Summary

Chapter 12: Using Language stresses the importance of using precise words to impart intended meaning in the speech. Language is a powerful tool for a public speaker. Successful speakers are acutely aware of the meaning of the words that they employ. Words can have apparent definitions as well as subtle meanings. Selecting the appropriate and most effective words for a speech is a responsibility of the speaker.

Words have two types of meanings – denotative and connotative. A denotative description is a literal one. A connotative definition is figurative and subjective. The denotative meaning is definitive while the connotative definition is what the word may imply or suggest. Connotative meaning gives words their emotion and intensity. The expectation is that they stir the emotions in the listener. The choices of the words in a speech are often dependent upon the audience who will hear...