Discourse Analysis: Difference Between Written and Spoken Speech

Applied Linguistics March 30, 2023

 Difference Between Written and Spoken Speech



Discourse analysis is the study of language, including written and spoken communication. Written and spoken speech differ in terms of their characteristics, which can affect how they are analyzed in discourse analysis. Here are some of the key differences:

  1. Context: Written speech tends to have more explicit context than spoken speech. Authors can provide more background information and set the stage for their arguments or stories in writing. In contrast, spoken speech often relies more on shared knowledge and assumptions between speakers, and speakers may assume that their listeners are familiar with the context.

  2. Structure: Written speech tends to be more structured and organized than spoken speech. Writing often follows a logical progression of ideas, with clear transitions between sections. In contrast, spoken speech can be more meandering and unstructured, with speakers jumping from one idea to the next without clear transitions.

  3. Vocabulary and grammar: Written speech often uses more formal vocabulary and grammar than spoken speech. This is because writers have more time to think about their word choice and can edit their writing before it is published. On the other hand, spoken speech is often more informal and conversational, with more colloquial language and less attention paid to grammar.

  4. Nonverbal cues: Spoken speech includes nonverbal cues such as tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. These nonverbal cues can convey a meaning not captured in words. In contrast, written speech lacks these nonverbal cues, making it more difficult to interpret the meaning of the text.

  5. Audience: Written speech is typically intended for a wider audience than spoken speech. Anyone can read written texts with access to them, whereas spoken speech is often directed at a specific audience in a specific context. This can affect how language is used in each context, as speakers may use different languages or assume different levels of knowledge depending on their audience.

Overall, these differences suggest that analyzing written and spoken speech requires different approaches and methods. Discourse analysts may need to consider the context, structure, vocabulary and grammar, nonverbal cues, and audience of each type of speech to fully understand its meaning and significance.

Grammatical Differences

(i) Spoken language often contains incomplete sentences or phrases because speakers may only plan out their entire statement after beginning to speak. They may pause or change direction mid-sentence or use filler words like "um" or "uh" as they gather their thoughts. In contrast, written language is typically more carefully planned and structured, with complete sentences and clear transitions between ideas.

(ii) Spoken language also tends to use less subordination, meaning that clauses are only sometimes linked together hierarchically. In other words, speakers may use more coordinate clauses (clauses that are equally important and linked with coordinating conjunctions like "and" or "but") rather than subordinate clauses (clauses that are dependent on another clause and linked with subordinating conjunctions like "because" or "although"). This can make the spoken language seem more informal or conversational than written language.

(iii) Finally, spoken language often uses active declarative verbs (e.g. "I did it") instead of passive verbs (e.g. "It was done by me"). This is because active verbs are typically more direct and clear and can help speakers convey their message more effectively in a conversation. In contrast, passive verbs can be more complex and indirect and may be used more often in written language where a more formal or academic tone is desired.

It's worth noting that these differences are not absolute, and there can be an overlap between spoken and written language. For example, some spoken language can be structured and grammatically complex, such as in formal speeches or presentations. Likewise, some written language can be informal and conversational, such as in personal letters or online chat messages.

Examples

Here are a few examples that illustrate the differences between spoken and written language:

(i) Incomplete sentences or phrases in spoken language:

  • "So, um, I was thinking we could, like, maybe go out to eat tonight or something."
  • "I mean, I don't know, it just seems like a lot of work for not much payoff."

(ii) Less subordination in spoken language:

  • "I studied for the test all night, but I still failed."
  • "I really want to go to the concert, although I'm not sure if I can afford it."

(iii) Active declarative verbs in spoken language:

  • "I made dinner for everyone last night."
  • "I'm going to the gym after work today."

Again, it's important to remember that these are just general trends. There can be an overlap between spoken and written language depending on the context and purpose of the communication.

Worksheet

A worksheet for practice identifying differences between spoken and written language:

Title: Spoken vs Written Language

Instructions: Read each sentence and determine whether it is an example of spoken language or written language. Then, identify one characteristic of that type of language that is exemplified in the sentence.

  1. "Uh, I don't know, what do you think we should do?" ____________________

  2. "Although I was tired, I stayed up late to finish my homework." ____________________

  3. "I was like, 'Are you serious?' and she was like, 'Yeah, totally!'" ____________________

  4. "The report was written by the research team and submitted to the funding agency." ____________________

  5. "I'm sorry, I can't make it to the meeting tomorrow." ____________________

  6. "After running the experiment, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups." ____________________

  7. "I mean, it's not like we have to decide right now, we can always come back to it later." ____________________

  8. "The professor provided a detailed explanation of the theory, using many examples to illustrate his points." ____________________

  9. "I gotta go, see ya later!" ____________________

  10. "Because of the rain, the soccer game was postponed until next week." ____________________

Answer Key:

  1. Spoken Language; Incomplete sentences or phrases
  2. Written Language; Subordination
  3. Spoken Language; Informal or conversational tone
  4. Written Language; Passive voice
  5. Spoken Language; Direct and clear language
  6. Written Language; Passive voice
  7. Spoken Language; Incomplete sentences or phrases
  8. Written Language; Formal language and structure
  9. Spoken Language; Informal or conversational tone
  10. Written Language; Subordination

You could use this worksheet as a quiz, in-class activity, or homework assignment to help students understand the differences between spoken and written language.

References

  1. Crystal, D. (2005). The language of conversation. Blackwell Publishing.

  2. Chafe, W. (1985). Linguistic differences produced by differences between speaking and writing. In D. Olson, N. Torrance, & A. Hildyard (Eds.), Literacy, language, and learning: The nature and consequences of reading and writing (pp. 105-123). Cambridge University Press.

  3. Halliday, M. A. K. (1985). An introduction to functional grammar. Edward Arnold.

  4. Tannen, D. (1984). Conversational style: Analyzing talk among friends. Ablex.

  5. Biber, D., & Finegan, E. (1989). Styles of stance in English: Lexical and grammatical marking of evidentiality and affect. Text, 9(1), 93-124.

  6. Sinclair, J. (1991). Corpus, concordance, collocation. Oxford University Press.

These sources provide more in-depth analysis of the differences between spoken and written language, including their grammatical structures, lexical choices, and discourse functions. They may be useful for students, researchers, or anyone interested in understanding the complexities of language use in different contexts.

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