Speeches, interviews and planned spoken language

Introduction to Planned Spoken Language

Welcome to one of the most fascinating parts of your English Language course! While we spend most of our lives using spontaneous speech (chatting with friends without thinking), this chapter focuses on planned spoken language. This includes texts like formal speeches and structured interviews.

Think of these as "hybrids." They are often written down before they are spoken, which means they have the polish of a written text but the rhythm and sound of speech. Understanding how these texts work will help you in Unit 1 (analysing context) and Unit 2 (exploring power and status).

Note: For other text types like blogs or news articles, check out our other chapters in this section!

1. Understanding the Mode: The Spoken-Written Continuum

In English Language study, mode refers to whether a text is spoken or written. However, speeches and interviews often sit somewhere in the middle. We call these hybrid texts.

• Planned Speeches: These are "written to be spoken." They have a clear structure and use specific techniques to keep an audience's attention.
• Interviews: These are "semi-planned." The interviewer usually has a list of questions (planned), but the answers might be spontaneous (unplanned).

Quick Tip: When you see a transcript in your exam, look for prosodic features. These are the sounds of speech, such as stress on certain words, pitch (how high or low the voice is), and intonation. Even if a speech was written first, these sounds are what make it "spoken language."

2. Analysing Speeches: Power and Persuasion

Speeches are usually designed to persuade, inspire, or inform. Because they are one-way communication (the speaker talks, the audience listens), the speaker has to work hard to keep the audience engaged.

Key Language Features in Speeches

• Rhetorical Patterns: Speakers often use "patterns of three" (tricolons) or repeat the start of sentences (anaphora) to create a sense of rhythm and importance.
• The Constructed Audience: A speaker often addresses an idealized reader or listener. They might use the pronoun "we" to make the audience feel like they are on the same team. This creates group rapport.
• Lexis and Semantics: Look for emotive language (words that stir up feelings) and metaphors that make complex ideas easier to understand.
• Grammar for Effect: Short, simple sentences can be used for dramatic impact, while long, complex sentences might be used to build an argument.

Key Takeaway: Speeches are rarely just about information; they are about status and identity. The speaker uses language to claim a position of authority.

3. Analysing Interviews: Power and Interaction

Interviews are different because they involve turn-taking. In your Unit 2 exam, you might be asked to look at how people use language to claim power and status during an interview.

Power Dynamics in Interviews

In most interviews, there is a power asymmetry. This means one person usually has more control than the other.

• The Interviewer: They usually control the discourse. They set the agenda (what is talked about) and use interruptions or probing questions to maintain status.
• The Interviewee: They might try to "claim power" by giving very long answers, avoiding questions, or using specialist lexis (jargon) to show they are an expert.

Social Dimensions to Look For:

• Group Membership: Does the interviewer use informal language to make the interviewee feel comfortable? This builds rapport.
• Assertions of Status: Does one person use very formal grammar to show they are "above" the other person?
• Creative Play: Sometimes, even in formal interviews, people use jokes or wordplay to entertain the audience.

4. Using Your Analytical Toolkit

When you are writing your analysis (Unit 1 Section A or Unit 2 Section A), you must use the six language levels. Here is how to apply them to this chapter:

Phonetics and Phonology

Look for emphasis in transcripts. Why did the speaker stress a specific word? Does it change the meaning? Look for pauses — are they for dramatic effect (planned) or because the speaker is thinking (spontaneous)?

Lexis and Semantics

Is the vocabulary formal or colloquial? Does the speaker use intertextuality (referring to other famous speeches or events) to sound more knowledgeable?

Grammar

Does the speaker use imperative verbs (commands) like "Believe in change"? This shows power. Do they use modal verbs like "we must" or "we might" to show certainty or possibility?

Pragmatics

This is about implied meaning. In an interview, what is the speaker really saying? If a politician avoids a question, the inference is that they don't want to admit the truth.

Discourse

How is the whole text put together? Does the speech have a powerful opening and a "call to action" at the end? In an interview, look at how the turns are managed.

Graphology

If you are looking at a transcript, notice how it is laid out. Are there instructions in brackets like (audience cheers)? These visual cues tell us about the context and purpose of the speech.

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first! Many students make these common slips, but you can avoid them:

• Mistake: Simply listing techniques (e.g., "There is a metaphor here").
  Fix: Always explain why it is used. "The speaker uses a metaphor to make the difficult economic situation feel like a personal journey, which helps the audience relate to the message."
• Mistake: Forgetting the audience.
  Fix: Remember that speeches and interviews are performances. Always ask: "Who is this meant for, and how does the language choice target them?"
• Mistake: Treating a transcript like a normal written essay.
  Fix: Mention the prosodic features (like pauses or stress) to show you understand it was spoken.

Quick Review: Key Terms for the Exam

Synthetic Personalisation: When a speaker uses "you" or "we" to make a mass audience feel like they are being addressed individually.

Agenda Setting: Controlling the topic of conversation, usually done by the person with the most power.

Interdiscursivity: When a speech mixes different styles (e.g., a formal political speech that includes a personal, "chatty" story to build rapport).

Prosodic Features: The "sound" elements of speech, such as volume, pace, and stress.

Final Tip: When you get to Unit 1 Section B (Directed Writing), you might be asked to transform a written text into a speech. Use the patterns of three, direct address ("you"), and clear markers of spoken mode to get top marks!