The Importance of Language
Why does language matter in your speech?
The words you choose and how you deliver those words are the two halves of getting your message across in your speech.
Language
From the words you speak to the points and topics you articulate, language is the vehicle that helps your audience understand and agree with your statement or argument.
Word Choice
Carefully select each individual word in your speech. Is it the best word you can use to convey your message or meaning? Is your phrasing easy to understand? Are you using descriptive language? Do you connect similar thoughts for your audience? Have you included points of contrast to illustrate broader points?
These are all important questions to consider as you select the words in your speech. Even more important are the words you choose to leave out: consider too, what you aren't saying.
Delivery
It's not just a matter of the words you say, but how you deliver them. From gesture, force, and directness, to the pitch, tone and inflection of your voice, it's important to consider the complete package that you're delivering to your audience. Speech contains nonverbal elements known as paralanguage, including voice quality, rate, pitch, volume, and speaking style, as well as prosodic features such as rhythm, intonation, and stress. You should craft and practice these elements just as carefully as the words you include in your speech
Takeaway Message
At the end of the speech, ask yourself: how do you want your audience to walk away feeling? What do you want them to remember? Is there a particular call-to-action you want them to perform? Or, do you want a particular point to resonate with them for some time? Thinking about the end result, or takeaway message, helps you choose how to word and deliver the speech for your audience.