Lesson 1: Types of Speech Context • A conversation between your father and mother

about the latest announcement of your Barangay

Speech Context Chairman.
Context when referring to speech communication is Small Group– This applies to interactions involving
the surroundings, circumstances, environment, at least three but not more than twelve people
background or setting that determine, specify, or engaged in face-to-face interactions to achieve the
clarify the meaning of an event. desired goal. In this type of conversation, all
(LumenLearning.com/Elements of Communication). participants can freely express their ideas
According to DeVito (2005), “Context refers to the throughout the discussion.
setting in which the communication takes place. Examples:
Context helps to establish meaning and can
influence what is said and how it is said.” • You are having a discussion with your two
brothers about the surprise party you are planning
Speech Context is important because it helps you for your Mom’s birthday.
communicate appropriately, understand the
meaning of any message conveyed, and respond • Kathlyn who came back from the United States
accordingly. In order for you to have a clear grasp of called her three brothers and four sisters and
what Speech Context is, its types are discussed announced that she is getting married.
below. 3. Public– This type refers to a communication that
Types of Speech Context enables you to send or deliver a message before a
crowd. The message can be transmitted for
1. Intrapersonal – This refers to a type of informative or persuasive purposes. "In public
communication that is focused on one person, communication, unlike interpersonal and small
where the speaker acts both as the sender and as groups, the channels are more exaggerated. The
the receiver of the message. voice is louder and the gestures are more expansive
The message is made up of thoughts and feelings because the audience is larger” (Hybels & Weaver,
while the medium is the brain that processes what 2012, p 19).
you think and feel. (Hybels & Weaver, 2012, p 16) Examples:
Examples: • Delivering a graduation speech to your fellow
• There is a voice within you that tells you, “It’s graduates.
okay, you can still do it! You can make it!” when you • You were elected as the new SSG president of
are losing your drive to finish the task that you are your school and were given a chance to deliver a
doing. message of gratitude to your fellow students.
• When you told yourself not to talk to your friends 4. Mass Communication – This refers to
when you have read in a Facebook post that they communication through television, radio,
were in a party and you were not invited. newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, the
internet, and other types of media.
2. Interpersonal – This refers to the type of
Examples:
communication that takes place between and
among people and creates a personal relationship • You are watching a televised briefing of IATF on
between and among them. Normally, it includes COVID-19.
two individuals, and it can vary from casual and
• You have recorded a commentary for your
very personal to formal and impersonal.
school’s Online Discussion of the pandemic and
Types of Interpersonal Communication uploaded it in your social media account.

Dyad Communication – communication that Verbal and Non-verbal Behavior in a Speech

happens between two people. Context

Examples: Different speech context whether it is

intrapersonal, interpersonal, public or mass
• You consoled your brother who was feeling down.
communication requires different approaches.
Though there might be some occasional
similarities, you should at least know how to body language while you are talking. Is your tone
behave and respond to various speech contexts tough? Do you smile and encourage the person you
appropriately. are talking to? Your body language tells more about
your emotions and thoughts than your actual
When talking to your self
words. Bear this in mind the next time you have a
You might be familiar with the feeling of quietly conversation with someone. Check your body
talking to yourself in your mind, and it's normal — language to ensure that it is consistent with your
and good for you. By performing this, it makes you words (Oakes, 2017).
think and reflect on the things you have done or
When talking to the public
are planning to do. But here are some important
reminders that you need to keep in mind: Speaking in front of the crowd requires many
preparations; from analyzing your target audience,
1. Use self-talk to your advantage: Cheering
to planning and drafting your speech up to the
yourself up before an important event or talking to
rehearsing part. The key therefore is to come
yourself while completing a task are two perfect
prepared. Be yourself while you are on stage and
opportunities for self-talk (Gould, 2018, Talking to
speak in the way that you will be easily understood
yourself is normal, n.d.).
by your audience.
2. Don’t overdo it. While it is normal to talk to
yourself constantly, it is better not to overuse
yourself of doing so. The most common reason why
people end up talking to themselves is because
they feel like they do not have someone else to talk
to. To address this, you need to be more sociable, it
would give you more people to talk to other than
yourself.
When talking to one person or a small group of
people
Consoling your friend who is feeling down, or
simply talking with your classmates about your
plans for a group activity is an example of a dyad
and small group communication. This kind of
communication implies that the conversation is
being shared and there is exchange of ideas. Small
group involves different skills because unlike dyad,
it consists of more than two people. In both cases,
you can be as natural as yourself, however, unlike a
running conversation in your head, you have to
consider that there are others who are equally
important in the conversation. Thus, to achieve
successful communication in a dyad or small group,
you have to consider the following;
1. Listen carefully - Needless to say, this is the very
basic foundation of effective communication. You
have to listen carefully and understand what the
other person is saying. Asking clarifying questions
lets the other person know that you are indeed
listening attentively. More so, take active part. You
also need to be heard and understood when it is
your time to speak.
2. Check your tone and body language. The
vocabulary of the body is more revealing than the
actual words you speak. So, watch your tone and