• Unit 11: The Importance of Language

    Critiquing the language you use in a speech is the oral equivalent of editing your own writing. It can be difficult to recognize when words and phrases you use casually every day may not suit the context or audience of a public presentation. Upon completing the readings and viewing the web media in this unit, you may conclude that it contains too many minor details about this subject. However, that would be an inappropriate conclusion. You may not remember all of those details, your exposure to them will, at the very least, heighten your awareness of the importance of choosing language which suits the occasion, even if, as is often the case, it does not suit you as well. Indeed, attention to language is often what distinguishes the professional communicator from the casual one, and it is why the term "wordsmith" is sometimes used as a compliment to those who do it well.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.

    • 11.1: Oral vs. Written Language

    • 11.2: Using Language Effectively

    • 11.3: Six Elements of Language

    • 11.4: Unit 11 Exercises