A Course in Eight Parts on General Speech, Business BY FREDERICK HOUK LAW, Ph.D. Lecturer in English in New York University, and Head of the Department of English in the Stuyvesant High School, New York City THE COURSE OF STUDY BOOK ONE HOW TO SPEAK CORRECTLY AND PLEASINGLY HOW TO USE WORDS CORRECTLY BOOK THREE HOW TO SPEAK WELL UNDER ALL ORDINARY CONDITIONS BOOK FOUR HOW TO SPEAK IN DAILY BUSINESS LIFE BOOK FIVE HOW TO SPEAK UNDER TRYING CONDITIONS BOOK SIX HOW TO SPEAK IN PRIVATE LIFE AND IN PUBLIC PLACES HOW TO SPEAK ON PUBLIC OCCASIONS BOOK EIGHT HOW TO FIND MATERIAL FOR TALKING AND SPEAKING FOUNDED BY Independent Corporation. DIVISION OF BUSINESS EDUCATION 119 West Fortieth Street Copyright 1918 BY FREDERICK HOUK LAW, PH.D. New York All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian Introduction to Book II All speech is, of course, dependent upon words. If you use only the words that you now happen to possess you cannot make the great improvement in your speech that you can easily make by adding to your vocabulary. Book II shows you how to use words properly and effectively, and suggests further means than have already been suggested for enlarging your vocabulary. Book II will greatly increase your ability and power as a speaker. MASTERY OF SPEECH LESSON 31. How to Select Words for Speech KEY WORDS: MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO USE WORDS ACCURATELY. Your power as a speaker depends largely upon your choice of words. Follow these directions, and you will greatly benefit your speech: 1. Avoid all slang except when you use it for definite effect. The occasional use of slang to give pith and point is not at all objectionable so long as you use slang consciously for effect. Habitual use of slang weakens the vocabulary, for slang words take the place of good words. The use of slang weakens the ability to use synonyms. 2. Avoid bookish, pedantic words. The habitual use of long, bookish words makes speech seem affected. |