14.3 Special Occasion Language
Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres
14.3 Special Occasion Language
Special occasion speeches rely heavily on strong, thoughtful language, which is why it is important to focus on word choice. More than in other types of speeches, this is where you will spend a lot of time thinking carefully about how you say something, not just what you say.
In informative and persuasive speeches, much of your preparation involves research and citing sources. With special occasion speeches, you usually do not need to spend as much time on research. Instead, that time is better spent crafting meaningful, memorable phrases that clearly express your message and the emotion behind it.
Using effective language does not mean using big or complicated words to sound impressive. Good language is about taking words you already know and using them in a clear, powerful, and purposeful way. The goal is to make your message easy to understand while also making it meaningful.
It is also important to think about how your words can create emotion and connection. When your language is thoughtful and well organized, your speech can feel more engaging, sincere, and memorable. As the speaker in a special occasion setting, your role is to help the audience feel the significance of the moment and understand why the event matters.
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CC Licensed Content, Original
Speech Communication was created by Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres. Independently created original and AI-assisted content developed specifically for this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
This educational material includes content generated or revised with the assistance of large language models. Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres reviewed, edited, and take responsibility for the final published content.
CC Licensed Content, Previously Shared
This section is adapted in part from It’s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century by Douglas Marshall, James Yeargain, June Pulliam, Sara Kim, and Victoria VanNest, published by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The adapted material was revised and reorganized for this edition. Adapted portions remain licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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