Speech and conversation

Just as the previous chapter showed that writing is an important form of communication, this chapter explores the various ways in which the spoken word can also be seen as a vitally important aspect of communication. In order to develop our understanding of the use of the spoken word, I shall examine three sets of issues. First, I shall look at speech, the actual use of the spoken word in communicating. I shall examine a range of important issues which will help us to develop an understanding of both the complexity and the importance of the spoken word. Next, I shall present a brief overview of what is known as ‘paralanguage’, the various factors (tone of voice, for example) which have a bearing on how spoken language is used. Finally, I shall explore the important topic of body language or nonverbal communication.