This document compares and contrasts the differences between written and spoken language. Written language favors precise sentences with embedded clauses, reported speech, and precise vocabulary with little ellipsis. Spoken language favors clauses as the basic unit of construction, uses coordination to add clauses, favors direct speech, tolerates vagueness, uses ellipsis frequently, and includes question tags and performance effects like hesitations, repeats, and false starts. It then provides definitions of speaking as the vocalized form of human communication that starts mentally and includes grammatical, discoursive, strategic, and sociocultural competencies.

1. The difference between written and
spoken language
• Written grammar
 Sentence is the basic unit of
construction
 Clauses are often embedded
(subordination)
 Sub+verb+object construction
 Reported speech favored
 Precision favored
 Little ellipsis
 No question tags
 No performance effects
• Spoken grammar
 Clause is the basic unit of
construction
 Clauses are usually added (coord)
 Head+body+tail construction
 Direct speech favored
 Vagueness tolerated
 A lot of ellipsis
 Many question tags
 Performance effects:
 Hesitations
 Repeats
 False starts
 Incompletion
 Systanctic blends

2. So…What is SPEAKING?
• It is the vocalized form of human communication. It
is a process that starts in the mind.
• Speaking includes 4 competencies:
 Grammatical
 Discoursive
 Strategic
 Sociocultural

3. Bibliographical references:
• Brown Douglas, Teaching by principles, USA, Pearson-
Longman
• Richards Jack, Renandya Willy, Methodology in
Language Teaching, UK, Cambridge University Press,
2005
• Thornbury Scott, How to Teach Speaking, UK,
Pearson-Longman, 2005