Using Language Well
SPE 100
Chapter Reading Reflection
● Get into a group by table (3-4 people), and write
down your best answers to the following questions
based on your reading of the chapter.
● Answers should be between 2-3 sentences each,
and will be shared out loud by group. Elect one
person to answer each question.
Chapter Reading Reflection
● Define denotative and connotative language, and describe how a speaker
might use each effectively in a speech. Use an example for each.
● Define vivid language. Next,give an example of three stylistic devices:
imagery, simile, metaphor, parallelism, repetition, alliteration, or antithesis
(you may add one you do not see here)
● Appropriate Language: Explain why public speakers should adapt their
language based on the occasion, audience, and topic. Provide an
example of language that would be appropriate in one setting but not
another.
Let’s exercise our language skills!
● Imagery
Review: ● Similes
● Metaphors
Language ● Repetition
Devices ● Parallelism
Examples of effective devices ● Personification
for all listeners ● Hyperbole
● Onomatopoeia
● Creating Drama
Warm-Up Class Exercise - “Descriptive Words”
“Good” “Bad” “Happy” “Sad” “Big” “Small”
Brainstorm a more specific alternative for each word.
Raise your hand and share your ideas!
Individual Language Exercise - Strength & Clarity
Instructions:
● On the next slide, you will find a list of weak and unengaging
sentences.
● Your task is to individually rewrite each sentence to make it
stronger, more vivid, and more impactful.
● Use techniques like imagery, metaphor, alliteration, repetition,
parallelism, and precise word choice.
● Write your revised sentences in full, and share 2-3 of them with the
class.
Individual Language Exercise - Example
EXAMPLE
Weak: The city was loud.
Stronger: The city buzzed with life in a messy symphony. The horns
were blaring with rage and impatience, drivers yelling from their
windows, with the rhythmic clatter of subway trains echoed beneath the
streets like a heartbeat.
❏ Weak: She is a good leader.
Your Turn! Stronger:
❏ Weak: Technology is useful.
❏ Weak: Family is important. Stronger:
❏ Weak: We should be kind to others.
Stronger:
❏ Weak: Things will get better. Stronger:
❏ Weak: He ran fast.
Stronger:
❏ Weak: The weather was bad. Stronger:
❏ Weak: The movie was sad.
Stronger:
❏ Weak: The speech was interesting. Stronger:
Share!
● Take a minute to read over your responses.
● Choose 2-4 of your favorite strength & clarity prompts
● Share them with the class!
Exercise 2 - Photo Story
Using at least ~3~ of the methods of adapting language
from your text and our exercises - describe the photo to an
audience from your own interpretation. You may create your
own story of who the characters are and write a compelling
description of them, or describe the scene in vivid detail.
(photo credit: Carrie Mae Weems “Kitchen Table Series”)
Exercise 3 - “Describe a Scenario”
Pick a prompt. Individually, take 10 minutes to describe it in as
much detail as possible (minimum one paragraph of 5-7 sentences).
Use vivid language!
● A subway ride at rush hour
● The bodega at night
● A snowy day in the neighborhood
● A hot summer New York day
● The first day of school
● A bustling city street
Example
A bustling city street
The street never stops moving. Cabs jostle for space, their horns punching
through the air, drivers shouting without expecting an answer. A bus groans
as it pulls away from the curb, a cyclist slipping through the tight gap it
leaves behind. The smell of roasting nuts lingers near a food cart, mixing
with the sharp scent of asphalt (and whatever else may rise from the subway
grates). A guy on the corner gestures wildly into his phone, his voice lost in
the clamor. Sirens scream somewhere in the distance, barely registering
over the chaos. The sounds blend together like a radio stuck between
stations. This is New York…loud, fast, unapologetic.