Page 298 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 10 Language: Making Verbal Sense of the Message 265

evidence only partly supports the claim. This is another reason for conducting
research on the topic prior to constructing a speech.
There are other ways to use language to increase the audience’s perception of
our competence. Some of the best are also the most obvious. They include using
correct grammar, correct pronunciation, and correct usage of a word. Although
we can get away with grammatically incorrect language in conversation, it usu-
ally sticks out like a sore thumb when speaking in public.

Grammar

In an otherwise effective speech on educational reform, for example, President
Bush asked his audience, “Is your children learning?” He meant to say, “Are
your children learning?” Although this was but a single grammatical mistake, it
became the most memorable part of the speech in terms of what was written and
said about it afterwards.
Some of the most common grammatical mistakes we hear in our own stu-
dents’ speech are double negatives, incorrect subject-verb agreement, and inap-
propriate slang.
A double negative occurs when someone uses a negative to modify another
negative. As in mathematics, a negative times a negative is actually a positive.
Thus, “No one never works around here” really means that there is no person
who “never works.” That suggests people really do work—the opposite of what
the speaker intended.
Incorrect subject-verb agreement occurs when a plural subject is matched
with a singular verb or vice versa. Avoid such sentences as “We is going to the
movies.”
Finally, unless they are essential to the speech, certain expressions common
in everyday conversation are inappropriate in a speech. Many speech teachers
object in particular to the overuse of “you know,” “you guys,” and “like.” It is ir-
ritating to hear, “You know, like, I really mean it, you guys.”
This is far from a complete list of grammatical pitfalls for the speaker. And a
speech is not as formal as written English. Although you are not supposed to end
a sentence with a preposition, it is not uncommon to hear someone say, “I know
what it’s all about.” The best advice we can give is that if you are in doubt about
any grammatical issues, consult someone who is knowledgeable and ask his or
her advice, or check a grammar handbook, such as Diana Hacker’s A Pocket Style
Manual, which you can order from Amazon.com.

Pronunciation

It is easy to mispronounce a word, especially when it is a word we do not rou-
tinely use or have heard others use incorrectly. For example, how do you pro-
nounce the word nuclear? Many people, including those in positions of authority,
pronounce it “nuk-u-lar.”The correct pronunciation is “nuk-le-ur.” How do you
pronounce the word vehicle? Many people pronounce it “ve-hick-ul.” The correct
pronunciation is “ve-ik-ul.” Mispronunciation of words may seem a picky point
to you. Yet when speaking before an educated audience, mispronunciation is
one of the surest ways to risk their perceiving you as incompetent.
Mispronunciation of words can lead to problems other than your competence
being undermined. One of the most signifi cant involves meaning. Frequently,