Question

What is the difference between making an argument to a particular audience in writing; and making the same argument to a particular audience in speech? What changes have to made to the argument in either case? What additional considerations do you have as a speaker that you might not have as a writer?

Answer 1

When you speak to others, the type of communication in which you transmit information to the receiver is through verbally speaking the message. Tone, emotionOral text consists of words with fewer syllables than the written language. The sentences are generally shorter and self-referencing pronouns such as I are common. It allows incomplete sentences if delivered properly and way of speech has very adverse impact on the receiver.

Formality and tone of the language make a difference to judge the quality of a script. In oral text, you should try to use more casual tone rather than formal tone but it is vice versa in written text. The precision in oral communication comes only with a great deal of preparation and compression but the writer can write and rewrite at great length, a span of time which in some cases can be measured in years. The written words can be chosen with greater deliberation and thought; a written argument can be extraordinarily sophisticated, intricate, and lengthy.

Misinterpretation of the argument is possible in oral communication but not in written communication.

Proper records are found in written text, which is just opposite in oral communication.

It is irreversible for the uttered words in oral communication, although you can apologize for a mistake and improvise a clarification or qualification. On the other hand, editing of the original message is possible in written communication.

In oral communication, instant feedback is received from the recipient which is not possible in written communication. It is because oral communication can be significantly more effective in expressing meaning to an audience.