Types of

Speech
Context and
Style

Types of
Speech
Context

Intrapersonal
This

refers to communication that

centers on one person where the
speaker acts both as the sender and
the receiver of message. The
message is made up of your thoughts
and feelings.

The channel is your brain, which

processes what you are thinking and
feeling. There is feedback in the sense
that as you talk to yourself, you
discard certain ideas and replace them
with others. (Hybels & Weaver, 2012,
p 16)

Example
You

spent the night thinking and

analyzing why a student from the other
class talked to you on the way home and
you decided it probably meant nothing.

You

felt happy while thinking about

how your teacher appreciated you for
submitting your project before the
due date and you reflected on why this
was so.

Interpersonal
This

refers to communication between

and among people and establishes
personal relationship between and
among them. Solomon and Theiss
(2013) state that the inter part of the
word highlights how interpersonal
communication connects people

when

you engage in interpersonal

communication, you and another
person become linked together The
personal part means that your unique
qualities as a person matter during
interpersonal communication (p. 5)

Types of
Interperson
al Context

Dyad

Communication

Communication that occurs

between two people

Example
You

offered feedback on the speech

performance of your classmate.

You

provided comfort to a friend who

was feeling down.

Small

Group
This refers to communication that
involves at least three but not more than
twelve people engaging in a face-to-face
interaction to achieve a desired goal. In
this
type
of
communication,
all
participants can freely share ideas in a
loose and open discussion.

Example
You

are participating in an organizational

meeting which aims to address the
concerns of your fellow students

You

are having a discussion with your

group mates on how to finish the assigned
tasks.

Public

This type refers to communication that

requires you to deliver or send the
message before or in front of a group. The
message can be driven by informational or
persuasive
purposes.
In
public
communication, unlike in interpersonal and
small group, the channels are more
exaggerated.

The voice is louder and the gestures

are more expansive because the
audience is bigger. The speaker might
use additional visual channels such as
slides or a Power Point presentation.
(Hybels & Weaver, 2012, p 19)

Example
You

deliver a graduation speech to

your batch.

You

participate in a declamation,
oratorical, or debate contest watched
by a number of people.

Mass

Communication

This refers to communication that takes

place
through
television,
radio,
newspapers, magazines, books, billboards,
internet, and other types of media.

Example
You

are a student journalist

articulating your stand on
current issues through the
schools newspaper.

Types of
Speech
Style

The

context dictates and affects the

way people communicate, which
results in various speech styles.
According to Joos (1968), there are five
speech styles.

These

are (1) intimate, (2) casual,

(3) consultative, (4) formal, and
(5) frozen. Each style dictates what
appropriate language or vocabulary
should be used or observed.

Intimate
This

style is private, which occurs

between or among close family
members or individuals. The
language used in this style may
not be shared in public.

Casual
This

style is common among

peers and friends. Jargon,
slang, or the vernacular
language are used.

Consultative
This

style is the standard one.

Professional or mutually acceptable
language is a must in this style.
Examples of situations are
communication between teachers and
students,

employers

and employees, doctor

and patient, judge and lawyer, or
President and his/her constituents.

Formal
This

style is used in formal settings.

Unlike the consultative style, this is
one-way. Examples are sermons by
priests and ministers, State of the
Nation Address of the President, formal
speeches, or pronouncements by
judges.

Frozen
This

style is frozen in time and

remains unchanged. It mostly occurs
in ceremonies. Common examples
are the Preamble to the Constitution,
Lords Prayer, and Allegiance to
country or flag.