The Differences between Spoken and Written Discourse

Introduction

If we think of language as a system for communication, then speech and writing are the
two main channels through which communication can pass. Speech is the original
channel for which human language evolved (still there are many languages which do not
have written form) , and all written languages have (or once had) a spoken form. Speech
is fast and interactive, and we can talk and listen while at the same time getting one with
something else. Written text may lacks the intonation, loudness, voice quality, local
accent – and the information that enables us to tell whether the speaker is a man, woman
or child. Written discourse includes some medium to keep record of the message. It can
be edited to achieve grammar-free sentences. In written discourse Audience is not known
and text cannot be adjusted to individual reader. No immediate response from the readers
for clarification is needed: organization is crucial in it. Paragraphs, layouts are important
to enhance understanding in written form while spoken discourse involves air. Speed of
speech can be adjusted in spoken discourse. Moreover, Spoken discourse might be
spontaneous which results in mistakes, repetition, sometimes less coherent sentences
where even stutters or pauses might be meaningful. There are more distinctions between
spoken and written language provided by different scholar and I will refer to them.
The general differences between spoken and written discourse

1.Grammatical intricacy and structure

Written discourse is more structurally complex and more elaborate than spoken
discourse. In other words, sentences in spoken discourse are short and simple, whereas
written discourse is more structurally complex and elaborate than speech, indicated by
features such as longer sentences and a greater use of subordination (Chafe, 1982;
Tannen, 1982a, 1985; Gumperz et al.,1984). Spoken discourse contains more
uncompleted and reformulated sentences. . Sentence and clause in spoken discourse are
usually shorter than written text.

2. Lexical density

It refers to the ratio of content words (i.e. nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) to
grammatical or function words (e.g. pronouns, prepositions, articles) within a clause.
Lexical density in Spoken discourse is less than written discourse. Content words in
spoken tend to be spread out over a number of clauses, whereas in written discourse, they
seem to be tightly packed into individual clauses. Sentence and clause in spoken
discourse are usually simpler than written text.

3. Nominalization

It refers to presenting actions and events as nouns rather than as verbs.

Written discourse has a high level of nominalization ( i.e. more nouns than verbs).
Written discourse tends to have longer noun groups than spoken discourse.
4. Vocabulary

There are difference between written and spoken discourse for selection of words:

a) spoken: slang and more simple words

written: slang avoided and formal words

b) spoken: swear words

written: usually swear words are avoided

c) spoken: colloquial language

written: educated language

d) spoken: limited vocabulary

written: time taken to select correct word

e) spoken: often more monosyllabic words

written: polysyllabic words

f) spoken: dialect/accent/regional words

written : regional words, only in regional fictions

g) spoken: less adjectives

written: more adjectives

5. Contextualization

It refers to the extent knowledge of context is needed to interpret a text.

Writing is more de-contextualized than speech: Speech is more attached to context than

writing because speech depends on a shared situation and background for interpretation

(Gumperz et al., 1984; Olson, 1977).

6. Explicitness

Writing is more explicit than speech, but it is not absolute. Explicitness in writing is

relative. It has complete idea units with all assumption and logical relations encoded in

the text (Olson, 1977; Chafe, 1986).

7. Spontaneity

a. Spoken discourse lacks organization and it is spontaneous, whereas written discourse is

organized and less spontaneous. Written is more deliberately organized and planned than

speech (Akinnaso, 1982; Gumperz et al., 1984)

b. Topics can be changed in speech.

c. Speakers may interrupt and overlap.

d. Spoken discourse is faster.

8. Repetition, hesitations, and redundancy

Spoken discourse contains more repetition, hesitations, and redundancy because it is

produced in real time .It contains great amount of repetition: saying the same thing
several times in different ways.
Spoken discourse has many pauses and fillers, such as ‘hhh’, ‘er’ ‘hmmm’ and ‘you
know’.

9. Phonological features

i) Intonation: In spoken discourse this can alter the meaning considerably. In written
text ,Some direct speech can convey this (eg he said threateningly) and not always
clearly.

ii) Pauses: These can be used for stress, climax, or may occur prior to selection of a
hard-to find word. These can be conveyed by punctuation, but punctuation is only an
approximation to pausing.

iii) Speed: May provide information on the confidence/nervousness/urgency of the

speaker, or when some parts of speech are less important or when the speaker is not sure
about something, the he pronounce them quickly.
*Note that Chafe referred these aspects(phonological) to cognitive perspective, which I
will explain below.

10. Cognitive perspective

In order to see the distinctions between speech and writing underlying the linguistic
features, Chafe (1991) proposes that writing differs from speech in that writing
experience a process with a “displaced consciousness.” He established two basic modes:
(1) Language and consciousness in the immediate mode; and (2) Language and
consciousness in the displaced mode. Writing basically belongs to the second displaced
mode with separate experiencing consciousness. In other words, writers do not
experience what they write while they are writing. They write what they have
experienced before. He also included that: Apparently the “unit of consciousness” in
speech (intonation units) and in writing (punctuation units) apparently function
differently in processing. The consciousness between the speaker and the hearer is
constrained by time and full involvement (or attention) whereas in writing, less
constrained in both aspects(Chafe, 1991).

11. Function

Written is characterized by a higher concentration of new information than speech

(Stubbs, 1980; Brown and Yule, 1983). The purpose of spoken language involves more
than just the communication of ideas or information (i.e. getting things done, filling in
embarrassing gaps or letting off steam). However there are some written texts tend to be
spoken (e.g. prayer scripts and play scripts).

12. Extra-linguistic and Para-linguistic features

Spoken discourse includes extra-lingual information such as body language, watching or
gaze. It also involves visual aspects: pointing by hand and gesture. Para- linguistic feature
such as mood are more recognizable in spoken discourse.

A) The Spoken Discourse (transcription)

1. Ultimately( s ) we want happiness (0.2)

2. we do not want suffering (0.2)
3. every body (0.9) every body any >sentient< being (1.0)
4. now (pointing by hand) we are (gh)actually creating more UN:NECCASSARY
suffering
5. I think is very important to make CLAER >to public<
6. This is we are not talking about religion (0.2)
7. If we have more compassion GOD will pleased
8. >we are< not talking that (0.8)
9. as >a Buddhist<(hh) if we:: practice compassion >Buddha< will support us
10. I am not talking that
11. If we are. (0.1) more compassionate person
12. ?I get more benefit
13. ?I will be more hi-happier person(0.2)
14. ta-that is the point
15. here at the one check(o.1) one is the mi- thousand (gh)o one million of
dolor but here ((pointing by hand to heart))(0.4) NO Peace
16. that one million dolor will not bring: inner peace (0.7) (h)happ:iness (0.6)
17. more frustration-This money bring ?more frustration(0.1) /more\ suspicion (0.1)
/more\ anxiety (0.4)
18. or >sometimes there is < more jealousy >then<

((pause))
* (- - - - - - - - - - - - - -)
19. so inner peace is the (0.2) ultimate source of ?(hh)happiness (0.1) joyfulness
20. So >I think people< do not >understand that< (1.3)
21. >Isn’t< it
22. I kk-tt-that- z that’s my point .

B) The Written Discourse

1. From the moment of birth every human being wants happiness and freedom and wants
to avoid suffering.
2. In this we are all the same;
3.and the more we care for the happiness of others the greater our own sense of each
other becomes.
4. Many of our problems are created by ourselves based on divisions due to ideology,
religion, race, resources, economic status or other factors.
5. The time has come to think on a deeper, more human level and appreciate and respect
our sameness as human beings and to have a respect for endangered cultures that share
these principles.
6. We are at the dawn of an age in which many people feel that extreme political concepts
should cease to dominate human affairs.
7. We should use this opportunity to replace them with universal human and spiritual
values and ensure that these values become the fiber of the global family that is
emerging.
8. It is not possible to find peace with anger, hatred, jealousy or greed.
9. At every level of society, familial, tribal, national and international, the key to a
happier and more that love and compassion are the most essential concepts for human
survival.
10. So long as human peaceful and successful world is the growth of compassion.
11. We do not necessarily need to become religious, nor even believe in an ideology.
12. We need only to develop our good human qualities and know beings live and suffer,
the only world open to our present knowledge, the brotherhood of man will seem an
unattainable principle.
13. In order for us to achieve real lasting peace among one another, the effort to realize
that noblest and most satisfactory moral value must be occupation of every individual
intelligence.

Comparison of given data:

The comparison of above discourse identifies most of distinctive feature between spoken
and written discourse. Some of differences are more significant and few distinctions are
less clear such as contextualization and Explicitness, since that both given data are
explicit enough and contextualized. Of course this written text has great amount of nouns
(85 nouns) in compare with verbs (22), which refers to high level of Nominalization of
written discourse, while this spoken discourse include 32 nouns and 20 verbs which
indicate low level of nominalization in usual spoken discourses. The study of given
discourses lead us to specify some of distinctions which are more considerable in these
data:
 1- A brief observation on given data represent the differences of vocabulary between
written and spoken discourse provided in it; the spoken discourse include simple
words, limited vocabulary, more monosyllabic words and also somehow colloquial
languages. On the other hand the written discourse exhibits more complex words
and more technical words in compare with the spoken text. Most of the words in
the written discourse are polysyllabic.

Written discourse: national, brotherhood, intelligence, satisfactory, occupation,

appreciate, endangered, affairs, divisions, dominate, emerging, unattainable and
etc. Total number of adjectives in this spoken discourse is 5 adjectives, however in
the written discourse is 29 adjectives.

2- Secondly this spoken discourse includes variety of phonological or regarding to Chafe

notion cognitive perspective. Majority of sentence in given spoken discourse represent
pause. Intonation, stress due to catch the attention of addressees (hearer) and also to
emphasize the meaning of particular word, phrase or clause .e.g:
No 3. every body (0.9) every body any >sentient< being (1.0)
A16. that one million dolor will not bring: inner peace (0.7) (h)happ:iness (0.6)
A17. more frustration-This money bring ?more frustration(0.1) /more\ suspicion(0.1)
/more\ anxiety (0.4)
The other feature in this group is speed, which is significant in this given
discourse.(i.e.3,5,8,9 and etc.)
A20. So >I think people< do not >understand that< (1.3)
(number 20 may convey that speaker is not sure about this idea or maybe the other reason)

3. The next differences refers grammatical and structural feature. Obviously, sentences
in given written discourse are more complex than given speech. There grate use of
subordinate clause in this written discourse (i.e no 4,5,6,8,9,11,12). The sentences in this
spoken discourse are too shorter than written one.

4. Finally the interesting part is existence of body language, gesture and gaze in this
spoken discourse, which refer to Para-Linguistic and Extra-Linguistic distinction. This
characteristic is not available in given written discourse. The gaze directed to audience
pointing by hand

Conclusion

In discourse analysis a distinction is often made between spoken and written discourse.
Although there are typical differences between the two, there is also a considerable
overlap and a frequent mixture, which has been accelerated by new technology. Analysis
of both modes encounters the problem of representing relevant context, but this problem
is especially acute in the analysis and transcription of spoken discourse. The distinction
between spoken and written discourse are not absolute. Biber pointed out that “no
absolute spoken/written distinction is identified; rather, the relations among spoken and
written texts are complex and associated with a variety of different situational, functional,
and processing considerations” (Biber, 1988). At present, opinion on the differences
between written and spoken discourse is often speculative. When the distinction between
spoken and written discourse refers simply to a difference of mode, in that spoken
discourse utilizes sound and written discourse is visual, it is both self-evident and
unremarkable. In addition to some distinction provided by earlier scholar are
contradictory, for instance those which are related to number of sentence. Biber (1988)
commented that “a major problem here concerns the definition of ‘sentence’ in speech (in
English), and since most studies do not define the particular use of the term, there is no
basis for comparison” (p.49). Though, when an attempt is made to distinguish linguistic
or discourse features peculiar to one mode or the other, the distinction becomes more
complex.