. Lastly, identify the other object you want to compare the first one to, which should mirror the intentions in the second step. Let’s look at two possible metaphors:

• Students groped their way through the maze of courses in the catalog.
• Students feasted on the abundance of courses in the catalog.

While both of these examples evoke comparisons with the course catalog, the first example is clearly more negative and the second is more positive.

One mistake people often make in using metaphors is to make two incompatible comparisons in the same sentence or line of thought. Here is an example:

• “That’s awfully thin gruel for the right wing to hang their hats on” (Nordquist, 2009).

This is known as a mixed metaphor, and it often has an incongruous or even hilarious effect. Unless you are aiming to entertain your audience with fractured use of language, be careful to avoid mixed metaphors.

Our second guideline for effective language in a speech is to use rhythm. When most people think of rhythm, they immediately think about music. What they may not realize is that language is inherently musical; at least it can be. Rhythm refers to the patterned, recurring variance of elements of sound or speech. Whether someone is striking a drum with a stick or standing in front of a group speaking, rhythm is an important aspect of human communication. Think about your favorite public speaker. If you analyze his or her speaking pattern, you’ll notice that there is a certain cadence to the speech. While much of this cadence is a result of the nonverbal components of speaking, some of the cadence comes from the language that is chosen as well. Let’s examine four types of rhythmic language: parallelism, repetition, alliteration, and assonance.

Parallelism

When listing items in a sequence, audiences will respond more strongly when those ideas are presented in a grammatically parallel fashion, which is referred to as parallelism . For example, look at the following two examples and determine which one sounds better to you:

• “Give me liberty or I’d rather die.”
• “Give me liberty or give me death.”

Technically, you’re saying the same thing in both, but the second one has better rhythm, and this rhythm comes from the parallel construction of “give me.” The lack of parallelism in the first example makes the sentence sound disjointed and ineffective.

As we mentioned earlier in this chapter, one of the major differences between oral and written language is the use of repetition . Because speeches are communicated orally, audience members need to hear the core of the message repeated consistently. Repetition as a linguistic device is designed to help audiences become familiar with a short piece of the speech as they hear it over and over again. By repeating a phrase during a speech, you create a specific rhythm. Probably the most famous and memorable use of repetition within a speech is Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of “I have a dream” in his speech at the Lincoln Memorial on August 1963 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In that speech, Martin Luther King Jr. repeated the phrase “I have a dream” eight times to great effect.

Alliteration

Another type of rhythmic language is alliteration , or repeating two or more words in a series that begin with the same consonant. In the Harry Potter novel series, the author uses alliteration to name the four wizards who founded Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. There are two basic types of alliteration: immediate juxtaposition and nonimmediate juxtaposition. Immediate juxtaposition occurs when the consonants clearly follow one after the other—as we see in the Harry Potter example. Nonimmediate juxtaposition occurs when the consonants are repeated in nonadjacent words (e.g., “It is the p oison that we must p urge from our p olitics, the wall that we must tear down before the hour grows too late”) (Obama, 2008). Sometimes you can actually use examples of both immediate and nonimmediate juxtaposition within a single speech. The following example is from Bill Clinton’s acceptance speech at the 1992 Democratic National Convention: “Somewhere at this very moment, a child is b eing b orn in America. Let it be our cause to give that child a h appy h ome, a h ealthy family, and a h opeful future” (Clinton, 2005).

Assonance is similar to alliteration, but instead of relying on consonants, assonance gets its rhythm from repeating the same vowel sounds with different consonants in the stressed syllables. The phrase “how now brown cow,” which elocution students traditionally used to learn to pronounce rounded vowel sounds, is an example of assonance. While rhymes like “free as a breeze,” “mad as a hatter,” and “no pain, no gain” are examples of assonance, speakers should be wary of relying on assonance because when it is overused it can quickly turn into bad poetry.

Use Inclusive Language

Language can either inspire your listeners or turn them off very quickly. One of the fastest ways to alienate an audience is through the use of noninclusive language. Inclusive language is language that avoids placing any one group of people above or below other groups while speaking. Let’s look at some common problem areas related to language about gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disabilities.

Gender-Specific Language

The first common form of noninclusive language is language that privileges one of the sexes over the other. There are three common problem areas that speakers run into while speaking: using “he” as generic, using “man” to mean all humans, and gender typing jobs.

Generic “He”

The generic “he” happens when a speaker labels all people within a group as “he” when in reality there is a mixed sex group involved. Consider the statement, “Every morning when an officer of the law puts on his badge, he risks his life to serve and protect his fellow citizens.” In this case, we have a police officer that is labeled as male four different times in one sentence. Obviously, both male and female police officers risk their lives when they put on their badges. A better way to word the sentence would be, “Every morning when officers of the law put on their badges, they risk their lives to serve and protect their fellow citizens.” Notice that in the better sentence, we made the subject plural (“officers”) and used neutral pronouns (“they” and “their”) to avoid the generic “he.”

Use of “Man”

Traditionally, speakers of English have used terms like “man,” “mankind,” and (in casual contexts) “guys” when referring to both females and males. In the second half of the twentieth century, as society became more aware of gender bias in language, organizations like the National Council of Teachers of English developed guidelines for nonsexist language (National Council of Teachers of English, 2002). For example, instead of using the word “man,” you could refer to the “human race.” Instead of saying, “hey, guys,” you could say, “OK, everyone.” By using gender-fair language you will be able to convey your meaning just as well, and you won’t risk alienating half of your audience.

Gender-Typed Jobs

The last common area where speakers get into trouble with gender and language has to do with job titles. It is not unusual for people to assume, for example, that doctors are male and nurses are female. As a result, they may say “she is a woman doctor” or “he is a male nurse” when mentioning someone’s occupation, perhaps not realizing that the statements “she is a doctor” and “he is a nurse” already inform the listener as to the sex of the person holding that job. Speakers sometimes also use a gender-specific pronoun to refer to an occupation that has both males and females. Table 13.1 “Gender Type Jobs” lists some common gender-specific jobs titles along with more inclusive versions of those job titles.

Table 13.1 Gender Type Jobs

Ethnic Identity

Another type of inclusive language relates to the categories used to highlight an individual’s ethnic identity. Ethnic identity refers to a group an individual identifies with based on a common culture. For example, within the United States we have numerous ethnic groups, including Italian Americans, Irish Americans, Japanese Americans, Vietnamese Americans, Cuban Americans, and Mexican Americans. As with the earlier example of “male nurse,” avoid statements such as “The committee is made up of four women and a Vietnamese man.” Instead, say, “The committee is made up of four women and a man” or, if race and ethnicity are central to the discussion, “The committee is made up of three European American women, an Israeli American woman, a Brazilian American woman, and a Vietnamese American man.” In recent years, there has been a trend toward steering inclusive language away from broad terms like “Asians” and “Hispanics” because these terms are not considered precise labels for the groups they actually represent. If you want to be safe, the best thing you can do is ask a couple of people who belong to an ethnic group how they prefer to label themselves.

Sexual Orientation

Another area that can cause some problems is referred to as heterosexism. Heterosexism occurs when a speaker presumes that everyone in an audience is heterosexual or that opposite-sex relationships are the only norm. For example, a speaker might begin a speech by saying, “I am going to talk about the legal obligations you will have with your future husband or wife.” While this speech starts with the notion that everyone plans on getting married, which isn’t the case, it also assumes that everyone will label their significant others as either “husbands” or “wives.” Although some members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender/transexual community will use these terms, others prefer for more gender neutral terms like “spouse” and “partner.” Moreover, legal obligations for same-sex couples may be very different from those for heterosexual couples. Notice also that we have used the phrase “members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender/transexual community” instead of the more clinical-sounding term “homosexual.”

The last category of exclusive versus inclusive language that causes problems for some speakers relates to individuals with physical or mental disabilities. Table 13.2 “Inclusive Language for Disabilities” provides some other examples of exclusive versus inclusive language.

Table 13.2 Inclusive Language for Disabilities

Use Familiar Language

The last category related to using language appropriately simply asks you to use language that is familiar both to yourself and to your audience. If you are not comfortable with the language you are using, then you are going to be more nervous speaking, which will definitely have an impact on how your audience receives your speech. You may have a hard time speaking genuinely and sincerely if you use unfamiliar language, and this can impair your credibility. Furthermore, you want to make sure that the language you are using is familiar to your audience. If your audience cannot understand what you are saying, you will not have an effective speech.

Key Takeaways

• Using appropriate language means that a speaker’s language is suitable or fitting for themselves, as the speaker; our audience; the speaking context; and the speech itself.
• Vivid language helps listeners create mental images. It involves both imagery (e.g., concreteness, simile, and metaphor) and rhythm (e.g., parallelism, repetition, alliteration, and assonance).
• Inclusive language avoids placing any one group of people above or below other groups while speaking. As such, speakers need to think about how they refer to various groups within society.
• Using familiar language is important for a speaker because familiar language will make a speaker more comfortable, which will improve audience perceptions of the speech.
• Watch the news and find an example of someone using inappropriate language. Why did the speaker use inappropriate language? How could the speaker have prevented the use of inappropriate language?
• Watch a presidential press conference or a political speech. Identify the uses of imagery and rhythm. How did the imagery and rhythm help the speech? Can you think of other ways the speaker could have used imagery and rhythm?
• Why is inclusive language important? Write down the various groups you belong to in life; how would you want these groups to be referred to by a speaker? Share your list with a friend or classmate and see if that person reaches the same conclusions you do. If there are differences in your perceptions, why do you think those differences are present?

Clinton, W. J. (2005). My life . New York, NY: Vintage Books, p. 421.

Iacopino, V., & Rasekh, Z. (1998). The Taliban’s war on women: A health and human rights crisis in Afghanistan . Boston, MA: Physicians for Human Rights.

National Council of Teachers of English (2002). Guidelines for gender-fair use of language . Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/genderfairuseoflang .

Nordquist, R. (2009). Mixed metaphor . Retrieved from About.com at http://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/mixmetterm.htm

Obama, B. (2008, January 20). The great need of the hour. Remarks delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta. Retrieved from http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/01/the_great_need_of_the_hour.html

Stand up, Speak out Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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1.2 Formal and informal language

Now that you have identified different formal and informal situations, it is time to look at formal and informal language.

Formal language is a style of speech used when you are speaking to someone you don’t know or on whom you want to make a good impression.

Informal language is a style of speech where choice of words and grammar tends to be familiar rather than formal. It is used when you know, or want to get to know, the person you are speaking to.

Activity 3 Formal and informal phrases

Match each formal phrase to its more informal equivalent.

I am unable to attend tomorrow.

I can’t come tomorrow.

Would you like anything else?

Anything else?

I am ringing to enquire about the job.

I’m ringing to ask about the job.

The manager will return your call.

The manager will phone you back.

I received your email.

I got your email.

He returned the item to the shop.

He took back the item to the shop.

Using the following two lists, match each numbered item with the correct letter.

a. I got your email.

b. I can’t come tomorrow.

c. I’m ringing to ask about the job.

d. The manager will phone you back.

e. Anything else?

f. He took back the item to the shop.

In some of these examples, simply replacing a word makes something sound more formal: ‘attend’ rather than ‘come’; ‘enquire’ rather than ‘ask’; ‘received’ rather than ‘got’; ‘returned’ rather than ‘took back’.

Using a different phrase can also make something sound more formal: ‘am unable’ rather than ‘can’t’; ‘return your call’ rather than ‘phone you back’.

In the following example, using a full sentence rather than a shortened form makes it sound more formal: ‘Would you like anything else?’ rather than ‘Anything else?’.

Slang is very informal language that is usually spoken rather than written. It is commonly used among friends when speaking or sending text messages.

Activity 4 The difference between slang and formal language

Can you match each formal phrase to its slang equivalent?

She was devastated when the team lost.

She was gutted when the team lost.

He had his wallet stolen.

He had his wallet nicked.

They were intoxicated on Saturday night.

They were legless on Saturday night.

She went shopping with her friends.

She went shopping with her mates.

His son can be outspoken at times.

His son can be gobby at times.

I’m feeling hungry.

I’m feeling peckish.

a. His son can be gobby at times.

b. He had his wallet nicked.

c. I’m feeling peckish.

d. She was gutted when the team lost.

e. She went shopping with her mates.

f. They were legless on Saturday night.

The slang words used here – gutted, nicked, legless, mates, gobby, peckish – are words that might be spoken or texted among friends. It is unlikely that you would see these words in formal writing.

Formal language is more likely to be grammatically correct. For example, you would say ‘I have not’ rather than the grammatically incorrect ‘I ain’t’.

When speaking and listening, you should think about three important questions:

• Who am I speaking to?
• What is the purpose?
• Is this a formal or an informal situation?

Activity 5 Formal and informal phrases

Think about each situation below and decide whether it’s formal or informal. Then write a phrase that you might use in that situation.

1. Making an appointment at the doctor’s surgery

2. Chatting with friends

3. Parents’ evening at a children’s school

4. Job interview

5. A community drop-in session

Compare your ideas with the examples below.

In this section you have:

• looked at what makes a confident speaker
• identified formal and informal situations
• considered the differences between formal, informal and slang language.

You will now turn to the important subject of non-verbal communication.

How to Run a Formal Conversation in English (With Example Phrases)

Enhance your professional image with our guide to formal conversation basics. Ensure your communication skills reflect your professionalism!

Intermediate

Formal Greetings

Conversation starters, phrases to express your opinion, phrases to express agreement or disagreement, how to (politely) interrupt a person speaking, how to say goodbye formally, additional tips, the bottom line.

You have probably noticed that there are many things in English that you can separate into casual and formal: clothing, events, and even relationships. Conversations are no exception.

Every English learner should master different communication styles with other people to be able to hold conversations of different levels of importance — and with people of different levels of familiarity.

You need to keep proper expressions in mind to be able to use them depending on the situation. Sometimes, just a few words are all it takes to turn the conversation in a completely different direction. Choosing the right ones at the right time will allow you to show yourself as a professional at all times.

Below, you will find a step-by-step guide to maintaining a formal conversation in English, along with helpful tips. Let's begin!

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Any conversation begins with a greeting. Formal greetings in English are appropriate when you communicate with colleagues, business partners, as well as people you meet for the first time.

When meeting new people, you need to find out the person's name, give your name in response, and say that you are pleased to meet them .

Here is a set of phrases for a formal greeting:

Possible responses to the formal greeting:

Make sure to check our post about the difference between "How are you?" and "How are you doing?" to find out which one is suitable for the business environment and which one to use in less formal settings.

If you did not hear what the other person said, ask them to repeat using one of the phrases :

After you have greeted the person, you need to continue the conversation . When talking to a friend, you are likely to quickly find a topic of conversation. However, if you have just met a person at an official event, it is necessary to establish contact between you and your new acquaintance .

We've already discussed the basic rules for running a small talk in the previous article . Although they refer to more casual chatting, they are also applicable to a given setting, so make sure to check them as well.

At a formal event (contrasting small talk or everyday conversations), you can use the following phrases to start a formal conversation in English:

Once you have the person’s attention, it is important to be able to keep the conversation going . Most likely, your new acquaintance will ask a question or will be interested in your point of view on a topic. To answer them, you need to know how to express your opinion in a polite manner .

Here are several phases suitable for both formal and casual speech:

At an official event, try to formulate your thoughts more carefully and less emotionally than when communicating with friends. For example:

First of all, let's figure out how you can agree with someone in English .

All the phrases listed below are appropriate in both formal and informal settings. They are neutral : if you are at a business event or a meeting, say them in a calm tone, and at a party with friends, you can get a little bit emotional.

Choose a phrase to agree with the person in a proper way:

When you want to express disagreement in a professional context, you need to be very polite to avoid offending the other person , especially if you have just met them or are at an official event.

We recommend using the following expressions of disagreement in a formal English conversation:

Interrupting someone without offending them is a real skill. Of course, it is important to note that you should not interrupt the speaker and wait until they are finished to express your opinion .

However, if it's necessary to intervene in the conversation, make sure to say "Excuse me!" first and then use one of the following examples:

After you have expressed your opinion, do not forget to pass the word back to the person . To do this, you can say:

After the conversation, you need to say goodbye to your new acquaintance . Of course, the standard " Goodbye! " is suitable for almost any given setting. However, you can say goodbye with other phrases as well.

Here is a list of expressions for ending a formal conversation in English:

As you already know, the formal style is used in an official setting —  when communicating at conferences and presentations, conducting business negotiations , writing documents, corporate emails, and scientific articles.

You should follow several rules to make the speech sound formal:

Avoid Using Contractions

In formal writing, there is no place for contractions like “I'm,” “I'd,” or “I don't.” Instead, use the complete forms of the words : “I am,” “I would,” and “I do not.”

Moreover, the use of contractions is one of the primary reasons for the most common misspellings — for example, confusing " their " and " they're ."

Misspellings can hurt the initial meaning of a sentence and make you look unprofessional .

What Does “Duly Noted” Mean?

Speaking of misspellings, let's take a closer look at the formal go-to phrase " duly noted ," which means that something is properly recorded or taken into proper consideration, i.e., in strict accordance with requirements. The word “duly” alone means something is done in a due manner or time, e.g., “duly elected” or “duly apologized.”

Its common misspellings include "dually noted," "dully noted," and "duelly noted." " Dually " means a double capacity, while " dully " means something is done in a boring manner. And if you’ll ever see “duelly noted” written, just know it's an incorrect spelling of “duly noted.”

Is “Duly Noted” Rude?

When spelled correctly, you can use "duly noted" in a formal speech in the meaning of simple acknowledgment of an opinion or action. That's why you also don't want to confuse the word "duly" with "dully" — to avoid letting someone know you barely consider what they're saying.

Moreover, "duly noted" can also be used sarcastically, meaning that something is heard and ignored rather than taken into appropriate consideration. It’s not necessarily rude, but you should pay close attention to the context in which you use the phrase "duly noted."

Avoid Using Slang and Phrasal Verbs

When holding a formal conversation, there are a few things you should avoid to make it sound appropriate. Some of these things include:

• Avoiding slang and colloquial expressions . This point is pretty obvious: it is difficult to imagine a business partner who calls you "bro."If you want to ask how the representative of the partner company is doing, it is unlikely that you will say, "What's up?" And in response, you will not receive the colloquial "Yourself?" but a polite "Thank you, very well."
• Avoiding phrasal verbs . Phrasal verbs should be replaced by regular ones. For example, in an official setting, you are unlikely to hear "the inflation rate went up ." Instead, it would be better to say "the inflation rate increased ." In addition, avoiding phrasal verbs reduces your chances of making mistakes because they can be very confusing for non-native speakers.

Use the Passive Voice

The formal English language uses not only long phrases but also complex grammatical constructions . If you have started to express an idea, make sure to develop it, support it with clear arguments, justify it and bring it to a conclusion .

In addition, formal emails and oral speech allow you to use the passive voice much more often than in casual conversation, as it is more suitable for an official setting. The reason is that the active voice personifies speech, while the passive voice has a more formal connotation , compare:

• You are invited to the conference.
• We invite you to the conference.

As you can see, the first option sounds more discreet and respectful.

If you want to speak formally, do not forget to use complex sentence structures (for example, independent clause + at least one adverbial phrase), participial phrases, conditional sentences, etc.

Use Special Terminology

Each industry has its own specifics, so try to use the appropriate jargon or vocabulary. For example, if you work for an accounting firm and check the financial statements of a business, it would be appropriate to say " audit " instead of " check ."

Try to use specific, industry-related words in an official setting and business correspondence — your English speaking skills will not only benefit from this, but the person you’re speaking to will also be pleasantly surprised.

Avoid Speaking for Yourself

If you are writing a business letter or conducting business negotiations, try to avoid expressions such as " I think " and " in my opinion ."

As a rule, you should speak on behalf of the company you work for — talk less about yourself and your personal opinion, and contact business partners as a representative of the company.

Here are the example sentences:

Be Discreet and Inclusive

Last but not least. Formal speech is an example of ethical, respectful, and inclusive communication . Choose your words carefully to avoid offending the people you’re addressing.

To write and speak inclusively, make sure to follow these principles:

• Use gender-neutral language and pronouns, such as the singular "they."
• Avoid gendered group language, such as "you guys."
• Avoid stereotyping and making neither positive nor negative generalizations.
• Avoid making assumptions regarding anyone’s sexuality or relationship status.
• Avoid outdated language .
• If you're not sure about something, ask!

As you can see, to maintain a formal conversation in the English language, you need to learn some common phrases that will help you start a conversation, and you’ll need to be careful with your choice of words. Fortunately, you don't have to memorize all the examples mentioned in this article — you can revisit it as frequently as you need to.

Furthermore, with practice, you will learn a lot of additional expressions from native English speakers and boost your English vocabulary.

If you're interested in expanding your vocabulary and picking proper phrasing, you can download our Langster app . It is full of bite-sized stories with grammar explanations for each, which will allow you to enjoy your English learning experience even more. See for yourself:

Click this box for a free Langster story

Ellis is a seasoned polyglot and one of the creative minds behind Langster Blog, where she shares effective language learning strategies and insights from her own journey mastering the four languages. Ellis strives to empower learners globally to embrace new languages with confidence and curiosity. Off the blog, she immerses herself in exploring diverse cultures through cinema and contemporary fiction, further fueling her passion for language and connection.

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Formal and informal language

Learn the difference between formal and informal language and when to use them.

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What is the difference between formal and informal language?

Formal and informal language serve different purposes. The tone, the choice of words and the way the words are put together vary between the two styles. Formal language is less personal than informal language. It is used when writing for professional or academic purposes like university assignments. Formal language does not use colloquialisms, contractions or first person pronouns such as ‘I’ or ‘We’.

Informal language is more casual and spontaneous. It is used when communicating with friends or family either in writing or in conversation. It is used when writing personal emails, text messages and in some business correspondence. The tone of informal language is more personal than formal language.

Examples of formal and informal language are shown below:

Contractions

Informal:    The improvements canʼt be introduced due to funding restrictions.

Formal:      Improvements cannot be introduced due to funding restrictions.

Informal:    I donʼt believe that the results are accurate.

Formal:       The results are not believed to be accurate.

Informal:    The research project wonʼt continue next year.

Formal:       The research project will not continue next year.

Phrasal verbs

Informal:    The balloon was blown up for the experiment.

Formal:       The balloon was inflated for the experiment.

Informal:    The patient got over his illness.

Formal:      The patient recovered from his illness.

Informal:    The results of the study were mixed up.

Formal:      The results of the study were confused.

Slang/Colloquialisms

Informal:    The mob was very rowdy during the protest against cuts to university funding.

Formal:       The crowd was very rowdy during the protest against the cuts to university funding.

Informal:    Lecturers still count on students to use correct grammar and punctuation in essays.

Formal:      Lecturers expect students to use correct grammar and punctuation in essays.

Informal:    It was raining cats and dogs.

Formal:       It was raining very heavily.

First person pronouns

Informal:    I considered various research methods for the study.

Formal:       Various research methods were considered for the study.

Informal:    We believe the practice is unsustainable.

Formal:       It is believed the practice is unsustainable.

Informal:    During the interview, I asked students about their experiences.

Formal:       During the interview, students were asked about their experiences.

TAFE           Technical and Further Education

ANZAC        Australian and New Zealand Army Corps

QANTAS      Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services

Initialisms

UTS             University of Technology Sydney

ISO              International Standards Organisation

OECD          Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

The first time an acronym or initialism is used in an essay, it is acceptable to write the name in full with the acronym or initialism in brackets after it. Every subsequent time it is used the acronym or initialism can be used on its own. Commonly known acronyms such as ANZAC and QANTAS do not need to be written in full. If an acronym or initialism needs to be made into a plural, add a small ‘s’ to it without an apostrophe.

Do not use the acronyms 'ATSI' or 'TSI' to refer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This must be written in full. Always capitalise the word 'Indigenous' when referring to Australia's Indigenous peoples.

Other academic style resouces

• UTS Publications Style Guide   is available on Staff Connect (requires UTS staff login).
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Canada's Justin Trudeau Introduced Law To Imprison Anyone Who Ever Posted Hate Speech?

Canada's proposed online arms act was described as "orwellian" by some social media users., nick hardinges, published may 14, 2024.

On May 7, 2024, an X user claimed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government had introduced a new "Orwellian" law called the Online Harms Bill C-63 that would allow police to arrest people for posting hate speech online, even if the offense took place before the legislation existed.

The user wrote:

The Trudeau regime has introduced an Orwellian new law called the Online Harms Bill C-63, which will give police the power to retroactively search the Internet for "hate speech" violations and arrest offenders, even if the offence occurred before the law existed. This new bill is aimed at safeguarding the masses from so-called "hate speech."

The post referenced articles by two conservative news outlets, Revolver News and The People's Voice , that also discussed the claim.

Similar posts appeared all over X , where one user declared: "WTF." The platform's owner, Elon Musk , added: "This sounds insane if accurate!"

Examples  also emerged on Facebook , while Musk's and the original X user's posts had amassed more than 140 millions views combined, at the time of this writing.

Snopes looked into the legislation to see whether there was any evidence police would have the power to retroactively arrest people for posting hate speech prior to the bill's implementation.

What Do We Know About the Bill?

Canada's ruling Liberal Party unveiled proposed legislation called  Bill C-63  on Feb. 26, 2024.

A government media release said the bill would create an Online Harms Act that would "hold social media platforms accountable for addressing harmful content on their platforms and for creating a safer online space that protects all people in Canada, especially kids … and better safeguard everyone in Canada from online hate."

The proposals specifically target seven types of harmful content: 

• Content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor.
• Intimate content communicated without consent.
• Content used to bully a child.
• Content that induces a child to harm themself.
• Content that foments hatred.
• Content that incites violence.
• Content that incites violent extremism or terrorism.

Under the act, social media companies would be subject to three duties: acting responsibly, protecting children, and making certain content inaccessible — such as content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor, or intimate images posted without consent

The legislation would also establish a Digital Safety Commission, which would oversee and enforce new regulations on hate speech and the protection of children, and a digital safety ombudsperson, who "would act as a resource and advocate for users and victims." Both would be supported by a Digital Safety Office.

Importantly, the media release showed it would be the commission that enforces the laws, not the police.

In addition, Bill C-63 — which was not legally enforceable at the time of this writing as it had not yet received royal assent, the monarch's formal approval of legislation — proposed changes to Canada's Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act that would "better combat hate speech and hate crimes, provide improved remedies for victims and hold individuals accountable for the hatred they spread."

It would also increase the maximum sentences for illegal hate speech and allow Canadians to report such incidents to a human-rights tribunal. If successful, victims could be compensated up to CA$20,000, and fines of up to CA$50,000 could be levied.

What Is Unclear in the Bill?

Snopes found no evidence in Bill C-63 to support the claim the police would have the power to arrest someone if they found that person had posted hate speech online before the legislation's implementation.

However, text in section 41 of the bill, which listed proposed amendments to the CHRA, was somewhat unclear. It said if the person or panel conducting a Digital Safety Commission inquiry into discriminatory practice, such as hate speech, upholds a complaint, they may order the accused to pay a penalty of up to CA$50,000 to the government if the member or panel considers it appropriate with regard to:

• The nature, circumstances, extent and gravity of the discriminatory practice.
• The wilfulness or intent of that person.
• Any prior discriminatory practices that the accused has engaged in.
• The accused's ability to pay the penalty.

The proposed bill did not define whether "prior discriminatory practices" would include offenses that took place before the legislation was implemented. However, the clause about "prior discriminatory practices" appeared to be relevant only if someone had a new complaint filed against them. 

Snopes contacted the Canadian government for clarity on this and numerous other matters relating to the Bill and will update this article if we receive a response.

Another fact-checking outlet also addressed the claims about retroactive punishments for hate speech, finding that the focus was on continuous  hate speech.

Bill C-63 is available in full below:

(House of Commons Canada)

What Did the Bill's Opponents Say?

Some individuals and civil-rights groups condemned the legislation, branding it an attack on free speech.

Snopes spoke to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, which  opposes the bill  in its current form, and asked whether the legislation would allow the police to imprison anyone who has ever posted hate speech online.

The group said any such claims were inaccurate. Anaïs Bussières McNicoll, director of the CCLA's Fundamental Freedoms Program, told Snopes:

The general rule under Canadian law is that statutes are not to be construed as having retroactive effect unless such a construction is expressly or by necessary implication required by the language of the law. Part 2 of Bill C-63 does propose some amendments to the Criminal Code with respect to hate crimes, but nothing indicates that these amendments would have a retroactive effect.

However, McNicoll explained that a different part of the bill would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act further as to which hate speech communicated online would be considered "discriminatory." She said the text in part 3 of section 34 "is not clear."

One can read it as implying a retroactive effect, although that is not explicitly mentioned. In any event, that section does not relate to criminal proceedings, but human rights legislation.

McNicoll concluded by saying the CCLA did not believe the amendments being considered under the bill should be enforced retroactively if it is granted royal assent.

Government Bill (House of Commons) C-63 (44-1) - First Reading - An Act to Enact the Online Harms Act, to Amend the Criminal Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act and An Act Respecting the Mandatory Reporting of Internet Child Pornography by Persons Who Provide an Internet Service and to Make Consequential and Related Amendments to Other Acts - Parliament of Canada . https://www.parl.ca/documentviewer/en/44-1/bill/C-63/first-reading. Accessed 14 May 2024.

Heritage, Canadian. Proposed Bill to Address Online Harms . 26 Feb. 2024, https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/online-harms.html.

McNicoll, Anaïs Bussières. 'Online Harms Act (Bill C-63): CCLA Joins Civil Society Call to Separate Parts Two and Three from the Bill'. CCLA , 8 May 2024, https://ccla.org/criminal-justice/online-harms-act-bill-c-63-ccla-joins-civil-society-call-to-separate-parts-two-and-three-from-the-bill/.

Wong, Adrian, Dr. 'Will Bill C-63 jail those who ever posted hate speech online?!' TechARP . 8 May 2024, https://www.techarp.com/crime/bill-c-63-jail-hate-speech-online/. Accessed 14 May 2023.

By Nick Hardinges

Nick Hardinges is a London-based reporter who previously worked as a fact-checker at Reuters.

Article Tags

Kamala Harris Deploys F-Bomb During Speech In Washington, D.C.

Senior Reporter

Vice President Kamala Harris got a bit blunt while giving advice to young people of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage in Washington, D.C., on Monday.

While discussing how to break down barriers, she told attendees at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies’ Legislative Leadership Summit, “We have to know that sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open. Sometimes they won’t, and then you need to kick that fucking door down.”

As cheers erupted from the audience, she added, “Excuse my language.”

To the crowd’s delight, actor and comic Jimmy O. Yang, who was moderating, told everyone, “We gotta make T-shirts with that saying!”

Harris’ comments came while celebrating May’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, giving her an opportunity to speak about becoming a first in several areas.

When she was inaugurated in early 2021, the California-born politician became the country’s first female vice president, as well as the first Black and first Asian American person to serve in that office.

While Harris’ candid remarks drew cheers, her use of strong language contrasts with the typically formal demeanor expected from high-ranking government officials.

However, this isn’t the first time politicians using expletives have made headlines recently.

President Joe Biden , too, has been caught using colorful language in private settings, reflecting a broader trend of public figures breaking from traditional norms of decorum.

In February, Politico reported that the commander in chief privately called his Republican rival Donald Trump a “sick fuck” who is a “fucking asshole.”

Biden’s cursing hasn’t been reserved for just his political opponents.

During a hot mic moment in 2022, the president was heard calling Fox News reporter Peter Doocy “a stupid son of a bitch.”

Watch the full speech below. Harris’ comments come around the 12-minute mark.

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Collaborative working in speech and language therapy for children with DLD-What are parents' needs?

Affiliations.

• 1 Research Center for Healthy and Sustainable Living, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
• 2 Institute for Language Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
• 3 Department of Education, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
• 4 Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
• 5 De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
• PMID: 37715545
• DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12951

Background: Collaborative practice between therapists and parents is a key element of family-centred care and is essential if we want to address family priorities and needs in interventions. However, collaborative practice is challenging for speech and language therapists (SLTs) and parents. To facilitate collaboration, collaborative practices need to be implemented into speech and language therapy for young children with developmental language disorders (DLD) and their families. Actual change and implementation of collaboration in practice will be successful only when it corresponds with patients' needs, in our case the needs of parents of young children with DLD.

Aims: To explore parents' needs in their collaboration with SLTs during therapy for their young child with DLD.

Methods & procedures: Parents of children with (a risk of) DLD in the age of 2-6 years were eligible for participation. We recruited parents via SLTs. Twelve parents of children with DLD participated in semi-structured interviews about their needs in collaboration with SLTs. We used a phenomenological approach focusing on parents' lived experiences. We transcribed the interviews verbatim. All interviews were read/listened to and discussed by our parent panel, multiple researchers and the interviewer. Two researchers independently analysed the data using the reflective thematic analysis of Braun and Clarke.

Outcomes & results: The analysis of the interviews resulted in six themes: (1) knowing what to expect, (2) knowing how to contribute, (3) feeling capable of supporting the child, (4) trusting the therapist, (5) alignment with parents and children's needs, preferences and priorities and (6) time and space for asking questions and sharing information.

Conclusions & implications: Parents want SLTs to invest time in collaborating with them. Parents need SLTs to empower them to become a collaborative partner and enable them to support their child in daily life. Parents need knowledge about the therapy process and diagnosis and skills in how to support their child's language development. Also, they need emotional support to feel secure enough to support their child, to ask questions to therapists and to bring up their own thoughts and opinions in therapy. Parents' needs are in line with collaborative working as described in literature, which underlines the importance of implementing collaborative working in speech and language therapy for young children with DLD.

What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject Several reviews have explored parents' perspectives on speech and language therapy. Results reveal parents' experiences with speech and language therapy in general, and parents' perspectives on specific topics such as shared decision-making and parents/therapists roles in therapy. What this study adds This study adds insights into parents' needs to ensure collaboration with speech and language therapists (SLTs). Parents of young children with developmental language disorders (DLD) need SLTs to invest time to create optimal collaboration. It is important for parents to have enough knowledge about DLD and the SLT process, skills and confidence in how to support their child and opportunities to share thoughts and questions with SLTs. Our results underline the importance of parents being empowered by SLTs to become a collaborative partner. What are the clinical implications of this work? When children are referred to speech and language therapy, parents often venture into an unknown journey. They need support from SLTs to become a collaborative partner in speech and language therapy. Parents need SLTs to invest time in sharing knowledge, skills and power and align therapy to parents' and child's needs, preferences, priorities and expectations.

Keywords: DLD; collaboration; parents’ needs; speech and language therapy.

© 2023 The Authors. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

• Child, Preschool
• Language Development Disorders* / psychology
• Language Development Disorders* / therapy
• Language Therapy* / methods
• Parents / psychology
• Speech Therapy / methods

Grants and funding

• RAAK-MKB10.023/Taskforce for Applied Research SIA (Regieorgaan SIA)